936 research outputs found
Fragmentation studies of high energy ions using CR39 nuclear track detectors
We report on the measurements of the total charge changing fragmentation
cross sections in high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions using Fe, Si and Pb
incident ions. Several stacks of CR39 nuclear track detectors with different
target combinations were exposed at normal incidence to high energy accelerator
beams to integrated densities of about 2000 ions/cm^2. The nuclear track
detector foils were chemically etched, and ion tracks were measured using an
automatic image analyzer system. The cross section determination is based on
the charge identification of beam ions and their fragments and on the
reconstruction of their path through the stacks.Comment: 5 pages, 4 EPS figures. Corrected Eq. 3 and Table 1. Presented at the
10th Inter. Symp. Radiat. Phys., Coimbra, Portugal, 17-22 Sept. 200
Distribution of selected trace elements in the major fractions of donkey milk
The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Mo, Co, Li, B, Ti, Cr, Rb, Sr, Cd, and Pb in donkey milk and their distribution in major milk fractions (i.e., fat, casein, whey proteins, and aqueous phase). Individual milk samples were provided by 16 clinically healthy lactating donkeys. Subsequent centrifugation, ultracentrifugation, and ultrafiltration were carried out to remove fat, casein, and whey proteins to obtain skim milk, a supernatant whey fraction, and the aqueous phase of milk, respectively. Concentrations of the elements were measured in whole milk and fractions by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and the concentrations associated with fat, casein, and whey proteins were then calculated. The effect of removal of fat, casein, and whey proteins was determined by repeated-measures ANOVA. The fat fraction of donkey milk carried a small (âŒ4.5% to 13.5%) but significant proportion of Mo, Co, Ti, Cr, and Sr. The casein fraction in donkey milk carried almost all milk Zn, a majority of Cu and Mn, and most of Mo, Ti, and Sr. Relevant proportions, between 20% and 36%, of Se, Co, and Cr were also associated with caseins. The majority of Se, Co, Li, B, Cr, and Rb, and relevant proportions of Mn, Mo, Ti, and Sr were found in soluble form (ultracentrifuged samples) and distributed between whey proteins and the aqueous phase of milk (ultrafiltered samples). Whey proteins in donkey milk carried the majority of milk Se and Co. All Li and B was present in the aqueous phase of milk, which also contained most Rb and Cr, and 17% to 42% of Mn, Se, Mo, Co, Ti, and Sr
Fragmentation cross sections of Fe^{26+}, Si^{14+} and C^{6+} ions of 0.3-10 A GeV on CR39, polyethylene and aluminum targets
New measurements of the total and partial fragmentation cross sections in the
energy range 0.3-10 A GeV of Fe^{26+}, Si^{14+} and C^{6+} beams on
polyethylene, CR39 and aluminum targets are presented. The exposures were made
at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), USA, and Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator
in Chiba (HIMAC), Japan. The CR39 nuclear track detectors were used to identify
the incident and survived beams and their fragments. The total fragmentation
cross sections for all targets are almost energy independent while they depend
on the target mass. The measured partial fragmentation cross sections are also
discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 eps figures. Talk given at the 24th International
Conference on Nuclear Tracks in Solids, Bologna, Italy, 1-5 September 200
Search for Intermediate Mass Magnetic Monopoles and Nuclearites with the SLIM experiment
SLIM is a large area experiment (440 m2) installed at the Chacaltaya cosmic
ray laboratory since 2001, and about 100 m2 at Koksil, Himalaya, since 2003. It
is devoted to the search for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles (107-1013
GeV/c2) and nuclearites in the cosmic radiation using stacks of CR39 and
Makrofol nuclear track detectors. In four years of operation it will reach a
sensitivity to a flux of about 10-15 cm-2 s-1 sr-1. We present the results of
the calibration of CR39 and Makrofol and the analysis of a first sample of the
exposed detector.Comment: Presented at the 22nd ICNTS, Barcelona 200
Sequence-specific recognition of DNA by the C-terminal domain of nucleoid-associated protein H-NS
The molecular determinants necessary and sufficient for recognition of its specific DNA target are contained in the C-terminal domain (H-NSctd) of nucleoid-associated protein H-NS. H-NSctd protects from DNaseI cleavage a few short DNA segments of the H-NS-sensitive hns promoter whose sequences closely match the recently identified H-NS consensus motif (tCG(t/a)T(a/t)AATT) and, alone or fused to the protein oligomerization domain of phage λ CI repressor, inhibits transcription from the hns promoter in vitro and in vivo. The importance of H-NS oligomerization is indicated by the fact that with an extended hns promoter construct (400 bp), which allows protein oligomerization, DNA binding and transcriptional repression are highly and almost equally efficient with native H-NS and H-NSctd::λCI and much less effective with the monomeric H-NSctd. With a shorter (110 bp) construct, which does not sustain extensive protein oligomerization, transcriptional repression is less effective, but native H-NS, H-NSctd::λCI, and monomeric H-NSctd have comparable activity on this construct. The specific H-NS-DNA interaction was investigated by NMR spectroscopy using monomeric H-NSctd and short DNA duplexes encompassing the H-NS target sequence of hns (TCCTTACATT)with the best fit (8 of 10 residues) to the H-NS-binding motif. H-NSctd binds specifically and with high affinity to the chosen duplexes via an overall electropositive surface involving four residues (Thr109, Arg113, Thr114, and Ala116) belonging to the same protein loop and Glu101. The DNA target is recognized by virtue of its sequence and of a TpA step that confers a structural irregularity to the B-DNA duplex
Search for massive rare particles with the SLIM experiment
The search for magnetic monopoles in the cosmic radiation remains one of the
main aims of non-accelerator particle astrophysics. Experiments at high
altitude allow lower mass thresholds with respect to detectors at sea level or
underground. The SLIM experiment is a large array of nuclear track detectors at
the Chacaltaya High Altitude Laboratory (5290 m a.s.l.). The results from the
analysis of 171 m exposed for more than 3.5 y are here reported. The
completion of the analysis of the whole detector will allow to set the lowest
flux upper limit for Magnetic Monopoles in the mass range 10 - 10
GeV. The experiment is also sensitive to SQM nuggets and Q-balls, which are
possible Dark Matter candidates.Comment: Presented at the 29-th ICRC, Pune, India (2005
Injecting Electrons into CeO2 via Photoexcitation of Embedded Au Nanoparticles
The electron injection efficiency and the steady state absorptance at different photon energies for a composite system made of Au NPs embedded in a cerium oxide matrix are reported. Cerium oxide can be coupled with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) to improve its catalytic properties by visible-light absorption. The present work is a study of the ultrafast dynamics of excited states induced by ultraviolet and visible-light excitation in Au NPs combined with cerium oxide, aimed at understanding the excitation pathways. The data, obtained by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, show that the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) in the Au NPs leads to an ultrafast injection of electrons into the empty 4f states of the surrounding cerium oxide. Within the first few picoseconds, the injected electrons couple with the lattice distortion forming a polaronic excited state, with similar properties to that formed after direct band gap excitation of the oxide. At sub-picosecond delay times, we observed relevant differences in the energetics and the time dynamics as compared to the case of band gap excitation of the oxide. Using different pump energies across the LSPR-related absorption band, the efficiency of the electron injection from the NPs into the oxide was found to be rather high, with a maximum above 30%. The injection efficiency has a different trend in energy as compared to the LSPR-related static optical absorptance, showing a significant decrease in low energies. This behavior is explained considering different deexcitation pathways with variable weight across the LSPR band. The results are important for the design of materials with high overall solar catalytic efficiency
Search for strange quark matter and Q-balls with the SLIM experiment
We report on the search for Strange Quark Matter (SQM) and charged Q-balls
with the SLIM experiment at the Chacaltaya High Altitude Laboratory (5230 m
a.s.l.) from 2001 to 2005. The SLIM experiment was a 427 m array of
Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) arranged in modules of cm
area. SLIM NTDs were exposed to the cosmic radiation for 4.22 years after which
they were brought back to the Bologna Laboratory where they were etched and
analyzed. We estimate the properties and energy losses in matter of nuclearites
(large SQM nuggets), strangelets (small charged SQM nuggets) and Q-balls; and
discuss their detection with the SLIM experiment. The flux upper limits in the
CR of such downgoing particles are at the level of /cm/s/sr
(90% CL).Comment: 4 pages, 7 eps figures. Talk given at the 24th International
Conference on Nuclear Tracks in Solids, Bologna, Italy, 1-5 September 200
Bulk Etch Rate Measurements and Calibrations of Plastic Nuclear Track Detectors
New calibrations of CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors have been
obtained using 158 A GeV Pb (82+) and In (49+) ions; a new method for the bulk
etch rate determination, using both cone height and base diameter measurements
was developed. The CR39 charge resolution based on the etch-pit base area
measurement is adequate to identify nuclear fragments in the interval 7 <=
Z/beta <= 49. For CR39 the detection threshold is at REL~50 MeV cm^2/g,
corresponding to a nuclear fragment with Z/beta~7. Base cone area distributions
for Makrofol foils exposed to Pb (82+) ions have shown for the first time all
peaks due to nuclear fragments with Z > 50; the distribution of the etched cone
heights shows well separated individual peaks for Z/beta = 78 - 83 (charge
pickup). The Makrofol detection threshold is at REL 2700 MeV cm^2/g,
corresponding to a nuclear fragment with Z/beta~50.Comment: 11 pages, 5 EPS figures. Submitted to Nucl. Instr. Meth.
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