Energy calibration of large underwater detectors using stopping muons

We propose to use stopping cosmic-ray muons in the energy calibration of planned and deployed large underwater detectors. The method is based on the proportionality between the incident muon energy and the length of the muon path before it stops. Simultaneous measurements of the muon path and the amplitude of the signal from the photomultiplier tubes allow a relation between the energy deposited in the sensitive volume of the detector and the observed signal to be derived, and also provide a test of detector simulations. We describe the proposed method and present the results of simulations

Possible origins of macroscopic left-right asymmetry in organisms

I consider the microscopic mechanisms by which a particular left-right (L/R) asymmetry is generated at the organism level from the microscopic handedness of cytoskeletal molecules. In light of a fundamental symmetry principle, the typical pattern-formation mechanisms of diffusion plus regulation cannot implement the "right-hand rule"; at the microscopic level, the cell's cytoskeleton of chiral filaments seems always to be involved, usually in collective states driven by polymerization forces or molecular motors. It seems particularly easy for handedness to emerge in a shear or rotation in the background of an effectively two-dimensional system, such as the cell membrane or a layer of cells, as this requires no pre-existing axis apart from the layer normal. I detail a scenario involving actin/myosin layers in snails and in C. elegans, and also one about the microtubule layer in plant cells. I also survey the other examples that I am aware of, such as the emergence of handedness such as the emergence of handedness in neurons, in eukaryote cell motility, and in non-flagellated bacteria.Comment: 42 pages, 6 figures, resubmitted to J. Stat. Phys. special issue. Major rewrite, rearranged sections/subsections, new Fig 3 + 6, new physics in Sec 2.4 and 3.4.1, added Sec 5 and subsections of Sec

The ANTARES Optical Beacon System

ANTARES is a neutrino telescope being deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of a three dimensional array of photomultiplier tubes that can detect the Cherenkov light induced by charged particles produced in the interactions of neutrinos with the surrounding medium. High angular resolution can be achieved, in particular when a muon is produced, provided that the Cherenkov photons are detected with sufficient timing precision. Considerations of the intrinsic time uncertainties stemming from the transit time spread in the photomultiplier tubes and the mechanism of transmission of light in sea water lead to the conclusion that a relative time accuracy of the order of 0.5 ns is desirable. Accordingly, different time calibration systems have been developed for the ANTARES telescope. In this article, a system based on Optical Beacons, a set of external and well-controlled pulsed light sources located throughout the detector, is described. This calibration system takes into account the optical properties of sea water, which is used as the detection volume of the ANTARES telescope. The design, tests, construction and first results of the two types of beacons, LED and laser-based, are presented.Comment: 21 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth. Phys. Res.

Measurement of νˉμ\bar{\nu}_{\mu} and νμ\nu_{\mu} charged current inclusive cross sections and their ratio with the T2K off-axis near detector

We report a measurement of cross section $\sigma(\nu_{\mu}+{\rm nucleus}\rightarrow\mu^{-}+X)$ and the first measurements of the cross section $\sigma(\bar{\nu}_{\mu}+{\rm nucleus}\rightarrow\mu^{+}+X)$ and their ratio $R(\frac{\sigma(\bar \nu)}{\sigma(\nu)})$ at (anti-)neutrino energies below 1.5 GeV. We determine the single momentum bin cross section measurements, averaged over the T2K $\bar{\nu}/\nu$-flux, for the detector target material (mainly Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen and Copper) with phase space restricted laboratory frame kinematics of $\theta_{\mu}$500 MeV/c. The results are $\sigma(\bar{\nu})=\left( 0.900\pm0.029{\rm (stat.)}\pm0.088{\rm (syst.)}\right)\times10^{-39}$ and $\sigma(\nu)=\left( 2.41\ \pm0.022{\rm{(stat.)}}\pm0.231{\rm (syst.)}\ \right)\times10^{-39}$in units of cm$^{2}$/nucleon and$R\left(\frac{\sigma(\bar{\nu})}{\sigma(\nu)}\right)= 0.373\pm0.012{\rm (stat.)}\pm0.015{\rm (syst.)}$.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

Search for supersymmetry with a dominant R-parity violating LQDbar couplings in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130GeV to 172 GeV

A search for pair-production of supersymmetric particles under the assumption that R-parity is violated via a dominant LQDbar coupling has been performed using the data collected by ALEPH at centre-of-mass energies of 130-172 GeV. The observed candidate events in the data are in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. This result is translated into lower limits on the masses of charginos, neutralinos, sleptons, sneutrinos and squarks. For instance, for m_0=500 GeV/c^2 and tan(beta)=sqrt(2) charginos with masses smaller than 81 GeV/c^2 and neutralinos with masses smaller than 29 GeV/c^2 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for any generation structure of the LQDbar coupling.Comment: 32 pages, 30 figure

Insulin, IGF-I, and lactoferrin concentrations and yields and their associations with other components within colostrum, transition, and whole milk of primiparous and multiparous Holstein cattle

The primary objective of the study was to characterize concentrations and yields of lactoferrin (LF), insulin, and IGF-I in colostrum, transition milk (TM), and whole milk (WM) of multiparous (MP) and primiparous (PP) cows. A secondary objective was to determine associations between colostrum and TM components (fat, protein, lactose), IgG, and bioactive compounds (oligosaccharides, LF, insulin, IGF-I; defined as compounds present in micro quantities that stimulate physiological responses systemically or locally within the neonate). Holstein cows (10 MP and 10 PP) were assigned to the study at calving and colostrum was collected 5.3 ± 0.7 h (mean ± SE) after calving, followed by twice daily sampling of milkings 2–5 (TM) and milking 12 (WM). Colostrum, TM, and WM samples were analyzed by commercial ELISA to determine concentrations of LF, insulin, and IGF-I. Concentrations of insulin, IGF-I, and LF were greatest in colostrum compared with all other milkings. Similarly, IGF-I and LF yields were greatest in colostrum, whereas insulin yield was greatest in colostrum and milking 2 compared with milking 4, 5, and 12. Primiparous cows had greater insulin and lower LF concentrations in colostrum compared with MP cows. Additionally, lower LF concentrations in PP cows persisted through milkings 2 and 3. The majority of associations between components and bioactive compounds in colostrum were positive; however, correlations were different between PP and MP cows. Specifically, there were a greater number of strong (ρ > 0.80) correlations between components and IgG in PP cows. In contrast, MP cows demonstrated a greater number of strong correlations among bioactive compounds. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to characterize the yields of IGF-I, LF, and insulin during the colostral (collection within 6 h) and TM period in both MP and PP cows. The study findings indicate that parity influences the levels of LF and insulin, but not IGF-I. Our study also uniquely demonstrates associations between early lactation components and bioactive compounds, which are not consistent among parities.This work was supported by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC, Ottawa, Canada), the Saskatoon Colostrum Co. Ltd. (Saskatoon, SK, Canada), Elanco Animal Health (Mississauga, ON, Canada), and Land O’Lakes Milk Products (Arden Hills, MN).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Measurement of coherent pi(+) production in low energy neutrino-carbon scattering

We report the first measurement of the flux-averaged cross section for charged current coherent π + production on carbon for neutrino energies less than 1.5 GeV, and with a restriction on the final state phase space volume in the T2K near detector, ND280. Comparisons are made with predictions from the Rein-Sehgal coherent production model and the model by Alvarez-Ruso et al., the latter representing the first implementation of an instance of the new class of microscopic coherent models in a neutrino interaction Monte Carlo event generator. We observe a clear event excess above background, disagreeing with the null results reported by K2K and SciBooNE in a similar neutrino energy region. The measured flux-averaged cross sections are below those predicted by both the Rein-Sehgal and Alvarez-Ruso et al. models