Energy-Loss Particle Identification in 2-D Silicon Drift Detectors

A relatively new type of transducer known as the Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) has been fabricated onto thin silicon wafers. SDD operates like a miniature, high-resolution, 2-D Time-projection chamber. One of these devices can detect two dimensions of an ionizing particle\u27s position, and its integrated electrical charge output level isproportional to the particle\u27s energy loss through the silicon. An array ofSDD\u27s, arranged in three coaxial cylinders, is being considered as part of an instrument surrounding the beam pipe of highly-relativistic colliding beam facility, where it would be used to simultaneously track individual paths of thousands of charged particles emerging from each primary collision. Energy-loss data from the (x,y) pixels of each track allow individual particle identification as an electron, pion, kaon or proton. CERN\u27s Monte Carlo modeling program, GEANT, is being used to predict energy loss at high statistical accuracy to account for high-energy tailing of the more prevalent pions. GEANT has been installed on a Linux workstation in Little Rock. Speeding up the modeling process is being investigated using parallel virtual memory techniques and groupings of Linux workstations

Drift Chamber Utilizing Microstrip Readout for Testing a New Micro TPC Concept

A drift chamber type radiation detector is being used to examine design criteria for a new type of detector called a micro Time Projection Chamber (micro TPC) which is being proposed for use in high energy nuclear physics experiments. The main advantage of the micro TPC detector is its very low radiation thickness compared to its silicon counterpart. The micro TPC is a charged-particle detector which willbe optimized for good two track resolution which is needed inahigh track density environment. Such performance requires low electron diffusion and high resolution readout. The diffusion willbe reduced bylimiting the drift distance to 15 cm and by using a low diffusion gas such as dimethyl ether. High resolution willbe obtained by using a new readout technology called microstrips. Microstrips are a recent development using photolithography techniques that allow the creation of anodes a few microns in width with submicron precision. The main purpose of this test chamber is to demonstrate the feasibility of a micro TPC design using a low diffusion gas and to insure the sufficient signal remains after electron attenuation. The driftchamber design and the proposed testingprocedures are described

Tuareg ethnoveterinary treatments of camel diseases in Agadez area (Niger)

peer reviewedFor generations, nomadic herders have been learning to manage herd health, particularly in dromedaries because of their great value. Owing to the unavailability of veterinary services, camel herders in remote areas have been developing their own pharmacopoeia and veterinary techniques. The bleeding of sick animals is a common treatment, as Tuareg herders believe that 'tainted blood' (izni) is the cause of many conditions. Several surgical techniques are also used, such as excision of calcified sublingual cord. The remedies mentioned in this survey are derived from Maerua crassifolia, Boscia senegalensis, Acacia raddiana, Cucumis prophetarum, Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis, Citrullus colocynthis, green tea, millet, tobacco and onions. Artificial elements are also used for treatment of animals: Powders collected from batteries, various haircare or skincare creams, crushed glass, insecticides or motor oil belong to their pharmacopoeia. This broadmindedness allows the introduction of modern veterinary medicine. Factors such as the lack of real production objectives constitute limits to this progress, however

Examining Neolithic Building and Activity Areas through Historic Cultural Heritage in Jordan: A Combined Ethnographic, Phytolith and Geochemical Investigation

The INEA project (Identifying activity areas in Neolithic sites through Ethnographic Analysis of phytoliths and geochemical residues, https://research.bournemouth. ac.uk/2014/07/inea-project-2/) develops and applies a method that combines the analysis of plant remains (silica phytoliths) and geochemical residues to inform on construction methods and the use of space in recently abandoned historical villages and Neolithic settlements. It is a collaborative project based at Bournemouth University, in partnership with the Council for British Research in the Levant

Disentangling the effect of farming practice and aridity on crop stable isotope values: a present-day model from Morocco and its application to early farming sites in the eastern Mediterranean

Agriculture has played a pivotal role in shaping landscapes, soils and vegetation. Developing a better understanding of early farming practices can contribute to wider questions regarding the long-term impact of farming and its nature in comparison with present-day traditional agrosystems. In this study we determine stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values of barley grains from a series of present-day traditionally managed farming plots in Morocco, capturing a range of annual rainfall and farming practices. This allows a framework to be developed to refine current isotopic approaches used to infer manuring intensity and crop water status in (semi-)arid regions. This method has been applied to charred crop remains from two early farming sites in the eastern Mediterranean: Abu Hureyra and ‘Ain Ghazal. In this way, our study enhances knowledge of agricultural practice in the past, adding to understanding of how people have shaped and adapted to their environment over thousands of years

Estimating population size, density and dynamics of Pre-Pottery Neolithic villages in the central and southern Levant: an analysis of Beidha, southern Jordan

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) of the central and southern Levant played an integral role in the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT) from mobile hunter-gatherer to village-based, agro-pastoralist societies. An understanding of population dynamics is essential for reconstructing the trajectories of these early village societies. However, few investigations have produced absolute estimates of population parameters for these villages and those which have base estimates on a limited methodological framework. This research examines the methodological and theoretical basis for existing estimates, and explores a range of methodologies in order to derive more empirically-robust demographic data. Results reveal that commonly utilized methodologies and population density coefficients employed for estimating PPN village populations require re-evaluation. This article presents the application of methodologies to the PPNB site of Beidha in southern Jordan

Carbon stable isotope analysis of cereal remains as a way to reconstruct water availability: preliminary results

Reconstructing past water availability, both as rainfall and irrigation, is important to answer questions about the way society reacts to climate and its changes and the role of irrigation in the development of social complexity. Carbon stable isotope analysis of archaeobotanical remains is a potentially valuable method for reconstructing water availability. To further define the relationship between water availability and plant carbon isotope composition and to set up baseline values for the Southern Levant, grains of experimentally grown barley and sorghum were studied. The cereal crops were grown at three stations under five different irrigation regimes in Jordan. Results indicate that a positive but weak relationship exists between irrigation regime and total water input of barley grains, but no relationship was found for sorghum. The relationship for barley is site-specific and inter-annual variation was present at Deir ‘Alla, but not at Ramtha and Khirbet as-Samra

Stable carbon Isotope evidence for neolithic and bronze age crop water management in the eastern mediterranean and southwest asia

In a large study on early crop water management, stable carbon isotope discrimination was determined for 275 charred grain samples from nine archaeological sites, dating primarily to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, from the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. This has revealed that wheat (Triticum spp.) was regularly grown in wetter conditions than barley (Hordeum sp.), indicating systematic preferential treatment of wheat that may reflect a cultural preference for wheat over barley. Isotopic analysis of pulse crops (Lens culinaris, Pisum sativum and Vicia ervilia) indicates cultivation in highly varied water conditions at some sites, possibly as a result of opportunistic watering practices. The results have also provided evidence for local land-use and changing agricultural practices

Ancient goat genomes reveal mosaic domestication in the Fertile Crescent.

Current genetic data are equivocal as to whether goat domestication occurred multiple times or was a singular process. We generated genomic data from 83 ancient goats (51 with genome-wide coverage) from Paleolithic to Medieval contexts throughout the Near East. Our findings demonstrate that multiple divergent ancient wild goat sources were domesticated in a dispersed process that resulted in genetically and geographically distinct Neolithic goat populations, echoing contemporaneous human divergence across the region. These early goat populations contributed differently to modern goats in Asia, Africa, and Europe. We also detect early selection for pigmentation, stature, reproduction, milking, and response to dietary change, providing 8000-year-old evidence for human agency in molding genome variation within a partner species

The 25Mg(p,g)Al reaction at low astrophysical energies

In the present work we report on a new measurement of resonance strengths in the reaction 25Mg(p,gamma)26Al at E_cm= 92 and 189 keV. This study was performed at the LUNA facility in the Gran Sasso underground laboratory using a 4pi BGO summing crystal. For the first time the 92 keV resonance was directly observed and a resonance strength omega-gamma=(2.9+/-0.6)x10E-10 eV was determined. Additionally, the gamma-ray branchings and strength of the 189 keV resonance were studied with a high resolution HPGe detector yielding an omega-gamma value in agreement with the BGO measurement, but 20% larger compared to previous works.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physics Letters