The pressure of hot QCD up to g^6 ln(1/g)

The free energy density, or pressure, of QCD has at high temperatures an expansion in the coupling constant g, known so far up to order g^5. We compute here the last contribution which can be determined perturbatively, g^6 ln(1/g), by summing together results for the 4-loop vacuum energy densities of two different three-dimensional effective field theories. We also demonstrate that the inclusion of the new perturbative g^6 ln(1/g) terms, once they are summed together with the so far unknown perturbative and non-perturbative g^6 terms, could potentially extend the applicability of the coupling constant series down to surprisingly low temperatures.Comment: 18 pages. Small clarifications added. To appear in Phys.Rev.

Effect of a Physical Phase Plate on Contrast Transfer in an Aberration-Corrected Transmission Electron Microscope

In this theoretical study we analyze contrast transfer of weak-phase objects in a transmission electron microscope, which is equipped with an aberration corrector (Cs-corrector) in the imaging lens system and a physical phase plate in the back focal plane of the objective lens. For a phase shift of pi/2 between scattered and unscattered electrons induced by a physical phase plate, the sine-type phase contrast transfer function is converted into a cosine-type function. Optimal imaging conditions could theoretically be achieved if the phase shifts caused by the objective lens defocus and lens aberrations would be equal zero. In reality this situation is difficult to realize because of residual aberrations and varying, non-zero local defocus values, which in general result from an uneven sample surface topography. We explore the conditions - i.e. range of Cs-values and defocus - for most favourable contrast transfer as a function of the information limit, which is only limited by the effect of partial coherence of the electron wave in Cs-corrected transmission electron microscopes. Under high-resolution operation conditions we find that a physical phase plate improves strongly low- and medium-resolution object contrast, while improving tolerance to defocus and Cs-variations, compared to a microscope without a phase plate

Latest results of the Tunka Radio Extension (ISVHECRI2016)

The Tunka Radio Extension (Tunka-Rex) is an antenna array consisting of 63 antennas at the location of the TAIGA facility (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) in Eastern Siberia, nearby Lake Baikal. Tunka-Rex is triggered by the air-Cherenkov array Tunka-133 during clear and moonless winter nights and by the scintillator array Tunka-Grande during the remaining time. Tunka-Rex measures the radio emission from the same air-showers as Tunka-133 and Tunka-Grande, but with a higher threshold of about 100 PeV. During the first stages of its operation, Tunka-Rex has proven, that sparse radio arrays can measure air-showers with an energy resolution of better than 15\% and the depth of the shower maximum with a resolution of better than 40 g/cm\textsuperscript{2}. To improve and interpret our measurements as well as to study systematic uncertainties due to interaction models, we perform radio simulations with CORSIKA and CoREAS. In this overview we present the setup of Tunka-Rex, discuss the achieved results and the prospects of mass-composition studies with radio arrays.Comment: proceedings of ISVHECRI2016 conferenc

Array tomography: Characterizing FAC-sorted populations of zebrafish immune cells by their 3D ultrastructure

For 3D reconstructions of whole immune cells from zebrafish, isolated from adult animals by FAC-sorting we employed array tomography on hundreds of serial sections deposited on silicon wafers. Image stacks were either recorded manually or automatically with the newly released ZEISS Atlas 5 Array Tomography platform on a Zeiss FEGSEM. To characterize different populations of immune cells, organelle inventories were created by segmenting individual cells. In addition, arrays were used for quantification of cell populations with respect to the various cell types they contained. The detection of immunological synapses in cocultures of cell populations from thymus or WKM with cancer cells helped to identify the cytotoxic nature of these cells. Our results demonstrate the practicality and benefit of AT for high-throughput ultrastructural imaging of substantial volumes. LAY DESCRIPTION: To look at immune cells from zebrafish we employed array tomography, a technique where arrays of serial sections deposited on solid substrates are used for imaging. Cell populations were isolated from the different organs of zebrafish involved in haematopoiesis, the production of blood cells. They were chemically fixed and centrifuged to concentrate them in a pellet that was then dehydrated and embedded in resin. Using a custom-built handling device it was possible to place hundreds of serial sections on silicon wafers as well ordered arrays. To image a whole cell at a resolution that would allow identifying all the organelles (i.e. compartments surrounded by membranes) inside the cell, stacks of usually 50–100 images were recorded in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This recording was either done manually or automatically using the newly released Atlas Array Tomography platform on a ZEISS SEM. For the imaging of the sections a pixel size of about 5 nm was chosen, which defines membrane boundaries very well and allows segmentation of the membrane topology. After alignment of the images, cellular components were segmented to locate the individual organelles within the 3D reconstruction of the whole cell and also to create an inventory of organelles. Based on their morphologies we could identify specific cell types in the different hematopoietic organs. We could also quantify the proportion of each cell type in the whole population isolated from a given organ. Some of these specific cells from zebrafish were grown in a culture dish together with human cancer cells. By time-lapse light microscopy we observed that the fish cells attacked the cancer cells and killed them. From this we concluded that these cells must be similar to the cytotoxic cells from humans that play an important role in defence against spontaneously arising cancer cells in our bodies. They form special structures, called immunological synapses that we could also identify on our arrays and reconstruct in 3D. This is the first time the potential of zebrafish immune cells to form immunological synapses has been demonstrated. Our study is a good example for the practicality and benefit of array tomography in high-throughput ultrastructure imaging of substantial volumes, applicable to many areas of cell and developmental biology

The amplitude calibration of the TUNKA radio extension (Tunka-Rex)

Tunka-Rex is an experiment for the radio detection of cosmic-ray air showers in Siberia. It consists of 25 radio antennas, distributed over an area of 1 km2. It is co-located with Tunka-133, an air-Cherenkov detector for cosmic-ray air showers. Triggered by Tunka-133, Tunka-Rex records the radio signal, emitted by air showers with energies above 1017 eV. Its goal is to probe the capabilities of a radio detector, especially for the determination of the energy and elemental composition of cosmic ray primaries. To compare the measurements of Tunka-Rex to other radio detectors or to models describing the radio emission, the radio signal in each station has to be reconstructed in terms of physical units. Therefore, all hardware components have to be calibrated. We show how the calibration is performed and compare it to simulations

First analysis of inclined air showers detected by Tunka-Rex

The Tunka Radio Extension (Tunka-Rex) is a digital antenna array for the detection of radio emission from cosmic-ray air showers in the frequency band of 30 to 80 MHz and for primary energies above 100 PeV. The standard analysis of Tunka-Rex includes events with zenith angle of up to 50?. This cut is determined by the efficiency of the external trigger. However, due to the air-shower footprint increasing with zenith angle and due to the more efficient generation of radio emission (the magnetic field in the Tunka valley is almost vertical), there are a number of ultra-high-energy inclined events detected by Tunka-Rex. In this work we present a first analysis of a subset of inclined events detected by Tunka-Rex. We estimate the energies of the selected events and test the efficiency of Tunka-Rex antennas for detection of inclined air showers

Evidence for a mixed mass composition at the `ankle' in the cosmic-ray spectrum

We report a first measurement for ultra-high energy cosmic rays of the correlation between the depth of shower maximum and the signal in the water Cherenkov stations of air-showers registered simultaneously by the fluorescence and the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such a correlation measurement is a unique feature of a hybrid air-shower observatory with sensitivity to both the electromagnetic and muonic components. It allows an accurate determination of the spread of primary masses in the cosmic-ray flux. Up till now, constraints on the spread of primary masses have been dominated by systematic uncertainties. The present correlation measurement is not affected by systematics in the measurement of the depth of shower maximum or the signal in the water Cherenkov stations. The analysis relies on general characteristics of air showers and is thus robust also with respect to uncertainties in hadronic event generators. The observed correlation in the energy range around the `ankle' at $\lg(E/{\rm eV})=18.5-19.0$ differs significantly from expectations for pure primary cosmic-ray compositions. A light composition made up of proton and helium only is equally inconsistent with observations. The data are explained well by a mixed composition including nuclei with mass $A > 4$. Scenarios such as the proton dip model, with almost pure compositions, are thus disfavoured as the sole explanation of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray flux at Earth.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report Numbe

Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV. The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b, leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W' boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters