Precise measurement of the W-boson mass with the CDF II detector

We have measured the W-boson mass M(W) using data corresponding to 2.2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. Samples consisting of 470,126 W → eν candidates and 624,708 W → μν candidates yield the measurement M(W) = 80,387 ± 12(stat.) ± 15(syst.) = 80,387 ± 19 MeV/c2. This is the most precise measurement of the W-boson mass to date and significantly exceeds the precision of all previous measurements combined.     

Eigenvalue equalization filtered-x algorithm for the multichannel active noise control of stationary and nonstationary signals

The FXLMS algorithm, which is extensively used in active noise control, exhibits frequency dependent convergence behavior. This leads to degraded performance for time-varying and multiple frequency signals. A new algorithm called the eigenvalue equalization filtered-x least mean squares (EE-FXLMS) has been developed to overcome this limitation without increasing the computational burden of the controller. The algorithm is easily implemented for either single or multichannel control. The magnitude coefficients of the secondary path transfer function estimate are altered while preserving the phase. For a reference signal that has the same magnitude at all frequencies, the secondary path estimate is given a flat response over frequency. For a reference signal that contains tonal components of unequal magnitudes, the magnitude coefficients of the secondary path are adjusted to be the inverse magnitude of the reference tones. Both modifications reduce the variation in the eigenvalues of the filtered-x autocorrelation matrix and lead to increased performance. Experimental results show that the EE-FXLMS algorithm provides 3.5-4.4 dB additional attenuation at the error sensor compared to normal FXLMS control. The EE-FXLMS algorithm's convergence rate at individual frequencies is faster and more uniform than the normal FXLMS algorithm with several second improvement being seen in some cases.     

Engineered pixels using active plasmonic holograms with liquid crystals

Digital holography requires arrays of small reconfigurable elements to achieve complex reconstruction of the hologram with common systems based on pixels utilizing liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology. The backplane of a typical pixel element is potentially underutilized and thus relatively large physical areas exist in which information can be stored and exploited to give additional functionality to pixel elements. Polarisation and wavelength dependent optical properties can be achieved in small areas using the plasmonic effects of optical antennae. The integration of LCs with optical antennae‐based plasmonic holograms allows active modulation of the far field pattern. The work here demonstrates the concept that conventional LCoS pixel elements can be greatly enhanced with the integration of plasmonic holograms, composed of optical antennae patterned on the surface, giving rise to new levels of modulation capability for holographic pixel elements. Using LCs, polarisation dependent effects in plasmonic holograms can be switched. ‘Engineered pixels', with sub‐wavelength multiplexing over both polarisation and wavelength, can increase the channel capacity of a typical LC display device. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Improving the efficiency of thin film tandem solar cells by plasmonic intermediate reflectors

Thin film tandem solar cells made of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon provide renewable energy at the benefit of low material consumption. As a drawback, these materials do not posses the high carrier mobilities of their crystalline counterpart which limits the feasible material thickness. For maintaining the light absorption as high as possible, photon management is required. Here we show that metallic nanodiscs that sustain localized plasmon polaritons can increase the efficiency of such solar cells if they are incorporated into the dielectric intermediate reflector separating the top and the bottom cell. We provide quantitative estimates for the possible absorption enhancement of optimized bi-periodic nanodiscs that are feasible for fabrication. Emphasis is also put on discussing the impact of obliquely incident sun light on the solar cell performance.     

Hippocampal activity during the transverse patterning task declines with cognitive competence but not with age

Background  

The hippocampus is a brain region that is particularly affected by age-related morphological changes. It is generally assumed that a loss in hippocampal volume results in functional deficits that contribute to age-related cognitive decline. In a combined cross-sectional behavioural and magnetoencephalography (MEG) study we investigated whether hippocampal-associated neural current flow during a transverse patterning task - which requires learning relational associations between stimuli - correlates with age and whether it is modulated by cognitive competence.     

Spectroscopic Properties and Laser Induced Fluorescence Determination of Some Endocrine Disrupting Compounds

This work presents spectroscopic properties of some Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs), frequently found in food and in natural water. Studied molecules belong to the groups of phenolic and phthalate EDCs. In a first part, we have examined their absorption and fluorescence properties. Fluorescence emission wavelengths are about 300 nm for phenolic compounds and 360 nm for phtalate compounds; main excitation wavelengths being comprised between 210 nm and 230 nm. Fluorescence lifetimes measured are short (about 4 ns) and the fluorescence quantum yield has been determined. In a second part, to avoid the time consuming solvent extraction step, an analytical application to evaluate the performance of a direct analysis by laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy of ECDs traces in tap water and in raw water is presented. Good detection limits have been obtained, i.e.: 0.35 μg.L⁻¹ of chlorophenol in tap water, which are always lower than the reported Predictive Non Efficient Concentration (PNEC).     

Hubbard-like models in high spatial dimensions

The present paper studies the properties of Hubbard-like models in high spatial dimensionsD. In a first par the limit of infinite dimension and its main features-i.e.i) the mapping onto a generalized atomic model with an additional auxiliary field andii) the validity of the local approximation for the self-energy-are worked out in a systematic (1/D)-expansion. Since the hopping matrix elements have to be properly scaled with the dimensionD, the (1/D)-expansion is also an expansion in the hopping amplitude. Thus for small hopping theD-limit may serve as a proper approximation for finite-dimensional systems. The second part of the paper adopts the hybridisation-perturbation theory of the single impurity Anderson model in order to construct a perturbation theory for the auxiliary field of the generalized atom which can also be interpreted as an expansion in the hopping amplitude. The non-crossing approximation (NCA) is used to study the antiferromagnetic phase transtion of theD-Hubbard model in the case of half filling: the critical temperature, the antiferromagnetic order parameter and the free energy of the lattice system are calculated. The NCA-results are in quite good agreement with recent results from the imaginary-time discretisation method.     

Residence sites for19F ions implanted into diamond

¹⁹F has been used to probe the structure of the diamond lattice. The measurements were performed via the time differential perturbed angular distribution (TDPAD) technique applied to the 197 keV state (τ=128 ns,Q=0.10 b) of¹⁹F. The nuclei were excited and recoil implanted into an oriented diamond using a (p,p′γ) reaction initiated by a pulsed 4 MeV proton beam. Model functions simulating a variety of residence sites for the probe ions in a single crystal were developed for the analysis of the data. The data implies the formation of two molecular types, or sites within the lattice, with possibly a third radiation damage component.