2,078 research outputs found
Future imaging atmospheric telescopes: performance of possible array configurations for gamma photons in the GeV-TeV range
The future of ground based gamma ray astronomy lies in large arrays of
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) with better capabilities: lower
energy threshold, higher sensitivity, better resolution and background
rejection. Currently, designs for the next generation of IACT arrays are being
explored by various groups. We have studied possible configurations with a
large number of telescopes of various sizes. Here, we present the precision of
source, shower core and energy reconstruction for gamma rays in the GeV-TeV
range for different altitudes of observation. These results were obtained
through tools that we have developed in order to simulate any type of IACT
configuration and evaluate its performance.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the 30th ICRC, Merida, Mexico
(2007
Decreasing referrals to transient ischemic attack clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak: results from a multi-centre cross-sectional survey
Objective. The COVID-19 pandemic is having major implications for stroke care with a documented significant fall in hospital acute stroke admissions. We investigated whether COVID-19 has resulted in a decreased number of referrals to the Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) clinics across the North West London region. Setting and Design. All the TIA clinical leads of the North West London region received an invitation by email to participate in an online survey in May 2020. The survey questionnaire aimed to assess the number of patients with suspected TIA consecutively referred to each of the TIA clinics of the North West London region between 1st March to 30th April 2020, the COVID-19 period, and between 1st March to 30th April 2019. Results. We had a response rate of 100%. During the COVID-19 period, the TIA clinics of the North West London region received 440 referrals compared to 616 referrals received between 1st March to 30th April 2019 with a fall in the number of the referrals by 28.6%. In April 2020 compared with April 2019, the number of the referrals declined by 40.1%. Conclusions. This multicentre analysis documented a significant reduction in the number of patients referred with suspected TIA to the specialised rapid access outpatient clinics in the North West London region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and to better characterise the incidence of cerebrovascular disease during the COVID-19 pandemic
Observation of Multi-Directional Energy Transfer in a Hybrid PlasmonicâExcitonic Nanostructure
Hybrid plasmonic devices involve a nanostructured metal supporting localized surface plasmons to amplify lightâmatter interaction, and a non-plasmonic material to functionalize charge excitations. Application-relevant epitaxial heterostructures, however, give rise to ballistic ultrafast dynamics that challenge the conventional semiclassical understanding of unidirectional nanometal-to-substrate energy transfer. Epitaxial Au nanoislands are studied on WSe2 with time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and femtosecond electron diffraction: this combination of techniques resolves material, energy, and momentum of charge-carriers and phonons excited in the heterostructure. A strong non-linear plasmonâexciton interaction that transfers the energy of sub-bandgap photons very efficiently to the semiconductor is observed, leaving the metal cold until non-radiative exciton recombination heats the nanoparticles on hundreds of femtoseconds timescales. The results resolve a multi-directional energy exchange on timescales shorter than the electronic thermalization of the nanometal. Electronâphonon coupling and diffusive charge-transfer determine the subsequent energy flow. This complex dynamics opens perspectives for optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications, while providing a constraining experimental testbed for state-of-the-art modelling
Nuclear dynamics of singlet exciton fission: a direct observation in pentacene single crystals
Singlet exciton fission (SEF) is a key process in the development of efficient opto-electronic devices. An aspect that is rarely probed directly, and yet has a tremendous impact on SEF properties, is the nuclear structure and dynamics involved in this process. Here we directly observe the nuclear dynamics accompanying the SEF process in single crystal pentacene using femtosecond electron diffraction. The data reveal coherent atomic motions at 1 THz, incoherent motions, and an anisotropic lattice distortion representing the polaronic character of the triplet excitons. Combining molecular dynamics simulations, time-dependent density functional theory and experimental structure factor analysis, the coherent motions are identified as collective sliding motions of the pentacene molecules along their long axis. Such motions modify the excitonic coupling between adjacent molecules. Our findings reveal that long-range motions play a decisive part in the disintegration of the electronically correlated triplet pairs, and shed light on why SEF occurs on ultrafast timescales
Computation of the effective area and associated uncertainties of non-rotating piston gauges FPG and FRS
The effective areas of three force-balanced piston gauges (FPGs) and two Furness Rosenberg standards (FRS) in the operating pressure range of each device varying for 1 Paâ15 kPa have been accurately computed both in the gauge and absolute modes. Geometrical data for the non-rotating piston-cylinder assemblies (PCAs) have been provided by the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) of PTB, RISE, INRiM and CMI. Since the flow is in a wide range of the Knudsen number, simulations have been based on the BatnagarâGrossâKrook (BGK) kinetic model equation, while the typical Dadson and CFD approaches have been complimentary applied only in the viscous regime. Furthermore, an uncertainty analysis has been performed. The effective area is strongly affected by the PCA geometry and the flow conditions, while its dependency on pressure may be different even for devices of the same type. The main source of uncertainty is the dimensional measurements of the piston and the cylinder, followed by the accommodation coefficient characterizing the gas-surface interaction, while the effect of other flow and modeling parameters is negligible. The total relative standard uncertainty of the effective area has been always found to be less than 1 · 10â5 indicating that pressure measurements of high accuracy can be ensured. Since the effective area is estimated based solely on computations the FPG and the FRS assemblies may be characterized as primary pressure standards
Fast Light-Driven Motion of Polydopamine Nanomembranes
[Image: see text] The actuation of micro- and nanostructures controlled by external stimuli remains one of the exciting challenges in nanotechnology due to the wealth of fundamental questions and potential applications in energy harvesting, robotics, sensing, biomedicine, and tunable metamaterials. Photoactuation utilizes the conversion of light into motion through reversible chemical and physical processes and enables remote and spatiotemporal control of the actuation. Here, we report a fast light-to-motion conversion in few-nanometer thick bare polydopamine (PDA) membranes stimulated by visible light. Light-induced heating of PDA leads to desorption of water molecules and contraction of membranes in less than 140 ÎŒs. Switching off the light leads to a spontaneous expansion in less than 20 ms due to heat dissipation and water adsorption. Our findings demonstrate that pristine PDA membranes are multiresponsive materials that can be harnessed as robust building blocks for soft, micro-, and nanoscale actuators stimulated by light, temperature, and moisture level
The camera of the fifth H.E.S.S. telescope. Part I: System description
In July 2012, as the four ground-based gamma-ray telescopes of the H.E.S.S.
(High Energy Stereoscopic System) array reached their tenth year of operation
in Khomas Highlands, Namibia, a fifth telescope took its first data as part of
the system. This new Cherenkov detector, comprising a 614.5 m^2 reflector with
a highly pixelized camera in its focal plane, improves the sensitivity of the
current array by a factor two and extends its energy domain down to a few tens
of GeV.
The present part I of the paper gives a detailed description of the fifth
H.E.S.S. telescope's camera, presenting the details of both the hardware and
the software, emphasizing the main improvements as compared to previous
H.E.S.S. camera technology.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in NIM
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