44,924 research outputs found
Patents from government-financed research and development
Data on numbers, sources, and kinds of patented inventions from government financed research and developmen
Spectra of Maser Radiation from a Turbulent, Circumnuclear Accretion Disk. III. Circular polarization
Calculations are performed for the circular polarization of maser radiation
from a turbulent, Keplerian disk that is intended to represent the sub-parsec
disk at the nucleus of the galaxy NGC4258. The polarization in the calculations
is a result of the Zeeman effect in the regime in which the Zeeman splitting is
much less than the spectral linebreadth. Plausible configurations for turbulent
magnetic and velocity fields in the disk are created by statistical methods.
This turbulence, along with the Keplerian velocity gradients and the blending
of the three hyperfine components to form the masing
transition of water, are key ingredients in determining the appearance of the
polarized spectra that are calculated. These spectra are quite different from
the polarized spectra that would be expected for a two-level transition where
there is no hyperfine structure. The effect of the hyperfine structure on the
polarization is most striking in the calculations for the maser emission that
represents the central (or systemic) features of NGC4258. Information about
magnetic fields is inferred from observations for polarized maser radiation and
bears on the structure of accretion disks.Comment: Latex, uses aastex, eucal, to be published in the Astrophysical
Journa
Effective Field Theory Approach to String Gas Cosmology
We derive the 4D low energy effective field theory for a closed string gas on
a time dependent FRW background. We examine the solutions and find that
although the Brandenberger-Vafa mechanism at late times no longer leads to
radion stabilization, the radion rolls slowly enough that the scenario is still
of interest. In particular, we find a simple example of the string inspired
dark matter recently proposed by Gubser and Peebles.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, comments adde
The reduced cost of providing a nationally recognised service for familial hypercholesterolaemia
OBJECTIVE: Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) affects 1 in 500 people in the UK population and is associated with premature morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease. In 2008, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended genetic testing of potential FH index cases and cascade testing of their relatives. Commissioners have been slow to respond although there is strong evidence of cost and clinical effectiveness. Our study quantifies the recent reduced cost of providing a FH service using generic atorvastatin and compares NICE costing estimates with three suggested alternative models of care (a specialist-led service, a dual model service where general practitioners (GPs) can access specialist advice, and a GP-led service).METHODS: Revision of existing 3?year costing template provided by NICE for FH services, and prediction of costs for running a programme over 10?years. Costs were modelled for the first population-based FH service in England which covers Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth (SHIP). Population 1.95 million.RESULTS: With expiry of the Lipitor (Pfizer atorvastatin) patent the cost of providing a 10-year FH service in SHIP reduces by 42.5% (£4.88 million on patent vs £2.80 million off patent). Further cost reductions are possible as a result of the reduced cost of DNA testing, more management in general practice, and lower referral rates to specialists. For instance a dual-care model with GP management of patients supported by specialist advice when required, costs £1.89 million.CONCLUSIONS: The three alternative models of care are now <50% of the cost of the original estimates undertaken by NICE
Full control of quadruple quantum dot circuit charge states in the single electron regime
We report the realization of an array of four tunnel coupled quantum dots in
the single electron regime, which is the first required step toward a scalable
solid state spin qubit architecture. We achieve an efficient tunability of the
system but also find out that the conditions to realize spin blockade readout
are not as straightforwardly obtained as for double and triple quantum dot
circuits. We use a simple capacitive model of the series quadruple quantum dots
circuit to investigate its complex charge state diagrams and are able to find
the most suitable configurations for future Pauli spin blockade measurements.
We then experimentally realize the corresponding charge states with a good
agreement to our model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Manipulating a single adsorbed DNA for a critical endpoint
We show the existence of a critical endpoint in the phase diagram of
unzipping of an adsorbed double-stranded (ds) polymer like DNA. The competition
of base pairing, adsorption and stretching by an external force leads to the
critical end point. From exact results, the location of the critical end point
is determined and its classical nature established.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, Published versio
Far-infrared rotational emission by carbon monoxide
Accurate theoretical collisional excitation rates are used to determine the emissivities of CO rotational lines 10 to the 4th power/cu cm n(H2), 100 K T 2000 K, and J 50. An approximate analytic expression for the emissitivities which is valid over most of this region is obtained. Population inversions in the lower rotational levels occur for densities n(H2) approximately 10 (to the 3rd to 5th power)/cu cm and temperatures T approximately 50 K. Interstellar shocks observed edge on are a potential source of millimeter wave CO maser emission. The CO rotational cooling function suggested by Hollenbach and McKee (1979) is verified, and accurate numerical values given. Application of these results to other linear molecules should be straightforward
A Catalog of Background Stars Reddened by Dust in the Taurus Dark Clouds
Normal field stars located behind dense clouds are a valuable resource in
interstellar astrophysics, as they provide continua in which to study phenomena
such as gas-phase and solid-state absorption features, interstellar extinction
and polarization. This paper reports the results of a search for highly
reddened stars behind the Taurus Dark Cloud complex. We use the Two Micron All
Sky Survey (2MASS) Point Source Catalog to survey a 50 sq deg area of the cloud
to a limiting magnitude of K = 10.0. Photometry in the 1.2-2.2 micron passbands
from 2MASS is combined with photometry at longer infrared wavelengths (3.6-12
micron) from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Infrared Astronomical
Satellite to provide effective discrimination between reddened field stars and
young stellar objects (YSOs) embedded in the cloud. Our final catalog contains
248 confirmed or probable background field stars, together with estimates of
their total visual extinctions, which span the range 2-29 mag. We also identify
the 2MASS source J04292083+2742074 (IRAS 04262+2735) as a previously
unrecognized candidate YSO, based on the presence of infrared emission greatly
in excess of that predicted for a normal reddened photosphere at wavelengths >5
microns
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