1,243 research outputs found
Multipole structure and coordinate systems
Multipole expansions depend on the coordinate system, so that coefficients of
multipole moments can be set equal to zero by an appropriate choice of
coordinates. Therefore, it is meaningless to say that a physical system has a
nonvanishing quadrupole moment, say, without specifying which coordinate system
is used. (Except if this moment is the lowest non-vanishing one.) This result
is demonstrated for the case of two equal like electric charges. Specifically,
an adapted coordinate system in which the potential is given by a monopole term
only is explicitly found, the coefficients of all higher multipoles vanish
identically. It is suggested that this result can be generalized to other
potential problems, by making equal coordinate surfaces coincide with the
potential problem's equipotential surfaces.Comment: 2 figure
Precautionary Regulation in Europe and the United States: A Quantitative Comparison
Much attention has been addressed to the question of whether Europe or the United States adopts a more precautionary stance to the regulation of potential environmental, health, and safety risks. Some commentators suggest that Europe is more risk-averse and precautionary, whereas the US is seen as more risk-taking and optimistic about the prospects for new technology. Others suggest that the US is more precautionary because its regulatory process is more legalistic and adversarial, while Europe is more lax and corporatist in its regulations. The flip-flop hypothesis claims that the US was more precautionary than Europe in the 1970s and early 1980s, and that Europe has become more precautionary since then. We examine the levels and trends in regulation of environmental, health, and safety risks since 1970. Unlike previous research, which has studied only a small set of prominent cases selected non-randomly, we develop a comprehensive list of almost 3,000 risks and code the relative stringency of regulation in Europe and the US for each of 100 risks randomly selected from that list for each year from 1970 through 2004. Our results suggest that: (a) averaging over risks, there is no significant difference in relative precaution over the period, (b) weakly consistent with the flip-flop hypothesis, there is some evidence of a modest shift toward greater relative precaution of European regulation since about 1990, although (c) there is a diversity of trends across risks, of which the most common is no change in relative precaution (including cases where Europe and the US are equally precautionary and where Europe or the US has been consistently more precautionary). The overall finding is of a mixed and diverse pattern of relative transatlantic precaution over the period
Implications of Pseudospin Symmetry on Relativistic Magnetic Properties and Gamow - Teller Transitions in Nuclei
Recently it has been shown that pseudospin symmetry has its origins in a
relativistic symmetry of the Dirac Hamiltonian. Using this symmetry we relate
single - nucleon relativistic magnetic moments of states in a pseudospin
doublet to the relativistic magnetic dipole transitions between the states in
the doublet, and we relate single - nucleon relativistic Gamow - Teller
transitions within states in the doublet. We apply these relationships to the
Gamow - Teller transitions from to its mirror nucleus .Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, to be published in PRC. Slightly revised text
with one reference adde
How to be causal: time, spacetime, and spectra
I explain a simple definition of causality in widespread use, and indicate
how it links to the Kramers Kronig relations. The specification of causality in
terms of temporal differential eqations then shows us the way to write down
dynamical models so that their causal nature /in the sense used here/ should be
obvious to all. To extend existing treatments of causality that work only in
the frequency domain, I derive a reformulation of the long-standing Kramers
Kronig relations applicable not only to just temporal causality, but also to
spacetime "light-cone" causality based on signals carried by waves. I also
apply this causal reasoning to Maxwell's equations, which is an instructive
example since their casual properties are sometimes debated.Comment: v4 - add Appdx A, "discrete" picture (not in EJP); v5 - add Appdx B,
cause classification/frames (not in EJP); v7 - unusual model case; v8 add
reference
Natural Gas for High Load Dual-Fuel Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition in Heavy-Duty Engines
Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) has been shown to be capable of providing improved engine efficiencies coupled with the benefit of low emissions via incylinder fuel blending. Much of the previous body of work has studied the use of gasoline as the premixed low-reactivity fuel. However, there is interest in exploring the use of alternative fuels in advanced combustion strategies. Due to the strong market growth of natural gas as a fuel in both mobile and stationary applications, a study on the use of methane for RCCI combustion was performed. Single cylinder heavy-duty engine experiments were undertaken to examine the operating range of the RCCI combustion strategy with methane/diesel fueling and were compared against gasoline/diesel RCCI operation. The experimental results show a significant load extension of RCCI engine operation with methane/diesel fueling compared to gasoline/diesel fueling. For gasoline/diesel fueling, a maximum load of 6.9 bar gross indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP g ) at CA50 ÂĽ 0 deg aTDC (after top dead center) and 7.0 bar IMEP g at CA50 ÂĽ 4 deg aTDC was obtained without use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). For methane/diesel fueling, a maximum load of 15.4 bar IMEP g at CA50 ÂĽ 0 deg aTDC and 17.3 bar IMEP g at CA50 ÂĽ 4 deg aTDC was achieved, showing the effectiveness of the use of methane in extending the load limit for RCCI engine operation
Validation of modelling the radiation exposure due to solar particle events at aircraft altitudes
Dose assessment procedures for cosmic radiation exposure of aircraft crew have been introduced in most European countries in accordance with the corresponding European directive and national regulations. However, the radiation exposure due to solar particle events is still a matter of scientific research. Here we describe the European research project CONRAD, WP6, Subgroup-B, about the current status of available solar storm measurements and existing models for dose estimation at flight altitudes during solar particle events leading to ground level enhancement (GLE). Three models for the numerical dose estimation during GLEs are discussed. Some of the models agree with limited experimental data reasonably well. Analysis of GLEs during geomagnetically disturbed conditions is still complex and time consuming. Currently available solar particle event models can disagree with each other by an order of magnitude. Further research and verification by on-board measurements is still neede
A Nanofiber-Based Optical Conveyor Belt for Cold Atoms
We demonstrate optical transport of cold cesium atoms over millimeter-scale
distances along an optical nanofiber. The atoms are trapped in a
one-dimensional optical lattice formed by a two-color evanescent field
surrounding the nanofiber, far red- and blue-detuned with respect to the atomic
transition. The blue-detuned field is a propagating nanofiber-guided mode while
the red-detuned field is a standing-wave mode which leads to the periodic axial
confinement of the atoms. Here, this standing wave is used for transporting the
atoms along the nanofiber by mutually detuning the two counter-propagating
fields which form the standing wave. The performance and limitations of the
nanofiber-based transport are evaluated and possible applications are
discussed
Small-Molecule Probes Targeting the Viral PPxY-Host Nedd4 Interface Block Egress of a Broad Range of RNA Viruses.
Budding of filoviruses, arenaviruses, and rhabdoviruses is facilitated by subversion of host proteins, such as Nedd4 E3 ubiquitin ligase, by viral PPxY late (L) budding domains expressed within the matrix proteins of these RNA viruses. As L domains are important for budding and are highly conserved in a wide array of RNA viruses, they represent potential broad-spectrum targets for the development of antiviral drugs. To identify potential competitive blockers, we used the known Nedd4 WW domain-PPxY interaction interface as the basis of an in silico screen. Using PPxY-dependent budding of Marburg (MARV) VP40 virus-like particles (VLPs) as our model system, we identified small-molecule hit 1 that inhibited Nedd4-PPxY interaction and PPxY-dependent budding. This lead candidate was subsequently improved with additional structure-activity relationship (SAR) analog testing which enhanced antibudding activity into the nanomolar range. Current lead compounds 4 and 5 exhibit on-target effects by specifically blocking the MARV VP40 PPxY-host Nedd4 interaction and subsequent PPxY-dependent egress of MARV VP40 VLPs. In addition, lead compounds 4 and 5 exhibited antibudding activity against Ebola and Lassa fever VLPs, as well as vesicular stomatitis and rabies viruses (VSV and RABV, respectively). These data provide target validation and suggest that inhibition of the PPxY-Nedd4 interaction can serve as the basis for the development of a novel class of broad-spectrum, host-oriented antivirals targeting viruses that depend on a functional PPxY L domain for efficient egress.
IMPORTANCE: There is an urgent and unmet need for the development of safe and effective therapeutics against biodefense and high-priority pathogens, including filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg) and arenaviruses (e.g., Lassa and Junin) which cause severe hemorrhagic fever syndromes with high mortality rates. We along with others have established that efficient budding of filoviruses, arenaviruses, and other viruses is critically dependent on the subversion of host proteins. As disruption of virus budding would prevent virus dissemination, identification of small-molecule compounds that block these critical viral-host interactions should effectively block disease progression and transmission. Our findings provide validation for targeting these virus-host interactions as we have identified lead inhibitors with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. In addition, such inhibitors might prove useful for newly emerging RNA viruses for which no therapeutics would be available
Precision Measurement of the Neutron Spin Asymmetries and Spin-dependent Structure Functions in the Valence Quark Region
We report on measurements of the neutron spin asymmetries and
polarized structure functions at three kinematics in the deep
inelastic region, with , 0.47 and 0.60 and , 3.5 and 4.8
(GeV/c), respectively. These measurements were performed using a 5.7 GeV
longitudinally-polarized electron beam and a polarized He target. The
results for and at are consistent with previous world
data and, at the two higher points, have improved the precision of the
world data by about an order of magnitude. The new data show a zero
crossing around and the value at is significantly positive.
These results agree with a next-to-leading order QCD analysis of previous world
data. The trend of data at high agrees with constituent quark model
predictions but disagrees with that from leading-order perturbative QCD (pQCD)
assuming hadron helicity conservation. Results for and have a
precision comparable to the best world data in this kinematic region. Combined
with previous world data, the moment was evaluated and the new result
has improved the precision of this quantity by about a factor of two. When
combined with the world proton data, polarized quark distribution functions
were extracted from the new values based on the quark parton
model. While results for agree well with predictions from various
models, results for disagree with the leading-order pQCD
prediction when hadron helicity conservation is imposed.Comment: A typing error in A_\parallel(3He) at x=0.47 in Table VII of Phys.
Rev. C has been noticed and correcte
Precision Measurement of the Neutron Spin Asymmetry and Spin-Flavor Decomposition in the Valence Quark Region
We have measured the neutron spin asymmetry with high precision at
three kinematics in the deep inelastic region at , 0.47 and 0.60, and
, 3.5 and 4.8 (GeV/c), respectively. Our results unambiguously
show, for the first time, that crosses zero around and becomes
significantly positive at . Combined with the world proton data,
polarized quark distributions were extracted. Our results, in general, agree
with relativistic constituent quark models and with perturbative quantum
chromodynamics (pQCD) analyses based on the earlier data. However they deviate
from pQCD predictions based on hadron helicity conservation.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, this is the final version appeared in Phys. Rev.
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