16,933 research outputs found
Cosmic Sculpture: A new way to visualise the Cosmic Microwave Background
3D printing presents an attractive alternative to visual representation of
physical datasets such as astronomical images that can be used for research,
outreach or teaching purposes, and is especially relevant to people with a
visual disability. We here report the use of 3D printing technology to produce
a representation of the all-sky Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) intensity
anisotropy maps produced by the Planck mission. The success of this work in
representing key features of the CMB is discussed as is the potential of this
approach for representing other astrophysical data sets. 3D printing such
datasets represents a highly complementary approach to the usual 2D projections
used in teaching and outreach work, and can also form the basis of
undergraduate projects. The CAD files used to produce the models discussed in
this paper are made available.Comment: Accepted for publication in the European Journal of Physic
Multiobjective analysis for the design and control of an electromagnetic valve actuator
The electromagnetic valve actuator can deliver much improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions in spark ignition (SI) engines owing to the potential for variable valve timing when compared with cam-operated, or conventional, variable valve strategies. The possibility exists to reduce pumping losses by throttle-free operation, along with closed-valve engine braking. However, further development is required to make the technology suitable for accept- ance into the mass production market. This paper investigates the application of multiobjective optimization techniques to the conflicting objective functions inherent in the operation of such a device. The techniques are utilized to derive the optimal force–displacement characteristic for the solenoid actuator, along with its controllability and dynamic/steady state performance
Low-momentum interactions in three- and four-nucleon scattering
Low momentum two-nucleon interactions obtained with the renormalization group
method and the similarity renormalization group method are used to study the
cutoff dependence of low energy 3N and 4N scattering observables. The residual
cutoff dependence arises from omitted short-ranged 3N (and higher) forces that
are induced by the renormalization group transformations, and may help to
estimate the sensitivity of various 3N and 4N scattering observables to
short-ranged many-body forces.Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Very High Mach Number Electrostatic Shocks in Collisionless Plasmas
The kinetic theory of collisionless electrostatic shocks resulting from the
collision of plasma slabs with different temperatures and densities is
presented. The theoretical results are confirmed by self-consistent
particle-in-cell simulations, revealing the formation and stable propagation of
electrostatic shocks with very high Mach numbers (), well above the
predictions of the classical theories for electrostatic shocks.Comment: 6 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
N-Relaxion: Large Field Excursions from a Few Site Relaxion Model
Relaxion models are an interesting new avenue to explain the radiative
stability of the Standard Model scalar sector. They require very large field
excursions, which are difficult to generate in a consistent UV completion and
to reconcile with the compact field space of the relaxion. We propose an N-site
model which naturally generates the large decay constant needed to address
these issues. Our model offers distinct advantages with respect to previous
proposals: the construction involves non-abelian fields, allowing for
controlled high energy behaviour and more model building possibilities, both in
particle physics and inflationary models, and also admits a continuum limit
when the number of sites is large, which may be interpreted as a warped extra
dimension.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures; v2: version to appear in PR
The ion motion in self-modulated plasma wakefield accelerators
The effects of plasma ion motion in self-modulated plasma based accelerators
is examined. An analytical model describing ion motion in the narrow beam limit
is developed, and confirmed through multi-dimensional particle-in-cell
simulations. It is shown that the ion motion can lead to the early saturation
of the self-modulation instability, and to the suppression of the accelerating
gradients. This can reduce the total energy that can be transformed into
kinetic energy of accelerated particles. For the parameters of future
proton-driven plasma accelerator experiments, the ion dynamics can have a
strong impact. Possible methods to mitigate the effects of the ion motion in
future experiments are demonstrated.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
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From imaging to prediction of carbonate sand behaviour
The mechanical response of shelly carbonate sand differs significantly from that of more common silica sand and is yet poorly understood. A series of one-dimensional compression tests was performed on this material inside an x-ray scanner and high resolution computed tomography (µCT) images were used to investigate the evolution of the internal microstructure. In addition, numerical simulations were carried out using a newly developed micro Finite Element (µFE) [1]. The capability of the numerical model to measure the stress within a grain with complex morphology is demonstrated here
Impacts of in vivo and in vitro exposures to tamoxifen: comparative effects on human cells and marine organisms
Tamoxifen (TAM) is a first generation-SERM administered for hormone receptor-positive (HER+) breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal patients and may undergo metabolic activation in organisms that share similar receptors and thus face comparable mechanisms of response. The present study aimed to assess whether environmental trace concentrations of TAM are bioavailable to the filter feeder M. galloprovincialis (100 ng L-1) and to the deposit feeder N. diversicolor (0.5, 10, 25 and 100 ng L-1) after 14 days of exposure. Behavioural impairment (burrowing kinetic), neurotoxicity (AChE activity), endocrine disruption by alkali-labile phosphate (ALP) content, oxidative stress (SOD, CAT, GPXs activities), biotransformation (GST activity), oxidative damage (LPO) and genotoxicity (DNA damage) were assessed. Moreover, this study also pertained to compare TAM cytotoxicity effects to mussels and targeted human (i.e. immortalized retinal pigment epithelium - RPE; and human transformed endothelial cells - HeLa) cell lines, in a range of concentrations from 0.5 ng L-1 to 50 μg L-1. In polychaetes N. diversicolor, TAM exerted remarkable oxidative stress and damage at the lowest concentration (0.5 ng L-1), whereas significant genotoxicity was reported at the highest exposure level (100 ng L-1). In mussels M. galloprovincialis, 100 ng L-1 TAM caused endocrine disruption in males, neurotoxicity, and an induction in GST activity and LPO byproducts in gills, corroborating in genotoxicity over the exposure days. Although cytotoxicity assays conducted with mussel haemocytes following in vivo exposure was not effective, in vitro exposure showed to be a feasible alternative, with comparable sensitivity to human cell line (HeLa).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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