2,580 research outputs found
Finite temperature properties of the Dirac operator with bag boundary conditions
We study the finite temperature free energy and fermion number for Dirac
fields in a one-dimensional spatial segment, under local boundary conditions
compatible with the presence of a spectral asymmetry. We discuss in detail the
contribution of this part of the spectrum to the determinant. We evaluate the
finite temperature properties of the theory for arbitrary values of the
chemical potential.Comment: Talk given at the Seventh International Workshop Quantum Field Theory
under the influence of External Conditions, QFEXT'05, Barcelona, Spain. Final
version, to appear in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Genera
Observing Ultra High Energy Cosmic Particles from Space: SEUSO, the Super Extreme Universe Space Observatory Mission
The experimental search for ultra high energy cosmic messengers, from eV to beyond eV, at the very end of the known energy
spectrum, constitutes an extraordinary opportunity to explore a largely unknown
aspect of our universe. Key scientific goals are the identification of the
sources of ultra high energy particles, the measurement of their spectra and
the study of galactic and local intergalactic magnetic fields. Ultra high
energy particles might, also, carry evidence of unknown physics or of exotic
particles relics of the early universe. To meet this challenge a significant
increase in the integrated exposure is required. This implies a new class of
experiments with larger acceptances and good understanding of the systematic
uncertainties. Space based observatories can reach the instantaneous aperture
and the integrated exposure necessary to systematically explore the ultra high
energy universe. In this paper, after briefly summarising the science case of
the mission, we describe the scientific goals and requirements of the SEUSO
concept. We then introduce the SEUSO observational approach and describe the
main instrument and mission features. We conclude discussing the expected
performance of the mission
Disentangling the jet emission from protostellar systems. The ALMA view of VLA1623
Context: High-resolution studies of class 0 protostars represent the key to
constraining protostar formation models. VLA16234-2417 represents the prototype
of class 0 protostars, and it has been recently identified as a triple
non-coeval system. Aim: We aim at deriving the physical properties of the jets
in VLA16234-2417 using tracers of shocked gas. Methods: ALMA Cycle 0 Early
Science observations of CO(2-1) in the extended configuration are presented in
comparison with previous SMA CO(3-2) and Herschel-PACS [OI}] 63 micron
observations. Gas morphology and kinematics were analysed to constrain the
physical structure and origin of the protostellar outflows. Results: We reveal
a collimated jet component associated with the [OI] 63 micron emission at about
8'' (about 960 AU) from source B. This newly detected jet component is
inversely oriented with respect to the large-scale outflow driven by source A,
and it is aligned with compact and fast jet emission very close to source B
(about 0.3'') rather than with the direction perpendicular to the A disk. We
also detect a cavity-like structure at low projected velocities, which
surrounds the [OI] 63 micron emission and is possibly associated with the
outflow driven by source A. Finally, no compact outflow emission is associated
with source W. Conclusions: Our high-resolution ALMA observations seem to
suggest there is a fast and collimated jet component associated with source B.
This scenario would confirm that source B is younger than A, that it is in a
very early stage of evolution, and that it drives a faster, more collimated,
and more compact jet with respect to the large-scale slower outflow driven by
A. However, a different scenario of a precessing jet driven by A cannot be
firmly excluded from the present observations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
The quantum Hall effect in graphene samples and the relativistic Dirac effective action
We study the Euclidean effective action per unit area and the charge density
for a Dirac field in a two--dimensional spatial region, in the presence of a
uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the 2D--plane, at finite temperature
and density. In the limit of zero temperature we reproduce, after performing an
adequate Lorentz boost, the Hall conductivity measured for different kinds of
graphene samples, depending upon the phase choice in the fermionic determinant.Comment: Conclusions extended. References added. 9 pages. 1 figur
Spectral asymmetry for bag boundary conditions
We give an expression, in terms of boundary spectral functions, for the
spectral asymmetry of the Euclidean Dirac operator in two dimensions, when its
domain is determined by local boundary conditions, and the manifold is of
product type. As an application, we explicitly evaluate the asymmetry in the
case of a finite-length cylinder, and check that the outcome is consistent with
our general result. Finally, we study the asymmetry in a disk, which is a
non-product case, and propose an interpretation.Comment: Some minor changes. To appear in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical
and Genera
Casimir interaction of two plates inside a cylinder
The new exact formulas for the attractive Casimir force acting on each of the
two identical perfectly conducting plates moving freely inside an infinite
perfectly conducting cylinder with the same cross section are derived at zero
and finite temperatures by making use of the zeta function technique. The long
and short distance behaviour of the plates' free energy is investigated.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure, latex2
Monitoring Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Through Time Domain Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy in Breast Cancer Patients: Preliminary Clinical Results
The purpose of this clinical study is to monitor NeoAdjuvant Chemotherapy through time domain Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy, correlate the optical results with conventional imaging techniques and pathological response and eventually predict the efficacy of NAC in breast cancer patients. Our seven wavelength (635 -1060 nm) optical mammograph is used to perform non-invasive measurements on patients undergoing NAC in this study. The broad
spectral range helps us to fully analyze tissue composition, that includes hemoglobin, water lipids and collagen concentration, to track the tumor response during the course of the therapy. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of five patients
Soft Spheres Make More Mesophases
We use both mean-field methods and numerical simulation to study the phase
diagram of classical particles interacting with a hard-core and repulsive, soft
shoulder. Despite the purely repulsive interaction, this system displays a
remarkable array of aggregate phases arising from the competition between the
hard-core and shoulder length scales. In the limit of large shoulder width to
core size, we argue that this phase diagram has a number of universal features,
and classify the set of repulsive shoulders that lead to aggregation at high
density. Surprisingly, the phase sequence and aggregate size adjusts so as to
keep almost constant inter-aggregate separation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 included figure
Resolving the shocked gas in HH54 with Herschel: CO line mapping at high spatial and spectral resolution
The HH54 shock is a Herbig-Haro object, located in the nearby Chamaeleon II
cloud. Observed CO line profiles are due to a complex distribution in density,
temperature, velocity, and geometry. Resolving the HH54 shock wave in the
far-infrared cooling lines of CO constrain the kinematics, morphology, and
physical conditions of the shocked region. We used the PACS and SPIRE
instruments on board the Herschel space observatory to map the full FIR
spectrum in a region covering the HH54 shock wave. Complementary Herschel-HIFI,
APEX, and Spitzer data are used in the analysis as well. The observed features
in the line profiles are reproduced using a 3D radiative transfer model of a
bow-shock, constructed with the Line Modeling Engine code (LIME). The FIR
emission is confined to the HH54 region and a coherent displacement of the
location of the emission maximum of CO with increasing J is observed. The peak
positions of the high-J CO lines are shifted upstream from the lower J CO lines
and coincide with the position of the spectral feature identified previously in
CO(10-9) profiles with HIFI. This indicates a hotter molecular component in the
upstream gas with distinct dynamics. The coherent displacement with increasing
J for CO is consistent with a scenario where IRAS12500-7658 is the exciting
source of the flow, and the 180 K bow-shock is accompanied by a hot (800 K)
molecular component located upstream from the apex of the shock and blueshifted
by -7 km s. The spatial proximity of this knot to the peaks of the
atomic fine-structure emission lines observed with Spitzer and PACS ([OI]63,
145 m) suggests that it may be associated with the dissociative shock as
the jet impacts slower moving gas in the HH54 bow-shock.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
- …