TIGER Capacity Building Facility - Phase 1, lessons learnt

The TIGER Capacity Building Facility focused on closing the technological gap between the users and the earth observation community within the TIGER programme. Thirteen projects participated in different aspects of the capacity building facility: 1. - Basic education, provided via distance learning. 2. - Tailored short courses, selected according to the research interest and technical background of the participants. 3. - Research topic oriented supervision, provided by specialists of the research fields of the participants. 4. - Advanced short courses focusing on selected earth observation techniques. Distance education turned to be efficient and cost effective in the programme - but only for those, who followed the courses completely. There was a relatively large percentage that could not complete the studies. The second and the third type of education were carried out in ITC, in the Netherlands. The participants evaluated the courses and the supervision very effective and adequate. Nevertheless, the follow-up was not always possible. Two advanced short courses were held in Africa (Cape Town and Nairobi). One of them addressed the 'scientific elite' of the EO community, whilst the second focused on the users of this technology

Renormalization of the Sigma-Omega model within the framework of U(1) gauge symmetry

It is shown that the Sigma-Omega model which is widely used in the study of nuclear relativistic many-body problem can exactly be treated as an Abelian massive gauge field theory. The quantization of this theory can perfectly be performed by means of the general methods described in the quantum gauge field theory. Especially, the local U(1) gauge symmetry of the theory leads to a series of Ward-Takahashi identities satisfied by Green's functions and proper vertices. These identities form an uniquely correct basis for the renormalization of the theory. The renormalization is carried out in the mass-dependent momentum space subtraction scheme and by the renormalization group approach. With the aid of the renormalization boundary conditions, the solutions to the renormalization group equations are given in definite expressions without any ambiguity and renormalized S-matrix elememts are exactly formulated in forms as given in a series of tree diagrams provided that the physical parameters are replaced by the running ones. As an illustration of the renormalization procedure, the one-loop renormalization is concretely carried out and the results are given in rigorous forms which are suitable in the whole energy region. The effect of the one-loop renormalization is examined by the two-nucleon elastic scattering.Comment: 32 pages, 17 figure

Low-Altitude Reconnection Inflow-Outflow Observations during a 2010 November 3 Solar Eruption

For a solar flare occurring on 2010 November 3, we present observations using several SDO/AIA extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) passbands of an erupting flux rope followed by inflows sweeping into a current sheet region. The inflows are soon followed by outflows appearing to originate from near the termination point of the inflowing motion - an observation in line with standard magnetic reconnection models. We measure average inflow plane-of-sky speeds to range from ~150-690 km/s with the initial, high-temperature inflows being the fastest. Using the inflow speeds and a range of Alfven speeds, we estimate the Alfvenic Mach number which appears to decrease with time. We also provide inflow and outflow times with respect to RHESSI count rates and find that the fast, high-temperature inflows occur simultaneously with a peak in the RHESSI thermal lightcurve. Five candidate inflow-outflow pairs are identified with no more than a minute delay between detections. The inflow speeds of these pairs are measured to be 10^2 km/s with outflow speeds ranging from 10^2-10^3 km/s - indicating acceleration during the reconnection process. The fastest of these outflows are in the form of apparently traveling density enhancements along the legs of the loops rather than the loop apexes themselves. These flows could either be accelerated plasma, shocks, or waves prompted by reconnection. The measurements presented here show an order of magnitude difference between the retraction speeds of the loops and the speed of the density enhancements within the loops - presumably exiting the reconnection site.Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, Accepted to ApJ (expected publication ~July 2012

Generation of GHZ entangled states of photons in multiple cavities via a superconducting qutrit or an atom through resonant interaction

We propose an efficient method to generate a GHZ entangled state of n photons in n microwave cavities (or resonators) via resonant interaction to a single superconducting qutrit. The deployment of a qutrit, instead of a qubit, as the coupler enables us to use resonant interactions exclusively for all qutrit-cavity and qutrit-pulse operations. This unique approach significantly shortens the time of operation which is advantageous to reducing the adverse effects of qutrit decoherence and cavity decay on fidelity of the protocol. Furthermore, the protocol involves no measurement on either the state of qutrit or cavity photons. We also show that the protocol can be generalized to other systems by replacing the superconducting qutrit coupler with different types of physical qutrit, such as an atom in the case of cavity QED, to accomplish the same task.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.

Neuronal glucose transporter isoform 3 deficient mice demonstrate features of autism spectrum disorders.

Neuronal glucose transporter (GLUT) isoform 3 deficiency in null heterozygous mice led to abnormal spatial learning and working memory but normal acquisition and retrieval during contextual conditioning, abnormal cognitive flexibility with intact gross motor ability, electroencephalographic seizures, perturbed social behavior with reduced vocalization and stereotypies at low frequency. This phenotypic expression is unique as it combines the neurobehavioral with the epileptiform characteristics of autism spectrum disorders. This clinical presentation occurred despite metabolic adaptations consisting of an increase in microvascular/glial GLUT1, neuronal GLUT8 and monocarboxylate transporter isoform 2 concentrations, with minimal to no change in brain glucose uptake but an increase in lactate uptake. Neuron-specific glucose deficiency has a negative impact on neurodevelopment interfering with functional competence. This is the first description of GLUT3 deficiency that forms a possible novel genetic mechanism for pervasive developmental disorders, such as the neuropsychiatric autism spectrum disorders, requiring further investigation in humans

A search on Dirac equation

The solutions, in terms of orthogonal polynomials, of Dirac equation with analytically solvable potentials are investigated within a novel formalism by transforming the relativistic equation into a Schrodinger like one. Earlier results are discussed in a unified framework and certain solutions of a large class of potentials are given.Comment: 9 page

Nuclear matter and neutron matter for improved quark mass density- dependent model with ρ\rho mesons

A new improved quark mass density-dependent model including u, d quarks, $\sigma$ mesons, $\omega$ mesons and $\rho$ mesons is presented. Employing this model, the properties of nuclear matter, neutron matter and neutron star are studied. We find that it can describe above properties successfully. The results given by the new improved quark mass density- dependent model and by the quark meson coupling model are compared.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure

Improved quark mass density- dependent model with quark-sigma meson and quark-omega meson couplings

An improved quark mass density- dependent model with the non-linear scalar sigma field and the $\omega$-meson field is presented. We show that the present model can describe saturation properties, the equation of state, the compressibility and the effective nuclear mass of nuclear matter under mean field approximation successfully. The comparison of the present model and the quark-meson coupling model is addressed.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure