3,331 research outputs found
Measurement of the Gravity-Field Curvature by Atom Interferometry
We present the first direct measurement of the gravity-field curvature based
on three conjugated atom interferometers. Three atomic clouds launched in the
vertical direction are simultaneously interrogated by the same atom
interferometry sequence and used to probe the gravity field at three equally
spaced positions. The vertical component of the gravity-field curvature
generated by nearby source masses is measured from the difference between
adjacent gravity gradient values. Curvature measurements are of interest in
geodesy studies and for the validation of gravitational models of the
surrounding environment. The possibility of using such a scheme for a new
determination of the Newtonian constant of gravity is also discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Persistent Infiltration and Impaired Response of Peripherally-Derived Monocytes after Traumatic Brain Injury in the Aged Brain.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause for neurological disabilities world-wide. TBI occurs most frequently among the elderly population, and elderly TBI survivors suffer from reduced recovery and poorer quality of life. The effect of age on the pathophysiology of TBI is still poorly understood. We previously established that peripherally-derived monocytes (CCR2⁺) infiltrate the injured brain and contribute to chronic TBI-induced cognitive deficits in young animals. Furthermore, age was shown to amplify monocyte infiltration acutely after injury. In the current study, we investigated the impact of age on the subchronic response of peripherally-derived monocytes (CD45hi; CCR2⁺) and their role in the development of chronic cognitive deficits. In the aged brain, there was a significant increase in the number of peripherally-derived monocytes after injury compared to young, injured animals. The infiltration rate of peripherally-derived monocytes remained elevated subchronically and corresponded with enhanced expression of CCR2 chemotactic ligands. Interestingly, the myeloid cell populations observed in injured aged brains had impaired anti-inflammatory responses compared to those in young animals. Additionally, in the aged animals, there was an expansion of the blood CCR2⁺ monocyte population after injury that was not present in the young animals. Importantly, knocking out CCR2 to inhibit infiltration of peripherally-derived monocytes prevented chronic TBI-induced spatial memory deficits in the aged mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate the critical effects of age on the peripherally-derived monocyte response during the progression of TBI pathophysiology
Quantum test of the equivalence principle for atoms in superpositions of internal energy eigenstates
The Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) has a central role in the
understanding of gravity and space-time. In its weak form, or Weak Equivalence
Principle (WEP), it directly implies equivalence between inertial and
gravitational mass. Verifying this principle in a regime where the relevant
properties of the test body must be described by quantum theory has profound
implications. Here we report on a novel WEP test for atoms. A Bragg atom
interferometer in a gravity gradiometer configuration compares the free fall of
rubidium atoms prepared in two hyperfine states and in their coherent
superposition. The use of the superposition state allows testing genuine
quantum aspects of EEP with no classical analogue, which have remained
completely unexplored so far. In addition, we measure the Eotvos ratio of atoms
in two hyperfine levels with relative uncertainty in the low ,
improving previous results by almost two orders of magnitude.Comment: Accepted for publication in Nature Communicatio
Teaching and Learning Analytical Exposition Paragraph Writing (Dictogloss Technique)
Writing is one of skills in English. It is often considered a difficult subject by the students. Some techniques are needed by the teacher to overcome writing difficulties. One of technique is Dictogloss. Furthermore, students often make mistake in writing while targeted to reconstruct the paragraph. The objective of the research was to describe the process of teaching and learning analytical exposition paragraph writing by using dictogloss technique and to construe the teacher\u27s problems and students\u27 problems in teaching and learning. This research was a descriptive qualitative research. The subject of the research was the eleventh grade. The researcher applied the purposive sampling technique to determine the sample. The researcher adopted and determined one class as a sample. As well, the researcher chose class XI IPA 4 for the reason that the students of this class had difficulties in mastering writing skill. The total number of the sample was 39 students. The researcher used triangulation to collect the data, they were observation, interview, and questionnaire. From the data analysis, the researcher found the teacher who got some difficulties to handle the crowded class. Besides that, the teacher had low voice in teaching so the students did not hear clearly until behind of the class. Second, the students\u27 --in learning analytical exposition paragraph writing by using dictogloss-- had adversities in reconstructing the version of analytical exposition paragraph. That was because they had limited vocabulary, poor organization, spelling, and capitalization letters. A step form that, the students had lack motivation in learning writing
Sensitivity limits of a Raman atom interferometer as a gravity gradiometer
We evaluate the sensitivity of a dual cloud atom interferometer to the
measurement of vertical gravity gradient. We study the influence of most
relevant experimental parameters on noise and long-term drifts. Results are
also applied to the case of doubly differential measurements of the
gravitational signal from local source masses. We achieve a short term
sensitivity of 3*10^(-9) g/Hz^(-1/2) to differential gravity acceleration,
limited by the quantum projection noise of the instrument. Active control of
the most critical parameters allows to reach a resolution of 5*10^(-11) g after
8000 s on the measurement of differential gravity acceleration. The long term
stability is compatible with a measurement of the gravitational constant G at
the level of 10^(-4) after an integration time of about 100 hours.Comment: 19 pages, 20 figure
Atmospheric fluctuations below 0.1 Hz during drift-scan solar diameter measurements
Measurements of the power spectrum of the seeing in the range 0.001-1 Hz have
been performed in order to understand the criticity of the transits' method for
solar diameter monitoring.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, proc. of the Fourth French-Chinese meeting on
Solar Physics Understanding Solar Activity: Advances and Challenges, 15 - 18
November, 2011 Nice, Franc
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