Roper resonances and quasi-normal modes of Skyrmions

Radial vibrations of charge one hedgehog Skyrmions in the full Skyrme model are analysed. We investigate how the properties of the lowest resonance modes (quasi normal modes) - their frequencies and widths - depend on the form of the potential (value of the pion mass as well as the addition of further potentials) and on the inclusion of the sextic term. Then we consider the inverse problem, where certain values for the frequencies and widths are imposed, and the field theoretic Skyrme model potential giving rise to them is reconstructed. This latter method allows to reproduce the physical Roper resonances, as well as further physical properties of nucleons, with high precision.Comment: LaTex, 24 pages, 18 figure

Radial vibrations of BPS skyrmions

We study radial vibrations of spherically symmetric skyrmions in the BPS Skyrme model. Concretely, we numerically solve the linearised field equations for small fluctuations in a skyrmion background, both for linearly stable oscillations and for (unstable) resonances. This is complemented by numerical solutions of the full nonlinear system, which confirm all the results of the linear analysis. In all cases, the resulting fundamental excitation provides a rather accurate value for the Roper resonance, supporting the hypothesis that the BPS Skyrme model already gives a reasonable approximate description of this resonance. Further, for many potentials additional higher resonances appear, again in agreement with known experimental results.Comment: Latex, 41 pages, 22 pdf figures; v2: minor change

Radial vibrations of BPS skyrmions

We study radial vibrations of spherically symmetric Skyrmions in the Bogomol’nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield Skyrme model. Concretely, we numerically solve the linearized field equations for small fluctuations in a Skyrmion background, both for linearly stable oscillations and for (unstable) resonances. This is complemented by numerical solutions of the full nonlinear system, which confirm all the results of the linear analysis. In all cases, the resulting fundamental excitation provides a rather accurate value for the Roper resonance, supporting the hypothesis that the Bogomol’nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield Skyrme model already gives a reasonable approximate description of this resonance. Furthermore, for many potentials additional higher resonances appear, again in agreement with known experimental results

Development of a custom monolithic device for data acquisition from a scintillating calorimeter at the superconducting super collider

A clock-driven continuous sequential write/random read data acquisition architecture for a scintillating calorimeter at the SSC is presented. Simplicity of design and operation as well as potentially dead time-less operation are the motivations of this effort. The architecture minimizes the number of fast control signals, thereby reducing pickup from digital control lines by sensitive analog circuits in the front-end device. This architecture also reduces the logic necessary on the front-end device improving reliability and easing design and operation. Operation and design of the front-end device are discussed. 3 refs., 7 figs

Radiative decays of decuplet hyperons

We calculate the radiative decay widths of decuplet hyperons in a chiral constituent quark model including electromagnetic exchange currents between quarks. Exchange currents contribute significantly to the E2 transition amplitude, while they largely cancel for the M1 transition amplitude. Strangeness suppression of the radiative hyperon decays is found to be weakened by exchange currents. Differences and similarities between our results and other recent model predictions are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 1 eps figure, revtex, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Strangeness Dependence in Radiative Hyperon Decay Amplitudes

The radiative decays of the $(3/2)^+$ baryons are studied in the three flavor generalization of the Skyrme model. The kaon fields are treated in the slow rotator approach which properly accounts for the observed deviations from the $U$-spin relations for the hyperon magnetic moments. This makes possible a critical discussion of the $U$-spin selection rules for the radiative hyperon decays. The variation of the decay widths with strangeness is studied and a comparison with other treatments of the $SU(3)$ Skyrme model is performed in order to analyze the effects of flavor symmetry breaking.Comment: 15 pages Latex, no figure

Nonlinear Time Series Analysis of Nodulation Factor Induced Calcium Oscillations: Evidence for Deterministic Chaos?

Legume plants form beneficial symbiotic interactions with nitrogen fixing bacteria (called rhizobia), with the rhizobia being accommodated in unique structures on the roots of the host plant. The legume/rhizobial symbiosis is responsible for a significant proportion of the global biologically available nitrogen. The initiation of this symbiosis is governed by a characteristic calcium oscillation within the plant root hair cells and this signal is activated by the rhizobia. Recent analyses on calcium time series data have suggested that stochastic effects have a large role to play in defining the nature of the oscillations. The use of multiple nonlinear time series techniques, however, suggests an alternative interpretation, namely deterministic chaos. We provide an extensive, nonlinear time series analysis on the nature of this calcium oscillation response. We build up evidence through a series of techniques that test for determinism, quantify linear and nonlinear components, and measure the local divergence of the system. Chaos is common in nature and it seems plausible that properties of chaotic dynamics might be exploited by biological systems to control processes within the cell. Systems possessing chaotic control mechanisms are more robust in the sense that the enhanced flexibility allows more rapid response to environmental changes with less energetic costs. The desired behaviour could be most efficiently targeted in this manner, supporting some intriguing speculations about nonlinear mechanisms in biological signaling

Storage of Factor VIII Variants with Impaired von Willebrand Factor Binding in Weibel-Palade Bodies in Endothelial Cells

BACKGROUND: Point mutations resulting in reduced factor VIII (FVIII) binding to von Willebrand factor (VWF) are an important cause of mild/moderate hemophilia A. Treatment includes desmopressin infusion, which concomitantly increases VWF and FVIII plasma levels, apparently from storage pools containing both proteins. The source of these VWF/FVIII co-storage pools and the mechanism of granule biogenesis are not fully understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We studied intracellular trafficking of FVIII variants implicated in mild/moderate hemophilia A together with VWF in HEK293 cells and primary endothelial cells. The role of VWF binding was addressed using FVIII variants displaying reduced VWF interaction. Binding studies using purified FVIII proteins revealed moderate (Arg2150His, Del2201, Pro2300Ser) to severe (Tyr1680Phe, Ser2119Tyr) VWF binding defects. Expression studies in HEK293 cells and primary endothelial cells revealed that all FVIII variants were present within VWF-containing organelles. Quantitative studies showed that the relative amount of FVIII storage was independent of various mutations. Substantial amounts of FVIII variants are co-stored in VWF-containing storage organelles, presumably by virtue of their ability to interact with VWF at low pH. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the potential of FVIII co-storage with VWF is not affected in mild/moderate hemophilia A caused by reduced FVIII/VWF interaction in the circulation. These data support the hypothesis that Weibel-Palade bodies comprise the desmopressin-releasable FVIII storage pool in vivo

The electroproduction of the Δ\Delta(1232) in the chiral quark-soliton model

We calculate the ratios E2/M1 and C2/M1 for the electroproduction of the $\Delta$(1232) in the region of photon virtuality $0<-q^2<1$ GeV$^2$. The magnetic dipole amplitude M1 is also presented. The theory used is the chiral quark-soliton model, which is based in the instanton vaccum of the QCD. The calculations are performed in flavor SU(2) and SU(3) taking rotational ($1/N_c$) corrections into account. The results for the ratios agree qualitatively with the available data, although the magnitude of both ratios seems to underestimate the latest experimental results.Comment: 14 pages, Latex, 3 figures, uses eps