Antiproton constraints on dark matter annihilations from internal electroweak bremsstrahlung

If the dark matter particle is a Majorana fermion, annihilations into two fermions and one gauge boson could have, for some choices of the parameters of the model, a non-negligible cross-section. Using a toy model of leptophilic dark matter, we calculate the constraints on the annihilation cross-section into two electrons and one weak gauge boson from the PAMELA measurements of the cosmic antiproton-to-proton flux ratio. Furthermore, we calculate the maximal astrophysical boost factor allowed in the Milky Way under the assumption that the leptophilic dark matter particle is the dominant component of dark matter in our Universe. These constraints constitute very conservative estimates on the boost factor for more realistic models where the dark matter particle also couples to quarks and weak gauge bosons, such as the lightest neutralino which we also analyze for some concrete benchmark points. The limits on the astrophysical boost factors presented here could be used to evaluate the prospects to detect a gamma-ray signal from dark matter annihilations at currently operating IACTs as well as in the projected CTA.Comment: 32 pages; 13 figure

Coexistence and Phase Separation in Sheared Complex Fluids

We demonstrate how to construct dynamic phase diagrams for complex fluids that undergo transitions under flow, in which the conserved composition variable and the broken-symmetry order parameter (nematic, smectic, crystalline, etc.) are coupled to shear rate. Our construction relies on a selection criterion, the existence of a steady interface connecting two stable homogeneous states. We use the (generalized) Doi model of lyotropic nematic liquid crystals as a model system, but the method can be easily applied to other systems, provided non-local effects are included.Comment: 4 pages REVTEX, 5 figures using epsf macros. To appear in Physical Review E (Rapid Communications

Phase Separation of Rigid-Rod Suspensions in Shear Flow

We analyze the behavior of a suspension of rigid rod-like particles in shear flow using a modified version of the Doi model, and construct diagrams for phase coexistence under conditions of constant imposed stress and constant imposed strain rate, among paranematic, flow-aligning nematic, and log-rolling nematic states. We calculate the effective constitutive relations that would be measured through the regime of phase separation into shear bands. We calculate phase coexistence by examining the stability of interfacial steady states and find a wide range of possible ``phase'' behaviors.Comment: 23 pages 19 figures, revised version to be published in Physical Review

Dark Matter And Bs→μ+μ−B_s \to \mu^+ \mu^- With Minimal SO10SO_{10} Soft SUSY Breaking II

We update and extend to larger masses our previous analysis of the MSSM with minimal $SO_{10}$ [MSO$_{10}$SM] soft SUSY breaking boundary conditions. We find a well--defined, narrow region of parameter space which provides the observed relic density of dark matter, in a domain selected to fit precision electroweak data, including top, bottom and tau masses. The model is highly constrained which allows us to make several predictions. We find the light Higgs mass $m_h \leq 121 \pm 3$ GeV and also upper bounds on the mass of the gluino \mgluino\lsim3.1 TeV and lightest neutralino \mchi\lsim450 GeV. As the CP odd Higgs mass $m_A$ increases, the region of parameter space consistent with WMAP data is forced to larger values of $M_{1/2}$ and smaller values of $m_h$. Hence, we find an upper bound m_A \lsim 1.3 TeV. This in turn leads to lower bounds on ${\rm BR}(B_s\to \mu^+ \mu^-) > 10^{-8}$ (assuming minimal flavor violation) and on the dark matter spin independent detection cross section \sigsip > 10^{-9} pb. Finally, we extend our previous analysis to include WIMP signals in indirect detection and find prospects for WIMP detection generally much less promising than in direct WIMP searches.Comment: 24 page

Atmospheric electrification in dusty, reactive gases in the solar system and beyond

Detailed observations of the solar system planets reveal a wide variety of local atmospheric conditions. Astronomical observations have revealed a variety of extrasolar planets none of which resembles any of the solar system planets in full. Instead, the most massive amongst the extrasolar planets, the gas giants, appear very similar to the class of (young) Brown Dwarfs which are amongst the oldest objects in the universe. Despite of this diversity, solar system planets, extrasolar planets and Brown Dwarfs have broadly similar global temperatures between 300K and 2500K. In consequence, clouds of different chemical species form in their atmospheres. While the details of these clouds differ, the fundamental physical processes are the same. Further to this, all these objects were observed to produce radio and X-ray emission. While both kinds of radiation are well studied on Earth and to a lesser extent on the solar system planets, the occurrence of emission that potentially originate from accelerated electrons on Brown Dwarfs, extrasolar planets and protoplanetary disks is not well understood yet. This paper offers an interdisciplinary view on electrification processes and their feedback on their hosting environment in meteorology, volcanology, planetology and research on extrasolar planets and planet formation

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection