Are cluster magnetic fields primordial?

We present results of a detailed and fully nonlinear numerical and analytical investigation of magnetic field evolution from the very earliest cosmic epochs to the present. We find that, under reasonable assumptions concerning the efficiency of a putative magnetogenesis era during cosmic phase transitions, surprisingly strong magnetic fields 10(-13)-10(-11) G on comparatively small scales 100 pc-10 kpc may survive to the present. Building on prior numerical work on the evolution of magnetic fields during the course of gravitational collapse of a cluster, which indicates that precollapse fields of approximately 4 x 10(-12) G extant on small scales may suffice to produce clusters with acceptable Faraday rotation measures, we argue that it seems possible for cluster magnetic fields to be entirely of primordial origin.     

Information-theoretic approaches to SVM feature selection for metagenome read classification

Analysis of DNA sequences isolated directly from the environment, known as metagenomics, produces a large quantity of genome fragments that need to be classified into specific taxa. Most composition-based classification methods use all features instead of a subset of features that may maximize classifier accuracy. We show that feature selection methods can boost performance of taxonomic classifiers. This work proposes three different filter-based feature selection methods that stem from information theory: (1) a technique that combines Kullback-Leibler, Mutual Information, and distance information, (2) a text mining technique, TF-IDF, and (3) minimum redundancy-maximum-relevance (mRMR). The feature selection methods are compared by how well they improve support vector machine classification of genomic reads. Overall, the 6mer mRMR method performs well, especially on the phyla-level. If the number of total features is very large, feature selection becomes difficult because a small subset of features that captures a majority of the data variance is less likely to exist. Therefore, we conclude that there is a trade-off between feature set size and feature selection method to optimize classification performance. For larger feature set sizes, TF-IDF works better for finer-resolutions while mRMR performs the best out of any method for N=6 for all taxonomic levels.     

Energy conservation constraints on multiplicity correlations in QCD jets

We compute analytically the effects of energy conservation on the self-similar structure of parton correlations in QCD jets. The calculations are performed both in the constant and running coupling cases. It is shown that the corrections are phenomenologically sizeable. On a theoretical ground, energy conservation constraints preserve the scaling properties of correlations in QCD jets beyond the leading log approximation.     

Impact parameter description of the charge exchange process π+ p → π° (π+ p)

The “Reggeometry” model — universal impact parameter profile and Reggen behaviour — is applied to recent data on π⁺ p → π° (π⁺ p) at different energies and (π⁺p) missing masses, including Δ production. We are able, in particular, to explain the filling of the dips and the variation of the slope with respect to the missing mass.     

Corrosion studies and interfacial bonding of urea/poly(dimethylsiloxane) sol/gel hydrophobic coatings on AA 2024 aluminum alloy

Bis[(ureapropyl)triethoxysilane] bis(propyl)-terminated-polydimethylsiloxane 1000 (PDMSU), an organic-inorganic hybrid, diluted in either EtOH or a mixture of EtOH-PrOH, was used in thin film form (<200 nm) to inhibit the corrosion of AA 2024 alloy. Potentiodynamic, time-dependent cyclovoltammetric measurements and salt spray tests showed that the corrosion inhibition of the latter was 10 times higher than that of the former films. This was correlated with the higher degree of hydrolysis and the formation of more open polyhedral silsesquioxane species (T2) in the bulk heat-treated PDMSU/EtOH-PrOH xerogels (29Si NMR spectra). The structure of the coatings deposited on AA 2024 Al alloy was deduced from the infrared reflection-absorption (IR RA) spectra, which revealed more extensive urea-urea interactions and more efficient silane-Al interface bonding for the PDMSU/EtOH-PrOH coatings with higher corrosion inhibition. Ex situ IR RA potentiodynamic spectroelectrochemical measurements of PDMSU coatings revealed that their degradation did not proceed via the formation of silanol groups and consequent hydration of the coatings but that they decomposed above E(corr) by forming fragments composed of -CH2- segments in an all-trans conformation.     

Squark pair production mechanisms in pp collisions

Through a phenomenological analysis in the transverse plane of a $\text{p}\text{p}$ collision, we study different production mechanisms of squark pairs, decaying into a quark and a photino (missing energy): excitation of squarks inside the proton, fusion of light partons into squark pairs, and decay of heavier gluinos into squarks. The rates for missing transverse momentum are calculated and confronted with the monojet events observed at the CERN collider. In the framework of “minimal” supergravity models the excitation and fusion of squark pairs are disfavoured, whereas the dominant processes involve heavier gluinos and squarks cascading into photinos through intermediate squarks. The agreement with experimental data is better if heavier squarks and gluinos decay through an intermediate b-squark. We remark that energy dissipating effects during the cascade towards the final state tend to improve the comparison between theory and experiment.     

The virtual photon–gluon impact factor with massive quarks and exact gluon kinematics

We calculate the impact factor coupling a virtual photon to a gluon via a massive quark–antiquark pair at LL order, but with the imposition of the correct gluon kinematics. Exact analytical results are presented in triple Mellin space with respect to scaled Bjorken x, gluon transverse momentum and heavy quark mass. The application of these results to the calculation of approximate NLL coefficient functions needed to relate structure functions to the BFKL gluon is presented. The NLL effects with running coupling are seen to lead to a suppression of the small x divergence when compared with the fixed and running coupling LL results, but less than in the massless case.     

Hydrolysis and Solvolysis of Methyltriethoxysilane Catalyzed with HCl or Trifluoroacetic Acid: IR Spectroscopic and Surface Energy Studies

The aim of this study was, at first, to re-consider the IR spectra of methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) catalysed with HCl (hydrolysis) and to compare them with IR spectra of MTEOS catalysed with trifluoroacetic acid (TFAcOH). TFAcOH as a strong carboxylic acid performs non-hydrolytic sol-gel process based on the condensation between the alkoxide and the acid function, liberating ester molecules (solvolysis). We assessed from the time-dependent IR attenuated reflection spectroscopic (IR ATR) measurements the solvolysis and hydrolysis reactions, formation of the oligomeric species and final condensation products. Additional evidence for the formation of these species was obtained from the spectra of films dip-coated from sols aged to different extent. The results of the IR spectral analysis showed that the structure of both xerogels consisted of irregular T_n (n = 8, 10, 12) cube-like species bridged via the ladder-like oligomers (in the case of MTEOS/TFAcOH) and open-chain trisiloxane species (for MTEOS/HCl). ²⁹Si NMR spectra of MTEOS/TFAcOH showed only signals of T³ while MTEOS/HCl spectra showed beside T³ also T² signals, in agreement with IR spectra results. From the XRD peaks at low Bragg angles (∼ 9–10°) we inferred that both xerogels consisted of nanocrystalline CH₃-SiO_3/2 species. In addition, the surface energy values of the films deposited from the corresponding sols were measured and the dispersive and polar portions correlated with the spectral features noted in the films.     

Separation,detection and determination of uranium,thorium, bismuth,and lead in a drop of solution by the ring oven technique

Summary The separation of uranium, lead, bismuth and thorium from a drop of solution containing uranyl acetate, lead nitrate, bismuth nitrate and thorium nitrate has been achieved, using the ring oven technique. The drop was taken on a circular filter paper, treated with1 N HNO₃ and uranium was washed to the ring zone with n-butanol. Lead was next washed to the ring zone on another filter paper using 20% aqueous ethylenediamine hydrate. The spot was then treated with 1% aqueous sodium diethyldithioearbamate and bismuth was transported to the ring zone on a third paper with ethyl acetate. Finally 0.5N HNO₃ was employed to transfer thorium to the ring zone. The separated rings were then compared with standard rings prepared similarly to compute the amounts of the ions present.

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Zusammenfassung Die Trennung von U, Pb, Bi und Th wurde mit dem Ringofen durchgeführt. Ein Tropfen der Lösung wird auf ein Rundfilter gebracht, mit n-HNO₃ behandelt und das U mit n-Betanol in den Ring gewaschen. Blei wird auf einem anderen Filterpapier mit 20%iger wäßriger Äthylendiaminlösung in den Ring gewaschen, dann wird der Tüpfel mit 1%iger, wäßriger Lösung von Na-Diäthyldithiocarbamat behandelt und Wismuth auf einem 3-Filter mit Äthylacetat in den Ring gewaschen. Schließlich wäscht man Thorium mit 0,5-n Salpetersäure in den Ring. Die einzelnen Ringe werden mit Standardproben verglichen, um die Mengen abzuschätzen.

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Résumé On a réussi à séparer par la technique du four annulaire l'uranium, le plomb, le bismuth et le thorium dans une goutte de solution contenant de l'acétate d'uranyle, du nitrate de plomb, du nitrate de bismuth et du nitrate de thorium. La goutte est déposée sur un papier-filtre circulaire, traitée par HNO₃ N et l'uranium est entraîné vers la zone annulaire par lavage avec du butanolN. Le plomb est ensuite entraîné vers la zone annulaire sur un autre papier filtre à l'aide d'éthylènediamine en solution aqueuse à 20%. La tache est alors traitée avec le diéthyldithiocarbamate de sodium en solution aqueuse à 1% et le bismuth transporté sur la zone annulaire sur un troisième papier par l'acétate d'éthyle. Finalement, on utilise HNO₃ 0,5N pour le transport comparé avec des anneaux types préparés de la même manière pour estimer les quantités d'ions présents.