495 research outputs found
Polaron features of the one-dimensional Holstein Molecular Crystal Model
The polaron features of the one-dimensional Holstein Molecular Crystal Model
are investigated by improving a variational method introduced recently and
based on a linear superposition of Bloch states that describe large and small
polaron wave functions. The mean number of phonons, the polaron kinetic energy,
the electron-phonon local correlation function, and the ground state spectral
weight are calculated and discussed. A crossover regime between large and small
polaron for any value of the adiabatic parameter is found and a
polaron phase diagram is proposed.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
The Physics of turbulent and dynamically unstable Herbig-Haro jets
The overall properties of the Herbig-Haro objects such as centerline
velocity, transversal profile of velocity, flow of mass and energy are
explained adopting two models for the turbulent jet. The complex shapes of the
Herbig-Haro objects, such as the arc in HH34 can be explained introducing the
combination of different kinematic effects such as velocity behavior along the
main direction of the jet and the velocity of the star in the interstellar
medium. The behavior of the intensity or brightness of the line of emission is
explored in three different cases : transversal 1D cut, longitudinal 1D cut and
2D map. An analytical explanation for the enhancement in intensity or
brightness such as usually modeled by the bow shock is given by a careful
analysis of the geometrical properties of the torus.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics &
Spac
Forward K+ production in subthreshold pA collisions at 1.0 GeV
K+ meson production in pA (A = C, Cu, Au) collisions has been studied using
the ANKE spectrometer at an internal target position of the COSY-Juelich
accelerator. The complete momentum spectrum of kaons emitted at forward angles,
theta < 12 degrees, has been measured for a beam energy of T(p)=1.0 GeV, far
below the free NN threshold of 1.58 GeV. The spectrum does not follow a thermal
distribution at low kaon momenta and the larger momenta reflect a high degree
of collectivity in the target nucleus.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Improving interinstitutional and intertechnology consistency of pulmonary SBRT by dose prescription to the mean internal target volume dose.
Dose, fractionation, normalization and the dose profile inside the target volume vary substantially in pulmonary stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) between different institutions and SBRT technologies. Published planning studies have shown large variations of the mean dose in planning target volume (PTV) and gross tumor volume (GTV) or internal target volume (ITV) when dose prescription is performed to the PTV covering isodose. This planning study investigated whether dose prescription to the mean dose of the ITV improves consistency in pulmonary SBRT dose distributions.
This was a multi-institutional planning study by the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) working group Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Radiotherapy. CT images and structures of ITV, PTV and all relevant organs at risk (OAR) for two patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were distributed to all participating institutions. Each institute created a treatment plan with the technique commonly used in the institute for lung SBRT. The specified dose fractionation was 3âŻĂ 21.5âŻGy normalized to the mean ITV dose. Additional dose objectives for target volumes and OAR were provided.
In all, 52 plans from 25 institutions were included in this analysis: 8 robotic radiosurgery (RRS), 34 intensity-modulated (MOD), and 10 3D-conformal (3D) radiation therapy plans. The distribution of the mean dose in the PTV did not differ significantly between the two patients (median 56.9âŻGy vs 56.6âŻGy). There was only a small difference between the techniques, with RRS having the lowest mean PTV dose with a median of 55.9âŻGy followed by MOD plans with 56.7âŻGy and 3D plans with 57.4âŻGy having the highest. For the different organs at risk no significant difference between the techniques could be found.
This planning study pointed out that multiparameter dose prescription including normalization on the mean ITV dose in combination with detailed objectives for the PTV and ITV achieve consistent dose distributions for peripheral lung tumors in combination with an ITV concept between different delivery techniques and across institutions
Comparison of MRI and VQ-SPECT as a screening test for patients with suspected CTEPH: CHANGE-MRI study design and rationale
The diagnostic strategy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is composed of two components required for a diagnosis of CTEPH: the presence of chronic pulmonary embolism and an elevated pulmonary artery pressure. The current guidelines require that ventilationâperfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (VQ-SPECT) is used for the first step diagnosis of chronic pulmonary embolism. However, VQ-SPECT exposes patients to ionizing radiation in a radiation sensitive population. The prospective, multicenter, comparative phase III diagnostic trial CTEPH diagnosis Europe - MRI (CHANGE-MRI, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02791282) aims to demonstrate whether functional lung MRI can serve as an equal rights alternative to VQ-SPECT in a diagnostic strategy for patients with suspected CTEPH. Positive findings are verified with catheter pulmonary angiography or computed tomography pulmonary angiography (gold standard). For comparing the imaging methods, a co-primary endpoint is used. (i) the proportion of patients with positive MRI in the group of patients who have a positive SPECT and gold standard diagnosis for chronic pulmonary embolism and (ii) the proportion of patients with positive MRI in the group of patients with negative SPECT and gold standard. The CHANGE-MRI trial will also investigate the performance of functional lung MRI without i.v. contrast agent as an index test and identify cardiac, hemodynamic, and pulmonary MRI-derived parameters to estimate pulmonary artery pressures and predict 6â12 month survival. Ultimately, this study will provide the necessary evidence for the discussion about changes in the recommendations on the diagnostic approach to CTEPH
Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in âs = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector
A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fbâ1 of protonâproton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results
Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC
provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of
lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with
a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the
transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the
anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the
nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of
the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp.
Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in
the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies
smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating
nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and
transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of
inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous
measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables,
submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are
available at
http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02
Multicenter standardization of phase-resolved functional lung MRI in patients with suspected chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Background
Detection of pulmonary perfusion defects is the recommended approach for diagnosing chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). This is currently achieved in a clinical setting using scintigraphy. Phase-resolved functional lung (PREFUL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an alternative technique for evaluating regional ventilation and perfusion without the use of ionizing radiation or contrast media.
Purpose
To assess the feasibility and image quality of PREFUL-MRI in a multicenter setting in suspected CTEPH.
Study Type
This is a prospective cohort sub-study.
Population
Forty-five patients (64â±â16âyears old) with suspected CTEPH from nine study centers.
Field Strength/Sequence
1.5âT and 3âT/2D spoiled gradient echo/bSSFP/T2 HASTE/3D MR angiography (TWIST).
Assessment
Lung signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were compared between study centers with different MRI machines. The contrast between normally and poorly perfused lung areas was examined on PREFUL images. The perfusion defect percentage calculated using PREFUL-MRI (QDPPREFUL) was compared to QDP from the established dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI technique (QDPDCE). Furthermore, QDPPREFUL was compared between a patient subgroup with confirmed CTEPH or chronic thromboembolic disease (CTED) to other clinical subgroups.
Statistical Tests
t-Test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation. Significance level was 5%.
Results
Significant differences in lung SNR and CNR were present between study centers. However, PREFUL perfusion images showed a significant contrast between normally and poorly perfused lung areas (mean delta of normalized perfusion â4.2% SD 3.3) with no differences between study sites (ANOVA: Pâ=â0.065). QDPPREFUL was significantly correlated with QDPDCE (râ=â0.66), and was significantly higher in 18 patients with confirmed CTEPH or CTED (57.9â±â12.2%) compared to subgroups with other causes of PH or with excluded PH (in total 27 patients with meanâ±âSD QDPPREFULâ=â33.9â±â17.2%).
Data Conclusion
PREFUL-MRI could be considered as a non-invasive method for imaging regional lung perfusion in multicenter studies.
Level of Evidence
3
Technical Efficacy
Stage
Quasi-free photoproduction of eta-mesons off the deuteron
Precise data for quasi-free photoproduction of mesons off the deuteron
have been measured at the Bonn ELSA accelerator with the combined Crystal
Barrel/TAPS detector for incident photon energies up to 2.5 GeV. The
-mesons have been detected in coincidence with recoil protons and
neutrons. Possible nuclear effects like Fermi motion and re-scattering can be
studied via a comparison of the quasi-free reaction off the bound proton to
-production off the free proton. No significant effects beyond the
folding of the free cross section with the momentum distribution of the bound
protons have been found. These Fermi motion effects can be removed by an
analysis using the invariant mass of the -nucleon pairs reconstructed
from the final state four-momenta of the particles. The total cross section for
quasi-free -photoproduction off the neutron reveals even without
correction for Fermi motion a pronounced bump-like structure around 1 GeV of
incident photon energy, which is not observed for the proton. This structure is
even narrower in the invariant mass spectrum of the -neutron pairs.
Position and width of the peak in the invariant mass spectrum are MeV and FWHM MeV. The data are compared to the results
of different models.Comment: accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.
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