Search for neutral, long-lived particles decaying into two muons in pp[over] collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV

We present a search for a neutral particle, pair produced in pp[over] collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV, which decays into two muons and lives long enough to travel at least 5 cm before decaying. The analysis uses approximately 380 pb(-1) of data recorded with the D0 detector. The background is estimated to be about one event. No candidates are observed, and limits are set on the pair-production cross section times branching fraction into dimuons + X for such particles. For a mass of 10 GeV and lifetime of 4x10(-11) s, we exclude values greater than 0.14 pb (95% C.L.). These results are used to limit the interpretation of NuTeV's excess of dimuon events.     

Dynamics and nonlinearities of the BOLD response at very short stimulus durations

In designing a functional imaging experiment or analyzing data, it is typically assumed that task duration and hemodynamic response are linearly related to each other. However, numerous human and animal studies have previously reported a deviation from linearity for short stimulus durations (<4 s). Here, we investigated nonlinearities of blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) signals following visual stimulation of 5 to 1000 ms duration at two different luminance levels in human subjects. It was found that (a) a BOLD response to stimulus durations as short as 5 ms can be reliably detected; this stimulus duration is shorter than employed in any previous study investigating BOLD signal time courses; (b) the responses are more nonlinear than in any other previous study: the BOLD response to 1000 ms stimulation is only twice as large as the BOLD response to 5 ms stimulation although 200 times more photons were projected onto the retina; (c) the degree of nonlinearity depends on stimulus intensity; that is, nonlinearities have to be characterized not only by stimulus duration but also by stimulus features like luminance. These findings are especially of most practical importance in rapid event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experimental designs. In addition, an 'initial dip' response--thought to be generated by a rapid increase in cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen metabolism (CMRO2) relative to cerebral blood flow--was observed and shown to colocalize well with the positive BOLD response. Highly intense stimulation, better tolerated by human subjects for short stimulus durations, causes early CMRO2 increase, and thus, the experimental design utilized in this study is better for detecting the initial dip than standard fMRI designs. These results and those from other groups suggest that short stimulation combined with appropriate experimental designs allows neuronal events and interactions to be examined by BOLD signal analysis, despite its slow evolution.     

On the role of the colloidal stability of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as gene delivery vectors

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been synthesized and functionalized with four different types of molecules containing amino groups, i.e., with primary amines only, with quaternary amines, with quaternized cyclic amines, or with polyethylenimine (PEI), which is formed by primary, secondary, and tertiary amines. These nanoparticles were then incubated with reporter plasmids and the ability of the resulting complexes to transfect human cells was studied. Only nanoparticles functionalized with PEI were efficient for transfection. The agglomeration behavior and the electrokinetic potential of the nanoparticle–plasmid complexes have been studied, as well as their cell internalization behavior using a fluorescent-labeled plasmid that allows its monitorization by confocal microscopy. The results indicate that the efficiency of PEI-functionalized nanoparticles for transfection resides to some extent in the different characteristics imparted to the nanoparticles regarding agglomeration and surface charge behavior.     

Direct measurement of the single-metal-cluster optical absorption

The absorption of a single isolated metal cluster is directly measured using a novel far-field optical technique based on modulation of its position. Single gold nanoparticles with average diameters down to 5 nm, dispersed on a transparent substrate, are optically detected and their absolute absorption cross section determined.     

Sound propagation above a porous road surface with extended reaction by boundary element method

Acoustic impedance of an absorbing interface is easily introduced in boundary element codes provided that a local reaction is assumed. But this assumption is not valid in the case of porous road surface. A two-domain approach was developed for the prediction of sound propagation above a porous layer that takes into account the sound propagation inside the porous material. The porous material is modeled by a homogeneous dissipative fluid medium. An alternative to this time consuming two-domain approach is proposed by using the grazing incidence approximate impedance in the traditional single-domain boundary element method (BEM). It can be checked that this value is numerically consistent with the surface impedance calculated at the interface from the pressure and surface velocity solutions of the two-domain approach. The single-domain BEM introducing this grazing incidence impedance is compared in terms of sound attenuation with analytical solutions and two-domain BEM. The comparison is also performed with the single-domain BEM using the normal incidence impedance, and reveals a much better accuracy for the prediction of sound propagation above a porous interface.     

Reinvestigation of the decay scheme of the short-lived isomeric states in112In

The two short-lived isomeric states in¹¹²In have been reinvestigated by means of the¹¹²Cd(d, 2n) and¹⁰⁹Ag (α, n) reactions. Measurements of delayed X- andγ-ray, lifetime and TDPAD spectra have been performed. A 6.32(3) keVγ-ray has been identified in the isomeric decay and anM1 multipolarity has been assigned to it on the basis of the measured internal conversion coefficients:α _L =196(39) andα _tot=231(35). TheE1+M2(δ =+0.24(4)) andE2 multipolarities have been determined for the 263 and 188 keV transitions deexciting the 8^?(T _1/2=2.82(2) μs) and 7⁺ (T _1/2=0.93(2) μs) isomeric states, respectively. A revised isomeric decay scheme is presented.     

降温速率对Ag-SmBCO单畴生长中自发成核的影响

在前期的研究中曾通过Ag掺杂降低Sm123/Sm211体系熔点,利用Nd123冷籽晶技术成功制备出具有理想织构的SmBCO/Ag单畴块材.但在实验结果中发现相比于未掺杂坯体,掺入Ag后的SmBCO坯体生长速率下降,在所考察的慢冷温区里,生长速率呈不断减小趋势,最终因自发成核而无法继续生长,使得SmBCO单畴区域局限于15×15mm2范围内.为了抑制单畴生长中的自发成核现象,本文研究了降温速率对SmBCO/Ag单畴自发成核的影响.在两组不同条件下的降温速率实验中发现,不同的降温速率对体系自发成核的抑制效果是不同的.利用降低降温速率,成功地将掺Ag SmBCO单畴面积从15×15mm2增大至26×26mm2.     

Observation and properties of the orbitally excited B_(s2)(*) meson

We report the direct observation of the excited L=1 state B_(s2)(*) in fully reconstructed decays to B+K-. The mass of the B_(s2)(*) meson is measured to be 5839.6+/-1.1(stat)+/-0.7(syst) MeV/c(2), and its production rate relative to the B+ meson is measured to be [1.15+/-0.23(stat)+/-0.13(syst)]%.     

质子交换LiNbO3波导调制器多模截止波长的测试技术研究

提出并实验了一种采用倒置输入的结构来测定Y分支LiNbO3波导相位调制器的多模截止波长的新方法,模式耦合分析表明,倒置输入的Y分支波导的多模传输的输出功率具有随波长变动发生振荡的特征,该特征可用于定量判定多模截止波长.方法的有效性得到了波束传播法(BPM)仿真和样品实验两方面的验证.     

icMRCI+Q理论研究CF离子12个-S态和23个?态的光谱性质

采用考虑Davidson修正的内收缩多参考组态相互作用(icMRCI+Q)方法结合相关一致基组aug-ccpV5Z和aug-cc-pV6Z计算了CF~+离子第一离解极限C~+(~2p_u)+F(~2P_u)对应的12个∧-S态(X~l∑~+,a~3∏,1~3∑~+,1~3Δ,1~1∑~-,1~1∑~-,1~3∑~-,2~1∑~+,1~1∏,2~3∏,2~1∏和2~3∑~+)所产生的23个Ω态的势能曲线.计算中考虑了旋轨耦合效应、核价相关和标量相对论修正以及将参考能和相关能分别外推至完全基组极限.基于得到的势能曲线,获得了束缚和准束缚的9个∧-S态和16个Ω态的光谱常数,并且X~1∑~+,a~3∏~(势阱一)∧-S态的光谱常数与已有的实验结果非常符合.此外,计算了CF自由基X~2∏态到CF~+离子束缚和准束缚的9个∧-S态的垂直电离势和绝热电离势,并且CF~+(X~1∑~+)←CF(X~2∏)和CF~+(a~3∏(势阱一))←CF(X~2∏)的垂直电离势和绝热电离势与相应的实验结果也非常符合.由a~3∏,1~1∏态和其他激发∧-S态势能曲线的交叉现象,借助于计算的旋轨耦合矩阵元,分析了a~3∏~(势阱一),1~1∏~(势阱一)和2~1∑~+态的预解离机理.计算的23个Ω态离解极限处的相对能量与实验结果十分吻合.最后计算了(2)0+~(势阱一)(v'=0-5),(1)1~(势阱一)(v'=0-5)和(2)1~(势阱一)(v'=0)到X0~+态跃迁的Franck-Condon因子和辐射寿命.