435 research outputs found
Axions, their Relatives and Prospects for the Future
The observation of a non-vanishing rotation of linear polarized laser light
after passage through a strong magnetic field by the PVLAS collaboration has
renewed the interest in light particles coupled to photons. Axions are a
species of such particles that is theoretically well motivated. However, the
relation between coupling and mass predicted by standard axion models conflicts
with the PVLAS observation. Moreover, light particles with a coupling to
photons of the strength required to explain PVLAS face trouble from
astrophysical bounds. We discuss models that can avoid these bounds. Finally,
we present some ideas to test these possible explanations of PVLAS
experimentally.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Contributed to the ``Third Symposium on Large
TPCs for Low Energy Rare Event Detection'' in Paris, December 200
Large orders in strong-field QED
We address the issue of large-order expansions in strong-field QED. Our
approach is based on the one-loop effective action encoded in the associated
photon polarisation tensor. We concentrate on the simple case of crossed fields
aiming at possible applications of high-power lasers to measure vacuum
birefringence. A simple next-to-leading order derivative expansion reveals that
the indices of refraction increase with frequency. This signals normal
dispersion in the small-frequency regime where the derivative expansion makes
sense. To gain information beyond that regime we determine the factorial growth
of the derivative expansion coefficients evaluating the first 80 orders by
means of computer algebra. From this we can infer a nonperturbative imaginary
part for the indices of refraction indicating absorption (pair production) as
soon as energy and intensity become (super)critical. These results compare
favourably with an analytic evaluation of the polarisation tensor asymptotics.
Kramers-Kronig relations finally allow for a nonperturbative definition of the
real parts as well and show that absorption goes hand in hand with anomalous
dispersion for sufficiently large frequencies and fields.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure
Lorentz Invariant Superluminal Tunneling
It is shown that superluminal optical signalling is possible without
violating Lorentz invariance and causality via tunneling through photonic band
gaps in inhomogeneous dielectrics of a special kind.Comment: 10 pages revtex, no figure, more discussions added, submitted to
Phys. Rev.
Biological and engineering impacts of climate on slopes -learning from full-scale
ABSTRACT: Our climate is set to change significantly over the next century; future change is likely to have a serious effect on UK slopes. The scenario of hotter drier summers, followed by more intense periods of rainfall has the potential to reduce stability by increasing degradation mechanisms and/or increasing positive pore water pressure generation. There is evidence that the scenario of more intense rainfall is already having an impact on the UK slopes. However, there is also potential for stability to be improved through the generation of greater suctions during longer periods of drought. Newcastle, Southampton, Belfast, Durham and Loughborough Universities have all been carrying out research into the impacts of climate and vegetation on embankment and cut slope stability. These five Universities, along with international partners in Canada, Singapore, China, South Africa, France and Portugal, are conducting a collaboration programme the aim of which is to link research groups undertaking full-scale monitoring of slopes to improve the understanding of the complex interaction between climate, vegetation and clay soils. This paper presents results of current full scale infrastructure slope monitoring and model development at the involved universities and plans for future collaborations
Structure and Age Jointly Influence Rates of Protein Evolution
What factors determine a protein's rate of evolution are actively debated. Especially unclear is the relative role of intrinsic factors of present-day proteins versus historical factors such as protein age. Here we study the interplay of structural properties and evolutionary age, as determinants of protein evolutionary rate. We use a large set of one-to-one orthologs between human and mouse proteins, with mapped PDB structures. We report that previously observed structural correlations also hold within each age group â including relationships between solvent accessibility, designabililty, and evolutionary rates. However, age also plays a crucial role: age modulates the relationship between solvent accessibility and rate. Additionally, younger proteins, despite being less designable, tend to evolve faster than older proteins. We show that previously reported relationships between age and rate cannot be explained by structural biases among age groups. Finally, we introduce a knowledge-based potential function to study the stability of proteins through large-scale computation. We find that older proteins are more stable for their native structure, and more robust to mutations, than younger ones. Our results underscore that several determinants, both intrinsic and historical, can interact to determine rates of protein evolution
Structural determinants of opioid and NOP receptor activity in derivatives of buprenorphine
The unique pharmacological profile of buprenorphine has led to its considerable success as an analgesic and as a treatment agent for drug abuse. Activation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptors has been postulated to account for certain aspects of buprenorphineâs behavioural profile. In order to investigate the role of NOP activation further, a series of buprenorphine analogues has been synthesised with the aim of increasing affinity for the NOP receptor. Binding and functional assay data on these new compounds indicate that the area around C20 in the orvinols is key to NOP receptor activity, with several compounds displaying higher affinity than buprenorphine. One compound, 1b, was found to be a mu opioid receptor partial agonist of comparable efficacy to buprenorphine, but with higher efficacy at NOP receptors
Bounding global aerosol radiative forcing of climate change
Aerosols interact with radiation and clouds. Substantial progress made over the past 40 years in observing, understanding, and modeling these processes helped quantify the imbalance in the Earth's radiation budget caused by anthropogenic aerosols, called aerosol radiative forcing, but uncertainties remain large. This review provides a new range of aerosol radiative forcing over the industrial era based on multiple, traceable, and arguable lines of evidence, including modeling approaches, theoretical considerations, and observations. Improved understanding of aerosol absorption and the causes of trends in surface radiative fluxes constrain the forcing from aerosol-radiation interactions. A robust theoretical foundation and convincing evidence constrain the forcing caused by aerosol-driven increases in liquid cloud droplet number concentration. However, the influence of anthropogenic aerosols on cloud liquid water content and cloud fraction is less clear, and the influence on mixed-phase and ice clouds remains poorly constrained. Observed changes in surface temperature and radiative fluxes provide additional constraints. These multiple lines of evidence lead to a 68% confidence interval for the total aerosol effective radiative forcing of -1.6 to -0.6 W mâ2, or -2.0 to -0.4 W mâ2 with a 90% likelihood. Those intervals are of similar width to the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment but shifted toward more negative values. The uncertainty will narrow in the future by continuing to critically combine multiple lines of evidence, especially those addressing industrial-era changes in aerosol sources and aerosol effects on liquid cloud amount and on ice clouds
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