Jet thermalization in QCD kinetic theory

We perform numerical studies in QCD kinetic theory to investigate the energy and angular profiles of a high energy parton - as a proxy for a jet produced heavy ion collisions - passing through a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). We find that the fast parton loses energy to the plasma mainly via a radiative turbulent gluon cascade that transport energy locally from the jet down to the temperature scale where dissipation takes place. In this first stage, the angular structure of the turbulent cascade is found to be relatively collimated. However, when the lost energy reaches the plasma temperature is it rapidly transported to large angles w.r.t. the jet axis and thermalizes. We investigate the contribution of the soft jet constituents to the total jet energy. We show that for jet opening angles of about 0.3 rad or smaller the effect is negligible. Conversely, larger opening angles become more and more sensitive to the thermal component of the jet and thus to medium response. Our result showcase the importance of the jet cone size in mitigating or enhancing the details of dissipation in jet quenching observables.Comment: 41 pages, 11 figures

Multi-scale evolution of charmed particles in a nuclear medium

Parton energy-momentum exchange with the quark gluon plasma (QGP) is a multi-scale problem. In this work, we calculate the interaction of charm quarks with the QGP within the higher twist formalism at high virtuality and high energy using the MATTER model, while the low virtuality and high energy portion is treated via a (linearized) Boltzmann Transport (LBT) formalism. Coherence effect that reduces the medium-induced emission rate in the MATTER model is also taken into account. The interplay between these two formalisms is studied in detail and used to produce a good description of the D-meson and charged hadron nuclear modification factor RAA across multiple centralities. All calculations were carried out utilizing the JETSCAPE framework

Elucidation of functional chemical groups responsible of compost phytotoxicity using solid-state C-13 NMR spectroscopy under different initial C/N ratios

More than 1 million tons of fresh organic wastes is produced in the Souss-Massa region in Morocco. Tomato organic residues represent more than 25% of the total organic wastes and are deposited in uncontrolled landfills. Thus, composting can represent a valuable and pertinent solution to this environmental problem. The objectives of this experiment are to identify the potential functional groups responsible for compost phytotoxicity and to determine the optimum initial carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) for maximum recovery of tomato residues. The experiment consisted of the variation of the initial C/N ratios (25, 30, 35, and 40) using mixtures of different raw materials (tomato residues, melon residues, olive mill pomace, and sheep manure). Physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, C/N ratio, and humic acid/fulvic acid ratio) were determined and spectroscopic analyses (UV-vis and NMR-C-13) were performed during the composting process along with quality parameters (germination and phytotoxicity tests) at the end. The results showed that the compost with the initial C/N ratio of 35 is the most humified with the least phytotoxic effect. The germination and phytotoxicity tests were negatively correlated with the methoxyl/N-alkyl-C ratio and O-alkyl-C. These two functional groups are probably the origin of phytotoxicity expression in compost quality tests. Thus, a simple and precise quality test could be performed to evaluate directly the phytotoxicity and maturity of compost

Composting parameters and compost quality: a literature review

International audienc

Graphene below the percolation threshold in TiO2 for dye-sensitized solar cells

We demonstrate a fast and large area-scalable methodology for the fabrication of efficient dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by simple addition of graphene micro-platelets to TiO2 nanoparticulate paste (graphene concentration in the range of 0 to 1.5 wt%). Two dimensional (2D) Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirm the presence of graphene after 500 degrees C annealing for 30 minutes. Graphene addition increases the photocurrent density from 12.4 mA cm(-2) in bare TiO2 to 17.1 mA cm(-2) in an optimized photoanode (0.01 wt% graphene, much lower than those reported in previous studies), boosting the photoconversion efficiency (PCE) from 6.3 up to 8.8%. The investigation of the 2D graphene distribution showed that an optimized concentration is far below the percolation threshold, indicating that the increased PCE does not rely on the formation of an interconnected network, as inferred by prior investigations, but rather, on increased charge injection from TiO2 to the front electrode. These results give insights into the role of graphene in improving the functional properties of DSSCs and identifying a straightforward methodology for the synthesis of new photoanodes

B-cell and T-cell receptor repertoire in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a prospective cohort study

The immunopathophysiological mechanisms underlying chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in an individual patient are largely unknown. Better understanding of these mechanisms may aid development of biomarkers and targeted therapies. Both B- and T-cell dominant mechanisms have been implicated. We therefore investigated whether B-cell and T-cell receptor (BCR/TCR) repertoires might function as immunological biomarkers in CIDP. In this prospective cohort study, we longitudinally sampled peripheral blood of CIDP patients in three different phases of CIDP: starting induction treatment (IT), starting withdrawal from IVIg maintenance treatment (MT), and patients in remission (R). BCR and TCR repertoires were analyzed using RNA based high throughput sequencing. In baseline samples, the number of total clones, the number of dominant BCR and TCR clones and their impact on the repertoire was similar for patients in the IT, MT, and remission groups compared with healthy controls. Baseline samples in the IT or MT did not predict treatment response or potential relapse at follow-up. Treatment responders in the IT group showed a potential IVIg-induced increase in the number of dominant BCR clones and their impact at follow-up (baseline1.0 [IQR 1.0-2.8] vs. 6 m 3.5 [0.3-6.8]; P <.05, Wilcoxon test). Although the BCR repertoire changed over time, the TCR repertoire remained robustly stable. We conclude that TCR and BCR repertoire distributions do not predict disease activity, treatment response or response to treatment withdrawal

Controlling photoinduced electron transfer from PbS@CdS core@shell quantum dots to metal oxide nanostructured thin films

N-type metal oxide solar cells sensitized by infrared absorbing PbS quantum dots (QDs) represent a promising alternative to traditional photovoltaic devices. However, colloidal PbS QDs capped with pure organic ligand shells suffer from surface oxidation that affects the long term stability of the cells. Application of a passivating CdS shell guarantees the increased long term stability of PbS QDs, but can negatively affect photoinduced charge transfer from the QD to the oxide and the resulting photoconversion efficiency (PCE). For this reason, the characterization of electron injection rates in these systems is very important, yet has never been reported. Here we investigate the photoelectron transfer rate from PbS@CdS core@shell QDs to wide bandgap semiconducting mesoporous films using photoluminescence (PL) lifetime spectroscopy. The different electron affinity of the oxides (SiO2, TiO2 and SnO2), the core size and the shell thickness allow us to fine tune the electron injection rate by determining the width and height of the energy barrier for tunneling from the core to the oxide. Theoretical modeling using the semi-classical approximation provides an estimate for the escape time of an electron from the QD 1S state, in good agreement with experiments. The results demonstrate the possibility of obtaining fast charge injection in near infrared (NIR) QDs stabilized by an external shell (injection rates in the range of 110–250 ns for TiO2 films and in the range of 100–170 ns for SnO2 films for PbS cores with diameters in the 3–4.2 nm range and shell thickness around 0.3 nm), with the aim of providing viable solutions to the stability issues typical of NIR QDs capped with pure organic ligand shells

Modulating Exciton Dynamics in Composite Nanocrystals for Excitonic Solar Cells

Quantum dots (QDs) represent one of the most promising materials for third-generation solar cells due to their potential to boost the photoconversion efficiency beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit. Composite nanocrystals can challenge the current scenario by combining broad spectral response and tailored energy levels to favor charge extraction and reduce energy and charge recombination. We synthesized PbS/CdS QDs with different compositions at the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles assembled in a mesoporous film. The ultrafast photoinduced dynamics and the charge injection processes were investigated by pump-probe spectroscopy. We demonstrated good injection of photogenerated electrons from QDs to TiO2 in the PbS/CdS blend and used the QIN to fabricate solar cells. The fine-tuning of chemical composition and size of lead and cadmium chalcogenide QDs led to highly efficient PV devices (3% maximum photoconversion efficiency). This combined study paves the way to the full exploitation of QDs in next-generation photovoltaic (PV) devices