On the mechanical quality factors of cryogenic test masses from fused silica and crystalline quartz

Current interferometric gravitational wave detectors (IGWDs) are operated at room temperature with test masses made from fused silica. Fused silica shows very low absorption at the laser wavelength of 1064 nm. It is also well suited to realize low thermal noise floors in the detector signal band since it offers low mechanical loss, i. e. high quality factors (Q factors) at room temperature. However, for a further reduction of thermal noise, cooling the test masses to cryogenic temperatures may prove an interesting technique. Here we compare the results of Q factor measurements at cryogenic temperatures of acoustic eigenmodes of test masses from fused silica and its crystalline counterpart. Our results show that the mechanical loss of fused silica increases with lower temperature and reaches a maximum at 30 K for frequencies of slightly above 10 kHz. The losses of crystalline quartz generally show lower values and even fall below the room temperature values of fused silica below 10 K. Our results show that in comparison to fused silica, crystalline quartz has a considerably narrower and lower dissipation peak on cooling and thus has more promise as a test mass material for IGDWs operated at cryogenic temperatures. The origin of the different Q factor versus temperature behavior of the two materials is discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Class. Quantum Gra

A Squid-Based Beam Current Monitor For FAIR

A Cryogenic Current Comparator (CCC) wasdeveloped for the upcoming FAIR-Project, providing anon-destructive online monitoring of the beam current inthe nA-range. The CCC was optimized for a lowestpossible noise-limited current resolution together with ahigh system bandwidth. Therefore, the low temperatureproperties of ferromagnetic core materials used in thepick-up coil were investigated and differentSuperconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID)-systems were tested.In this contribution we present results of the completedCryogenic Current Comparator for FAIR working in alaboratory environment, regarding the improvements inresolution and bandwidth due to the use of suitableferromagnetic core materials and optimized SQUIDsystemcomponents

Beam Current Monitors for FAIR

The FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) accelerator facility presently under construction at GSIwill supply a wide range of beam intensities for physicsexperiments. Design beam intensities range from 2.5×1013protons/cycle to be delivered to the pBar-target andseparator for production of antiprotons, to beams of e.g.109 ions/s in the case of slowly extracted beams. Thelarge intensity range demands for dedicated beam currentmonitors for precise, non-destructive beam intensitymeasurements in the synchrotrons, transport lines andstorage rings of the FAIR facility. This report describesGSI developments of purpose-built beam currentmonitors for the SIS100 synchrotron and high-energybeam transport lines (HEBT) of FAIR. Prototypemeasurements with a SQUID-based Cryogenic CurrentComparator and a resonant beam charge transformer arepresented, and possibilities for further upgrades arediscussed

Human behavior as origin of traffic phases

It is shown that the desire for smooth and comfortable driving is directly responsible for the occurrence of complex spatio-temporal structures (``synchronized traffic'') in highway traffic. This desire goes beyond the avoidance of accidents which so far has been the main focus of microscopic modeling and which is mainly responsible for the other two phases observed empirically, free flow and wide moving jams. These features have been incorporated into a microscopic model based on stochastic cellular automata and the results of computer simulations are compared with empirical data. The simple structure of the model allows for very fast implementations of realistic networks. The level of agreement with the empirical findings opens new perspectives for reliable traffic forecasts.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, colour figures with reduced resolutio

Pion form factor at spacelike momentum transfers from local-duality QCD sum rule

We study the pion form factor in a broad range of spacelike momentum transfers within the local-duality version of QCD sum rules. We make use of the recently calculated two-loop double spectral density of the $$ correlator including O(1) and $O(\alpha_s)$ terms, which allows us to give predictions for the pion form factor and to study the interplay between the nonperturbative and perturbative contributions to the pion form factor without any reference to the pion distribution amplitude. Our results demonstrate the dominance of the nonperturbative contribution to the form factor up to relatively large values of the momentum transfer: namely, the nonperturbative O(1) term, which provides the $1/Q^4$ power correction, gives more than half of the pion form factor in the region $Q^2 \le 20$ GeV$^2$.Comment: Revtex, 7 pages, references added, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Evolution of the Light Cone Distribution Function for a Heavy Quark

We compute the one-loop anomalous dimension for the light cone distribution function of a heavy quark and solve the corresponding evolution equation analytically. Some implications of the results for inclusive $B$ decays are discussed.Comment: Latex extensions amsmath, epsfig required The complete paper, including figures, is also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://ttpux2.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/ , or via www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/preprints

QCD Corrected 1/mb1/m_b Contributions to B\bbar--Mixixng

We calculate the QCD corrected effective Hamiltonian for B\bbar--Mixing in heavy quark effective theory including corrections of the order $\Lambda_{QCD} / m_b$. The matrix elements of the subleading operators are estimated using the vacuum insertion assumption. We show that the major part of the subleading corrections may be absorbed into the heavy meson decay constant $f_B$; the remaining corrections are only due to QCD effects and give an enhancement of $\Delta M$ of 5\%.Comment: 16 Pages, LaTeX, 3 figures in separate uuencoded Postscript file, Darmstadt report IKDA 92 / 3

Impact of salt and the osmoprotective transcription factor NFAT-5 on macrophages during mechanical strain

Myeloid cells regulate bone density in response to increased salt (NaCl) intake via the osmoprotective transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells-5 (NFAT-5). Because orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is a pseudoinflammatory immunological process, we investigated the influence of NaCl and NFAT-5 on the expression pattern of macrophages in a model of simulated OTM. RAW264.7 macrophages were exposed for 4 h to 2 ⁻²g cm compressive or 16% tensile or no mechanical strain (control), with or without the addition of 40 mM NaCl. We analyzed the expression of inflammatory genes and proteins [tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6 and prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-2 (Ptgs-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PG-E2)] by real-time-quantitative PCR and ELISA. To investigate the role of NFAT-5 in these responses, NFAT-5 was both constitutively expressed and silenced. Salt and compressive strain, but not tensile strain increased the expression of NFAT-5 and most tested inflammatory factors in macrophages. NaCl induced the expression of Ptgs-2/PG-E2 and TNF, whereas secretion of IL-6 was inhibited. Similarly, a constitutive expression of NFAT-5 reduced IL-6 expression, while increasing Ptgs-2/PG-E2 and TNF expression. Silencing of NFAT-5 upregulated IL-6 and reduced Ptgs-2/PG-E2 and TNF expression. Salt had an impact on the expression profile of macrophages as a reaction to compressive and tensile strain that occur during OTM. This was mediated via NFAT-5, which surprisingly also seems to play a regulatory role in mechanotransduction of compressive strain. Sodium accumulation in the periodontal ligament caused by dietary salt consumption might propagate local osteoclastogenesis via increased local inflammation and thus OTM velocity, but possibly also entail side effects such as dental root resorptions or periodontal bone loss

Neuraminidase-deficient Sendai virus HN mutants provide protection from homologous superinfection

Binding of hemagglutinin-neuraminidase proteins (HN) to sialylated receptors initiates the infection process of several paramyxoviruses, whereas later in the viral life cycle, the neuramindase (NA) activity of newly synthesized HN destroys all receptors. Prior to NA action, expressed HN has to bind the receptor. To evaluate this HN–receptor complex with respect to receptor inactivation, three temperature-sensitive Sendai virus HN mutants carrying amino acid exchanges at positions 262, 264 and/or 461 were created that uncoupled NA activity from receptor binding at 39°C. Interestingly, at elevated temperature, when there is no detectable neuramindase activity, all infected cells are protected against homologous superinfection. Mutated HN protein on the cell surface is mainly bound to sialylated cell-surface components but can be released by treatment with NA. Thus, continuous binding to HN already inactivates the receptors quantitatively. Furthermore, mutant HN bound to receptors is prevented from being incorporated into virus particles in the absence of NA. It is shown here for the first time that during paramyxoviral infection, quantitative receptor inactivation already occurs due to binding of receptors to expressed HN protein without involvement of NA and is independent of NA activity of viral progeny. NA subsequently functions in the release of HN from the complex, coupled with desialysation of receptors. These findings could have implications for further antiviral drug development