Ab initio no-core solutions for 6^6Li

We solve for properties of $^6$Li in the ab initio No-Core Full Configuration approach and we separately solve for its ground state and $J^{\pi}=2_{2}^{+}$ resonance with the Gamow Shell Model in the Berggren basis. We employ both the JISP16 and chiral NNLO$_{opt}$ realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions and investigate the ground state energy, excitation energies, point proton root-mean-square radius and a suite of electroweak observables. We also extend and test methods to extrapolate the ground state energy, point proton root-mean-square radius, and electric quadrupole moment. We attain improved estimates of these observables in the No-Core Full Configuration approach by using basis spaces up through N$_{max}$=18 that enable more definitive comparisons with experiment. Using the Density Matrix Renormalization Group approach with the JISP16 interaction, we find that we can significantly improve the convergence of the Gamow Shell Model treatment of the $^6$Li ground state and $J^{\pi}=2_{2}^{+}$ resonance by adopting a natural orbital single-particle basis.Comment: 25 pages, 18 figure

Holographic QCD beyond the leading order

We consider a holographic QCD model for light mesons beyond the leading order in the context of 5-dim gauged linear sigma model on the interval in the AdS$_5$ space. We include two dimension-6 operators in addition to the canonical bulk kinetic terms, and study chiral dynamics of $\pi$, $\rho$, $a_1$ and some of their KK modes. As novel features of dim-6 operators, we get non-vanishing Br$(a_1 \to \pi \gamma)$, the electromagnetic form factor and the charge radius of a charged pion, which improve the leading order results significantly and agree well with the experimental results.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables, accepted by JHE

Crystallization of the regulatory and effector domains of the key sporulation response regulator Spo0A

The key response-regulator gene of sporulation, spo0A, has been cloned from Bacillus stearothermophilus and the encoded protein purified. The DNA-binding and phospho-acceptor domains of Spo0A have been prepared by tryptic digestion of the intact protein and subsequently crystallized in forms suitable for X-ray crystallographic studies. The DNA-binding domain has been crystallized in two forms, one of which diffracts X-rays to beyond 2.5 Angstrom spacing. The crystals of the phospho-acceptor domain diffract X-rays beyond 2.0 Angstrom spacing using synchrotron radiation

Ab initio no core full configuration approach for light nuclei

Comprehensive understanding of the structure and reactions of light nuclei poses theoretical and computational challenges. Still, a number of ab initio approaches have been developed to calculate the properties of atomic nuclei using fundamental interactions among nucleons. Among them, we work with the ab initio no core full configuration (NCFC) method and ab initio no core Gamow Shell Model (GSM). We first review these approaches and present some recent results

Baryon Density and the Dilated Chiral Quark Model

We calculate perturbatively the effect of density on hadronic properties using the chiral quark model implemented by the QCD trace anomaly to see the possibility of constructing Lorentz invariant Lagrangian at finite density. We calculate the density dependent masses of the constituent quark, the scalar field and the pion in one-loop order using the technique of thermo field dynamics. In the chiral limit, the pion remains massless at finite density. It is found that the tadpole type corrections lead to the decreasing masses with increasing baryon density, while the radiative corrections induce Lorentz-symmetry-breaking terms. We found in the large $N_c$ limit with large scalar mass that the tadpoles dominate and the mean-field approximation is reliable, giving rise a Lorentz-invariant Lagrangian with masses decreasing as the baryon density increases.Comment: Late

Optimizing shaft pressure losses through computational fluid dynamics modelling

As a result of the rising electrical energy costs in South Africa, a method was sought to reduce the overall electrical consumption of typical shaft systems. A typical shaft configuration was analysed and the primary energy consumers were identified. The ventilation fans for this system were found to consume 15% of the total energy of the shaft system. It was calculated that more than 50% of this energy is consumed by the shaft itself, more specifically, by the pressure losses that occur in the shaft as the ventilation air passes through it. In order to ensure that the theory being used for the evaluation of these shaft systems is accurate, a total of five shafts were instrumented and the actual pressure losses over the shafts plotted against time. These shafts were then analysed from a theoretical perspective. Finally, in order to ensure a thorough understanding of the behaviour of the ventilation air in shaft systems, the systems were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. There were significant discrepancies between the theoretical analysis and the CFD simulation during the initial comparisons. This discrepancy lessened as the complexity of the CFD models increased, until when the complete shaft was modelled using the full bunton sets, the pipes, and the flanges, the difference between the theoretical evaluation and the CFD simulation was small. This result demonstrates that the theory is insufficient and that the interrelated effect of the buntons and fittings has not been fully appreciated by current theory. The final phase of the work presented here was to evaluate the costeffectiveness of using different bunton shapes and shaft configurations. It is shown that the increase in the pressure losses and therefore the direct operating costs of the shaft can vary by as much as 80%, depending on the bunton configuration chosen. The placement of the piping in the shaft can increase the pressure losses, and therefore the direct operating costs of the shaft, by as much as 12%, depending on the placement of the piping in the shaft; this effect includes the use of flanges. The use of fairings on a large cage can reduce the resistance that the cage offers to the ventilation flow by as much as 30%. This, however, does not translate into a direct saving because as the cage moves through the shaft, the overall effect is transitory. These savings can be significant when the items highlighted in this work are applied correctly.http://www.saimm.co.za/am201