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Institute
We discuss the electron-optical properties of a toroidal magnetic sector spectrometer and its suitablilty for electron-positron pair spectroscopy in relativistic ion-atom collisions in the future HESR storage ring at FAIR. With the simultaneous mapping of electrons and positrons and geometric invariants in the lepton trajectorties this instrument offers a very high efficiency for studies of vector momentum correlation in free-free pair production.
In this paper, we present the repercussions of Padmanabhan's propagator in electrodynamics. This corresponds to implement T-duality effects in a U(1) gauge theory. By formulating a nonlocal action consistent with the above hypothesis, we derive the profile of static potentials between electric charges via a path integral approach. Interestingly, the Coulomb potential results regularized by a length scale proportional to the parameter (α′)1/2. Accordingly, fields are vanishing at the origin. We also discuss an array of experimental testbeds to expose the above results. It is interesting to observe that T-duality generates an effect of dimensional fractalization, that resembles similar phenomena in fractional electromagnetism. Finally, our results have also been derived with a gauge-invariant method, as a necessary check of consistency for any non-Maxwellian theory.
The centrality dependence of the p/π ratio measured by the ALICE Collaboration in 5.02 TeV Pb-Pb collisions indicates a statistically significant suppression with the increase of the charged particle multiplicity once the centrality-correlated part of the systematic uncertainty is eliminated from the data. We argue that this behavior can be attributed to baryon annihilation in the hadronic phase. By implementing the BB¯↔5π reaction within a generalized partial chemical equilibrium framework, we estimate the annihilation freeze-out temperature at different centralities, which decreases with increasing charged particle multiplicity and yields Tann=132±5 MeV in 0-5% most central collisions. This value is considerably below the hadronization temperature of Thad∼160 MeV but above the thermal (kinetic) freeze-out temperature of Tkin∼100 MeV. Baryon annihilation reactions thus remain relevant in the initial stage of the hadronic phase but freeze out before (pseudo-)elastic hadronic scatterings. One experimentally testable consequence of this picture is a suppression of various light nuclei to proton ratios in central collisions of heavy ions.
Multichannel decay law
(2022)
It is well known, both theoretically and experimentally, that the survival probability for an unstable quantum state, formed at t=0, is not a simple exponential function, even if the latter is a good approximation for intermediate times. Typically, unstable quantum states/particles can decay in more than a single decay channel. In this work, the general expression for the probability that an unstable state decays into a certain i-th channel between the initial time t=0 and an arbitrary t>0 is provided, both for nonrelativistic quantum states and for relativistic particles. These partial decay probabilities are also not exponential and their ratio turns out to be not a simple constant, as it would be in the exponential limit. Quite remarkably, these deviations may last relatively long, thus making them potentially interesting in applications. Thus, multichannel decays represent a promising and yet unexplored framework to search for deviations from the exponential decay law in quantum mechanical systems, such as quantum tunneling, and in the context of particle decays.
We construct a set of hyperonic equations of state (EoS) by assuming SU(3) symmetry within the baryon octet and by using a covariant density functional (CDF) theory approach. The low-density regions of our EoS are constrained by terrestrial experiments, while the high-density regime is modeled by systematically varying the nuclear matter skewness coefficient Qsat and the symmetry energy slope Lsym. The sensitivity of the EoS predictions is explored in terms of z parameter of the SU(3) symmetric model that modifies the meson-hyperon coupling constants away from their SU(6) symmetric values. Our results show that model EoS based on our approach can support static Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkof (TOV) masses in the range 2.3-2.5M⊙ in the large-Qsat and small-z regime, however, such stars contain only a trace amount of hyperons compared to SU(6) models. We also construct uniformly rotating Keplerian configurations for our model EoS for which the masses of stellar sequences may reach up to 3.0M⊙. These results are used to explore the systematic dependence of the ratio of maximum masses of rotating and static stars, the lower bound on the rotational frequency of the models that will allow secondary masses in the gravitational waves events to be compact stars with M2≲3.0M⊙ and the strangeness fraction on the model parameters. We conclude that very massive stellar models can be, in principle, constructed within the SU(3) symmetric model, however, they are nucleonic-like as their strangeness fraction drops below 3%.
We study the decays of the JPC=1−+ hybrid nonet using a Lagrangian invariant under the flavor symmetry, parity reversal, and charge conjugation. We use the available experimental data, the lattice predictions, and the flavor constraints to evaluate the coupling strengths of the π1(1600) to various two-body mesonic states. Using these coupling constants, we estimate the partial widths of the two-body decays of the hybrid pion, kaon and the isoscalars. We find that the hybrid kaon can be nearly as broad as the π1(1600). Quite remarkably, we find also that the light isoscalar must be significantly narrow while the width of the heavy isoscalar can be matched to the recently observed η1(1855).
The pion-to-proton ratio is identified as a potential signal for a non-equilibrium first-order chiral phase transition in heavy-ion collisions, as the pion multiplicity is directly related to entropy production. To showcase this effect, a non-equilibrium Bjorken expansion starting from realistic initial conditions along a Taub adiabat is used to simulate the entropy production. Different dynamical criteria to determine the final entropy-per-baryon number are investigated and matched to a hadron resonance gas model along the chemical freeze out curve to obtain the final pion and proton numbers. We detect a strong enhancement of their multiplicity ratio at the energies where the system experiences a strong phase transition as compared to a smooth crossover which shows almost no enhancement.
Polarization of Λ and ¯Λ hyperons along the beam direction in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV
(2022)
The polarization of the Λ and ¯Λ hyperons along the beam (z) direction, Pz, has been measured in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV recorded with ALICE at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main contribution to Pz comes from elliptic flow-induced vorticity and can be characterized by the second Fourier sine coefficient Pz,s2=⟨Pzsin(2φ−2Ψ2)⟩, where φ is thhyperon azimuthal emission angle and Ψ2 is the elliptic flow plane angle. We report the measurement of Pz,s2 for different collision centralities and in the 30%–50% centrality interval as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum and rapidity. The Pz,s2 is positive similarly as measured by the STAR Collaboration in Au-Au collisions at √sNN=200 GeV, with somewhat smaller amplitude in the semicentral collisions. This is the first experimental evidence of a nonzero hyperon Pz in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. The comparison of the measured Pz,s2 with the hydrodynamic model calculations shows sensitivity to the competing contributions from thermal and the recently found shear-induced vorticity, as well as to whether the polarization is acquired at the quark-gluon plasma or the hadronic phase.
Vibrational energy transfer (VET) is emerging as key mechanism for protein functions, possibly playing an important role for energy dissipation, allosteric regulation, and enzyme catalysis. A deep understanding of VET is required to elucidate its role in such processes. Ultrafast VIS-pump/IR-probe spectroscopy can detect pathways of VET in proteins. However, the requirement of having a VET donor and a VET sensor installed simultaneously limits the possible target proteins and sites; to increase their number we compare six IR labels regarding their utility as VET sensors. We compare these labels in terms of their FTIR, and VET signature in VET donor-sensor dipeptides in different solvents. Furthermore, we incorporated four of these labels in PDZ3 to assess their capabilities in more complex systems. Our results show that different IR labels can be used interchangeably, allowing for free choice of the right label depending on the system under investigation and the methods available.
Recent data of the HADES Collaboration in Au+Au central collisions at sNN=2.4 GeV indicate large proton number fluctuations inside one unit of rapidity around midrapidity. This can be a signature of critical phenomena due to the strong attractive interactions between baryons. We study an alternative hypothesis that these large fluctuations are caused by the event-by-event fluctuations of the number of bare protons, and no interactions between these protons are assumed. The proton number fluctuations in five symmetric rapidity intervals Δy inside the region ΔY=1 are calculated using the binomial acceptance procedure. This procedure assumes the independent (uncorrelated) emission of protons, and it appears to be in agreement with the HADES data. To check this simple picture we suggest to calculate the correlation between proton multiplicities in non-overlapping rapidity intervals Δy1 and Δy2 placed inside ΔY=1.
In this paper, we present a family of regular black hole solutions in the presence of charge and angular momentum. We also discuss the related thermodynamics and we comment about the black hole life cycle during the balding and spin down phases. Interestingly the static solution resembles the Ayón-Beato–García spacetime, provided the T-duality scale is redefined in terms of the electric charge, l0→Q. The key factor at the basis of our derivation is the employment of Padmanabhan's propagator to calculate static potentials. Such a propagator encodes string T-duality effects. This means that the regularity of the spacetimes here presented can open a new window on string theory phenomenology.
Focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID) is a direct-write technique enabling the growth of individual nanostructures of any shape and dimension with high lateral resolution. Moreover, the fast and reliable writing of periodically arranged nanostructures can be used to fabricate devices for the investigation of collective phenomena and to design novel functional metamaterials. Here, FIBID is employed to prepare dc-Josephson junction arrays (dc-JJA) consisting of superconducting NbC dots coupled through the proximity effect via a granular metal layer. The fabrication is straightforward and allows the preparation of dc-JJA within a few seconds. Microstructure and composition of the arrays are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The superconductor-to-metal transition of the prepared dc-JJA is studied in a direct way, by tuning the Josephson junction resistance in 70 nm-spaced superconducting NbC dots. The observed magnetoresistance oscillations with a period determined by the flux quantum give evidence for the coherent charge transport by paired electrons. Moreover, the measured resistance minima correspond to two fundamental matching configurations of fluxons in the dc-JJA, caused by magnetic frustration. The robust properties of the prepared dc-JJA demonstrate the opportunities for a fast preparation of complex device configurations using direct-write approaches.
Though immensely successful, the standard model of particle physics does not offer any explanation as to why our Universe contains so much more matter than antimatter. A key to a dynamically generated matter–antimatter asymmetry is the existence of processes that violate the combined charge conjugation and parity (CP) symmetry1. As such, precision tests of CP symmetry may be used to search for physics beyond the standard model. However, hadrons decay through an interplay of strong and weak processes, quantified in terms of relative phases between the amplitudes. Although previous experiments constructed CP observables that depend on both strong and weak phases, we present an approach where sequential two-body decays of entangled multi-strange baryon–antibaryon pairs provide a separation between these phases. Our method, exploiting spin entanglement between the double-strange Ξ− baryon and its antiparticle2 Ξ¯+
, has enabled a direct determination of the weak-phase difference, (ξP − ξS) = (1.2 ± 3.4 ± 0.8) × 10−2 rad. Furthermore, three independent CP observables can be constructed from our measured parameters. The precision in the estimated parameters for a given data sample size is several orders of magnitude greater than achieved with previous methods3. Finally, we provide an independent measurement of the recently debated Λ decay parameter αΛ (refs. 4,5). The ΛΛ¯
asymmetry is in agreement with and compatible in precision to the most precise previous measurement.
We point out that the variance of net-baryon distribution normalized by the Skellam distribution baseline, κ2[B−B¯]/〈B+B¯〉, is sensitive to the possible modification of (anti)baryon yields due to BB¯ annihilation in the hadronic phase. The corresponding measurements can thus place stringent limits on the magnitude of the BB¯ annihilation and its inverse reaction. We perform Monte Carlo simulations of the hadronic phase in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC via the recently developed subensemble sampler + UrQMD afterburner and show that the effect survives in net-proton fluctuations, which are directly accessible experimentally. The available experimental data of the ALICE Collaboration on net-proton fluctuations disfavors a notable suppression of (anti)baryon yields in BB¯ annihilations predicted by the present version of UrQMD if only global baryon conservation is incorporated. On the other hand, the annihilations improve the data description when local baryon conservation is imposed. The two effects can be disentangled by measuring κ2[B+B¯]/〈B+B¯〉, which at the LHC is notably suppressed by annihilations but virtually unaffected by baryon number conservation.
Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) is the ultimate effector of pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death associated with pathogen invasion and inflammation. After proteolytic cleavage by caspases activated by the inflammasome, the GSDMD N-terminal domain (GSDMDNT) assembles on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane and induces the formation of large membrane pores. We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study GSDMDNT monomers, oligomers, and rings in an asymmetric plasma membrane mimetic. We identify distinct interaction motifs of GSDMDNT with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and phosphatidylserine (PS) head-groups and describe differential lipid binding between the pore and prepore conformations. Oligomers are stabilized by shared lipid binding sites between neighboring monomers acting akin to double-sided tape. We show that already small GSDMDNT oligomers form stable, water-filled and ion-conducting membrane pores bounded by curled beta-sheets. In large-scale simulations, we resolve the process of pore formation by lipid detachment from GSDMDNT arcs and lipid efflux from partial rings. We find that that high-order GSDMDNT oligomers can crack under the line tension of 86 pN created by an open membrane edge to form the slit pores or closed GSDMDNT rings seen in experiment. Our simulations provide a detailed view of key steps in GSDMDNT-induced plasma membrane pore formation, including sublytic pores that explain nonselective ion flux during early pyroptosis.
Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are essential for membrane receptor regulation but often remain unresolved in structural studies. TRPV4, a member of the TRP vanilloid channel family involved in thermo- and osmosensation, has a large N-terminal IDR of approximately 150 amino acids. With an integrated structural biology approach, we analyze the structural ensemble of the TRPV4 IDR and identify a network of regulatory elements that modulate channel activity in a hierarchical lipid-dependent manner through transient long-range interactions. A highly conserved autoinhibitory patch acts as a master regulator by competing with PIP2 binding to attenuate channel activity. Molecular dynamics simulations show that loss of the interaction between the PIP2-binding site and the membrane reduces the force exerted by the IDR on the structured core of TRPV4. This work demonstrates that IDR structural dynamics are coupled to TRPV4 activity and highlights the importance of IDRs for TRP channel function and regulation.
Recent experimental findings have reported the presence of unconventional charge orders in the enlarged (2 × 2) unit-cell of kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) and hinted towards specific topological signatures. Motivated by these discoveries, we investigate the types of topological phases that can be realized in such kagome superlattices. In this context, we employ a recently introduced statistical method capable of constructing topological models for any generic lattice. By analyzing large data sets generated from symmetry-guided distributions of randomized tight-binding parameters, and labeled with the corresponding topological index, we extract physically meaningful information. We illustrate the possible real-space manifestations of charge and bond modulations and associated flux patterns for different topological classes, and discuss their relation to present theoretical predictions and experimental signatures for the AV3Sb5 family. Simultaneously, we predict higher-order topological phases that may be realized by appropriately manipulating the currently known systems.
Neural networks have been recently proposed as variational wave functions for quantum many-body systems [G. Carleo and M. Troyer, Science 355, 602 (2017)]. In this work, we focus on a specific architecture, known as Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM), and analyse its accuracy for the spin-1/2 J1−J2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model in one spatial dimension. The ground state of this model has a non-trivial sign structure, especially for J2/J1>0.5, forcing us to work with complex-valued RBMs. Two variational Ans\"atze are discussed: one defined through a fully complex RBM, and one in which two different real-valued networks are used to approximate modulus and phase of the wave function. In both cases, translational invariance is imposed by considering linear combinations of RBMs, giving access also to the lowest-energy excitations at fixed momentum k. We perform a systematic study on small clusters to evaluate the accuracy of these wave functions in comparison to exact results, providing evidence for the supremacy of the fully complex RBM. Our calculations show that this kind of Ans\"atze is very flexible and describes both gapless and gapped ground states, also capturing the incommensurate spin-spin correlations and low-energy spectrum for J2/J1>0.5. The RBM results are also compared to the ones obtained with Gutzwiller-projected fermionic states, often employed to describe quantum spin models [F. Ferrari, A. Parola, S. Sorella and F. Becca, Phys. Rev. B 97, 235103 (2018)]. Contrary to the latter class of variational states, the fully-connected structure of RBMs hampers the transferability of the wave function from small to large clusters, implying an increase of the computational cost with the system size.
This work ties in with the investigation of the intermediate valent states and valence fluctuations in certain europium based intermetallic systems. Valence fluctuations are a property of the electronic system of a compound that is possibly accompanied by structural effects, which, in some cases, are quite noticable. By assuming how the changes in the electronic system and in the crystal lattice are connected, valence _uctuations of europium are believed to be a possible probe for the theory of quantum critical elasticity, which is investigated on by the SFB TRR 288 (Frankfurt, Mainz, Karlsruhe, Bochum, Dresden).
Here, the proceedings in growing single crystals of di_erent compounds related to this _eld of research are reported. This includes the ThCr2Si2 (122) type compounds EuPd2Si2 as well as the doping series EuPd2(Si1-xGex)2, the Europium based ternary Phosphides EuFe2P2, EuCo2P2, EuNi2P2 and EuRu2P2, and attempts to grow compounds of a derived 1144 structure by ordered substitution of half the Europium, EuKRu4P4.
The largest part of this work focusses on the EuPd2Si2 system, which exhibits intermediate valent europium and a temperature dependent transition between two di_erent intermediate valent states of europium. Crystals of this system were grown using the Czochralski method with a levitating melt and an europium excess flux after a two step prereaction process. Also, explorations of a PdSi-rich flux and external flux methods are reported. Ten Czochralski grown experiments, in six generations iteratevely seeded by the previous generation, were prepared.
Thermodynamical and structural analyses of the crystals located the transition between the di_erent intermediate valent states of europium between 140K and 165 K, transitioning from a high temperature Eu2.3+ state to a low temperature Eu2.7+ state, and classified it as a second order transition. To this transition a lattice anomaly of the a-parameter collapsing about 2% is connected, while the c-parameter remains largely unaffected. Large differences between individual samples can be explained by combining thermodynamical and structural analyses with compositional analysis, revealing the valence transition temperature as strongly dependent on the sample composition and Pd-Si site interchanges.
Searching to change the character of the valence transition to first order, silicon was substituted by germanium to introduce negative pressure. Germanium substituted samples of EuPd2(Si1-xGex)2 were grown using the Czochralski method with the optimized parameters from the growth experiments for the undoped compound. Samples were prepared with a nominal substitution of x = 0.05, x = 0.10, x = 0.15, x = 0.20 (twice) and x = 0.30. For the EuPd2(Si1-xGex)2 system, a phase diagram for the europium valence states is derived from chemical and thermodynamical characterizations.
n ternary europium phosphides EuT2P2, the position of the compounds in the generalized phase diagram and the question of long range magnetic order or valence transition appear connected to an isostructural transition of the tetragonal crystal structure, drastically decreasing the length of the c-parameter while establishing covalent bonds between phosphorus atoms of different interlayers of the structure, the so called ‚collapse‘. While EuFe2P2, EuT2P2 and EuCo2P2 display both long range magnetic order and a non-collapsed crystal structure, EuNi2P2 shows both a valence transition between two intermediate valent states at a characteristic temperature of 36K - accompanied by a small lattice anomaly of the a-parameter shrinking about 0.2% - and a collapsed crystal structure. Samples of EuFe2P2, EuCo2P2 and EuNi2P2 were grown in tin flux and using solid-solid sintering approaches.
Single crystals of EuFe2P2, EuCo2P2 and EuRu2P2 were investigated at ESRF in Grenoble with single crystal X-ray di_ractometry on a pressure range up to 15GPa and at temperatures down to 15K to investigate the nature of the structural transitions in the compounds. While in EuCo2P2 the structural transition occurs as a transition of first order at all temperatures (e.g. at 2GPa for 15 K), in EuFe2P2 and EuRu2P2 the structural collapse evolves over a broad pressure range up to 8GPa and as a transition of second order troughout the temperature ranges, albeit seeming to sharpen at lower temperatures. From the crystallographic data, elastic constants of the compounds could be derived, revealing EuFe2P2 and EuRu2P2 as unexpectedly elastic materials.
In order to probe the structural collapse at more accessible pressures, crystals with a sturcture derived from the 122 structure, but with ordered 50% substitution of europium and hence altering the symmetry from I4/mmm to P4/mmm in a 1144 structure, were exploratively pursued. Different experiments to obtain EuAT4P4 (with A = K, Rb, Cs and T = Fe, Ru) from binary or ternary prereactants or directly from the elements remained largely unsuccessful.
Vanadium and Manganese Carbonyls as Precursors in Electron-Induced and Thermal Deposition Processes
(2022)
The material composition and electrical properties of nanostructures obtained from focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) using manganese and vanadium carbonyl precursors have been investigated. The composition of the FEBID deposits has been compared with thin films derived by the thermal decomposition of the same precursors in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). FEBID of V(CO)6 gives access to a material with a V/C ratio of 0.63–0.86, while in CVD a lower carbon content with V/C ratios of 1.1–1.3 is obtained. Microstructural characterization reveals for V-based materials derived from both deposition techniques crystallites of a cubic phase that can be associated with VC1−xOx. In addition, the electrical transport measurements of direct-write VC1−xOx show moderate resistivity values of 0.8–1.2 × 103 µΩ·cm, a negligible influence of contact resistances and signatures of a granular metal in the temperature-dependent conductivity. Mn-based deposits obtained from Mn2(CO)10 contain ~40 at% Mn for FEBID and a slightly higher metal percentage for CVD. Exclusively insulating material has been observed in FEBID deposits as deduced from electrical conductivity measurements. In addition, strong tendencies for postgrowth oxidation have to be considered.
We study the polarization of relativistic fluids using the relativistic density operator at global and local equilibrium. In global equilibrium, a new technique to compute exact expectation values is introduced, which is used to obtain the exact polarization vector for fields of any spin. The same result has been extended to the case of massless fields. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that at local equilibrium not only the thermal vorticity but also the thermal shear contribute to the polarization vector. It is shown that assuming an isothermal local equilibrium, the new term can solve the polarization sign puzzle in heavy ion collisions.
The electrical and computational properties of neurons in our brains are determined by a rich repertoire of membrane-spanning ion channels and elaborate dendritic trees. However, the precise reason for this inherent complexity remains unknown. Here, we generated large stochastic populations of biophysically realistic hippocampal granule cell models comparing those with all 15 ion channels to their reduced but functional counterparts containing only 5 ion channels. Strikingly, valid parameter combinations in the full models were more frequent and more stable in the face of perturbations to channel expression levels. Scaling up the numbers of ion channels artificially in the reduced models recovered these advantages confirming the key contribution of the actual number of ion channel types. We conclude that the diversity of ion channels gives a neuron greater flexibility and robustness to achieve target excitability.
In order to understand the origin of the elements in the universe, one must understand the nuclear reactions by which atomic nuclei are transformed. There are many different astrophysical environments that fulfill the conditions of different nucleosynthesis processes. Even though great progress has been made in recent decades in understanding the origin of the elements in the universe, some questions remain unanswered. In order to understand the processes, it is necessary to measure cross sections of the involved reactions and constrain theoretical model predictions. A variety of methods have been developed to measure nuclear reaction cross sections relevant for nuclear astrophysics. In this thesis, two different experiments and their results, both using the well-established activation method, are presented.
A measurement of the proton capture cross section on the p-nuclide 96Ru was performed at the Institute of Structure and Nuclear Astrophysics ISNAP - Notre Dame, USA. The main goal of this experiment was to compare the results with those obtained by Mei et al. in a pioneering experiment using the method of inverse kinematics at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH - Darmstadt, Germany. Therefore, the activations were taken out at the same center of mass energies of 9 MeV, 10 MeV and 11 MeV. Another activation was taken out at an energy of 3.2 MeV to compare the result to a measurement of Bork et al. who also used the activation method. While the results at 3.2 MeV agree quite well with those of Bork et al., the results at higher energies show significantly smaller cross sections than those measured by Mei et al.. Experimental details, the data analysis and sources of uncertainties are discussed.
The second part of this thesis describes a neutron capture cross section experiment. At the Institut für Kernphysik - Goethe Universtität Frankfurt an experimental setup allows to produce quasi maxwell-distributed neutron fields to measure maxwell-averaged cross sections (MACS) relevant for s-process nucleosynthesis. The setup was upgraded by a fast electric linear guide to transport samples from the activation to the detection site. The cyclic activation of the sample allows to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and to measure neutron captures that lead to nuclei with
half-lives on the order of seconds. In a first campaign, MACS of the reactions 51V(n,γ), 107,109Ag(n,γ) and 103Rh(n,γ) were measured. The new components of the setup aswell as the data analysis framework are described and the results of the measurements are discussed.
Background: The photon strength functions (PSFs) and nuclear level density (NLD) are key ingredients for calculation of the photon interaction with nuclei, in particular the reaction cross sections. These cross sections are important especially in nuclear astrophysics and in the development of advanced nuclear technologies.
Purpose: The role of the scissors mode in the M1 PSF of (well-deformed) actinides was investigated by several experimental techniques. The analyses of different experiments result in significant differences, especially on the strength of the mode. The shape of the low-energy tail of the giant electric dipole resonance is uncertain as well. In particular, some works proposed a presence of the E1 pygmy resonance just above 7 MeV. Because of these inconsistencies additional information on PSFs in this region is of great interest.
Methods: The γ-ray spectra from neutron-capture reactions on the 234U, 236 U, and 238 U nuclei have been measured with the total absorption calorimeter of the n_TOF facility at CERN. The background-corrected sum-energy and multi-step-cascade spectra were extracted for several isolated s-wave resonances up to about 140 eV.
Results: The experimental spectra were compared to statistical model predictions coming from a large selection of models of photon strength functions and nuclear level density. No combination of PSF and NLD models from literature is able to globally describe our spectra. After extensive search we were able to find model combinations with modified generalized Lorentzian (MGLO) E1 PSF, which match the experimental spectra as well as the total radiative widths.
Conclusions: The constant temperature energy dependence is favored for a NLD. The tail of giant electric dipole resonance is well described by the MGLO model of the E1 PSF with no hint of pygmy resonance. The M1 PSF must contain a very strong, relatively wide, and likely double-resonance scissors mode. The mode is responsible for about a half of the total radiative width of neutron resonances and significantly affects the radiative cross section.
This thesis has two main parts.
The first part is based on our publication [1], where we use perturbation theory to calculate decay rates of magnons in the Kitaev-Heisenberg-Γ (KHΓ) model. This model describes the magnetic properties of the material α-RuCl 3 , which is a candidate for a Kitaev spin liquid. Our motivation is to validate a previous calculation from Ref. [2]. In this thesis, we map out the classical phase diagram of the KHΓ model. We use the Holstein-Primakoff
transformation and the 1/S expansion to describe the low temperature dynamics of the Kitaev-Heisenberg-Γ model in the experimentally relevant zigzag phase by spin waves. By parametrizing the spin waves in terms of hermitian fields, we find a special parameter region within the KHΓ model where the analytical expressions simplify. This enables us to construct the Bogoliubov transformation analytically. For a representative point in the special parameter region, we use these results to numerically calculate the magnon damping, which is to leading order caused by the decay of single magnons into two. We also calculate the dynamical structure factor of the magnons.
The second part of this thesis is based on our publication [3], where we use the functional renormalization group to analyze a discontinuous quantum phase transition towards a non-Fermi liquid phase in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model. In this thesis, we perform a disorder average over the random interactions in the SYK model. We argue that in the thermodynamic limit, the average renormalization group (RG) flow of the SYK model is identical to the RG flow of an effective disorder averaged model. Using the functional RG, we find a fixed point describing the discontinuous phase transition to the non-Fermi liquid phase at zero temperature. Surprisingly, we find a finite anomalous dimension of the fermions, which indicates critical fluctuations and is unusual for a discontinuous transition. We also determine the RG flow at zero temperature, and relate it to the phase diagram known from the literature.
The development of epilepsy (epileptogenesis) involves a complex interplay of neuronal and immune processes. Here, we present a first-of-its-kind mathematical model to better understand the relationships among these processes. Our model describes the interaction between neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, neuronal loss, circuit remodeling, and seizures. Formulated as a system of nonlinear differential equations, the model reproduces the available data from three animal models. The model successfully describes characteristic features of epileptogenesis such as its paradoxically long timescales (up to decades) despite short and transient injuries or the existence of qualitatively different outcomes for varying injury intensity. In line with the concept of degeneracy, our simulations reveal multiple routes toward epilepsy with neuronal loss as a sufficient but non-necessary component. Finally, we show that our model allows for in silico predictions of therapeutic strategies, revealing injury-specific therapeutic targets and optimal time windows for intervention.
The scalar glueball G is the lightest particle of the Yang–Mills sector of QCD, with a lattice predicted mass of about mG≃1.7GeV. It is natural to investigate glueball-glueball scattering and the possible emergence of a bound state, that we call glueballonium. We perform this study in the context of a widely used dilaton potential, that depends on a single dimensionful parameter ΛG. We consider a unitarization prescription that allows us to predict the lowest partial waves in the elastic window. These quantities can be in principle calculated on the lattice, thus offering possibility for testing the validity of the dilaton potential and an independent determination of its parameter. Moreover, we also show that a stable glueballonium exists if ΛG is small enough. In particular, for ΛG compatible with the expectations from the gluon condensate, the glueballonium has a mass of about 3.4GeV.
High-resolution, compactness, scalability, efficiency – these are the critical requirements which imaging radar systems have to fulfil in applications such as environmental monitoring, cloud mapping, body sensing or autonomous driving. This thesis presents a modular millimetre-wave frequency modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar front-end solution intended for such applications. High-resolution is achieved by enlarging the operating frequency band of the radar system. This can be realized at millimetre-wave frequencies due to the large spectrum availability. Furthermore, the size of components decreasing with increasing frequency makes millimetre-wave systems a good candidate for compactness. However, the full integration of radar front-ends is a challenge at millimetre-wave frequencies due to poor signal integrity and spectral purity, which are essential for imaging applications. The proposed radar uses an alternative technique and tackles this limitation by featuring highly-integrable architectures, specifically the Hartley architecture for signal conversion and enhanced push-pull amplifier for harmonic suppression. The resolution of imaging radars can be further improved by increasing the number of transmitters and receivers. This has spurred the investigation of spectrum, time and energy-efficient multiplexing techniques for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) radar systems. The FMCW radar architecture proposed in this thesis is based on code-division technique using intra-pulse, also called intra-chirp modulation. This advanced scalable and non-complex solution, made possible by the latest achievements on direct digital synthesis for signal generation, guarantees signal integrity and compact size implementation. The proposed architecture is investigated by a thorough system analysis. A transmitter module and a receiver module for a 35 GHz imaging radar prototype are designed, fabricated and fully characterized to validate the feasibility of our novel approach for high-resolution highly-integrated MIMO front-ends.
More than 75% of surface and secreted proteins are modified by covalent addition of complex sugars through N- and O-glycosylation. Unlike proteins, glycans do not typically adopt specific secondary structures and remain very mobile, influencing protein dynamics and interactions with other molecules. Glycan conformational freedom impairs complete structural elucidation of glycoproteins. Computer simulations may be used to model glycan structure and dynamics. However, such simulations typically require thousands of computing hours on specialized supercomputers, thus limiting routine use. Here, we describe a reductionist method that can be implemented on personal computers to graft ensembles of realistic glycan conformers onto static protein structures in a matter of minutes. Using this open-source pipeline, we reconstructed the full glycan cover of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (S-protein) and a human GABAA receptor. Focusing on S-protein, we show that GlycoSHIELD recapitulates key features of extended simulations of the glycosylated protein, including epitope masking, and provides new mechanistic insights on N-glycan impact on protein structural dynamics.
Tracking influenza a virus infection in the lung from hematological data with machine learning
(2022)
The tracking of pathogen burden and host responses with minimal-invasive methods during respiratory infections is central for monitoring disease development and guiding treatment decisions. Utilizing a standardized murine model of respiratory Influenza A virus (IAV) infection, we developed and tested different supervised machine learning models to predict viral burden and immune response markers, i.e. cytokines and leukocytes in the lung, from hematological data. We performed independently in vivo infection experiments to acquire extensive data for training and testing purposes of the models. We show here that lung viral load, neutrophil counts, cytokines like IFN-γ and IL-6, and other lung infection markers can be predicted from hematological data. Furthermore, feature analysis of the models shows that blood granulocytes and platelets play a crucial role in prediction and are highly involved in the immune response against IAV. The proposed in silico tools pave the path towards improved tracking and monitoring of influenza infections and possibly other respiratory infections based on minimal-invasively obtained hematological parameters.
We derive the thermal noise spectrum of the longitudinal and transverse electric field operator of a given wave vector starting from the quantum-statistical definitions and relate it to the frequency and wave vector dependent complex conductivity in a homogeneous, isotropic system of electromagnetic interacting charged particles in the frame of the non-relativistic QED. No additional assumptions except the validity of linear response are used in the proof. The Nyquist formula for vanishing frequency, as well as the noise spectral density of Callen-Welton follow as byproduct. Furthermore we discuss also the noise of the photon occupation numbers.
Die minoren Aktinoiden dominieren auf lange Sicht die Radioaktivität des gesamten abgebrannten Brennstoffes und können somit, obwohl sie nur etwa 0,2 % davon ausmachen, als die Hauptverursacher der Endlagerproblematik betrachtet werden.
Neben einer möglichen Endlagerung und den damit verbundenen Problemen, bietet die Transmutation eine Alternative im Umgang mit dieser Art der radioaktiven Abfälle. Hierbei werden die minoren Aktinoide durch Neutroneneinfang zur Spaltung angeregt, wodurch sowohl deren Halbwertszeit, als auch deren Radiotoxizität deutlich reduziert werden soll.
Innerhalb des in der vorliegenden Arbeit vorgestellten MYRRHA-Projektes, das im belgischen Mol realisiert werden soll, soll gezeigt werden, dass die Transmutation in einem industriellen Maßstab möglich ist. Bei MYRRHA handelt es sich um ein sog. ADS (Accelerator Driven System), bei dem ein 4 mA Protonenstrahl mit 600 MeV in einem Target aus LBE (Lead-Bismuth Eutectic) per Spallation Neutronen erzeugen soll, die für die Transmutation in einem ansonsten unterkritischen Reaktor notwendig sind. Da eine solche Anlage enorme Ansprüche an die Zuverlässigkeit des Teilchenstrahls stellt, um den thermischen Stress innerhalb des Reaktors so gering wie möglich zu halten, werden auch hohe Ansprüche an die verwendeten Kavitäten innerhalb des Beschleunigers gestellt.
Besonderes Augenmerk muss hierbei auf den Injektor gelegt werden. In diesem wird der Protonenstrahl auf 16,6 MeV beschleunigt, wobei in seinem aktuellen Design nur noch normalleitende Kavitäten verwendet werden.
Als erstes beschleunigendes Bauteil nach der Ionenquelle fungiert hier ein im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit gebauter 4-Rod-RFQ, dessen HF-Design auf dem bereits am IAP getesteten MAX-Prototypen basiert.
Für den MYRRHA-RFQ konnte eine neue Art der Dipolkompensation für 4-Rod-RFQs entwickelt werden, die bereits in anderen Beschleunigern, wie etwa dem neuen HLI-RFQ-Prototypen eingesetzt werden konnte. Hierbei werden die Stützen, auf denen die Elektroden befestigt werden alternierend verbreitert, um so den Strompfad zum niedrigeren Elektrodenpaar zu verlängern, wodurch sich die dortige Spannung erhöht. Im Zuge dieser Entwicklung wurden Simulations- und Messmethoden erarbeitet, um den Dipolanteil sowohl an bereits gebauten, wie auch an zukünftigen 4-Rod-RFQs untersuchen zu können. Der Erfolg dieser neuartigen Dipolkompensation konnte in den Low-Level-Messungen, die sich an den Zusammenbau des MYRRHA-RFQs anschlossen, validiert werden.
Die CH-Sektion, die im MYRRHA-Injektor auf den RFQ und die MEBT folgt, besteht aus insgesamt 16 normalleitenden Kavitäten. Sie gliedert sich in sieben beschleunigende CHs, auf die ein CH-Rebuncher und weitere acht beschleunigende CHs folgen.
Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde - aufbauend auf bereits vorhandenen Entwürfen - das Design der ersten sieben CH-Strukturen des MYRRHA-Injektors erstellt und hinsichtlich seiner HF-Eigenschaften optimiert.
Die dabei während den Simulationen zu CH1 auftretende Problematik einer parasitären Tunermode konnte durch zahlreiche Simulationen umgangen werden.
Weiter wurde das aus der FRANZ-CH bekannte Kühlkonzept überarbeitet, um eine hohe thermische Stabilität gewährleisten zu können, wobei mehrere verschiedene Konzepte entwickelt, simuliert und bewertet wurden.
Das so entwickelte HF- und Kühldesign der ersten sieben MYRRHA-CHs dient als Vorlage für die weiteren MYRRHA-CHs sowie für zukünftige Beschleunigerprojekte, wie etwa HBS am Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Im Anschluss an die Designphase wurden die ersten beiden CH-Strukturen des Injektors und ein zusätzlicher dickschichtverkupferter Deckel für CH1 von den Fimen NTG und PINK gefertigt und anschließend Low-Level-Messungen unterzogen, in denen die Simulationsergebnisse bestätigt werden konnten, während diese Messungen zusätzlich als Vorbereitung für die Konditionierung dienten.
Sowohl der MYRRHA-RFQ, als auch die CH-Strukturen wurden nach ihren jeweiligen Low-Level-Messungen duch eine Konditionierung auf den späteren Strahlbetrieb vorbereitet.\\
Die Konditionierung des MYRRHA-RFQ erfolgte in zwei Phasen. Zunächst wurde er in der Experimentierhalle des IAP im cw-Betrieb vorkonditioniert, bevor er nach Louvain-la-Neuve transportiert wurde. In der dort fortgesetzten Konditionierung, die sowohl gepulst, als auch im cw-Betrieb erfolgte, konnten im Rahmen dieser Arbeit 120 kW cw stabil eingkoppelt werden, wobei diese transmittierte Leistung später noch vom SCK auf bis zu 145 kW cw gesteigert wurde. Nach Abschluss der Konditionierung konnten sowohl vom IAP, als auch vom SCK Röntgenspektren aufgenommen werden, um so die Shuntimpedanz bestimmen zu können. Die Ergebnisse dieser Messungen zusammen mit der alternativen Bestimmung der Shuntimpedanz über den R/Q-Wert wurden ebenfalls in dieser Arbeit besprochen.
Die CH-Kavitäten wurden im Bunker der Experimentierhalle des IAP konditioniert, wobei zusätzlich neue Konditionierungsmethoden erarbeitet und erprobt werden konnten. In den abschließenden Untersuchungen, die sich an jede der drei Konditionierungen anschlossen, konnten Erkenntnisse über das thermische Verhalten der CHs, sowie über den Einfluss verschiedener Verschaltungen des Kühlsystems darauf gewonnen werden, die bei der Installation auch zukünftiger CHs von Nutzen sein werden.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Ionisation von Atomen und Molekülen in starken Laserfeldern experimentell untersucht. Hierbei kam die COLTRIMS-Technik zur koinzidenten Messung der Impulse aller aus einem Ionisationsereignis stammender Ionen und Elektronen zum Einsatz. Unter Mitwirkung des Autors wurde ein COLTRIMS-Reaktionsmikroskop umgebaut und mit einem neuen Spektrometer sowie einer atomaren Wasserstoffquelle ausgestattet. Des Weiteren entstand ein interferometrischer Aufbau zur Erzeugung von Zwei-Farben-Feldern. Aus jedem der vorgestellten Experimente konnten Informationen über die elektronische Wellenfunktion an der Grenze zum klassisch verbotenen Bereich gewonnen werden. Dies geschah sowohl im Hinblick auf die Amplitude, als auch auf die Phase der Wellenfunktion. Mit dem Wasserstoffatom (Kapitel 9), dem Wasserstoffmolekül (Kapitel 10) und dem Argondimer (Kapitel 11) wurden drei Systeme unterschiedlicher Komplexität gewählt.
Navigating a complex environment is assumed to require stable cortical representations of environmental stimuli. Previous experimental studies, however, show substantial ongoing remodeling at the level of synaptic connections, even under behaviorally and environmentally stable conditions. It remains unclear, how these changes affect sensory representations on the level of neuronal populations during basal conditions and how learning influences these dynamics.
Our approach is a joint effort between the analysis of experimental data and theory. We analyze chronic neuronal population activity data – acquired by out collaborators in Mainz – to describe population activity dynamics during basal dynamics and during learning (fear conditioning). The data analysis is complemented by the analysis of a circuit model investigating the link between a neural network’s activity and changes in its underlying structure.
Using chronic two-photon imaging data recorded in awake mouse auditory cortex, we reproduce previous findings that responses of neuronal populations to short complex sounds typically cluster into a near discrete set of possible responses. This means that different stimuli evoke basically the same response and are thus grouped together into one of a small set of possible response modes. The near discrete set of response modes can be utilized as a sensitive and robust means to detect and track changes in population activity over time. Doing so we find that sound representations are subject to a significant ongoing remodeling across the time span of days under basal conditions. Auditory cued fear conditioning introduces a bias into these ongoing dynamics, resulting in a differential generalization both on the level of neuronal populations and on the behavioral level. This means that sounds that are perceived similar to the conditioned stimulus (CS+) show an increased co-mapping to the same response mode the CS+ is mapped to. This differential generalization is also observed in animal behavior, where sounds similar to the CS+ result in the same freezing behavior as the CS+, whereas dissimilar sounds do not. These observations could provide a potential mechanism of stimulus generalization, which is one of the most common phenomena associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, on the level of neuronal populations.
To investigate how the aforementioned changes in neuronal population activity are linked to changes in the underlying synaptic connectivity, we devised a circuit model of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. We studied this firing rate model to investigate the effect of gradual changes in the network’s connectivity on its activity. Apart from an input dominated uni-stable regime (one response per stimulus independent of the network) and a network dominated uni-stable regime (one response per network independent of the stimulus), we also find a multi-stable regime for strong recurrent connectivity and a high ratio of inhibition to excitation. In this regime the model reproduces properties of neural population activity in mouse auditory cortex, including sparse activity, a broad distribution of firing rates, and clustering of stimuli into a near discrete set of response modes. This clustering in the multi-stable regime means that, not only can identical stimuli evoke different responses, depending on the network’s initial condition, but different stimuli can also evoke the same response.
Applying gradual drift to the network connectivity we find periods of stable responses, interrupted by abrupt transitions altering the stimulus response mapping. We study the mechanism underlying these transitions by analyzing changes in the fixed points of this network model, employing a method to numerically find all the fixed points of the system. We find that such abrupt transitions typically cannot be explained by the mere displacement of existing fixed points, but involve qualitative changes in the fixed point structure in the vicinity of the response trajectory. We conclude that gradual synaptic drift can lead to abrupt transitions in stimulus responses and that qualitative changes in the network’s fixed point topology underlie such transitions.
In summary we find that cortical networks display ongoing representational drift under basal conditions that is biased towards a differential generalization during fear conditioning. A circuit model is able to reproduce key characteristics of auditory cortex, including a clustering of stimulus responses into a near discrete set of response modes. Implementing synaptic drift into this model leads to periods of stable responses interrupted by abrupt transitions towards new responses.
Die vorgelegte Dissertation behandelt den Einfluss homöostatischer Adaption auf die Informationsverarbeitung und Lenrprozesse in neuronalen Systemen. Der Begriff Homöostase bezeichnet die Fähigkeit eines dynamischen Systems, bestimmte interne Variablen durch Regelmechanismen in einem dynamischen Gleichgewicht zu halten. Ein klassisches Beispiel neuronaler Homöostase ist die dynamische Skalierung synaptischer Gewichte, wodurch die Aktivität bzw. Feuerrate einzelner Neuronen im zeitlichen Mittel konstant bleibt. Bei den von uns betrachteten Modellen handelt es sich um eine duale Form der neuronalen Homöostase. Das bedeutet, dass für jedes Neuron zwei interne Parameter an eine intrinsische Variable wie die bereits erwähnte mittlere Aktivität oder das Membranpotential gekoppelt werden. Eine Besonderheit dieser dualen Adaption ist die Tatsache, dass dadurch nicht nur das zeitliche Mittel einer dynamischen Variable, sondern auch die zeitliche Varianz, also die stärke der Fluktuation um den Mittelwert, kontrolliert werden kann. In dieser Arbeit werden zwei neuronale Systeme betrachtet, in der dieser Aspekt zum Tragen kommt.
Das erste behandelte System ist ein sogennantes Echo State Netzwerk, welches unter die Kategorie der rekurrenten Netzwerke fällt. Rekurrente neuronale Netzwerke haben im Allgemeinen die Eigenschaft, dass eine Population von Neuronen synaptische Verbindungen besitzt, die auf die Population selbst projizieren, also rückkoppeln. Rekurrente Netzwerke können somit als autonome (falls keinerlei zusätzliche externe synaptische Verbindungen existieren) oder nicht-autonome dynamische Systeme betrachtet werden, die durch die genannte Rückkopplung komplexe dynamische Eigenschaften besitzen. Abhängig von der Struktur der rekurrenten synaptischen Verbindungen kann beispielsweise Information aus externem Input über einen längeren Zeitraum gespeichert werden. Ebenso können dynamische Fixpunkte oder auch periodische bzw. chaotische Aktivitätsmuster entstehen. Diese dynamische Vielseitigkeit findet sich auch in den im Gehirn omnipräsenten rekurrenten Netzwerken und dient hier z.B. der Verarbeitung sensorischer Information oder der Ausführung von motorischen Bewegungsmustern. Das von uns betrachtete Echo State Netzwerk zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass rekurrente synaptische Verbindungen zufällig generiert werden und keiner synaptischen Plastizität unterliegen. Verändert werden im Zuge eines Lernprozesses nur Verbindungen, die von diesem sogenannten dynamischen Reservoir auf Output-Neuronen projizieren. Trotz der Tatsache, dass dies den Lernvorgang stark vereinfacht, ist die Fähigkeit des Reservoirs zur Verarbeitung zeitabhängiger Inputs stark von der statistischen Verteilung abhängig, die für die Generierung der rekurrenten Verbindungen verwendet wird. Insbesondere die Varianz bzw. die Skalierung der Gewichte ist hierbei von großer Bedeutung. Ein Maß für diese Skalierung ist der Spektralradius der rekurrenten Gewichtsmatrix.
In vorangegangenen theoretischen Arbeiten wurde gezeigt, dass für das betrachtete System ein Spektralradius nahe unterhalb des kritischen Wertes von 1 zu einer guten Performance führt. Oberhalb dieses Wertes kommt es im autonomen Fall zu chaotischem dynamischen Verhalten, welches sich negativ auf die Informationsverarbeitung auswirkt. Der von uns eingeführte und als Flow Control bezeichnete duale Adaptionsmechanismus zielt nun darauf ab, über eine Skalierung der synaptischen Gewichte den Spektralradius auf den gewünschten Zielwert zu regulieren. Essentiell ist hierbei, dass die verwendete Adaptionsdynamik im Sinne der biologischen Plausibilität nur auf lokale Größen zurückgreift. Dies geschieht im Falle von Flow Control über eine Regulation der im Membranpotential der Zelle auftretenden Fluktuationen. Bei der Evaluierung der Effektivität von Flow Control zeigte sich, dass der Spektralradius sehr präzise kontrolliert werden kann, falls die Aktivitäten der Neuronen in der rekurrenten Population nur schwach korreliert sind. Korrelationen können beispielsweise durch einen zwischen den Neuronen stark synchronisierten externen Input induziert werden, der sich dementsprechend negativ auf die Präzision des Adaptionsmechanismus auswirkt.
Beim Testen des Netzwerks in einem Lernszenario wirkte sich dieser Effekt aber nicht negativ auf die Performance aus: Die optimale Performance wurde unabhängig von der stärke des korrelierten Inputs für einen Spektralradius erreicht, der leicht unter dem kritischen Wert von 1 lag. Dies führt uns zu der Schlussfolgerung, dass Flow Control unabhängig von der Stärke der externen Stimulation in der Lage ist, rekurrente Netze in einen für die Informationsverarbeitung optimalen Arbeitsbereich einzuregeln.
Bei dem zweiten betrachteten Modell handelt es sich um ein Neuronenmodell mit zwei Kompartimenten, welche der spezifischen Anatomie von Pyramidenneuronen im Kortex nachempfunden ist. Während ein basales Kompartiment synaptischen Input zusammenfasst, der in Dendriten nahe des Zellkerns auftritt, repräsentiert das zweite apikale Kompartiment die im Kortex anzutreffende komplexe dendritische Baumstruktur. In früheren Experimenten konnte gezeigt werden, dass eine zeitlich korrelierte Stimulation sowohl im basalen als auch apikalen Kompartiment eine deutlich höhere neuronale Aktivität hervorrufen kann als durch Stimulation nur einer der beiden Kompartimente möglich ist. In unserem Modell können wir zeigen, dass dieser Effekt der Koinzidenz-Detektion es erlaubt, den Input im apikalen Kompartiment als Lernsignal für synaptische Plastizität im basalen Kompartiment zu nutzen. Duale Homöostase kommt auch hier zum Tragen, da diese in beiden Kompartimenten sicherstellt, dass sich der synaptische Input hinsichtlich des zeitlichen Mittels und der Varianz in einem für den Lernprozess benötigten Bereich befindet. Anhand eines Lernszenarios, das aus einer linearen binären Klassifikation besteht, können wir zeigen, dass sich das beschriebene Framework für biologisch plausibles überwachtes Lernen eignet.
Die beiden betrachteten Modelle zeigen beispielhaft die Relevanz dualer Homöostase im Hinblick auf zwei Aspekte. Das ist zum einen die Regulation rekurrenter neuronaler Netze in einen dynamischen Zustand, der für Informationsverarbeitung optimal ist. Der Effekt der Adaption zeigt sich hier also im Verhalten des Netzwerks als Ganzes. Zum anderen kann duale Homöostase, wie im zweiten Modell gezeigt, auch für Plastizitäts- und Lernprozesse auf der Ebene einzelner Neuronen von Bedeutung sein. Während neuronale Homöostase im klassischen Sinn darauf beschränkt ist, Teile des Systems möglichst präzise auf einen gewünschten Mittelwert zu regulieren, konnten wir Anhand der diskutierten Modelle also darlegen, dass eine Kontrolle des Ausmaßes von Fluktuationen ebenfalls Einfluss auf die Funktionalität neuronaler Systeme haben kann.
We discuss aspects of the phase structure of a three-dimensional effective lattice theory of Polyakov loops derived from QCD by strong coupling and hopping parameter expansions. The theory is valid for the thermodynamics of heavy quarks where it shows all qualitative features of nuclear physics emerging from QCD. In particular, the SU(3) pure gauge effective theory also exhibits a first-order thermal deconfinement transition due to spontaneous breaking of its global Z₃ center symmetry. The presence of heavy dynamical quarks breaks this symmetry explicitly and consequently, the transition weakens with decreasing quark mass until it disappears at a critical endpoint. At non-zero baryon density, the effective theory can be evaluated either analytically by the so-called high-temperature expansion which does not suffer from the sign problem, or numerically by standard Monte-Carlo methods due to its mild sign problem. The first part of this work devotes to a systematic derivation of the effective theory up to the 6th order in the hopping parameter κ. This method combined with the SU(3) link update algorithm provides a way to simulate the O(κ⁶) effective theory. The second part involves a study of the deconfinement transition of the pure gauge effective theory, with and without static quarks, at all chemical potentials with help of the high-temperature expansion. Our estimate of the deconfinement transition and its critical endpoint as a function of quark mass and all chemical potentials agrees well with recent Monte-Carlo simulations. In the third part, we investigate the N ſ ∈ {1,2} effective theory with zero chemical potential up to O(κ⁴). We determine the location of the critical hopping parameter at which the first-order deconfinement phase transition terminates and changes to a crossover. Our results for the critical endpoint of the O(κ²) effective theory are in excellent agreement with the determinations from simulations of four-dimensional QCD with a hopping expanded determinant by the WHOT-QCD collaboration. For the O(κ⁴) effective theory, our estimate suggests that the critical quark mass increases as the order of κ-contributions increases. We also compare with full lattice QCD with N ſ = 2 degenerate standard Wilson fermions and thus obtain a measure for the validity of both the strong coupling and the hopping expansion in this regime.
In physics, the wavefunctions of bosonic particles collapse when the system undergoes a Bose–Einstein condensation. In game theory, the strategy of an agent describes the probability to engage in a certain course of action. Strategies are expected to differ in competitive situations, namely when there is a penalty to do the same as somebody else. We study what happens when agents are interested how they fare not only in absolute terms, but also relative to others. This preference, denoted envy, is shown to induce the emergence of distinct social classes via a collective strategy condensation transition. Members of the lower class pursue identical strategies, in analogy to the Bose–Einstein condensation, with the upper class remaining individualistic.
In this thesis, the emission of protons as well as the production of Λ hyperons, Κ0S mesons and 3ΛH hypernuclei are analyzed multi-differentially as a function of transverse momentum, rapidity and centrality. Therefore, the 3.03 billion 30 % most central Ag(1.58A GeV)+Ag events recorded by HADES are used. Furthermore, the lifetimes of Λ hyperons, Κ0S mesons and 3ΛH hypernuclei are measured. The obtained 3ΛH lifetime of (253 ± 24 ± 42) ps is compatible with the lifetime of free Λ hyperons, as predicted by theoretic calculations due to its low binding energy. Finally, also the double strange Ξ– hyperons are reconstructed. Unfortunately, the fully optimized signals lie below the confidence threshold of 5σ, which is why both an production rate and an upper production limit are estimated using averaged acceptance and efficiency corrections. Never before, 3ΛH or Ξ– were successfully reconstructed and analyzed in heavy-ion collisions at such low energies. The obtained results are compared to previous measurements and put in context with world data form different energies and collision systems.
The Born cross sections of the e+e− → D*+D*− and e+e− → D*+D− processes are measured using e+e− collision data collected with the BESIII experiment at center-of-mass energies from 4.085 to 4.600 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 15.7 fb−1. The results are consistent with and more precise than the previous measurements by the Belle, Babar and CLEO collaborations. The measurements are essential for understanding the nature of vector charmonium and charmonium-like states.
The aim of this thesis is to provide a complete and consistent derivation of second-order dissipative relativistic spin hydrodynamics from quantum field theory. We will proceed in two main steps. The first one is the formulation of spin kinetic theory from quantum field theory using the Wigner-function formalism and performing an expansion in powers of the Planck constant. The essential ingredient here is the nonlocal collision term. We will find that the nonlocality of the collision term arises at first order in the Planck constant and is responsible for the spin alignment with vorticity, as it allows for conversion between spin and orbital angular momentum.
In the second step, this kinetic theory is used as the starting point to derive hydrodynamics including spin degrees of freedom. The so-called canonical form of the conserved currents follows from Noether’s theorem.
Applying an HW pseudo-gauge transformation, we obtain a spin tensor and energy-momentum tensor with obvious physical interpretation. Promoting all components of the HW tensors to be dynamical, we derive
second-order dissipative spin hydrodynamics. The additional equations of motion for the dissipative currents are obtained from kinetic theory generalizing the method of moments to include spin degrees of freedom.
Im Zentrum dieser Arbeit steht die Diagnostik eines Wasserstoff-Theta-Pinch-Plasmas hinsichtlich der integrierten Elektronen- und Neutralgasdichte mittels Zweifarben Interferometrie. Die integrierte Elektronen- und Neutralgasdichte sind essenzielle Größen, aus welchen sich die Ratenkoeffizienten der Ionisation und Rekombination bei einer Plasma-Ionenstrahl-Wechselwirkung bestimmen lassen.
Ein Theta-Pinch-Plasma ist ein induktiv gezündetes Plasma, wobei das zur Zündung notwendige elektrische Feld durch ein magnetisches Wechselfeld generiert wird. Das induzierte, azimutale elektrische Feld beschleunigt freie Elektronen im Arbeitsgas, welches durch Stoßionisation in den Plasmazustand gebracht wird. Der azimutale Plasmastrom erzeugt einen radialen magnetischen Druckgradienten, der das Plasma komprimiert. Da in axialer Richtung keine Kompressionskraft wirkt, weicht das Plasma einer weiteren Kompression aus, wodurch es zu einer axialen Expansion des Plasmas kommt. Die Expansion erzeugt eine Ionisationswelle im kalten Restgas und es wird eine lange, hoch ionisierte Plasmasäule gebildet.
Dieser hochdynamische Prozess ist mit einem Mach-Zehnder-Interferometer bei der Verwendung von zwei verschiedenen Versionen des Theta-Pinchs zeitaufgelöst untersucht worden. Der Unterschied dieser Versionen liegt in der Geometrie und Induktivität der Spulen, wobei zum einen eine zylindrische und zum anderen eine sphärische Spule eingesetzt worden ist. Das grundlegende Messprinzip beruht darauf, dass das Plasma einen Brechungsindex besitzt, welcher von den Dichten der im Plasma enthaltenen Teilchenspezies abhängt. In einem Wasserstoffplasmas sind dies der Beitrag der freien Elektronen und der des Neutralgases, wodurch ein Zweifarben-Interferometer eingesetzt wird. Um eine von den Laserintensitäten unabhängige Messung zu ermöglichen, wird das heterodyne Verfahren benutzt, bei dem die Referenzstrahlen beider Wellenlängen jeweils mit einem akusto-optischen Modulator frequenzverschoben werden. Durch einen Vergleich mit einem stationären Referenzsignal mittels eines I/Q-Demodulators wird die interferometrische Phasenverschiebung aus dem Messsignal extrahiert.
Mit diesem diagnostischen Verfahren ist die integrierte Elektronen- und Neutralgasdichte des Theta-Pinch-Plasmas bei Variation des Arbeitsdrucks und der Ladespannung der Kondensatorbank untersucht worden. Mit der zylindrischen Experimentversion ist eine optimale Kombination aus integrierter Elektronendichte und effektivem Ionisationsgrad η von (1,45 ± 0,04) · 1018 cm−2 bei η = (0,826 ± 0,022) bei einem Arbeitsdruck von 20 Pa und einer Ladespannung von 16 kV ermittelt worden. Dagegen beträgt die optimale Kombination bei einem Arbeitsdruck von 20 Pa und einer Ladespannung von 18 kV bei Verwendung der sphärischen Experimentversion lediglich (1,23 ± 0,03) · 1018 cm−2 bei η = (0,699 ± 0,019).
Des Weiteren ist bei beiden Experimentversionen nachgewiesen worden, dass die integrierte Elektronendichte dem oszillierenden Strom folgend periodische lokale Maxima zeigt, welche zeitlich mit signifikanten Einbrüchen in der integrierten Neutralgasdichte zusammenfallen. Diese Einbrüche werden durch die axiale Expansion des Plasmas und der damit verbundenen Ionisationswelle im Restgas erzeugt. Neben diesem zentralen Teil dieser Arbeit ist eine lasergestützte polarimetrische Diagnostik durchgeführt worden, mit der die longitudinale Komponente der magnetischen Flussdichte der Theta-Pinch-Spulen zeit- und ortsaufgelöst bestimmt worden ist. Als Messprinzip ist der Faraday-Effekt eines magneto-optischen TGGKristalls verwendet worden.
Vor der polarimetrischen Diagnostik ist der TGG-Kristall bezüglich seiner Verdet- Konstante kalibriert worden, wobei ein Wert von V = (−149,7 ± 6,4) rad/Tm gemessen worden ist. Die ortsaufgelöste polarimetrische Diagnostik ist durch einen Seilzug ermöglicht worden, mit dem der TGG-Kristall auf einem Schlitten an unterschiedliche Positionen entlang der Spulenachse gefahren werden konnte. An den jeweiligen Messpunkten ist für beide Experimentversionen die magnetische Flussdichte für verschiedene Ladespannungen zeitaufgelöst bestimmt worden. Als Messverfahren ist dabei das Δ/Σ-Verfahren eingesetzt worden, mit dem sich eine intensitätsunabhängige Messung erzielen ließ.
Die ortsaufgelösten Messergebnisse fallen gegenüber Simulationen allerdings zu niedrig aus. Bei der zylindrischen Spule betragen die Abweichungen im Spulenzentrum circa 14 - 16% und bei der sphärischen Spule in etwa 16 - 18%. Bei einer Normierung der Messwerte und der simulierten Werte auf den jeweiligen Wert im Zentrum ist dagegen innerhalb der Fehler eine völlige Übereinstimmung zwischen den Messwerten und der Simulation für die zylindrische Spule erzielt worden. Als Ursache der negativen Abweichungen wird die Hysterese des TGG-Kristalls diskutiert. Es zeigt sich insbesondere zu Beginn der Entladung eine zeitliche Verzögerung der gemessenen magnetischen Flussdichte gegenüber dem Strom, die in der Umgebung des Stromnulldurchgangs besonders stark ausgeprägt ist.
Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) is the ultimate effector of pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death associated with pathogen invasion and inflammation. After proteolytic cleavage by caspases, the GSDMD N-terminal domain (GSDMDNT) assembles on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane and induces the formation of membrane pores. We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study GSDMDNT monomers, oligomers, and rings in an asymmetric plasma membrane mimetic. We identify distinct interaction motifs of GSDMDNT with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and phosphatidylserine (PS) headgroups and describe their conformational dependence. Oligomers are stabilized by shared lipid binding sites between neighboring monomers acting akin to double-sided tape. We show that already small GSDMDNT oligomers support stable, water-filled, and ion-conducting membrane pores bounded by curled beta-sheets. In large-scale simulations, we resolve the process of pore formation from GSDMDNT arcs and lipid efflux from partial rings. We find that high-order GSDMDNT oligomers can crack under the line tension of 86 pN created by an open membrane edge to form the slit pores or closed GSDMDNT rings seen in atomic force microscopy experiments. Our simulations provide a detailed view of key steps in GSDMDNT-induced plasma membrane pore formation, including sublytic pores that explain nonselective ion flux during early pyroptosis.
Correlations between the harmonic flow coefficients v1, v2, v3 and v4 of nucleons in semi-peripheral Au+Au collisions at a beam energy of 1.23 AGeV are investigated within the hadronic transport approach ultra-relativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD). In contrast to ultra-relativistic collision energies (where the flow coefficients are evaluated with respect to the respective event plane), we predict strong correlations between the flow harmonics with respect to the reaction plane. Based on an event-by-event selection of the midrapidity final state elliptic flow of nucleons we show that as a function of rapidity, (I) the sign of the triangular flow changes, (II) that the shape of v4 changes from convex to concave, and (III) that v3∝v1v2 and v4∝v22 for all different event classes, indicating strong correlations between all investigated harmonic flow coefficients.
We experimentally investigated the quasifree mechanism (QFM) in one-photon double ionization of He and H2 at 800 eV photon energy and circular polarization with a COLTRIMS reaction microscope. Our work provides new insight into this elusive photoionization mechanism that was predicted by Miron Amusia more than four decades ago. We found the distinct four-fold symmetry in the angular emission pattern of QFM electrons from H2 double ionization that has previously only been observed for He. Furthermore, we provide experimental evidence that the photon momentum is not imparted onto the center of mass in quasifree photoionization, which is in contrast to the situation in single ionization and in double ionization mediated by the shake-off and knock-out mechanisms. This finding is substantiated by numerical results obtained by solving the system’s full-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation beyond the dipole approximation.
Dual formulations of Abelian U(1) and Z(N) LGT with a static fermion determinant are constructed at finite temperatures and non-zero chemical potential. The dual form is valid for a broad class of lattice gauge actions, for arbitrary number of fermion flavors and in any dimension. The distinguished feature of the dual formulation is that the dual Boltzmann weight is strictly positive. This allows to gain reliable results at finite density via the Monte-Carlo simulations. As a byproduct of the dual representation we outline an exact solution for the partition function of the (1+1)-dimensional theory and reveal an existence of a phase with oscillating correlations.
Transport of lipids across membranes is fundamental for diverse biological pathways in cells. Multiple ion-coupled transporters take part in lipid translocation, but their mechanisms remain largely unknown. Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) lipid transporters play central roles in cell wall synthesis, brain development and function, lipids recycling, and cell signaling. Recent structures of MFS lipid transporters revealed overlapping architectural features pointing towards a common mechanism. Here we used cysteine disulfide trapping, molecular dynamics simulations, mutagenesis analysis, and transport assays in vitro and in vivo, to investigate the mechanism of LtaA, a proton-dependent MFS lipid transporter essential for lipoteichoic acid synthesis in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. We reveal that LtaA displays asymmetric lateral openings with distinct functional relevance and that cycling through outward- and inward-facing conformations is essential for transport activity. We demonstrate that while the entire amphipathic central cavity of LtaA contributes to lipid binding, its hydrophilic pocket dictates substrate specificity. We propose that LtaA catalyzes lipid translocation by a ‘trap-and-flip’ mechanism that might be shared among MFS lipid transporters.
Due to the small photon momentum, optical spectroscopy commonly probes magnetic excitations only at the center of the Brillouin zone; however, there are ways to override this restriction. In case of the distorted kagome quantum magnet Y-kapellasite, Y3Cu9(OH)19Cl8, under scrutiny here, the spin (magnon) density of states (SDOS) can be accessed over the entire Brillouin zone through three-center magnon excitations. This mechanism is aided by the three different magnetic sublattices and strong short-range correlations in the distorted kagome lattice. The results of THz time-domain experiments agree remarkably well with linear spin-wave theory (LSWT). Relaxing the conventional zone-center constraint of photons gives a new aspect to probe magnetism in matter.
Determining the sound speed cs in compact stars is an important open question with numerous implications on the behavior of matter at large densities and hence on gravitational-wave emission from neutron stars. To this scope, we construct more than 107 equations of state (EOSs) with continuous sound speed and build more than 108 nonrotating stellar models consistent not only with nuclear theory and perturbative QCD, but also with astronomical observations. In this way, we find that EOSs with subconformal sound speeds, i.e., with cs 1 3 2 < within the stars, are possible in principle but very unlikely in practice, being only 0.03% of our sample. Hence, it is natural to expect that cs 1 3 2 > somewhere in the stellar interior. Using our large sample, we obtain estimates at 95% credibility of neutron-star radii for representative stars with 1.4 and 2.0 solar masses, R1.4 12.42 km 0.99 0.52 = - + , R2.0 12.12 km 1.23 1.11 = - + , and for the binary tidal deformability of the GW170817 event, 1.186 485 211 225 L = - ˜ + . Interestingly, our lower bounds on the radii are in very good agreement with the prediction derived from very different arguments, namely, the threshold mass. Finally, we provide simple analytic expressions to determine the minimum and maximum values of L˜ as a function of the chirp mass.
Using more than a million randomly generated equations of state that satisfy theoretical and observational constraints, we construct a novel, scale-independent description of the sound speed in neutron stars, where the latter is expressed in a unit cube spanning the normalized radius, r/R, and the mass normalized to the maximum one, M/MTOV. From this generic representation, a number of interesting and surprising results can be deduced. In particular, we find that light (heavy) stars have stiff (soft) cores and soft (stiff) outer layers, or that the maximum of the sound speed is located at the center of light stars but moves to the outer layers for stars with M/MTOV ≳ 0.7, reaching a constant value of cs = 1 2 2 as M → MTOV. We also show that the sound speed decreases below the conformal limit cs = 1 3 2 at the center of stars with M = MTOV. Finally, we construct an analytic expression that accurately describes the radial dependence of the sound speed as a function of the neutron-star mass, thus providing an estimate of the maximum sound speed expected in a neutron star.