1,431 research outputs found
Test of non-standard neutrino properties with the BOREXINO source experiments
We calculate the event rates induced by high-intensity radioactive sources of
nu_e (51Cr) and of anti-nu_e (90Sr), to be located near the BOREXINO detector.
Calculations are performed both in the standard case and assuming non-standard
properties of neutrinos, including flavor oscillations, neutrino
electromagnetic interactions, and deviations from the standard vector and axial
couplings in the nu_e-e interaction. It is shown that, in some cases, the
current limits on non-standard neutrino properties can be significantly
improved.Comment: 15 pages (RevTeX) + 4 figures (postscript) included with epsfig.sty.
Minor changes and corrections, 3 references added. Final version to be
published in Europ. Phys. Jour.
Aging under Shear: Structural Relaxation of a Non-Newtonian Fluid
The influence of an applied shear field on the dynamics of an aging colloidal
suspension has been investigated by the dynamic light scattering determination
of the density autocorrelation function. Though a stationary state is never
observed, the slow dynamics crosses between two different non-equilibrium
regimes as soon as the structural relaxation time approaches the inverse shear
rate. In the shear dominated regime (at high shear rate values) the structural
relaxation time is found to be strongly sensitive to shear rate while aging
proceeds at a very slow rate. The effect of shear on the detailed shape of the
density autocorrelation function is quantitatively described assuming that the
structural relaxation process arises from the heterogeneous superposition of
many relaxing units each one independently coupled to shear with a parallel
composition rule for timescales.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Colloidal attraction induced by a temperature gradient
Colloidal crystals are of extreme importance for applied research, such as
photonic crystals technology, and for fundamental studies in statistical
mechanics. Long range attractive interactions, such as capillary forces, can
drive the spontaneous assembly of such mesoscopic ordered structures. However
long range attractive forces are very rare in the colloidal realm. Here we
report a novel strong and long ranged attraction induced by a thermal gradient
in the presence of a wall. Switching on and off the thermal gradient we can
rapidly and reversibly form stable hexagonal 2D crystals. We show that the
observed attraction is hydrodynamic in nature and arises from thermal induced
slip flow on particle surfaces. We used optical tweezers to directly measure
the force law and compare it to an analytic prediction based on Stokes flow
driven by Marangoni forces.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Dietary grape pomace supplementation in dairy cows: Effect on nutritional quality of milk and its derived dairy products
Grape pomace (GP) is the main solid by-product of winemaking and represents a rich source of potent bioactive compounds which could display a wide range of beneficial effects in human health for their association with reduced risk of several chronic diseases. Several studies have proposed the use of GP as a macro-ingredient to obtain economically worthwhile animal feedstuffs naturally enriched by polyphenols and dietary fibers. Moreover, the research carried out in this field in the last two decades evidences the ability of GP to induce beneficial effects in cow milk and its derived dairy products. First of all, a general increase in concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was observed, and this could be considered the reflection of the high content of these compounds in the by-product. Furthermore, an improvement in the oxidative stability of dairy products was observed, presumably as a direct consequence of the high content of bioactive compounds in GP that are credited with high and well-characterized antioxidant functions. Last but not least, particularly in ripened cheeses, volatile compounds (VOCs) were identified, arising both from lipolytic and proteolytic processes and commonly associated with pleasant aromatic notes. In conclusion, the GP introduction in the diet of lactating cows made it possible to obtain dairy products characterized by improved nutritional properties and high health functionality. Furthermore, the presumable improvement of organoleptic properties seems to be effective in contributing to an increase in the consumer acceptability of the novel products. This review aims to evaluate the effect of the dietary GP supplementation on the quality of milk and dairy products deriving from lactating dairy cows
Geo-neutrinos
We review a new interdisciplinary field between Geology and Physics: the
study of the Earth's geo-neutrino flux. We describe competing models for the
composition of the Earth, present geological insights into the make up of the
continental and oceanic crust, those parts of the Earth that concentrate Th and
U, the heat producing elements, and provide details of the regional settings in
the continents and oceans where operating and planned detectors are sited.
Details are presented for the only two operating detectors that are capable of
measuring the Earth's geo-neutrinos flux: Borexino and KamLAND; results
achieved to date are presented, along with their impacts on geophysical and
geochemical models of the Earth. Finally, future planned experiments are
highlighted
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