Neutrino-less Double Electron Capture - a tool to research for Majorana neutrinos

The possibility to observe the neutrino-less double $\beta$ decay and thus to prove the Majorana nature of neutrino as well as provide a sensitive measure of its mass is a major challenge of to-day's neutrino physics. As an attractive alternative we propose to study the inverse process, the radiative neutrino-less double electron capture $0 \nu 2EC$. The associated monoenergetic photon provides a convenient experimental signature. Other advantages include the favourable ratio of the $0 \nu 2EC$ to the competing $2\nu 2EC$ capture rates and, very importantly, the existence of coincidence trigger to suppress the random background. These advantages partly offset the expected longer lifetimes. Rates for the $0\gamma 2EC$ process are calculated. High Z atoms are strongly favoured. A resonance enhancement of the capture rates is predicted at energy release comparable to the $2P-1S$ atomic level difference. The resonance conditions are likely to be met for decays to excited states in final nuclei. Candidates for such studies are considered. The experimental feasibility is estimated and found highly encouraging.Comment: New figure added, table updated, physical background discusse

Search for β+\beta^+EC and ECEC processes in 74^{74}Se

For the first time, limits on double-beta processes in $^{74}$Se have been obtained using a 400 cm$^3$ HPGe detector and an external source consisting of natural selenium powder. At a confidence level of 90%, they are $1.9\times 10^{18}$ y for the $\beta^+$EC$(0\nu + 2\nu)$ transition to the ground state, $7.7\times 10^{18}$ y for the ECEC($2\nu$) transition to the $2^+_1$ excited state in $^{74}$Ge (595.8 keV), $1.1\times 10^{19}$ y for the ECEC($0\nu$) transition to the $2^+_1$ excited state in $^{74}$Ge (595.8 keV) and $5.5\times 10^{18}$ y for the ECEC($2\nu$) and ECEC($0\nu$) transitions to the $2^+_2$ excited state in $^{74}$Ge (1204.2 keV). The last transition is discussed in association with a possible enhancement of the decay rate, in this case by several orders of magnitude, because the ECEC$(0\nu)$ process is nearly degenerate with an excited state in the daughter nuclide. Prospects for investigating such processes in future experiments are discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures; presented at the 2-nd Symposium on "Neutrino and Dark Matter in Nuclear Physics" (Paris, September 3-9, 2006); v3: minor change

Sestrins are evolutionarily conserved mediators of exercise benefits.

Exercise is among the most effective interventions for age-associated mobility decline and metabolic dysregulation. Although long-term endurance exercise promotes insulin sensitivity and expands respiratory capacity, genetic components and pathways mediating the metabolic benefits of exercise have remained elusive. Here, we show that Sestrins, a family of evolutionarily conserved exercise-inducible proteins, are critical mediators of exercise benefits. In both fly and mouse models, genetic ablation of Sestrins prevents organisms from acquiring metabolic benefits of exercise and improving their endurance through training. Conversely, Sestrin upregulation mimics both molecular and physiological effects of exercise, suggesting that it could be a major effector of exercise metabolism. Among the various targets modulated by Sestrin in response to exercise, AKT and PGC1α are critical for the Sestrin effects in extending endurance. These results indicate that Sestrin is a key integrating factor that drives the benefits of chronic exercise to metabolism and physical endurance

LES NOYAUX DE TRANSITION 189Ir ET 187Ir SONT-ILS TRIAXIAUX ?

Les niveaux excités des noyaux 189Ir et 187Ir ont été étudiés par réaction (α, 2nγ) sur le faisceau du cyclotron de Grenoble. Les schémas détaillés qui ont été établis mettent en évidence : 1) des états de parité positive qui s'interprètent comme appartenant aux deux bandes 3/2+ | 402 | (fondamental) et 1/2+ | 400 | mélangées par interaction de Coriolis (noyaux a symétrie axiale de déformation positive) ; 2) une bande découplée construite sur un état 9/2- (h 9/2) décrite de manière équivalente par un modèle à symétrie axiale et déformation positive ou par un modèle a particule-plus-rotor asymétrique ; 3) une structure complexe pour les niveaux de parité négative associés à l'isomère 11/2- (h 11/2). Ce système est correctement prédit par le modèle à rotor asymétrique

Search for β+\beta^+EC and ECEC processes in 112^{112}Sn and β−β−\beta^-\beta^- decay of 124^{124}Sn to the excited states of 124^{124}Te

Limits on $\beta^+$EC and ECEC processes in $^{112}$Sn and on $\beta^-\beta^-$ decay of $^{124}$Sn to the excited states of $^{124}$Te have been obtained using a 380 cm$^3$ HPGe detector and an external source consisting of natural tin. A limit with 90% C.L. on the $^{112}$Sn half-life of $0.92\times 10^{20}$ y for the ECEC(0$\nu$) transition to the $0^+_3$ excited state in $^{112}$Cd (1871.0 keV) has been established. This transition is discussed in the context of a possible enhancement of the decay rate by several orders of magnitude given that the ECEC$(0\nu)$ process is nearly degenerate with an excited state in the daughter nuclide. Prospects for investigating such a process in future experiments are discussed. The $\beta^-\beta^-$ decay limits for $^{124}$Sn to the excited states of $^{124}$Te were obtained on the level of $(0.8-1.2)\times 10^{21}$ y at the 90% C.L.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Required but disguised: Environmental signals in limestone-marl alternations

The nature of rhythmic carbonate-rich successions such as limestone^marl alternations has been, and still is, subject to controversy. The possibility of an entirely diagenetic origin for the rhythmic calcareous alternations is discarded by most authors. One problem with an entirely diagenetic, self-organized development of limestone^marl alternations is the fact that limestone and marl beds in many examples are laterally continuous over hundreds of meters or even kilometers. In an entirely self-organized system, lateral coupling would be very limited; thus one would expect that, rather than laterally continuous beds, randomly distributed elongate nodules would form. We address the origin of limestone^marl alternations using a computer model that simulates differential diagenesis of rhythmic calcareous successions. The setup uses a cellular automaton model to test whether laterally extensive, rhythmic calcareous alternations could develop from homogeneous sediments in a process of self-organization. Our model is a strong simplification of early diagenesis in fine-grained, partly calcareous sediments. It includes the relevant key mechanisms to the question whether an external trigger is required in order to obtain laterally extensive limestone^ marl alternations. Our model shows that diagenetic self-organization alone is not sufficient to produce laterally extensive, correlatable beds. Although an external control on bedding formation could be considered to have solved the problem as commonly assumed, we here suggest an interesting third possibility: the rhythmic alternations were formed through the interaction of both an external trigger and diagenetic self-organization. In particular we observe that a very limited external trigger, either in time or amplitude, readily forms correlatable beds in our otherwise diagenetic model. Remarkably, the resulting rhythmites often do not mirror the external trigger in a one-to-one fashion and may differ in phase, frequency and number of couplets. Therefore, the interpretation of calcareous rhythmites as a one-to-one archive of climate fluctuations may be misleading. Parameters independent of diagenetic alteration should be considered for unequivocal interpretation

Recent advances in neutrinoless double beta decay search

Even after the discovery of neutrino flavour oscillations, based on data from atmospheric, solar, reactor, and accelerator experiments, many characteristics of the neutrino remain unknown. Only the neutrino square-mass differences and the mixing angle values have been estimated, while the value of each mass eigenstate still hasn't. Its nature (massive Majorana or Dirac particle) is still escaping. Neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu$-DBD) experimental discovery could be the ultimate answer to some delicate questions of elementary particle and nuclear physics. The Majorana description of neutrinos allows the $0\nu$-DBD process, and consequently either a mass value could be measured or the existence of physics beyond the standard should be confirmed without any doubt. As expected, the $0\nu$-DBD measurement is a very difficult field of application for experimentalists. In this paper, after a short summary of the latest results in neutrino physics, the experimental status, the R&D projects, and perspectives in $0\nu$-DBD sector are reviewed.Comment: 36 pages, 7 figures, To be publish in Czech Journal of Physic

Double Beta Decay

We review recent developments in double-beta decay, focusing on what can be learned about the three light neutrinos in future experiments. We examine the effects of uncertainties in already measured neutrino parameters and in calculated nuclear matrix elements on the interpretation of upcoming double-beta decay measurements. We then review a number of proposed experiments.Comment: Some typos corrected, references corrected and added. A less blurry version of figure 3 is available from authors. 41 pages, 5 figures, submitted to J. Phys.

Compound and precompound γ-ray entry lines from measured multiplicities and energies in α-induced reactions

Multiplicities of quasi-continuum γ-rays have been measured for the 160Gd(α, xnγ) reactions as a function of bombarding energy and for the 4n exit channel also as a function of γ-ray energy. Increase of beam energy causes initially an increase of the energy and angular momentum of the entry line in the residual nucleus until the neutron “drip line” is reached. This can be understood in terms of competing compound and precompound processes