401 research outputs found
Statistical anisotropy of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
Direct numerical simulations of decaying and forced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)
turbulence without and with mean magnetic field are analyzed by higher-order
two-point statistics. The turbulence exhibits statistical anisotropy with
respect to the direction of the local magnetic field even in the case of global
isotropy. A mean magnetic field reduces the parallel-field dynamics while in
the perpendicular direction a gradual transition towards two-dimensional MHD
turbulence is observed with inertial-range scaling of the
perpendicular energy spectrum. An intermittency model based on the Log-Poisson
approach, , is able to describe the observed
structure function scalings.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys.Rev.
A Single Laser System for Ground-State Cooling of 25-Mg+
We present a single solid-state laser system to cool, coherently manipulate
and detect Mg ions. Coherent manipulation is accomplished by
coupling two hyperfine ground state levels using a pair of far-detuned Raman
laser beams. Resonant light for Doppler cooling and detection is derived from
the same laser source by means of an electro-optic modulator, generating a
sideband which is resonant with the atomic transition. We demonstrate
ground-state cooling of one of the vibrational modes of the ion in the trap
using resolved-sideband cooling. The cooling performance is studied and
discussed by observing the temporal evolution of Raman-stimulated sideband
transitions. The setup is a major simplification over existing state-of-the-art
systems, typically involving up to three separate laser sources
Spallation reactions. A successful interplay between modeling and applications
The spallation reactions are a type of nuclear reaction which occur in space
by interaction of the cosmic rays with interstellar bodies. The first
spallation reactions induced with an accelerator took place in 1947 at the
Berkeley cyclotron (University of California) with 200 MeV deuterons and 400
MeV alpha beams. They highlighted the multiple emission of neutrons and charged
particles and the production of a large number of residual nuclei far different
from the target nuclei. The same year R. Serber describes the reaction in two
steps: a first and fast one with high-energy particle emission leading to an
excited remnant nucleus, and a second one, much slower, the de-excitation of
the remnant. In 2010 IAEA organized a worskhop to present the results of the
most widely used spallation codes within a benchmark of spallation models. If
one of the goals was to understand the deficiencies, if any, in each code, one
remarkable outcome points out the overall high-quality level of some models and
so the great improvements achieved since Serber. Particle transport codes can
then rely on such spallation models to treat the reactions between a light
particle and an atomic nucleus with energies spanning from few tens of MeV up
to some GeV. An overview of the spallation reactions modeling is presented in
order to point out the incomparable contribution of models based on basic
physics to numerous applications where such reactions occur. Validations or
benchmarks, which are necessary steps in the improvement process, are also
addressed, as well as the potential future domains of development. Spallation
reactions modeling is a representative case of continuous studies aiming at
understanding a reaction mechanism and which end up in a powerful tool.Comment: 59 pages, 54 figures, Revie
Neutronic Design and Measured Performance of the Low Energy Neutron Source (LENS) Target Moderator Reflector Assembly
The Low Energy Neutron Source (LENS) is an accelerator-based pulsed cold
neutron facility under construction at the Indiana University Cyclotron
Facility (IUCF). The idea behind LENS is to produce pulsed cold neutron beams
starting with ~MeV neutrons from (p,n) reactions in Be which are moderated to
meV energies and extracted from a small solid angle for use in neutron
instruments which can operate efficiently with relatively broad (~1 msec)
neutron pulse widths. Although the combination of the features and operating
parameters of this source is unique at present, the neutronic design possesses
several features similar to those envisioned for future neutron facilities such
as long-pulsed spallation sources (LPSS) and very cold neutron (VCN) sources.
We describe the underlying ideas and design details of the
target/moderator/reflector system (TMR) and compare measurements of its
brightness, energy spectrum, and emission time distribution under different
moderator configurations with MCNP simulations. Brightness measurements using
an ambient temperature water moderator agree with MCNP simulations within the
20% accuracy of the measurement. The measured neutron emission time
distribution from a solid methane moderator is in agreement with simulation and
the cold neutron flux is sufficient for neutron scattering studies of
materials. We describe some possible modifications to the existing design which
would increase the cold neutron brightness with negligible effect on the
emission time distribution.Comment: This is a preprint version of an article which has been published in
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 587 (2008) 324-341.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.12.04
An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics
For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types
The development of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Amnesia and Déjà Vu
Scotland’s new Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) has been widely acknowledged as the most significant educational development in a generation, with the potential to transform learning and teaching in Scottish schools. In common with recent developments elsewhere, CfE seeks to re-engage teachers with processes of curriculum development, to place learning at the heart of the curriculum and to change engrained practices of schooling. This article draws upon well-established curriculum theory (notably the work of both Lawrence Stenhouse and A.V. Kelly) to analyse the new curriculum. We argue that by neglecting to take account of such theory, the curricular offering proposed by CfE is subject to a number of significant structural contradictions which may affect the impact that it ultimately exerts on learning and teaching; in effect, by ignoring the lessons of the past, CfE runs the risk of undermining the potential for real change
Multiplicity distributions at high energies as a sum of Poissonian-like distributions
It is shown that at collider energies experimental multiplicity distributions
are well parameterized by a sum of Gupta-Sarma distributions. This extends
earlier description of the lower energy data by the two parameter sum of
Poissonians. Implications of the proposed parametrization for LHC are
discussed.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, 4 EPS figure
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