7,737 research outputs found
Percolation Effects in Very High Energy Cosmic Rays
Most QCD models of high energy collisions predict that the inelasticity
is an increasing function of the energy. We argue that, due to percolation of
strings, this behaviour will change and, at GeV, the
inelasticity will start to decrease with the energy. This has straightforward
consequences in high energy cosmic ray physics: 1) the relative depth of the
shower maximum grows faster with energy above the knee; 2) the energy
measurements of ground array experiments at GZK energies could be
overestimated.Comment: Correction of equation (19) and figures 3 and 4. 4 pages, 4 figure
A possible cyclotron resonance scattering feature near 0.7 keV in X1822-371
We analyse all available X-ray observations of X1822-371 made with
XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku and INTEGRAL satellites. The observations were not
simultaneous. The Suzaku and INTEGRAL broad band energy coverage allows us to
constrain the spectral shape of the continuum emission well. We use the model
already proposed for this source, consisting of a Comptonised component
absorbed by interstellar matter and partially absorbed by local neutral matter,
and we added a Gaussian feature in absorption at keV. This addition
significantly improves the fit and flattens the residuals between 0.6 and 0.8
keV. We interpret the Gaussian feature in absorption as a cyclotron resonant
scattering feature (CRSF) produced close to the neutron star surface and derive
the magnetic field strength at the surface of the neutron star, G for a radius of 10 km. We derive the pulse period in the
EPIC-pn data to be 0.5928850(6) s and estimate that the spin period derivative
of X1822-371 is s/s using all available
pulse period measurements. Assuming that the intrinsic luminosity of
X1822-371is at the Eddington limit and using the values of spin period and spin
period derivative of the source, we constrain the neutron star and companion
star masses. We find the neutron star and the companion star masses to be M and M, respectively, for a
neutron star radius of 10 km.In a self-consistent scenario in which X1822-371
is spinning-up and accretes at the Eddington limit, we estimate that the
magnetic field of the neutron star is G for a
neutron star radius of 10 km. If our interpretation is correct, the Gaussian
absorption feature near 0.7 keV is the very first detection of a CRSF below 1
keV in a LMXB. (abridged)Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Critical Droplets and Phase Transitions in Two Dimensions
In two space dimensions, the percolation point of the pure-site clusters of
the Ising model coincides with the critical point T_c of the thermal transition
and the percolation exponents belong to a special universality class. By
introducing a bond probability p_B<1, the corresponding site-bond clusters keep
on percolating at T_c and the exponents do not change, until
p_B=p_CK=1-exp(-2J/kT): for this special expression of the bond weight the
critical percolation exponents switch to the 2D Ising universality class. We
show here that the result is valid for a wide class of bidimensional models
with a continuous magnetization transition: there is a critical bond
probability p_c such that, for any p_B>=p_c, the onset of percolation of the
site-bond clusters coincides with the critical point of the thermal transition.
The percolation exponents are the same for p_c<p_B<=1 but, for p_B=p_c, they
suddenly change to the thermal exponents, so that the corresponding clusters
are critical droplets of the phase transition. Our result is based on Monte
Carlo simulations of various systems near criticality.Comment: Final version for publication, minor changes, figures adde
Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis and Sensorineural Deafness with Mutation in the ATP6V1B1 Gene
A acidose tubular renal distal é uma doença rara, caracterizada pela incapacidade na acidificação da urina, condicionando acidose metabólica hiperclorémica, hipocaliémia, hipercalciúria e nefrocalcinose, o que
poderá causar atraso de crescimento, alteração do metabolismo ósseo e insuficiência renal crónica.
A acidose tubular renal distal associada a surdez neurossensorial é uma doença de herança autossómica recessiva, causada por mutações do gene que codifica a subunidade B1 da H+ -ATPase (ATP6V1B1).
Os autores relatam os casos de duas irmãs que apresentaram má progressão ponderal, alterações iónicas, do equilÃbrio ácido base e surdez neurossensorial. Foi detectada em ambas as crianças a mutação homozigótica
no gene ATP6V1B1.
Com estes dois casos pretende -se destacar a importância de um diagnóstico precoce nesta patologia rara
Electrochemical detection of biofilms
[Excerpt] Biofilms are the result of adhesion and growth of microorganisms, creating microenvironments - a polymeric matrix - where several microbial reactions take place [1]. Usually, biofilms are divided in two groups: the ones that are beneficial, as in wastewater treatment or production of specific products, and the detrimental biofilms such as the ones that appear in drinking water pipes and heat exchangers. In any case it is very important to detect the biofilm as soon as possible, to increase its growth or to avoid the risks associated with its presence. The ideal detector must allow the easy detection of biofilms in the early stages of formation and on line. Electrochemical techniques are well known for their role in analytical chemistry, allowing the determination and quantification of a large number of organic, inorganic and biological compounds. These techniques have largely proved to provide an efficient means for detection in situ and on line of a variety of compounds [2]. [...
Signature of the presence of a third body orbiting around XB 1916-053
The ultra-compact dipping source \object{XB 1916-053} has an orbital period
of close to 50 min and a companion star with a very low mass (less than 0.1
M). The orbital period derivative of the source was estimated to be
s/s through analysing the delays associated with the
dip arrival times obtained from observations spanning 25 years, from 1978 to
2002. The known orbital period derivative is extremely large and can be
explained by invoking an extreme, non-conservative mass transfer rate that is
not easily justifiable. We extended the analysed data from 1978 to 2014, by
spanning 37 years, to verify whether a larger sample of data can be fitted with
a quadratic term or a different scenario has to be considered. We obtained 27
delays associated with the dip arrival times from data covering 37 years and
used different models to fit the time delays with respect to a constant period
model.We find that the quadratic form alone does not fit the data. The data are
well fitted using a sinusoidal term plus a quadratic function or,
alternatively, with a series of sinusoidal terms that can be associated with a
modulation of the dip arrival times due to the presence of a third body that
has an elliptical orbit. We infer that for a conservative mass transfer
scenario the modulation of the delays can be explained by invoking the presence
of a third body with mass between 0.10-0.14 M, orbital period around
the X-ray binary system of close to 51 yr and an eccentricity of . In a non-conservative mass transfer scenario we estimate that the
fraction of matter yielded by the degenerate companion star and accreted onto
the neutron star is , the neutron star mass is
M, and the companion star mass is 0.028 M. (Abridged)Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
Search for direct production of charginos, neutralinos and sleptons in final states with two leptons and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √s = 8TeV with the ATLAS detector
Searches for the electroweak production of charginos, neutralinos and sleptons in final states characterized by the presence of two leptons (electrons and muons) and missing transverse momentum are performed using 20.3 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s√ = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess beyond Standard Model expectations is observed. Limits are set on the masses of the lightest chargino, next-to-lightest neutralino and sleptons for different lightest-neutralino mass hypotheses in simplified models. Results are also interpreted in various scenarios of the phenomenological Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model
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