Asymmetric dark matter from spontaneous cogenesis in the supersymmetric standard model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamada, Kohei [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Yamaguchi, Masahide [Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan). Dept. of Physics

2012-01-15

The observational relation between the density of baryon and dark matter in the Universe, {omega}{sub DM}/{omega}{sub B}{approx_equal}5, is one of the most difficult problems to solve in modern cosmology. We discuss a scenario that explains this relation by combining the asymmetric dark matter scenario and the spontaneous baryogenesis associated with the flat direction in the supersymmetric standard model. A part of baryon asymmetry is transferred to charge asymmetry D that dark matter carries, if a symmetry violating interaction that works at high temperature breaks not only B-L but also D symmetries simultaneously. In this case, the present number density of baryon and dark matter can be same order if the symmetric part of dark matter annihilates sufficiently. Moreover, the baryon number density can be enhanced as compared to that of dark matter if another B-L violating interaction is still in thermal equilibrium after the spontaneous genesis of dark matter, which accommodates a TeV scale asymmetric dark matter model. (orig.)

Asymmetric dark matter and baryogenesis from pseudoscalar inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cado, Yann; Sabancilar, Eray, E-mail: yann.cado@epfl.ch, E-mail: eray.sabancilar@epfl.ch [Laboratory of Particle Physics and Cosmology, Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2017-04-01

We show that both the baryon asymmetry of the Universe and the dark matter abundance can be explained within a single framework that makes use of maximally helical hypermagnetic fields produced during pseudoscalar inflation and the chiral anomaly in the Standard Model. We consider a minimal asymmetric dark matter model free from anomalies and constraints. We find that the observed baryon and the dark matter abundances are achieved for a wide range of inflationary parameters, and the dark matter mass ranges between 7–15 GeV . The novelty of our mechanism stems from the fact that the same source of CP violation occurring during inflation explains both baryonic and dark matter in the Universe with two inflationary parameters, hence addressing all the initial condition problems in an economical way.

Asymmetric dark matter, baryon asymmetry and lepton number violation

OpenAIRE

Frandsen, Mads T.; Hagedorn, Claudia; Huang, Wei-Chih; Molinaro, Emiliano; Päs, Heinrich

2018-01-01

We study the effect of lepton number violation (LNV) on baryon asymmetry, generated in the early Universe, in the presence of a dark sector with a global symmetry U(1)X , featuring asymmetric dark matter (ADM). We show that in general LNV, observable at the LHC or in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, cannot wash out a baryon asymmetry generated at higher scales, unlike in scenarios without such dark sector. An observation of LNV at the TeV scale may thus support ADM scenarios. Consi...

Exploring the mirror matter interpretation of the DAMA experiment: Has the dark matter problem been solved?

OpenAIRE

Foot, R.

2004-01-01

The self consistency between the impressive DAMA annual modulation signal and the differential energy spectrum is an important test for dark matter candidates.Mirror matter-type dark matter passes this test while other dark matter candidates, including standard (spin-independent) WIMPs and mini-electric charged particle dark matter, do not do so well.We argue that the unique properties of mirror matter-type dark matter seem to be just those required to fully explain the data, suggesting that ...

Chilly dark sectors and asymmetric reheating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adshead, Peter; Cui, Yanou; Shelton, Jessie

2016-01-01

In a broad class of theories, the relic abundance of dark matter is determined by interactions internal to a thermalized dark sector, with no direct involvement of the Standard Model (SM). We point out that these theories raise an immediate cosmological question: how was the dark sector initially populated in the early universe? Motivated in part by the difficulty of accommodating large amounts of entropy carried in dark radiation with cosmic microwave background measurements of the effective number of relativistic species at recombination, N eff , we aim to establish which admissible cosmological histories can populate a thermal dark sector that never reaches thermal equilibrium with the SM. The minimal cosmological origin for such a dark sector is asymmetric reheating, when the same mechanism that populates the SM in the early universe also populates the dark sector at a lower temperature. Here we demonstrate that the resulting inevitable inflaton-mediated scattering between the dark sector and the SM can wash out a would-be temperature asymmetry, and establish the regions of parameter space where temperature asymmetries can be generated in minimal reheating scenarios. Thus obtaining a temperature asymmetry of a given size either restricts possible inflaton masses and couplings or necessitates a non-minimal cosmology for one or both sectors. As a side benefit, we develop techniques for evaluating collision terms in the relativistic Boltzmann equation when the full dependence on Bose-Einstein or Fermi-Dirac phase space distributions must be retained, and present several new results on relativistic thermal averages in an appendix.

Chilly dark sectors and asymmetric reheating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adshead, Peter [Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Cui, Yanou [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics, University of Maryland,College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Shelton, Jessie [Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

2016-06-06

In a broad class of theories, the relic abundance of dark matter is determined by interactions internal to a thermalized dark sector, with no direct involvement of the Standard Model (SM). We point out that these theories raise an immediate cosmological question: how was the dark sector initially populated in the early universe? Motivated in part by the difficulty of accommodating large amounts of entropy carried in dark radiation with cosmic microwave background measurements of the effective number of relativistic species at recombination, N{sub eff}, we aim to establish which admissible cosmological histories can populate a thermal dark sector that never reaches thermal equilibrium with the SM. The minimal cosmological origin for such a dark sector is asymmetric reheating, when the same mechanism that populates the SM in the early universe also populates the dark sector at a lower temperature. Here we demonstrate that the resulting inevitable inflaton-mediated scattering between the dark sector and the SM can wash out a would-be temperature asymmetry, and establish the regions of parameter space where temperature asymmetries can be generated in minimal reheating scenarios. Thus obtaining a temperature asymmetry of a given size either restricts possible inflaton masses and couplings or necessitates a non-minimal cosmology for one or both sectors. As a side benefit, we develop techniques for evaluating collision terms in the relativistic Boltzmann equation when the full dependence on Bose-Einstein or Fermi-Dirac phase space distributions must be retained, and present several new results on relativistic thermal averages in an appendix.

Chilly dark sectors and asymmetric reheating

Science.gov (United States)

Adshead, Peter; Cui, Yanou; Shelton, Jessie

2016-06-01

In a broad class of theories, the relic abundance of dark matter is determined by interactions internal to a thermalized dark sector, with no direct involvement of the Standard Model (SM). We point out that these theories raise an immediate cosmological question: how was the dark sector initially populated in the early universe? Motivated in part by the difficulty of accommodating large amounts of entropy carried in dark radiation with cosmic microwave background measurements of the effective number of relativistic species at recombination, N eff , we aim to establish which admissible cosmological histories can populate a thermal dark sector that never reaches thermal equilibrium with the SM. The minimal cosmological origin for such a dark sector is asymmetric reheating, when the same mechanism that populates the SM in the early universe also populates the dark sector at a lower temperature. Here we demonstrate that the resulting inevitable inflaton-mediated scattering between the dark sector and the SM can wash out a would-be temperature asymmetry, and establish the regions of parameter space where temperature asymmetries can be generated in minimal reheating scenarios. Thus obtaining a temperature asymmetry of a given size either restricts possible inflaton masses and couplings or necessitates a non-minimal cosmology for one or both sectors. As a side benefit, we develop techniques for evaluating collision terms in the relativistic Boltzmann equation when the full dependence on Bose-Einstein or Fermi-Dirac phase space distributions must be retained, and present several new results on relativistic thermal averages in an appendix.

Twin Higgs Asymmetric Dark Matter.

Science.gov (United States)

García García, Isabel; Lasenby, Robert; March-Russell, John

2015-09-18

We study asymmetric dark matter (ADM) in the context of the minimal (fraternal) twin Higgs solution to the little hierarchy problem, with a twin sector with gauged SU(3)^{'}×SU(2)^{'}, a twin Higgs doublet, and only third-generation twin fermions. Naturalness requires the QCD^{'} scale Λ_{QCD}^{'}≃0.5-20  GeV, and that t^{'} is heavy. We focus on the light b^{'} quark regime, m_{b^{'}}≲Λ_{QCD}^{'}, where QCD^{'} is characterized by a single scale Λ_{QCD}^{'} with no light pions. A twin baryon number asymmetry leads to a successful dark matter (DM) candidate: the spin-3/2 twin baryon, Δ^{'}∼b^{'}b^{'}b^{'}, with a dynamically determined mass (∼5Λ_{QCD}^{'}) in the preferred range for the DM-to-baryon ratio Ω_{DM}/Ω_{baryon}≃5. Gauging the U(1)^{'} group leads to twin atoms (Δ^{'}-τ^{'}[over ¯] bound states) that are successful ADM candidates in significant regions of parameter space, sometimes with observable changes to DM halo properties. Direct detection signatures satisfy current bounds, at times modified by dark form factors.

Asymmetric Dark Matter Models and the LHC Diphoton Excess

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Mads T.; Shoemaker, Ian M.

2016-01-01

The existence of dark matter (DM) and the origin of the baryon asymmetry are persistent indications that the SM is incomplete. More recently, the ATLAS and CMS experiments have observed an excess of diphoton events with invariant mass of about 750 GeV. One interpretation of this excess is decays...... have for models of asymmetric DM that attempt to account for the similarity of the dark and visible matter abundances....

Hidden photon dark matter search with large metallic mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doebrich, Babette; Lindner, Axel; Daumiller, Kai; Engel, Ralph; Roth, Markus; Kowalski, Marek

2014-10-01

If Dark Matter is composed of hidden-sector photons that kinetically mix with photons of the visible sector, then Dark Matter has a tiny oscillating electric field component. Its presence would lead to a small amount of visible radiation being emitted from a conducting surface, with the photon frequency given approximately by the mass of the hidden photon. Here, we report on experimental efforts that have started recently to search for such hidden photon Dark Matter in the (sub-)eV regime with a prototype mirror for the Auger fluorescence detector at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology.

Asymmetric capture of Dirac dark matter by the Sun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blennow, Mattias; Clementz, Stefan

2015-01-01

Current problems with the solar model may be alleviated if a significant amount of dark matter from the galactic halo is captured in the Sun. We discuss the capture process in the case where the dark matter is a Dirac fermion and the background halo consists of equal amounts of dark matter and anti-dark matter. By considering the case where dark matter and anti-dark matter have different cross sections on solar nuclei as well as the case where the capture process is considered to be a Poisson process, we find that a significant asymmetry between the captured dark particles and anti-particles is possible even for an annihilation cross section in the range expected for thermal relic dark matter. Since the captured number of particles are competitive with asymmetric dark matter models in a large range of parameter space, one may expect solar physics to be altered by the capture of Dirac dark matter. It is thus possible that solutions to the solar composition problem may be searched for in these type of models

Asymmetric capture of Dirac dark matter by the Sun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blennow, Mattias; Clementz, Stefan [Department of Theoretical Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Albanova University Center,106 91, Stockholm (Sweden)

2015-08-18

Current problems with the solar model may be alleviated if a significant amount of dark matter from the galactic halo is captured in the Sun. We discuss the capture process in the case where the dark matter is a Dirac fermion and the background halo consists of equal amounts of dark matter and anti-dark matter. By considering the case where dark matter and anti-dark matter have different cross sections on solar nuclei as well as the case where the capture process is considered to be a Poisson process, we find that a significant asymmetry between the captured dark particles and anti-particles is possible even for an annihilation cross section in the range expected for thermal relic dark matter. Since the captured number of particles are competitive with asymmetric dark matter models in a large range of parameter space, one may expect solar physics to be altered by the capture of Dirac dark matter. It is thus possible that solutions to the solar composition problem may be searched for in these type of models.

Asymmetric capture of Dirac dark matter by the Sun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blennow, Mattias; Clementz, Stefan, E-mail: emb@kth.se, E-mail: scl@kth.se [Department of Theoretical Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Albanova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm (Sweden)

2015-08-01

Current problems with the solar model may be alleviated if a significant amount of dark matter from the galactic halo is captured in the Sun. We discuss the capture process in the case where the dark matter is a Dirac fermion and the background halo consists of equal amounts of dark matter and anti-dark matter. By considering the case where dark matter and anti-dark matter have different cross sections on solar nuclei as well as the case where the capture process is considered to be a Poisson process, we find that a significant asymmetry between the captured dark particles and anti-particles is possible even for an annihilation cross section in the range expected for thermal relic dark matter. Since the captured number of particles are competitive with asymmetric dark matter models in a large range of parameter space, one may expect solar physics to be altered by the capture of Dirac dark matter. It is thus possible that solutions to the solar composition problem may be searched for in these type of models.

Self-interacting asymmetric dark matter coupled to a light massive dark photon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petraki, Kalliopi; Pearce, Lauren; Kusenko, Alexander

2014-01-01

Dark matter (DM) with sizeable self-interactions mediated by a light species offers a compelling explanation of the observed galactic substructure; furthermore, the direct coupling between DM and a light particle contributes to the DM annihilation in the early universe. If the DM abundance is due to a dark particle-antiparticle asymmetry, the DM annihilation cross-section can be arbitrarily large, and the coupling of DM to the light species can be significant. We consider the case of asymmetric DM interacting via a light (but not necessarily massless) Abelian gauge vector boson, a dark photon. In the massless dark photon limit, gauge invariance mandates that DM be multicomponent, consisting of positive and negative dark ions of different species which partially bind in neutral dark atoms. We argue that a similar conclusion holds for light dark photons; in particular, we establish that the multi-component and atomic character of DM persists in much of the parameter space where the dark photon is sufficiently light to mediate sizeable DM self-interactions. We discuss the cosmological sequence of events in this scenario, including the dark asymmetry generation, the freeze-out of annihilations, the dark recombination and the phase transition which gives mass to the dark photon. We estimate the effect of self-interactions in DM haloes, taking into account this cosmological history. We place constraints based on the observed ellipticity of large haloes, and identify the regimes where DM self-scattering can affect the dynamics of smaller haloes, bringing theory in better agreement with observations. Moreover, we estimate the cosmological abundance of dark photons in various regimes, and derive pertinent bounds

Was ordinary matter synthesized from mirror matter? An attempt to explain why ΩB≅0.2Ωdark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.; Volkas, R.R.

2003-01-01

The cosmological dust has begun to settle. A likely picture is a universe comprised (predominantly) of three components: ordinary baryons (Ω B ≅0.05), nonbaryonic dark matter (Ω dark ≅0.22) and dark energy (Ω Λ ≅0.7). We suggest that the observed similarity of the abundances of ordinary baryons and nonbaryonic dark matter (Ω B /Ω dark ≅0.20) hints at an underlying similarity between the fundamental properties of ordinary and dark matter particles. This is necessarily the case if dark matter is identified with mirror matter. We examine a specific mirror matter scenario where Ω B /Ω dark ≅0.20 is naturally obtained

Asymmetric WIMP Dark Matter in the presence of DM/anti-DM oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaharijas, G.

2014-01-01

The general class of 'Asymmetric Dark Matter (DM)' scenarios assumes the existence of a primordial particle/anti-particle asymmetry in the dark matter sector related to the asymmetry in the baryonic one, as a way to achieve the observed similarity between the baryonic and dark matter energy densities today. Focusing on this framework we study the effect of oscillations between dark matter and its anti-particle on the re-equilibration of the initial asymmetry. We calculate the evolution of the dark matter relic abundance and show how oscillations re-open the parameter space of asymmetric dark matter models, in particular in the direction of allowing large (WIMP-scale) DM masses. We found in particular that a typical WIMP with a mass at the EW scale (about 1 TeV) having a primordial asymmetry of the same order as the baryon asymmetry, naturally gets the correct relic abundance if the δm mass term is in the ∼ meV range. This turns out to be a natural value for fermionic DM arising from the higher dimensional operator H 2 DM 2 /Λ where H is the Higgs field and Λ ∼ M Pl . Finally, we constrain the parameter space in this framework by applying up-to-date bounds from indirect detection signals on annihilating DM

Constraining Asymmetric Dark Matter through observations of compact stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouvaris, Christoforos; Tinyakov, Peter

2011-01-01

We put constraints on asymmetric dark matter candidates with spin-dependent interactions based on the simple existence of white dwarfs and neutron stars in globular clusters. For a wide range of the parameters (WIMP mass and WIMP-nucleon cross section), WIMPs can be trapped in progenitors in large...... numbers and once the original star collapses to a white dwarf or a neutron star, these WIMPs might self-gravitate and eventually collapse forming a mini-black hole that eventually destroys the star. We impose constraints competitive to direct dark matter search experiments, for WIMPs with masses down...

Limits on Momentum-Dependent Asymmetric Dark Matter with CRESST-II.

Science.gov (United States)

Angloher, G; Bento, A; Bucci, C; Canonica, L; Defay, X; Erb, A; Feilitzsch, F V; Ferreiro Iachellini, N; Gorla, P; Gütlein, A; Hauff, D; Jochum, J; Kiefer, M; Kluck, H; Kraus, H; Lanfranchi, J-C; Loebell, J; Münster, A; Pagliarone, C; Petricca, F; Potzel, W; Pröbst, F; Reindl, F; Schäffner, K; Schieck, J; Schönert, S; Seidel, W; Stodolsky, L; Strandhagen, C; Strauss, R; Tanzke, A; Trinh Thi, H H; Türkoğlu, C; Uffinger, M; Ulrich, A; Usherov, I; Wawoczny, S; Willers, M; Wüstrich, M; Zöller, A

2016-07-08

The usual assumption in direct dark matter searches is to consider only the spin-dependent or spin-independent scattering of dark matter particles. However, especially in models with light dark matter particles O(GeV/c^{2}), operators which carry additional powers of the momentum transfer q^{2} can become dominant. One such model based on asymmetric dark matter has been invoked to overcome discrepancies in helioseismology and an indication was found for a particle with a preferred mass of 3  GeV/c^{2} and a cross section of 10^{-37}  cm^{2}. Recent data from the CRESST-II experiment, which uses cryogenic detectors based on CaWO_{4} to search for nuclear recoils induced by dark matter particles, are used to constrain these momentum-dependent models. The low energy threshold of 307 eV for nuclear recoils of the detector used, allows us to rule out the proposed best fit value above.

Asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter. Sommerfeld-enhanced freeze-out, annihilation signals and unitarity bounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldes, Iason; Petraki, Kalliopi

2017-03-01

Dark matter that possesses a particle-antiparticle asymmetry and has thermalised in the early universe, requires a larger annihilation cross-section compared to symmetric dark matter, in order to deplete the dark antiparticles and account for the observed dark matter density. The annihilation cross-section determines the residual symmetric component of dark matter, which may give rise to annihilation signals during CMB and inside haloes today. We consider dark matter with long-range interactions, in particular dark matter coupled to a light vector or scalar force mediator. We compute the couplings required to attain a final antiparticle-to-particle ratio after the thermal freeze-out of the annihilation processes in the early universe, and then estimate the late-time annihilation signals. We show that, due to the Sommerfeld enhancement, highly asymmetric dark matter with long-range interactions can have a significant annihilation rate, potentially larger than symmetric dark matter of the same mass with contact interactions. We discuss caveats in this estimation, relating to the formation of stable bound states. Finally, we consider the non-relativistic partial-wave unitarity bound on the inelastic cross-section, we discuss why it can be realised only by long-range interactions, and showcase the importance of higher partial waves in this regime of large inelasticity. We derive upper bounds on the mass of symmetric and asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter for s-wave and p-wave annihilation, and exhibit how these bounds strengthen as the dark asymmetry increases.

Asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter: Sommerfeld-enhanced freeze-out, annihilation signals and unitarity bounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldes, Iason [DESY, Notkestraße 85, Hamburg, D-22607 Germany (Germany); Petraki, Kalliopi, E-mail: iason.baldes@desy.de, E-mail: kpetraki@lpthe.jussieu.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Energies (LPTHE), UMR 7589 CNRS and UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, F-75252 France (France)

2017-09-01

Dark matter that possesses a particle-antiparticle asymmetry and has thermalised in the early universe, requires a larger annihilation cross-section compared to symmetric dark matter, in order to deplete the dark antiparticles and account for the observed dark matter density. The annihilation cross-section determines the residual symmetric component of dark matter, which may give rise to annihilation signals during CMB and inside haloes today. We consider dark matter with long-range interactions, in particular dark matter coupled to a light vector or scalar force mediator. We compute the couplings required to attain a final antiparticle-to-particle ratio after the thermal freeze-out of the annihilation processes in the early universe, and then estimate the late-time annihilation signals. We show that, due to the Sommerfeld enhancement, highly asymmetric dark matter with long-range interactions can have a significant annihilation rate, potentially larger than symmetric dark matter of the same mass with contact interactions. We discuss caveats in this estimation, relating to the formation of stable bound states. Finally, we consider the non-relativistic partial-wave unitarity bound on the inelastic cross-section, we discuss why it can be realised only by long-range interactions, and showcase the importance of higher partial waves in this regime of large inelasticity. We derive upper bounds on the mass of symmetric and asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter for s -wave and p -wave annihilation, and exhibit how these bounds strengthen as the dark asymmetry increases.

Asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter. Sommerfeld-enhanced freeze-out, annihilation signals and unitarity bounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldes, Iason [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Petraki, Kalliopi [Nationaal Instuut voor Kernfysica en Hoge-Energiefysica (NIKHEF), Amsterdam (Netherlands); UMR 7589 CNRS et UPMC, Paris (France). Laboratoire de Physique Theorique et Hautes Energies (LPTHE)

2017-03-15

Dark matter that possesses a particle-antiparticle asymmetry and has thermalised in the early universe, requires a larger annihilation cross-section compared to symmetric dark matter, in order to deplete the dark antiparticles and account for the observed dark matter density. The annihilation cross-section determines the residual symmetric component of dark matter, which may give rise to annihilation signals during CMB and inside haloes today. We consider dark matter with long-range interactions, in particular dark matter coupled to a light vector or scalar force mediator. We compute the couplings required to attain a final antiparticle-to-particle ratio after the thermal freeze-out of the annihilation processes in the early universe, and then estimate the late-time annihilation signals. We show that, due to the Sommerfeld enhancement, highly asymmetric dark matter with long-range interactions can have a significant annihilation rate, potentially larger than symmetric dark matter of the same mass with contact interactions. We discuss caveats in this estimation, relating to the formation of stable bound states. Finally, we consider the non-relativistic partial-wave unitarity bound on the inelastic cross-section, we discuss why it can be realised only by long-range interactions, and showcase the importance of higher partial waves in this regime of large inelasticity. We derive upper bounds on the mass of symmetric and asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter for s-wave and p-wave annihilation, and exhibit how these bounds strengthen as the dark asymmetry increases.

Asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter: Sommerfeld-enhanced freeze-out, annihilation signals and unitarity bounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldes, Iason; Petraki, Kalliopi

2017-01-01

Dark matter that possesses a particle-antiparticle asymmetry and has thermalised in the early universe, requires a larger annihilation cross-section compared to symmetric dark matter, in order to deplete the dark antiparticles and account for the observed dark matter density. The annihilation cross-section determines the residual symmetric component of dark matter, which may give rise to annihilation signals during CMB and inside haloes today. We consider dark matter with long-range interactions, in particular dark matter coupled to a light vector or scalar force mediator. We compute the couplings required to attain a final antiparticle-to-particle ratio after the thermal freeze-out of the annihilation processes in the early universe, and then estimate the late-time annihilation signals. We show that, due to the Sommerfeld enhancement, highly asymmetric dark matter with long-range interactions can have a significant annihilation rate, potentially larger than symmetric dark matter of the same mass with contact interactions. We discuss caveats in this estimation, relating to the formation of stable bound states. Finally, we consider the non-relativistic partial-wave unitarity bound on the inelastic cross-section, we discuss why it can be realised only by long-range interactions, and showcase the importance of higher partial waves in this regime of large inelasticity. We derive upper bounds on the mass of symmetric and asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter for s -wave and p -wave annihilation, and exhibit how these bounds strengthen as the dark asymmetry increases.

Asymmetric Facial Bone Fragmentation Mirrors Asymmetric Distribution of Cranial Neuromasts in Blind Mexican Cavefish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua B. Gross

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Craniofacial asymmetry is a convergent trait widely distributed across animals that colonize the extreme cave environment. Although craniofacial asymmetry can be discerned easily, other complex phenotypes (such as sensory organ position and numerical variation are challenging to score and compare. Certain bones of the craniofacial complex demonstrate substantial asymmetry, and co-localize to regions harboring dramatically expanded numbers of mechanosensory neuromasts. To determine if a relationship exists between this expansion and bone fragmentation in cavefish, we developed a quantitative measure of positional symmetry across the left-right axis. We found that three different cave-dwelling populations were significantly more asymmetric compared to surface-dwelling fish. Moreover, cave populations did not differ in the degree of neuromast asymmetry. This work establishes a method for quantifying symmetry of a complex phenotype, and demonstrates that facial bone fragmentation mirrors the asymmetric distribution of neuromasts in different cavefish populations. Further developmental studies will provide a clearer picture of the developmental and cellular changes that accompany this extreme phenotype, and help illuminate the genetic basis for facial asymmetry in vertebrates.

Cosmic ray-dark matter scattering: a new signature of (asymmetric) dark matter in the gamma ray sky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Profumo, Stefano; Ubaldi, Lorenzo

2011-01-01

We consider the process of scattering of Galactic cosmic-ray electrons and protons off of dark matter with the radiation of a final-state photon. This process provides a novel way to search for Galactic dark matter with gamma rays. We argue that for a generic weakly interacting massive particle, barring effects such as co-annihilation or a velocity-dependent cross section, the gamma-ray emission from cosmic-ray scattering off of dark matter is typically smaller than that from dark matter pair-annihilation. However, if dark matter particles cannot pair-annihilate, as is the case for example in asymmetric dark matter scenarios, cosmic-ray scattering with final state photon emission provides a unique window to detect a signal from dark matter with gamma rays. We estimate the expected flux level and its spectral features for a generic supersymmetric setup, and we also discuss dipolar and luminous dark matter. We show that in some cases the gamma-ray emission might be large enough to be detectable with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

Diurnal modulation due to self-interacting mirror and hidden sector dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.

2012-01-01

Mirror and more generic hidden sector dark matter models can simultaneously explain the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST-II dark matter signals consistently with the null results of the other experiments. This type of dark matter can be captured by the Earth and shield detectors because it is self-interacting. This effect will lead to a diurnal modulation in dark matter detectors. We estimate the size of this effect for dark matter detectors in various locations. For a detector located in the northern hemisphere, this effect is expected to peak in April and can be detected for optimistic parameter choices. The diurnal variation is expected to be much larger for detectors located in the southern hemisphere. In particular, if the CoGeNT detector were moved to e.g. Sierra Grande, Argentina then a 5σ dark matter discovery would be possible in around 30 days of operation

Asymmetric excitation of surface plasmons by dark mode coupling

KAUST Repository

Zhang, X.

2016-02-19

Control over surface plasmons (SPs) is essential in a variety of cutting-edge applications, such as highly integrated photonic signal processing systems, deep-subwavelength lasing, high-resolution imaging, and ultrasensitive biomedical detection. Recently, asymmetric excitation of SPs has attracted enormous interest. In free space, the analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in metamaterials has been widely investigated to uniquely manipulate the electromagnetic waves. In the near field, we show that the dark mode coupling mechanism of the classical EIT effect enables an exotic and straightforward excitation of SPs in a metasurface system. This leads to not only resonant excitation of asymmetric SPs but also controllable exotic SP focusing by the use of the Huygens-Fresnel principle. Our experimental findings manifest the potential of developing plasmonic metadevices with unique functionalities.

Asymmetric excitation of surface plasmons by dark mode coupling

KAUST Repository

Zhang, X.; Xu, Q.; Li, Q.; Xu, Y.; Gu, J.; Tian, Z.; Ouyang, C.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, Xixiang; Han, J.; Zhang, W.

2016-01-01

Control over surface plasmons (SPs) is essential in a variety of cutting-edge applications, such as highly integrated photonic signal processing systems, deep-subwavelength lasing, high-resolution imaging, and ultrasensitive biomedical detection. Recently, asymmetric excitation of SPs has attracted enormous interest. In free space, the analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in metamaterials has been widely investigated to uniquely manipulate the electromagnetic waves. In the near field, we show that the dark mode coupling mechanism of the classical EIT effect enables an exotic and straightforward excitation of SPs in a metasurface system. This leads to not only resonant excitation of asymmetric SPs but also controllable exotic SP focusing by the use of the Huygens-Fresnel principle. Our experimental findings manifest the potential of developing plasmonic metadevices with unique functionalities.

Early Universe synthesis of asymmetric dark matter nuggets

Science.gov (United States)

Gresham, Moira I.; Lou, Hou Keong; Zurek, Kathryn M.

2018-02-01

We compute the mass function of bound states of asymmetric dark matter—nuggets—synthesized in the early Universe. We apply our results for the nugget density and binding energy computed from a nuclear model to obtain analytic estimates of the typical nugget size exiting synthesis. We numerically solve the Boltzmann equation for synthesis including two-to-two fusion reactions, estimating the impact of bottlenecks on the mass function exiting synthesis. These results provide the basis for studying the late Universe cosmology of nuggets in a future companion paper.

Tully-Fisher relation, galactic rotation curves and dissipative mirror dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foot, R., E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia (Australia)

2014-12-01

If dark matter is dissipative then the distribution of dark matter within galactic halos can be governed by dissipation, heating and hydrostatic equilibrium. Previous work has shown that a specific model, in the framework of mirror dark matter, can explain several empirical galactic scaling relations. It is shown here that this dynamical halo model implies a quasi-isothermal dark matter density, ρ(r) ≅ ρ{sub 0}r{sub 0}{sup 2}/(r{sup 2}+r{sub 0}{sup 2}), where the core radius, r{sub 0}, scales with disk scale length, r{sub D}, via r{sub 0}/kpc ≈ 1.4(r{sub D}/kpc). Additionally, the product ρ{sub 0}r{sub 0} is roughly constant, i.e. independent of galaxy size (the constant is set by the parameters of the model). The derived dark matter density profile implies that the galactic rotation velocity satisfies the Tully-Fisher relation, L{sub B}∝v{sup 3}{sub max}, where v{sub max} is the maximal rotational velocity. Examples of rotation curves resulting from this dynamics are given.

Asymmetric dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, David E.; Luty, Markus A.; Zurek, Kathryn M.

2009-01-01

We consider a simple class of models in which the relic density of dark matter is determined by the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. In these models a B-L asymmetry generated at high temperatures is transferred to the dark matter, which is charged under B-L. The interactions that transfer the asymmetry decouple at temperatures above the dark matter mass, freezing in a dark matter asymmetry of order the baryon asymmetry. This explains the observed relation between the baryon and dark matter densities for the dark matter mass in the range 5-15 GeV. The symmetric component of the dark matter can annihilate efficiently to light pseudoscalar Higgs particles a or via t-channel exchange of new scalar doublets. The first possibility allows for h 0 →aa decays, while the second predicts a light charged Higgs-like scalar decaying to τν. Direct detection can arise from Higgs exchange in the first model or a nonzero magnetic moment in the second. In supersymmetric models, the would-be lightest supersymmetric partner can decay into pairs of dark matter particles plus standard model particles, possibly with displaced vertices.

Asymmetric dark matter and CP violating scatterings in a UV complete model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldes, Iason; Bell, Nicole F.; Millar, Alexander J.; Volkas, Raymond R. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale,School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 (Australia)

2015-10-21

We explore possible asymmetric dark matter models using CP violating scatterings to generate an asymmetry. In particular, we introduce a new model, based on DM fields coupling to the SM Higgs and lepton doublets, a neutrino portal, and explore its UV completions. We study the CP violation and asymmetry formation of this model, to demonstrate that it is capable of producing the correct abundance of dark matter and the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry. Crucial to achieving this is the introduction of interactions which violate CP with a T{sup 2} dependence.

Asymmetric dark matter and CP violating scatterings in a UV complete model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldes, Iason; Bell, Nicole F.; Millar, Alexander J.; Volkas, Raymond R., E-mail: i.baldes@student.unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: n.bell@unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: amillar@student.unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: raymondv@unimelb.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010 Australia (Australia)

2015-10-01

We explore possible asymmetric dark matter models using CP violating scatterings to generate an asymmetry. In particular, we introduce a new model, based on DM fields coupling to the SM Higgs and lepton doublets, a neutrino portal, and explore its UV completions. We study the CP violation and asymmetry formation of this model, to demonstrate that it is capable of producing the correct abundance of dark matter and the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry. Crucial to achieving this is the introduction of interactions which violate CP with a T{sup 2} dependence.

Search for dark matter in the hidden-photon sector with a large spherical mirror

CERN Document Server

Veberic, Darko; Doebrich, Babette; Engel, Ralph; Jaeckel, Joerg; Kowalski, Marek; Lindner, Axel; Mathes, Hermann-Josef; Redondo, Javier; Roth, Markus; Schaefer, Christoph; Ulrich, Ralf

2015-01-01

If dark matter consists of hidden-sector photons which kinetically mix with regular photons, a tiny oscillating electric-field component is present wherever we have dark matter. In the surface of conducting materials this induces a small probability to emit single photons almost perpendicular to the surface, with the corresponding photon frequency matching the mass of the hidden photons. We report on a construction of an experimental setup with a large ~14 m2 spherical metallic mirror that will allow for searches of hidden-photon dark matter in the eV and sub-eV range by application of different electromagnetic radiation detectors. We discuss sensitivity and accessible regions in the dark matter parameter space.

Compact bifluid hybrid stars: hadronic matter mixed with self-interacting fermionic asymmetric dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mukhopadhyay, Somnath; Basu, D.N. [HBNI, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata (India); Atta, Debasis [HBNI, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata (India); Government General Degree College, West Bengal (India); Imam, Kouser [HBNI, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata (India); Aliah University, Department of Physics, Kolkata (India); Samanta, C. [Virginia Military Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Lexington, VA (United States)

2017-07-15

The masses and radii of non-rotating and rotating configurations of pure hadronic stars mixed with self-interacting fermionic asymmetric dark matter are calculated within the two-fluid formalism of stellar structure equations in general relativity. The Equation of State (EoS) of nuclear matter is obtained from the density dependent M3Y effective nucleon-nucleon interaction. We consider the dark matter particle mass of 1 GeV. The EoS of self-interacting dark matter is taken from two-body repulsive interactions of the scale of strong interactions. We explore the conditions of equal and different rotational frequencies of nuclear matter and dark matter and find that the maximum mass of differentially rotating stars with self-interacting dark matter to be ∝1.94 M {sub CircleDot} with radius ∝10.4 km. (orig.)

Secretly asymmetric dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Prateek; Kilic, Can; Swaminathan, Sivaramakrishnan; Trendafilova, Cynthia

2017-01-01

We study a mechanism where the dark matter number density today arises from asymmetries generated in the dark sector in the early Universe, even though the total dark matter number remains zero throughout the history of the Universe. The dark matter population today can be completely symmetric, with annihilation rates above those expected from thermal weakly interacting massive particles. We give a simple example of this mechanism using a benchmark model of flavored dark matter. We discuss the experimental signatures of this setup, which arise mainly from the sector that annihilates the symmetric component of dark matter.

Asymmetric dark matter: residual annihilations and self-interactions arXiv

CERN Document Server

Baldes, Iason; Panci, Paolo; Petraki, Kalliopi; Sala, Filippo; Taoso, Marco

Dark matter (DM) coupled to light mediators has been invoked to resolve the putative discrepancies between collisionless cold DM and galactic structure observations. However, $\\gamma$-ray searches and the CMB strongly constrain such scenarios. To ease the tension, we consider asymmetric DM. We show that, contrary to the common lore, detectable annihilations occur even for large asymmetries, and derive bounds from the CMB, $\\gamma$-ray, neutrino and antiproton searches. We then identify the viable space for self-interacting DM. Direct detection does not exclude this scenario, but provides a way to test it.

Consequences of DM/antiDM Oscillations for Asymmetric WIMP Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

Cirelli, Marco; Servant, Geraldine; Zaharijas, Gabrijela

2012-01-01

Assuming the existence of a primordial asymmetry in the dark sector, a scenario usually dubbed Asymmetric Dark Matter (aDM), we study the effect of oscillations between dark matter and its antiparticle on the re-equilibration of the initial asymmetry before freeze-out, which enable efficient annihilations to recouple. We calculate the evolution of the DM relic abundance and show how oscillations re-open the parameter space of aDM models, in particular in the direction of allowing large (WIMP-scale) DM masses. A typical wimp with a mass at the EW scale (\\sim 100 GeV - 1 TeV) presenting a primordial asymmetry of the same order as the baryon asymmetry naturally gets the correct relic abundance if the DM-number-violating Delta(DM) = 2 mass term is in the \\sim meV range. The re-establishment of annihilations implies that constraints from the accumulation of aDM in astrophysical bodies are evaded. On the other hand, the ordinary bounds from BBN, CMB and indirect detection signals on annihilating DM have to be consi...

Output-Mirror-Tuning Terahertz-Wave Parametric Oscillator with an Asymmetrical Porro-Prism Resonator Configuration

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruiliang; Qu, Yanchen; Zhao, Weijiang; Liu, Chuang; Chen, Zhenlei

2017-06-01

We demonstrate a terahertz-wave parametric oscillator (TPO) with an asymmetrical porro-prism (PP) resonator configuration, consisting of a close PP corner reflector and a distant output mirror relative to the MgO:LiNbO3 crystal. Based on this cavity, frequency tuning of Stokes and the accompanied terahertz (THz) waves is realized just by rotating the plane mirror. Furthermore, THz output with high efficiency and wide tuning range is obtained. Compared with a conventional TPO employing a plane-parallel resonator of the same cavity length and output loss, the low end of the frequency tuning range is extended to 0.96 THz from 1.2 THz. The highest output obtained at 1.28 THz is enhanced by about 25%, and the oscillation threshold pump energy measured at 1.66 THz is reduced by about 4.5%. This resonator configuration also shows some potential to simplify the structure and application for intracavity TPOs.

Asymmetric condensed dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguirre, Anthony; Diez-Tejedor, Alberto, E-mail: aguirre@scipp.ucsc.edu, E-mail: alberto.diez@fisica.ugto.mx [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 (United States)

2016-04-01

We explore the viability of a boson dark matter candidate with an asymmetry between the number densities of particles and antiparticles. A simple thermal field theory analysis confirms that, under certain general conditions, this component would develop a Bose-Einstein condensate in the early universe that, for appropriate model parameters, could survive the ensuing cosmological evolution until now. The condensation of a dark matter component in equilibrium with the thermal plasma is a relativistic process, hence the amount of matter dictated by the charge asymmetry is complemented by a hot relic density frozen out at the time of decoupling. Contrary to the case of ordinary WIMPs, dark matter particles in a condensate must be lighter than a few tens of eV so that the density from thermal relics is not too large. Big-Bang nucleosynthesis constrains the temperature of decoupling to the scale of the QCD phase transition or above. This requires large dark matter-to-photon ratios and very weak interactions with standard model particles.

Dark catalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agrawal, Prateek; Cyr-Racine, Francis-Yan; Randall, Lisa; Scholtz, Jakub, E-mail: prateekagrawal@fas.harvard.edu, E-mail: fcyrraci@physics.harvard.edu, E-mail: randall@physics.harvard.edu, E-mail: jscholtz@physics.harvard.edu [Department of Physics, Harvard University, 17 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-08-01

Recently it was shown that dark matter with mass of order the weak scale can be charged under a new long-range force, decoupled from the Standard Model, with only weak constraints from early Universe cosmology. Here we consider the implications of an additional charged particle C that is light enough to lead to significant dissipative dynamics on galactic times scales. We highlight several novel features of this model, which can be relevant even when the C particle constitutes only a small fraction of the number density (and energy density). We assume a small asymmetric abundance of the C particle whose charge is compensated by a heavy X particle so that the relic abundance of dark matter consists mostly of symmetric X and X-bar , with a small asymmetric component made up of X and C . As the universe cools, it undergoes asymmetric recombination binding the free C s into ( XC ) dark atoms efficiently. Even with a tiny asymmetric component, the presence of C particles catalyzes tight coupling between the heavy dark matter X and the dark photon plasma that can lead to a significant suppression of the matter power spectrum on small scales and lead to some of the strongest bounds on such dark matter theories. We find a viable parameter space where structure formation constraints are satisfied and significant dissipative dynamics can occur in galactic haloes but show a large region is excluded. Our model shows that subdominant components in the dark sector can dramatically affect structure formation.

Minimal mirror twin Higgs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbieri, Riccardo [Institute of Theoretical Studies, ETH Zurich,CH-8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Scuola Normale Superiore,Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa (Italy); Hall, Lawrence J.; Harigaya, Keisuke [Department of Physics, University of California,Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Theoretical Physics Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2016-11-29

In a Mirror Twin World with a maximally symmetric Higgs sector the little hierarchy of the Standard Model can be significantly mitigated, perhaps displacing the cutoff scale above the LHC reach. We show that consistency with observations requires that the Z{sub 2} parity exchanging the Standard Model with its mirror be broken in the Yukawa couplings. A minimal such effective field theory, with this sole Z{sub 2} breaking, can generate the Z{sub 2} breaking in the Higgs sector necessary for the Twin Higgs mechanism. The theory has constrained and correlated signals in Higgs decays, direct Dark Matter Detection and Dark Radiation, all within reach of foreseen experiments, over a region of parameter space where the fine-tuning for the electroweak scale is 10-50%. For dark matter, both mirror neutrons and a variety of self-interacting mirror atoms are considered. Neutrino mass signals and the effects of a possible additional Z{sub 2} breaking from the vacuum expectation values of B−L breaking fields are also discussed.

Barrier lowering effect and dark current characteristics in asymmetric GaAs/AlGaAs multi quantum well structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Altin, E. [Inonu University, Scientific and Technological Research Center, Malatya (Turkey); Anadolu University, Department of Physics, Eskisehir (Turkey); Hostut, M. [Akdeniz University, Department of Secondary Education of Science and Maths., Division of Physics Education, Antalya (Turkey); Ergun, Y. [Anadolu University, Department of Physics, Eskisehir (Turkey)

2011-12-15

In this study, we investigate dark current voltage characteristics of GaAs/AlGaAs staircase-like asymmetric multiquantum well structure at various temperatures experimentally. The activation energy is calculated by using Arrhenius plots at different voltages. It is found that the activation energy decreased with increasing electric field. This result is evaluated using a barrier lowering effect which is a combination of geometrical and Poole-Frenkel effects. Measured dark current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics compared with the Levine model, 3D carrier drift model and the emission capture model. The best agreement with the experimental results of dark current densities is obtained by the Levine model. (orig.)

Mirror, mirror on the wall

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

RICH 2, one of the two Ring Imaging Cherenkov detectors of the LHCb experiment, is being prepared to join the other detector elements ready for the first proton-proton collisions at LHC. The mirrors of the RICH2 detector are meticulously assembled in a clean room.In a large dark room, men in white move around an immense structure some 7 metres high, 10 metres wide and nearly 2.5 metres deep. Apparently effortlessly, they are installing the two large high-precision spherical mirrors. These mirrors will focus Cherenkov light, created by the charged particles that will traverse this detector, onto the photon detectors. Each spherical mirror wall is made up of facets like a fly's eye. Twenty-eight individual thin glass mirrors will all point to the same point in space to within a few micro-radians. The development of these mirrors has been technically demanding : Ideally they should be massless, sturdy, precise and have high reflectivity. In practice, though not massless, they are made from a mere 6 mm thin gl...

Cosmological Constraints on Mirror Matter Parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallemacq, Quentin; Ciarcelluti, Paolo

2014-01-01

Up-to-date estimates of the cosmological parameters are presented as a result of numerical simulations of cosmic microwave background and large scale structure, considering a flat Universe in which the dark matter is made entirely or partly of mirror matter, and the primordial perturbations are scalar adiabatic and in linear regime. A statistical analysis using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method allows to obtain constraints of the cosmological parameters. As a result, we show that a Universe with pure mirror dark matter is statistically equivalent to the case of an admixture with cold dark matter. The upper limits for the ratio of the temperatures of ordinary and mirror sectors are around 0.3 for both the cosmological models, which show the presence of a dominant fraction of mirror matter, 0.06≲Ω_m_i_r_r_o_rh"2≲0.12.

Visible and dark matter from a first-order phase transition in a baryon-symmetric universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petraki, Kalliopi; Volkas, Raymond R.; Trodden, Mark

2012-01-01

The similar cosmological abundances observed for visible and dark matter suggest a common origin for both. By viewing the dark matter density as a dark-sector asymmetry, mirroring the situation in the visible sector, we show that the visible and dark matter asymmetries may have arisen simultaneously through a first-order phase transition in the early universe. The dark asymmetry can then be equal and opposite to the usual visible matter asymmetry, leading to a universe that is symmetric with respect to a generalised baryon number. We present both a general structure, and a precisely defined example of a viable model of this type. In that example, the dark matter is ''atomic'' as well as asymmetric, and various cosmological and astrophysical constraints are derived. Testable consequences for colliders include a Z' boson that couples through the B−L charge to the visible sector, but also decays invisibly to dark sector particles. The additional scalar particles in the theory can mix with the standard Higgs boson and provide other striking signatures

Axion mediated photon to dark photon mixing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ejlli, Damian [Novosibirsk State University, Department of Physics, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Theory Group, Assergi, L' Aquila (Italy)

2018-01-15

The interaction between the dark/mirror sector and the ordinary sector is considered, where the two sectors interact with each other by sharing the same QCD axion field. This feature makes the mixing between ordinary and dark/mirror photons in ordinary and dark electromagnetic fields possible. Perturbative solutions of the equations of motion describing the evolution of fields in ordinary and dark external magnetic fields are found. User-friendly quantities such as transition probability rates and Stokes parameters are derived. Possible astrophysical and cosmological applications of this model are suggested. (orig.)

Direct and indirect detection of dissipative dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, JiJi; Katz, Andrey; Shelton, Jessie, E-mail: jijifan1982@gmail.com, E-mail: katz.andrey@gmail.com, E-mail: jshelton137@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2014-06-01

We study the constraints from direct detection and solar capture on dark matter scenarios with a subdominant dissipative component. This dissipative dark matter component in general has both a symmetric and asymmetric relic abundance. Dissipative dynamics allow this subdominant dark matter component to cool, resulting in its partial or total collapse into a smaller volume inside the halo (e.g., a dark disk) as well as a reduced thermal velocity dispersion compared to that of normal cold dark matter. We first show that these features considerably relax the limits from direct detection experiments on the couplings between standard model (SM) particles and dissipative dark matter. On the other hand, indirect detection of the annihilation of the symmetric dissipative dark matter component inside the Sun sets stringent and robust constraints on the properties of the dissipative dark matter. In particular, IceCube observations force dissipative dark matter particles with mass above 50 GeV to either have a small coupling to the SM or a low local density in the solar system, or to have a nearly asymmetric relic abundance. Possible helioseismology signals associated with purely asymmetric dissipative dark matter are discussed, with no present constraints.

Direct and indirect detection of dissipative dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, JiJi; Katz, Andrey; Shelton, Jessie

2014-01-01

We study the constraints from direct detection and solar capture on dark matter scenarios with a subdominant dissipative component. This dissipative dark matter component in general has both a symmetric and asymmetric relic abundance. Dissipative dynamics allow this subdominant dark matter component to cool, resulting in its partial or total collapse into a smaller volume inside the halo (e.g., a dark disk) as well as a reduced thermal velocity dispersion compared to that of normal cold dark matter. We first show that these features considerably relax the limits from direct detection experiments on the couplings between standard model (SM) particles and dissipative dark matter. On the other hand, indirect detection of the annihilation of the symmetric dissipative dark matter component inside the Sun sets stringent and robust constraints on the properties of the dissipative dark matter. In particular, IceCube observations force dissipative dark matter particles with mass above 50 GeV to either have a small coupling to the SM or a low local density in the solar system, or to have a nearly asymmetric relic abundance. Possible helioseismology signals associated with purely asymmetric dissipative dark matter are discussed, with no present constraints

The Dark Side of Neutron Stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouvaris, Christoforos

2013-01-01

We review severe constraints on asymmetric bosonic dark matter based on observations of old neutron stars. Under certain conditions, dark matter particles in the form of asymmetric bosonic WIMPs can be eectively trapped onto nearby neutron stars, where they can rapidly thermalize and concentrate...... in the core of the star. If some conditions are met, the WIMP population can collapse gravitationally and form a black hole that can eventually destroy the star. Based on the existence of old nearby neutron stars, we can exclude certain classes of dark matter candidates....

Low Mass Dark Matter: Some Perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shaolong

2012-01-01

The low mass (10 GeV scale) dark matter is indicted and favored by several recent dark matter direct detection experimental results, such as DAMA and CoGeNT. In this talk, we discuss some aspects of the low mass dark matter. We study the indirect detection of dark matter through neutrino flux from their annihilation in the center of the Sun, in a class of models where the dark matter-nucleon spin-independent interactions break the isospin symmetry. The indirect detection using neutrino telescopes can impose a relatively stronger constraint and brings tension to such explanation, if the dark matter self-annihilation is dominated by heavy quarks or τ-lepton final states. The asymmetric dark matter doesn't suffer the constraints from the indirect detection results. We propose a model of asymmetric dark matter where the matter and dark matter share the common origin, the asymmetries in both the matter and dark matter sectors are simultaneously generated through leptogenesis, and we explore how this model can be tested in direct search experiments.

Seven (and a half) reasons to believe in mirror matter: from neutrino puzzles to the inferred dark matter in the universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.

2001-02-01

Parity and time reversal are obvious and plausible candidates for fundamental symmetries of nature. Hypothesising that these symmetries exist implies the existence of a new form of matter, called mirror matter. The mirror matter theory (or exact parity model) makes four main predictions: 1) Dark matter in the form of mirror matter should exist in the Universe (i.e. mirror galaxies, stars, planets, meteoroids...), 2) Maximal ordinary neutrino - mirror neutrino oscillations if neutrinos have mass, 3) Orthopositronium should have a shorter effective lifetime than predicted by QED (in 'vacuum' experiments) because of the effects of photon-mirror photon mixing and 4) Higgs production and decay rate should be 50% lower than in the standard model due to Higgs mirror - Higgs mixing (assuming that the separation of the Higgs masses is larger than their decay widths). At the present time there is strong experimental/observational evidence supporting the first three of these predictions, while the fourth one is not tested yet because the Higgs boson, predicted in the standard model of particle physics, is yet to be found. This experimental/observational evidence is rich and varied ranging from the atmospheric and solar neutrino deficits, MACHO gravitational microlensing events, strange properties of extra-solar planets, the existence of 'isolated' planets, orthopositronium lifetime anomaly, Tunguska and other strange 'meteor' events including perhaps, the origin of the moon. The purpose of this article is to provide a not too technical review of these ideas along with some new results

Mirror-backed Dark Alumina: A Nearly Perfect Absorber for Thermoelectronics and Thermophotovotaics

Science.gov (United States)

Farhat, Mohamed; Cheng, Tsung-Chieh; Le, Khai. Q.; Cheng, Mark Ming-Cheng; Bağcı, Hakan; Chen, Pai-Yen

2016-01-01

We present here a broadband, wide-angle, and polarization-independent nearly perfect absorber consisting of mirror-backed nanoporous alumina. By electrochemically anodizing the disordered multicomponent aluminum and properly tailoring the thickness and air-filling fraction of nanoporous alumina, according to the Maxwell-Garnet mixture theory, a large-area dark alumina can be made with excellent photothermal properties and absorption larger than 93% over a wide wavelength range spanning from near-infrared to ultraviolet light, i.e. 250 nm-2500 nm. The measured absorption is orders of magnitude greater than other reported anodized porous alumina, typically semi-transparent at similar wavelengths. This simple yet effective approach, however, does not require any lithography, nano-mixture deposition, pre- and post-treatment. Here, we also envisage and theoretically investigate the practical use of proposed absorbers and/or photothermal converters in integrated thermoelectronic and/or thermophotovoltaic energy conversion devices, which make efficient use of the entire spectrum of ambient visible to near-infrared radiation.

Mirror-backed Dark Alumina: A Nearly Perfect Absorber for Thermoelectronics and Thermophotovotaics

KAUST Repository

Farhat, Mohamed

2016-01-28

We present here a broadband, wide-angle, and polarization-independent nearly perfect absorber consisting of mirror-backed nanoporous alumina. By electrochemically anodizing the disordered multicomponent aluminum and properly tailoring the thickness and air-filling fraction of nanoporous alumina, according to the Maxwell-Garnet mixture theory, a large-area dark alumina can be made with excellent photothermal properties and absorption larger than 93% over a wide wavelength range spanning from near-infrared to ultraviolet light, i.e. 250 nm–2500 nm. The measured absorption is orders of magnitude greater than other reported anodized porous alumina, typically semi-transparent at similar wavelengths. This simple yet effective approach, however, does not require any lithography, nano-mixture deposition, pre- and post-treatment. Here, we also envisage and theoretically investigate the practical use of proposed absorbers and/or photothermal converters in integrated thermoelectronic and/or thermophotovoltaic energy conversion devices, which make efficient use of the entire spectrum of ambient visible to near-infrared radiation.

Dark matter asymmetry in supersymmetric Dirac leptogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Ki-Young; Chun, Eung Jin; Shin, Chang Sub

2013-01-01

We discuss asymmetric or symmetric dark matter candidate in the supersymmetric Dirac leptogenesis scenario. By introducing a singlet superfield coupling to right-handed neutrinos, the overabundance problem of dark matter can be evaded and various possibilities for dark matter candidate arise. If the singlino is the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), it becomes naturally asymmetric dark matter. On the other hand, the right-handed sneutrino is a symmetric dark matter candidate whose relic density can be determined by the usual thermal freeze-out process. The conventional neutralino or gravitino LSP can be also a dark matter candidate as its non-thermal production from the right-handed sneutrino can be controlled appropriately. In our scenario, the late-decay of heavy supersymmetric particles mainly produces the right-handed sneutrino and neutrino which is harmless to the standard prediction of the Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis

Dark stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maselli, Andrea; Pnigouras, Pantelis; Nielsen, Niklas Grønlund

2017-01-01

to the formation of compact objects predominantly made of dark matter. Considering both fermionic and bosonic (scalar φ4) equations of state, we construct the equilibrium structure of rotating dark stars, focusing on their bulk properties and comparing them with baryonic neutron stars. We also show that these dark......Theoretical models of self-interacting dark matter represent a promising answer to a series of open problems within the so-called collisionless cold dark matter paradigm. In case of asymmetric dark matter, self-interactions might facilitate gravitational collapse and potentially lead...... objects admit the I-Love-Q universal relations, which link their moments of inertia, tidal deformabilities, and quadrupole moments. Finally, we prove that stars built with a dark matter equation of state are not compact enough to mimic black holes in general relativity, thus making them distinguishable...

Asymmetric dark matter and the Sun

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Mads Toudal; Sarkar, Subir

2010-01-01

Cold dark matter particles with an intrinsic matter-antimatter asymmetry do not annihilate after gravitational capture by the Sun and can affect its interior structure. The rate of capture is exponentially enhanced when such particles have self-interactions of the right order to explain structure...... formation on galactic scales. A `dark baryon' of mass 5 GeV is a natural candidate and has the required relic abundance if its asymmetry is similar to that of ordinary baryons. We show that such particles can solve the `solar composition problem'. The predicted small decrease in the low energy neutrino...

Tactile Gap Detection Deteriorates during Bimanual Symmetrical Movements under Mirror Visual Feedback.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet H Bultitude

Full Text Available It has been suggested that incongruence between signals for motor intention and sensory input can cause pain and other sensory abnormalities. This claim is supported by reports that moving in an environment of induced sensorimotor conflict leads to elevated pain and sensory symptoms in those with certain painful conditions. Similar procedures can lead to reports of anomalous sensations in healthy volunteers too. In the present study, we used mirror visual feedback to investigate the effects of sensorimotor incongruence on responses to stimuli that arise from sources external to the body, in particular, touch. Incongruence between the sensory and motor signals for the right arm was manipulated by having the participants make symmetrical or asymmetrical movements while watching a reflection of their left arm in a parasagittal mirror, or the left hand surface of a similarly positioned opaque board. In contrast to our prediction, sensitivity to the presence of gaps in tactile stimulation of the right forearm was not reduced when participants made asymmetrical movements during mirror visual feedback, as compared to when they made symmetrical or asymmetrical movements with no visual feedback. Instead, sensitivity was reduced when participants made symmetrical movements during mirror visual feedback relative to the other three conditions. We suggest that small discrepancies between sensory and motor information, as they occur during mirror visual feedback with symmetrical movements, can impair tactile processing. In contrast, asymmetrical movements with mirror visual feedback may not impact tactile processing because the larger discrepancies between sensory and motor information may prevent the integration of these sources of information. These results contrast with previous reports of anomalous sensations during exposure to both low and high sensorimotor conflict, but are nevertheless in agreement with a forward model interpretation of perceptual

Phase-stepping optical profilometry of atom mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacLaren, D A; Goldrein, H T; Holst, B; Allison, W

2003-01-01

Electrically deformed single crystal mirrors will be a vital part of a first generation of scanning helium microscope (SHeM). Optimized mirrors will be used to focus thermal energy helium atoms into a surface-sensitive, low-energy probe, with a resolution that depends upon the precise mirror shape. Here, we present surface profilometry measurements of a prototype atom mirror. A temporal phase-stepping Mach-Zender fibre interferometer is used to profile the mirror surface with an accuracy of a few tens of nanometres. Results are compared with the theory of small deflections of an elastic thin plate. Our experiments suggest that relatively simple apparatus can induce the mirror profiles required to demagnify a conventional helium source into a microprobe suitable for a SHeM. Use of elliptical boundary conditions in the clamping mechanism afford biaxial bending in the crystal whilst a simple double-electrode design is demonstrated to be capable of asymmetric control of the mirror deformation

Light asymmetric dark matter from new strong dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Mads Toudal; Sarkar, Subir; Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai

2011-01-01

A ~5 GeV `dark baryon' with a cosmic asymmetry similar to that of baryons is a natural candidate for the dark matter. We study the possibility of generating such a state through dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking, and show that it can share the relic baryon asymmetry via sphaleron interactions...

Exotic Meteoritic Phenomena: The Tunguska Event and Anomalous Low Altitude Fireballs - Manifestations of the Mirror World ?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.; Yoon, T.L.

2002-01-01

There are a number of very puzzling meteoritic events including (a) The Tunguska event. It is the only known example of a low altitude atmospheric explosion. It is also the largest recorded event. Remarkably no fragments or significant chemical traces have ever been recovered. (b) Anomalous low altitude fireballs which (in some cases) have been observed to hit the ground. The absence of fragments is particularly striking in these cases, but this is not the only reason they are anomalous. The other main puzzling feature is the lack of a consistent trajectory: low altitude fireballs, if caused by an ordinary cosmic body penetrating the Earth's atmosphere, should have been extremely luminous at high altitudes. But in these anomalous cases this is (remarkably) not observed to occur !. On the other hand, there is strong evidence that most of our galaxy is made from exotic dark material - ''dark matter''. Mirror matter is one well motivated dark matter candidate, since it is dark and stable and it is required to exist if particle interactions are mirror symmetric. If mirror matter is the dark matter, then some amount must exist in our solar system. Although there is not much room for a large amount of mirror matter in the inner solar system, numerous small asteroid sized mirror matter objects are a fascinating possibility because they can potentially collide with the Earth. We demonstrate that the mirror matter theory allows for a simple explanation for the puzzling meteoritic events [both (a) and (b)] if they are due to mirror matter space-bodies. A direct consequence of this explanation is that mirror matter fragments should exist in (or on) the ground at various impact sites. The properties of this potentially recoverable material depend importantly on the sign of the photon-mirror photon kinetic mixing parameter, ε. We argue that the broad characteristics of the anomalous events suggests that ε is probably negative. Strategies for detecting mirror matter in the

Oscillating asymmetric sneutrino dark matter from the maximally U(1L supersymmetric inverse seesaw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Long Chen

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The inverse seesaw mechanism provides an attractive approach to generate small neutrino mass, which origins from a tiny U(1L breaking. In this paper, we work in the supersymmetric version of this mechanism, where the singlet-like sneutrino could be an asymmetric dark matter (ADM candidate in the maximally U(1L symmetric limit. However, even a tiny δm, the mass splitting between sneutrino and anti-sneutrino as a result of the tiny U(1L breaking effect, could lead to fast oscillation between sneutrino and anti-sneutrino and thus spoils the ADM scenario. We study the evolution of this oscillation and find that a weak scale sneutrino, which tolerates a relatively larger δm∼10−5 eV, is strongly favored. We also investigate possible natural ways to realize that small δm in the model.

Effective theory of flavor for Minimal Mirror Twin Higgs

Science.gov (United States)

Barbieri, Riccardo; Hall, Lawrence J.; Harigaya, Keisuke

2017-10-01

We consider two copies of the Standard Model, interchanged by an exact parity symmetry, P. The observed fermion mass hierarchy is described by suppression factors ɛ^{n_i} for charged fermion i, as can arise in Froggatt-Nielsen and extra-dimensional theories of flavor. The corresponding flavor factors in the mirror sector are ɛ^' {n}_i} , so that spontaneous breaking of the parity P arises from a single parameter ɛ'/ɛ, yielding a tightly constrained version of Minimal Mirror Twin Higgs, introduced in our previous paper. Models are studied for simple values of n i , including in particular one with SU(5)-compatibility, that describe the observed fermion mass hierarchy. The entire mirror quark and charged lepton spectrum is broadly predicted in terms of ɛ'/ɛ, as are the mirror QCD scale and the decoupling temperature between the two sectors. Helium-, hydrogen- and neutron-like mirror dark matter candidates are constrained by self-scattering and relic ionization. In each case, the allowed parameter space can be fully probed by proposed direct detection experiments. Correlated predictions are made as well for the Higgs signal strength and the amount of dark radiation.

Mixed dark matter from technicolor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belyaev, Alexander; T. Frandsen, Mads; Sannino, Francesco

2011-01-01

We study natural composite cold dark matter candidates which are pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons (pNGB) in models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. Some of these can have a significant thermal relic abundance, while others must be mainly asymmetric dark matter. By considering the thermal...... abundance alone we find a lower bound of MW on the pNGB mass when the (composite) Higgs is heavier than 115 GeV. Being pNGBs, the dark matter candidates are in general light enough to be produced at the LHC....

Dissipative dark matter halos: The steady state solution

Science.gov (United States)

Foot, R.

2018-02-01

Dissipative dark matter, where dark matter particle properties closely resemble familiar baryonic matter, is considered. Mirror dark matter, which arises from an isomorphic hidden sector, is a specific and theoretically constrained scenario. Other possibilities include models with more generic hidden sectors that contain massless dark photons [unbroken U (1 ) gauge interactions]. Such dark matter not only features dissipative cooling processes but also is assumed to have nontrivial heating sourced by ordinary supernovae (facilitated by the kinetic mixing interaction). The dynamics of dissipative dark matter halos around rotationally supported galaxies, influenced by heating as well as cooling processes, can be modeled by fluid equations. For a sufficiently isolated galaxy with a stable star formation rate, the dissipative dark matter halos are expected to evolve to a steady state configuration which is in hydrostatic equilibrium and where heating and cooling rates locally balance. Here, we take into account the major cooling and heating processes, and numerically solve for the steady state solution under the assumptions of spherical symmetry, negligible dark magnetic fields, and that supernova sourced energy is transported to the halo via dark radiation. For the parameters considered, and assumptions made, we were unable to find a physically realistic solution for the constrained case of mirror dark matter halos. Halo cooling generally exceeds heating at realistic halo mass densities. This problem can be rectified in more generic dissipative dark matter models, and we discuss a specific example in some detail.

Cosmology in time asymmetric extensions of general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, Genly; Saridakis, Emmanuel N.

2015-01-01

We investigate the cosmological behavior in a universe governed by time asymmetric extensions of general relativity, which is a novel modified gravity based on the addition of new, time-asymmetric, terms on the Hamiltonian framework, in a way that the algebra of constraints and local physics remain unchanged. Nevertheless, at cosmological scales these new terms can have significant effects that can alter the universe evolution, both at early and late times, and the freedom in the choice of the involved modification function makes the scenario able to produce a huge class of cosmological behaviors. For basic ansatzes of modification, we perform a detailed dynamical analysis, extracting the stable late-time solutions. Amongst others, we find that the universe can result in dark-energy dominated, accelerating solutions, even in the absence of an explicit cosmological constant, in which the dark energy can be quintessence-like, phantom-like, or behave as an effective cosmological constant. Moreover, it can result to matter-domination, or to a Big Rip, or experience the sequence from matter to dark energy domination. Additionally, in the case of closed curvature, the universe may experience a cosmological bounce or turnaround, or even cyclic behavior. Finally, these scenarios can easily satisfy the observational and phenomenological requirements. Hence, time asymmetric cosmology can be a good candidate for the description of the universe

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis in Visible and Hidden-Mirror Sectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Ciarcelluti

2014-01-01

dark matter. The production of ordinary nuclides shows differences from the standard model for a ratio of the temperatures between mirror and ordinary sectors x=T′/T≳0.3, and they present an interesting decrease of the abundance of Li7. For the mirror nuclides, instead, one observes an enhanced production of He4, which becomes the dominant element for x≲0.5, and much larger abundances of heavier elements.

Asymmetric mass models of disk galaxies. I. Messier 99

Science.gov (United States)

Chemin, Laurent; Huré, Jean-Marc; Soubiran, Caroline; Zibetti, Stefano; Charlot, Stéphane; Kawata, Daisuke

2016-04-01

Mass models of galactic disks traditionally rely on axisymmetric density and rotation curves, paradoxically acting as if their most remarkable asymmetric features, such as lopsidedness or spiral arms, were not important. In this article, we relax the axisymmetry approximation and introduce a methodology that derives 3D gravitational potentials of disk-like objects and robustly estimates the impacts of asymmetries on circular velocities in the disk midplane. Mass distribution models can then be directly fitted to asymmetric line-of-sight velocity fields. Applied to the grand-design spiral M 99, the new strategy shows that circular velocities are highly nonuniform, particularly in the inner disk of the galaxy, as a natural response to the perturbed gravitational potential of luminous matter. A cuspy inner density profile of dark matter is found in M 99, in the usual case where luminous and dark matter share the same center. The impact of the velocity nonuniformity is to make the inner profile less steep, although the density remains cuspy. On another hand, a model where the halo is core dominated and shifted by 2.2-2.5 kpc from the luminous mass center is more appropriate to explain most of the kinematical lopsidedness evidenced in the velocity field of M 99. However, the gravitational potential of luminous baryons is not asymmetric enough to explain the kinematical lopsidedness of the innermost regions, irrespective of the density shape of dark matter. This discrepancy points out the necessity of an additional dynamical process in these regions: possibly a lopsided distribution of dark matter.

Polarization of photons emitted by decaying dark matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Bonivento

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Radiatively decaying dark matter may be searched through investigating the photon spectrum of galaxies and galaxy clusters. We explore whether the properties of dark matter can be constrained through the study of a polarization state of emitted photons. Starting from the basic principles of quantum mechanics we show that the models of symmetric dark matter are indiscernible by the photon polarization. However, we find that the asymmetric dark matter consisted of Dirac fermions is a source of circularly polarized photons, calling for the experimental determination of the photon state.

Gravitational Waves from a Dark Phase Transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwaller, Pedro

2015-10-30

In this work, we show that a large class of models with a composite dark sector undergo a strong first order phase transition in the early Universe, which could lead to a detectable gravitational wave signal. We summarize the basic conditions for a strong first order phase transition for SU(N) dark sectors with n_{f} flavors, calculate the gravitational wave spectrum and show that, depending on the dark confinement scale, it can be detected at eLISA or in pulsar timing array experiments. The gravitational wave signal provides a unique test of the gravitational interactions of a dark sector, and we discuss the complementarity with conventional searches for new dark sectors. The discussion includes the twin Higgs and strongly interacting massive particle models as well as symmetric and asymmetric composite dark matter scenarios.

Dark matter assimilation into the baryon asymmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Eramo, Francesco; Fei, Lin; Thaler, Jesse

2012-01-01

Pure singlets are typically disfavored as dark matter candidates, since they generically have a thermal relic abundance larger than the observed value. In this paper, we propose a new dark matter mechanism called a ssimilation , which takes advantage of the baryon asymmetry of the universe to generate the correct relic abundance of singlet dark matter. Through assimilation, dark matter itself is efficiently destroyed, but dark matter number is stored in new quasi-stable heavy states which carry the baryon asymmetry. The subsequent annihilation and late-time decay of these heavy states yields (symmetric) dark matter as well as (asymmetric) standard model baryons. We study in detail the case of pure bino dark matter by augmenting the minimal supersymmetric standard model with vector-like chiral multiplets. In the parameter range where this mechanism is effective, the LHC can discover long-lived charged particles which were responsible for assimilating dark matter

Updated constraints on velocity and momentum-dependent asymmetric dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vincent, Aaron C. [Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP),Department of Physics, Durham University,Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London,Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Scott, Pat [Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London,Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Serenelli, Aldo [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE-CSIC/IEEC),Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés (Spain)

2016-11-04

We present updated constraints on dark matter models with momentum-dependent or velocity-dependent interactions with nuclei, based on direct detection and solar physics. We improve our previous treatment of energy transport in the solar interior by dark matter scattering, leading to significant changes in fits to many observables. Based on solar physics alone, DM with a spin-independent q{sup 4} coupling provides the best fit to data, and a statistically satisfactory solution to the solar abundance problem. Once direct detection limits are accounted for however, the best solution is spin-dependent v{sup 2} scattering with a reference cross-section of 10{sup −35} cm{sup 2} (at a reference velocity of v{sub 0}=220 km s{sup −1}), and a dark matter mass of about 5 GeV.

Gravitational Waves From a Dark (Twin) Phase Transition

CERN Document Server

Schwaller, Pedro

2015-01-01

In this work, we show that a large class of models with a composite dark sector undergo a strong first order phase transition in the early universe, which could lead to a detectable gravitational wave signal. We summarise the basic conditions for a strong first order phase transition for SU(N) dark sectors with n_f flavours, calculate the gravitational wave spectrum and show that, depending on the dark confinement scale, it can be detected at eLISA or in pulsar timing array experiments. The gravitational wave signal provides a unique test of the gravitational interactions of a dark sector, and we discuss the complementarity with conventional searches for new dark sectors. The discussion includes Twin Higgs and SIMP models as well as symmetric and asymmetric composite dark matter scenarios.

Superheavy thermal dark matter and primordial asymmetries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bramante, Joseph; Unwin, James

2017-01-01

The early universe could feature multiple reheating events, leading to jumps in the visible sector entropy density that dilute both particle asymmetries and the number density of frozen-out states. In fact, late time entropy jumps are usually required in models of Affleck-Dine baryogenesis, which typically produces an initial particle-antiparticle asymmetry that is much too large. An important consequence of late time dilution, is that a smaller dark matter annihilation cross section is needed to obtain the observed dark matter relic density. For cosmologies with high scale baryogenesis, followed by radiation-dominated dark matter freeze-out, we show that the perturbative unitarity mass bound on thermal relic dark matter is relaxed to 10 10 GeV. We proceed to study superheavy asymmetric dark matter models, made possible by a sizable entropy injection after dark matter freeze-out, and identify how the Affleck-Dine mechanism would generate the baryon and dark asymmetries.

Superheavy thermal dark matter and primordial asymmetries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bramante, Joseph [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,31 Caroline St N, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Unwin, James [Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago,845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607 (United States)

2017-02-23

The early universe could feature multiple reheating events, leading to jumps in the visible sector entropy density that dilute both particle asymmetries and the number density of frozen-out states. In fact, late time entropy jumps are usually required in models of Affleck-Dine baryogenesis, which typically produces an initial particle-antiparticle asymmetry that is much too large. An important consequence of late time dilution, is that a smaller dark matter annihilation cross section is needed to obtain the observed dark matter relic density. For cosmologies with high scale baryogenesis, followed by radiation-dominated dark matter freeze-out, we show that the perturbative unitarity mass bound on thermal relic dark matter is relaxed to 10{sup 10} GeV. We proceed to study superheavy asymmetric dark matter models, made possible by a sizable entropy injection after dark matter freeze-out, and identify how the Affleck-Dine mechanism would generate the baryon and dark asymmetries.

Consequences of DM/antiDM oscillations for asymmetric WIMP darkmatter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cirelli, M.; Panci, P.; Servant, G.

2012-01-01

Assuming the existence of a primordial asymmetry in the dark sector, a scenario usually dubbed Asymmetric Dark Matter (aDM), we study the effect of oscillations between dark matter and its antiparticle on the re-equilibration of the initial asymmetry before freeze-out, which enable efficient...... a primordial asymmetry of the same order as the baryon asymmetry naturally gets the correct relic abundance if the DM-number-violating Delta(DM) = 2 mass term is in the similar to meV range. The re-establishment of annihilations implies that constraints from the accumulation of aDM in astrophysical bodies...

Dissipative dark matter halos: The steady state solution. II.

Science.gov (United States)

Foot, R.

2018-05-01

Within the mirror dark matter model and dissipative dark matter models in general, halos around galaxies with active star formation (including spirals and gas-rich dwarfs) are dynamical: they expand and contract in response to heating and cooling processes. Ordinary type II supernovae (SNe) can provide the dominant heat source, which is possible if kinetic mixing interaction exists with strength ɛ ˜10-9- 10-10 . Dissipative dark matter halos can be modeled as a fluid governed by Euler's equations. Around sufficiently isolated and unperturbed galaxies the halo can relax to a steady state configuration, where heating and cooling rates locally balance and hydrostatic equilibrium prevails. These steady state conditions can be solved to derive the physical properties, including the halo density and temperature profiles, for model galaxies. Here, we consider idealized spherically symmetric galaxies within the mirror dark particle model, as in our earlier paper [Phys. Rev. D 97, 043012 (2018), 10.1103/PhysRevD.97.043012], but we assume that the local halo heating in the SN vicinity dominates over radiative sources. With this assumption, physically interesting steady state solutions arise which we compute for a representative range of model galaxies. The end result is a rather simple description of the dark matter halo around idealized spherically symmetric systems, characterized in principle by only one parameter, with physical properties that closely resemble the empirical properties of disk galaxies.

Exposing asymmetric gray matter vulnerability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew S. Devine

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Limb weakness in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is typically asymmetric. Previous studies have identified an effect of limb dominance on onset and spread of weakness, however relative atrophy of dominant and non-dominant brain regions has not been investigated. Our objective was to use voxel-based morphometry (VBM to explore gray matter (GM asymmetry in ALS, in the context of limb dominance. 30 ALS subjects were matched with 17 healthy controls. All subjects were right-handed. Each underwent a structural MRI sequence, from which GM segmentations were generated. Patterns of GM atrophy were assessed in ALS subjects with first weakness in a right-sided limb (n = 15 or left-sided limb (n = 15. Within each group, a voxelwise comparison was also performed between native and mirror GM images, to identify regions of hemispheric GM asymmetry. Subjects with ALS showed disproportionate atrophy of the dominant (left motor cortex hand area, irrespective of the side of first limb weakness (p < 0.01. Asymmetric atrophy of the left somatosensory cortex and temporal gyri was only observed in ALS subjects with right-sided onset of limb weakness. Our VBM protocol, contrasting native and mirror images, was able to more sensitively detect asymmetric GM pathology in a small cohort, compared with standard methods. These findings indicate particular vulnerability of dominant upper limb representation in ALS, supporting previous clinical studies, and with implications for cortical organisation and selective vulnerability.

Dark matter, mirror world, and E6 unification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Ch. R.; Laperashvili, L. V.

2009-01-01

The idea that the ordinary (O) and mirror (M) worlds exist simultaneously is developed. It is shown that, in the case of a violated mirror parity (MP), the renormalization-group evolution of the coupling constants, which is represented in the O world by the dependence α i -1 (μ) (μ is an energy variable), is not identical to the evolution of the coupling constants α' i -1 (μ) in the M world. Here, the index i labels the symmetry group under consideration, while a dash labels quantities defined in the M world. It is assumed that E 6 unification predicted by superstring theory restores MP at the unification scale M SGUT ∼ 10 18 GeV, this inevitably leading to the difference in the violation of E 6 unification in the O and M worlds at lower energies: E 6 → SO(10) x U(1) Z and E' 6 → SU(6)' x SU(2)' Z . Considering only asymptotically free theories, we present the evolution of all the inverse coupling constants α i -1 (μ) in the one-loop approximation. In dealing with the M world involving MP violation, we then arrive at the model of the accelerating expansion of our Universe, where the axion ('acceleron') belongs to the SU(2)' Z group of the M world. The coupling constant g' Z , which grows indefinitely at the scale Λ' Z ∼ 10 -3 eV, is associated with this group. Within this theory, our Universe is in the false vacuum of the M world, in agreement with the phenomenologically observed cosmological constant of about (3 x 10 -3 eV) 4 .

Big Bang synthesis of nuclear dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, Edward; Lasenby, Robert; March-Russell, John; West, Stephen M.

2015-01-01

We investigate the physics of dark matter models featuring composite bound states carrying a large conserved dark “nucleon” number. The properties of sufficiently large dark nuclei may obey simple scaling laws, and we find that this scaling can determine the number distribution of nuclei resulting from Big Bang Dark Nucleosynthesis. For plausible models of asymmetric dark matter, dark nuclei of large nucleon number, e.g. ≳10 8 , may be synthesised, with the number distribution taking one of two characteristic forms. If small-nucleon-number fusions are sufficiently fast, the distribution of dark nuclei takes on a logarithmically-peaked, universal form, independent of many details of the initial conditions and small-number interactions. In the case of a substantial bottleneck to nucleosynthesis for small dark nuclei, we find the surprising result that even larger nuclei, with size ≫10 8 , are often finally synthesised, again with a simple number distribution. We briefly discuss the constraints arising from the novel dark sector energetics, and the extended set of (often parametrically light) dark sector states that can occur in complete models of nuclear dark matter. The physics of the coherent enhancement of direct detection signals, the nature of the accompanying dark-sector form factors, and the possible modifications to astrophysical processes are discussed in detail in a companion paper.

Spontaneous mirror left-right symmetry breaking for leptogenesis parametrized by Majorana neutrino mass matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Pei-Hong

2017-10-01

We introduce a mirror copy of the ordinary fermions and Higgs scalars for embedding the SU(2) L × U(1) Y electroweak gauge symmetry into an SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1) B-L left-right gauge symmetry. We then show the spontaneous left-right symmetry breaking can automatically break the parity symmetry motivated by solving the strong CP problem. Through the SU(2) R gauge interactions, a mirror Majorana neutrino can decay into a mirror charged lepton and two mirror quarks. Consequently we can obtain a lepton asymmetry stored in the mirror charged leptons. The Yukawa couplings of the mirror and ordinary charged fermions to a dark matter scalar then can transfer the mirror lepton asymmetry to an ordinary lepton asymmetry which provides a solution to the cosmic baryon asymmetry in association with the SU(2) L sphaleron processes. In this scenario, the baryon asymmetry can be well described by the neutrino mass matrix up to an overall factor.

CASTing light on dark matter particles

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

CERN's CAST collaboration recently released first results from its search for solar axions, a candidate dark matter particle. Though they haven't found any axions yet, they have done much to narrow the hunt. The CAST experiment. Physicists think the universe is permeated with dark matter, particles that don't emit or absorb radiation and so are invisible to traditional telescopes. So far no one has found direct signs of dark matter. A different breed of telescope, however, may be able to see such particles. CERN's Axion Solar Telescope (CAST), currently the world's only working axion helioscope, is a superconducting test magnet from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that has been refurbished and outfitted with X-ray detectors, plus a focusing mirror system for X-rays that was recovered from the German space program. CAST stares into the sun in search of particles called axions, one of the leading candidates for dark matter. On 9 November, the CAST collaboration released the results of their first experimen...

Solving the small-scale structure puzzles with dissipative dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foot, Robert [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia); Vagnozzi, Sunny, E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: sunny.vagnozzi@fysik.su.se [The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, Roslagstullbacken 21A, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

2016-07-01

Small-scale structure is studied in the context of dissipative dark matter, arising for instance in models with a hidden unbroken Abelian sector, so that dark matter couples to a massless dark photon. The dark sector interacts with ordinary matter via gravity and photon-dark photon kinetic mixing. Mirror dark matter is a theoretically constrained special case where all parameters are fixed except for the kinetic mixing strength, ε. In these models, the dark matter halo around spiral and irregular galaxies takes the form of a dissipative plasma which evolves in response to various heating and cooling processes. It has been argued previously that such dynamics can account for the inferred cored density profiles of galaxies and other related structural features. Here we focus on the apparent deficit of nearby small galaxies (''missing satellite problem'), which these dissipative models have the potential to address through small-scale power suppression by acoustic and diffusion damping. Using a variant of the extended Press-Schechter formalism, we evaluate the halo mass function for the special case of mirror dark matter. Considering a simplified model where M {sub baryons} ∝ M {sub halo}, we relate the halo mass function to more directly observable quantities, and find that for ε ≈ 2 × 10{sup −10} such a simplified description is compatible with the measured galaxy luminosity and velocity functions. On scales M {sub halo} ∼< 10{sup 8} M {sub ⊙}, diffusion damping exponentially suppresses the halo mass function, suggesting a nonprimordial origin for dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies, which we speculate were formed via a top-down fragmentation process as the result of nonlinear dissipative collapse of larger density perturbations. This could explain the planar orientation of satellite galaxies around Andromeda and the Milky Way.

Solving the small-scale structure puzzles with dissipative dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Foot, Robert; Vagnozzi, Sunny

2016-07-01

Small-scale structure is studied in the context of dissipative dark matter, arising for instance in models with a hidden unbroken Abelian sector, so that dark matter couples to a massless dark photon. The dark sector interacts with ordinary matter via gravity and photon-dark photon kinetic mixing. Mirror dark matter is a theoretically constrained special case where all parameters are fixed except for the kinetic mixing strength, epsilon. In these models, the dark matter halo around spiral and irregular galaxies takes the form of a dissipative plasma which evolves in response to various heating and cooling processes. It has been argued previously that such dynamics can account for the inferred cored density profiles of galaxies and other related structural features. Here we focus on the apparent deficit of nearby small galaxies (``missing satellite problem"), which these dissipative models have the potential to address through small-scale power suppression by acoustic and diffusion damping. Using a variant of the extended Press-Schechter formalism, we evaluate the halo mass function for the special case of mirror dark matter. Considering a simplified model where Mbaryons propto Mhalo, we relate the halo mass function to more directly observable quantities, and find that for epsilon ≈ 2 × 10-10 such a simplified description is compatible with the measured galaxy luminosity and velocity functions. On scales Mhalo lesssim 108 Msolar, diffusion damping exponentially suppresses the halo mass function, suggesting a nonprimordial origin for dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies, which we speculate were formed via a top-down fragmentation process as the result of nonlinear dissipative collapse of larger density perturbations. This could explain the planar orientation of satellite galaxies around Andromeda and the Milky Way.

Cell Chirality Drives Left-Right Asymmetric Morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Inaki, Mikiko; Sasamura, Takeshi; Matsuno, Kenji

2018-01-01

Most macromolecules found in cells are chiral, meaning that they cannot be superimposed onto their mirror image. However, cells themselves can also be chiral, a subject that has received little attention until very recently. In our studies on the mechanisms of left-right (LR) asymmetric development in Drosophila , we discovered that cells can have an intrinsic chirality to their structure, and that this "cell chirality" is generally responsible for the LR asymmetric development of certain organs in this species. The actin cytoskeleton plays important roles in the formation of cell chirality. In addition, Myosin31DF ( Myo31DF ), which encodes Drosophila Myosin ID, was identified as a molecular switch for cell chirality. In other invertebrate species, including snails and Caenorhabditis elegans , chirality of the blastomeres, another type of cell chirality, determines the LR asymmetry of structures in the body. Thus, chirality at the cellular level may broadly contribute to LR asymmetric development in various invertebrate species. Recently, cell chirality was also reported for various vertebrate cultured cells, and studies suggested that cell chirality is evolutionarily conserved, including the essential role of the actin cytoskeleton. Although the biological roles of cell chirality in vertebrates remain unknown, it may control LR asymmetric development or other morphogenetic events. The investigation of cell chirality has just begun, and this new field should provide valuable new insights in biology and medicine.

Exposing asymmetric gray matter vulnerability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Devine, Matthew S; Pannek, Kerstin; Coulthard, Alan; McCombe, Pamela A; Rose, Stephen E; Henderson, Robert D

2015-01-01

Limb weakness in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is typically asymmetric. Previous studies have identified an effect of limb dominance on onset and spread of weakness, however relative atrophy of dominant and non-dominant brain regions has not been investigated. Our objective was to use voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to explore gray matter (GM) asymmetry in ALS, in the context of limb dominance. 30 ALS subjects were matched with 17 healthy controls. All subjects were right-handed. Each underwent a structural MRI sequence, from which GM segmentations were generated. Patterns of GM atrophy were assessed in ALS subjects with first weakness in a right-sided limb (n = 15) or left-sided limb (n = 15). Within each group, a voxelwise comparison was also performed between native and mirror GM images, to identify regions of hemispheric GM asymmetry. Subjects with ALS showed disproportionate atrophy of the dominant (left) motor cortex hand area, irrespective of the side of first limb weakness (p protocol, contrasting native and mirror images, was able to more sensitively detect asymmetric GM pathology in a small cohort, compared with standard methods. These findings indicate particular vulnerability of dominant upper limb representation in ALS, supporting previous clinical studies, and with implications for cortical organisation and selective vulnerability.

Mirror-backed Dark Alumina: A Nearly Perfect Absorber for Thermoelectronics and Thermophotovotaics

KAUST Repository

Farhat, Mohamed; Cheng, Tsung-Chieh; Le, Khai. Q.; Cheng, Mark Ming-Cheng; Bagci, Hakan; Chen, Pai-Yen

2016-01-01

We present here a broadband, wide-angle, and polarization-independent nearly perfect absorber consisting of mirror-backed nanoporous alumina. By electrochemically anodizing the disordered multicomponent aluminum and properly tailoring the thickness

Dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser with asymmetric fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Cong; Xu, Zhi-wei; Wang, Meng; Chen, Hai-yan

2014-11-01

A novel dual-wavelength fiber laser with asymmetric fiber Bragg grating (FBG) Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A couple of uniform FBGs are used as the cavity mirrors, and the third FBG is used as intracavity wavelength selector by changing its operation temperature. Experimental results show that by adjusting the operation temperature of the intracavity wavelength selector, a tunable dual-wavelength laser emission can be achieved. The results demonstrate the new concept of dual-wavelength lasing with asymmetric FBG FP resonator and its technical feasibility.

Electromagnetic resonance in the asymmetric terahertz metamaterials with triangle microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Qiang; Gu, Yanping; Qian, Yunan; Lin, Xingyue; Tang, Yunhai; Cheng, Xinli; Qin, Changfa; Shen, Jiaoyan; Zang, Taocheng; Ma, Chunlan

2018-05-01

We investigate terahertz transmission properties and electromagnetic resonance modes in the asymmetric triangle structures with the change of asymmetric distance and the direction of electric field. When the THz electric field is perpendicular to the split gap of triangle, the electric field can better excite the THz absorption in the triangle structures. Importantly, electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) characteristics are observed in the triangle structures due to the destructive interference of the different excited modes. The distributions of electric field and surface current density simulated by finite difference time domain indicate that the bright mode is excited by the side of triangle structures and dark mode is excited by the gap-side of triangle. The present study is helpful to understand the electromagnetic resonance in the asymmetric triangular metamaterials.

Gravity resonance spectroscopy constrains dark energy and dark matter scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenke, T; Cronenberg, G; Burgdörfer, J; Chizhova, L A; Geltenbort, P; Ivanov, A N; Lauer, T; Lins, T; Rotter, S; Saul, H; Schmidt, U; Abele, H

2014-04-18

We report on precision resonance spectroscopy measurements of quantum states of ultracold neutrons confined above the surface of a horizontal mirror by the gravity potential of Earth. Resonant transitions between several of the lowest quantum states are observed for the first time. These measurements demonstrate that Newton's inverse square law of gravity is understood at micron distances on an energy scale of 10-14  eV. At this level of precision, we are able to provide constraints on any possible gravitylike interaction. In particular, a dark energy chameleon field is excluded for values of the coupling constant β>5.8×108 at 95% confidence level (C.L.), and an attractive (repulsive) dark matter axionlike spin-mass coupling is excluded for the coupling strength gsgp>3.7×10-16 (5.3×10-16) at a Yukawa length of λ=20  μm (95% C.L.).

CONSTRAINT ON LIGHT DIPOLE DARK MATTER FROM HELIOSEISMOLOGY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopes, Ilídio [Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofísica, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Kadota, Kenji [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Silk, Joseph, E-mail: ilidio.lopes@ist.utl.pt, E-mail: ilopes@uevora.pt, E-mail: kadota.kenji@f.nagoya-u.jp, E-mail: silk@astro.ox.ac.uk [Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095 CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris (France)

2014-01-10

We investigate the effects of a magnetic dipole moment of asymmetric dark matter (DM) in the evolution of the Sun. The dipole interaction can lead to a sizable DM scattering cross section even for light DM, and asymmetric DM can lead to a large DM number density in the Sun. We find that solar model precision tests, using as diagnostic the sound speed profile obtained from helioseismology data, exclude dipolar DM particles with a mass larger than 4.3 GeV and magnetic dipole moment larger than 1.6 × 10{sup –17} e cm.

Limits on Self-Interacting Dark Matter from Neutron Stars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kouvaris, C.

2012-01-01

We impose new severe constraints on the self-interactions of fermionic asymmetric dark matter based on observations of nearby old neutron stars. Weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) self-interactions mediated by Yukawa-type interactions can lower significantly the number of WIMPs necessary...... for gravitational collapse of the WIMP population accumulated in a neutron star. Even nearby neutron stars located at regions of low dark matter density can accrete a sufficient number of WIMPs that can potentially collapse, form a mini black hole, and destroy the host star. Based on this, we derive constraints...

An analysis on mode selection by V-I transmission matrix in DBR laser with asymmetric fiber gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhuoxuan; Pei, Li; Li, Qi; Ning, Tigang; Liu, Chao; Gao, Song

2013-02-01

The V-I Transmission Matrix Method (VITMM) which is well known in the microwave engineering field was firstly applied to analyze the output spectra of the Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser, formed by asymmetric fiber gratings as resonator mirrors. One mirror is the uniform Bragg grating and the other is chirped grating. A theoretical model of grating was established, and then a numerical simulation of the mode selection in DBR laser with asymmetric fiber gratings was presented. Simulation results show that VITMM, with calculation error less than 0.1%, could save the calculation time compared to the Rouard method. In the experiment, the setup design of the single-longitudinal-mode laser output at 1544.7 nm was carried out, and the result, which lasted about 10 min, observed on an optical spectrum analyzer, demonstrates the feasibility of VITMM to address the mode output issues of DBR fiber laser.

On the geometry of dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maia, M D; Monte, E M; Maia, J M F; Alcaniz, J S

2005-01-01

Experimental evidence suggests that we live in a spatially flat, accelerating universe composed of roughly one-third of matter (baryonic + dark) and two-thirds of a negative-pressure dark component, generically called dark energy. The presence of such energy not only explains the observed accelerating expansion of the universe but also provides the remaining piece of information connecting the inflationary flatness prediction with astronomical observations. However, despite its good observational indications, the nature of dark energy still remains an open question. In this paper we explore a geometrical explanation for such a component within the context of braneworld theory without mirror symmetry, leading to a geometrical interpretation for dark energy as a warp in the universe given by the extrinsic curvature. In particular, we study the phenomenological implications of the extrinsic curvature of a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe in a five-dimensional constant curvature bulk, with signatures (4,1) or (3,2), as compared with the x-matter (XCDM) model. From the analysis of the geometrically modified Friedmann's equations, the deceleration parameter and the weak energy condition, we find a consistent agreement with the presently known observational data on inflation for the de Sitter bulk, but not for the anti-de Sitter case

Mirror boxes and mirror mounts for photophysics beamline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raja Rao, P.M.; Raja Sekhar, B.N.; Das, N.C.; Khan, H.A.; Bhattacharya, S.S.; Roy, A.P.

1996-01-01

Photophysics beamline makes use of one metre Seya-Namioka monochromator and two toroidal mirrors in its fore optics. The first toroidal mirror (pre mirror) focuses light originating from the tangent point of the storage ring onto the entrance slit of the monochromator and second toroidal mirror (post mirror) collects light from the exit slit of the monochromator and focuses light onto the sample placed at a distance of about one metre away from the 2nd mirror. To steer light through monochromator and to focus it on the sample of 1mm x 1mm size require precision rotational and translational motion of the mirrors and this has been achieved with the help of precision mirror mounts. Since Indus-1 operates at pressures less than 10 -9 m.bar, the mirror mounts should be manipulated under similar ultra high vacuum conditions. Considering these requirements, two mirror boxes and two mirror mounts have been designed and fabricated. The coarse movements to the mirrors are imparted from outside the mirror chamber with the help of x-y tables and precision movements to the mirrors are achieved with the help of mirror mounts. The UHV compatibility and performance of the mirror mounts connected to mirror boxes under ultra high vacuum condition is evaluated. The details of the design, fabrication and performance evaluation are discussed in this report. 5 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab

Mirroring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wegener, Charlotte; Wegener, Gregers

2016-01-01

and metaphorical value of mirroring for creativity theory across two different research fields — neuroscience and learning. We engage in a mutual (possibly creative) exploration of mirroring from ‘mirror neurons’ to mirroring in social learning theory. One of the most fascinating aspects of mirroring...... as a neurobiological and as a learning phenomenon is that it points to the embodied and unconscious aspects of social interaction. Thus, mirroring should not be reduced to the non-creative, mechanical repetition of the original, outstanding creativity. To mirror is a human capability built into our capacity to create......Most definitions of creativity emphasise originality. The creative product is recognised as distinct from other products and the creative person as someone who stands out from the crowd. What tend to be overlooked are acts of mirroring as a crucial element of the creative process. The human ability...

Cell chirality: its origin and roles in left-right asymmetric development.

Science.gov (United States)

Inaki, Mikiko; Liu, Jingyang; Matsuno, Kenji

2016-12-19

An item is chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. Most biological molecules are chiral. The homochirality of amino acids ensures that proteins are chiral, which is essential for their functions. Chirality also occurs at the whole-cell level, which was first studied mostly in ciliates, single-celled protozoans. Ciliates show chirality in their cortical structures, which is not determined by genetics, but by 'cortical inheritance'. These studies suggested that molecular chirality directs whole-cell chirality. Intriguingly, chirality in cellular structures and functions is also found in metazoans. In Drosophila, intrinsic cell chirality is observed in various left-right (LR) asymmetric tissues, and appears to be responsible for their LR asymmetric morphogenesis. In other invertebrates, such as snails and Caenorhabditis elegans, blastomere chirality is responsible for subsequent LR asymmetric development. Various cultured cells of vertebrates also show intrinsic chirality in their cellular behaviours and intracellular structural dynamics. Thus, cell chirality may be a general property of eukaryotic cells. In Drosophila, cell chirality drives the LR asymmetric development of individual organs, without establishing the LR axis of the whole embryo. Considering that organ-intrinsic LR asymmetry is also reported in vertebrates, this mechanism may contribute to LR asymmetric development across phyla.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'. © 2016 The Authors.

Cell chirality: its origin and roles in left–right asymmetric development

Science.gov (United States)

Inaki, Mikiko; Liu, Jingyang

2016-01-01

An item is chiral if it cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. Most biological molecules are chiral. The homochirality of amino acids ensures that proteins are chiral, which is essential for their functions. Chirality also occurs at the whole-cell level, which was first studied mostly in ciliates, single-celled protozoans. Ciliates show chirality in their cortical structures, which is not determined by genetics, but by ‘cortical inheritance’. These studies suggested that molecular chirality directs whole-cell chirality. Intriguingly, chirality in cellular structures and functions is also found in metazoans. In Drosophila, intrinsic cell chirality is observed in various left–right (LR) asymmetric tissues, and appears to be responsible for their LR asymmetric morphogenesis. In other invertebrates, such as snails and Caenorhabditis elegans, blastomere chirality is responsible for subsequent LR asymmetric development. Various cultured cells of vertebrates also show intrinsic chirality in their cellular behaviours and intracellular structural dynamics. Thus, cell chirality may be a general property of eukaryotic cells. In Drosophila, cell chirality drives the LR asymmetric development of individual organs, without establishing the LR axis of the whole embryo. Considering that organ-intrinsic LR asymmetry is also reported in vertebrates, this mechanism may contribute to LR asymmetric development across phyla. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Provocative questions in left–right asymmetry’. PMID:27821533

Mirror confinement systems: Final technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-08-01

This report contains: (1) A discussion of azimuthal asymmetrics and fluctuations in RFC-XX-M. Both lead to enhanced radial transport in RFC-XX-M, and presumably most other tandem mirror machines as well; A report on four operating modes of RFC-XX-M which were developed and studied as part of the collaboration. These operating modes were the simple tandem mode, the negative (floating) potential mode, the hot electron mode, and the ECH (electron cyclotron heating) mode; A pulsed rf heated discharge cleaning system which was developed for RFC-XX-M. This method of cleaning proved much more effective than normal glow discharge cleaning, and variations of it are currently in use on the GAMMA-10 tandem mirror and the JIPP TII-U tokamak at the Institute for Plasma Physics at Nagoya; Short descriptions of the diagnostics development and improvement done in conjunction with the work on RFC-XX-M; and a compilation of the work performed at the University of Tsukuba on GAMMA-10. Most of the effort on GAMMA-10 involved diagnostics development and improvement. 16 refs., 42 figs., 1 tab

Moduli induced cogenesis of baryon asymmetry and dark matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansi Dhuria

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We study a cogenesis mechanism in which the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe and the dark matter abundance can be produced simultaneously at low reheating temperature without violating baryon number in the fundamental interactions. In particular, we consider a model which can be realized in the context of type IIB large volume string compactifications. The matter superfields in this model include additional pairs of color triplet and singlet superfields in addition to the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM superfields. Assuming that the mass of the additional singlet fermions is O(GeV and of the color triplet fermions is O(TeV, we show that the modulus dominantly decays into the additional color triplet superfields. After soft supersymmetry (SUSY breaking, the lightest eigenstate of scalar component of color triplet superfield further decays into fermionic component of singlet superfield and quarks without violating baryon number. Imposing discrete Z2 symmetry, it follows that the singlet fermion will not further decay into the SM particles and therefore it can be considered as a stable asymmetric dark matter (ADM component. We find that the decay of the lightest eigenstate of scalar component of color triplet superfield gives the observed baryon asymmetry in the visible sector, an asymmetric dark matter component with the right abundance and naturally explains cosmic coincidence.

Pulsar kicks from a dark-matter sterile neutrino

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, George M.; Kusenko, Alexander; Mocioiu, Irina; Pascoli, Silvia

2003-01-01

We show that a sterile neutrino with a mass in the 1-20 keV range and a small mixing with the electron neutrino can simultaneously explain the origin of the pulsar motions and the dark matter in the Universe. An asymmetric neutrino emission from a hot nascent neutron star can be the explanation of the observed pulsar velocities. In addition to the pulsar kick mechanism based on resonant neutrino transitions, we point out a new possibility: an asymmetric off-resonant emission of sterile neutrinos. The two cases correspond to different values of the masses and mixing angles. In both cases we identify the ranges of parameters consistent with the pulsar kick, as well as cosmological constraints

Mirror-Image Equivalence and Interhemispheric Mirror-Image Reversal.

Science.gov (United States)

Corballis, Michael C

2018-01-01

Mirror-image confusions are common, especially in children and in some cases of neurological impairment. They can be a special impediment in activities such as reading and writing directional scripts, where mirror-image patterns (such as b and d ) must be distinguished. Treating mirror images as equivalent, though, can also be adaptive in the natural world, which carries no systematic left-right bias and where the same object or event can appear in opposite viewpoints. Mirror-image equivalence and confusion are natural consequences of a bilaterally symmetrical brain. In the course of learning, mirror-image equivalence may be established through a process of symmetrization, achieved through homotopic interhemispheric exchange in the formation of memory circuits. Such circuits would not distinguish between mirror images. Learning to discriminate mirror-image discriminations may depend either on existing brain asymmetries, or on extensive learning overriding the symmetrization process. The balance between mirror-image equivalence and mirror-image discrimination may nevertheless be precarious, with spontaneous confusions or reversals, such as mirror writing, sometimes appearing naturally or as a manifestation of conditions like dyslexia.

Mirror-Image Equivalence and Interhemispheric Mirror-Image Reversal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael C. Corballis

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Mirror-image confusions are common, especially in children and in some cases of neurological impairment. They can be a special impediment in activities such as reading and writing directional scripts, where mirror-image patterns (such as b and d must be distinguished. Treating mirror images as equivalent, though, can also be adaptive in the natural world, which carries no systematic left-right bias and where the same object or event can appear in opposite viewpoints. Mirror-image equivalence and confusion are natural consequences of a bilaterally symmetrical brain. In the course of learning, mirror-image equivalence may be established through a process of symmetrization, achieved through homotopic interhemispheric exchange in the formation of memory circuits. Such circuits would not distinguish between mirror images. Learning to discriminate mirror-image discriminations may depend either on existing brain asymmetries, or on extensive learning overriding the symmetrization process. The balance between mirror-image equivalence and mirror-image discrimination may nevertheless be precarious, with spontaneous confusions or reversals, such as mirror writing, sometimes appearing naturally or as a manifestation of conditions like dyslexia.

Mirror Neurons and Mirror-Touch Synesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Linkovski, Omer; Katzin, Naama; Salti, Moti

2016-05-30

Since mirror neurons were introduced to the neuroscientific community more than 20 years ago, they have become an elegant and intuitive account for different cognitive mechanisms (e.g., empathy, goal understanding) and conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorders). Recently, mirror neurons were suggested to be the mechanism underlying a specific type of synesthesia. Mirror-touch synesthesia is a phenomenon in which individuals experience somatosensory sensations when seeing someone else being touched. Appealing as it is, careful delineation is required when applying this mechanism. Using the mirror-touch synesthesia case, we put forward theoretical and methodological issues that should be addressed before relying on the mirror-neurons account. © The Author(s) 2016.

Dark Matter Ignition of Type Ia Supernovae.

Science.gov (United States)

Bramante, Joseph

2015-10-02

Recent studies of low redshift type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) indicate that half explode from less than Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs, implying ignition must proceed from something besides the canonical criticality of Chandrasekhar mass SN Ia progenitors. We show that 1-100 PeV mass asymmetric dark matter, with imminently detectable nucleon scattering interactions, can accumulate to the point of self-gravitation in a white dwarf and collapse, shedding gravitational potential energy by scattering off nuclei, thereby heating the white dwarf and igniting the flame front that precedes SN Ia. We combine data on SN Ia masses with data on the ages of SN Ia-adjacent stars. This combination reveals a 2.8σ inverse correlation between SN Ia masses and ignition ages, which could result from increased capture of dark matter in 1.4 vs 1.1 solar mass white dwarfs. Future studies of SN Ia in galactic centers will provide additional tests of dark-matter-induced type Ia ignition. Remarkably, both bosonic and fermionic SN Ia-igniting dark matter also resolve the missing pulsar problem by forming black holes in ≳10  Myr old pulsars at the center of the Milky Way.

ASTROPHYSICS. Exclusion of leptophilic dark matter models using XENON100 electronic recoil data.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-21

Laboratory experiments searching for galactic dark matter particles scattering off nuclei have so far not been able to establish a discovery. We use data from the XENON100 experiment to search for dark matter interacting with electrons. With no evidence for a signal above the low background of our experiment, we exclude a variety of representative dark matter models that would induce electronic recoils. For axial-vector couplings to electrons, we exclude cross sections above 6 × 10(-35) cm(2) for particle masses of m(χ) = 2 GeV/c(2). Independent of the dark matter halo, we exclude leptophilic models as an explanation for the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal, such as couplings to electrons through axial-vector interactions at a 4.4σ confidence level, mirror dark matter at 3.6σ, and luminous dark matter at 4.6σ. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

El espejo televisivo de Claude. Estética, ciencia y ficción en Black Mirror / Claude’s Television Mirror. Aesthetic, Science and Fiction in Black Mirror

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura García Pousa

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A través del estudio de la primera temporada de la serie televisiva Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker/ Zeppotron, 2011- exploramos una tipología de ficción contemporánea que, desde su particular e identificable definición británica, crece en modos y se expande convirtiéndose en un nuevo referente de creación audiovisual internacional. Asimilados los límites dramáticos y estéticos de la era del drama y de la post-televisión, y superada la vinculación cine / videoarte, televisión / publicidad, Black Mirror adopta una perspectiva cultural del progreso científico y tecnológico que determina su drama. El análisis específico de sus tres dispares capítulos –«TheNational Anthem», «Fifteen Million Merits» y «The Entire History of You»– nos llevará por un camino comparativo con el objetivo de identificar su valor narrativo y su aportación artística, desde una metafórica vinculación conceptual con el espejo oscuro y el clasicismo pictórico de Claude Lorrain.Palabras clave: Black Mirror, ciencia, ficción, drama, televisión, pantallas, realidad virtual, futuro, «The National Anthem», «Fifteen Million Merits», «The Entire History of You».AbstractThrough the study of the first season of the TV series Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker / Zeppotron,2011- we explore a typology of contemporary fiction that develops from its particular and identifiably British definition into a new referent for international audiovisual creations. Assuming both the dramatic and aesthetic boundaries of the era of drama and of post-television, and the established connections between film / video-art, television / publicity, the plot of Black Mirror is determined by its adoption of a culturally-specific perspective on scientific and technological progress. Beginning with a metaphorical conceptual link to the [notion of the]dark mirror and the pictorial classicism of Claude Lorrain, this comparative analysis of its three disparate episodes�

Deposition and characterization of titania-silica optical multilayers by asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtering of oxide targets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sagdeo, P R; Shinde, D D; Misal, J S [Optics and Thin Film Laboratory, Autonagar, BARC-Vizag, Visakhapatnam -530012 (India); Kamble, N M; Tokas, R B; Biswas, A; Poswal, A K; Thakur, S; Bhattacharyya, D; Sahoo, N K; Sabharwal, S C, E-mail: nksahoo@barc.gov.i, E-mail: sahoonk@gmail.co [Spectroscopy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India)

2010-02-03

Titania-silica (TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}) optical multilayer structures have been conventionally deposited by reactive sputtering of metallic targets. In order to overcome the problems of arcing, target poisoning and low deposition rates encountered there, the application of oxide targets was investigated in this work with asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc magnetron sputtering. In order to evaluate the usefulness of this deposition methodology, an electric field optimized Fabry Perot mirror for He-Cd laser ({lambda} = 441.6 nm) spectroscopy was deposited and characterized. For comparison, this mirror was also deposited by the reactive electron beam (EB) evaporation technique. The mirrors developed by the two complementary techniques were investigated for their microstructural and optical reflection properties invoking atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, grazing incidence reflectometry and spectrophotometry. From these measurements the layer geometry, optical constants, mass density, topography, surface and interface roughness and disorder parameters were evaluated. The microstructural properties and spectral functional characteristics of the pulsed dc sputtered multilayer mirror were found to be distinctively superior to the EB deposited mirror. The knowledge gathered during this study has been utilized to develop a 21-layer high-pass edge filter for radio photoluminescence dosimetry.

Deposition and characterization of titania-silica optical multilayers by asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtering of oxide targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagdeo, P R; Shinde, D D; Misal, J S; Kamble, N M; Tokas, R B; Biswas, A; Poswal, A K; Thakur, S; Bhattacharyya, D; Sahoo, N K; Sabharwal, S C

2010-01-01

Titania-silica (TiO 2 /SiO 2 ) optical multilayer structures have been conventionally deposited by reactive sputtering of metallic targets. In order to overcome the problems of arcing, target poisoning and low deposition rates encountered there, the application of oxide targets was investigated in this work with asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc magnetron sputtering. In order to evaluate the usefulness of this deposition methodology, an electric field optimized Fabry Perot mirror for He-Cd laser (λ = 441.6 nm) spectroscopy was deposited and characterized. For comparison, this mirror was also deposited by the reactive electron beam (EB) evaporation technique. The mirrors developed by the two complementary techniques were investigated for their microstructural and optical reflection properties invoking atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, grazing incidence reflectometry and spectrophotometry. From these measurements the layer geometry, optical constants, mass density, topography, surface and interface roughness and disorder parameters were evaluated. The microstructural properties and spectral functional characteristics of the pulsed dc sputtered multilayer mirror were found to be distinctively superior to the EB deposited mirror. The knowledge gathered during this study has been utilized to develop a 21-layer high-pass edge filter for radio photoluminescence dosimetry.

Solar neutrinos as a probe of dark matter-neutrino interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capozzi, Francesco; Vecchi, Luca [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Padova, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Shoemaker, Ian M., E-mail: capozzi.12@osu.edu, E-mail: ian.shoemaker@usd.edu, E-mail: vecchi@infn.pd.it [Department of Physics, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 (United States)

2017-07-01

Sterile neutrinos at the eV scale have long been studied in the context of anomalies in short baseline neutrino experiments. Their cosmology can be made compatible with our understanding of the early Universe provided the sterile neutrino sector enjoys a nontrivial dynamics with exotic interactions, possibly providing a link to the Dark Matter (DM) puzzle. Interactions between DM and neutrinos have also been proposed to address the long-standing 'missing satellites' problem in the field of large scale structure formation. Motivated by these considerations, in this paper we discuss realistic scenarios with light steriles coupled to DM . We point out that within this framework active neutrinos acquire an effective coupling to DM that manifests itself as a new matter potential in the propagation within a medium of asymmetric DM . Assuming that at least a small fraction of asymmetric DM has been captured by the Sun, we show that a sizable region of the parameter space of these scenarios can be probed by solar neutrino experiments, especially in the regime of small couplings and light mediators where all other probes become inefficient. In the latter regime these scenarios behave as familiar 3+1 models in all channels except for solar data, where a Solar Dark MSW effect takes place. Solar Dark MSW is characterized by modifications of the most energetic {sup 8}B and CNO neutrinos, whereas the other fluxes remain largely unaffected.

Mirror fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, G.A.; Moir, R.W.

1978-01-01

We have carried out conceptual design studies of fusion reactors based on the three current mirror confinement concepts: the standard mirror, the tandem mirror, and the field-reversed mirror. Recent studies of the standard mirror have emphasized its potential as a fusion-fission hybrid reactor, designed to produce fission fuel for fission reactors. We have designed a large commercial hybrid based on standard mirror confinement, and also a small pilot plant hybrid. Tandem mirror designs include a commercial 1000 MWe fusion power plant and a nearer term tandem mirror hybrid. Field-reversed mirror designs include a multicell commercial reactor producing 75 MWe and a single cell pilot plant

Mirror fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

Conceptual design studies were made of fusion reactors based on the three current mirror-confinement concepts: the standard mirror, the tandem mirror, and the field-reversed mirror. Recent studies of the standard mirror have emphasized its potential as a fusion-fission hybrid reactor, designed to produce fuel for fission reactors. We have designed a large commercial hybrid and a small pilot-plant hybrid based on standard mirror confinement. Tandem mirror designs include a commercial 1000-MWe fusion power plant and a nearer term tandem mirror hybrid. Field-reversed mirror designs include a multicell commercial reactor producing 75 MWe and a single-cell pilot plant

Maintenance of a multi-cell field reversed mirror reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neef, W.S. Jr.

1978-01-01

The Field Reversed Mirror Reactor is composed of a horizontal linear chain of cells, each of which requires neutral beam injection. Blanket replacement is achieved by lifting one complete cell module from the reactor and replacing it with a preassembled and tested identical module. Ioffe bar connectors eliminate redundant bus bars. Asymmetric cell design simplifies magnet construction and reduces replacement time. A tapered cylindrical coolant distributor simplifies blanket removal. An evacuated housing surrounds the reactor reducing cell-to-cell sealing problems related to maintenance. Remote couplings are used for coolant and accessories. Hot-cell location and design permits immediate reconditioning or storage of replacement cells

Chiral mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plum, Eric; Zheludev, Nikolay I.

2015-01-01

Mirrors are used in telescopes, microscopes, photo cameras, lasers, satellite dishes, and everywhere else, where redirection of electromagnetic radiation is required making them arguably the most important optical component. While conventional isotropic mirrors will reflect linear polarizations without change, the handedness of circularly polarized waves is reversed upon reflection. Here, we demonstrate a type of mirror reflecting one circular polarization without changing its handedness, while absorbing the other. The polarization-preserving mirror consists of a planar metasurface with a subwavelength pattern that cannot be superimposed with its mirror image without being lifted out of its plane, and a conventional mirror spaced by a fraction of the wavelength from the metasurface. Such mirrors enable circularly polarized lasers and Fabry-Pérot cavities with enhanced tunability, gyroscopic applications, polarization-sensitive detectors of electromagnetic waves, and can be used to enhance spectroscopies of chiral media

Mirror agnosia and the mirrored-self misidentification delusion: a hypnotic analogue.

Science.gov (United States)

Connors, Michael H; Cox, Rochelle E; Barnier, Amanda J; Langdon, Robyn; Coltheart, Max

2012-05-01

Mirrored-self misidentification is the delusional belief that one's reflection in the mirror is a stranger. Current theories suggest that one pathway to the delusion is mirror agnosia (a deficit in which patients are unable to use mirror knowledge when interacting with mirrors). This study examined whether a hypnotic suggestion for mirror agnosia can recreate features of the delusion. Ten high hypnotisable participants were given either a suggestion to not understand mirrors or to see the mirror as a window. Participants were asked to look into a mirror and describe what they saw. Participants were tested on their understanding of mirrors and received a series of challenges. Participants then received a detailed postexperimental inquiry. Three of five participants given the suggestion to not understand mirrors reported seeing a stranger and maintained this belief when challenged. These participants also showed signs of mirror agnosia. No participants given the suggestion to see a window reported seeing a stranger. Results indicate that a hypnotic suggestion for mirror agnosia can be used to recreate the mirrored-self misidentification delusion. Factors influencing the effectiveness of hypnotic analogues of psychopathology, such as participants' expectations and interpretations, are discussed.

Gravitational waves from the asymmetric-dark-matter generating phase transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldes, Iason

2017-02-01

The baryon asymmetry, together with a dark matter asymmetry, may be produced during a first order phase transition in a generative sector. We study the possibility of a gravitational wave signal in a model realising such a scenario. We identify areas of parameter space with strong phase transitions which can be probed by future, space based, gravitational wave detectors. Other signals of this scenario include collider signatures of a Z"', DM self interactions, a contribution to ΔN_e_f_f and nuclear recoils at direct detection experiments.

Mirror profile optimization for nano-focusing KB mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lin; Baker, Robert; Barrett, Ray; Cloetens, Peter; Dabin, Yves

2010-01-01

A KB focusing mirror width profile has been optimized to achieve nano-focusing for the nano-imaging end-station ID22NI at the ESRF. The complete mirror and flexure bender assembly has been modeled in 3D with finite element analysis using ANSYS. Bender stiffness, anticlastic effects and geometrical non-linear effects have been considered. Various points have been studied: anisotropy and crystal orientation, stress in the mirror and bender, actuator resolution and the mirror-bender adhesive bonding... Extremely high performance of the mirror is expected with residual slope error smaller than 0.6 μrad, peak-to-valley, compared to the bent slope of 3000 μrad.

Timecourse of mirror and counter-mirror effects measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallo, Andrea; Heyes, Cecilia; Becchio, Cristina; Bird, Geoffrey; Catmur, Caroline

2014-08-01

The human mirror system has been the subject of much research over the past two decades, but little is known about the timecourse of mirror responses. In addition, it is unclear whether mirror and counter-mirror effects follow the same timecourse. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate the timecourse of mirror and counter-mirror responses in the human brain. Experiment 1 demonstrated that mirror responses can be measured from around 200 ms after observed action onset. Experiment 2 demonstrated significant effects of counter-mirror sensorimotor training at all timepoints at which a mirror response was found in Experiment 1 (i.e. from 200 ms onward), indicating that mirror and counter-mirror responses follow the same timecourse. By suggesting similarly direct routes for mirror and counter-mirror responses, these results support the associative account of mirror neuron origins whereby mirror responses arise as a result of correlated sensorimotor experience during development. More generally, they contribute to theorizing regarding mirror neuron function by providing some constraints on how quickly mirror responses can influence social cognition. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Understanding what is visible in a mirror or through a window before and after updating the position of an object.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertamini, Marco

2014-01-01

In the Venus effect observers assume that Venus is admiring her own reflection in the mirror (Bertamini et al., 2003a). However, since the observer sees her face in the mirror, Venus is actually looking at the reflection of the painter. This effect is general because it is not specific to paintings or to images of people. This study tests whether people have difficulties in estimating what is visible from a given viewpoint using a paper and pencil task. Participants (N = 80) judged what is visible in a scene that could include a mirror or an aperture. The object in the scene (a train) was already located in front of the mirror or behind the aperture, or the same object had to be imagined to move to that location. The hypothesis was that this extra step (spatial transformation) is always part of how people reason about mirrors because they have to imagine the location of the reflection based on the location of the physical object. If so, this manipulation would equate the difficulty of the mirror and of the aperture conditions. Results show that performance on the paper and pencil task was better than expected, probably because of the asymmetric nature of the object used. However, an additional cost in reasoning about mirrors was confirmed.

Two-stage solar concentrators based on parabolic troughs: asymmetric versus symmetric designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, Max; Cooper, Thomas; Ambrosetti, Gianluca; Steinfeld, Aldo

2015-11-20

While nonimaging concentrators can approach the thermodynamic limit of concentration, they generally suffer from poor compactness when designed for small acceptance angles, e.g., to capture direct solar irradiation. Symmetric two-stage systems utilizing an image-forming primary parabolic concentrator in tandem with a nonimaging secondary concentrator partially overcome this compactness problem, but their achievable concentration ratio is ultimately limited by the central obstruction caused by the secondary. Significant improvements can be realized by two-stage systems having asymmetric cross-sections, particularly for 2D line-focus trough designs. We therefore present a detailed analysis of two-stage line-focus asymmetric concentrators for flat receiver geometries and compare them to their symmetric counterparts. Exemplary designs are examined in terms of the key optical performance metrics, namely, geometric concentration ratio, acceptance angle, concentration-acceptance product, aspect ratio, active area fraction, and average number of reflections. Notably, we show that asymmetric designs can achieve significantly higher overall concentrations and are always more compact than symmetric systems designed for the same concentration ratio. Using this analysis as a basis, we develop novel asymmetric designs, including two-wing and nested configurations, which surpass the optical performance of two-mirror aplanats and are comparable with the best reported 2D simultaneous multiple surface designs for both hollow and dielectric-filled secondaries.

Dark group: dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macorra, A. de la

2004-01-01

We study the possibility that a dark group, a gauge group with particles interacting with the standard model particles only via gravity, is responsible for containing the dark energy and dark matter required by present day observations. We show that it is indeed possible and we determine the constrains for the dark group. The non-perturbative effects generated by a strong gauge coupling constant can de determined and a inverse power law scalar potential IPL for the dark meson fields is generated parameterizing the dark energy. On the other hand it is the massive particles, e.g., dark baryons, of the dark gauge group that give the corresponding dark matter. The mass of the dark particles is of the order of the condensation scale Λ c and the temperature is smaller then the photon's temperature. The dark matter is of the warm matter type. The only parameters of the model are the number of particles of the dark group. The allowed values of the different parameters are severely restricted. The dark group energy density at Λ c must be Ω DGc ≤0.17 and the evolution and acceptable values of dark matter and dark energy leads to a constrain of Λ c and the IPL parameter n giving Λ c =O(1-10 3 ) eV and 0.28≤n≤1.04

Understanding what is visible in a mirror or through a window before and after updating the position of an object.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco eBertamini

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the Venus effect observers assume that Venus is admiring her own reflection in the mirror (Bertamini et al. 2003. However, since the observer sees her face in the mirror, Venus is actually looking at the reflection of the painter. This effect is general because it is not specific to paintings or to images of people. This study tests whether people have difficulties in estimating what is visible from a given viewpoint using a paper and pencil task. Participants (N=80 judged what is visible in a scene that could include a mirror or an aperture. The object in the scene (a train was already located in front of the mirror or behind the aperture, or the same object had to be imagined to move to that location. The hypothesis was that this extra step (spatial transformation is always part of how people reason about mirrors because they have to imagine the location of the reflection based on the location of the physical object. If so, this manipulation would equate the difficulty of the mirror and of the aperture conditions. Results show that performance on the paper and pencil task was better than expected, probably because of the asymmetric nature of the object used. However, an additional cost in reasoning about mirrors was confirmed.

Topological mirror superconductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fan; Kane, C L; Mele, E J

2013-08-02

We demonstrate the existence of topological superconductors (SCs) protected by mirror and time-reversal symmetries. D-dimensional (D=1, 2, 3) crystalline SCs are characterized by 2(D-1) independent integer topological invariants, which take the form of mirror Berry phases. These invariants determine the distribution of Majorana modes on a mirror symmetric boundary. The parity of total mirror Berry phase is the Z(2) index of a class DIII SC, implying that a DIII topological SC with a mirror line must also be a topological mirror SC but not vice versa and that a DIII SC with a mirror plane is always time-reversal trivial but can be mirror topological. We introduce representative models and suggest experimental signatures in feasible systems. Advances in quantum computing, the case for nodal SCs, the case for class D, and topological SCs protected by rotational symmetries are pointed out.

The dark universe dark matter and dark energy

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2008-01-01

According to the standard cosmological model, 95% of the present mass density of the universe is dark: roughly 70% of the total in the form of dark energy and 25% in the form of dark matter. In a series of four lectures, I will begin by presenting a brief review of cosmology, and then I will review the observational evidence for dark matter and dark energy. I will discuss some of the proposals for dark matter and dark energy, and connect them to high-energy physics. I will also present an overview of an observational program to quantify the properties of dark energy.

Female plastic surgery patients prefer mirror-reversed photographs of themselves: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Runz, Antoine; Boccara, David; Chaouat, Marc; Locatelli, Katia; Bertheuil, Nicolas; Claudot, Frédérique; Bekara, Farid; Mimoun, Maurice

2016-01-01

The use of a patient's image in plastic surgery is common today. Thus, plastic surgeons should master the use of the image and be aware of the implications of the patients' perception of themselves. The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon in which a person tends to rate things more positively merely because (s)he is familiar with them. Faces are asymmetric, so faces in photos are different from those observed in mirrors. The main objective of this study was to assess whether patients within a plastic surgery population, particularly those undergoing facial aesthetic surgery, preferred standard photographs or mirror-reversed photographs of themselves. A prospective study was conducted in a plastic surgery department, which included women who were admitted to the hospital the day before their procedures. The patients were separated into the following two groups: Group 1 was composed of patients who were undergoing facial aesthetic surgeries, and Group 2 consisted of other patients who presented to the plastic surgery department for surgery. The patients were required to rate their appreciation of their own faces and to choose between standard and mirror-reversed photos of themselves. A total of 214 patients participated. The median age was 47.9 years (interquartile range (IQR): 36.4-60.6), and the median face appreciation was 5 (IQR: 5-7). The preference for the mirror-reversed photograph was significantly different from chance (p < 0.001, binomial (214, 156, 0.5)); 73% of the patients preferred the mirror-reversed photographs. The proportions of patients who preferred the mirror-reversed photograph differed significantly (p = 0.047) between Groups 1 (84%) and 2 (70%). Plastic surgery patients have a significant preference for mirror-reversed photographs of themselves over standard photographs. This preference is even more pronounced among patients who are undergoing facial aesthetic surgery. III. Copyright © 2015 British Association of Plastic

Einstein's Mirror

Science.gov (United States)

Gjurchinovski, Aleksandar; Skeparovski, Aleksandar

2008-01-01

Reflection of light from a plane mirror in uniform rectilinear motion is a century-old problem, intimately related to the foundations of special relativity. The problem was first investigated by Einstein in his famous 1905 paper by using the Lorentz transformations to switch from the mirror's rest frame to the frame where the mirror moves at a…

Using the CMB angular power spectrum to study Dark Matter-photon interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkinson, Ryan J.; Boehm, Céline; Lesgourgues, Julien

2014-01-01

In this paper, we explore the impact of Dark Matter-photon interactions on the CMB angular power spectrum. Using the one-year data release of the Planck satellite, we derive an upper bound on the Dark Matter-photon elastic scattering cross section of σ DM−γ ≤ 8 × 10 −31 (m DM /GeV) cm 2 (68% CL) if the cross section is constant and a present-day value of σ DM−γ ≤ 6 × 10 −40 (m DM /GeV) cm 2 (68% CL) if it scales as the temperature squared. For such a limiting cross section, both the B-modes and the TT angular power spectrum are suppressed with respect to ΛCDM predictions for ℓ∼>500 and ℓ∼>3000 respectively, indicating that forthcoming data from CMB polarisation experiments and Planck could help to constrain and characterise the physics of the dark sector. This essentially initiates a new type of dark matter search that is independent of whether dark matter is annihilating, decaying or asymmetric. Thus, any CMB experiment with the ability to measure the temperature and/or polarisation power spectra at high ℓ should be able to investigate the potential interactions of dark matter and contribute to our fundamental understanding of its nature

Einstein's Mirror

Science.gov (United States)

Gjurchinovski, Aleksandar; Skeparovski, Aleksandar

2008-10-01

Reflection of light from a plane mirror in uniform rectilinear motion is a century-old problem, intimately related to the foundations of special relativity.1-4 The problem was first investigated by Einstein in his famous 1905 paper by using the Lorentz transformations to switch from the mirror's rest frame to the frame where the mirror moves at a constant velocity.5 Einstein showed an intriguing fact that the usual law of reflection would not hold in the case of a uniformly moving mirror, that is, the angles of incidence and reflection of the light would not equal each other. Later on, it has been shown that the law of reflection at a moving mirror can be obtained in various alternative ways,6-10 but none of them seems suitable for bringing this interesting subject into the high school classroom.

IRT analyses of the Swedish Dark Triad Dirty Dozen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Garcia

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The Dark Triad (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy can be captured quickly with 12 items using the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (Jonason and Webster, 2010. Previous Item Response Theory (IRT analyses of the original English Dark Triad Dirty Dozen have shown that all three subscales adequately tap into the dark domains of personality. The aim of the present study was to analyze the Swedish version of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen using IRT. Method: 570 individuals (nmales = 326, nfemales = 242, and 2 unreported, including university students and white-collar workers with an age range between 19 and 65 years, responded to the Swedish version of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (Garcia et al., 2017a,b. Results: Contrary to previous research, we found that the narcissism scale provided most information, followed by psychopathy, and finally Machiavellianism. Moreover, the psychopathy scale required a higher level of the latent trait for endorsement of its items than the narcissism and Machiavellianism scales. Overall, all items provided reasonable amounts of information and are thus effective for discriminating between individuals. The mean item discriminations (alphas were 1.92 for Machiavellianism, 2.31 for narcissism, and 1.99 for psychopathy. Conclusion: This is the first study to provide IRT analyses of the Swedish version of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen. Our findings add to a growing literature on the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale in different cultures and highlight psychometric characteristics, which can be used for comparative studies. Items tapping into psychopathy showed higher thresholds for endorsement than the other two scales. Importantly, the narcissism scale seems to provide more information about a lack of narcissism, perhaps mirroring cultural conditions. Keywords: Psychology, Psychiatry, Clinical psychology

Amorphous Metals and Composites as Mirrors and Mirror Assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Douglas C. (Inventor); Davis, Gregory L. (Inventor); Agnes, Gregory S. (Inventor); Shapiro, Andrew A. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A mirror or mirror assembly fabricated by molding, pressing, assembling, or depositing one or more bulk metal glass (BMG), bulk metal glass composite (BMGMC), or amorphous metal (AM) parts and where the optical surface and backing of the mirror can be fabricated without machining or polishing by utilizing the unique molding capabilities of this class of materials.

Mirror machine reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, G.A.; Moir, R.W.

1976-01-01

Recent mirror reactor conceptual design studies are described. Considered in detail is the design of ''standard'' Yin-Yang fusion power reactors with classical and enhanced confinement. It is shown that to be economically competitive with estimates for other future energy sources, mirror reactors require a considerable increase in Q, or major design simplifications, or preferably both. These improvements may require a departure from the ''standard'' configuration. Two attractive possibilities, both of which would use much of the same physics and technology as the ''standard'' mirror, are the field reversed mirror and the end-stoppered mirror

Classical mirror symmetry

CERN Document Server

Jinzenji, Masao

2018-01-01

This book furnishes a brief introduction to classical mirror symmetry, a term that denotes the process of computing Gromov–Witten invariants of a Calabi–Yau threefold by using the Picard–Fuchs differential equation of period integrals of its mirror Calabi–Yau threefold. The book concentrates on the best-known example, the quintic hypersurface in 4-dimensional projective space, and its mirror manifold. First, there is a brief review of the process of discovery of mirror symmetry and the striking result proposed in the celebrated paper by Candelas and his collaborators. Next, some elementary results of complex manifolds and Chern classes needed for study of mirror symmetry are explained. Then the topological sigma models, the A-model and the B-model, are introduced. The classical mirror symmetry hypothesis is explained as the equivalence between the correlation function of the A-model of a quintic hyper-surface and that of the B-model of its mirror manifold. On the B-model side, the process of construct...

Tandem mirror and field-reversed mirror experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coensgen, F.H.; Simonen, T.C.; Turner, W.C.

1979-08-21

This paper is largely devoted to tandem mirror and field-reversed mirror experiments at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL), and briefly summarizes results of experiments in which field-reversal has been achieved. In the tandem experiment, high-energy, high-density plasmas (nearly identical to 2XIIB plasmas) are located at each end of a solenoid where plasma ions are electrostatically confined by the high positive poentials arising in the end plug plasma. End plug ions are magnetically confined, and electrons are electrostatically confined by the overall positive potential of the system. The field-reversed mirror reactor consists of several small field-reversed mirror plasmas linked together for economic reasons. In the LLL Beta II experiment, generation of a field-reversed plasma ring will be investigated using a high-energy plasma gun with a transverse radial magnetic field. This plasma will be further heated and sustained by injection of intense, high-energy neutral beams.

Mirror symmetry

CERN Document Server

Voisin, Claire

1999-01-01

This is the English translation of Professor Voisin's book reflecting the discovery of the mirror symmetry phenomenon. The first chapter is devoted to the geometry of Calabi-Yau manifolds, and the second describes, as motivation, the ideas from quantum field theory that led to the discovery of mirror symmetry. The other chapters deal with more specialized aspects of the subject: the work of Candelas, de la Ossa, Greene, and Parkes, based on the fact that under the mirror symmetry hypothesis, the variation of Hodge structure of a Calabi-Yau threefold determines the Gromov-Witten invariants of its mirror; Batyrev's construction, which exhibits the mirror symmetry phenomenon between hypersurfaces of toric Fano varieties, after a combinatorial classification of the latter; the mathematical construction of the Gromov-Witten potential, and the proof of its crucial property (that it satisfies the WDVV equation), which makes it possible to construct a flat connection underlying a variation of Hodge structure in the ...

Technology of mirror machines: LLL facilities for magnetic mirror fusion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batzer, T.H.

1977-01-01

Significant progress in plasma confinement and temperature has been achieved in the 2XIIB facility at Livermore. These encouraging results, and their theoretical corroboration, have provided a firm basis for the design of a new generation of magnetic mirror experiments, adding support to the mirror concept of a fusion reactor. Two new mirror experiments have been proposed to succeed the currently operating 2XIIB facility. The first of these called TMX (Tandem Mirror Experiment) has been approved and is currently under construction. TMX is designed to utilize the intrinsic positive plasma potential of two strong, and relatively small, minimum B mirror cells to enhance the confinement of a much larger, magnetically weaker, centrally-located mirror cell. The second facility, MFTF (Mirror Fusion Test Facility), is currently in preliminary design with line item approval anticipated for FY 78. MFTF is designed primarily to exploit the experimental and theoretical results derived from 2XIIB. Beyond that, MFTF will develop the technology for the transition from the present small mirror experiments to large steady-state devices such as the mirror FERF/FTR. The sheer magnitude of the plasma volume, magnetic field, neutral beam power, and vacuum pumping capacity, particularly in the case of MFTF, has placed new and exciting demands on engineering technology. An engineering overview of MFTF, TMX, and associated MFE activities at Livermore will be presented

[Motion control of moving mirror based on fixed-mirror adjustment in FTIR spectrometer].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhong-bing; Xu, Xian-ze; Le, Yi; Xu, Feng-qiu; Li, Jun-wei

2012-08-01

The performance of the uniform motion of the moving mirror, which is the only constant motion part in FTIR spectrometer, and the performance of the alignment of the fixed mirror play a key role in FTIR spectrometer, and affect the interference effect and the quality of the spectrogram and may restrict the precision and resolution of the instrument directly. The present article focuses on the research on the uniform motion of the moving mirror and the alignment of the fixed mirror. In order to improve the FTIR spectrometer, the maglev support system was designed for the moving mirror and the phase detection technology was adopted to adjust the tilt angle between the moving mirror and the fixed mirror. This paper also introduces an improved fuzzy PID control algorithm to get the accurate speed of the moving mirror and realize the control strategy from both hardware design and algorithm. The results show that the development of the moving mirror motion control system gets sufficient accuracy and real-time, which can ensure the uniform motion of the moving mirror and the alignment of the fixed mirror.

Dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comelli, D.; Pietroni, M.; Riotto, A.

2003-01-01

It is a puzzle why the densities of dark matter and dark energy are nearly equal today when they scale so differently during the expansion of the universe. This conundrum may be solved if there is a coupling between the two dark sectors. In this Letter we assume that dark matter is made of cold relics with masses depending exponentially on the scalar field associated to dark energy. Since the dynamics of the system is dominated by an attractor solution, the dark matter particle mass is forced to change with time as to ensure that the ratio between the energy densities of dark matter and dark energy become a constant at late times and one readily realizes that the present-day dark matter abundance is not very sensitive to its value when dark matter particles decouple from the thermal bath. We show that the dependence of the present abundance of cold dark matter on the parameters of the model differs drastically from the familiar results where no connection between dark energy and dark matter is present. In particular, we analyze the case in which the cold dark matter particle is the lightest supersymmetric particle

An SO(10) × SO(10)' model for common origin of neutrino masses, ordinary and dark matter-antimatter asymmetries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Pei-Hong

2014-01-01

We propose an SO(10) × SO(10)' model to simultaneously realize a seesaw for Dirac neutrino masses and a leptogenesis for ordinary and dark matter-antimatter asymmetries. A (16 × 1-bar 6-bar ') H scalar crossing the SO(10) and SO(10)' sectors plays an essential role in this seesaw-leptogenesis scenario. As a result of lepton number conservation, the lightest dark nucleon as the dark matter particle should have a determined mass around 15 GeV to explain the comparable fractions of ordinary and dark matter in the present universe. The (16 × 1-bar 6-bar ') H scalar also mediates a U(1) em × U(1)' em kinetic mixing after the ordinary and dark left-right symmetry breaking so that we can expect a dark nucleon scattering in direct detection experiments and/or a dark nucleon decay in indirect detection experiments. Furthermore, we can impose a softly broken mirror symmetry to simplify the parameter choice

Asymmetric Gepner models (revisited)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gato-Rivera, B. [NIKHEF Theory Group, Kruislaan 409, 1098 SJ Amsterdam (Netherlands)] [Instituto de Fisica Fundamental, CSIC, Serrano 123, Madrid 28006 (Spain); Schellekens, A.N., E-mail: t58@nikhef.n [NIKHEF Theory Group, Kruislaan 409, 1098 SJ Amsterdam (Netherlands)] [Instituto de Fisica Fundamental, CSIC, Serrano 123, Madrid 28006 (Spain)] [IMAPP, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2010-12-11

We reconsider a class of heterotic string theories studied in 1989, based on tensor products of N=2 minimal models with asymmetric simple current invariants. We extend this analysis from (2,2) and (1,2) spectra to (0,2) spectra with SO(10) broken to the Standard Model. In the latter case the spectrum must contain fractionally charged particles. We find that in nearly all cases at least some of them are massless. However, we identify a large subclass where the fractional charges are at worst half-integer, and often vector-like. The number of families is very often reduced in comparison to the 1989 results, but there are no new tensor combinations yielding three families. All tensor combinations turn out to fall into two classes: those where the number of families is always divisible by three, and those where it is never divisible by three. We find an empirical rule to determine the class, which appears to extend beyond minimal N=2 tensor products. We observe that distributions of physical quantities such as the number of families, singlets and mirrors have an interesting tendency towards smaller values as the gauge groups approaches the Standard Model. We compare our results with an analogous class of free fermionic models. This displays similar features, but with less resolution. Finally we present a complete scan of the three family models based on the triply-exceptional combination (1,16{sup *},16{sup *},16{sup *}) identified originally by Gepner. We find 1220 distinct three family spectra in this case, forming 610 mirror pairs. About half of them have the gauge group SU(3)xSU(2){sub L}xSU(2){sub R}xU(1){sup 5}, the theoretical minimum, and many others are trinification models.

Unbroken versus broken mirror world: a tale of two vacua

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.; Lew, H.; Volkas, R.R.

2000-01-01

If the Lagrangian of nature respects parity invariance then there are two distinct possibilities: either parity is unbroken by the vacuum or it is spontaneously broken. We examine the two simplest phenomenologically consistent gauge models which have unbroken and spontaneously broken parity symmetries, respectively. These two models have a Lagrangian of the same form, but a different parameter range is chosen in the Higgs potential. They both predict the existence of dark matter and can explain the MACHO events. However, the models predict quite different neutrino physics. Although both have light mirror (effectively sterile) neutrinos, the ordinary-mirror neutrino mixing angles are unobservably tiny in the broken parity case. The minimal broken parity model therefore cannot simultaneously explain the solar, atmospheric and LSND data. By contrast, the unbroken parity version can explain all of the neutrino anomalies. Furthermore, we argue that the unbroken case provides the most natural explanation of the neutrino physics anomalies (irrespective of whether evidence from the LSND experiment is included) because of its characteristic maximal mixing prediction. (author)

Weak lensing: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Dark Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heavens, Alan

2009-01-01

In this non-specialist review I look at how weak lensing can provide information on the dark sector of the Universe. The review concentrates on what can be learned about Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Dark Gravity, and why. On Dark Matter, results on the confrontation of theoretical profiles with observation are reviewed, and measurements of neutrino masses discussed. On Dark Energy, the interest is whether this could be Einstein's cosmological constant, and prospects for high-precision studies of the equation of state are considered. On Dark Gravity, we consider the exciting prospects for future weak lensing surveys to distinguish General Relativity from extra-dimensional or other gravity theories.

Mirror and (absence of) counter-mirror responses to action sounds measured with TMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Ticini, Luca F; Schütz-Bosbach, Simone; Waszak, Florian

2017-11-01

To what extent is the mirror neuron mechanism malleable to experience? The answer to this question can help characterising its ontogeny and its role in social cognition. Some suggest that it develops through sensorimotor associations congruent with our own actions. Others argue for its extreme volatility that will encode any sensorimotor association in the environment. Here, we added to this debate by exploring the effects of short goal-directed 'mirror' and 'counter-mirror' trainings (a 'mirror' training is defined as the first type of training encountered by the participants) on human auditory mirror motor-evoked potentials (MEPs). We recorded MEPs in response to two tones void of previous motor meaning, before and after mirror and counter-mirror trainings in which participants generated two tones of different pitch by performing free-choice button presses. The results showed that mirror MEPs, once established, were protected against an equivalent counter-mirror experience: they became manifest very rapidly and the same number of training trials that lead to the initial association did not suffice to reverse the MEP pattern. This steadiness of the association argues that, by serving direct-matching purposes, the mirror mechanism is a good solution for social cognition. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

Compression, splitting and switching of bright and dark solitons in nonlinear directional coupler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandal, Basanti; Chowdhury, A. Roy

2006-01-01

A detailed numerical simulation of the switching, compression and splitting characteristics of various solitary pulses (bright, grey and dark) are carried out by a direct solution of the associated coupled NLS equation. Important physical parameters of the out going pulse such as, intensity distribution, root mean square spatial and temporal width and chirp are calculated. Both the cases of symmetric and asymmetric couplers are considered. The important phenomenon of periodic power transfer from one channel to the other unfolds. The compression varies with the type of pulse launched in the initial channel. It is observed that the chirping of the initial pulse has an optimum value and it vary quite noticeably with the character of the pulse and couplers, symmetric and asymmetric

U. S. Mirror Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, T.K.

1978-01-01

The mirror approach is now the principal alternate to the tokamak in the U.S. magnetic fusion energy program. The program is now focused on two new concepts that can obtain high values of Q, defined as the ratio of fusion power output to the neutral beam power injected to sustain the reaction. These are the tandem mirror and field reversed mirror concepts. Theoretically both concepts should be able to attain Q = 5 or more, as compared with Q approximately 1 in previous mirror designs. Success with either or both of these approaches would point the way toward fusion power plants with many attractive features. The linear geometry of mirror systems offers a distinct alternative to the toroidal tokamak. As a direct consequence of this difference in geometry, it is generally possible to build mirror systems in smaller units of modular construction that can probably be made to operate in steady-state. During the next 5 years the main mirror facilities in the U.S. will be the 2XIIB (renamed Beta II); a tandem mirror experiment caled TMX; and the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) scheduled to be completed in 1981 at a cost of $94 million. As a background for discussing this program and mirror reactor concepts in later lectures, the current status of mirror physics will be reviewed by comparing theory and experimental data in four critical areas. These are adiabatic confinement of individual ions, electron heat losses out of the ends of the machine, the achievement of beta values of order unity; and stabilization of ''loss cone'' modes

The mirror neuron system.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattaneo, Luigi; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

2009-05-01

Mirror neurons are a class of neurons, originally discovered in the premotor cortex of monkeys, that discharge both when individuals perform a given motor act and when they observe others perform that same motor act. Ample evidence demonstrates the existence of a cortical network with the properties of mirror neurons (mirror system) in humans. The human mirror system is involved in understanding others' actions and their intentions behind them, and it underlies mechanisms of observational learning. Herein, we will discuss the clinical implications of the mirror system.

Dark matter and dark radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackerman, Lotty; Buckley, Matthew R.; Carroll, Sean M.; Kamionkowski, Marc

2009-01-01

We explore the feasibility and astrophysical consequences of a new long-range U(1) gauge field ('dark electromagnetism') that couples only to dark matter, not to the standard model. The dark matter consists of an equal number of positive and negative charges under the new force, but annihilations are suppressed if the dark-matter mass is sufficiently high and the dark fine-structure constant α-circumflex is sufficiently small. The correct relic abundance can be obtained if the dark matter also couples to the conventional weak interactions, and we verify that this is consistent with particle-physics constraints. The primary limit on α-circumflex comes from the demand that the dark matter be effectively collisionless in galactic dynamics, which implies α-circumflex -3 for TeV-scale dark matter. These values are easily compatible with constraints from structure formation and primordial nucleosynthesis. We raise the prospect of interesting new plasma effects in dark-matter dynamics, which remain to be explored.

MSFC Test Results for Selected Mirrors: Brush-Wellman/Goodrich 0.5 meter Joined-Beryllium Mirror; IABG 0.5 meter C/SiC Mirror; Xinetics 0.5 meter SiC Mirror; and Kodak 0.23 meter SiO2 Mirror

Science.gov (United States)

Hadaway, James; Blackwell, Lisa; Matthews, Gary; Eng, Ron; Stahl, Phil; Hraba, John; Thornton, Gary

2002-01-01

The results of cryo tests performed at the XRCF on the above mirrors will be presented. Each mirror was tested from room-temperature to around 30 K. The first three were tested together on a 3-mirror stand in the large chamber using the PhaseCam interferometer, while the Kodak mirror was tested in the small chamber using the EPI interferometer.

An SO(10) × SO(10)' model for common origin of neutrino masses, ordinary and dark matter-antimatter asymmetries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, Pei-Hong, E-mail: peihong.gu@sjtu.edu.cn [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2014-12-01

We propose an SO(10) × SO(10)' model to simultaneously realize a seesaw for Dirac neutrino masses and a leptogenesis for ordinary and dark matter-antimatter asymmetries. A (16 × 1-bar 6-bar '){sub H} scalar crossing the SO(10) and SO(10)' sectors plays an essential role in this seesaw-leptogenesis scenario. As a result of lepton number conservation, the lightest dark nucleon as the dark matter particle should have a determined mass around 15 GeV to explain the comparable fractions of ordinary and dark matter in the present universe. The (16 × 1-bar 6-bar '){sub H} scalar also mediates a U(1){sub em} × U(1)'{sub em} kinetic mixing after the ordinary and dark left-right symmetry breaking so that we can expect a dark nucleon scattering in direct detection experiments and/or a dark nucleon decay in indirect detection experiments. Furthermore, we can impose a softly broken mirror symmetry to simplify the parameter choice.

Leaky electronic states for photovoltaic photodetectors based on asymmetric superlattices

Science.gov (United States)

Penello, Germano Maioli; Pereira, Pedro Henrique; Pires, Mauricio Pamplona; Sivco, Deborah; Gmachl, Claire; Souza, Patricia Lustoza

2018-01-01

The concept of leaky electronic states in the continuum is used to achieve room temperature operation of photovoltaic superlattice infrared photodetectors. A structural asymmetric InGaAs/InAlAs potential profile is designed to create states in the continuum with the preferential direction for electron extraction and, consequently, to obtain photovoltaic operation at room temperature. Due to the photovoltaic operation and virtual increase in the bandoffset, the device presents both low dark current and low noise. The Johnson noise limited specific detectivity reaches values as high as 1.4 × 1011 Jones at 80 K. At 300 K, the detectivity obtained is 7.0 × 105 Jones.

Commutative deformations of general relativity: nonlocality, causality, and dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Vegvar, P.G.N. [SWK Research, Bellingham, WA (United States)

2017-01-15

Hopf algebra methods are applied to study Drinfeld twists of (3+1)-diffeomorphisms and deformed general relativity on commutative manifolds. A classical nonlocality length scale is produced above which microcausality emerges. Matter fields are utilized to generate self-consistent Abelian Drinfeld twists in a background independent manner and their continuous and discrete symmetries are examined. There is negligible experimental effect on the standard model of particles. While baryonic twist producing matter would begin to behave acausally for rest masses above ∝1-10 TeV, other possibilities are viable dark matter candidates or a right-handed neutrino. First order deformed Maxwell equations are derived and yield immeasurably small cosmological dispersion and produce a propagation horizon only for photons at or above Planck energies. This model incorporates dark matter without any appeal to extra dimensions, supersymmetry, strings, grand unified theories, mirror worlds, or modifications of Newtonian dynamics. (orig.)

The Axisymmetric Tandem Mirror: A Magnetic Mirror Concept Game Changer Magnet Mirror Status Study Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonen, T.; Cohen, R.; Correll, D.; Fowler, K.; Post, D.; Berk, H.; Horton, W.; Hooper, E.B.; Fisch, N.; Hassam, A.; Baldwin, D.; Pearlstein, D.; Logan, G.; Turner, B.; Moir, R.; Molvik, A.; Ryutov, D.; Ivanov, A.A; Kesner, J.; Cohen, B.; McLean, H.; Tamano, T.; Tang, X.Z.; Imai, T.

2008-01-01

Experimental results, theory and innovative ideas now point with increased confidence to the possibility of a Gas Dynamic Trap (GDT) neutron source which would be on the path to an attractively simple Axisymmetric Tandem Mirror (ATM) power plant. Although magnetic mirror research was terminated in the US 20 years ago, experiments continued in Japan (Gamma 10) and Russia (GDT), with a very small US effort. This research has now yielded data, increased understanding, and generated ideas resulting in the new concepts described here. Early mirror research was carried out with circular axisymmetric magnets. These plasmas were MHD unstable due to the unfavorable magnetic curvature near the mid-plane. Then the minimum-B concept emerged in which the field line curvature was everywhere favorable and the plasma was situated in a MHD stable magnetic well (70% average beta in 2XII-B). The Ioffe-bar or baseball-coil became the standard for over 40 years. In the 1980's, driven by success with minimum-B stabilization and the control of ion cyclotron instabilities in PR6 and 2XII-B, mirrors were viewed as a potentially attractive concept with near-term advantages as a lower Q neutron source for applications such as a hybrid fission fuel factory or toxic waste burner. However there are down sides to the minimum-B geometry: coil construction is complex; restraining magnetic forces limit field strength and mirror ratios. Furthermore, the magnetic field lines have geodesic curvature which introduces resonant and neoclassical radial transport as observed in early tandem mirror experiments. So what now leads us to think that simple axisymmetric mirror plasmas can be stable? The Russian GDT experiment achieves on-axis 60% beta by peaking of the kinetic plasma pressure near the mirror throat (where the curvature is favorable) to counter-balance the average unfavorable mid-plane curvature. Then a modest augmentation of plasma pressure in the expander results in stability. The GDT

The Axisymmetric Tandem Mirror: A Magnetic Mirror Concept Game Changer Magnet Mirror Status Study Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simonen, T; Cohen, R; Correll, D; Fowler, K; Post, D; Berk, H; Horton, W; Hooper, E B; Fisch, N; Hassam, A; Baldwin, D; Pearlstein, D; Logan, G; Turner, B; Moir, R; Molvik, A; Ryutov, D; Ivanov, A A; Kesner, J; Cohen, B; McLean, H; Tamano, T; Tang, X Z; Imai, T

2008-10-24

Experimental results, theory and innovative ideas now point with increased confidence to the possibility of a Gas Dynamic Trap (GDT) neutron source which would be on the path to an attractively simple Axisymmetric Tandem Mirror (ATM) power plant. Although magnetic mirror research was terminated in the US 20 years ago, experiments continued in Japan (Gamma 10) and Russia (GDT), with a very small US effort. This research has now yielded data, increased understanding, and generated ideas resulting in the new concepts described here. Early mirror research was carried out with circular axisymmetric magnets. These plasmas were MHD unstable due to the unfavorable magnetic curvature near the mid-plane. Then the minimum-B concept emerged in which the field line curvature was everywhere favorable and the plasma was situated in a MHD stable magnetic well (70% average beta in 2XII-B). The Ioffe-bar or baseball-coil became the standard for over 40 years. In the 1980's, driven by success with minimum-B stabilization and the control of ion cyclotron instabilities in PR6 and 2XII-B, mirrors were viewed as a potentially attractive concept with near-term advantages as a lower Q neutron source for applications such as a hybrid fission fuel factory or toxic waste burner. However there are down sides to the minimum-B geometry: coil construction is complex; restraining magnetic forces limit field strength and mirror ratios. Furthermore, the magnetic field lines have geodesic curvature which introduces resonant and neoclassical radial transport as observed in early tandem mirror experiments. So what now leads us to think that simple axisymmetric mirror plasmas can be stable? The Russian GDT experiment achieves on-axis 60% beta by peaking of the kinetic plasma pressure near the mirror throat (where the curvature is favorable) to counter-balance the average unfavorable mid-plane curvature. Then a modest augmentation of plasma pressure in the expander results in stability. The GDT

Cold component flow in a two-component mirror machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rognlien, T.D.

1975-12-01

Steady-state solutions are given for the flow characteristics along the magnetic field of the cold plasma component in a two-component mirror machine. The hot plasma component is represented by a fixed density profile. The fluid equations are used to describe the cold plasma, which is assumed to be generated in a localized region at one end of the machine. The ion flow speed, v/sub i/, is required to satisfy the Bohm sheath condition at the end walls, i.e., v/sub i/ greater than or equal to c/sub s/, where c/sub s/ is the ion-acoustic speed. For the case when the cold plasma density, n/sub c/, is much less than the hot plasma density, n/sub h/, the cold plasma is stagnant and does not penetrate through the machine in the zero temperature case. The effect of a finite temperature is to allow for the penetration of a small amount of cold plasma through the machine. For the density range n/sub c/ approximately n/sub h/, the flow solutions are asymmetric about the midplane and have v/sub i/ = c/sub s/ near the midplane. Finally, for n/sub c/ much greater than n/sub h/, the solutions become symmetric about the midplane and approach the Lee--McNamara type solutions with v/sub i/ = c/sub s/ near the mirror throats

Quantum Field Theory of Interacting Dark Matter/Dark Energy: Dark Monodromies

CERN Document Server

D'Amico, Guido; Kaloper, Nemanja

2016-11-28

We discuss how to formulate a quantum field theory of dark energy interacting with dark matter. We show that the proposals based on the assumption that dark matter is made up of heavy particles with masses which are very sensitive to the value of dark energy are strongly constrained. Quintessence-generated long range forces and radiative stability of the quintessence potential require that such dark matter and dark energy are completely decoupled. However, if dark energy and a fraction of dark matter are very light axions, they can have significant mixings which are radiatively stable and perfectly consistent with quantum field theory. Such models can naturally occur in multi-axion realizations of monodromies. The mixings yield interesting signatures which are observable and are within current cosmological limits but could be constrained further by future observations.

Clinical characteristics of mirror syndrome: a comparison of 10 cases of mirror syndrome with non-mirror syndrome fetal hydrops cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirata, Go; Aoki, Shigeru; Sakamaki, Kentaro; Takahashi, Tsuneo; Hirahara, Fumiki; Ishikawa, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

To investigate clinical features of mirror syndrome. We retrospectively reviewed 71 cases of fetal hydrops with or without mirror syndrome, and compared with respect to maternal age, the body mass index, the primipara rate, the gestational age at delivery, the timing of fetal hydrops onset, the severity of fetal edema, placental swelling, the laboratory data and the fetal mortality. The data are expressed as the medians. Mirror syndrome developed in 29% (10/35) of the cases with fetal hydrops. In mirror group, the onset time of fetal hydrops was significantly earlier (29 weeks versus 31 weeks, p = 0.011), and the severity of fetal hydrops (fetal edema/biparietal diameter) was significantly higher than non-mirror group (0.23 versus 0.16, p < 0.001). There was significantly higher serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (453,000 IU/L versus 80,000 IU/L, p < 0.001) and lower hemoglobin (8.9 g/dL versus 10.1 g/dL, p =0.002), hypoalbuminemia (2.3 mg/dL versus 2.7 mg/dL, p = 0.007), hyperuricemia (6.4 mg/dL versus 5.0 mg/dL, p = 0.043) in mirror group. Mirror syndrome is occurred frequently in early and severe fetal hydrops and cause hemodilution and elevation of serum hCG.

Small mirror fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, G.A.; Schultz, K.R.; Smith, A.C. Jr.

1978-01-01

Basic requirements for the pilot plants are that they produce a net product and that they have a potential for commercial upgrade. We have investigated a small standard mirror fusion-fission hybrid, a two-component tandem mirror hybrid, and two versions of a field-reversed mirror fusion reactor--one a steady state, single cell reactor with a neutral beam-sustained plasma, the other a moving ring field-reversed mirror where the plasma passes through a reaction chamber with no energy addition

X-ray telescope mirrors made of slumped glass sheets

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, A.; Breunig, E.; Friedrich, P.; Proserpio, L.

2017-11-01

For several decades, the field of X-ray astronomy has been playing a major role in understanding the processes in our universe. From binary stars and black holes up to galaxy clusters and dark matter, high energetic events have been observed and analysed using powerful X-ray telescopes like e.g. Rosat, Chandra, and XMM-Newton [1,2,3], giving us detailed and unprecedented views of the high-energy universe. In November 2013, the theme of "The Hot and Energetic Universe" was rated as of highest importance for future exploration and in June 2014 the ATHENA Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics was selected by ESA for the second large science mission (L2) in the ESA Cosmic Vision program, with launch foreseen in 2028 [4]. By combining a large X-ray telescope with state-of-the-art scientific instruments, ATHENA will address key questions in astrophysics, including: How and why does ordinary matter assemble into the galaxies and galactic clusters that we see today? How do black holes grow and influence their surroundings? In order to answer these questions, ATHENA needs a powerful mirror system which exceed the capabilities of current missions, especially in terms of collecting area. However, current technologies have reached the mass limits of the launching rocket, creating the need for more light-weight mirror systems in order to enhance the effective area without increasing the telescope mass. Hence new mirror technologies are being developed which aim for low-weight systems with large collecting areas. Light material like glass can be used, which are shaped to form an X-ray reflecting system via the method of thermal glass slumping.

On the cosmic-ray spectra of three-body lepton-flavor-violating dark matter decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carone, Christopher D.; Cukierman, Ari; Primulando, Reinard

2011-01-01

We consider possible leptonic three-body decays of spin-1/2, charge-asymmetric dark matter. Assuming a general Dirac structure for the four-fermion contact interactions of interest, we study the cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra and show that good fits to the current data can be obtained for both charged-lepton-flavor-conserving and flavor-violating decay channels. We find that different choices for the Dirac structure of the underlying decay operator can be significantly compensated by different choices for the dark matter mass and lifetime. The decay modes we consider provide differing predictions for the cosmic-ray positron fraction at energies higher than those currently probed at the PAMELA experiment; these predictions might be tested at cosmic-ray detectors like AMS-02.

Bronze rainbow hologram mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, P.

2006-02-01

This project draws on holographic embossing techniques, ancient artistic conventions of bronze mirror design and modelling and casting processes to accomplish portraiture of reflection. Laser scanning, 3D computer graphics and holographic imaging are employed to enable a permanent 3D static holographic image to appear integrated with the real-time moving reflection of a viewer's face in a polished bronze disc. The disc and the figure which holds it (caryatid) are cast in bronze from a lost wax model, a technique which has been used for millennia to make personal mirrors. The Caryatid form of bronze mirror which went through many permutations in ancient Egyptian, Greece and Rome shows a plethora of expressive figure poses ranging from sleek nudes to highly embellished multifigure arrangements. The prototype of this series was made for Australian choreographer Graeme Murphy, Artistic Director of the Sydney Dance Company. Each subsequent mirror will be unique in figure and holographic imagery as arranged between artist and subject. Conceptually this project references both the modern experience of viewing mirrors retrieved from ancient tombs, which due to deterioration of the surface no longer reflect, and the functioning of Chinese Magic mirrors, which have the ability to project a predetermined image. Inspired by the metaphorical potential of these mirrors, which do not reflect the immediate reality of the viewer, this bronze hologram mirror series enables each viewer to reflect upon himself or herself observing simultaneously the holographic image and their own partially obliterated reflection.

A proposed experimental search for chameleons using asymmetric parallel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrage, Clare; Copeland, Edmund J.; Stevenson, James A.

2016-01-01

Light scalar fields coupled to matter are a common consequence of theories of dark energy and attempts to solve the cosmological constant problem. The chameleon screening mechanism is commonly invoked in order to suppress the fifth forces mediated by these scalars, sufficiently to avoid current experimental constraints, without fine tuning. The force is suppressed dynamically by allowing the mass of the scalar to vary with the local density. Recently it has been shown that near future cold atoms experiments using atom-interferometry have the ability to access a large proportion of the chameleon parameter space. In this work we demonstrate how experiments utilising asymmetric parallel plates can push deeper into the remaining parameter space available to the chameleon.

A proposed experimental search for chameleons using asymmetric parallel plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burrage, Clare; Copeland, Edmund J.; Stevenson, James A., E-mail: Clare.Burrage@nottingham.ac.uk, E-mail: ed.copeland@nottingham.ac.uk, E-mail: james.stevenson@nottingham.ac.uk [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD (United Kingdom)

2016-08-01

Light scalar fields coupled to matter are a common consequence of theories of dark energy and attempts to solve the cosmological constant problem. The chameleon screening mechanism is commonly invoked in order to suppress the fifth forces mediated by these scalars, sufficiently to avoid current experimental constraints, without fine tuning. The force is suppressed dynamically by allowing the mass of the scalar to vary with the local density. Recently it has been shown that near future cold atoms experiments using atom-interferometry have the ability to access a large proportion of the chameleon parameter space. In this work we demonstrate how experiments utilising asymmetric parallel plates can push deeper into the remaining parameter space available to the chameleon.

Dark matter that can form dark stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondolo, Paolo; Huh, Ji-Haeng; Kim, Hyung Do; Scopel, Stefano

2010-01-01

The first stars to form in the Universe may be powered by the annihilation of weakly interacting dark matter particles. These so-called dark stars, if observed, may give us a clue about the nature of dark matter. Here we examine which models for particle dark matter satisfy the conditions for the formation of dark stars. We find that in general models with thermal dark matter lead to the formation of dark stars, with few notable exceptions: heavy neutralinos in the presence of coannihilations, annihilations that are resonant at dark matter freeze-out but not in dark stars, some models of neutrinophilic dark matter annihilating into neutrinos only and lighter than about 50 GeV. In particular, we find that a thermal DM candidate in standard Cosmology always forms a dark star as long as its mass is heavier than ≅ 50 GeV and the thermal average of its annihilation cross section is the same at the decoupling temperature and during the dark star formation, as for instance in the case of an annihilation cross section with a non-vanishing s-wave contribution

Mirror Fusion Test Facility: an intermediate device to a mirror fusion reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karpenko, V.N.

1983-01-01

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) now under construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory represents more than an order-of-magnitude step from earlier magnetic-mirror experiments toward a future mirror fusion reactor. In fact, when the device begins operating in 1986, the Lawson criteria of ntau = 10 14 cm -3 .s will almost be achieved for D-T equivalent operation, thus signifying scientific breakeven. Major steps have been taken to develop MFTF-B technologies for tandem mirrors. Steady-state, high-field, superconducting magnets at reactor-revelant scales are used in the machine. The 30-s beam pulses, ECRH, and ICRH will also introduce steady-state technologies in those systems

Mirror plasma apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moir, R.W.

1981-01-01

A mirror plasma apparatus which utilizes shielding by arc discharge to form a blanket plasma and lithium walls to reduce neutron damage to the wall of the apparatus. An embodiment involves a rotating liquid lithium blanket for a tandem mirror plasma apparatus wherein the first wall of the central mirror cell is made of liquid lithium which is spun with angular velocity great enough to keep the liquid lithium against the first material wall, a blanket plasma preventing the lithium vapor from contaminating the plasma

Mesmerising mirror neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Heyes, Cecilia

2010-06-01

Mirror neurons have been hailed as the key to understanding social cognition. I argue that three currents of thought-relating to evolution, atomism and telepathy-have magnified the perceived importance of mirror neurons. When they are understood to be a product of associative learning, rather than an adaptation for social cognition, mirror neurons are no longer mesmerising, but they continue to raise important questions about both the psychology of science and the neural bases of social cognition. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geometry of mirror manifolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aspinwall, P.S.; Luetken, C.A.

1991-01-01

We analyze the mirror manifold hypothesis in one and three dimensions using the simplest available representations of the N = 2 superconformal algebra. The symmetries of these tensor models can be divided out to give an explicit representation of the mirror, and we give a simple group theoretical algorithm for determining which symmetries should be used. We show that the mirror of a superconformal field theory does not always have a geometrical interpretation, but when it does, deformations of complex structure of one manifold are reflected in deformations of the Kaehler form of the mirror manifold, and we show how the large radius limit of a manifold corresponds to a large complex structure limit in the mirror manifold. The mirror of the Tian-Yau three generation model is constructed both as a conformal field theory and as an algebraic variety with Euler number six. The Hodge numbers of this manifolds are fixed, but the intersection numbes are highly ambiguous, presumably reflected a rich structure of multicritical points in the moduli space of the field theory. (orig.)

H I and dust in the high latitude dark cloud L1642

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liljestroem, T.; Mattila, K.

1989-01-01

The high latitude dark cloud L1642 in the 21 cm H I region was mapped using a 100 m radio telescope. A remarkable H I line broadening from 2.5 to 2.9 km/s is observed over a small area on the bright side of L1642, i.e., the side facing the galactic plane. Results are presented concerning the effects of the asymmetrical UV radiation field of OB stars on the H I gas and the very small dust grains associated with L1642

Mirror systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogassi, Leonardo; Ferrari, Pier Francesco

2011-01-01

Mirror neurons are a class of visuomotor neurons, discovered in the monkey premotor cortex and in an anatomically connected area of the inferior parietal lobule, that activate both during action execution and action observation. They constitute a circuit dedicated to match actions made by others with the internal motor representations of the observer. It has been proposed that this matching system enables individuals to understand others' behavior and motor intentions. Here we will describe the main features of mirror neurons in monkeys. Then we will present evidence of the presence of a mirror system in humans and of its involvement in several social-cognitive functions, such as imitation, intention, and emotion understanding. This system may have several implications at a cognitive level and could be linked to specific social deficits in humans such as autism. Recent investigations addressed the issue of the plasticity of the mirror neuron system in both monkeys and humans, suggesting also their possible use in rehabilitation. WIREs Cogn Sci 2011 2 22-38 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.89 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mirror, Mirror by the Stairs: The Impact of Mirror Exposure on Stair versus Elevator Use in College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgin, Katie L; Graham, Dan J

2016-01-01

Previous research has indicated that self-awareness-inducing mirrors can successfully incite behaviors that align with one's personal values, such as helping others. Other research has found a large discrepancy between the high percentage of young adults who report valuing the healthfulness of physical activity (PA) and the low percentage who actually meet PA participation standards. However, few studies have examined how mirror exposure and both perceived and actual body size influence highly valued PA participation among college students. The present study assessed stair versus elevator use on a western college campus and hypothesized that mirror exposure would increase the more personally healthy transportation method of stair use. In accordance with previous research, it was also hypothesized that males and those with a lower body mass index (BMI) would be more likely to take the stairs, and that body size distorting mirrors would impact the stair-elevator decision. One hundred sixty-seven students (51% male) enrolled in an introductory psychology course were recruited to take a survey about their "transportation choices" at an indoor campus parking garage. Participants were individually exposed to either no mirror, a standard full-length mirror, or a full-length mirror manipulated to make the reflected body size appear either slightly thinner or slightly wider than normal before being asked to go to the fourth floor of the garage for a survey. Participants' choice of floor-climbing method (stairs or elevator) was recorded, and they were administered an Internet-based survey assessing demographic information, BMI, self-awareness, perceived body size, and other variables likely to be associated with stair use. Results from logistic regression analyses revealed that participants who were not exposed to a mirror [odds ratios (OR) = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.96], males (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.13-0.85), those with lower BMI (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71-0.99), those

Mirror, Mirror by the Stairs: The Impact of Mirror Exposure on Stair versus Elevator Use in College Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katie L Hodgin

2016-04-01

Full Text Available AbstractPrevious research has indicated that self-awareness-inducing mirrors can successfully incite behaviors that align with one’s personal values, such as helping others. Other research has found a large discrepancy between the high percentage of young adults who report valuing the healthfulness of physical activity (PA and the low percentage who actually meet PA participation standards. Few studies, however, have examined how mirror exposure and both perceived and actual body size influence highly-valued PA participation among college students. The present study assessed stair versus elevator use on a western college campus and hypothesized that mirror exposure would increase the more personally-healthy transportation method of stair use. In accordance with previous research, it was also hypothesized that males and those with a lower body mass index (BMI would be more likely to take the stairs, and that body-size distorting mirrors would impact the stair-elevator decision. One hundred and sixty-seven students (51% male enrolled in an introductory psychology course were recruited to take a survey about their transportation choices at an indoor campus parking garage. Participants were individually exposed to either no mirror, a standard full-length mirror, or a full-length mirror manipulated to make the reflected body size appear either slightly thinner or slightly wider than normal before being asked to go to the fourth floor of the garage for a survey. Participants’ choice of floor climbing method (stairs or elevator was recorded and they were administered an internet-based survey assessing demographic information, BMI, self-awareness, perceived body size, and other variables likely to be associated with stair use. Results from logistic regression analyses revealed that participants who were not exposed to a mirror (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14 – 0.96, males (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.13 – 0.85, those with lower BMI (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71 �

Decaying dark matter from dark instantons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carone, Christopher D.; Erlich, Joshua; Primulando, Reinard

2010-01-01

We construct an explicit, TeV-scale model of decaying dark matter in which the approximate stability of the dark matter candidate is a consequence of a global symmetry that is broken only by instanton-induced operators generated by a non-Abelian dark gauge group. The dominant dark matter decay channels are to standard model leptons. Annihilation of the dark matter to standard model states occurs primarily through the Higgs portal. We show that the mass and lifetime of the dark matter candidate in this model can be chosen to be consistent with the values favored by fits to data from the PAMELA and Fermi-LAT experiments.

Gasdynamic Mirror Fusion Propulsion Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Emrich, Bill; Rodgers, Stephen L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A gasdynamic mirror (GDM) fusion propulsion experiment is currently being constructed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to test the feasibility of this particular type of fusion device. Because of the open magnetic field line configuration of mirror fusion devices, they are particularly well suited for propulsion system applications since they allow for the easy ejection of thrust producing plasma. Currently, the MSFC GDM is constructed in three segments. The vacuum chamber mirror segment, the plasma injector mirror segment, and the main plasma chamber segment. Enough magnets are currently available to construct up to three main plasma chamber segments. The mirror segments are also segmented such that they can be expanded to accommodate new end plugging strategies with out requiring the disassembly of the entire mirror segment. The plasma for the experiment is generated in a microwave cavity located between the main magnets and the mirror magnets. Ion heating is accomplished through ambipolar diffusion. The objective of the experiment is to investigate the stability characteristics of the gasdynamic mirror and to map a region of parameter space within which the plasma can be confined in a stable steady state configuration. The mirror ratio, plasma density, and plasma "b" will be varied over a range of values and measurements subsequently taken to determine the degree of plasma stability.

Review of mirror fusion reactor designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, D.J.

1977-01-01

Three magnetic confinement concepts, based on the mirror principle, are described. These mirror concepts are summarized as follows: (1) fusion-fission hybrid reactor, (2) tandem mirror reactor, and (3) reversed field mirror reactor

The obsidian mirror The obsidian mirror

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Socorro Reis Amorin

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The author James Norman is an American who has always lived in Mexico during the summer. He seems to love Mexican - Indian traditions and he is well acquainted with the pre-historic culture as it is shown in his book: "The Obsidian Mirror". "The Obsidian Mirror" is a mysterious story about an archeologist: Quigley that lives in a small village in Mexico-San Marcos. He is searching for antiques that belong to some tribes of pre-historic Indians in order to find out their mysteries. Quigley becomes so engaged in his work that his mind has reached a stage that is impossible to separate between Quigley the archeologist, and Quigley as an ancient Indian. The culture, the myth, the sensation of Omen - characteristics of the Indians are within himself. As a result, Quigley acts sometimes as a real Indian. The author James Norman is an American who has always lived in Mexico during the summer. He seems to love Mexican - Indian traditions and he is well acquainted with the pre-historic culture as it is shown in his book: "The Obsidian Mirror". "The Obsidian Mirror" is a mysterious story about an archeologist: Quigley that lives in a small village in Mexico-San Marcos. He is searching for antiques that belong to some tribes of pre-historic Indians in order to find out their mysteries. Quigley becomes so engaged in his work that his mind has reached a stage that is impossible to separate between Quigley the archeologist, and Quigley as an ancient Indian. The culture, the myth, the sensation of Omen - characteristics of the Indians are within himself. As a result, Quigley acts sometimes as a real Indian.

Electromagnetic near-field coupling induced polarization conversion and asymmetric transmission in plasmonic metasurfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yu-Xiang; Wang, Kai-Jun; He, Meng-Dong; Luo, Jian-Hua; Zhang, Xin-Min; Li, Jian-Bo; Tan, Shi-Hua; Liu, Jian-Qiang; Hu, Wei-Da; Chen, Xiaoshuang

2018-04-01

In this paper, we demonstrate the effect of polarization conversion in a plasmonic metasurface structure, in which each unit cell consists of a metal bar and four metal split-ring resonators (SRRs). Such effect is attributed to the fact that the dark plasmon mode of SRRs (bar), which radiates cross-polarized component, is induced by the bright plasmon mode of bar (SRRs) due to the electromagnetic near-field coupling between bar and SRRs. We find that there are two ways to achieve a large cross-polarized component in our proposed metasurface structure. The first way is realized when the dark plasmon mode of bar (SRRs) is in resonance, while at this time the bright plasmon mode of SRRs (bar) is not at resonant state. The second way is realized when the bright plasmon mode of SRRs (bar) is resonantly excited, while the dark plasmon mode of bar (SRRs) is at nonresonant state. It is also found that the linearly polarized light can be rotated by 56.50 after propagation through the metasurface structure. Furthermore, our proposed metasurface structure exhibits an asymmetric transmission for circularly polarized light. Our findings take a further step in developing integrated metasurface-based photonics devices for polarization manipulation and modulation.

Tandem mirror plasma confinement apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, T. Kenneth

1978-11-14

Apparatus and method for confining a plasma in a center mirror cell by use of two end mirror cells as positively charged end stoppers to minimize leakage of positive particles from the ends of the center mirror cell.

Magneto-hydrodynamically stable axisymmetric mirrors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryutov, D. D.; Cohen, B. I.; Molvik, A. W. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States); Berk, H. L. [University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Simonen, T. C. [University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2011-09-15

Making axisymmetric mirrors magnetohydrodynamically (MHD) stable opens up exciting opportunities for using mirror devices as neutron sources, fusion-fission hybrids, and pure-fusion reactors. This is also of interest from a general physics standpoint (as it seemingly contradicts well-established criteria of curvature-driven instabilities). The axial symmetry allows for much simpler and more reliable designs of mirror-based fusion facilities than the well-known quadrupole mirror configurations. In this tutorial, after a summary of classical results, several techniques for achieving MHD stabilization of the axisymmetric mirrors are considered, in particular: (1) employing the favorable field-line curvature in the end tanks; (2) using the line-tying effect; (3) controlling the radial potential distribution; (4) imposing a divertor configuration on the solenoidal magnetic field; and (5) affecting the plasma dynamics by the ponderomotive force. Some illuminative theoretical approaches for understanding axisymmetric mirror stability are described. The applicability of the various stabilization techniques to axisymmetric mirrors as neutron sources, hybrids, and pure-fusion reactors are discussed; and the constraints on the plasma parameters are formulated.

Survey of mirror machine reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Condit, W.C.

1978-01-01

The Magnetic Mirror Fusion Program is one of the two main-line fusion efforts in the United States. Starting from the simple axisymmetric mirror concept in the 1950's, the program has successfully overcome gross flute-type instabilities (using minimum-B magnetic fields), and the most serious of the micro-instabilities which plagued it (the drift-cyclotron loss-cone mode). Dense plasmas approaching the temperature range of interest for fusion have been created (n/sub p/ = 10 14 /cc at 10 to 12 keV). At the same time, rather extensive conceptual design studies of possible mirror configurations have led to three principle designs of interest: the standard mirror fission-fusion hybrid, tandem mirror, and the field-reversed mirror. The lectures will discuss these three concepts in turn. There will be no discussion of diagnostics for the mirror machine in these lectures, but typical plasma parameters will be given for each type of machine, and the diagnostic requirements will be apparent. In a working fusion reactor, diagnostics will be required for operational control, and remarks will be made on this subject

Tandem mirror plasma confinement apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, T.K.

1978-01-01

Apparatus and method are described for confining a plasma in a center mirror cell by use of two end mirror cells as positively charged end stoppers to minimize leakage of positive particles from the ends of the center mirror cell

The mirror-neuron system.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Craighero, Laila

2004-01-01

A category of stimuli of great importance for primates, humans in particular, is that formed by actions done by other individuals. If we want to survive, we must understand the actions of others. Furthermore, without action understanding, social organization is impossible. In the case of humans, there is another faculty that depends on the observation of others' actions: imitation learning. Unlike most species, we are able to learn by imitation, and this faculty is at the basis of human culture. In this review we present data on a neurophysiological mechanism--the mirror-neuron mechanism--that appears to play a fundamental role in both action understanding and imitation. We describe first the functional properties of mirror neurons in monkeys. We review next the characteristics of the mirror-neuron system in humans. We stress, in particular, those properties specific to the human mirror-neuron system that might explain the human capacity to learn by imitation. We conclude by discussing the relationship between the mirror-neuron system and language.

Physics of mirror systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1982-05-01

In recent years the emphasis in research on the magnetic mirror approach to fusion has been shifted to address what are essentially economically-motivated issues. The introduction of the Tandem Mirror idea solved in principal the problem of low Q (low fusion power gain) of mirror-based fusion systems. In order to optimize the tandem mirror idea from an economic standpoint, some important improvements have been suggested. These improvements include the thermal barrier idea of Baldwin and Logan and the axicell concept of Kesner. These new modifications introduce some special physics considerations. Among these are (1) The MHD stability properties of high energy electron components in the end cells; (2) The optimization of end-cell magnetic field configurations with the objective of minimizing equilibrium parallel currents; (3) The suppression of microstabilities by use of sloshing ion distributions. Following a brief outline of tandem mirror concepts, the above three topics are discussed, with illustrative examples taken from earlier work or from recent design studies

Mirror monochromator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mankos, Marian [Electron Optica, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Shadman, Khashayar [Electron Optica, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (United States)

2014-12-02

In this SBIR project, Electron Optica, Inc. (EOI) is developing a mirror electron monochromator (MirrorChrom) attachment to new and retrofitted electron microscopes (EMs) for improving the energy resolution of the EM from the characteristic range of 0.2-0.5 eV to the range of 10-50 meV. This improvement will enhance the characterization of materials by imaging and spectroscopy. In particular, the monochromator will refine the energy spectra characterizing materials, as obtained from transmission EMs [TEMs] fitted with electron spectrometers, and it will increase the spatial resolution of the images of materials taken with scanning EMs (SEMs) operated at low voltages. EOI’s MirrorChrom technology utilizes a magnetic prism to simultaneously deflect the electron beam off the axis of the microscope column by 90° and disperse the electrons in proportional to their energies into a module with an electron mirror and a knife-edge. The knife-edge cuts off the tails of the energy distribution to reduce the energy spread of the electrons that are reflected, and subsequently deflected, back into the microscope column. The knife-edge is less prone to contamination, and thereby charging, than the conventional slits used in existing monochromators, which improves the reliability and stability of the module. The overall design of the MirrorChrom exploits the symmetry inherent in reversing the electron trajectory in order to maintain the beam brightness – a parameter that impacts how well the electron beam can be focused downstream onto a sample. During phase I, EOI drafted a set of candidate monochromator architectures and evaluated the trade-offs between energy resolution and beam current to achieve the optimum design for three particular applications with market potential: increasing the spatial resolution of low voltage SEMs, increasing the energy resolution of low voltage TEMs (beam energy of 5-20 keV), and increasing the energy resolution of conventional TEMs (beam

Physics of mirror fusion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1976-01-01

Recent experimental results with the 2XIIB mirror machine at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory have demonstrated the stable confinement of plasmas at fusion temperatures and with energy densities equaling or exceeding that of the confining fields. The physics of mirror confinement is discussed in the context of these new results. Some possible approaches to further improving the confinement properties of mirror systems and the impact of these new approaches on the prospects for mirror fusion reactors are discussed

Thermal effects on beryllium mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weinswig, S.

1989-01-01

Beryllium is probably the most frequently used material for spaceborne system scan mirrors. Beryllium's properties include lightweightedness, high Young's modulus, high stiffness value, high resonance value. As an optical surface, beryllium is usually nickel plated in order to produce a higher quality surface. This process leads to the beryllium mirror acting like a bimetallic device. The mirror's deformation due to the bimetallic property can possibly degrade the performance of the associated optical system. As large space borne systems are designed and as temperature considerations become more crucial in the instruments, the concern about temporal deformation of the scan mirrors becomes a prime consideration. Therefore, two sets of tests have been conducted in order to ascertain the thermal effects on nickel plated beryllium mirrors. These tests are categorized. The purpose of this paper is to present the values of the bimetallic effect on typical nickel plated beryllium mirrors

Hormonal networks involved in apical hook development in darkness and their response to light

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Agustina Mazzella

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In darkness, the dicot seedlings produces an apical hook as result of differential cell division and extension at opposite sides of the hypocotyl. This hook protects the apical meristem from mechanical damage during seedling emergence from the soil. In darkness, gibberellins act via the DELLA-PIF (PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs pathway, and ethylene acts via the EIN3/EIL1 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIE 3/EIN3 like 1-HLS1 (HOOKLESS 1 pathway to control the asymmetric accumulation of auxin required for apical hook formation and maintenance. These core pathways form a network with multiple points of connection. Light perception by phytochromes and cryptochromes reduces the activity of PIFs and CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1 --both required for hook formation in darkness--, lowers the levels of gibberellins, and triggers hook opening as a component of the switch between heterotrophic and photoautotrophic development. Apical hook opening is thus a suitable model to study the convergence of endogenous and exogenous signals on the control of cell division and cell growth.

Near-field flat focusing mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yu-Chieh; Staliunas, Kestutis

2018-03-01

This article reviews recent progress towards the design of near-field flat focusing mirrors, focusing/imaging light patterns in reflection. An important feature of such flat focusing mirrors is their transverse invariance, as they do not possess any optical axis. We start with a review of the physical background to the different focusing mechanisms of near- and far-field focusing. These near-field focusing devices like flat lenses and the reviewed near-field focusing mirrors can implement planar focusing devices without any optical axis. In contrast, various types of far-field planar focusing devices, such as high-contrast gratings and metasurfaces, unavoidably break the transverse invariance due to their radially symmetrical structures. The particular realizations of near-field flat focusing mirrors including Bragg-like dielectric mirrors and dielectric subwavelength gratings are the main subjects of the review. The first flat focusing mirror was demonstrated with a chirped mirror and was shown to manage an angular dispersion for beam focusing, similar to the management of chromatic dispersion for pulse compression. Furthermore, the reviewed optimized chirped mirror demonstrated a long near-field focal length, hardly achieved by a flat lens or a planar hyperlens. Two more different configurations of dielectric subwavelength gratings that focus a light beam at normal or oblique incidence are also reviewed. We also summarize and compare focusing performance, limitations, and future perspectives between the reviewed flat focusing mirrors and other planar focusing devices including a flat lens with a negative-index material, a planar hyperlens, a high-contrast grating, and a metasurface.

Potential measurements in tandem mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glowienka, J.C.

1985-11-01

The US mirror program has begun conducting experiments with a thermal barrier tandem mirror configuration. This configuration requires a specific axial potential profile and implies measurements of potential for documentation and optimization of the configuration. This report briefly outlines the motivation for the thermal barrier tandem mirror and then outlines the techniques used to document the potential profile in conventional and thermal barrier tandem mirrors. Examples of typical data sets from the world's major tandem mirror experiments, TMX and TMX-U at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Gamma 10 at Tsukuba University in Japan, and the current interpretation of the data are discussed together with plans for the future improvement of measurements of plasma potential

TCV mirrors cleaned by plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Marot

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Metallic mirrors exposed in TCV tokamak were cleaned by plasma in laboratory. A gold (Au mirror was deposited with 185–285nm of amorphous carbon (aC:D film coming from the carbon tiles of TCV. Another molybdenum (Mo mirror had a thicker deposit due to a different location within the tokamak. The thickness measurements were carried out using ellipsometry and the reflectivity measurements performed by spectrophotometry revealed a decrease of the specular reflectivity in the entire range (250–2500nm for the Mo mirror and specifically in the visible spectrum for the Au. Comparison of the simulated reflectivity using a refractive index of 1.5 and a Cauchy model for the aC:D gives good confidence on the estimated film thickness. Plasma cleaning using radio frequency directly applied to a metallic plate where the mirrors were fixed demonstrated the ability to remove the carbon deposits. A mixture of 50% hydrogen and 50% helium was used with a −200V self-bias. Due to the low sputtering yield of He and the low chemical erosion of hydrogen leading to volatile molecules, 20h of cleaning were needed for Au mirror and more than 60h for Mo mirror. Recovery of the reflectivity was not complete for the Au mirror most likely due to damage of the surface during tokamak exposure (breakdown phenomena.

Dark matter and dark energy: The critical questions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michael S. Turner

2002-01-01

Stars account for only about 0.5% of the content of the Universe; the bulk of the Universe is optically dark. The dark side of the Universe is comprised of: at least 0.1% light neutrinos; 3.5% ± 1% baryons; 29% ± 4% cold dark matter; and 66% ± 6% dark energy. Now that we have characterized the dark side of the Universe, the challenge is to understand it. The critical questions are: (1) What form do the dark baryons take? (2) What is (are) the constituent(s) of the cold dark matter? (3) What is the nature of the mysterious dark energy that is causing the Universe to speed up

Dark Dark Wood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

2017 student Bachelor film. Synopsis: Young princess Maria has had about enough of her royal life – it’s all lesson, responsibilities and duties on top of each other, every hour of every day. Overwhelmed Maria is swept away on an adventure into the monster-filled dark, dark woods. During 2017...

Fokker-Planck equation in mirror research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1983-01-01

Open confinement systems based on the magnetic mirror principle depend on the maintenance of particle distributions that may deviate substantially from Maxwellian distributions. Mirror research has therefore from the beginning relied on theoretical predictions of non-equilibrium rate processes obtained from solutions to the Fokker-Planck equation. The F-P equation plays three roles: Design of experiments, creation of classical standards against which to compare experiment, and predictions concerning mirror based fusion power systems. Analytical and computational approaches to solving the F-P equation for mirror systems will be reviewed, together with results and examples that apply to specific mirror systems, such as the tandem mirror

Modified dark matter: Relating dark energy, dark matter and baryonic matter

Science.gov (United States)

Edmonds, Douglas; Farrah, Duncan; Minic, Djordje; Ng, Y. Jack; Takeuchi, Tatsu

Modified dark matter (MDM) is a phenomenological model of dark matter, inspired by gravitational thermodynamics. For an accelerating universe with positive cosmological constant (Λ), such phenomenological considerations lead to the emergence of a critical acceleration parameter related to Λ. Such a critical acceleration is an effective phenomenological manifestation of MDM, and it is found in correlations between dark matter and baryonic matter in galaxy rotation curves. The resulting MDM mass profiles, which are sensitive to Λ, are consistent with observational data at both the galactic and cluster scales. In particular, the same critical acceleration appears both in the galactic and cluster data fits based on MDM. Furthermore, using some robust qualitative arguments, MDM appears to work well on cosmological scales, even though quantitative studies are still lacking. Finally, we comment on certain nonlocal aspects of the quanta of modified dark matter, which may lead to novel nonparticle phenomenology and which may explain why, so far, dark matter detection experiments have failed to detect dark matter particles.

Mirroring patients – or not

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davidsen, Annette Sofie; Fosgerau, Christina Fogtmann

2015-01-01

on studies of imitative behaviour within linguistics and psychology, we argue that interactional mirroring is an important aspect of displaying implicit mentalization. We aimed to explore if, and in that case how, mirroring is displayed by general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists in consultations...... with patients with depression. We wanted to see how implicit mentalizing unfolds in physician–patient interactions. Consultations were videorecorded and analysed within the framework of conversation analysis. GPs and psychiatrists differed substantially in their propensity to mirror body movements and verbal...... and acoustic features of speech. GPs mirrored their patients more than psychiatrists in all modalities and were more flexible in their interactional behaviour. Psychiatrists seemed more static, regardless of the emotionality displayed by patients. Implicitly mirroring and attuning to patients could signify...

What do mirror neurons mirror?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uithol, S.; Rooij, I.J.E.I. van; Bekkering, H.; Haselager, W.F.G.

2011-01-01

Single cell recordings in monkeys provide strong evidence for an important role of the motor system in action understanding. This evidence is backed up by data from studies of the (human) mirror neuron system using neuroimaging or TMS techniques, and behavioral experiments. Although the data

Interacting dark matter disguised as warm dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehm, Celine; Riazuelo, Alain; Hansen, Steen H.; Schaeffer, Richard

2002-01-01

We explore some of the consequences of dark-matter-photon interactions on structure formation, focusing on the evolution of cosmological perturbations and performing both an analytical and a numerical study. We compute the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and matter power spectrum in this class of models. We find, as the main result, that when dark matter and photons are coupled, dark matter perturbations can experience a new damping regime in addition to the usual collisional Silk damping effect. Such dark matter particles (having quite large photon interactions) behave like cold dark matter or warm dark matter as far as the cosmic microwave background anisotropies or matter power spectrum are concerned, respectively. These dark-matter-photon interactions leave specific imprints at sufficiently small scales on both of these two spectra, which may allow us to put new constraints on the acceptable photon-dark-matter interactions. Under the conservative assumption that the abundance of 10 12 M · galaxies is correctly given by the cold dark matter, and without any knowledge of the abundance of smaller objects, we obtain the limit on the ratio of the dark-matter-photon cross section to the dark matter mass σ γ-DM /m DM -6 σ Th /(100 GeV)≅6x10 -33 cm 2 GeV -1

Dark fluid: A complex scalar field to unify dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbey, Alexandre

2006-01-01

In this article, we examine a model which proposes a common explanation for the presence of additional attractive gravitational effects - generally considered to be due to dark matter - in galaxies and in clusters, and for the presence of a repulsive effect at cosmological scales - generally taken as an indication of the presence of dark energy. We therefore consider the behavior of a so-called dark fluid based on a complex scalar field with a conserved U(1)-charge and associated to a specific potential, and show that it can at the same time account for dark matter in galaxies and in clusters, and agree with the cosmological observations and constraints on dark energy and dark matter

Advanced Mirror & Modelling Technology Development

Science.gov (United States)

Effinger, Michael; Stahl, H. Philip; Abplanalp, Laura; Maffett, Steven; Egerman, Robert; Eng, Ron; Arnold, William; Mosier, Gary; Blaurock, Carl

2014-01-01

The 2020 Decadal technology survey is starting in 2018. Technology on the shelf at that time will help guide selection to future low risk and low cost missions. The Advanced Mirror Technology Development (AMTD) team has identified development priorities based on science goals and engineering requirements for Ultraviolet Optical near-Infrared (UVOIR) missions in order to contribute to the selection process. One key development identified was lightweight mirror fabrication and testing. A monolithic, stacked, deep core mirror was fused and replicated twice to achieve the desired radius of curvature. It was subsequently successfully polished and tested. A recently awarded second phase to the AMTD project will develop larger mirrors to demonstrate the lateral scaling of the deep core mirror technology. Another key development was rapid modeling for the mirror. One model focused on generating optical and structural model results in minutes instead of months. Many variables could be accounted for regarding the core, face plate and back structure details. A portion of a spacecraft model was also developed. The spacecraft model incorporated direct integration to transform optical path difference to Point Spread Function (PSF) and between PSF to modulation transfer function. The second phase to the project will take the results of the rapid mirror modeler and integrate them into the rapid spacecraft modeler.

Dark Mass Creation During EWPT Via Dark Energy Interaction

OpenAIRE

Kisslinger, Leonard S.; Casper, Steven

2013-01-01

We add Dark Matter Dark Energy terms with a quintessence field interacting with a Dark Matter field to a MSSM EW Lagrangian previously used to calculate the magnetic field created during the EWPT. From the expectation value of the quintessence field we estimate the Dark Matter mass for parameters used in previous work on Dark Matter-Dark Energy interactions.

Issues facing the U. S. mirror program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

George, T.V.

1978-07-01

Some of the current issues associated with the U.S. Magnetic Mirror Program are analyzed. They are presented as five separate papers entitled: (1) Relevant Issues Broughtup by the Mirror Reactor Design Studies. (2) An Assessment of the Design Study of the 1 MeV Neutral Beam Injector Required for a Tandem Mirror Reactor. (3) The Significance of the Radial Plasma Size Measured in Units of Ion Gyroradii in Tandem Mirrors and Field Reversed Mirrors. (4) Producing Field Reversed Mirror Plasmas by Methods used in Field Reversed Theta Pinch. (5) RF Stoppering of Mirror Confined Plasma.

Mirror reactor surface study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, A. L.; Damm, C. C.; Futch, A. H.; Hiskes, J. R.; Meisenheimer, R. G.; Moir, R. W.; Simonen, T. C.; Stallard, B. W.; Taylor, C. E.

1976-09-01

A general survey is presented of surface-related phenomena associated with the following mirror reactor elements: plasma first wall, ion sources, neutral beams, director converters, vacuum systems, and plasma diagnostics. A discussion of surface phenomena in possible abnormal reactor operation is included. Several studies which appear to merit immediate attention and which are essential to the development of mirror reactors are abstracted from the list of recommended areas for surface work. The appendix contains a discussion of the fundamentals of particle/surface interactions. The interactions surveyed are backscattering, thermal desorption, sputtering, diffusion, particle ranges in solids, and surface spectroscopic methods. A bibliography lists references in a number of categories pertinent to mirror reactors. Several complete published and unpublished reports on surface aspects of current mirror plasma experiments and reactor developments are also included.

Transmission X-ray mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lairson, B.M.; Bilderback, D.H.

1982-01-01

Transmission X-ray mirrors have been made from 400 A to 10 000 A thick soap films and have been shown to have novel properties. Using grazing angles of incidence, low energy X-rays were reflected from the front surface while more energetic X-rays were transmitted through the mirror largely unattenuated. A wide bandpass monochromator was made from a silicon carbide mirror followed by a soap film transmission mirror and operated in the white beam at the cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). Bandpasses of ΔE/E=12% to 18% were achieved at 13 keV with peak efficiencies estimated to be between 55% and 75%, respectively. Several wide angle scattering photographs of stretched polyethylene and a phospholipid were obtained in 10 s using an 18% bandpass. (orig.)

Mirror reactor surface study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, A.L.; Damm, C.C.; Futch, A.H.; Hiskes, J.R.; Meisenheimer, R.G.; Moir, R.W.; Simonen, T.C.; Stallard, B.W.; Taylor, C.E.

1976-01-01

A general survey is presented of surface-related phenomena associated with the following mirror reactor elements: plasma first wall, ion sources, neutral beams, director converters, vacuum systems, and plasma diagnostics. A discussion of surface phenomena in possible abnormal reactor operation is included. Several studies which appear to merit immediate attention and which are essential to the development of mirror reactors are abstracted from the list of recommended areas for surface work. The appendix contains a discussion of the fundamentals of particle/surface interactions. The interactions surveyed are backscattering, thermal desorption, sputtering, diffusion, particle ranges in solids, and surface spectroscopic methods. A bibliography lists references in a number of categories pertinent to mirror reactors. Several complete published and unpublished reports on surface aspects of current mirror plasma experiments and reactor developments are also included

Introduction to tandem mirror physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kesner, J.; Gerver, M.J.; Lane, B.G.; McVey, B.D.; Catto, P.J.; D'Ippolito, D.A.; Myra, J.R.

1983-09-01

This monograph, prepared jointly by the MIT Plasma Fusion Center Mirror Fusion group and SAI, Boulder, Colorado, presents a review of the development of mirror fusion theory from its conception some thirty years ago to the present. Pertinent historic experiments and their contribution are discussed to set the stage for a detailed analysis of current experiments and the problems which remain to be solved in bringing tandem mirror magnetic confinement fusion to fruition. In particular, Chapter III discusses in detail the equilibrium and stability questions which must be dealt with before tandem mirror reactors become feasible, while Chapters IV and V discuss some of the current machines and those under construction which will help to resolve critical issues in both physics and engineering whose solutions are necessary to the commercialization of tandem mirror fusion

LLL mirror fusion program: summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, T.K.

1977-01-01

During 1976, new Mirror Program plans have been laid out to take into account the significant advances during the last 18 months. The program is now focused on two new mirror concepts, field reversal and the tandem mirror, that can obtain high Q, defined as the ratio of fusion power output to the neutral-beam power injected to sustain the reaction. Theoretically, both concepts can attain Q = 5 or more, as compared to Q = 1 in previous mirror designs. Experimental planning for the next 5 years is complete in broad outline, and we are turning attention to what additional steps are necessary to reach our long-range goal of an experimental mirror reactor operating by 1990. Highlights of the events that have led to the above circumstance are listed, and experimental program plans are outlined

Dark matter as a weakly coupled dark baryon

Science.gov (United States)

Mitridate, Andrea; Redi, Michele; Smirnov, Juri; Strumia, Alessandro

2017-10-01

Dark Matter might be an accidentally stable baryon of a new confining gauge interaction. We extend previous studies exploring the possibility that the DM is made of dark quarks heavier than the dark confinement scale. The resulting phenomenology contains new unusual elements: a two-stage DM cosmology (freeze-out followed by dark condensation), a large DM annihilation cross section through recombination of dark quarks (allowing to fit the positron excess). Light dark glue-balls are relatively long lived and give extra cosmological effects; DM itself can remain radioactive.

Advances in telescope mirror cleaning

Science.gov (United States)

Blanken, Maarten F.; Chopping, Alan K.; Dee, Kevin M.

2004-09-01

Metrology and cleaning techniques for telescope mirrors are generally well established. CO2 cleaning and water washing are mainly used. Water washing has proven to be the best method of removing oil and water stains and restoring the aluminium to nearly fresh values. The risk of water getting to unwanted places such as electronics or other optics prevents this method from being employed more often. Recently the Isaac Newton Group introduced a new cleaning technique for their telescope mirrors, which reduces the risks discussed above. This technique uses water vapour instead of water to wash the mirror. The advantage of this method is that the amount of water needed is drastically reduced. In addition the pressure of the vapour will blow away any large dust particles on the mirror and the temperature shock between the vapour and the mirror will help to de-bond the dust particles. Adding a soapy solution will help to clean oil and watermarks of the mirror. This paper describes the vapour cleaning method, tests that have been done and the overall findings.

Mirror fusion--fission hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.D.

1978-01-01

The fusion-fission concept and the mirror fusion-fission hybrid program are outlined. Magnetic mirror fusion drivers and blankets for hybrid reactors are discussed. Results of system analyses are presented and a reference design is described

Does asymmetric correlation affect portfolio optimization?

Science.gov (United States)

Fryd, Lukas

2017-07-01

The classical portfolio optimization problem does not assume asymmetric behavior of relationship among asset returns. The existence of asymmetric response in correlation on the bad news could be important information in portfolio optimization. The paper applies Dynamic conditional correlation model (DCC) and his asymmetric version (ADCC) to propose asymmetric behavior of conditional correlation. We analyse asymmetric correlation among S&P index, bonds index and spot gold price before mortgage crisis in 2008. We evaluate forecast ability of the models during and after mortgage crisis and demonstrate the impact of asymmetric correlation on the reduction of portfolio variance.

Spontaneous expression of mirror self-recognition in monkeys after learning precise visual-proprioceptive association for mirror images.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Liangtang; Zhang, Shikun; Poo, Mu-Ming; Gong, Neng

2017-03-21

Mirror self-recognition (MSR) is generally considered to be an intrinsic cognitive ability found only in humans and a few species of great apes. Rhesus monkeys do not spontaneously show MSR, but they have the ability to use a mirror as an instrument to find hidden objects. The mechanism underlying the transition from simple mirror use to MSR remains unclear. Here we show that rhesus monkeys could show MSR after learning precise visual-proprioceptive association for mirror images. We trained head-fixed monkeys on a chair in front of a mirror to touch with spatiotemporal precision a laser pointer light spot on an adjacent board that could only be seen in the mirror. After several weeks of training, when the same laser pointer light was projected to the monkey's face, a location not used in training, all three trained monkeys successfully touched the face area marked by the light spot in front of a mirror. All trained monkeys passed the standard face mark test for MSR both on the monkey chair and in their home cage. Importantly, distinct from untrained control monkeys, the trained monkeys showed typical mirror-induced self-directed behaviors in their home cage, such as using the mirror to explore normally unseen body parts. Thus, bodily self-consciousness may be a cognitive ability present in many more species than previously thought, and acquisition of precise visual-proprioceptive association for the images in the mirror is critical for revealing the MSR ability of the animal.

Dark energy and dark matter in galaxy halos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tetradis, N.

2006-01-01

We consider the possibility that the dark matter is coupled through its mass to a scalar field associated with the dark energy of the Universe. In order for such a field to play a role at the present cosmological distances, it must be effectively massless at galactic length scales. We discuss the effect of the field on the distribution of dark matter in galaxy halos. We show that the profile of the distribution outside the galaxy core remains largely unaffected and the approximately flat rotation curves persist. The dispersion of the dark matter velocity is enhanced by a potentially large factor relative to the case of zero coupling between dark energy and dark matter. The counting rates in terrestrial dark matter detectors are similarly enhanced. Existing bounds on the properties of dark matter candidates can be extended to the coupled case, by taking into account the enhancement factor

Where do mirror neurons come from?

Science.gov (United States)

Heyes, Cecilia

2010-03-01

Debates about the evolution of the 'mirror neuron system' imply that it is an adaptation for action understanding. Alternatively, mirror neurons may be a byproduct of associative learning. Here I argue that the adaptation and associative hypotheses both offer plausible accounts of the origin of mirror neurons, but the associative hypothesis has three advantages. First, it provides a straightforward, testable explanation for the differences between monkeys and humans that have led some researchers to question the existence of a mirror neuron system. Second, it is consistent with emerging evidence that mirror neurons contribute to a range of social cognitive functions, but do not play a dominant, specialised role in action understanding. Finally, the associative hypothesis is supported by recent data showing that, even in adulthood, the mirror neuron system can be transformed by sensorimotor learning. The associative account implies that mirror neurons come from sensorimotor experience, and that much of this experience is obtained through interaction with others. Therefore, if the associative account is correct, the mirror neuron system is a product, as well as a process, of social interaction. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Graded Mirror Self-Recognition by Clark's Nutcrackers.

Science.gov (United States)

Clary, Dawson; Kelly, Debbie M

2016-11-04

The traditional 'mark test' has shown some large-brained species are capable of mirror self-recognition. During this test a mark is inconspicuously placed on an animal's body where it can only be seen with the aid of a mirror. If the animal increases the number of actions directed to the mark region when presented with a mirror, the animal is presumed to have recognized the mirror image as its reflection. However, the pass/fail nature of the mark test presupposes self-recognition exists in entirety or not at all. We developed a novel mirror-recognition task, to supplement the mark test, which revealed gradation in the self-recognition of Clark's nutcrackers, a large-brained corvid. To do so, nutcrackers cached food alone, observed by another nutcracker, or with a regular or blurry mirror. The nutcrackers suppressed caching with a regular mirror, a behavioural response to prevent cache theft by conspecifics, but did not suppress caching with a blurry mirror. Likewise, during the mark test, most nutcrackers made more self-directed actions to the mark with a blurry mirror than a regular mirror. Both results suggest self-recognition was more readily achieved with the blurry mirror and that self-recognition may be more broadly present among animals than currently thought.

Mirror neurons: from origin to function.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Richard; Bird, Geoffrey; Catmur, Caroline; Press, Clare; Heyes, Cecilia

2014-04-01

This article argues that mirror neurons originate in sensorimotor associative learning and therefore a new approach is needed to investigate their functions. Mirror neurons were discovered about 20 years ago in the monkey brain, and there is now evidence that they are also present in the human brain. The intriguing feature of many mirror neurons is that they fire not only when the animal is performing an action, such as grasping an object using a power grip, but also when the animal passively observes a similar action performed by another agent. It is widely believed that mirror neurons are a genetic adaptation for action understanding; that they were designed by evolution to fulfill a specific socio-cognitive function. In contrast, we argue that mirror neurons are forged by domain-general processes of associative learning in the course of individual development, and, although they may have psychological functions, they do not necessarily have a specific evolutionary purpose or adaptive function. The evidence supporting this view shows that (1) mirror neurons do not consistently encode action "goals"; (2) the contingency- and context-sensitive nature of associative learning explains the full range of mirror neuron properties; (3) human infants receive enough sensorimotor experience to support associative learning of mirror neurons ("wealth of the stimulus"); and (4) mirror neurons can be changed in radical ways by sensorimotor training. The associative account implies that reliable information about the function of mirror neurons can be obtained only by research based on developmental history, system-level theory, and careful experimentation.

DarkSide search for dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alexander, T.; Alton, D.; Arisaka, K.; Back, H. O.; Beltrame, P.; Benziger, J.; Bonfini, G.; Brigatti, A.; Brodsky, J.; Bussino, S.; Cadonati, L.; Calaprice, F.; Candela, A.; Cao, H.; Cavalcante, P.; Chepurnov, A.; Chidzik, S.; Cocco, A. G.; Condon, C.; D' Angelo, D.; Davini, S.; Vincenzi, M. De; Haas, E. De; Derbin, A.; Pietro, G. Di; Dratchnev, I.; Durben, D.; Empl, A.; Etenko, A.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.; Franco, D.; Fomenko, K.; Forster, G.; Gabriele, F.; Galbiati, C.; Gazzana, S.; Ghiano, C.; Goretti, A.; Grandi, L.; Gromov, M.; Guan, M.; Guo, C.; Guray, G.; Hungerford, E. V.; Ianni, Al; Ianni, An; Joliet, C.; Kayunov, A.; Keeter, K.; Kendziora, C.; Kidner, S.; Klemmer, R.; Kobychev, V.; Koh, G.; Komor, M.; Korablev, D.; Korga, G.; Li, P.; Loer, B.; Lombardi, P.; Love, C.; Ludhova, L.; Luitz, S.; Lukyanchenko, L.; Lund, A.; Lung, K.; Ma, Y.; Machulin, I.; Mari, S.; Maricic, J.; Martoff, C. J.; Meregaglia, A.; Meroni, E.; Meyers, P.; Mohayai, T.; Montanari, D.; Montuschi, M.; Monzani, M. E.; Mosteiro, P.; Mount, B.; Muratova, V.; Nelson, A.; Nemtzow, A.; Nurakhov, N.; Orsini, M.; Ortica, F.; Pallavicini, M.; Pantic, E.; Parmeggiano, S.; Parsells, R.; Pelliccia, N.; Perasso, L.; Perasso, S.; Perfetto, F.; Pinsky, L.; Pocar, A.; Pordes, S.; Randle, K.; Ranucci, G.; Razeto, A.; Romani, A.; Rossi, B.; Rossi, N.; Rountree, S. D.; Saggese, P.; Saldanha, R.; Salvo, C.; Sands, W.; Seigar, M.; Semenov, D.; Shields, E.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Smirnov, O.; Sotnikov, A.; Sukhotin, S.; Suvarov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Tatarowicz, J.; Testera, G.; Thompson, J.; Tonazzo, A.; Unzhakov, E.; Vogelaar, R. B.; Wang, H.; Westerdale, S.; Wojcik, M.; Wright, A.; Xu, J.; Yang, C.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zehfus, M.; Zhong, W.; Zuzel, G.

2013-11-22

The DarkSide staged program utilizes a two-phase time projection chamber (TPC) with liquid argon as the target material for the scattering of dark matter particles. Efficient background reduction is achieved using low radioactivity underground argon as well as several experimental handles such as pulse shape, ratio of ionization over scintillation signal, 3D event reconstruction, and active neutron and muon vetos. The DarkSide-10 prototype detector has proven high scintillation light yield, which is a particularly important parameter as it sets the energy threshold for the pulse shape discrimination technique. The DarkSide-50 detector system, currently in commissioning phase at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory, will reach a sensitivity to dark matter spin-independent scattering cross section of 10^-45 cm² within 3 years of operation.

Helically linked mirror arrangement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranjan, P.

1986-08-01

A scheme is described for helical linking of mirror sections, which endeavors to combine the better features of toroidal and mirror devices by eliminating the longitudinal loss of mirror machines, having moderately high average β and steady state operation. This scheme is aimed at a device, with closed magnetic surfaces having rotational transform for equilibrium, one or more axisymmetric straight sections for reduced radial loss, a simple geometrical axis for the links and an overall positive magnetic well depth for stability. We start by describing several other attempts at linking of mirror sections, made both in the past and the present. Then a description of our helically linked mirror scheme is given. This example has three identical straight sections connected by three sections having helical geometric axes. A theoretical analysis of the magnetic field and single-particle orbits in them leads to the conclusion that most of the passing particles would be confined in the device and they would have orbits independent of pitch angle under certain conditions. Numerical results are presented, which agree well with the theoretical results as far as passing particle orbits are concerned

Multiple-mirror plasma confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtenberg, A.J.; Lieberman, M.A.; Logan, B.G.

1975-01-01

A large enhancement of the confinement time can be achieved in a straight system of multiple mirrors over an equal length uniform magnetic field. The scaling is diffusive rather than that of flow, thereby scaling the square of the system length rather than linear with system length. Probably the most economic mode of operation for a reactor occurs when lambda/M is approximately l/sub c/, where lambda is the mean free path, M the mirror ratio, and l/sub c/ the length between mirrors; but where the scale length of the mirror field l/sub m/ is much less than lambda. The axial confinement time has been calculated theoretically and numerically for all important parameter regimes, and confirmed experimentally. A typical reactor calculation gives Q/sub E/ = 2 for a 400 meter system with 3000 MW(e) output. The main concern of a multiple-mirror system is stability. Linked quadrupoles can achieve average minimum-B stabilization of flute modes, and experiments have demonstrated this stabilization. Localized instabilities at finite β and enhanced diffusion resulting from the distorted flux surfaces and possibly from turbulent higher order modes still remain to be investigated

Delayed access to bilateral input alters cortical organization in children with asymmetric hearing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Jane Polonenko

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Bilateral hearing in early development protects auditory cortices from reorganizing to prefer the better ear. Yet, such protection could be disrupted by mismatched bilateral input in children with asymmetric hearing who require electric stimulation of the auditory nerve from a cochlear implant in their deaf ear and amplified acoustic sound from a hearing aid in their better ear (bimodal hearing. Cortical responses to bimodal stimulation were measured by electroencephalography in 34 bimodal users and 16 age-matched peers with normal hearing, and compared with the same measures previously reported for 28 age-matched bilateral implant users. Both auditory cortices increasingly favoured the better ear with delay to implanting the deaf ear; the time course mirrored that occurring with delay to bilateral implantation in unilateral implant users. Preference for the implanted ear tended to occur with ongoing implant use when hearing was poor in the non-implanted ear. Speech perception deteriorated with longer deprivation and poorer access to high-frequencies. Thus, cortical preference develops in children with asymmetric hearing but can be avoided by early provision of balanced bimodal stimulation. Although electric and acoustic stimulation differ, these inputs can work sympathetically when used bilaterally given sufficient hearing in the non-implanted ear.

Magnetic mirror fusion: status and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1980-01-01

Two improved mirror systems, the tandem mirror (TM) and the field-reversed mirror (FRM) are being intensively studied. The twin practical aims of these studies: to improve the economic prospects for mirror fusion power plants and to reduce the size and/or complexity of such plants relative to earlier approaches to magnetic fusion. While at the present time the program emphasis is still strongly oriented toward answering scientific questions, the emphasis is shifting as the data accumulates and as larger facilities - ones with a heavy technological and engineering orientation - are being prepared. The experimental and theoretical progress that led to the new look in mirror fusion research is briefly reviewed, the new TM and the FRM ideas are outlined, and the projected future course of mirror fusion research is discussed

Is Self-Interacting Dark Matter Undergoing Dark Fusion?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDermott, Samuel D.

2017-11-02

We suggest that two-to-two dark matter fusion may be the relaxation process that resolves the small-scale structure problems of the cold collisionless dark matter paradigm. In order for the fusion cross section to scale correctly across many decades of astrophysical masses from dwarf galaxies to galaxy clusters, we require the fractional binding energy released to be greater than v^n ~ [10^{-(2-3)}]^n, where n=1,2 depends on local dark sector chemistry. The size of the dark-sector interaction cross sections must be sigma ~ 0.1-1 barn, moderately larger than for Standard Model deuteron fusion, indicating a dark nuclear scale Lambda ~ O(100 MeV). Dark fusion firmly predicts constant sigma v below the characteristic velocities of galaxy clusters. Observations of the inner structure of galaxy groups with velocity dispersion of several hundred kilometer per second, of which a handful have been identified, could differentiate dark fusion from a dark photon model.

Asymmetric cation-binding catalysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliveira, Maria Teresa; Lee, Jiwoong

2017-01-01

The employment of metal salts is quite limited in asymmetric catalysis, although it would provide an additional arsenal of safe and inexpensive reagents to create molecular functions with high optical purity. Cation chelation by polyethers increases the salts' solubility in conventional organic...... solvents, thus increasing their applicability in synthesis. The expansion of this concept to chiral polyethers led to the emergence of asymmetric cation-binding catalysis, where chiral counter anions are generated from metal salts, particularly using BINOL-based polyethers. Alkali metal salts, namely KF...... highly enantioselective silylation reactions in polyether-generated chiral environments, and leading to a record-high turnover in asymmetric organocatalysis. This can lead to further applications by the asymmetric use of other inorganic salts in various organic transformations....

Coupling q-Deformed Dark Energy to Dark Matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emre Dil

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a novel coupled dark energy model which is assumed to occur as a q-deformed scalar field and investigate whether it will provide an expanding universe phase. We consider the q-deformed dark energy as coupled to dark matter inhomogeneities. We perform the phase-space analysis of the model by numerical methods and find the late-time accelerated attractor solutions. The attractor solutions imply that the coupled q-deformed dark energy model is consistent with the conventional dark energy models satisfying an acceleration phase of universe. At the end, we compare the cosmological parameters of deformed and standard dark energy models and interpret the implications.

Dark matters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silk, Joseph

2010-01-01

One of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos is that it is mostly dark. That is, not only is the night sky dark, but also most of the matter and the energy in the universe is dark. For every atom visible in planets, stars and galaxies today there exists at least five or six times as much 'Dark Matter' in the universe. Astronomers and particle physicists today are seeking to unravel the nature of this mysterious but pervasive dark matter, which has profoundly influenced the formation of structure in the universe. Dark energy remains even more elusive, as we lack candidate fields that emerge from well established physics. I will describe various attempts to measure dark matter by direct and indirect means, and discuss the prospects for progress in unravelling dark energy.

Laser cleaning of ITER's diagnostic mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, C. H.; Gentile, C. A.; Doerner, R.

2012-10-01

Practical methods to clean ITER's diagnostic mirrors and restore reflectivity will be critical to ITER's plasma operations. We report on laser cleaning of single crystal molybdenum mirrors coated with either carbon or beryllium films 150 - 420 nm thick. A 1.06 μm Nd laser system provided 220 ns pulses at 8 kHz with typical power densities of 1-2 J/cm^2. The laser beam was fiber optically coupled to a scanner suitable for tokamak applications. The efficacy of mirror cleaning was assessed with a new technique that combines microscopic imaging and reflectivity measurements [1]. The method is suitable for hazardous materials such as beryllium as the mirrors remain sealed in a vacuum chamber. Excellent restoration of reflectivity for the carbon coated Mo mirrors was observed after laser scanning under vacuum conditions. For the beryllium coated mirrors restoration of reflectivity has so far been incomplete and modeling indicates that a shorter duration laser pulse is needed. No damage of the molybdenum mirror substrates was observed.[4pt][1] C.H. Skinner et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. at press.

Mirror image agnosia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Sadanandavalli Retnaswami; Issac, Thomas Gregor

2014-10-01

Gnosis is a modality-specific ability to access semantic knowledge of an object or stimulus in the presence of normal perception. Failure of this is agnosia or disorder of recognition. It can be highly selective within a mode. self-images are different from others as none has seen one's own image except in reflection. Failure to recognize this image can be labeled as mirror image agnosia or Prosopagnosia for reflected self-image. Whereas mirror agnosia is a well-recognized situation where the person while looking at reflected images of other objects in the mirror he imagines that the objects are in fact inside the mirror and not outside. Five patients, four females, and one male presented with failure to recognize reflected self-image, resulting in patients conversing with the image as a friend, fighting because the person in mirror is wearing her nose stud, suspecting the reflected self-image to be an intruder; but did not have prosopagnosia for others faces, non living objects on self and also apraxias except dressing apraxia in one patient. This phenomena is new to our knowledge. Mirror image agnosia is an unique phenomena which is seen in patients with parietal lobe atrophy without specificity to a category of dementing illness and seems to disappear as disease advances. Reflected self-images probably have a specific neural substrate that gets affected very early in posterior dementias specially the ones which predominantly affect the right side. At that phase most patients are mistaken as suffering from psychiatric disorder as cognition is moderately preserved. As disease becomes more widespread this symptom becomes masked. A high degree of suspicion and proper assessment might help physicians to recognize the organic cause of the symptom so that early therapeutic interventions can be initiated. Further assessment of the symptom with FMRI and PET scan is likely to solve the mystery of how brain handles reflected self-images. A new observation involving failure

Sub-horizon evolution of cold dark matter perturbations through dark matter-dark energy equivalence epoch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piattella, O.F.; Martins, D.L.A.; Casarini, L.

2014-01-01

We consider a cosmological model of the late universe constituted by standard cold dark matter plus a dark energy component with constant equation of state w and constant effective speed of sound. By neglecting fluctuations in the dark energy component, we obtain an equation describing the evolution of sub-horizon cold dark matter perturbations through the epoch of dark matter-dark energy equality. We explore its analytic solutions and calculate an exact w-dependent correction for the dark matter growth function, logarithmic growth function and growth index parameter through the epoch considered. We test our analytic approximation with the numerical solution and find that the discrepancy is less than 1% for 0k = during the cosmic evolution up to a = 100

[Mirror, mirror of the wall: mirror therapy in the treatment of phantom limbs and phantom limb pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Casale, Roberto; Furnari, Anna; Lamberti, Raul Coelho; Kouloulas, Efthimios; Hagenberg, Annegret; Mallik, Maryam

2015-01-01

Phantom limb and phantom limb pain control are pivotal points in the sequence of intervention to bring the amputee to functional autonomy. The alterations of perception and sensation, the pain of the residual limb and the phantom limb are therefore aspects of amputation that should be taken into account in the "prise en charge" of these patients. Within the more advanced physical therapies to control phantom and phantom limb pain there is the use of mirrors (mirror therapy). This article willfocus on its use and on the possible side effects induced by the lack of patient selection and a conflict of body schema restoration through mirror therapy with concurrent prosthetic training and trauma acceptance. Advice on the need to select patients before treatment decisions, with regard to their psychological as well as clinical profile (including time since amputation and clinical setting), and the need to be aware of the possible adverse effects matching different and somehow conflicting therapeutic approaches, are put forward. Thus a coordinated sequence of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic procedures carried out by an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team that works globally on all patients' problems is fundamental in the management of amputees and phantom limb pain. Further studies and the development of a multidisciplinary network to study this and other applications of mirror therapy are needed.

Dark clouds in particle physics and cosmology: the issues of dark matter and dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xinmin

2011-01-01

Unveiling the nature of dark matter and dark energy is one of the main tasks of particle physics and cosmology in the 21st century. We first present an overview of the history and current status of research in cosmology, at the same time emphasizing the new challenges in particle physics. Then we focus on the scientific issues of dark energy, dark matter and anti-matter, and review the recent progress made in these fields. Finally, we discuss the prospects for future research on the experimental probing of dark matter and dark energy in China. (authors)

Unification of dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Fuminobu; Yanagida, T.T.

2006-01-01

We propose a scenario in which dark energy and dark matter are described in a unified manner. The ultralight pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone (pNG) boson, A, naturally explains the observed magnitude of dark energy, while the bosonic supersymmetry partner of the pNG boson, B, can be a dominant component of dark matter. The decay of B into a pair of electron and positron may explain the 511 keV γ ray from the Galactic Center

Tales from the dark side: Privacy dark strategies and privacy dark patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bösch, Christoph; Erb, Benjamin; Kargl, Frank

2016-01-01

Privacy strategies and privacy patterns are fundamental concepts of the privacy-by-design engineering approach. While they support a privacy-aware development process for IT systems, the concepts used by malicious, privacy-threatening parties are generally less understood and known. We argue...... that understanding the “dark side”, namely how personal data is abused, is of equal importance. In this paper, we introduce the concept of privacy dark strategies and privacy dark patterns and present a framework that collects, documents, and analyzes such malicious concepts. In addition, we investigate from...... a psychological perspective why privacy dark strategies are effective. The resulting framework allows for a better understanding of these dark concepts, fosters awareness, and supports the development of countermeasures. We aim to contribute to an easier detection and successive removal of such approaches from...

X-ray imaging with toroidal mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Sadao; Sakayanagi, Yoshimi

1978-01-01

X-ray imaging is made with a single toroidal mirror or two successive toroidal mirrors. Geometrical images at the Gaussian image plane are described by the ray trace. Application of a single toroidal mirror to small-angle scattering is presented. (author)

Passivation coating for flexible substrate mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Tracy, C. Edwin; Benson, David K.

1990-01-01

A protective diffusion barrier for metalized mirror structures is provided by a layer or coating of silicon nitride which is a very dense, transparent, dielectric material that is impervious to water, alkali, and other impurities and corrosive substances that typically attack the metal layers of mirrors and cause degradation of the mirrors' reflectivity. The silicon nitride layer can be deposited on the substrate before metal deposition thereon to stabilize the metal/substrate interface, and it can be deposited over the metal to encapsulate it and protect the metal from corrosion or other degradation. Mirrors coated with silicon nitride according to this invention can also be used as front surface mirrors. Also, the silver or other reflective metal layer on mirrors comprising thin, lightweight, flexible substrates of metal or polymer sheets coated with glassy layers can be protected with silicon nitride according to this invention.

[Mirror neurons].

Science.gov (United States)

Rubia Vila, Francisco José

2011-01-01

Mirror neurons were recently discovered in frontal brain areas of the monkey. They are activated when the animal makes a specific movement, but also when the animal observes the same movement in another animal. Some of them also respond to the emotional expression of other animals of the same species. These mirror neurons have also been found in humans. They respond to or "reflect" actions of other individuals in the brain and are thought to represent the basis for imitation and empathy and hence the neurobiological substrate for "theory of mind", the potential origin of language and the so-called moral instinct.

Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomassen, K.I.

1978-01-01

A large, new Mirror Fusion Test Facility is under construction at LLL. Begun in FY78 it will be completed at the end of FY78 at a cost of $94.2M. This facility gives the mirror program the flexibility to explore mirror confinement principles at a signficant scale and advances the technology of large reactor-like devices. The role of MFTF in the LLL program is described here

The mirror neuron system: new frontiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Keysers, Christian; Fadiga, Luciano

2008-01-01

Since the discovery of mirror neurons, much effort has been invested into studying their location and properties in the human brain. Here we review these original findings and introduce the main topics of this special issue of Social Neuroscience. What does the mirror system code? How is the mirror system embedded into the mosaic of circuits that compose our brain? How does the mirror system contribute to communication, language and social interaction? Can the principle of mirror neurons be extended to emotions, sensations and thoughts? Papers using a wide range of methods, including single cell recordings, fMRI, TMS, EEG and psychophysics, collected in this special issue, start to give us some impressive answers.

Revival of the unified dark energy-dark matter model?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bento, M.C.; Bertolami, O.; Sen, A.A.

2004-01-01

We consider the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) proposal for unification of dark energy and dark matter and show that it admits an unique decomposition into dark energy and dark matter components once phantomlike dark energy is excluded. Within this framework, we study structure formation and show that difficulties associated to unphysical oscillations or blowup in the matter power spectrum can be circumvented. Furthermore, we show that the dominance of dark energy is related to the time when energy density fluctuations start deviating from the linear δ∼a behavior

Neoclassical resonant transport of a mirror cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, T.; Katanuma, I.

2005-01-01

The neoclassical resonant plateau transport in a mirror cell is studied theoretically. The analytical expression for a non-square-well magnetic field is obtained. The analytical result is applied to the GAMMA10 tandem mirror [T. Cho, M. Yoshida, J. Kohagura et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 085002-1 (2005)], which consists of several mirror cells in it, and the confinement time due to the neoclassical resonant plateau transport is determined in each mirror cell. It is found that the neoclassical resonant transport of ions trapped in the nonaxisymmetric anchor mirror cell and transition mirror cells is significantly smaller than those trapped in the central cell

Cold dark matter plus not-so-clumpy dark relics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamanti, Roberta; Ando, Shin'ichiro; Weniger, Christoph; Gariazzo, Stefano; Mena, Olga

2017-01-01

Various particle physics models suggest that, besides the (nearly) cold dark matter that accounts for current observations, additional but sub-dominant dark relics might exist. These could be warm, hot, or even contribute as dark radiation. We present here a comprehensive study of two-component dark matter scenarios, where the first component is assumed to be cold, and the second is a non-cold thermal relic. Considering the cases where the non-cold dark matter species could be either a fermion or a boson, we derive consistent upper limits on the non-cold dark relic energy density for a very large range of velocity dispersions, covering the entire range from dark radiation to cold dark matter. To this end, we employ the latest Planck Cosmic Microwave Background data, the recent BOSS DR11 and other Baryon Acoustic Oscillation measurements, and also constraints on the number of Milky Way satellites, the latter of which provides a measure of the suppression of the matter power spectrum at the smallest scales due to the free-streaming of the non-cold dark matter component. We present the results on the fraction f ncdm of non-cold dark matter with respect to the total dark matter for different ranges of the non-cold dark matter masses. We find that the 2σ limits for non-cold dark matter particles with masses in the range 1–10 keV are f ncdm ≤0.29 (0.23) for fermions (bosons), and for masses in the 10–100 keV range they are f ncdm ≤0.43 (0.45), respectively.

Cold dark matter plus not-so-clumpy dark relics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diamanti, Roberta; Ando, Shin' ichiro; Weniger, Christoph [GRAPPA, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam (Netherlands); Gariazzo, Stefano; Mena, Olga, E-mail: r.diamanti@uva.nl, E-mail: s.ando@uva.nl, E-mail: gariazzo@to.infn.it, E-mail: omena@ific.uv.es, E-mail: c.weniger@uva.nl [Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC-Universitat de Valencia, Apartado de Correos 22085, E-46071, Valencia (Spain)

2017-06-01

Various particle physics models suggest that, besides the (nearly) cold dark matter that accounts for current observations, additional but sub-dominant dark relics might exist. These could be warm, hot, or even contribute as dark radiation. We present here a comprehensive study of two-component dark matter scenarios, where the first component is assumed to be cold, and the second is a non-cold thermal relic. Considering the cases where the non-cold dark matter species could be either a fermion or a boson, we derive consistent upper limits on the non-cold dark relic energy density for a very large range of velocity dispersions, covering the entire range from dark radiation to cold dark matter. To this end, we employ the latest Planck Cosmic Microwave Background data, the recent BOSS DR11 and other Baryon Acoustic Oscillation measurements, and also constraints on the number of Milky Way satellites, the latter of which provides a measure of the suppression of the matter power spectrum at the smallest scales due to the free-streaming of the non-cold dark matter component. We present the results on the fraction f {sub ncdm} of non-cold dark matter with respect to the total dark matter for different ranges of the non-cold dark matter masses. We find that the 2σ limits for non-cold dark matter particles with masses in the range 1–10 keV are f {sub ncdm}≤0.29 (0.23) for fermions (bosons), and for masses in the 10–100 keV range they are f {sub ncdm}≤0.43 (0.45), respectively.

Evolution of the mirror machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damm, C.C.

1983-01-01

The history of the magnetic-mirror approach to a fusion reactor is primarily the history of our understanding and control of several crucial physics issues, coupled with progress in the technology of heating and confining a reacting plasma. The basic requirement of an MHD-stable plasma equilibrium was achieved following the early introduction of minimum-B multipolar magnetic fields. In refined form, the same magnetic-well principle carries over to our present experiments and to reactor designs. The higher frequency microinstabilities, arising from the non-Maxwellian particle distributions inherent in mirror machines, have gradually come under control as theoretical prescriptions for distribution functions have been applied in the experiments. Even with stability, the classical plasma leakage through the mirrors posed a serious question for reactor viability until the principle of electrostatic axial stoppering was applied in the tandem mirror configuration. Experiments to test this principle successfully demonstrated the substantial improvement in confinement predicted. Concurrent with advances in mirror plasma physics, development of both high-power neutral beam injectors and high-speed vacuum pumping techniques has played a crucial role in ongoing experiments. Together with superconducting magnets, cryogenic pumping, and high-power radiofrequency heating, these technologies have evolved to a level that extrapolates readily to meet the requirements of a tandem mirror fusion reactor

Mirror neurons: functions, mechanisms and models.

Science.gov (United States)

Oztop, Erhan; Kawato, Mitsuo; Arbib, Michael A

2013-04-12

Mirror neurons for manipulation fire both when the animal manipulates an object in a specific way and when it sees another animal (or the experimenter) perform an action that is more or less similar. Such neurons were originally found in macaque monkeys, in the ventral premotor cortex, area F5 and later also in the inferior parietal lobule. Recent neuroimaging data indicate that the adult human brain is endowed with a "mirror neuron system," putatively containing mirror neurons and other neurons, for matching the observation and execution of actions. Mirror neurons may serve action recognition in monkeys as well as humans, whereas their putative role in imitation and language may be realized in human but not in monkey. This article shows the important role of computational models in providing sufficient and causal explanations for the observed phenomena involving mirror systems and the learning processes which form them, and underlines the need for additional circuitry to lift up the monkey mirror neuron circuit to sustain the posited cognitive functions attributed to the human mirror neuron system. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasma confinement apparatus using solenoidal and mirror coils

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, T. Kenneth; Condit, William C.

1979-01-01

A plasma confinement apparatus, wherein multiple magnetic mirror cells are linked by magnetic field lines inside of a solenoid with the mirroring regions for adjacent magnetic mirror cells each formed by a separate mirror coil inside of the solenoid. The magnetic mirror cells may be field reversed.

Mirror neurons and language in schizophrenia

OpenAIRE

Bendová, Marie

2016-01-01

Mirror neurons are a specific kind of visuomotor neurons that are involved in action execution and also in action perception. The mirror mechanism is linked to a variety of complex psychological functions such as social-cognitive functions and language. People with schizophrenia have often difficulties both in mirror neuron system and in language skills. In the first part of our research we studied the connectivity of mirror neuron areas (such as IFG, STG, PMC, SMC and so on) by fMRI in resti...

The dark side of cosmology: dark matter and dark energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Spergel, David N

2015-03-06

A simple model with only six parameters (the age of the universe, the density of atoms, the density of matter, the amplitude of the initial fluctuations, the scale dependence of this amplitude, and the epoch of first star formation) fits all of our cosmological data . Although simple, this standard model is strange. The model implies that most of the matter in our Galaxy is in the form of "dark matter," a new type of particle not yet detected in the laboratory, and most of the energy in the universe is in the form of "dark energy," energy associated with empty space. Both dark matter and dark energy require extensions to our current understanding of particle physics or point toward a breakdown of general relativity on cosmological scales. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Plasma confinement apparatus using solenoidal and mirror coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, T.K.; Condit, W.C.

1979-01-01

A plasma confinement apparatus is described, wherein multiple magnetic mirror cells are linked by magnetic field lines inside of a solenoid with the mirroring regions for adjacent magnetic mirror cells each formed by a separate mirror coil inside of the solenoid. The magnetic mirror cells may be field reversed

Owning the body in the mirror: The effect of visual perspective and mirror view on the full-body illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Preston, Catherine; Kuper-Smith, Benjamin J; Ehrsson, Henrik H

2015-12-17

Mirrors allow us to view our own body from a third-person (observer) perspective. However, how viewing ourselves through a mirror affects central body representations compared with true third-person perspective is not fully understood. Across a series of experiments, multisensory full-body illusions were used to modulate feelings of ownership over a mannequin body that was viewed from a third-person perspective through a mirror, from a third-person perspective without a mirror, and from a first-person perspective. In contrast to non-mirror third-person perspective, synchronously touching the participant's actual body and the mannequin body viewed in the mirror elicited strong feelings of ownership over the mannequin and increased physiological responses to the mannequin being threatened compared to the equivalent asynchronous (non-ownership) control condition. Subjective reports of ownership viewing the mannequin through a mirror were also statistically equivalent to those following the first-person perspective illusion. These findings suggest that mirrors have a special role for viewing the self. The results also support the importance of egocentric reference frames for body ownership and suggest that mirror reflections of one's own body are related to peripersonal space, which enables updating of central body representations.

Physics issues in mirror and tandem mirror systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1984-01-01

Over the years the study of the confinement of high temperature plasma in magnetic mirror systems has presented researchers with many unusual physics problems. Many of these issues are by now understood theoretically and documented experimentally. With the advent of the tandem mirror idea, some new issues have emerged and are now under intensive study. These include: (1) the generation and control of ambipolar confining potentials and their effect on axial confinement and, (2) the combined influence of nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields (used to ensure MHD stability) and electric magnetic particle drifts on radial transport. Physics considerations associated with these two categories of issues will be reviewed, including concepts for the control of radial transport, under study or proposed

The mirror neuron system : New frontiers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keysers, Christian; Fadiga, Luciano

2008-01-01

Since the discovery of mirror neurons, much effort has been invested into Studying their location and properties in the human brain. Here we review these original findings and introduce the Main topics of this special issue of Social Neuroscience. What does the mirror system code? How is the mirror

The dark cube: dark and light character profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Garcia

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background. Research addressing distinctions and similarities between people’s malevolent character traits (i.e., the Dark Triad: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy has detected inconsistent linear associations to temperament traits. Additionally, these dark traits seem to have a common core expressed as uncooperativeness. Hence, some researchers suggest that the dark traits are best represented as one global construct (i.e., the unification argument rather than as ternary construct (i.e., the uniqueness argument. We put forward the dark cube (cf. Cloninger’s character cube comprising eight dark profiles that can be used to compare individuals who differ in one dark character trait while holding the other two constant. Our aim was to investigate in which circumstances individuals who are high in each one of the dark character traits differ in Cloninger’s “light” character traits: self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence. We also investigated if people’s dark character profiles were associated to their light character profiles. Method. A total of 997 participants recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk responded to the Short Dark Triad and the Short Character Inventory. Participants were allocated to eight different dark profiles and eight light profiles based on their scores in each of the traits and any possible combination of high and low scores. We used three-way interaction regression analyses and t-tests to investigate differences in light character traits between individuals with different dark profiles. As a second step, we compared the individuals’ dark profile with her/his character profile using an exact cell-wise analysis conducted in the ROPstat software (http://www.ropstat.com. Results. Individuals who expressed high levels of Machiavellianism and those who expressed high levels of psychopathy also expressed low self-directedness and low cooperativeness. Individuals with high

Cold dark matter plus not-so-clumpy dark relics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diamanti, R.; Ando, S.; Gariazzo, S.; Mena, O.; Weniger, C.

Various particle physics models suggest that, besides the (nearly) cold dark matter that accounts for current observations, additional but sub-dominant dark relics might exist. These could be warm, hot, or even contribute as dark radiation. We present here a comprehensive study of two-component dark

Analytic solution for a quartic electron mirror

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Straton, Jack C., E-mail: straton@pdx.edu

2015-01-15

A converging electron mirror can be used to compensate for spherical and chromatic aberrations in an electron microscope. This paper presents an analytical solution to a diode (two-electrode) electrostatic mirror including the next term beyond the known hyperbolic shape. The latter is a solution of the Laplace equation to second order in the variables perpendicular to and along the mirror's radius (z{sup 2}−r{sup 2}/2) to which we add a quartic term (kλz{sup 4}). The analytical solution is found in terms of Jacobi cosine-amplitude functions. We find that a mirror less concave than the hyperbolic profile is more sensitive to changes in mirror voltages and the contrary holds for the mirror more concave than the hyperbolic profile. - Highlights: • We find the analytical solution for electron mirrors whose curvature has z4 dependence added to the usual z{sup 2} – r{sup 2}/2 terms. • The resulting Jacobi cosine-amplitude function reduces to the well-known cosh solution in the limit where the new term is 0. • This quartic term gives a mirror designer additional flexibility for eliminating spherical and chromatic aberrations. • The possibility of using these analytical results to approximately model spherical tetrode mirrors close to axis is noted.

Sensorimotor learning configures the human mirror system.

Science.gov (United States)

Catmur, Caroline; Walsh, Vincent; Heyes, Cecilia

2007-09-04

Cells in the "mirror system" fire not only when an individual performs an action but also when one observes the same action performed by another agent [1-4]. The mirror system, found in premotor and parietal cortices of human and monkey brains, is thought to provide the foundation for social understanding and to enable the development of theory of mind and language [5-9]. However, it is unclear how mirror neurons acquire their mirror properties -- how they derive the information necessary to match observed with executed actions [10]. We address this by showing that it is possible to manipulate the selectivity of the human mirror system, and thereby make it operate as a countermirror system, by giving participants training to perform one action while observing another. Before this training, participants showed event-related muscle-specific responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation over motor cortex during observation of little- and index-finger movements [11-13]. After training, this normal mirror effect was reversed. These results indicate that the mirror properties of the mirror system are neither wholly innate [14] nor fixed once acquired; instead they develop through sensorimotor learning [15, 16]. Our findings indicate that the human mirror system is, to some extent, both a product and a process of social interaction.

Supplying Dark Energy from Scalar Field Dark Matter

OpenAIRE

Gogberashvili, Merab; Sakharov, Alexander S.

2017-01-01

We consider the hypothesis that dark matter and dark energy consists of ultra-light self-interacting scalar particles. It is found that the Klein-Gordon equation with only two free parameters (mass and self-coupling) on a Schwarzschild background, at the galactic length-scales has the solution which corresponds to Bose-Einstein condensate, behaving as dark matter, while the constant solution at supra-galactic scales can explain dark energy.

Trieste lectures on mirror symmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hori, K [Department of Physics and Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2003-08-15

These are pedagogical lectures on mirror symmetry given at the Spring School in ICTP, Trieste, March 2002. The focus is placed on worldsheet descriptions of the physics related to mirror symmetry. We start with the introduction to general aspects of (2,2) supersymmetric field theories in 1 + 1 dimensions. We next move on to the study and applications of linear sigma model. Finally, we provide a proof of mirror symmetry in a class of models. (author)

Dark nebulae, dark lanes, and dust belts

CERN Document Server

Cooke, Antony

2012-01-01

As probably the only book of its type, this work is aimed at the observer who wants to spend time with something less conventional than the usual fare. Because we usually see objects in space by means of illumination of one kind or another, it has become routine to see them only in these terms. However, part of almost everything that we see is the defining dimension of dark shading, or even the complete obscuration of entire regions in space. Thus this book is focused on everything dark in space: those dark voids in the stellar fabric that mystified astronomers of old; the dark lanes reported in many star clusters; the magical dust belts or dusty regions that have given so many galaxies their identities; the great swirling 'folds' that we associate with bright nebulae; the small dark feature detectable even in some planetary nebulae; and more. Many observers pay scant attention to dark objects and details. Perhaps they are insufficiently aware of them or of the viewing potential they hold, but also it may be...

A Research on the Primary Mirror Manipulator of Large Segmented-mirror Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, H.

2012-09-01

Since Galileo firstly used the telescope to observe the sky 400 years ago, the aperture of the telescope has become larger and larger to observe the deeper universe, and the segmented-mirror telescope is becoming more and more popular with increasing aperture. In the early 21st century, a series of segmented-mirror telescopes have been constructed including the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) of China. LAMOST is a meridian reflecting Schmidt telescope, and the dimension of the primary mirror is about 6.7 m× 6 m, which is composed of 37 hexagonal sub-mirrors. However, a problem about the mirror installation appears with the increasing aperture. If there are hundreds of sub-mirrors in the telescope, it is a challenging job to mount and dismount them to the truss. This problem is discussed in this paper and a manipulator for the primary mirror of LAMOST is designed to perform the mount and dismount work. In chapter 1, all the segmented-mirror telescopes in the world are introduced and how the sub-mirrors of these telescopes are installed has been investigated. After comparing with the serial and the parallel robot, a serial robot manipulator proposal, which has several redundant degrees of freedom (DOFs), has been chosen from a series of design proposals. In chapter 2, the theoretical analysis has been carried out on the basis of the design proposal, which includes the forward kinematics and the inverse kinematics. Firstly the D-H coordinate is built according to the structure of the manipulator, so it is possible to obtain the end-effector position and orientation from the individual joint motion thanks to the forward kinematics. Because of the redundant DOFs of the manipulator, the inverse kinematics solution can be a very trick task, and the result may not be only, therefore a kind of simulation is carried out to get the numerical solution using ADAMS (Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical System). In the dynamics analysis the

Metamaterial mirrors in optoelectronic devices

KAUST Repository

Esfandyarpour, Majid; Garnett, Erik C.; Cui, Yi; McGehee, Michael D.; Brongersma, Mark L.

2014-01-01

The phase reversal that occurs when light is reflected from a metallic mirror produces a standing wave with reduced intensity near the reflective surface. This effect is highly undesirable in optoelectronic devices that use metal films as both electrical contacts and optical mirrors, because it dictates a minimum spacing between the metal and the underlying active semiconductor layers, therefore posing a fundamental limit to the overall thickness of the device. Here, we show that this challenge can be circumvented by using a metamaterial mirror whose reflection phase is tunable from that of a perfect electric mirror († = €) to that of a perfect magnetic mirror († = 0). This tunability in reflection phase can also be exploited to optimize the standing wave profile in planar devices to maximize light-matter interaction. Specifically, we show that light absorption and photocurrent generation in a sub-100 nm active semiconductor layer of a model solar cell can be enhanced by ∼20% over a broad spectral band. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Metamaterial mirrors in optoelectronic devices

KAUST Repository

Esfandyarpour, Majid

2014-06-22

The phase reversal that occurs when light is reflected from a metallic mirror produces a standing wave with reduced intensity near the reflective surface. This effect is highly undesirable in optoelectronic devices that use metal films as both electrical contacts and optical mirrors, because it dictates a minimum spacing between the metal and the underlying active semiconductor layers, therefore posing a fundamental limit to the overall thickness of the device. Here, we show that this challenge can be circumvented by using a metamaterial mirror whose reflection phase is tunable from that of a perfect electric mirror († = €) to that of a perfect magnetic mirror († = 0). This tunability in reflection phase can also be exploited to optimize the standing wave profile in planar devices to maximize light-matter interaction. Specifically, we show that light absorption and photocurrent generation in a sub-100 nm active semiconductor layer of a model solar cell can be enhanced by ∼20% over a broad spectral band. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Vertex algebras and mirror symmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisov, L.A.

2001-01-01

Mirror Symmetry for Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in toric varieties is by now well established. However, previous approaches to it did not uncover the underlying reason for mirror varieties to be mirror. We are able to calculate explicitly vertex algebras that correspond to holomorphic parts of A and B models of Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces and complete intersections in toric varieties. We establish the relation between these vertex algebras for mirror Calabi-Yau manifolds. This should eventually allow us to rewrite the whole story of toric mirror symmetry in the language of sheaves of vertex algebras. Our approach is purely algebraic and involves simple techniques from toric geometry and homological algebra, as well as some basic results of the theory of vertex algebras. Ideas of this paper may also be useful in other problems related to maps from curves to algebraic varieties.This paper could also be of interest to physicists, because it contains explicit description of holomorphic parts of A and B models of Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces and complete intersections in terms of free bosons and fermions. (orig.)

Sourcing dark matter and dark energy from α-attractors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mishra, Swagat S.; Sahni, Varun [Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Post Bag 4, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007 (India); Shtanov, Yuri, E-mail: swagat@iucaa.in, E-mail: varun@iucaa.in, E-mail: shtanov@bitp.kiev.ua [Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kiev 03680 (Ukraine)

2017-06-01

In [1], Kallosh and Linde drew attention to a new family of superconformal inflationary potentials, subsequently called α-attractors [2]. The α-attractor family can interpolate between a large class of inflationary models. It also has an important theoretical underpinning within the framework of supergravity. We demonstrate that the α-attractors have an even wider appeal since they may describe dark matter and perhaps even dark energy. The dark matter associated with the α-attractors, which we call α-dark matter (αDM), shares many of the attractive features of fuzzy dark matter, with V (φ) = ½ m {sup 2}φ{sup 2}, while having none of its drawbacks. Like fuzzy dark matter, αDM can have a large Jeans length which could resolve the cusp-core and substructure problems faced by standard cold dark matter. αDM also has an appealing tracker property which enables it to converge to the late-time dark matter asymptote, ( w ) ≅ 0, from a wide range of initial conditions. It thus avoids the enormous fine-tuning problems faced by the m {sup 2}φ{sup 2} potential in describing dark matter.

Sourcing dark matter and dark energy from α-attractors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Swagat S.; Sahni, Varun; Shtanov, Yuri

2017-01-01

In [1], Kallosh and Linde drew attention to a new family of superconformal inflationary potentials, subsequently called α-attractors [2]. The α-attractor family can interpolate between a large class of inflationary models. It also has an important theoretical underpinning within the framework of supergravity. We demonstrate that the α-attractors have an even wider appeal since they may describe dark matter and perhaps even dark energy. The dark matter associated with the α-attractors, which we call α-dark matter (αDM), shares many of the attractive features of fuzzy dark matter, with V (φ) = ½ m 2 φ 2 , while having none of its drawbacks. Like fuzzy dark matter, αDM can have a large Jeans length which could resolve the cusp-core and substructure problems faced by standard cold dark matter. αDM also has an appealing tracker property which enables it to converge to the late-time dark matter asymptote, ( w ) ≅ 0, from a wide range of initial conditions. It thus avoids the enormous fine-tuning problems faced by the m 2 φ 2 potential in describing dark matter.

The Effects of Admixed Dark Matter on Accretion Induced Collapse

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Shing-Chi; Chu, Ming-Chung; Lin, Lap-Ming; Nomoto, Ken'ichi

About 90% mass of matter in the universe is dark matter (DM) and most of its properties remain poorly constrained since it does not interact with electromagnetic and strong forces. To constrain the properties of DM, studying its effects on stellar objects is one of the methods. In [Leung et al., Phys. Rev. D 87, 123506 (2013); Leung et al., Astrophys. J. 812, 110 (2015)] we have shown that the dark matter admixture can significantly lower the Chandrasekhar mass of a white dwarf and also its corresponding explosion as a Type Ia supernova (SNe Ia). This type of objects may explain some observed sub-luminous SNe Ia. Depending on their stellar evolution path and interactions with companion stars, such objects can also undergo a direct collapse to form neutron stars (NSs) instead of explosion. Here we present results of one-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of a NS with admixed DM. The DM is assumed to be asymmetric and in the form of an ideal degenerate Fermi gas. We study how the admixture of DM affects the collapse dynamics, its neutrino signals and the properties of the proto-NS. Possible observational signals are also discussed.

Gravitational wave from dark sector with dark pion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsumura, Koji [Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Yamada, Masatoshi [Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Yamaguchi, Yuya, E-mail: ko2@gauge.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp, E-mail: m.yamada@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de, E-mail: yy@particle.sci.hokudai.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan)

2017-07-01

In this work, we investigate the spectra of gravitational waves produced by chiral symmetry breaking in dark quantum chromodynamics (dQCD) sector. The dark pion (π) can be a dark matter candidate as weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) or strongly interacting massive particle (SIMP). For a WIMP scenario, we introduce the dQCD sector coupled to the standard model (SM) sector with classical scale invariance and investigate the annihilation process of the dark pion via the 2π → 2 SM process. For a SIMP scenario, we investigate the 3π → 2π annihilation process of the dark pion as a SIMP using chiral perturbation theory. We find that in the WIMP scenario the gravitational wave background spectra can be observed by future space gravitational wave antennas. On the other hand, when the dark pion is the SIMP dark matter with the constraints for the chiral perturbative limit and pion-pion scattering cross section, the chiral phase transition becomes crossover and then the gravitational waves are not produced.

Cyclodextrins in Asymmetric and Stereospecific Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fliur Macaev

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Since their discovery, cyclodextrins have widely been used as green and easily available alternatives to promoters or catalysts of different chemical reactions in water. This review covers the research and application of cyclodextrins and their derivatives in asymmetric and stereospecific syntheses, with their division into three main groups: (1 cyclodextrins promoting asymmetric and stereospecific catalysis in water; (2 cyclodextrins’ complexes with transition metals as asymmetric and stereospecific catalysts; and (3 cyclodextrins’ non-metallic derivatives as asymmetric and stereospecific catalysts. The scope of this review is to systematize existing information on the contribution of cyclodextrins to asymmetric and stereospecific synthesis and, thus, to facilitate further development in this direction.

Dark Matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Einasto J.

2011-06-01

Full Text Available I give a review of the development of the concept of dark matter. The dark matter story passed through several stages from a minor observational puzzle to a major challenge for theory of elementary particles. Modern data suggest that dark matter is the dominant matter component in the Universe, and that it consists of some unknown non-baryonic particles. Dark matter is the dominant matter component in the Universe, thus properties of dark matter particles determine the structure of the cosmic web.

Mirror reactor studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moir, R.W.; Barr, W.L.; Bender, D.J.

1977-01-01

Design studies of a fusion mirror reactor, a fusion-fission mirror reactor, and two small mirror reactors are summarized. The fusion reactor uses 150-keV neutral-beam injectors based on the acceleration of negative ions. The injectors provide over 1 GW of continuous power at an efficiency greater than 80%. The fusion reactor has three-stage, modularized, Venetian blind, plasma direct converter with a predicted efficiency of 59% and a new concept for removal of the lune-shaped blanket: a crane is brought between the two halves of the Yin-Yang magnet, which are separated by a float. The design has desirable features such as steady-state operation, minimal impurity problems, and low first-wall thermal stress. The major disadvantage is low Q resulting in high re-circulating power and hence high cost of electrical power. However, the direct capital cost per unit of gross electrical power is reasonable [$1000/kW(e)]. By contrast, the fusion-fission reactor design is not penalized by re-circulating power and uses relatively near-term fusion technology being developed for the fusion power program. New results are presented on the Th- 233 U and the U- 239 Pu fuel cycles. The purpose of this hybrid is fuel production, with projected costs at $55/g of Pu or $127/g of 233 U. Blanket and cooling system designs, including an emergency cooling system, by General Atomic Company, lead us to the opinion that the reactor can meet expected safety standards for licensing. The smallest mirror reactor having only a shield between the plasma and the coil is the 4.2-m long fusion engineering research facility (FERF) designed for material irradiation. The smallest mirror reactor having both a blanket and shield is the 7.5-m long experimental power reactor (EPR), which has both a fusion and a fusion-fission version. (author)

Main: FEB5 [TP Atlas

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available - Chiral compounds, which have non-superimposable mirror image because of the presence of asymmetric carbon atoms... knowledge Chiral compounds, which have non-superimposable mirror image because of the presence of asymmetric carbon atoms

Dark Energy vs. Dark Matter: Towards a Unifying Scalar Field?

OpenAIRE

Arbey, A.

2008-01-01

The standard model of cosmology suggests the existence of two components, "dark matter" and "dark energy", which determine the fate of the Universe. Their nature is still under investigation, and no direct proof of their existences has emerged yet. There exist alternative models which reinterpret the cosmological observations, for example by replacing the dark energy/dark matter hypothesis by the existence of a unique dark component, the dark fluid, which is able to mimic the behaviour of bot...

Principles of asymmetric synthesis

CERN Document Server

Gawley, Robert E; Aube, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

The world is chiral. Most of the molecules in it are chiral, and asymmetric synthesis is an important means by which enantiopure chiral molecules may be obtained for study and sale. Using examples from the literature of asymmetric synthesis, this book presents a detailed analysis of the factors that govern stereoselectivity in organic reactions. After an explanation of the basic physical-organic principles governing stereoselective reactions, the authors provide a detailed, annotated glossary of stereochemical terms. A chapter on "Practical Aspects of Asymmetric Synthesis" provides a critical overview of the most common methods for the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds, techniques for analysis of stereoisomers using chromatographic, spectroscopic, and chiroptical methods. The authors then present an overview of the most important methods in contemporary asymmetric synthesis organized by reaction type. Thus, there are four chapters on carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, one chapter on reductions...

Conformal Gravity: Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert K. Nesbet

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This short review examines recent progress in understanding dark matter, dark energy, and galactic halos using theory that departs minimally from standard particle physics and cosmology. Strict conformal symmetry (local Weyl scaling covariance, postulated for all elementary massless fields, retains standard fermion and gauge boson theory but modifies Einstein–Hilbert general relativity and the Higgs scalar field model, with no new physical fields. Subgalactic phenomenology is retained. Without invoking dark matter, conformal gravity and a conformal Higgs model fit empirical data on galactic rotational velocities, galactic halos, and Hubble expansion including dark energy.

Mirror Objects in the Solar System?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silagadze, Z.K.

2002-01-01

This talk was given at the Tunguska-2001 international conference but it is not about the Tunguska event. Instead we tried to give some flavor of mirror matter, which is predicted to exist if parity is an unbroken symmetry of nature, to non-experts. The possible connection of the mirror matter ideas to the Tunguska phenomenon was indicated by Foot and Gninenko some time ago and was elaborated by Foot in the separate talk at this conference. If the mirror world interpretation of the Tunguska like events is indeed correct then the most fascinating (but very speculative) possibility is that some well known celestial bodies with strange properties are in fact made mostly from mirror matter, and so maybe the mirror world was discovered long ago and we just have not suspected this. (author)

A comparison of performance of lightweight mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Myung K.; Richard, Ralph M.; Hileman, Edward A.

1990-01-01

Four lightweight solid contoured back mirror shapes (a double arch, a single arch, a modified single arch, and a double concave mirror) and a cellular sandwich lightweight meniscus mirror, have been considered for the primary mirror of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). A parametric design study using these shapes for the SIRTF 40 inch primary mirror with a focal ratio f/2 is presented. Evaluations of the optical performance and fundamental frequency analyses are performed to compare relative merits of each mirror configuration. Included in these are structural, optical, and frequency analyses for (1) different back contour shapes, (2) different number and location of the support points, and (3) two gravity orientations (ZENITH and HORIZON positions). The finite element program NASTRAN is used to obtain the structural deflections of the optical surface. For wavefront error analysis, FRINGE and PCFRINGE programs are used to evaluate the optical performance. A scaling law relating the optical and structural performance for various mirror contoured back shapes is developed.

Tandem mirror next step conceptual design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doggett, J.N.; Damm, C.C.; Bulmer, R.H.

1980-01-01

A study was made to define the features of the experimental mirror fusion device - The Tandem Mirror Next Step, or TMNS - that will bridge the gap between present mirror confinement experiments and a power-producing reactor. We outline the project goals, describe some initial device parameters, and relate the technological requirements to ongoing development programs

Effective dark energy equation of state in interacting dark energy models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avelino, P.P.; Silva, H.M.R. da

2012-01-01

In models where dark matter and dark energy interact non-minimally, the total amount of matter in a fixed comoving volume may vary from the time of recombination to the present time due to energy transfer between the two components. This implies that, in interacting dark energy models, the fractional matter density estimated using the cosmic microwave background assuming no interaction between dark matter and dark energy will in general be shifted with respect to its true value. This may result in an incorrect determination of the equation of state of dark energy if the interaction between dark matter and dark energy is not properly accounted for, even if the evolution of the Hubble parameter as a function of redshift is known with arbitrary precision. In this Letter we find an exact expression, as well as a simple analytical approximation, for the evolution of the effective equation of state of dark energy, assuming that the energy transfer rate between dark matter and dark energy is described by a simple two-parameter model. We also provide analytical examples where non-phantom interacting dark energy models mimic the background evolution and primary cosmic microwave background anisotropies of phantom dark energy models.

Effective dark energy equation of state in interacting dark energy models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Avelino, P.P., E-mail: ppavelin@fc.up.pt [Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal); Departamento de Fisica e Astronomia da Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Silva, H.M.R. da, E-mail: hilberto.silva@gmail.com [Departamento de Fisica e Astronomia da Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal)

2012-07-24

In models where dark matter and dark energy interact non-minimally, the total amount of matter in a fixed comoving volume may vary from the time of recombination to the present time due to energy transfer between the two components. This implies that, in interacting dark energy models, the fractional matter density estimated using the cosmic microwave background assuming no interaction between dark matter and dark energy will in general be shifted with respect to its true value. This may result in an incorrect determination of the equation of state of dark energy if the interaction between dark matter and dark energy is not properly accounted for, even if the evolution of the Hubble parameter as a function of redshift is known with arbitrary precision. In this Letter we find an exact expression, as well as a simple analytical approximation, for the evolution of the effective equation of state of dark energy, assuming that the energy transfer rate between dark matter and dark energy is described by a simple two-parameter model. We also provide analytical examples where non-phantom interacting dark energy models mimic the background evolution and primary cosmic microwave background anisotropies of phantom dark energy models.

Magnetic mirrors: history, results, and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beklemishev, A.D.; Ivanov, A.A.; Kruglyakov, E.P.; Burdakov, A.V.; Ivanov, A.A.; Beklemishev, A.D.; Ivanov, A.A.; Burdakov, A.V.

2012-01-01

The evolution of open traps brought them from simple solenoids to highly sophisticated and huge tandem mirrors with quadrupole magnetic stabilizers. They tried to compete with toroidal devices using ambipolar confinement and thermal barriers, but were too late and failed, and are almost extinct. A side branch of open traps went for simplicity and good fast-ion confinement inherent in axially symmetric mirrors. Since simplicity means lower cost of construction and servicing, and lower engineering and materials demands, such type of traps might still have an edge. Axially symmetric mirrors at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk currently represent the front line of mirror research. We discuss recent experimental results from the multiple-mirror trap, GOL-3, and the gas-dynamic trap, GDT. The next step in this line of research is the GDMT program that will combine the GDT-style fast-ion-dominated central mirror with multiple-mirror end plugs. This superconducting device will be modular and built in stages. The first stage, GDMT-T, will be based on 5m, 7T superconducting solenoid (multiple-mirror plug of the full device). Its 3-year scientific program is oriented primarily on PMI studies.

Impeded Dark Matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia [PRISMA Cluster of Excellence & Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics,Johannes Gutenberg University,Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Slatyer, Tracy R. [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Wang, Xiao-Ping [PRISMA Cluster of Excellence & Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics,Johannes Gutenberg University,Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Xue, Wei [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2016-12-12

We consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario “Impeded Dark Matter”. We demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may even be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. For positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.

Impeded Dark Matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia; Slatyer, Tracy R.; Wang, Xiao-Ping; Xue, Wei

2016-01-01

We consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario “Impeded Dark Matter”. We demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may even be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. For positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.

Auditory-vocal mirroring in songbirds.

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Richard

2014-01-01

Mirror neurons are theorized to serve as a neural substrate for spoken language in humans, but the existence and functions of auditory-vocal mirror neurons in the human brain remain largely matters of speculation. Songbirds resemble humans in their capacity for vocal learning and depend on their learned songs to facilitate courtship and individual recognition. Recent neurophysiological studies have detected putative auditory-vocal mirror neurons in a sensorimotor region of the songbird's brain that plays an important role in expressive and receptive aspects of vocal communication. This review discusses the auditory and motor-related properties of these cells, considers their potential role on song learning and communication in relation to classical studies of birdsong, and points to the circuit and developmental mechanisms that may give rise to auditory-vocal mirroring in the songbird's brain.

Turning off the lights: How dark is dark matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDermott, Samuel D.; Yu Haibo; Zurek, Kathryn M.

2011-01-01

We consider current observational constraints on the electromagnetic charge of dark matter. The velocity dependence of the scattering cross section through the photon gives rise to qualitatively different constraints than standard dark matter scattering through massive force carriers. In particular, recombination epoch observations of dark matter density perturbations require that ε, the ratio of the dark matter to electronic charge, is less than 10 -6 for m X =1 GeV, rising to ε -4 for m X =10 TeV. Though naively one would expect that dark matter carrying a charge well below this constraint could still give rise to large scattering in current direct detection experiments, we show that charged dark matter particles that could be detected with upcoming experiments are expected to be evacuated from the Galactic disk by the Galactic magnetic fields and supernova shock waves and hence will not give rise to a signal. Thus dark matter with a small charge is likely not a source of a signal in current or upcoming dark matter direct detection experiments.

Synthesis method of asymmetric gold particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Bong-Hyun; Murata, Michael; Hahm, Eunil; Lee, Luke P

2017-06-07

Asymmetric particles can exhibit unique properties. However, reported synthesis methods for asymmetric particles hinder their application because these methods have a limited scale and lack the ability to afford particles of varied shapes. Herein, we report a novel synthetic method which has the potential to produce large quantities of asymmetric particles. Asymmetric rose-shaped gold particles were fabricated as a proof of concept experiment. First, silica nanoparticles (NPs) were bound to a hydrophobic micro-sized polymer containing 2-chlorotritylchloride linkers (2-CTC resin). Then, half-planar gold particles with rose-shaped and polyhedral structures were prepared on the silica particles on the 2-CTC resin. Particle size was controlled by the concentration of the gold source. The asymmetric particles were easily cleaved from the resin without aggregation. We confirmed that gold was grown on the silica NPs. This facile method for synthesizing asymmetric particles has great potential for materials science.

Mounting and Alignment of IXO Mirror Segments

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Kai-Wing; Zhang, William; Evans, Tyler; McClelland, Ryan; Hong, Melinda; Mazzarella, James; Saha, Timo; Jalota, Lalit; Olsen, Lawrence; Byron, Glenn

2010-01-01

A suspension-mounting scheme is developed for the IXO (International X-ray Observatory) mirror segments in which the figure of the mirror segment is preserved in each stage of mounting. The mirror, first fixed on a thermally compatible strongback, is subsequently transported, aligned and transferred onto its mirror housing. In this paper, we shall outline the requirement, approaches, and recent progress of the suspension mount processes.

A generalized construction of mirror manifolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berglund, P.; Huebsch, T.

1993-01-01

We generalize the known method for explicit construction of mirror pairs of (2,2)-superconformal field theories, using the formalism of Landau-Ginzburg orbifolds. Geometrically, these theories are realized as Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in weighted projective spaces. This generalization makes it possible to construct the mirror partners of many manifolds for which the mirror was not previously known. (orig.)

Giant pandas failed to show mirror self-recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xiaozan; Jin, Yuan; Luo, Bo; Zhang, Guiquan; Wei, Rongping; Liu, Dingzhen

2015-05-01

Mirror self-recognition (MSR), i.e., the ability to recognize oneself in a mirror, is considered a potential index of self-recognition and the foundation of individual development. A wealth of literature on MSR is available for social animals, such as chimpanzees, Asian elephants and dolphins, yet little is known about MSR in solitary mammalian species. We aimed to evaluate whether the giant panda can recognize itself in the mirror, and whether this capacity varies with age. Thirty-four captive giant pandas (F:M = 18:16; juveniles, sub-adults and adults) were subjected to four mirror tests: covered mirror tests, open mirror tests, water mark control tests, and mark tests. The results showed that, though adult, sub-adult and juvenile pandas exposed to mirrors spent similar amounts of time in social mirror-directed behaviors (χ(2) = 0.719, P = 0.698), none of them used the mirror to touch the mark on their head, a self-directed behavior suggesting MSR. Individuals of all age groups initially displayed attacking, threatening, foot scraping and backwards walking behaviors when exposed to their self-images in the mirror. Our data indicate that, regardless of age, the giant pandas did not recognize their self-image in the mirror, but instead considered the image to be a conspecific. Our results add to the available information on mirror self-recognition in large mammals, provide new information on a solitary species, and will be useful for enclosure design and captive animal management.

Genetics Home Reference: congenital mirror movement disorder

Science.gov (United States)

... Health Conditions Congenital mirror movement disorder Congenital mirror movement disorder Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable ... view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Congenital mirror movement disorder is a condition in which intentional movements ...

Kodak AMSD Mirror Development Program

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Gary; Dahl, Roger; Barrett, David; Bottom, John; Russell, Kevin (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Advanced Mirror System Demonstration Program is developing minor technology for the next generation optical systems. Many of these systems will require extremely lightweight and stable optics due to the overall size of the primary mirror. These segmented, deployable systems require new technology that AMSD is developing. The on-going AMSD program is a critical enabler for Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) which will start in 2002. The status of Kodak's AMSD mirror and future plans will be discussed with respect to the NGST program.

Unified Description of Dark Energy and Dark Matter

OpenAIRE

Petry, Walter

2008-01-01

Dark energy in the universe is assumed to be vacuum energy. The energy-momentum of vacuum is described by a scale-dependent cosmological constant. The equations of motion imply for the density of matter (dust) the sum of the usual matter density (luminous matter) and an additional matter density (dark matter) similar to the dark energy. The scale-dependent cosmological constant is given up to an exponent which is approximated by the experimentally decided density parameters of dark matter and...

Dark energy and dark matter from primordial QGP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaidya, Vaishali, E-mail: vaidvavaishali24@gmail.com; Upadhyaya, G. K., E-mail: gopalujiain@yahoo.co.in [School of Studies in Physics, Vikram University Ujjain (India)

2015-07-31

Coloured relics servived after hadronization might have given birth to dark matter and dark energy. Theoretical ideas to solve mystery of cosmic acceleration, its origin and its status with reference to recent past are of much interest and are being proposed by many workers. In the present paper, we present a critical review of work done to understand the earliest appearance of dark matter and dark energy in the scenario of primordial quark gluon plasma (QGP) phase after Big Bang.

Mirror reactor studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moir, R.W.; Barr, W.L.; Bender, D.J.

1976-01-01

Design studies of a fusion mirror reactor, a fusion-fission mirror reactor, and two small mirror reactors are summarized. The fusion reactor uses 150-keV neutral-beam injectors based on the acceleration of negative ions. The injectors provide over 1 GW of continuous power at an efficiency greater than 80 percent. The fusion reactor has three-stage, modularized, Venetian blind, plasma direct converter with a predicted efficiency of 59 percent and a new concept for removal of the lune-shaped blanket: a crane is brought between the two halves of the Yin-Yang magnet, which are separated by a float. The design has desirable features such as steady-state operation, minimal impurity problems, and low first-wall thermal stress. The major disadvantage is low Q resulting in high recirculating power and hence high cost of electrical power. However, the direct capital cost per unit of gross electrical power is reasonable [$1000/kW(e)

Codecaying Dark Matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Dror, Jeff Asaf; Kuflik, Eric; Ng, Wee Hao

2016-11-18

We propose a new mechanism for thermal dark matter freeze-out, called codecaying dark matter. Multicomponent dark sectors with degenerate particles and out-of-equilibrium decays can codecay to obtain the observed relic density. The dark matter density is exponentially depleted through the decay of nearly degenerate particles rather than from Boltzmann suppression. The relic abundance is set by the dark matter annihilation cross section, which is predicted to be boosted, and the decay rate of the dark sector particles. The mechanism is viable in a broad range of dark matter parameter space, with a robust prediction of an enhanced indirect detection signal. Finally, we present a simple model that realizes codecaying dark matter.

Interactions between dark energy and dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldi, Marco

2009-03-20

We have investigated interacting dark energy cosmologies both concerning their impact on the background evolution of the Universe and their effects on cosmological structure growth. For the former aspect, we have developed a cosmological model featuring a matter species consisting of particles with a mass that increases with time. In such model the appearance of a Growing Matter component, which is negligible in early cosmology, dramatically slows down the evolution of the dark energy scalar field at a redshift around six, and triggers the onset of the accelerated expansion of the Universe, therefore addressing the Coincidence Problem. We propose to identify this Growing Matter component with cosmic neutrinos, in which case the present dark energy density can be related to the measured average mass of neutrinos. For the latter aspect, we have implemented the new physical features of interacting dark energy models into the cosmological N-body code GADGET-2, and we present the results of a series of high-resolution simulations for a simple realization of dark energy interaction. As a consequence of the new physics, cold dark matter and baryon distributions evolve differently both in the linear and in the non-linear regime of structure formation. Already on large scales, a linear bias develops between these two components, which is further enhanced by the non-linear evolution. We also find, in contrast with previous work, that the density profiles of cold dark matter halos are less concentrated in coupled dark energy cosmologies compared with {lambda}{sub CDM}. Also, the baryon fraction in halos in the coupled models is significantly reduced below the universal baryon fraction. These features alleviate tensions between observations and the {lambda}{sub CDM} model on small scales. Our methodology is ideally suited to explore the predictions of coupled dark energy models in the fully non-linear regime, which can provide powerful constraints for the viable parameter

Interactions between dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, Marco

2009-01-01

We have investigated interacting dark energy cosmologies both concerning their impact on the background evolution of the Universe and their effects on cosmological structure growth. For the former aspect, we have developed a cosmological model featuring a matter species consisting of particles with a mass that increases with time. In such model the appearance of a Growing Matter component, which is negligible in early cosmology, dramatically slows down the evolution of the dark energy scalar field at a redshift around six, and triggers the onset of the accelerated expansion of the Universe, therefore addressing the Coincidence Problem. We propose to identify this Growing Matter component with cosmic neutrinos, in which case the present dark energy density can be related to the measured average mass of neutrinos. For the latter aspect, we have implemented the new physical features of interacting dark energy models into the cosmological N-body code GADGET-2, and we present the results of a series of high-resolution simulations for a simple realization of dark energy interaction. As a consequence of the new physics, cold dark matter and baryon distributions evolve differently both in the linear and in the non-linear regime of structure formation. Already on large scales, a linear bias develops between these two components, which is further enhanced by the non-linear evolution. We also find, in contrast with previous work, that the density profiles of cold dark matter halos are less concentrated in coupled dark energy cosmologies compared with Λ CDM . Also, the baryon fraction in halos in the coupled models is significantly reduced below the universal baryon fraction. These features alleviate tensions between observations and the Λ CDM model on small scales. Our methodology is ideally suited to explore the predictions of coupled dark energy models in the fully non-linear regime, which can provide powerful constraints for the viable parameter space of such scenarios

Unified dark energy-dark matter model with inverse quintessence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ansoldi, Stefano [ICRA — International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, INFN — Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, and Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, Università degli Studi di Udine, via delle Scienze 206, I-33100 Udine (UD) (Italy); Guendelman, Eduardo I., E-mail: ansoldi@fulbrightmail.org, E-mail: guendel@bgu.ac.il [Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negeev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel)

2013-05-01

We consider a model where both dark energy and dark matter originate from the coupling of a scalar field with a non-canonical kinetic term to, both, a metric measure and a non-metric measure. An interacting dark energy/dark matter scenario can be obtained by introducing an additional scalar that can produce non constant vacuum energy and associated variations in dark matter. The phenomenology is most interesting when the kinetic term of the additional scalar field is ghost-type, since in this case the dark energy vanishes in the early universe and then grows with time. This constitutes an ''inverse quintessence scenario'', where the universe starts from a zero vacuum energy density state, instead of approaching it in the future.

Unified dark energy-dark matter model with inverse quintessence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ansoldi, Stefano; Guendelman, Eduardo I.

2013-01-01

We consider a model where both dark energy and dark matter originate from the coupling of a scalar field with a non-canonical kinetic term to, both, a metric measure and a non-metric measure. An interacting dark energy/dark matter scenario can be obtained by introducing an additional scalar that can produce non constant vacuum energy and associated variations in dark matter. The phenomenology is most interesting when the kinetic term of the additional scalar field is ghost-type, since in this case the dark energy vanishes in the early universe and then grows with time. This constitutes an ''inverse quintessence scenario'', where the universe starts from a zero vacuum energy density state, instead of approaching it in the future

Measuring the speed of dark: Detecting dark energy perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Putter, Roland de; Huterer, Dragan; Linder, Eric V.

2010-01-01

The nature of dark energy can be probed not only through its equation of state but also through its microphysics, characterized by the sound speed of perturbations to the dark energy density and pressure. As the sound speed drops below the speed of light, dark energy inhomogeneities increase, affecting both cosmic microwave background and matter power spectra. We show that current data can put no significant constraints on the value of the sound speed when dark energy is purely a recent phenomenon, but can begin to show more interesting results for early dark energy models. For example, the best fit model for current data has a slight preference for dynamics [w(a)≠-1], degrees of freedom distinct from quintessence (c s ≠1), and early presence of dark energy [Ω de (a<<1)≠0]. Future data may open a new window on dark energy by measuring its spatial as well as time variation.

Auditory–vocal mirroring in songbirds

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, Richard

2014-01-01

Mirror neurons are theorized to serve as a neural substrate for spoken language in humans, but the existence and functions of auditory–vocal mirror neurons in the human brain remain largely matters of speculation. Songbirds resemble humans in their capacity for vocal learning and depend on their learned songs to facilitate courtship and individual recognition. Recent neurophysiological studies have detected putative auditory–vocal mirror neurons in a sensorimotor region of the songbird's brain that plays an important role in expressive and receptive aspects of vocal communication. This review discusses the auditory and motor-related properties of these cells, considers their potential role on song learning and communication in relation to classical studies of birdsong, and points to the circuit and developmental mechanisms that may give rise to auditory–vocal mirroring in the songbird's brain. PMID:24778375

Is Self-Interacting Dark Matter Undergoing Dark Fusion?

OpenAIRE

McDermott, Samuel D.

2018-01-01

We suggest that two-to-two dark matter fusion may be the relaxation process that resolves the small-scale structure problems of the cold collisionless dark matter paradigm. In order for the fusion cross section to scale correctly across many decades of astrophysical masses from dwarf galaxies to galaxy clusters, we require the fractional binding energy released to be greater than vn∼(10−(2−3))n, where n=1, 2 depends on local dark sector chemistry. The size of the dark-sector interaction cross...

Light-weight spherical mirrors for Cherenkov detectors

CERN Document Server

Cisbani, E; Colilli, S; Crateri, R; Cusanno, F; De Leo, R; Fratoni, R; Frullani, S; Garibaldi, F; Giuliani, F; Gricia, M; Iodice, M; Iommi, R; Lagamba, L; Lucentini, M; Mostarda, A; Nappi, E; Pierangeli, L; Santavenere, F; Urciuoli, G M; Vernin, P

2003-01-01

Light-weight spherical mirrors have been appositely designed and built for the gas threshold Cherenkov detectors of the two Hall A spectrometers. The mirrors are made of a 1 mm thick aluminized plexiglass sheet, reinforced by a rigid backing consisting of a phenolic honeycomb sandwiched between two carbon fiber mats epoxy glued. The produced mirrors have a thickness equivalent to 0.55% of radiation length, and an optical slope error of about 5.5 mrad. These characteristics make these mirrors suitable for the implementation in Cherenkov threshold detectors. Ways to improve the mirror features are also discussed in view of their possible employment in RICH detectors.

Mirror fusion reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neef, W.S. Jr.; Carlson, G.A.

1979-01-01

Recent conceptual reactor designs based on mirror confinement are described. Four components of mirror reactors for which materials considerations and structural mechanics analysis must play an important role in successful design are discussed. The reactor components are: (a) first-wall and thermal conversion blanket, (b) superconducting magnets and their force restraining structure, (c) neutral beam injectors, and (d) plasma direct energy converters

Nonlocal astrophysics dark matter, dark energy and physical vacuum

CERN Document Server

Alexeev, Boris V

2017-01-01

Non-Local Astrophysics: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Physical Vacuum highlights the most significant features of non-local theory, a highly effective tool for solving many physical problems in areas where classical local theory runs into difficulties. The book provides the fundamental science behind new non-local astrophysics, discussing non-local kinetic and generalized hydrodynamic equations, non-local parameters in several physical systems, dark matter, dark energy, black holes and gravitational waves. Devoted to the solution of astrophysical problems from the position of non-local physics Provides a solution for dark matter and dark energy Discusses cosmological aspects of the theory of non-local physics Includes a solution for the problem of the Hubble Universe expansion, and of the dependence of the orbital velocity from the center of gravity

Mirror Station for studies of the protection of diagnostic mirrors from impurity contamination in ITER: Design and first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litnovsky, Andrey; Krasikov, Yuri; Kotov, Vladislav; Matveeva, Maria; Panin, Anatoly; Vera, Liliana; Buzi, Luxherta; Neubauer, Olaf; Biel, Wolfgang; Nicolai, Dirk; Mertens, Philippe; Linsmeier, Christian

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Paper is devoted to protection of diagnostic mirrors for ITER. • Modeling predicts suppression of impurity deposition on mirrors by using ducts. • The mirror tube system (Mirror Station) was built to validate the model. • The Mirror Station was exposed in TEXTOR. • The decrease of deposition in cylindrical ducts with fins cannot be confirmed. • All mirrors located in conical ducts preserved their reflectivity. - Abstract: Optical and laser-based diagnostics in ITER will use mirrors to transmit plasma radiation and laser light to the corresponding detectors and cameras. Mirrors will be sputtered by the fast plasma particles and contaminated by impurities leading to the degradation of the reflectivity and hampering the performance of corresponding diagnostics. Dedicated measures were proposed to minimize the impurity deposition comprising the use of shutters and fins inside diagnostic ducts to trap impurities on their way toward the mirror located in the end of these ducts. Modeling results predict at least 7-fold suppression of the deposition for the duct having four fins located at the distance of a half of a diameter from each other. The Mirror Station (MS) was designed to validate modeling predictions and to study the suppression of deposition inside of diagnostic ducts. The MS contained cylindrical and cone-shaped tubes of different lengths with smooth and shaped geometry of ducts. The MS was exposed in the midplane port of TEXTOR for about 3960 s of plasma operation. After exposure, no drastic suppression of deposition was observed in the cylindrical ducts with fins. In the conical tubes no deposition was detected outlining the advantages of a cone form.

Charged particle confinement in magnetic mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bora, D.; John, P.I.; Saxena, Y.C.; Varma, R.K.

1982-01-01

The behaviour of single charged particle trapped in a magnetic mirror has been investigated experimentally. The particle injected off axis and trapped in a magnetic mirror, leak out of the mirror with the leakage characterized by multiple decay times. The observed decay times are in good agreement with predictions of a ''wave mechanical like'' model by Varma, over a large range of relevant parameters. (author)

New interactions in the dark sector mediated by dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brookfield, Anthony W.; Bruck, Carsten van de; Hall, Lisa M. H.

2008-01-01

Cosmological observations have revealed the existence of a dark matter sector, which is commonly assumed to be made up of one particle species only. However, this sector might be more complicated than we currently believe: there might be more than one dark matter species (for example, two components of cold dark matter or a mixture of hot and cold dark matter) and there may be new interactions between these particles. In this paper we study the possibility of multiple dark matter species and interactions mediated by a dark energy field. We study both the background and the perturbation evolution in these scenarios. We find that the background evolution of a system of multiple dark matter particles (with constant couplings) mimics a single fluid with a time-varying coupling parameter. However, this is no longer true on the perturbative level. We study the case of attractive and repulsive forces as well as a mixture of cold and hot dark matter particles

Study on the materials for mirrors and back mirror reflectors of thermonuclear reactors and their testing in Tore-Supra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schunke, B.; Voytsenya, V.; Gil, C.; Lipa, M.

2003-01-01

Plasma diagnostics using visible or ultra-violet or infra-red radiations require mirrors to probe the plasma. These mirrors have to sustain very hostile environment and despite that must maintain good optical properties. Mirror samples made of 3 different metals: copper, stainless steel and molybdenum have been designed and installed in Tore Supra tokamak and will be exposed to plasmas till mid 2004. This project will allow fusion engineers to assess the impact of plasma ion bombardment on mirror reflectivity. Optical properties and parameters concerning the surface state of the samples have been measured before the installation in Tore Supra and are presented in the paper. Simulations with a Monte-Carlo code predict the particle flux and spectra near the samples. A specific back mirror reflector has been designed to probe mirror reflectivity changes. (A.C.)

The Dark Cube: dark character profiles and OCEAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Garcia

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background The Big Five traits (i.e., openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism: OCEAN have been suggested to provide a meaningful taxonomy for studying the Dark Triad: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Nevertheless, current research consists of mixed and inconsistent associations between the Dark Triad and OCEAN. Here we used the Dark Cube (Garcia & Rosenberg, 2016, a model of malevolent character theoretically based on Cloninger’s biopsychosocial model of personality and in the assumption of a ternary structure of malevolent character. We use the dark cube profiles to investigate differences in OCEAN between individuals who differ in one dark character trait while holding the other two constant (i.e., conditional relationships. Method Participants (N = 330 responded to the Short Dark Triad Inventory and the Big Five Inventory and were grouped according to the eight possible combinations using their dark trait scores (M, high Machiavellianism; m, low Machiavellianism; N, high narcissism; n, low narcissism; P, high psychopathy; p, low psychopathy: MNP “maleficent”, MNp “manipulative narcissistic”, MnP “anti-social”, Mnp “Machiavellian”, mNP “psychopathic narcissistic”, mNp “narcissistic”, mnP “psychopathic”, and mnp “benevolent”. Results High narcissism-high extraversion and high psychopathy-low agreeableness were consistently associated across comparisons. The rest of the comparisons showed a complex interaction. For example, high Machiavellianism-high neuroticism only when both narcissism and psychopathy were low (Mnp vs. mnp, high narcissism-high conscientiousness only when both Machiavellianism and psychopathy were also high (MNP vs. MnP, and high psychopathy-high neuroticism only when Machiavellianism was low and narcissism was high (mNP vs. mNp. Conclusions We suggest that the Dark Cube is a useful tool in the investigation of a consistent Dark Triad Theory

The Dark Cube: dark character profiles and OCEAN.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Danilo; González Moraga, Fernando R

2017-01-01

The Big Five traits (i.e., openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism: OCEAN) have been suggested to provide a meaningful taxonomy for studying the Dark Triad: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Nevertheless, current research consists of mixed and inconsistent associations between the Dark Triad and OCEAN. Here we used the Dark Cube (Garcia & Rosenberg, 2016), a model of malevolent character theoretically based on Cloninger's biopsychosocial model of personality and in the assumption of a ternary structure of malevolent character. We use the dark cube profiles to investigate differences in OCEAN between individuals who differ in one dark character trait while holding the other two constant (i.e., conditional relationships). Participants ( N  = 330) responded to the Short Dark Triad Inventory and the Big Five Inventory and were grouped according to the eight possible combinations using their dark trait scores (M, high Machiavellianism; m, low Machiavellianism; N, high narcissism; n, low narcissism; P, high psychopathy; p, low psychopathy): MNP "maleficent", MNp "manipulative narcissistic", MnP "anti-social", Mnp "Machiavellian", mNP "psychopathic narcissistic", mNp "narcissistic", mnP "psychopathic", and mnp "benevolent". High narcissism-high extraversion and high psychopathy-low agreeableness were consistently associated across comparisons. The rest of the comparisons showed a complex interaction. For example, high Machiavellianism-high neuroticism only when both narcissism and psychopathy were low (Mnp vs. mnp), high narcissism-high conscientiousness only when both Machiavellianism and psychopathy were also high (MNP vs. MnP), and high psychopathy-high neuroticism only when Machiavellianism was low and narcissism was high (mNP vs. mNp). We suggest that the Dark Cube is a useful tool in the investigation of a consistent Dark Triad Theory. This approach suggests that the only clear relationships were narcissism

Interacting agegraphic dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Hao; Cai, Rong-Gen

2009-01-01

A new dark energy model, named ''agegraphic dark energy'', has been proposed recently, based on the so-called Karolyhazy uncertainty relation, which arises from quantum mechanics together with general relativity. In this note, we extend the original agegraphic dark energy model by including the interaction between agegraphic dark energy and pressureless (dark) matter. In the interacting agegraphic dark energy model, there are many interesting features different from the original agegraphic dark energy model and holographic dark energy model. The similarity and difference between agegraphic dark energy and holographic dark energy are also discussed. (orig.)

Plasma impact on diagnostic mirrors in JET

OpenAIRE

A. Garcia-Carrasco; P. Petersson; M. Rubel; A. Widdowson; E. Fortuna-Zalesna; S. Jachmich; M. Brix; L. Marot

2017-01-01

Metallic mirrors will be essential components of all optical systems for plasma diagnosis in ITER. This contribution provides a comprehensive account on plasma impact on diagnostic mirrors in JET with the ITER-Like Wall. Specimens from the First Mirror Test and the lithium-beam diagnostic have been studied by spectrophotometry, ion beam analysis and electron microscopy. Test mirrors made of molybdenum were retrieved from the main chamber and the divertor after exposure to the 2013–2014 experi...

The interaction between dark energy and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jianhua; Wang Bin

2010-01-01

In this review we first present a general formalism to study the growth of dark matter perturbations in the presence of interactions between dark matter(DM) and dark energy(DE). We also study the signature of such interaction on the temperature anisotropies of the large scale cosmic microwave background (CMB). We find that the effect of such interaction has significant signature on both the growth of dark matter structure and the late Integrated Sachs Wolfe effect(ISW). We further discuss the potential possibility to detect the coupling by cross-correlating CMB maps with tracers of the large scale structure. We finally confront this interacting model with WMAP 5-year data as well as other data sets. We find that in the 1σ range, the constrained coupling between dark sectors can solve the coincidence problem.

A Conceptual Mirror

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badie, Farshad

2017-01-01

The multilevel interactions between a mentor and her/his learner could exchange various conceptions between them that are supported by their own conceptualisations. Producing the own realisation of a world and developing it in the context of interactions could be said to be the most valuable prod...... will analyse the logical dependencies between learner and men- tor and will check their reflectional symmetrical relationship in a conceptual mirror. The conceptual mirror is a phenomenon that represents the meeting point of the mentor’s and the learner’s conceptual knowledge....

Dark matter detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forster, G.

1995-01-01

A fundamental question of astrophysics and cosmology is the nature of dark matter. Astrophysical observations show clearly the existence of some kind of dark matter, though they cannot yet reveal its nature. Dark matter can consist of baryonic particles, or of other (known or unknown) elementary particles. Baryonic dark matter probably exists in the form of dust, gas, or small stars. Other elementary particles constituting the dark matter can possibly be measured in terrestrial experiments. Possibilities for dark matter particles are neutrinos, axions and weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). While a direct detection of relic neutrinos seems at the moment impossible, there are experiments looking for baryonic dark matter in the form of Massive Compact Halo Objects, and for particle dark matter in the form of axions and WIMPS. (orig.)

Mirror symmetry and loop operators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assel, Benjamin [Department of Mathematics, King’s College London,The Strand, London WC2R 2LS (United Kingdom); Gomis, Jaume [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics,Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 2Y5 (Canada)

2015-11-09

Wilson loops in gauge theories pose a fundamental challenge for dualities. Wilson loops are labeled by a representation of the gauge group and should map under duality to loop operators labeled by the same data, yet generically, dual theories have completely different gauge groups. In this paper we resolve this conundrum for three dimensional mirror symmetry. We show that Wilson loops are exchanged under mirror symmetry with Vortex loop operators, whose microscopic definition in terms of a supersymmetric quantum mechanics coupled to the theory encode in a non-trivial way a representation of the original gauge group, despite that the gauge groups of mirror theories can be radically different. Our predictions for the mirror map, which we derive guided by branes in string theory, are confirmed by the computation of the exact expectation value of Wilson and Vortex loop operators on the three-sphere.

Dark information of black hole radiation raised by dark energy

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yu-Han; Chen, Jin-Fu; Sun, Chang-Pu

2018-06-01

The "lost" information of black hole through the Hawking radiation was discovered being stored in the correlation among the non-thermally radiated particles (Parikh and Wilczek, 2000 [31], Zhang et al., 2009 [16]). This correlation information, which has not yet been proved locally observable in principle, is named by dark information. In this paper, we systematically study the influences of dark energy on black hole radiation, especially on the dark information. Calculating the radiation spectrum in the existence of dark energy by the approach of canonical typicality, which is reconfirmed by the quantum tunneling method, we find that the dark energy will effectively lower the Hawking temperature, and thus makes the black hole has longer life time. It is also discovered that the non-thermal effect of the black hole radiation is enhanced by dark energy so that the dark information of the radiation is increased. Our observation shows that, besides the mechanical effect (e.g., gravitational lensing effect), the dark energy rises the stored dark information, which could be probed by a non-local coincidence measurement similar to the coincidence counting of the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss experiment in quantum optics.

d-Amino acids in molecular evolution in space - Absolute asymmetric photolysis and synthesis of amino acids by circularly polarized light.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugahara, Haruna; Meinert, Cornelia; Nahon, Laurent; Jones, Nykola C; Hoffmann, Søren V; Hamase, Kenji; Takano, Yoshinori; Meierhenrich, Uwe J

2018-07-01

Living organisms on the Earth almost exclusively use l-amino acids for the molecular architecture of proteins. The biological occurrence of d-amino acids is rare, although their functions in various organisms are being gradually understood. A possible explanation for the origin of biomolecular homochirality is the delivery of enantioenriched molecules via extraterrestrial bodies, such as asteroids and comets on early Earth. For the asymmetric formation of amino acids and their precursor molecules in interstellar environments, the interaction with circularly polarized photons is considered to have played a potential role in causing chiral asymmetry. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the investigation of chirality transfer from chiral photons to amino acids involving the two major processes of asymmetric photolysis and asymmetric synthesis. We will discuss analytical data on cometary and meteoritic amino acids and their potential impact delivery to the early Earth. The ongoing and future ambitious space missions, Hayabusa2, OSIRIS-REx, ExoMars 2020, and MMX, are scheduled to provide new insights into the chirality of extraterrestrial organic molecules and their potential relation to the terrestrial homochirality. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: d-Amino acids: biology in the mirror, edited by Dr. Loredano Pollegioni, Dr. Jean-Pierre Mothet and Dr. Molla Gianluca. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mirror fusion test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1978-01-01

The MFTF is a large new mirror facility under construction at Livermore for completion in 1981--82. It represents a scaleup, by a factor of 50 in plasma volume, a factor of 5 or more in ion energy, and a factor of 4 in magnetic field intensity over the Livermore 2XIIB experiment. Its magnet, employing superconducting NbTi windings, is of Yin-Yang form and will weigh 200 tons. MFTF will be driven by neutral beams of two levels of current and energy: 1000 amperes of 20 keV (accelerating potential) pulsed beams for plasma startup; 750 amperes of 80 keV beams of 0.5 second duration for temperature buildup and plasma sustainment. Two operating modes for MFTF are envisaged: The first is operation as a conventional mirror cell with n/sup tau/ approximately equal to 10 12 cm -3 sec, W/sub i/ = 50 keV, where the emphasis will be on studying the physics of mirror cells, particularly the issues of improved techniques of stabilization against ion cyclotron modes and of maximization of the electron temperature. The second possible mode is the further study of the Field Reversed Mirror idea, using high current neutral beams to sustain the field-reversed state. Anticipating success in the coming Livermore Tandem Mirror Experiment (TMX) MFTF has been oriented so that it could comprise one end cell of a scaled up TM experiment. Also, if MFTF were to succeed in achieving a FR state it could serve as an essentially full-sized physics prototype of one cell of a FRM fusion power plant

Multilayer active shell mirrors for space telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Steeves, John; Jackson, Kathryn; Pellegrino, Sergio; Redding, David; Wallace, J. Kent; Bradford, Samuel Case; Barbee, Troy

2016-07-01

A novel active mirror technology based on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) substrates and replication techniques has been developed. Multiple additional layers are implemented into the design serving various functions. Nanolaminate metal films are used to provide a high quality reflective front surface. A backing layer of thin active material is implemented to provide the surface-parallel actuation scheme. Printed electronics are used to create a custom electrode pattern and flexible routing layer. Mirrors of this design are thin (traditional optics. Such mirrors could be used as lightweight primaries for small CubeSat-based telescopes or as meter-class segments for future large aperture observatories. Multiple mirrors can be produced under identical conditions enabling a substantial reduction in manufacturing cost and complexity. An overview of the mirror design and manufacturing processes is presented. Predictions on the actuation performance have been made through finite element simulations demonstrating correctabilities on the order of 250-300× for astigmatic modes with only 41 independent actuators. A description of the custom metrology system used to characterize the active mirrors is also presented. The system is based on a Reverse Hartmann test and can accommodate extremely large deviations in mirror figure (> 100 μm PV) down to sub-micron precision. The system has been validated against several traditional techniques including photogrammetry and interferometry. The mirror performance has been characterized using this system, as well as closed-loop figure correction experiments on 150 mm dia. prototypes. The mirrors have demonstrated post-correction figure accuracies of 200 nm RMS (two dead actuators limiting performance).

Mirror neurons and their clinical relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Fabbri-Destro, Maddalena; Cattaneo, Luigi

2009-01-01

One of the most exciting events in neurosciences over the past few years has been the discovery of a mechanism that unifies action perception and action execution. The essence of this 'mirror' mechanism is as follows: whenever individuals observe an action being done by someone else, a set of neurons that code for that action is activated in the observers' motor system. Since the observers are aware of the outcome of their motor acts, they also understand what the other individual is doing without the need for intermediate cognitive mediation. In this Review, after discussing the most pertinent data concerning the mirror mechanism, we examine the clinical relevance of this mechanism. We first discuss the relationship between mirror mechanism impairment and some core symptoms of autism. We then outline the theoretical principles of neurorehabilitation strategies based on the mirror mechanism. We conclude by examining the relationship between the mirror mechanism and some features of the environmental dependency syndromes.

Signatures of dark radiation in neutrino and dark matter detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yanou; Pospelov, Maxim; Pradler, Josef

2018-05-01

We consider the generic possibility that the Universe's energy budget includes some form of relativistic or semi-relativistic dark radiation (DR) with nongravitational interactions with standard model (SM) particles. Such dark radiation may consist of SM singlets or a nonthermal, energetic component of neutrinos. If such DR is created at a relatively recent epoch, it can carry sufficient energy to leave a detectable imprint in experiments designed to search for very weakly interacting particles: dark matter and underground neutrino experiments. We analyze this possibility in some generality, assuming that the interactive dark radiation is sourced by late decays of an unstable particle, potentially a component of dark matter, and considering a variety of possible interactions between the dark radiation and SM particles. Concentrating on the sub-GeV energy region, we derive constraints on different forms of DR using the results of the most sensitive neutrino and dark matter direct detection experiments. In particular, for interacting dark radiation carrying a typical momentum of ˜30 MeV /c , both types of experiments provide competitive constraints. This study also demonstrates that non-standard sources of neutrino emission (e.g., via dark matter decay) are capable of creating a "neutrino floor" for dark matter direct detection that is closer to current bounds than is expected from standard neutrino sources.

Cavity-mirror degradation in the deep-UV FEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamada, K.; Yamazaki, T.; Sei, N. [Electrotechnical Lab., Ibaraki (Japan)] [and others

1995-12-31

It is known that the degradation of dielectric multilayer mirrors used in short wavelength free-electron lasers (FELs) is caused by the carbon contamination on the mirror surface and the defects inside the dielectrics. We reported last year that the degraded dielectric multilayer mirrors can be repaired with both surface treatment by RF-induced oxygen plasma and thermal annealing. However, such a mirror degradation is still one of the most critical issues in the deep ultraviolet (UV) FELs, because the fundamental undulator radiation resonating in the laser cavity, the intensity of which is much higher than that of higher harmonics, can be sufficiently energetic to cause the mirror degradation through photochemical reactions. We are investigating the mirror degradation mainly in the deep UV region down to 240 nm. The experimental results will be shown. The mirror degradation mechanism will be discussed.

Plasma impact on diagnostic mirrors in JET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Garcia-Carrasco

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Metallic mirrors will be essential components of all optical systems for plasma diagnosis in ITER. This contribution provides a comprehensive account on plasma impact on diagnostic mirrors in JET with the ITER-Like Wall. Specimens from the First Mirror Test and the lithium-beam diagnostic have been studied by spectrophotometry, ion beam analysis and electron microscopy. Test mirrors made of molybdenum were retrieved from the main chamber and the divertor after exposure to the 2013–2014 experimental campaign. In the main chamber, only mirrors located at the entrance of the carrier lost reflectivity (Be deposition, while those located deeper in the carrier were only slightly affected. The performance of mirrors in the JET divertor was strongly degraded by deposition of beryllium, tungsten and other species. Mirrors from the lithium-beam diagnostic have been studied for the first time. Gold coatings were severely damaged by intense arcing. As a consequence, material mixing of the gold layer with the stainless steel substrate occurred. Total reflectivity dropped from over 90% to less than 60%, i.e. to the level typical for stainless steel.

LUTE primary mirror materials and design study report

Science.gov (United States)

Ruthven, Greg

1993-02-01

The major objective of the Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope Experiment (LUTE) Primary Mirror Materials and Design Study is to investigate the feasibility of the LUTE telescope primary mirror. A systematic approach to accomplish this key goal was taken by first understanding the optical, thermal, and structural requirements and then deriving the critical primary mirror-level requirements for ground testing, launch, and lunar operations. After summarizing the results in those requirements which drove the selection of material and the design for the primary mirror are discussed. Most important of these are the optical design which was assumed to be the MSFC baseline (i.e. 3 mirror optical system), telescope wavefront error (WFE) allocations, the telescope weight budget, and the LUTE operational temperature ranges. Mechanical load levels, reflectance and microroughness issues, and options for the LUTE metering structure were discussed and an outline for the LUTE telescope sub-system design specification was initiated. The primary mirror analysis and results are presented. The six material substrate candidates are discussed and four distinct mirror geometries which are considered are shown. With these materials and configurations together with varying the location of the mirror support points, a total of 42 possible primary mirror designs resulted. The polishability of each substrate candidate was investigated and a usage history of 0.5 meter and larger precision cryogenic mirrors (the operational low end LUTE temperature of 60 K is the reason we feel a survey of cryogenic mirrors is appropriate) that were flown or tested are presented.

The spinning Kerr-black-hole-mirror bomb: A lower bound on the radius of the reflecting mirror

Science.gov (United States)

Hod, Shahar

2016-10-01

The intriguing superradiant amplification phenomenon allows an orbiting scalar field to extract rotational energy from a spinning Kerr black hole. Interestingly, the energy extraction rate can grow exponentially in time if the black-hole-field system is placed inside a reflecting mirror which prevents the field from radiating its energy to infinity. This composed Kerr-black-hole-scalar-field-mirror system, first designed by Press and Teukolsky, has attracted the attention of physicists over the last four decades. Previous numerical studies of this spinning black-hole bomb have revealed the interesting fact that the superradiant instability shuts down if the reflecting mirror is placed too close to the black-hole horizon. In the present study we use analytical techniques to explore the superradiant instability regime of this composed Kerr-black-hole-linearized-scalar-field-mirror system. In particular, it is proved that the lower bound rm/r+ >1/2 (√{ 1 +8M/r- } - 1) provides a necessary condition for the development of the exponentially growing superradiant instabilities in this composed physical system, where rm is the radius of the confining mirror and r± are the horizon radii of the spinning Kerr black hole. We further show that, in the linearized regime, this analytically derived lower bound on the radius of the confining mirror agrees with direct numerical computations of the superradiant instability spectrum which characterizes the spinning black-hole-mirror bomb.

Dark energy and extended dark matter halos

Science.gov (United States)

Chernin, A. D.; Teerikorpi, P.; Valtonen, M. J.; Dolgachev, V. P.; Domozhilova, L. M.; Byrd, G. G.

2012-03-01

The cosmological mean matter (dark and baryonic) density measured in the units of the critical density is Ωm = 0.27. Independently, the local mean density is estimated to be Ωloc = 0.08-0.23 from recent data on galaxy groups at redshifts up to z = 0.01-0.03 (as published by Crook et al. 2007, ApJ, 655, 790 and Makarov & Karachentsev 2011, MNRAS, 412, 2498). If the lower values of Ωloc are reliable, as Makarov & Karachentsev and some other observers prefer, does this mean that the Local Universe of 100-300 Mpc across is an underdensity in the cosmic matter distribution? Or could it nevertheless be representative of the mean cosmic density or even be an overdensity due to the Local Supercluster therein. We focus on dark matter halos of groups of galaxies and check how much dark mass the invisible outer layers of the halos are able to host. The outer layers are usually devoid of bright galaxies and cannot be seen at large distances. The key factor which bounds the size of an isolated halo is the local antigravity produced by the omnipresent background of dark energy. A gravitationally bound halo does not extend beyond the zero-gravity surface where the gravity of matter and the antigravity of dark energy balance, thus defining a natural upper size of a system. We use our theory of local dynamical effects of dark energy to estimate the maximal sizes and masses of the extended dark halos. Using data from three recent catalogs of galaxy groups, we show that the calculated mass bounds conform with the assumption that a significant amount of dark matter is located in the invisible outer parts of the extended halos, sufficient to fill the gap between the observed and expected local matter density. Nearby groups of galaxies and the Virgo cluster have dark halos which seem to extend up to their zero-gravity surfaces. If the extended halo is a common feature of gravitationally bound systems on scales of galaxy groups and clusters, the Local Universe could be typical or even

Standard specification for silvered flat glass mirror

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This specification covers the requirements for silvered flat glass mirrors of rectangular shape supplied as cut sizes, stock sheets or as lehr ends and to which no further processing (such as edgework or other fabrication) has been done. 1.2 This specification covers the quality requirements of silvered annealed monolithic clear and tinted flat glass mirrors up to 6 mm (¼ in.) thick. The mirrors are intended to be used indoors for mirror glazing, for components of decorative accessories or for similar uses. 1.3 This specification does not address safety glazing materials nor requirements for mirror applications. Consult model building codes and other applicable standards for safety glazing applications. 1.4 Mirrors covered in this specification are not intended for use in environments where high humidity or airborne corrosion promoters, or both, are consistently present (such as swimming pool areas, ocean-going vessels, chemical laboratories and other corrosive environments). 1.5 The dimensional val...

Mirror neurons and imitation: a computationally guided review.

Science.gov (United States)

Oztop, Erhan; Kawato, Mitsuo; Arbib, Michael

2006-04-01

Neurophysiology reveals the properties of individual mirror neurons in the macaque while brain imaging reveals the presence of 'mirror systems' (not individual neurons) in the human. Current conceptual models attribute high level functions such as action understanding, imitation, and language to mirror neurons. However, only the first of these three functions is well-developed in monkeys. We thus distinguish current opinions (conceptual models) on mirror neuron function from more detailed computational models. We assess the strengths and weaknesses of current computational models in addressing the data and speculations on mirror neurons (macaque) and mirror systems (human). In particular, our mirror neuron system (MNS), mental state inference (MSI) and modular selection and identification for control (MOSAIC) models are analyzed in more detail. Conceptual models often overlook the computational requirements for posited functions, while too many computational models adopt the erroneous hypothesis that mirror neurons are interchangeable with imitation ability. Our meta-analysis underlines the gap between conceptual and computational models and points out the research effort required from both sides to reduce this gap.

Standard mirror fusion reactor design study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moir, R.W.

1978-01-01

This report covers the work of the Magnetic Fusion Energy Division's reactor study group during FY 1976 on the standard mirror reactor. The ''standard'' mirror reactor is characterized as a steady state, neutral beam sustained, D-T fusioning plasma confined by a Yin-Yang magnetic mirror field. The physics parameters are obtained from the same physics model that explains the 2XIIB experiment. The model assumes that the drift cyclotron loss cone mode occurs on the boundary of the plasma, and that it is stabilized by warm plasma with negligible energy investment. The result of the study was a workable mirror fusion power plant, steady-state blanket removal made relatively simple by open-ended geometry, and no impurity problem due to the positive plasma potential. The Q (fusion power/injected beam power) turns out to be only 1.1 because of loss out the ends from Coulomb collisions, i.e., classical losses. This low Q resulted in 77% of the gross electrical power being used to power the injectors, thereby causing the net power cost to be high. The low Q stimulated an intensive search for Q-enhancement concepts, resulting in the LLL reactor design effort turning to the field reversal mirror and the tandem mirror, each having Q of order 5

Correlation between dark matter and dark radiation in string compactifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allahverdi, Rouzbeh; Cicoli, Michele; Dutta, Bhaskar; Sinha, Kuver

2014-01-01

Reheating in string compactifications is generically driven by the decay of the lightest modulus which produces Standard Model particles, dark matter and light hidden sector degrees of freedom that behave as dark radiation. This common origin allows us to find an interesting correlation between dark matter and dark radiation. By combining present upper bounds on the effective number of neutrino species N eff with lower bounds on the reheating temperature as a function of the dark matter mass m DM from Fermi data, we obtain strong constraints on the (N eff , m DM )-plane. Most of the allowed region in this plane corresponds to non-thermal scenarios with Higgsino-like dark matter. Thermal dark matter can be allowed only if N eff tends to its Standard Model value. We show that the above situation is realised in models with perturbative moduli stabilisation where the production of dark radiation is unavoidable since bulk closed string axions remain light and do not get eaten up by anomalous U(1)s

Optical fabrication of lightweighted 3D printed mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Herzog, Harrison; Segal, Jacob; Smith, Jeremy; Bates, Richard; Calis, Jacob; De La Torre, Alyssa; Kim, Dae Wook; Mici, Joni; Mireles, Jorge; Stubbs, David M.; Wicker, Ryan

2015-09-01

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing technologies were utilized to create lightweight, optical grade mirrors out of AlSi10Mg aluminum and Ti6Al4V titanium alloys at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The mirror prototypes were polished to meet the λ/20 RMS and λ/4 P-V surface figure requirements. The intent of this project was to design topologically optimized mirrors that had a high specific stiffness and low surface displacement. Two models were designed using Altair Inspire software, and the mirrors had to endure the polishing process with the necessary stiffness to eliminate print-through. Mitigating porosity of the 3D printed mirror blanks was a challenge in the face of reconciling new printing technologies with traditional optical polishing methods. The prototypes underwent Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) and heat treatment to improve density, eliminate porosity, and relieve internal stresses. Metal 3D printing allows for nearly unlimited topological constraints on design and virtually eliminates the need for a machine shop when creating an optical quality mirror. This research can lead to an increase in mirror mounting support complexity in the manufacturing of lightweight mirrors and improve overall process efficiency. The project aspired to have many future applications of light weighted 3D printed mirrors, such as spaceflight. This paper covers the design/fab/polish/test of 3D printed mirrors, thermal/structural finite element analysis, and results.

Asymmetric Evolutionary Games

Science.gov (United States)

McAvoy, Alex; Hauert, Christoph

2015-01-01

Evolutionary game theory is a powerful framework for studying evolution in populations of interacting individuals. A common assumption in evolutionary game theory is that interactions are symmetric, which means that the players are distinguished by only their strategies. In nature, however, the microscopic interactions between players are nearly always asymmetric due to environmental effects, differing baseline characteristics, and other possible sources of heterogeneity. To model these phenomena, we introduce into evolutionary game theory two broad classes of asymmetric interactions: ecological and genotypic. Ecological asymmetry results from variation in the environments of the players, while genotypic asymmetry is a consequence of the players having differing baseline genotypes. We develop a theory of these forms of asymmetry for games in structured populations and use the classical social dilemmas, the Prisoner’s Dilemma and the Snowdrift Game, for illustrations. Interestingly, asymmetric games reveal essential differences between models of genetic evolution based on reproduction and models of cultural evolution based on imitation that are not apparent in symmetric games. PMID:26308326

Asymmetrical field emitter

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, J.G.; Smith, B.K.

1995-10-10

A method is disclosed for providing a field emitter with an asymmetrical emitter structure having a very sharp tip in close proximity to its gate. One preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an asymmetrical emitter and a gate. The emitter having a tip and a side is coupled to a substrate. The gate is connected to a step in the substrate. The step has a top surface and a side wall that is substantially parallel to the side of the emitter. The tip of the emitter is in close proximity to the gate. The emitter is at an emitter potential, and the gate is at a gate potential such that with the two potentials at appropriate values, electrons are emitted from the emitter. In one embodiment, the gate is separated from the emitter by an oxide layer, and the emitter is etched anisotropically to form its tip and its asymmetrical structure. 17 figs.

Dark influences: imprints of dark satellites on dwarf galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Starkenburg, T. K.; Helmi, A.

Context. In the context of the current Λ cold dark matter cosmological model small dark matter halos are abundant and satellites of dwarf galaxies are expected to be predominantly dark. Since low mass galaxies have smaller baryon fractions, interactions with these satellites may leave particularly

Three mirror pairs of fermion families

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montvay, I.

1988-01-01

A simple model with three mirror pairs of fermion families is considered which allows for a substantial mixing between the mirror fermion partners without conflicting with known phenomenology. (orig.)

Extending the mirror neuron system model, II: what did I just do? A new role for mirror neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonaiuto, James; Arbib, Michael A

2010-04-01

A mirror system is active both when an animal executes a class of actions (self-actions) and when it sees another execute an action of that class. Much attention has been given to the possible roles of mirror systems in responding to the actions of others but there has been little attention paid to their role in self-actions. In the companion article (Bonaiuto et al. Biol Cybern 96:9-38, 2007) we presented MNS2, an extension of the Mirror Neuron System model of the monkey mirror system trained to recognize the external appearance of its own actions as a basis for recognizing the actions of other animals when they perform similar actions. Here we further extend the study of the mirror system by introducing the novel hypotheses that a mirror system may additionally help in monitoring the success of a self-action and may also be activated by recognition of one's own apparent actions as well as efference copy from one's intended actions. The framework for this computational demonstration is a model of action sequencing, called augmented competitive queuing, in which action choice is based on the desirability of executable actions. We show how this "what did I just do?" function of mirror neurons can contribute to the learning of both executability and desirability which in certain cases supports rapid reorganization of motor programs in the face of disruptions.

Elliptically Bent X-ray Mirrors with Active Temperature Stabilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Sheng; Church, Matthew; Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Celestre, Rich; McKinney, Wayne R.; Kirschman, Jonathan; Morrison, Greg; Noll, Tino; Warwick, Tony; Padmore, Howard A.

2010-01-01

We present details of design of elliptically bent Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors developed and successfully used at the Advanced Light Source for submicron focusing. A distinctive feature of the mirror design is an active temperature stabilization based on a Peltier element attached directly to the mirror body. The design and materials have been carefully optimized to provide high heat conductance between the mirror body and substrate. We describe the experimental procedures used when assembling and precisely shaping the mirrors, with special attention paid to laboratory testing of the mirror-temperature stabilization. For this purpose, the temperature dependence of the surface slope profile of a specially fabricated test mirror placed inside a temperature-controlled container was measured. We demonstrate that with active mirror-temperature stabilization, a change of the surrounding temperature by more than 3K does not noticeably affect the mirror figure. Without temperature stabilization, the surface slope changes by approximately 1.5 ?mu rad rms (primarily defocus) under the same conditions.

Elliptically Bent X-Ray Mirrors with Active Temperature Stabilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, S.; Church, M.; Yashchuk, V.V.; Celestre, R.S.; McKinney, W.R.; Morrison, G.; Warwick, T.; Padmore, H.A.; Goldberg, K.A.; Kirschman, J.; Noll, T.

2010-01-01

We present details of design of elliptically bent Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors developed and successfully used at the advanced light source for submicron focusing. A distinctive feature of the mirror design is an active temperature stabilization based on a Peltier element attached directly to the mirror body. The design and materials have been carefully optimized to provide high heat conductance between the mirror body and substrate. We describe the experimental procedures used when assembling and precisely shaping the mirrors, with special attention paid to laboratory testing of the mirror-temperature stabilization. For this purpose, the temperature dependence of the surface slope profile of a specially fabricated test mirror placed inside a temperature-controlled container was measured. We demonstrate that with active mirror-temperature stabilization, a change of the surrounding temperature by more than 3 K does not noticeably affect the mirror figure. Without temperature stabilization, the rms slope error is changed by approximately 1.5 μrad (primarily defocus) under the same conditions

Adiabatic instability in coupled dark energy/dark matter models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bean, Rachel; Flanagan, Eanna E.; Trodden, Mark

2008-01-01

We consider theories in which there exists a nontrivial coupling between the dark matter sector and the sector responsible for the acceleration of the Universe. Such theories can possess an adiabatic regime in which the quintessence field always sits at the minimum of its effective potential, which is set by the local dark matter density. We show that if the coupling strength is much larger than gravitational, then the adiabatic regime is always subject to an instability. The instability, which can also be thought of as a type of Jeans instability, is characterized by a negative sound speed squared of an effective coupled dark matter/dark energy fluid, and results in the exponential growth of small scale modes. We discuss the role of the instability in specific coupled cold dark matter and mass varying neutrino models of dark energy and clarify for these theories the regimes in which the instability can be evaded due to nonadiabaticity or weak coupling.

Dark Matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashir, A.; Cotti, U.; De Leon, C. L.; Raya, A; Villasenor, L.

2008-01-01

One of the biggest scientific mysteries of our time resides in the identification of the particles that constitute a large fraction of the mass of our Universe, generically known as dark matter. We review the observations and the experimental data that imply the existence of dark matter. We briefly discuss the properties of the two best dark-matter candidate particles and the experimental techniques presently used to try to discover them. Finally, we mention a proposed project that has recently emerged within the Mexican community to look for dark matter

FMRI evidence of 'mirror' responses to geometric shapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Press, Clare; Catmur, Caroline; Cook, Richard; Widmann, Hannah; Heyes, Cecilia; Bird, Geoffrey

2012-01-01

Mirror neurons may be a genetic adaptation for social interaction. Alternatively, the associative hypothesis proposes that the development of mirror neurons is driven by sensorimotor learning, and that, given suitable experience, mirror neurons will respond to any stimulus. This hypothesis was tested using fMRI adaptation to index populations of cells with mirror properties. After sensorimotor training, where geometric shapes were paired with hand actions, BOLD response was measured while human participants experienced runs of events in which shape observation alternated with action execution or observation. Adaptation from shapes to action execution, and critically, observation, occurred in ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Adaptation from shapes to execution indicates that neuronal populations responding to the shapes had motor properties, while adaptation to observation demonstrates that these populations had mirror properties. These results indicate that sensorimotor training induced populations of cells with mirror properties in PMv and IPL to respond to the observation of arbitrary shapes. They suggest that the mirror system has not been shaped by evolution to respond in a mirror fashion to biological actions; instead, its development is mediated by stimulus-general processes of learning within a system adapted for visuomotor control.

Cinchona alkaloids in asymmetric organocatalysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcelli, T.; Hiemstra, H.

2010-01-01

This article reviews the applications of cinchona alkaloids as asymmetric catalysts. In the last few years, characterized by the resurgence of interest in asymmetric organocatalysis, cinchona derivatives have been shown to catalyze an outstanding array of chemical reactions, often with remarkable

Mirror theory applied to toroidal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.H.

1987-01-01

Central features of a mirror plasma are strong departures from Maxwellian distribution functions, ambipolar potentials and densities which vary along a field line, and losses, and the mirror field itself. To examine these features, mirror theorists have developed analytical and numerical techniques to solve the Fokker-Planck equation, evaluate the potentials consistent with the resulting distribution functions, and assess the microstability of these distributions. Various combinations of mirror-plasma fetures are present and important in toroidal plasmas as well, particularly in the edge region and in plasmas with strong r.f. heating. In this paper we survey problems in toroidal plasmas where mirror theory and computational techniques are applicable, and discuss in more detail three specific examples: calculation of the toroidal generalization of the Spitzer-Haerm distribution function (from which trapped-particle effects on current drive can be calculated), evaluation of the nonuniform potential and density set up by pulsed electron-cyclotron heating, and calculation of steady-state distribution functions in the presence of strong r.f. heating and collisions. 37 refs., 3 figs

Mirror theory applied to toroidal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.H.

1987-01-01

Central features of a mirror plasma are strong departures from Maxwellian distribution functions, ambipolar potentials and densities which vary along a field line, end losses, and the mirror field itself. To examine these features, mirror theorists have developed analytical and numerical techniques to solve the Fokker-Planck equation, evaluate the potentials consistent with the resulting distribution functions, and assess the microstability of these distributions. Various combinations of mirror-plasma features are present and important in toroidal plasmas as well, particularly in the edge region and in plasmas with strong rf heating. In this paper we survey problems in toroidal plasmas where mirror theory and computational techniques are applicable, and discuss in more detail three specific examples: calculation of the toroidal generalization of the Spitzer-Haerm distribution function (from which trapped-particle effects on current drive can be calculated), evaluation of the nonuniform potential and density set up by pulsed electron-cyclotron heating, and calculation of steady-state distribution functions in the presence of strong rf heating and collisions. 37 refs

Metastable dark energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo G. Landim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We build a model of metastable dark energy, in which the observed vacuum energy is the value of the scalar potential at the false vacuum. The scalar potential is given by a sum of even self-interactions up to order six. The deviation from the Minkowski vacuum is due to a term suppressed by the Planck scale. The decay time of the metastable vacuum can easily accommodate a mean life time compatible with the age of the universe. The metastable dark energy is also embedded into a model with SU(2R symmetry. The dark energy doublet and the dark matter doublet naturally interact with each other. A three-body decay of the dark energy particle into (cold and warm dark matter can be as long as large fraction of the age of the universe, if the mediator is massive enough, the lower bound being at intermediate energy level some orders below the grand unification scale. Such a decay shows a different form of interaction between dark matter and dark energy, and the model opens a new window to investigate the dark sector from the point-of-view of particle physics.

Partially acoustic dark matter, interacting dark radiation, and large scale structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chacko, Zackaria [Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics, Department of Physics, University of Maryland,Stadium Dr., College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Cui, Yanou [Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics, Department of Physics, University of Maryland,Stadium Dr., College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California-Riverside,University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Perimeter Institute, 31 Caroline Street, North Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5 (Canada); Hong, Sungwoo [Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics, Department of Physics, University of Maryland,Stadium Dr., College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Okui, Takemichi [Department of Physics, Florida State University,College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32306 (United States); Tsai, Yuhsinz [Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics, Department of Physics, University of Maryland,Stadium Dr., College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

2016-12-21

The standard paradigm of collisionless cold dark matter is in tension with measurements on large scales. In particular, the best fit values of the Hubble rate H{sub 0} and the matter density perturbation σ{sub 8} inferred from the cosmic microwave background seem inconsistent with the results from direct measurements. We show that both problems can be solved in a framework in which dark matter consists of two distinct components, a dominant component and a subdominant component. The primary component is cold and collisionless. The secondary component is also cold, but interacts strongly with dark radiation, which itself forms a tightly coupled fluid. The growth of density perturbations in the subdominant component is inhibited by dark acoustic oscillations due to its coupling to the dark radiation, solving the σ{sub 8} problem, while the presence of tightly coupled dark radiation ameliorates the H{sub 0} problem. The subdominant component of dark matter and dark radiation continue to remain in thermal equilibrium until late times, inhibiting the formation of a dark disk. We present an example of a simple model that naturally realizes this scenario in which both constituents of dark matter are thermal WIMPs. Our scenario can be tested by future stage-IV experiments designed to probe the CMB and large scale structure.

Partially acoustic dark matter, interacting dark radiation, and large scale structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chacko, Zackaria; Cui, Yanou; Hong, Sungwoo; Okui, Takemichi; Tsai, Yuhsinz

2016-01-01

The standard paradigm of collisionless cold dark matter is in tension with measurements on large scales. In particular, the best fit values of the Hubble rate H 0 and the matter density perturbation σ 8 inferred from the cosmic microwave background seem inconsistent with the results from direct measurements. We show that both problems can be solved in a framework in which dark matter consists of two distinct components, a dominant component and a subdominant component. The primary component is cold and collisionless. The secondary component is also cold, but interacts strongly with dark radiation, which itself forms a tightly coupled fluid. The growth of density perturbations in the subdominant component is inhibited by dark acoustic oscillations due to its coupling to the dark radiation, solving the σ 8 problem, while the presence of tightly coupled dark radiation ameliorates the H 0 problem. The subdominant component of dark matter and dark radiation continue to remain in thermal equilibrium until late times, inhibiting the formation of a dark disk. We present an example of a simple model that naturally realizes this scenario in which both constituents of dark matter are thermal WIMPs. Our scenario can be tested by future stage-IV experiments designed to probe the CMB and large scale structure.

Inflation, Dark Matter, and Dark Energy in the String Landscape

OpenAIRE

Liddle, Andrew R; Ureña-López, L Arturo

2006-01-01

We consider the conditions needed to unify the description of dark matter, dark energy and inflation in the context of the string landscape. We find that incomplete decay of the inflaton field gives the possibility that a single field is responsible for all three phenomena. By contrast, unifying dark matter and dark energy into a single field, separate from the inflaton, appears rather difficult.

Vacuum-Flex Figuring of Primary Telescope Mirrors

Science.gov (United States)

Albin, E. F. M.

2004-12-01

In the current investigation, details on the construction and performance of a vacuum-flexed (i.e., figured) 51 cm (20-inch) mirror, with a fast f/4 focal ratio, are presented. A vacuum has the chief advantage of being able to pull with a uniform or isotropic stress across a large surface area, which will naturally form a parabolic surface. The essence of the idea is to grind and polish a spherical mirror and then warp or flex it into a near perfect paraboloid, thus avoiding tedious figuring altogether. To date, telescope makers around the globe have experimented with small flexed mirrors with considerable success. In these instances, mirrors have been flexed by exerting tension on a bolt or sponge-pad adhered to the back of the mirror. The prototype mirror consists of two 51 cm disks of plate glass -- each slumped to an f/4 focal ratio. The front-plate (19 mm in thickness) is separated from the back-plate (13 mm in thickness) back a flexible 9.5 mm air filled gasket. Although the rubber gasket makes a fairly good vacuum seal, silicon cement was placed about the outer edge in order to produce a perfectly tight seal. A vacuum of 8 kPa on the back of the mirror resulted in approximately 164 kilograms of negative pressure, which is required to flex the mirror into the required paraboloid. Ronchi test show a nice smooth paraboloid free from astigmatism while foucault zonal measurements display a figure better than 1/20 wave. Preliminary star testing show promising results as well. Vacuum-flexed mirrors may have benefits for both amateur and professional telescope makers alike. A US patent is pending on the aforementioned design.

Dark Sky Protection and Education - Izera Dark Sky Park

Science.gov (United States)

Berlicki, Arkadiusz; Kolomanski, Sylwester; Mrozek, Tomasz; Zakowicz, Grzegorz

2015-08-01

Darkness of the night sky is a natural component of our environment and should be protected against negative effects of human activities. The night darkness is necessary for balanced life of plants, animals and people. Unfortunately, development of human civilization and technology has led to the substantial increase of the night-sky brightness and to situation where nights are no more dark in many areas of the World. This phenomenon is called "light pollution" and it can be rank among such problems as chemical pollution of air, water and soil. Besides the environment, the light pollution can also affect e.g. the scientific activities of astronomers - many observatories built in the past began to be located within the glow of city lights making the night observations difficult, or even impossible.In order to protect the natural darkness of nights many so-called "dark sky parks" were established, where the darkness is preserved, similar to typical nature reserves. The role of these parks is not only conservation but also education, supporting to make society aware of how serious the problem of the light pollution is.History of the dark sky areas in Europe began on November 4, 2009 in Jizerka - a small village situated in the Izera Mountains, when Izera Dark Sky Park (IDSP) was established - it was the first transboundary dark sky park in the World. The idea of establishing that dark sky park in the Izera Mountains originated from a need to give to the society in Poland and Czech Republic the knowledge about the light pollution. Izera Dark Sky Park is a part of the astro-tourism project "Astro Izery" that combines tourist attraction of Izera Valley and astronomical education under the wonderful starry Izera sky. Besides the IDSP, the project Astro Izery consists of the set of simple astronomical instruments (gnomon, sundial), natural educational trail "Solar System Model", and astronomical events for the public. In addition, twice a year we organize a 3-4 days

Results from the DarkSide-50 Dark Matter Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Alden [Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2016-01-01

While there is tremendous astrophysical and cosmological evidence for dark matter, its precise nature is one of the most significant open questions in modern physics. Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are a particularly compelling class of dark matter candidates with masses of the order 100 GeV and couplings to ordinary matter at the weak scale. Direct detection experiments are aiming to observe the low energy (<100 keV) scattering of dark matter off normal matter. With the liquid noble technology leading the way in WIMP sensitivity, no conclusive signals have been observed yet. The DarkSide experiment is looking for WIMP dark matter using a liquid argon target in a dual-phase time projection chamber located deep underground at Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy. Currently filled with argon obtained from underground sources, which is greatly reduced in radioactive ³⁹Ar, DarkSide-50 recently made the most sensitive measurement of the ³⁹Ar activity in underground argon and used it to set the strongest WIMP dark matter limit using liquid argon to date. This work describes the full chain of analysis used to produce the recent dark matter limit, from reconstruction of raw data to evaluation of the final exclusion curve. The DarkSide- 50 apparatus is described in detail, followed by discussion of the low level reconstruction algorithms. The algorithms are then used to arrive at three broad analysis results: The electroluminescence signals in DarkSide-50 are used to perform a precision measurement of ii longitudinal electron diffusion in liquid argon. A search is performed on the underground argon data to identify the delayed coincidence signature of ⁸⁵Kr decays to the ⁸⁵mRb state, a crucial ingredient in the measurement of the ³⁹Ar activity in the underground argon. Finally, a full description of the WIMP search is given, including development of cuts, efficiencies, energy scale, and exclusion

Alternative Asymmetric Stochastic Volatility Models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Asai (Manabu); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

2010-01-01

textabstractThe stochastic volatility model usually incorporates asymmetric effects by introducing the negative correlation between the innovations in returns and volatility. In this paper, we propose a new asymmetric stochastic volatility model, based on the leverage and size effects. The model is

Mirror neurons: From origin to function

OpenAIRE

Cook, R; Bird, G; Catmur, C; Press, C; Heyes, C

2014-01-01

This article argues that mirror neurons originate in sensorimotor associative learning and therefore a new approach is needed to investigate their functions. Mirror neurons were discovered about 20 years ago in the monkey brain, and there is now evidence that they are also present in the human brain. The intriguing feature of many mirror neurons is that they fire not only when the animal is performing an action, such as grasping an object using a power grip, but also when the animal passively...

Connection between adiabaticity and the mirror mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.H.

1976-01-01

The size of magnetic moment jumps of a particle in a long, thin equilibrium magnetic mirror field is shown to be related to the complex zeroes of the mirror mode parameter B + 4πdP/sub perpendicular//dB. A consequence is that adiabaticity places a lower limit on β than does the mirror mode

Asymmetric ion trap

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, Stephan E.; Alexander, Michael L.; Follansbee, James C.

1997-01-01

An ion trap having two end cap electrodes disposed asymmetrically about a center of a ring electrode. The inner surface of the end cap electrodes are conformed to an asymmetric pair of equipotential lines of the harmonic formed by the application of voltages to the electrodes. The asymmetry of the end cap electrodes allows ejection of charged species through the closer of the two electrodes which in turn allows for simultaneously detecting anions and cations expelled from the ion trap through the use of two detectors charged with opposite polarity.

Ultra-high optical responsivity of semiconducting asymmetric nano-channel diodes for photon detection

Science.gov (United States)

Akbas, Y.; Plecenik, T.; Durina, P.; Plecenik, A.; Jukna, A.; Wicks, G.; Sobolewski, Roman

2017-05-01

The asymmetric nano-channel diode (ANCD) is the 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) semiconductor nanodevice that, unlike a conventional diode, relies on the device nanostructure and field-controlled transport in a ballistic nanometerwidth channel instead of barriers to develop its asymmetric, diode-like current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. We focus on ANCD optoelectronic properties, and demonstrate that the devices can act as very sensitive, single-photon-level, visiblelight photodetectors. Our test structures consist of 2-μm-long and 230-nm-wide channels and were fabricated using electron-beam lithography on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with a 2DEG layer, followed by reactive ion etching. The I-V curves were collected by measuring the transport current under the voltage-source biasing condition, both in the dark and under light illumination. The experiments were conducted inside a cryostat, in a temperature range from 300 K to 78 K. As an optical excitation, we used a 800-nm-wavelength, generated by a commercial Ti:sapphire laser operated either at a quasi-continuous-wave mode or as a source of 100-fs-wide pulses. The impact of the light illumination was very clear, and at low temperatures we observed a significant photocurrent Iph 0.25 μA at temperature 78 K for the incident optical power as low as 1 nW, with a limited dark-current background. The magnitude of the device optical responsivity increased linearly with the decrease of the optical power, reaching for 1-nW optical excitation the value as high as 400 A/W at room temperature and >800 A/W at 78K. The physics of the photoresponse gain mechanism in the ANCD arises from a vast disparity between the sub-picosecond transit time of photo-excited electrons travelling in the 2DEG nanochannel and the up to microsecond lifetime of photo-excited holes pushed towards the device substrate.

arXiv Supplying Dark Energy from Scalar Field Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

Gogberashvili, Merab

We consider the hypothesis that dark matter and dark energy consists of ultra-light self-interacting scalar particles. It is found that the Klein-Gordon equation with only two free parameters (mass and self-coupling) on a Schwarzschild background, at the galactic length-scales has the solution which corresponds to Bose-Einstein condensate, behaving as dark matter, while the constant solution at supra-galactic scales can explain dark energy.

The eROSITA X-ray mirrors: technology and qualification aspects of the production of mandrels, shells and mirror modules

Science.gov (United States)

Arcangeli, L.; Borghi, G.; Bräuninger, H.; Citterio, O.; Ferrario, I.; Friedrich, P.; Grisoni, G.; Marioni, F.; Predehl, P.; Rossi, M.; Ritucci, A.; Valsecchi, G.; Vernani, D.

2017-11-01

The name "eROSITA" stands for extended Roentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array. The general design of the eROSITA X-ray telescope is derived from that of ABRIXAS. A bundle of 7 mirror modules with short focal lengths make up a compact telescope which is ideal for survey observations. Similar designs had been proposed for the missions DUO and ROSITA but were not realized due to programmatic shortfall. Compared to those, however, the effective area in the soft X-ray band has now much increased by adding 27 additional outer mirror shells to the original 27 ones of each mirror module. The requirement on the on-axis resolution has also been confined, namely to 15 arc seconds HEW. For these reasons the prefix "extended" was added to the original name "ROSITA". The scientific motivation for this extension is founded in the ambitious goal to detect about 100,000 clusters of galaxies which trace the large scale structure of the Universe in space and time. The X-ray telescope of eROSITA will consist of 7 identical and co-aligned mirror modules, each with 54 nested Wolter-1 mirror shells. The mirror shells are glued onto a spider wheel which is screwed to the mirror interface structure making a rigid mechanical unit. The assembly of 7 modules forms a compact hexagonal configuration with 1300 mm diameter (see Fig. 1) and will be attached to the telescope structure which connects to the 7 separate CCD cameras in the focal planes. The co-alignment of the mirror module enables eROSITA to perform also pointed observations. The replication process described in chapter III allows the manufacturing in one single piece and at the same time of both the parabola and hyperbola parts of the Wolter 1 mirror.

Conversion of Gravitons into Dark Photons in Cosmological Dark Magnetic Fields

OpenAIRE

Masaki, Emi; Soda, Jiro

2018-01-01

It is well known that gravitons can convert into photons, and vice versa, in the presence of cosmological magnetic fields. We study this conversion process in the context of atomic dark matter scenario. In this scenario, we can expect cosmological dark magnetic fields, which are free from the stringent constraint from the cosmic microwave observations. We find that gravitons can effectively convert into dark photons in the presence of cosmological dark magnetic fields. The graviton-dark photo...

Late forming dark matter in theories of neutrino dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Subinoy; Weiner, Neal

2011-01-01

We study the possibility of late forming dark matter, where a scalar field, previously trapped in a metastable state by thermal or finite density effects, goes through a phase transition near the era matter-radiation equality and begins to oscillate about its true minimum. Such a theory is motivated generally if the dark energy is of a similar form, but has not yet made the transition to dark matter, and, in particular, arises automatically in recently considered theories of neutrino dark energy. If such a field comprises the present dark matter, the matter power spectrum typically shows a sharp break at small, presently nonlinear scales, below which power is highly suppressed and previously contained acoustic oscillations. If, instead, such a field forms a subdominant component of the total dark matter, such acoustic oscillations may imprint themselves in the linear regime.

Mirror therapy: A potential intervention for pain management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscilla G. Wittkopf

Full Text Available Summary The consequences of chronic pain and associated disabilities to the patient and to the health care system are well known. Medication is often the first treatment of choice for chronic pain, although side effects and high costs restrict long-term use. Inexpensive, safe and easy to self-administer non-pharmacological therapies, such as mirror therapy, are recommended as adjuncts to pain treatment. The purpose of this review is to describe the principles of use of mirror therapy so it can be incorporated into a health care delivery. The physiological rationale of mirror therapy for the management of pain and the evidence of clinical efficacy based on recent systematic reviews are also discussed. Mirror therapy, whereby a mirror is placed in a position so that the patient can view a reflection of a body part, has been used to treat phantom limb pain, complex regional pain syndrome, neuropathy and low back pain. Research evidence suggests that a course of treatment (four weeks of mirror therapy may reduce chronic pain. Contraindications and side effects are few. The mechanism of action of mirror therapy remains uncertain, with reintegration of motor and sensory systems, restored body image and control over fear-avoidance likely to influence outcome. The evidence for clinical efficacy of mirror therapy is encouraging, but not yet definitive. Nevertheless, mirror therapy is inexpensive, safe and easy for the patient to self-administer.

Linear scale bounds on dark matter--dark radiation interactions and connection with the small scale crisis of cold dark matter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hannestad, Steen; Archidiacono, Maria; Bohr, Sebastian

2017-01-01

One of the open questions in modern cosmology is the small scale crisis of the cold dark matter paradigm. Increasing attention has recently been devoted to self-interacting dark matter models as a possible answer. However, solving the so-called "missing satellites" problem requires in addition...... the presence of an extra relativistic particle (dubbed dark radiation) scattering with dark matter in the early universe. Here we investigate the impact of different theoretical models devising dark matter dark radiation interactions on large scale cosmological observables. We use cosmic microwave background...... data to put constraints on the dark radiation component and its coupling to dark matter. We find that the values of the coupling allowed by the data imply a cut-off scale of the halo mass function consistent with the one required to match the observations of satellites in the Milky Way....

FMRI evidence of 'mirror' responses to geometric shapes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clare Press

Full Text Available Mirror neurons may be a genetic adaptation for social interaction. Alternatively, the associative hypothesis proposes that the development of mirror neurons is driven by sensorimotor learning, and that, given suitable experience, mirror neurons will respond to any stimulus. This hypothesis was tested using fMRI adaptation to index populations of cells with mirror properties. After sensorimotor training, where geometric shapes were paired with hand actions, BOLD response was measured while human participants experienced runs of events in which shape observation alternated with action execution or observation. Adaptation from shapes to action execution, and critically, observation, occurred in ventral premotor cortex (PMv and inferior parietal lobule (IPL. Adaptation from shapes to execution indicates that neuronal populations responding to the shapes had motor properties, while adaptation to observation demonstrates that these populations had mirror properties. These results indicate that sensorimotor training induced populations of cells with mirror properties in PMv and IPL to respond to the observation of arbitrary shapes. They suggest that the mirror system has not been shaped by evolution to respond in a mirror fashion to biological actions; instead, its development is mediated by stimulus-general processes of learning within a system adapted for visuomotor control.

Coulomb energy differences in mirror nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenzi, Silvia M

2006-01-01

By comparing the excitation energies of analogue states in mirror nuclei, several nuclear structure properties can be studied as a function of the angular momentum up to high spin states. They can be described in the shell model framework by including electromagnetic and nuclear isospin-non-conserving interactions. Calculations for the mirror energy differences in nuclei of the f 7/2 shell are described and compared with recent experimental data. These studies are extended to mirror nuclei in the upper sd and fp shells

Carbon Fiber Mirror for a CubeSat Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Soo; Jang, Jeong Gyun; Kim, Jihun; Nam, Uk Won

2017-08-01

Telescope mirrors made by carbon fibers have been increasingly used especially for space applications, and they may replace the traditional glass mirrors. Glass mirrors are easy to fabricate, but needed to be carefully handled as they are brittle. Other materials have also been considered for telescope mirrors, such as metals, plastics, and liquids even. However glass and glass ceramics are still commonly and dominantly used.Carbon fiber has mainly been used for mechanical supports like truss structure and telescope tubes, as it is stiff and light-weight. It can also be a good material for telescope mirrors, as it has additional merits of non-brittle and very low thermal expansion. Therefore, carbon fiber mirror would be suitable for space telescopes which should endure the harsh vibration conditions during launch.A light-weight telescope made by carbon fiber has been designed for a small satellite which would have much less weight than conventional ones. In this poster, mirror materials are reviewed, and a design of carbon fiber telescope is presented and discussed.

Long-Lived Glass Mirrors For Outer Space

Science.gov (United States)

Bouquet, Frank L.; Maag, Carl R.; Heggen, Philip M.

1988-01-01

Paper summarizes available knowledge about glass mirrors for use in outer space. Strengths and weaknesses of various types of first and second reflective surfaces identified. Second-surface glass mirrors used in outer space designed to different criteria more stringent for terrestrial mirrors. Protons, electrons, cosmic rays, meteorites, and orbiting space debris affect longevities of components. Contamination also factor in space.

Mirror position display equipment for the target chamber mirror mounts of the LASL HELIOS laser fusion facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, F.D.; Remington, D.A.

1979-01-01

Equipment has been fabricated which records the absolute positions of sixteen mirror mounts used to direct and focus eight high-energy laser beams for research in laser induced fusion. Each mirror mount is driven by three stepping motors, controlled to produce the motions of Focus, Tilt, and Rotate relative to the target. Stepping of the motors is sensed by incremental optical encoders coupled to the motor drive shafts. Outputs from the encoder tracks are multiplexed to a microprocessor which transmits motor step information via a fiber optical data link to a Mirror Position Display chassis. This unit accumulates the steps, stores the motor positions, displays mirror position data to the operator, and provides the equipment control functions. Standby battery power is included to retain the motor step data in the event of power failure

Mirror neuron system: basic findings and clinical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Iacoboni, Marco; Mazziotta, John C

2007-09-01

In primates, ventral premotor and rostral inferior parietal neurons fire during the execution of hand and mouth actions. Some cells (called mirror neurons) also fire when hand and mouth actions are just observed. Mirror neurons provide a simple neural mechanism for understanding the actions of others. In humans, posterior inferior frontal and rostral inferior parietal areas have mirror properties. These human areas are relevant to imitative learning and social behavior. Indeed, the socially isolating condition of autism is associated with a deficit in mirror neuron areas. Strategies inspired by mirror neuron research recently have been used in the treatment of autism and in motor rehabilitation after stroke.

X-ray beam-shaping via deformable mirrors: Analytical computation of the required mirror profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiga, Daniele; Raimondi, Lorenzo; Svetina, Cristian; Zangrando, Marco

2013-01-01

X-ray mirrors with high focusing performances are in use in both mirror modules for X-ray telescopes and in synchrotron and FEL (Free Electron Laser) beamlines. A degradation of the focus sharpness arises in general from geometrical deformations and surface roughness, the former usually described by geometrical optics and the latter by physical optics. In general, technological developments are aimed at a very tight focusing, which requires the mirror profile to comply with the nominal shape as much as possible and to keep the roughness at a negligible level. However, a deliberate deformation of the mirror can be made to endow the focus with a desired size and distribution, via piezo actuators as done at the EIS-TIMEX beamline of FERMI@Elettra. The resulting profile can be characterized with a Long Trace Profilometer and correlated with the expected optical quality via a wavefront propagation code. However, if the roughness contribution can be neglected, the computation can be performed via a ray-tracing routine, and, under opportune assumptions, the focal spot profile (the Point Spread Function, PSF) can even be predicted analytically. The advantage of this approach is that the analytical relation can be reversed; i.e., from the desired PSF the required mirror profile can be computed easily, thereby avoiding the use of complex and time-consuming numerical codes. The method can also be suited in the case of spatially inhomogeneous beam intensities, as commonly experienced at synchrotrons and FELs. In this work we expose the analytical method and the application to the beam shaping problem

Dark Matter Caustics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natarajan, Aravind

2010-01-01

The continuous infall of dark matter with low velocity dispersion in galactic halos leads to the formation of high density structures called caustics. Dark matter caustics are of two kinds : outer and inner. Outer caustics are thin spherical shells surrounding galaxies while inner caustics have a more complicated structure that depends on the dark matter angular momentum distribution. The presence of a dark matter caustic in the plane of the galaxy modifies the gas density in its neighborhood which may lead to observable effects. Caustics are also relevant to direct and indirect dark matter searches.

Virtual Mirror gaming in libraries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Speelman, M.; Kröse, B.; Nijholt, A.; Poppe, R.

2008-01-01

This paper presents a study on a natural interface game in the context of a library. We developed a camera-based Virtual Mirror (VM) game, in which the player can see himself on the screen as if he looks at a mirror image. We present an overview of the different aspects of VM games and technologies

Characterization of a piezo bendable X-ray mirror.

Science.gov (United States)

Vannoni, Maurizio; Freijo Martín, Idoia; Siewert, Frank; Signorato, Riccardo; Yang, Fan; Sinn, Harald

2016-01-01

A full-scale piezo bendable mirror built as a prototype for an offset mirror at the European XFEL is characterized. The piezo ceramic elements are glued onto the mirror substrate, side-face on with respect to the reflecting surface. Using a nanometre optical component measuring machine and a large-aperture Fizeau interferometer, the mirror profile and influence functions were characterized, and further analysis was made to investigate the junction effect, hysteresis, twisting and reproducibility.

Electrostatic ion confinement in a magnetic mirror field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, Y.; Kawamata, S.; Ishii, K.

1976-08-01

The electrostatic ion stoppering at the mirror point is demonstrated experimentally in a magnetic mirror field. The ion losses from the mirror throat are decreased to about 15% of the initial losses in a rather high plasma density (10 10 0 13 cm -3 ). It is discussed as a confinement mechanism of ions that particles are reflected back adiabatically at the throat of the magnetic mirror field supplemented by DC electric field. (auth.)

Worst Asymmetrical Short-Circuit Current

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arana Aristi, Iván; Holmstrøm, O; Grastrup, L

2010-01-01

In a typical power plant, the production scenario and the short-circuit time were found for the worst asymmetrical short-circuit current. Then, a sensitivity analysis on the missing generator values was realized in order to minimize the uncertainty of the results. Afterward the worst asymmetrical...

"Mirror agnosia" in a patient with right occipitotemporal infarct

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Menon Bijoy

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We report the clinical profile and investigation of K, a patient suffering from agnosia for the concept of "mirrors". Normal people rarely confuse a mirror image for the real image. Our patient ′K′ has intact attention, memory and language with a left visual neglect with left hemianopia. When shown an object on his left with a mirror kept sagitally on his right, K grabs for the reflection and even gropes behind the mirror for it. Yet, when shown the mirror alone, he is able to tell that it is a mirror. Thus the concept of a ′mirror′ is lost in the experimental paradigm. An explanation for mirror ′agnosia′ is provided and recent controversies in the analysis of visuospatial functions in humans is highlighted.

Secondary mirror system for the European Solar Telescope (EST)

Science.gov (United States)

Cavaller, L.; Siegel, B.; Prieto, G.; Hernandez, E.; Casalta, J. M.; Mercader, J.; Barriga, J.

2010-07-01

The European Solar Telescope (EST) is a European collaborative project to build a 4m class solar telescope in the Canary Islands, which is now in its design study phase. The telescope will provide diffraction limited performance for several instruments observing simultaneously at the Coudé focus at different wavelengths. A multi-conjugated adaptive optics system composed of a tip-tilt mirror and several deformable mirrors will be integrated in the telescope optical path. The secondary mirror system is composed of the mirror itself (Ø800mm), the alignment drives and the cooling system needed to remove the solar heat load from the mirror. During the design study the feasibility to provide fast tip-tilt capabilities at the secondary mirror to work as the adaptive optics tip-tilt mirror is also being evaluated.

Unifying dark energy and dark matter with the modified Ricci model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Linsen; Wu, Puxun; Yu, Hongwei

2011-01-01

In this paper, two modified Ricci models are considered as the candidates of unified dark matter-dark energy. In model one, the energy density is given by ρ MR =3M pl (αH 2 + βH), whereas, in model two, by ρ MR =3M pl ((α)/(6)R + γH H -1 ). We find that they can explain both dark matter and dark energy successfully. A constant equation of state of dark energy is obtained in model one, which means that it gives the same background evolution as the wCDM model, while model two can give an evolutionary equation of state of dark energy with the phantom divide line crossing in the near past. (orig.)

Why we need to see the dark matter to understand the dark energy

OpenAIRE

Kunz, Martin

2007-01-01

The cosmological concordance model contains two separate constituents which interact only gravitationally with themselves and everything else, the dark matter and the dark energy. In the standard dark energy models, the dark matter makes up some 20% of the total energy budget today, while the dark energy is responsible for about 75%. Here we show that these numbers are only robust for specific dark energy models and that in general we cannot measure the abundance of the dark constituents sepa...

Dark matter and neutrino mass from the smallest non-Abelian chiral dark sector

Science.gov (United States)

Berryman, Jeffrey M.; de Gouvêa, André; Kelly, Kevin J.; Zhang, Yue

2017-10-01

All pieces of concrete evidence for phenomena outside the standard model (SM)—neutrino masses and dark matter—are consistent with the existence of new degrees of freedom that interact very weakly, if at all, with those in the SM. We propose that these new degrees of freedom organize themselves into a simple dark sector, a chiral S U (3 )×S U (2 ) gauge theory with the smallest nontrivial fermion content. Similar to the SM, the dark S U (2 ) is spontaneously broken while the dark S U (3 ) confines at low energies. At the renormalizable level, the dark sector contains massless fermions—dark leptons—and stable massive particles—dark protons. We find that dark protons with masses between 10 and 100 TeV satisfy all current cosmological and astrophysical observations concerning dark matter even if dark protons are a symmetric thermal relic. The dark leptons play the role of right-handed neutrinos and allow simple realizations of the seesaw mechanism or the possibility that neutrinos are Dirac fermions. In the latter case, neutrino masses are also parametrically different from charged-fermion masses and the lightest neutrino is predicted to be massless. Since the new "neutrino" and "dark-matter" degrees of freedom interact with one another, these two new-physics phenomena are intertwined. Dark leptons play a nontrivial role in early Universe cosmology while indirect searches for dark matter involve, decisively, dark-matter annihilations into dark leptons. These, in turn, may lead to observable signatures at high-energy neutrino and gamma-ray observatories, especially once one accounts for the potential Sommerfeld enhancement of the annihilation cross section, derived from the low-energy dark-sector effective theory, a possibility we explore quantitatively in some detail.

Inclined asymmetric librations in exterior resonances

Science.gov (United States)

Voyatzis, G.; Tsiganis, K.; Antoniadou, K. I.

2018-04-01

Librational motion in Celestial Mechanics is generally associated with the existence of stable resonant configurations and signified by the existence of stable periodic solutions and oscillation of critical (resonant) angles. When such an oscillation takes place around a value different than 0 or π , the libration is called asymmetric. In the context of the planar circular restricted three-body problem, asymmetric librations have been identified for the exterior mean motion resonances (MMRs) 1:2, 1:3, etc., as well as for co-orbital motion (1:1). In exterior MMRs the massless body is the outer one. In this paper, we study asymmetric librations in the three-dimensional space. We employ the computational approach of Markellos (Mon Not R Astron Soc 184:273-281, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/184.2.273, 1978) and compute families of asymmetric periodic orbits and their stability. Stable asymmetric periodic orbits are surrounded in phase space by domains of initial conditions which correspond to stable evolution and librating resonant angles. Our computations were focused on the spatial circular restricted three-body model of the Sun-Neptune-TNO system (TNO = trans-Neptunian object). We compare our results with numerical integrations of observed TNOs, which reveal that some of them perform 1:2 resonant, inclined asymmetric librations. For the stable 1:2 TNO librators, we find that their libration seems to be related to the vertically stable planar asymmetric orbits of our model, rather than the three-dimensional ones found in the present study.

Mirror Fusion Test Facility magnet system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VanSant, J.H.; Kozman, T.A.; Bulmer, R.H.; Ng, D.S.

1981-01-01

In 1979, R.H. Bulmer of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) discussed a proposed tandem-mirror magnet system for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) at the 8th symposium on Engineering Problems in Fusion Research. Since then, Congress has voted funds for expanding LLNL's MFTF to a tandem-mirror facility (designated MFTF-B). The new facility, scheduled for completion by 1985, will seek to achieve two goals: (1) Energy break-even capability (Q or the ratio of fusion energy to plasma heating energy = 1) of mirror fusion, (2) Engineering feasibility of reactor-scale machines. Briefly stated, 22 superconducting magnets contained in a 11-m-diam by 65-m-long vacuum vessel will confine a fusion plasma fueled by 80 axial streaming-plasma guns and over 40 radial neutral beams. We have already completed a preliminary design of this magnet system

Reducing the Surface Performance Requirements of a Primary Mirror by Adding a Deformable Mirror in its Optical Path

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

data. Of note, the interferometer compensates for the double -pass induced by single reflections off a surface by diving all measurements by 2. However...the interferometer. Since the laser reflects off the CFRP mirror only once, the CFRP wavefront measurements did not require additional double -pass...conducted with a flat mirror in the optical path. Figure 13 presents the measured wavefront error of the CFRP mirror with piston , tip and tip removed and

Present status of mirror stability theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, D.E.; Berk, H.L.; Byers, J.A.

1976-01-01

A status report of microinstability as it applies to 2XIIB and MX theory for mirror machines is presented. It is shown that quasilinear computations reproduce many of the parameters observed in the 2XIIB experiment. In regard to large mirror machines, there are presented detailed calculations of the linear theory of the drift cyclotron loss-cone mode, with inhomogeneous geometry and nonlinear diffusive effects. Further, the stability of a mirror machine to the Alfven ion-cyclotron instability is assessed, and the Baldwin-Callen diffusion is estimated for a spatially varying plasma

Why we need to see the dark matter to understand the dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunz, M

2008-01-01

Abstract. The cosmological concordance model contains two separate constituents which interact only gravitationally with themselves and everything else, the dark matter and the dark energy. In the standard dark energy models, the dark matter makes up some 20% of the total energy budget today, while the dark energy is responsible for about 75%. Here we show that these numbers are only robust for specific dark energy models and that in general we cannot measure the abundance of the dark constituents separately without making strong assumptions

T-Cell lymphoproliferative disorder of hand-mirror cell morphology presenting in an eosinophilic loculated peritoneal effusion, with omental "caking"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tufankjian Dearon

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cells with "hand mirror" morphology have not, to the best of our knowledge, been described in a primary effusion sample. This paper describes a case of T-cell lymphoma with eosinophilia in a patient with suspected peritoneal carcinomatosis. Rarely, a T-cell lymphoproliferative process may mimic primary peritoneal carcinomatosis, clinically suggested by a presentation in CT imaging of omental caking with bilateral massive loculated effusions in a patient without lymphadenopathy or splenomegaly. Methods A 60 year old caucasian male presented with vague abdominal discomfort and increasing abdominal girth. Computed tomography showed a two centimeter thick omental cake and a small loculated effusion. The clinical presentation and imaging findings were most consistent with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Cytologic evaluation of the effusion was undertaken for diagnostic study. Results Rapid intraprocedural interpretation of the effusion sample showed a monomorphic population of cells with "hand-mirror" cell morphology exhibiting cytoplasmic extensions (uropodia with 3–5 course dark cytoplasmic granules and a rim of vacuolated cytoplasm capping the opposing "mirror head" side. These cells were seen within a background of mature eosinophils. Flow cytometric evaluation of the ascites fluid demonstrated an atypical T-cell population with the following immunophenotype: CD2-, CD3+, CD4-, CD5-, CD7-, CD8+, CD56+. T-cell receptor (TCR gene rearrangement was positive for clonal TCR-gamma gene rearrangement, supporting the diagnosis of a T-lymphoprolifereative disorder. Conclusion A T-cell lymphoproliferative process may present with "hand mirror" morphology in an effusion sample. These cells may show polar cytoplasmic vacuolization and 3–5 course granules within the "handle" of these unique cells. Cytoplasm shows peripheral constriction around the nucleus.

Mirroring Facial Expressions and Emotions in Dyadic Conversations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Navarretta, Costanza

2016-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of mirroring facial expressions and the emotions which they convey in dyadic naturally occurring first encounters. Mirroring facial expressions are a common phenomenon in face-to-face interactions, and they are due to the mirror neuron system which has been...... and overlapping facial expressions are very frequent. In this study, we want to determine whether the overlapping facial expressions are mirrored or are otherwise correlated in the encounters, and to what extent mirroring facial expressions convey the same emotion. The results of our study show that the majority...... of smiles and laughs, and one fifth of the occurrences of raised eyebrows are mirrored in the data. Moreover some facial traits in co-occurring expressions co-occur more often than it would be expected by chance. Finally, amusement, and to a lesser extent friendliness, are often emotions shared by both...

Interacting Agegraphic Dark Energy

OpenAIRE

Wei, Hao; Cai, Rong-Gen

2007-01-01

A new dark energy model, named "agegraphic dark energy", has been proposed recently, based on the so-called K\\'{a}rolyh\\'{a}zy uncertainty relation, which arises from quantum mechanics together with general relativity. In this note, we extend the original agegraphic dark energy model by including the interaction between agegraphic dark energy and pressureless (dark) matter. In the interacting agegraphic dark energy model, there are many interesting features different from the original agegrap...

Performance of lightweight large C/SiC mirror

Science.gov (United States)

Yui, Yukari Y.; Goto, Ken; Kaneda, Hidehiro; Katayama, Haruyoshi; Kotani, Masaki; Miyamoto, Masashi; Naitoh, Masataka; Nakagawa, Takao; Saruwatari, Hideki; Suganuma, Masahiro; Sugita, Hiroyuki; Tange, Yoshio; Utsunomiya, Shin; Yamamoto, Yasuji; Yamawaki, Toshihiko

2017-11-01

Very lightweight mirror will be required in the near future for both astronomical and earth science/observation missions. Silicon carbide is becoming one of the major materials applied especially to large and/or light space-borne optics, such as Herschel, GAIA, and SPICA. On the other hand, the technology of highly accurate optical measurement of large telescopes, especially in visible wavelength or cryogenic circumstances is also indispensable to realize such space-borne telescopes and hence the successful missions. We have manufactured a very lightweight Φ=800mm mirror made of carbon reinforced silicon carbide composite that can be used to evaluate the homogeneity of the mirror substrate and to master and establish the ground testing method and techniques by assembling it as the primary mirror into an optical system. All other parts of the optics model are also made of the same material as the primary mirror. The composite material was assumed to be homogeneous from the mechanical tests of samples cut out from the various areas of the 800mm mirror green-body and the cryogenic optical measurement of the mirror surface deformation of a 160mm sample mirror that is also made from the same green-body as the 800mm mirror. The circumstance and condition of the optical testing facility has been confirmed to be capable for the highly precise optical measurements of large optical systems of horizontal light axis configuration. Stitching measurement method and the algorithm for analysis of the measurement is also under study.

X-ray total reflection mirrors for coherent illumination

CERN Document Server

Ishikawa, T; Yabashi, M; Souvorov, A; Yamauchi, K; Yamamura, K; Mimura, H; Saito, A; Mori, Y

2002-01-01

X-ray mirrors for coherent illumination demand much higher surface quality than is achievable with the conventional polishing techniques. Plasma chemical vaporization machining (CVM) and elastic emission machining (EEM) have been applied for x-ray mirror manufacturing. Figure error of a flat silicon single crystal mirrors made with CVM+EEM process was reduced to 2.0 nm peak-to-valley and 0.2 nm RMS. The machining process was also applied to make elliptical mirrors. One-dimensional focusing with a single elliptical mirror showed diffraction-limited properties with the focal width of 200 nm. Two-dimensional focusing with Kirkpatric-Baez configuration gave a focal spot size of 200 nm x 200 nm. (author)

UHV mirror mounts for photophysics beamline at Indus-I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meenakshi Raja Rao, P.; Bhattacharya, S.S.; Das, N.C.; Rajasekhar, B.N.; Roy, A.P.

1995-01-01

Photophysics beamline makes use of a combination of two toroidal mirrors and one meter Seya-Namioka Monochromator in its fore optics. The fore optics monochromatises and steers the synchrotron radiation source (SRS) beam from its tangent point to the sample situated at a distance of about five meters. Slit widths of the monochromator are of the order of 100μ and the sample size is one mm 2 . Hence it is essential to impart precision rotational and translational movements of the same order of magnitude to the mirrors with the use of appropriate mirror mounts. Since Indus-1 operates at a pressure -9 mbar, the mirror mounts should be UHV compatible and the movements should be actuated under UHV. The mirrors along with the mirror mounts are enclosed in UHV chambers. The mirror chambers have been fabricated at Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT) workshops and tested up to a pressure of 10 -9 mbar. The mirror mounts are designed, fabricated and leak checked (He leak rate -10 std cc/s) The precision movements are achieved with the help of bellow sealed shaft mechanism and adjustable screws provided with the kinematic mount of the mirror frame. The performance of the mirror mount was tested at atmospheric pressure by using a laser beam and found to be good. The minimum displacement of the laser beam at slit and sample positions is ∼ 70μ which is quite adequate for optical alignment. The performance of the mirror mount under UHV conditions is being evaluated. (author). 4 refs., 3 figs

Detecting dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, Roger L.

2000-01-01

Dark matter is one of the most pressing problems in modern cosmology and particle physic research. This talk will motivate the existence of dark matter by reviewing the main experimental evidence for its existence, the rotation curves of galaxies and the motions of galaxies about one another. It will then go on to review the corroborating theoretical motivations before combining all the supporting evidence to explore some of the possibilities for dark matter along with its expected properties. This will lay the ground work for dark matter detection. A number of differing techniques are being developed and used to detect dark matter. These will be briefly discussed before the focus turns to cryogenic detection techniques. Finally, some preliminary results and expectations will be given for the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment

Anomalous transport in mirror systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.F.

1979-01-01

As now being explored for fusion applications confinement systems based on the mirror principle embody two kinds of plasma regimes. These two regimes are: (a) high-beta plasmas, stabilized against MHD and other low frequency plasma instabilities by magnetic-well fields, but characterized by non-Maxwellian ion distributions; (b) near-Maxwellian plasmas, confined electrostatically (as in the tandem mirror) or in a field-reversed region within the mirror cell. Common to both situations are the questions of anomalous transport owing to high frequency instabilities in the non-maxwellian portions of the plasmas. This report will summarize the status of theory and of experimental data bearing on these questions, with particular reference to the high temperature regimes of interest for fusion power

Coupled dark matter-dark energy in light of near Universe observations

CERN Document Server

Honorez, Laura Lopez; Mena, Olga; Verde, Licia; Jimenez, Raul

2010-01-01

Cosmological analysis based on currently available observations are unable to rule out a sizeable coupling among the dark energy and dark matter fluids. We explore a variety of coupled dark matter-dark energy models, which satisfy cosmic microwave background constraints, in light of low redshift and near universe observations. We illustrate the phenomenology of different classes of dark coupling models, paying particular attention in distinguishing between effects that appear only on the expansion history and those that appear in the growth of structure. We find that while a broad class of dark coupling models are effectively models where general relativity (GR) is modified --and thus can be probed by a combination of tests for the expansion history and the growth of structure--, there is a class of dark coupling models where gravity is still GR, but the growth of perturbations is, in principle modified. While this effect is small in the specific models we have considered, one should bear in mind that an inco...

Dark matter and dark energy a challenge for modern cosmology

CERN Document Server

Gorini, Vittorio; Moschella, Ugo; Matarrese, Sabino

2011-01-01

This book brings together reviews from leading international authorities on the developments in the study of dark matter and dark energy, as seen from both their cosmological and particle physics side. Studying the physical and astrophysical properties of the dark components of our Universe is a crucial step towards the ultimate goal of unveiling their nature. The work developed from a doctoral school sponsored by the Italian Society of General Relativity and Gravitation. The book starts with a concise introduction to the standard cosmological model, as well as with a presentation of the theory of linear perturbations around a homogeneous and isotropic background. It covers the particle physics and cosmological aspects of dark matter and (dynamical) dark energy, including a discussion of how modified theories of gravity could provide a possible candidate for dark energy. A detailed presentation is also given of the possible ways of testing the theory in terms of cosmic microwave background, galaxy redshift su...

Reversal modes in asymmetric Ni nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leighton, B.; Pereira, A. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Avda. Ecuador 3493, 917-0124 Santiago (Chile); Escrig, J., E-mail: jescrigm@gmail.com [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Avda. Ecuador 3493, 917-0124 Santiago (Chile); Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), Avda. Ecuador 3493, 917-0124 Santiago (Chile)

2012-11-15

We have investigated the evolution of the magnetization reversal mechanism in asymmetric Ni nanowires as a function of their geometry. Circular nanowires are found to reverse their magnetization by the propagation of a vortex domain wall, while in very asymmetric nanowires the reversal is driven by the propagation of a transverse domain wall. The effect of shape asymmetry of the wire on coercivity and remanence is also studied. Angular dependence of the remanence and coercivity is also addressed. Tailoring the magnetization reversal mechanism in asymmetric nanowires can be useful for magnetic logic and race-track memory, both of which are based on the displacement of magnetic domain walls. Finally, an alternative method to detect the presence of magnetic drops is proposed. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Asymmetry strongly modifies the magnetic behavior of a wire. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Very asymmetric nanowires reverse their magnetization by a transverse domain wall. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An alternative method to detect the presence of magnetic drops is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tailoring the reversal mode in asymmetric nanowires can be useful for potential applications.

Leptogenesis, Dark Energy, Dark Matter and the neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, Utpal

2007-01-01

In this review we discuss how the models of neutrino masses can accommodate solutions to the problem of matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe, dark energy or cosmological constant problem and dark matter candidates. The matter-antimatter asymmetry is explained by leptogenesis, originating from the lepton number violation associated with the neutrino masses. The dark energy problem is correlated with a mass varying neutrinos, which could originate from a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson. In some radiative models of neutrino masses, there exists a Higgs doublet that does not acquire any vacuum expectation value. This field could be inert and the lightest inert particle could then be a dark matter candidate. We reviewed these scenarios in connection with models of neutrino masses with right-handed neutrinos and with triplet Higgs scalars

Dark Matter "Collider" from Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Doojin; Park, Jong-Chul; Shin, Seodong

2017-10-20

We propose a novel dark matter (DM) detection strategy for models with a nonminimal dark sector. The main ingredients in the underlying DM scenario are a boosted DM particle and a heavier dark sector state. The relativistic DM impinged on target material scatters off inelastically to the heavier state, which subsequently decays into DM along with lighter states including visible (standard model) particles. The expected signal event, therefore, accompanies a visible signature by the secondary cascade process associated with a recoiling of the target particle, differing from the typical neutrino signal not involving the secondary signature. We then discuss various kinematic features followed by DM detection prospects at large-volume neutrino detectors with a model framework where a dark gauge boson is the mediator between the standard model particles and DM.

Constraints on the coupling between dark energy and dark matter from CMB data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murgia, R.; Gariazzo, S.; Fornengo, N.

2016-01-01

We investigate a phenomenological non-gravitational coupling between dark energy and dark matter, where the interaction in the dark sector is parameterized as an energy transfer either from dark matter to dark energy or the opposite. The models are constrained by a whole host of updated cosmological data: cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies and polarization, high-redshift supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions and gravitational lensing. Both models are found to be compatible with all cosmological observables, but in the case where dark matter decays into dark energy, the tension with the independent determinations of H 0 and σ 8 , already present for standard cosmology, increases: this model in fact predicts lower H 0 and higher σ 8 , mostly as a consequence of the higher amount of dark matter at early times, leading to a stronger clustering during the evolution. Instead, when dark matter is fed by dark energy, the reconstructed values of H 0 and σ 8 nicely agree with their local determinations, with a full reconciliation between high- and low-redshift observations. A non-zero coupling between dark energy and dark matter, with an energy flow from the former to the latter, appears therefore to be in better agreement with cosmological data

Dynamic characteristics of mirrors' kinematic mount

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Wenkai; Du Qiang; Li Jingze; Chen Gang; Chen Xiaojuan; Xu Yuanli

2002-01-01

Applying exact constrain design principles, kinematic mount for precision positioning large aperture mirrors is designed; theoretical method is introduced to analyze its dynamic characteristics and the result of the experiment for mirrors, stability; accordingly, the methods to improve design are put forward

Error reduction techniques for measuring long synchrotron mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irick, S.

1998-07-01

Many instruments and techniques are used for measuring long mirror surfaces. A Fizeau interferometer may be used to measure mirrors much longer than the interferometer aperture size by using grazing incidence at the mirror surface and analyzing the light reflected from a flat end mirror. Advantages of this technique are data acquisition speed and use of a common instrument. Disadvantages are reduced sampling interval, uncertainty of tangential position, and sagittal/tangential aspect ratio other than unity. Also, deep aspheric surfaces cannot be measured on a Fizeau interferometer without a specially made fringe nulling holographic plate. Other scanning instruments have been developed for measuring height, slope, or curvature profiles of the surface, but lack accuracy for very long scans required for X-ray synchrotron mirrors. The Long Trace Profiler (LTP) was developed specifically for long x-ray mirror measurement, and still outperforms other instruments, especially for aspheres. Thus, this paper focuses on error reduction techniques for the LTP

Quark seesaw mechanism, dark U (1 ) symmetry, and the baryon-dark matter coincidence

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Pei-Hong; Mohapatra, Rabindra N.

2017-09-01

We attempt to understand the baryon-dark matter coincidence problem within the quark seesaw extension of the standard model where parity invariance is used to solve the strong C P problem. The S U (2 )L×S U (2 )R×U (1 )B -L gauge symmetry of this model is extended by a dark U (1 )X group plus inclusion of a heavy neutral vector-like fermion χL ,R charged under the dark group which plays the role of dark matter. All fermions are Dirac type in this model. Decay of heavy scalars charged under U (1 )X leads to simultaneous asymmetry generation of the dark matter and baryons after sphaleron effects are included. The U (1 )X group not only helps to stabilize the dark matter but also helps in the elimination of the symmetric part of the dark matter via χ -χ ¯ annihilation. For dark matter mass near the proton mass, it explains why the baryon and dark matter abundances are of similar magnitude (the baryon-dark matter coincidence problem). This model is testable in low threshold (sub-keV) direct dark matter search experiments.

Self-interacting dark matter constraints in a thick dark disk scenario

Science.gov (United States)

Vattis, Kyriakos; Koushiappas, Savvas M.

2018-05-01

A thick dark matter disk is predicted in cold dark matter simulations as the outcome of the interaction between accreted satellites and the stellar disk in Milky Way-sized halos. We study the effects of a self-interacting thick dark disk on the energetic neutrino flux from the Sun. We find that for particle masses between 100 GeV and 1 TeV and dark matter annihilation to τ+τ-, either the self-interaction may not be strong enough to solve the small-scale structure motivation or a dark disk cannot be present in the Milky Way.

Reflections on mirror neurons and speech perception

Science.gov (United States)

Lotto, Andrew J.; Hickok, Gregory S.; Holt, Lori L.

2010-01-01

The discovery of mirror neurons, a class of neurons that respond when a monkey performs an action and also when the monkey observes others producing the same action, has promoted a renaissance for the Motor Theory (MT) of speech perception. This is because mirror neurons seem to accomplish the same kind of one to one mapping between perception and action that MT theorizes to be the basis of human speech communication. However, this seeming correspondence is superficial, and there are theoretical and empirical reasons to temper enthusiasm about the explanatory role mirror neurons might have for speech perception. In fact, rather than providing support for MT, mirror neurons are actually inconsistent with the central tenets of MT. PMID:19223222

Dark Matter Searches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriyama, Shigetaka

2008-01-01

Recent cosmological as well as historical observations of rotational curves of galaxies strongly suggest the existence of dark matter. It is also widely believed that dark matter consists of unknown elementary particles. However, astrophysical observations based on gravitational effects alone do not provide sufficient information on the properties of dark matter. In this study, the status of dark matter searches is investigated by observing high-energy neutrinos from the sun and the earth and by observing nuclear recoils in laboratory targets. The successful detection of dark matter by these methods facilitates systematic studies of its properties. Finally, the XMASS experiment, which is due to start at the Kamioka Observatory, is introduced

Mirror system based therapy for autism spectrum disorders

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wei CHEN; Jing ZHANG; Jun DING

2008-01-01

This paper reviews the present theories and empirical research of autisms' cognitive research and mir-ror systems and introduces a new hypothesis about the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD): autistic mir-ror neuron dysfunction hypothesis. ASD subjects show obvious lack of the activation of the mirror system during the task of observation or emotional cognition. It is sig-nificant to investigate the mirror system for revealing the causes of autism and it is also helpful for developing new ways to diagnose or treat this disorder.

Parametric studies of tandem mirror reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, G.A.; Boghosian, B.M.; Fink, J.H.; Myall, J.O.; Neef, W.S. Jr.

1979-01-01

This report, along with its companion, An Improved Tandem Mirror Reactor, discusses the recent progress and present status of our tandem mirror reactor studies. This report presents the detailed results of parametric studies up to, but not including, the very new ideas involving thermal barriers

Asymmetric cryptography based on wavefront sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Xiang; Wei, Hengzheng; Zhang, Peng

2006-12-15

A system of asymmetric cryptography based on wavefront sensing (ACWS) is proposed for the first time to our knowledge. One of the most significant features of the asymmetric cryptography is that a trapdoor one-way function is required and constructed by analogy to wavefront sensing, in which the public key may be derived from optical parameters, such as the wavelength or the focal length, while the private key may be obtained from a kind of regular point array. The ciphertext is generated by the encoded wavefront and represented with an irregular array. In such an ACWS system, the encryption key is not identical to the decryption key, which is another important feature of an asymmetric cryptographic system. The processes of asymmetric encryption and decryption are formulized mathematically and demonstrated with a set of numerical experiments.

Light dark Higgs boson in minimal sub-GeV dark matter scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Darmé, Luc; Rao, Soumya; Roszkowski, Leszek

2018-03-01

Minimal scenarios with light (sub-GeV) dark matter whose relic density is obtained from thermal freeze-out must include new light mediators. In particular, a very well-motivated case is that of a new "dark" massive vector gauge boson mediator. The mass term for such mediator is most naturally obtained by a "dark Higgs mechanism" which leads to the presence of an often long-lived dark Higgs boson whose mass scale is the same as that of the mediator. We study the phenomenology and experimental constraints on two minimal, self-consistent dark sectors that include such a light dark Higgs boson. In one the dark matter is a pseudo-Dirac fermion, in the other a complex scalar. We find that the constraints from BBN and CMB are considerably relaxed in the framework of such minimal dark sectors. We present detection prospects for the dark Higgs boson in existing and projected proton beam-dump experiments. We show that future searches at experiments like Xenon1T or LDMX can probe all the relevant parameter space, complementing the various upcoming indirect constraints from astrophysical observations.

MARS: Mirror Advanced Reactor Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, B.G.

1984-01-01

A recently completed two-year study of a commercial tandem mirror reactor design [Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS)] is briefly reviewed. The end plugs are designed for trapped particle stability, MHD ballooning, balanced geodesic curvature, and small radial electric fields in the central cell. New technologies such as lithium-lead blankets, 24T hybrid coils, gridless direct converters and plasma halo vacuum pumps are highlighted

Signature of the interaction between dark energy and dark matter in observations