Investigating entanglement entropy at small-x in DIS off protons and nuclei

In this work we analyse the entanglement entropy in deep inelastic scattering off protons and nuclei. It is computed based on the formalism where the partonic state at small-x is maximally entangled with proton being constituted by large number of microstates occuring with equal probabilities. We consider analytical expressions for the number of gluons, N_{gluon}, obtained from gluon saturation models for the dipole-target amplitudes within the QCD color dipole picture. In particular, the nuclear entanglement entropy per nucleon is studied. We also study the underlying uncertainties on these calculations and compare the results to similar investigations in literature.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures and 1 table (revised, conclusions unchanged). Extended version to be published in Physical Review

Crossover of thermal to shot noise in chaotic cavities

We study the crossover between thermal and shot-noise power in a chaotic quantum dot in the presence of non-ideal contacts at finite temperature. The result explicitly demonstrates that the temperature affect the suppression-amplification effect present in the main quantum noise. In particular, the weak localization contribution to the noise has an anomalous thermal behavior when one let the barriers vary, indicating the presence of a critical point related to specific value of the tunneling barriers. We also show how to get to the opaque limit of the quantum dot at finite temperature.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. To be published in Europhysics Letter

Latest results for the antikaon-nucleon optical potential

The key question of this letter is whether the K-nucleus optical potential is deep, as it is prefered by the phenomenological fits to kaonic atoms data, or shallow, as it comes out from unitary chiral model calculations. The current experimental situation is reviewed.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure. Presented at the 21st European Conference on the Few-Body problems in Physics (EFB21), Salamanca, Spain, August 29 - September 3, 201

A CF3I-based SDD Prototype for Spin-independent Dark Matter Searches

The application of Superheated Droplet Detectors (SDDs) to dark matter searches has so far been confined to the light nuclei refrigerants C2ClF5 and C4F10 (SIMPLE and PICASSO, respectively), with a principle sensitivity to spin-dependent interactions. Given the competitive results of these devices, as a result of their intrinsic insensitivity to backgrounds, we have developed a prototype trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I)-loaded SDD with increased sensitivity to spin-independent interactions as well. A low (0.102 kgd) exposure test operation of two high concentration, 1 liter devices is described, and the results compared with leading experiments in both spin-dependent and -independent sectors. Although competitive in both sectors when the difference in exposures is accounted for, a problem with fracturing of the detector gel must be addressed before significantly larger exposures can be envisioned.Comment: revised and updated; accepted Astrop. Phy

Phenomenological approach to the critical dynamics of the QCD phase transition revisited

The phenomenological dynamics of the QCD critical phenomena is revisited. Recently, Son and Stephanov claimed that the dynamical universality class of the QCD phase transition belongs to model H. In their discussion, they employed a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation for the net baryon number density, which is a conserved quantity. We derive the Langevin equation for the net baryon number density, i.e., the Cahn-Hilliard equation. Furthermore, they discussed the mode coupling induced through the {\it irreversible} current. Here, we show the {\it reversible} coupling can play a dominant role for describing the QCD critical dynamics and that the dynamical universality class does not necessarily belong to model H.Comment: 13 pages, the Curie principle is discussed in S.2, to appear in J.Phys.

Passaging capability of human corneal endothelial cells derived from old donors with and without accelerating cell attachment

In a recent report, we showed that it is possible to establish the culture of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells (HCEnCs) from older donor corneas (usually over 65 year olds) when left to attach in the presence of a viscoelastic solution, potentially increasing the donor pool for culturing HCEnCs. Therefore, we set out to evaluate the outcome of using a viscoelastic solution (Viscoat) to accelerate the attachment of passaged cultured human corneal endothelial cells (HCEnCs). The cells from 28 donor tissues were isolated using peel-and-digest method and evenly seeded into two wells of an 8-well chamber slide. The cells were left to attach after topical application of Viscoat. At confluence, one well was subjected to end-stage characterization, whereas the other well was passaged into another two wells. The cells at P1 were attached with and without the use of Viscoat. The growth rate was monitored; and at confluence, morphometric analysis, corneal endothelial specific (CD166-Tag1A3 & PRDX6-Tag2A12), mitochondrial and respiration assessment (Tom-20 and Seahorse); function-associated (Na+/K+ATPase & ZO-1); proliferative (Ki-67) marker analysis, and viability (Hoechst, Ethidium Homodimer and Calcein AM-HEC) studies were performed. Cells at P0 (with Viscoat) showed 100% confluence at day 9. Cells at P1 with and without Viscoat showed significant difference of confluence 67.0% v 18.8% respectively (p < 0.05). Confluence rate, cell density, hexagonality, Ki-67 positivity and mitochondrial intensity was significantly higher (p < 0.05), whereas cell-area and polymorphism was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the cells attached with Viscoat compared with the cells attached without Viscoat. There was no significant difference in oxygen consumption rate between the groups. In conclusion, we observed that acceleration in the attachment of passaged HCEnCs with the assistance of Viscoat, could be beneficial for the propagation of HCEnCs isolated from older donors, to increase their propensity to proliferate, without loss of the expression of vital proteins and heterogeneity in cellular morphology