Mathematical Models for Estimating the Risk of vCJD Transmission

We present two different simple models for vCJD transmission by blood transfusion. Both models indicate that transfusions alone are unlikely to cause more than a few infections, unless the number of primary cases increases. To improve our models, future work should pursue data collection, empirical estimation of the model parameters, and examination of the underlying assumptions of our frameworks. Further improvements could also include examining susceptibility to vCJD infection by age group and iatrogenic infections introduced through surgical instruments. Regarding the latter, it may be worthwhile to conduct experiments to quantify the transmission of prions from an infected surgical instrument after repeated sterilization procedures

Structure of Pion Photoproduction Amplitudes

We derive and apply the finite energy sum rules to pion photoproduction. We evaluate the low energy part of the sum rules using several state-of-the-art models. We show how the differences in the low energy side of the sum rules might originate from different quantum number assignments of baryon resonances. We interpret the observed features in the low energy side of the sum rules with the expectation from Regge theory. Finally, we present a model, in terms of a Regge-pole expansion, that matches the sum rules and the high-energy observables.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures and 4 table

On orientational relief of inter-molecular potential and the structure of domain walls in fullerite C60

A simple planar model for an orientational ordering of threefold molecules on a triangular lattice modelling a close-packed (111) plane of fullerite is considered. The system has 3-sublattice ordered ground state which includes 3 different molecular orientations. There exist 6 kinds of orientational domains, which are related with a permutation or a mirror symmetry. Interdomain walls are found to be rather narrow. The model molecules have two-well orientational potential profiles, which are slightly effected by a presence of a straight domain wall. The reason is a stronger correlation between neighbour molecules in triangular lattice versus previously considered square lattice A considerable reduction (up to one order) of orientational interwell potential barrier is found in the core regions of essentially two-dimentional potential defects, such as a three-domain boundary or a kink in the domain wall. For ultimately uncorrelated nearest neighbours the height of the interwell barrier can be reduced even by a factor of 100.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, LaTeX, to appear in Low Temperature Physic

Ordering in the pyrochlore antiferromagnet due to Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions

The Heisenberg nearest neighbour antiferromagnet on the pyrochlore (3D) lattice is highly frustrated and does not order at low temperature where spin-spin correlations remain short ranged. Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions (DMI) may be present in pyrochlore compounds as is shown, and the consequences of such interactions on the magnetic properties are investigated through mean field approximation and monte carlo simulations. It is found that DMI (if present) tremendously change the low temperature behaviour of the system. At a temperature of the order of the DMI a phase transition to a long range ordered state takes place. The ordered magnetic structures are explicited for the different possible DMI which are introduced on the basis of symmetry arguments. The relevance of such a scenario for pyrochlore compounds in which an ordered magnetic structure is observed experimentally is dicussed

Precision stellar radial velocity measurements with FIDEOS at the ESO 1-m telescope of La Silla

We present results from the commissioning and early science programs of FIDEOS, the new high-resolution echelle spectrograph developed at the Centre of Astro Engineering of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, and recently installed at the ESO 1m telescope of La Silla. The instrument provides spectral resolution R = 43,000 in the visible spectral range 420-800 nm, reaching a limiting magnitude of 11 in V band. Precision in the measurement of radial velocity is guaranteed by light feeding with an octagonal optical fibre, suitable mechanical isolation, thermal stabilisation, and simultaneous wavelength calibration. Currently the instrument reaches radial velocity stability of = 8 m/s over several consecutive nights of observation

Magneto-thermodynamics of the spin-1/2 Kagome antiferromagnet

In this paper, we use a new hybrid method to compute the thermodynamic behavior of the spin-1/2 Kagome antiferromagnet under the influence of a large external magnetic field. We find a T^2 low-temperature behavior and a very low sensitivity of the specific heat to a strong external magnetic field. We display clear evidence that this low temperature magneto-thermal effect is associated to the existence of low-lying fluctuating singlets, but also that the whole picture (T^2 behavior of Cv and thermally activated spin susceptibility) implies contribution of both non magnetic and magnetic excitations. Comparison with experiments is made.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX 2.09 and RevTeX with 3 figures embedded in the text. Version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let