227 research outputs found
Beam Test Results of the BTeV Silicon Pixel Detector
The results of the BTeV silicon pixel detector beam test carried out at
Fermilab in 1999-2000 are reported. The pixel detector spatial resolution has
been studied as a function of track inclination, sensor bias, and readout
threshold.Comment: 8 pages of text, 8 figures, Proceedings paper of Pixel 2000:
International Workshop on Semiconductor Pixel Detectors for Particles and
X-Rays, Genova, June 5-8, 200
Microscopic modeling of photoluminescence of strongly disordered semiconductors
A microscopic theory for the luminescence of ordered semiconductors is
modified to describe photoluminescence of strongly disordered semiconductors.
The approach includes both diagonal disorder and the many-body Coulomb
interaction. As a case study, the light emission of a correlated plasma is
investigated numerically for a one-dimensional two-band tight-binding model.
The band structure of the underlying ordered system is assumed to correspond to
either a direct or an indirect semiconductor. In particular, luminescence and
absorption spectra are computed for various levels of disorder and sample
temperature to determine thermodynamic relations, the Stokes shift, and the
radiative lifetime distribution.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figure
The Layer 0 Inner Silicon Detector of the D0 Experiment
This paper describes the design, fabrication, installation and performance of
the new inner layer called Layer 0 (L0) that was inserted in the existing Run
IIa Silicon Micro-Strip Tracker (SMT) of the D0 experiment at the Fermilab
Tevatron collider. L0 provides tracking information from two layers of sensors,
which are mounted with center lines at a radial distance of 16.1 mm and 17.6 mm
respectively from the beam axis. The sensors and readout electronics are
mounted on a specially designed and fabricated carbon fiber structure that
includes cooling for sensor and readout electronics. The structure has a thin
polyimide circuit bonded to it so that the circuit couples electrically to the
carbon fiber allowing the support structure to be used both for detector
grounding and a low impedance connection between the remotely mounted hybrids
and the sensors.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figure
Zeta function method and repulsive Casimir forces for an unusual pair of plates at finite temperature
We apply the generalized zeta function method to compute the Casimir energy
and pressure between an unusual pair of parallel plates at finite temperature,
namely: a perfectly conducting plate and an infinitely permeable one. The high
and low temperature limits of these quantities are discussed; relationships
between high and low temperature limits are estabkished by means of a modified
version of the temperature inversion symmetry.Comment: latex file 9 pages, 3 figure
Black Hole Spin via Continuum Fitting and the Role of Spin in Powering Transient Jets
The spins of ten stellar black holes have been measured using the
continuum-fitting method. These black holes are located in two distinct classes
of X-ray binary systems, one that is persistently X-ray bright and another that
is transient. Both the persistent and transient black holes remain for long
periods in a state where their spectra are dominated by a thermal accretion
disk component. The spin of a black hole of known mass and distance can be
measured by fitting this thermal continuum spectrum to the thin-disk model of
Novikov and Thorne; the key fit parameter is the radius of the inner edge of
the black hole's accretion disk. Strong observational and theoretical evidence
links the inner-disk radius to the radius of the innermost stable circular
orbit, which is trivially related to the dimensionless spin parameter a_* of
the black hole (|a_*| < 1). The ten spins that have so far been measured by
this continuum-fitting method range widely from a_* \approx 0 to a_* > 0.95.
The robustness of the method is demonstrated by the dozens or hundreds of
independent and consistent measurements of spin that have been obtained for
several black holes, and through careful consideration of many sources of
systematic error. Among the results discussed is a dichotomy between the
transient and persistent black holes; the latter have higher spins and larger
masses. Also discussed is recently discovered evidence in the transient sources
for a correlation between the power of ballistic jets and black hole spin.Comment: 30 pages. Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews. Also to
appear in hard cover in the Space Sciences Series of ISSI "The Physics of
Accretion onto Black Holes" (Springer Publisher). Changes to Sections 5.2,
6.1 and 7.4. Section 7.4 responds to Russell et al. 2013 (MNRAS, 431, 405)
who find no evidence for a correlation between the power of ballistic jets
and black hole spi
Dust Devil Tracks
Dust devils that leave dark- or light-toned tracks are common on Mars and they can also be found on the Earth’s surface. Dust devil tracks (hereinafter DDTs) are ephemeral surface features with mostly sub-annual lifetimes. Regarding their size, DDT widths can range between ∼1 m and ∼1 km, depending on the diameter of dust devil that created the track, and DDT lengths range from a few tens of meters to several kilometers, limited by the duration and horizontal ground speed of dust devils. DDTs can be classified into three main types based on their morphology and albedo in contrast to their surroundings; all are found on both planets: (a) dark continuous DDTs, (b) dark cycloidal DDTs, and (c) bright DDTs. Dark continuous DDTs are the most common type on Mars. They are characterized by their relatively homogenous and continuous low albedo surface tracks. Based on terrestrial and martian in situ studies, these DDTs most likely form when surficial dust layers are removed to expose larger-grained substrate material (coarse sands of ≥500 μm in diameter). The exposure of larger-grained materials changes the photometric properties of the surface; hence leading to lower albedo tracks because grain size is photometrically inversely proportional to the surface reflectance. However, although not observed so far, compositional differences (i.e., color differences) might also lead to albedo contrasts when dust is removed to expose substrate materials with mineralogical differences. For dark continuous DDTs, albedo drop measurements are around 2.5 % in the wavelength range of 550–850 nm on Mars and around 0.5 % in the wavelength range from 300–1100 nm on Earth. The removal of an equivalent layer thickness around 1 μm is sufficient for the formation of visible dark continuous DDTs on Mars and Earth. The next type of DDTs, dark cycloidal DDTs, are characterized by their low albedo pattern of overlapping scallops. Terrestrial in situ studies imply that they are formed when sand-sized material that is eroded from the outer vortex area of a dust devil is redeposited in annular patterns in the central vortex region. This type of DDT can also be found in on Mars in orbital image data, and although in situ studies are lacking, terrestrial analog studies, laboratory work, and numerical modeling suggest they have the same formation mechanism as those on Earth. Finally, bright DDTs are characterized by their continuous track pattern and high albedo compared to their undisturbed surroundings. They are found on both planets, but to date they have only been analyzed in situ on Earth. Here, the destruction of aggregates of dust, silt and sand by dust devils leads to smooth surfaces in contrast to the undisturbed rough surfaces surrounding the track. The resulting change in photometric properties occurs because the smoother surfaces have a higher reflectance compared to the surrounding rough surface, leading to bright DDTs. On Mars, the destruction of surficial dust-aggregates may also lead to bright DDTs. However, higher reflective surfaces may be produced by other formation mechanisms, such as dust compaction by passing dust devils, as this may also cause changes in photometric properties. On Mars, DDTs in general are found at all elevations and on a global scale, except on the permanent polar caps. DDT maximum areal densities occur during spring and summer in both hemispheres produced by an increase in dust devil activity caused by maximum insolation. Regionally, dust devil densities vary spatially likely controlled by changes in dust cover thicknesses and substrate materials. This variability makes it difficult to infer dust devil activity from DDT frequencies. Furthermore, only a fraction of dust devils leave tracks. However, DDTs can be used as proxies for dust devil lifetimes and wind directions and speeds, and they can also be used to predict lander or rover solar panel clearing events. Overall, the high DDT frequency in many areas on Mars leads to drastic albedo changes that affect large-scale weather patterns
Effects of watershed land use on nitrogen concentrations and δ15 Nitrogen in groundwater
Author Posting. © The Authors, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biogeochemistry 77 (2006): 199-215, doi:10.1007/s10533-005-1036-2.Eutrophication is a major agent of change affecting freshwater, estuarine, and marine
systems. It is largely driven by transportation of nitrogen from natural and anthropogenic
sources. Research is needed to quantify this nitrogen delivery and to link the delivery to
specific land-derived sources. In this study we measured nitrogen concentrations and δ15N
values in seepage water entering three freshwater ponds and six estuaries on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts and assessed how they varied with different types of land use. Nitrate
concentrations and δ15N values in groundwater reflected land use in developed and pristine
watersheds. In particular, watersheds with larger populations delivered larger nitrate loads with
higher δ15N values to receiving waters. The enriched δ15N values confirmed nitrogen loading
model results identifying wastewater contributions from septic tanks as the major N source.
Furthermore, it was apparent that N coastal sources had a relatively larger impact on the N
loads and isotopic signatures than did inland N sources further upstream in the watersheds.
This finding suggests that management priorities could focus on coastal sources as a first
course of action. This would require management constraints on a much smaller population.This work was supported
by funds from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program, from the
Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology, from
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to Applied Science Associates,
Narragansett, RI, as well as from Palmer/McLeod and NOAA National Estuarine Research
Reserve Fellowships to Kevin Kroeger. This work is the result of research sponsored by NOAA
National Sea Grant College Program Office, Department of Commerce, under Grant No.
NA86RG0075, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Project No. R/M-40
The ‘Self-Regulated Learning Opportunities Questionnaire': a diagnostic instrument for teacher educators' professional development
Many recent studies have stressed the importance of students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) skills for successful learning. Although primary teacher educators are aware of the importance of SRL for their students, they often find it difficult to implement SRL opportunities in their teaching. To support teacher professional development, an SRL model was described in a previous theoretical study. In the present article, this SRL model is elaborated towards the ‘SRL Opportunities Questionnaire’ (SRLOQ) that can be applied by primary teacher educators as a diagnostic instrument for classroom settings. A four-phase research design is applied consisting of scale development, score validation, further validation of the SRLOQ in primary teacher education, and a confirmatory factor analysis. Finally, a single case study is described that illustrates the usefulness of the SRLOQ in classroom practice
Human subcortical brain asymmetries in 15,847 people worldwide reveal effects of age and sex
The two hemispheres of the human brain differ functionally and structurally. Despite over a century of research, the extent to which brain asymmetry is influenced by sex, handedness, age, and genetic factors is still controversial. Here we present the largest ever analysis of subcortical brain asymmetries, in a harmonized multi-site study using meta-analysis methods. Volumetric asymmetry of seven subcortical structures was assessed in 15,847 MRI scans from 52 datasets worldwide. There were sex differences in the asymmetry of the globus pallidus and putamen. Heritability estimates, derived from 1170 subjects belonging to 71 extended pedigrees, revealed that additive genetic factors influenced the asymmetry of these two structures and that of the hippocampus and thalamus. Handedness had no detectable effect on subcortical asymmetries, even in this unprecedented sample size, but the asymmetry of the putamen varied with age. Genetic drivers of asymmetry in the hippocampus, thalamus and basal ganglia may affect variability in human cognition, including susceptibility to psychiatric disorders
History of clinical transplantation
How transplantation came to be a clinical discipline can be pieced together by perusing two volumes of reminiscences collected by Paul I. Terasaki in 1991-1992 from many of the persons who were directly involved. One volume was devoted to the discovery of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), with particular reference to the human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) that are widely used today for tissue matching.1 The other focused on milestones in the development of clinical transplantation.2 All the contributions described in both volumes can be traced back in one way or other to the demonstration in the mid-1940s by Peter Brian Medawar that the rejection of allografts is an immunological phenomenon.3,4 © 2008 Springer New York
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