Validity of the scaling functional approach for polymer interfaces as a variational theory

We discuss the soundness of the scaling functional (SF) approach proposed by Aubouy Guiselin and Raphael (Macromolecules 29, 7261 (1996)) to describe polymeric interfaces. In particular, we demonstrate that this approach is a variational theory. We emphasis the role of SF theory as an important link between ground-state theories suitable to describe adsorbed layers, and "classical" theories for polymer brushes.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Correlation of Beam Electron and LED Signal Losses under Irradiation and Long-term Recovery of Lead Tungstate Crystals

Radiation damage in lead tungstate crystals reduces their transparency. The calibration that relates the amount of light detected in such crystals to incident energy of photons or electrons is of paramount importance to maintaining the energy resolution the detection system. We report on tests of lead tungstate crystals, read out by photomultiplier tubes, exposed to irradiation by monoenergetic electron or pion beams. The beam electrons themselves were used to measure the scintillation light output, and a blue light emitting diode (LED) was used to track variations of crystals transparency. We report on the correlation of the LED measurement with radiation damage by the beams and also show that it can accurately monitor the crystals recovery from such damage.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX2

Comparison of Radiation Damage in Lead Tungstate Crystals under Pion and Gamma Irradiation

Studies of the radiation hardness of lead tungstate crystals produced by the Bogoroditsk Techno-Chemical Plant in Russia and the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics in China have been carried out at IHEP, Protvino. The crystals were irradiated by a 40-GeV pion beam. After full recovery, the same crystals were irradiated using a $^{137}Cs$ $\gamma$-ray source. The dose rate profiles along the crystal length were observed to be quite similar. We compare the effects of the two types of radiation on the crystals light output.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, Latex 2e, 28.04.04 - minor grammatical change

Design and performance of LED calibration system prototype for the lead tungstate crystal calorimeter

A highly stable monitoring system based on blue and red light emitting diodes coupled to a distribution network comprised of optical fibers has been developed for an electromagnetic calorimeter that uses lead tungstate crystals readout with photomultiplier tubes. We report of the system prototype design and on the results of laboratory tests. Stability better than 0.1% (r.m.s.) has been achieved during one week of prototype operation.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX2

Elasticity of Semiflexible Biopolymer Networks

We develop a model for gels and entangled solutions of semiflexible biopolymers such as F-actin. Such networks play a crucial structural role in the cytoskeleton of cells. We show that the rheologic properties of these networks can result from nonclassical rubber elasticity. This model can explain a number of elastic properties of such networks {\em in vitro}, including the concentration dependence of the storage modulus and yield strain.Comment: Uses RevTeX, full postscript with figures available at http://www.umich.edu/~fcm/preprints/agel/agel.htm

Scale-free static and dynamical correlations in melts of monodisperse and Flory-distributed homopolymers: A review of recent bond-fluctuation model studies

It has been assumed until very recently that all long-range correlations are screened in three-dimensional melts of linear homopolymers on distances beyond the correlation length $\xi$ characterizing the decay of the density fluctuations. Summarizing simulation results obtained by means of a variant of the bond-fluctuation model with finite monomer excluded volume interactions and topology violating local and global Monte Carlo moves, we show that due to an interplay of the chain connectivity and the incompressibility constraint, both static and dynamical correlations arise on distances $r \gg \xi$. These correlations are scale-free and, surprisingly, do not depend explicitly on the compressibility of the solution. Both monodisperse and (essentially) Flory-distributed equilibrium polymers are considered.Comment: 60 pages, 49 figure

First study of radiation hardness of lead tungstate crystals at low temperatures

The electromagnetic calorimeter of PANDA at the FAIR facility will rely on an operation of lead tungstate (PWO) scintillation crystals at temperatures near -25 deg.C to provide sufficient resolution for photons in the energy range from 8 GeV down to 10 MeV. Radiation hardness of PWO crystals was studied at the IHEP (Protvino) irradiation facility in the temperature range from room temperature down to -25 deg.C. These studies have indicated a significantly different behaviour in the time evolution of the damaging processes well below room temperature. Different signal loss levels at the same dose rate, but at different temperatures were observed. The effect of a deep suppression of the crystal recovery process at temperatures below 0 deg.C has been seen.Comment: 10 pages 7 figure

Quantum and Classical Integrable Systems

The key concept discussed in these lectures is the relation between the Hamiltonians of a quantum integrable system and the Casimir elements in the underlying hidden symmetry algebra. (In typical applications the latter is either the universal enveloping algebra of an affine Lie algebra, or its q-deformation.) A similar relation also holds in the classical case. We discuss different guises of this very important relation and its implication for the description of the spectrum and the eigenfunctions of the quantum system. Parallels between the classical and the quantum cases are thoroughly discussed.Comment: 59 pages, LaTeX2.09 with AMS symbols. Lectures at the CIMPA Winter School on Nonlinear Systems, Pondicherry, January 199

Development of a Momentum Determined Electron Beam in the 1 -45 GeV Range

A beam line for electrons with energies in the range of 1 to 45 GeV, low contamination of hadrons and muons and high intensity up to 10^6 per accelerator spill at 27 GeV was setup at U70 accelerator in Protvino, Russia. A beam tagging system based on drift chambers with 160 micron resolution was able to measure relative electron beam momentum precisely. The resolution sigma_p p was 0.13% at 45 GeV where multiple scattering is negligible. This test beam setup provided the possibility to study properties of lead tungstate crystals (PbWO_4) for the BTeV experiment at Fermilab.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures; work done by the BTeV Electromagnetic Calorimeter grou