1,558 research outputs found
Multi-Pulse Laser Wakefield Acceleration: A New Route to Efficient, High-Repetition-Rate Plasma Accelerators and High Flux Radiation Sources
Laser-driven plasma accelerators can generate accelerating gradients three
orders of magnitude larger than radio-frequency accelerators and have achieved
beam energies above 1 GeV in centimetre long stages. However, the pulse
repetition rate and wall-plug efficiency of plasma accelerators is limited by
the driving laser to less than approximately 1 Hz and 0.1% respectively. Here
we investigate the prospects for exciting the plasma wave with trains of
low-energy laser pulses rather than a single high-energy pulse. Resonantly
exciting the wakefield in this way would enable the use of different
technologies, such as fibre or thin-disc lasers, which are able to operate at
multi-kilohertz pulse repetition rates and with wall-plug efficiencies two
orders of magnitude higher than current laser systems. We outline the
parameters of efficient, GeV-scale, 10-kHz plasma accelerators and show that
they could drive compact X-ray sources with average photon fluxes comparable to
those of third-generation light source but with significantly improved temporal
resolution. Likewise FEL operation could be driven with comparable peak power
but with significantly larger repetition rates than extant FELs
CaNaSTA - Crop Niche Selection for Tropical Agriculture, a Spatial Decision Support System
Farmers in the developing world frequently find themselves in uncertain and risky environments, often having to make decisions based on very little information. Risks for smallholder farmers are often critical because of their poverty. In addition, in the tropics and subtropics, the natural environment is spatially and temporally variable and often harsh, thereby increasing the uncertainty faced by these farmers. This research aims to improve forage adoption decisions in the developing world, thereby increasing sustainable intensification and ultimately contributing to increased sustainable world food production and the alleviation of under-nutrition
Deliberating stratospheric aerosols for climate geoengineering and the SPICE project
Increasing concerns about the narrowing window for averting dangerous climate change have prompted calls for research into geoengineering, alongside dialogue with the public regarding this as a possible response. We report results of the first public engagement study to explore the ethics and acceptability of stratospheric aerosol technology and a proposed field trial (the Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering (SPICE) âpipe and balloonâ test bed) of components for an aerosol deployment mechanism. Although almost all of our participants were willing to allow the field trial to proceed, very few were comfortable with using stratospheric aerosols. This Perspective also discusses how these findings were used in a responsible innovation process for the SPICE project initiated by the UKâs research councils
Modelling and characterisation of a ultrasound-actuated needle for improved visibility in ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia and tissue biopsy
AbstractClear needle visualisation is recognised as an unmet need for ultrasound guided percutaneous needle procedures including regional anaesthesia and tissue biopsy. With inadequate needle visibility, these procedures may result in serious complications or a failed operation. This paper reports analysis of the modal behaviour of a previously proposed ultrasound-actuated needle configuration, which may overcome this problem by improving needle visibility in colour Doppler imaging. It uses a piezoelectric transducer to actuate longitudinal resonant modes in needles (outer diameter 0.8â1.2mm, length>65mm). The factors that affect the needleâs vibration mode are identified, including the needle length, the transducerâs resonance frequency and the gripping position. Their effects are investigated using finite element modelling, with the conclusions validated experimentally. The actuated needle was inserted into porcine tissue up to 30mm depth and its visibility was observed under colour Doppler imaging. The piezoelectric transducer is able to generate longitudinal vibration with peak-to-peak amplitude up to 4ÎŒm at the needle tip with an actuating voltage of 20Vpp. Actuated in longitudinal vibration modes (distal mode at 27.6kHz and transducer mode at 42.2kHz) with a drive amplitude of 12â14Vpp, a 120mm needle is delineated as a coloured line in colour Doppler images, with both needle tip and shaft visualised. The improved needle visibility is maintained while the needle is advanced into the tissue, thus allowing tracking of the needle position in real time. Moreover, the needle tip is highlighted by strong coloured artefacts around the actuated needle generated by its flexural vibration. A limitation of the technique is that the transducer mode requires needles of specific lengths so that the needleâs resonance frequency matches the transducer. This may restrict the choice of needle lengths in clinical applications
Science and Film-making
The essay reviews the literature, mostly historical, on the relationship between science and film-making, with a focus on the science documentary. It then discusses the circumstances of the emergence of the wildlife making-of documentary genre. The thesis examined here is that since the early days of cinema, film-making has evolved from being subordinate to science, to being an equal partner in the production of knowledge, controlled by non-scientists
Density-dependence of functional development in spiking cortical networks grown in vitro
During development, the mammalian brain differentiates into specialized
regions with distinct functional abilities. While many factors contribute to
functional specialization, we explore the effect of neuronal density on the
development of neuronal interactions in vitro. Two types of cortical networks,
dense and sparse, with 50,000 and 12,000 total cells respectively, are studied.
Activation graphs that represent pairwise neuronal interactions are constructed
using a competitive first response model. These graphs reveal that, during
development in vitro, dense networks form activation connections earlier than
sparse networks. Link entropy analysis of dense net- work activation graphs
suggests that the majority of connections between electrodes are reciprocal in
nature. Information theoretic measures reveal that early functional information
interactions (among 3 cells) are synergetic in both dense and sparse networks.
However, during later stages of development, previously synergetic
relationships become primarily redundant in dense, but not in sparse networks.
Large link entropy values in the activation graph are related to the domination
of redundant ensembles in late stages of development in dense networks. Results
demonstrate differences between dense and sparse networks in terms of
informational groups, pairwise relationships, and activation graphs. These
differences suggest that variations in cell density may result in different
functional specialization of nervous system tissue in vivo.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
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