Relativistic description of nuclear matrix elements in neutrinoless double-β\beta decay

Neutrinoless double-$\beta$ ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay is related to many fundamental concepts in nuclear and particle physics beyond the standard model. Currently there are many experiments searching for this weak process. An accurate knowledge of the nuclear matrix element for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay is essential for determining the effective neutrino mass once this process is eventually measured. We report the first full relativistic description of the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay matrix element based on a state-of-the-art nuclear structure model. We adopt the full relativistic transition operators which are derived with the charge-changing nucleonic currents composed of the vector coupling, axial-vector coupling, pseudoscalar coupling, and weak-magnetism coupling terms. The wave functions for the initial and final nuclei are determined by the multireference covariant density functional theory (MR-CDFT) based on the point-coupling functional PC-PK1. The low-energy spectra and electric quadrupole transitions in ${}^{150}$Nd and its daughter nucleus ${}^{150}$Sm are well reproduced by the MR-CDFT calculations. The $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay matrix elements for both the $0_1^+\rightarrow 0_1^+$ and $0_1^+\rightarrow 0_2^+$ decays of ${}^{150}$Nd are evaluated. The effects of particle number projection, static and dynamic deformations, and the full relativistic structure of the transition operators on the matrix elements are studied in detail. The resulting $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay matrix element for the $0_1^+\rightarrow 0_1^+$ transition is $5.60$, which gives the most optimistic prediction for the next generation of experiments searching for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay in ${}^{150}$Nd.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures; table adde

Towards understanding broad degeneracy in non-strange mesons

The spectroscopic regularities of modern empirical data on the non-strange mesons up to 2.4 GeV can be summarized as a systematic clustering of states near certain values of energy. It is getting evident that some unknown X-symmetry triggers the phenomenon. We review the experimental status of this symmetry and recent theoretical attempts put forward for explanation of broad degeneracy.Comment: Brief review, 16 pages, 1 figur

Multiple Solutions in Fluid Dynamics

The principle of multiple solutions of the Navier-Stokes and energy equations discussed in this paper is not directed at any particular problems in fluid dynamics and heat transfer, or at any specific applications. The non-uniqueness principle states that the Reynolds number, above its critical value, is insufficient to uniquely determine a flow field for a given geometry, or for similar geometries. It is a generic principle for all fluid flows and its transportation properties, but is not well known. It compliments the current popular bifurcation theories by the fact that multiple solutions can exist on each stable bifurcation branch

Local anaesthetic bupivacaine induced ovarian and prostate cancer apoptotic cell death and underlying mechanisms in vitro

Retrospective studies indicate that the use of regional anesthesia can reduce cancer recurrence after surgery which could be due to ranging from immune function preservation to direct molecular mechanisms. This study was to investigate the effects of bupivacaine on ovarian and prostate cancer cell biology and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cell viability, proliferation and migration of ovarian carcinoma (SKOV-3) and prostate carcinoma (PC-3) were examined following treatment with bupivacaine. Cleaved caspase 3, 8 and 9, and GSK-3β, pGSK-3β(tyr216) and pGSK-3β(ser9) expression were assessed by immunofluorescence. FAS ligand neutralization, caspase and GSK-3 inhibitors and GSK-3β siRNA were applied to further explore underlying mechanisms. Clinically relevant concentrations of bupivacaine reduced cell viability and inhibited cellular proliferation and migration in both cell lines. Caspase 8 and 9 inhibition generated partial cell death reversal in SKOV-3, whilst only caspase 9 was effective in PC-3. Bupivacaine increased the phosphorylation of GSK-3β(Tyr216) in SKOV-3 but without measurable effect in PC3. GSK-3β inhibition and siRNA gene knockdown decreased bupivacaine induced cell death in SKOV-3 but not in PC3. Our data suggests that bupivacaine has direct ‘anti-cancer’ properties through the activation of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways in ovarian cancer but only the intrinsic pathway in prostate cancer

The Gamma-Ray Detected Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy 1H 0323+342: Swift Monitoring and Suzaku Spectroscopy

As a radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLS1) detected by Fermi/LAT in GeV $\gamma$-rays, 1H 0323+342 is a remarkable Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) showing properties characteristic of both NLS1s and blazars. Here we present results of simultaneous X-ray and UV/optical monitoring observations on 1H 0323+342 taken with the UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) and X-ray Telescope (XRT) onboard the Swift satellite over six years from 2006. Overall, the object showed statistically correlated variations in both the UV and X-ray bands on timescales of years as well as on timescales of days. A deep Suzaku observation reveals X-ray variability on timescales as short as a few tens of thousand seconds, and an X-ray spectrum typical of Seyfert galaxies. The broad-band spectral energy distribution, for which the data of UV and X-ray observations taken on 2009 July 26-27 were used, can be well modeled with a simple one-zone leptonic jet model plus accretion disk/corona emission. The latter is predominantly responsible for the UV/optical and X-ray (0.3-10 keV) emission and their observed variations. The correlated UV-X-ray variability on the timescale of days is consistent with reprocessing of the X-ray radiation by the accretion disk. The shortest timescale and large normalized excess variance of the X-ray variability detected with Suzaku suggest a relatively small black hole mass of the order of $10^7M_{\odot}$, consistent with the estimation based on the broad H$\beta$ line in the optical.Comment: 38 pages, 12 figures, in press, accepted by AJ (first submitted on 2014 July 7th

SPSA-Based Tracking Method for Single-Channel-Receiver Array

A novel tracking method in the phased antenna array with a single-channel receiver for the moving signal source is presented in this paper. And the problems of the direction-of-arrival track and beamforming in the array system are converted to the power maximization of received signal in the free-interference conditions, which is different from the existing algorithms that maximize the signal to interference and noise ratio. The proposed tracking method reaches the global optimum rather than local by injecting the extra noise terms into the gradient estimation. The antenna beam can be steered to coincide with the direction of the moving source fast and accurately by perturbing the output of the phase shifters during motion, due to the high efficiency and easy implementation of the proposed beamforming algorithm based on the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA). Computer simulations verify that the proposed tracking scheme is robust and effective