Relating high-energy lepton-hadron, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions through geometric scaling

A characteristic feature of small-x lepton-proton data from HERA is geometric scaling -- the fact that over a wide range of x and Q^2 all data can be described by a single variable $Q^2/Q_{sat}^2(x)$, with all x-dependence encoded in the so-called saturation momentum $Q_{sat}(x)$. Here, we observe that the same scaling ansatz accounts for nuclear photoabsorption cross sections and favors the nuclear dependence $Q_{sat,A}^2\propto A^{\alpha}Q_{sat}^2$, $\alpha \simeq 4/9$. We then make the empirical finding that the same A-dependence accounts for the centrality evolution of the multiplicities measured in Au+Au collisions at RHIC. It also allows to parametrize the high-p_t particle suppression in d+Au collisions at forward rapidities. If these geometric scaling properties have a common dynamical origin, then this A-dependence of $Q_{sat,A}^2$ should emerge as a consequence of the underlying dynamical model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 postscript figure

Enhanced smectic a mesophase in mixtures of two terminally polar compounds

An enhanced smectic A phase has been observed in mixtures of two terminally polar compounds, viz, 5-(4-n butylphenyl)-2-(4-cyanophenyl)-pyrimidine (4 PCPP) and n-dodecyl-4-(4'-nitrobenzoyloxy) benzoate (12 NBOB). The former is a nematogen and the latter non-mesomorphic with a hidden smectic A-isotropic transition. The smectic A-nematic transition boundary shows a parabolic shape, but with an unusually large tilt angle between the axis of the parabola and the composition axis. Mixtures in some composition range exhibit the reentrant nematic phase. Xray diffraction studies indicate that the smectic phase is of the Ad type. Low frequency dielectric constants and dispersion measurements of εVerbar; are also reported

Nonlocal mixing of supercurrents in Josephson ballistic point contact

We study coherent current states in the mesoscopic superconducting weak link simultaneously subjected to the order parameter phase difference on the contact and to the tangential to the junction interface superfluid velocity in the banks. The Josephson current-phase relation controlled by the external transport current is obtained. At phase difference close to pi the nonlocal nature of the Josephson phase-dependent current results in the appearance of two vortexlike states in the vicinity of the contact.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures; to be published in Phys. Rev. B; e-mail: [email protected]

Progression of pulmonary hyperinflation and trapped gas associated with genetic and environmental factors in children with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Functional deterioration in cystic fibrosis (CF) may be reflected by increasing bronchial obstruction and, as recently shown, by ventilation inhomogeneities. This study investigated which physiological factors (airway obstruction, ventilation inhomogeneities, pulmonary hyperinflation, development of trapped gas) best express the decline in lung function, and what role specific CFTR genotypes and different types of bronchial infection may have upon this process. METHODS: Serial annual lung function tests, performed in 152 children (77 males; 75 females) with CF (age range: 6–18 y) provided data pertaining to functional residual capacity (FRC(pleth), FRC(MBNW)), volume of trapped gas (V(TG)), effective specific airway resistance (sR(eff)), lung clearance index (LCI), and forced expiratory indices (FVC, FEV(1), FEF(50)). RESULTS: All lung function parameters showed progression with age. Pulmonary hyperinflation (FRC(pleth )> 2SDS) was already present in 39% of patients at age 6–8 yrs, increasing to 67% at age 18 yrs. The proportion of patients with V(TG )> 2SDS increased from 15% to 54% during this period. Children with severe pulmonary hyperinflation and trapped gas at age 6–8 yrs showed the most pronounced disease progression over time. Age related tracking of lung function parameters commences early in life, and is significantly influenced by specific CFTR genotypes. The group with chronic P. aeruginosa infection demonstrated most rapid progression in all lung function parameters, whilst those with chronic S. aureus infection had the slowest rate of progression. LCI, measured as an index of ventilation inhomogeneities was the most sensitive discriminator between the 3 types of infection examined (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The relationships between lung function indices, CFTR genotypes and infective organisms observed in this study suggest that measurement of other lung function parameters, in addition to spirometry alone, may provide important information about disease progression in CF

Energy Dependence of the Cronin Effect from Non-Linear QCD Evolution

The non-linear evolution of dense partonic systems has been suggested as one of the novel physics mechanisms relevant to the dynamics of hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at collider energies. Here we study to what extent the description of Cronin enhancement in the framework of this non-linear evolution is consistent with the recent observation in 200 AGeV d--Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We solve the Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution equation numerically for several initial conditions encoding Cronin enhancement. We find that the properly normalized nuclear gluon distribution is suppressed at all momenta relative to that of a single nucleon. Calculating the resulting spectrum of produced gluons in p-A and A-A collisions, we establish that the nonlinear QCD evolution is unable to generate a Cronin type enhancement, and that it quickly erases any such enhancement which may be present at lower energies.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, 3 eps-figure

Jet Quenching via Jet Collimation

The ATLAS Collaboration recently reported strong modifications of dijet properties in heavy ion collisions. In this work, we discuss to what extent these first data constrain already the microscopic mechanism underlying jet quenching. Simple kinematic arguments lead us to identify a frequency collimation mechanism via which the medium efficiently trims away the soft components of the jet parton shower. Through this mechanism, the observed dijet asymmetry can be accomodated with values of $\hat{q}\, L$ that lie in the expected order of magnitude.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Dynamic mode locking in a driven colloidal system: experiments and theory

In this article we examine the dynamics of a colloidal particle driven by a modulated force over a sinusoidal optical potential energy landscape. Coupling between the competing frequencies of the modulated drive and that of particle motion over the periodic landscape leads to synchronisation of particle motion into discrete modes. This synchronisation manifests as steps in the average particle velocity, with mode locked steps covering a range of average driving velocities. The amplitude and frequency dependence of the steps are considered, and compared to results from analytic theory, Langevin dynamics simulations, and dynamic density functional theory. Furthermore, the critical driving velocity is studied, and simulation used to extend the range of conditions accessible in experiments alone. Finally, state diagrams from experiment, simulation, and theory are used to show the extent of the dynamically locked modes in two dimensions, as a function of both the amplitude and frequency of the modulated drive

Properties of the a1 Meson from Lattice QCD

We determine the mass and decay constant of the $a_1$ meson using Monte Carlo simulation of lattice QCD. We find $M_{a_1} = 1250 \pm 80$ MeV and $f_{a_1} = 0.30 \pm 0.03 ~({\rm GeV})^2$, in good agreement with experiment.Comment: 9 page uu-encoded compressed postscript file. version appearing in Phys. Rev. Lett. 74 (1995) 459

Defining Structure-Functional Selectivity Relationships (SFSR) for a Class of Non-Catechol Dopamine D1 Receptor Agonists

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are capable of downstream signaling through distinct noncanonical pathways such as β-arrestins in addition to the canonical G protein-dependent pathways. GPCR ligands that differentially activate the downstream signaling pathways are termed functionally selective or biased ligands. A class of novel non-catechol G protein-biased agonists of the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) was recently disclosed. We conducted the first comprehensive structure-functional selectivity relationship study measuring GS and β-arrestin2 recruitment activities focused on four regions of this scaffold, resulting in over 50 analogs with diverse functional selectivity profiles. Some compounds became potent full agonists of β-arrestin2 recruitment, while others displayed enhanced GS bias compared to the starting compound. Pharmacokinetic testing of an analog with an altered functional selectivity profile demonstrated excellent blood-brain barrier penetration. This study provides novel tools for studying ligand bias at D1R and paves the way for developing the next generation of biased D1R ligands. Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society

Theoretical Overview Quark Matter '04

The much wider transverse-momentum range accessible in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and at the LHC allows us to disentangle the dynamics of partonic equilibration from the dynamics of delayed hadronization. This provides a novel tool for testing the equilibration mechanisms underlying QCD thermodynamics. Here, I argue, on the basis of simple formation-time arguments, why this is so, and I review recent theoretical developments in this context.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, 3 eps figures, invited introductory talk at Quark Matter 2004, Oakland, January 11-17, 200