Light scalar fields can drive the accelerated expansion of the universe. Hence, they are obvious dark energy candidates. To make such models compatible with tests of General Relativity in the solar ...system and “fifth force” searches on Earth, one needs to screen them. One possibility is the so-called “chameleon” mechanism, which renders an effective mass depending on the local matter density. If chameleon particles exist, they can be produced in the sun and detected on Earth exploiting the equivalent of a radiation pressure. Since their effective mass scales with the local matter density, chameleons can be reflected by a dense medium if their effective mass becomes greater than their total energy. Thus, under appropriate conditions, a flux of solar chameleons may be sensed by detecting the total instantaneous momentum transferred to a suitable opto-mechanical force/pressure sensor. We calculate the solar chameleon spectrum and the reach in the chameleon parameter space of an experiment using the preliminary results from a force/pressure sensor, currently under development at INFN Trieste, to be mounted in the focal plane of one of the X-Ray telescopes of the CAST experiment at CERN. We show, that such an experiment signifies a pioneering effort probing uncharted chameleon parameter space.
The Muon g-2 Experiment at Fermilab (E989) will measure the muon magnetic anomaly with unprecedented precision (0.14 ppm), which yields a factor of 4 improvement with respect to the previous ...measurements at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) (E821). To achieve this goal, the relative response of each calorimeter channel must be calibrated and monitored at a level better than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">10^{-3} </tex-math></inline-formula> in the time window of the muon fill. The calibration system uses a laser source and photodetectors. The data acquisition (DAQ) of the system is designed around two field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based boards and a custom crate bus. The front-end board manages the photodetector operation and signal processing and performs a first-level data concentration task. Up to 12 FPGA boards can be housed in a 6U crate. A readout master controls the boards, implements event-building functionalities, manages the monitoring interface, and facilitates calibration and debugging tasks. A gigabit-ethernet interface is used to transfer data to the on-line farm for storage and further processing. Presently, the system is working at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). In this article, we present the DAQ system design, run control user interface, and system evaluation.
“Dunkle Materie” (DM) came from unexpected cosmological observations. Nowadays within our solar system, diverse observations also defy conventional explanations, like the main physical process(es) ...underlying the heating of the different solar atmospheric layers. Streaming DM offers a viable common scenario following gravitational focusing by the solar system bodies. This fits as the underlying process behind the solar cycle, which was the first signature suggesting a planetary dependency. The challenge, since 1859, is to find a remote planetary impact, beyond the extremely feeble planetary tidal force. We stress the possible involvement of an external impact by some overlooked “streaming invisible matter”, which reconciles all investigated mysterious observations mimicking a not extant remote planetary force. Unexpected planetary relationships exist for both the dynamic Sun and Earth, reflecting multiple signatures for streaming DM. The local reasoning à la Zwicky is also suggestive for searches including puzzling biomedical phenomena. Favourite DM candidates are anti-quark-nuggets, magnetic monopoles, dark photons, or the composite “pearls”. Then, anomalies within the solar system are the manifestation of the dark Universe. The tentative streaming DM scenario enhances spatiotemporally the DM flux
The dual purpose of this study was, to evaluate the fracture rate of Ni-Ti rotary instruments when following a manual glide path and using stainless steel hand files before carrying out ...instrumentation by means of rotary files and, to compare the results in this study with those obtained in two previous analyses, in which the glide path technique was not used. A total of 208 canals obtained from a pool of freshly extracted human mandibular and maxillary molars was divided into three groups corresponding to; K3, ProFile and ProTaper. The coronal 2/3 of each tooth were used. In all three groups the apical portion of the samples was prepared with size 10-20 stainless steel K-type hand files. The apical stops were prepared using K3, ProFile and ProTaper rotary instruments. Logistic regression model analysis indicated that breakage was significantly associated with the angle of curvature of the canal (OR = 1.078; 95% CI = 1.032–1.12; p = 0.001), and with the number of clinical uses (files used more than eight times broke more frequently that those used 1 or 2 times; OR: 22.686; 95% CI: 2.6–191.3; p = 0.004). The breakage rate obtained in the present study is significantly lower than in our previous studies, in which the angle of curvature was also greater than 30° and rotational speed a constant 350 rpm, but in which the canals were not first prepared with hand files (25/205 = 12% versus 16/61 = 26%, p = 0.007). Based on the results of this study, we recommend the use of stainless steel hand files to prepare the apical 1/3 of curved canals before introducing rotary files.
Standard Model extensions often predict low‐mass and very weakly interacting particles, such as the axion. A number of small‐scale experiments at the intensity/precision frontier are actively ...searching for these elusive particles, complementing searches for physics beyond the Standard Model at colliders. Whilst a next generation of experiments will give access to a huge unexplored parameter space, a discovery would have a tremendous impact on our understanding of fundamental physics.
Recently, new imaging modalities based on the detection of weak phase perturbations effects, among which are phase contrast and diffraction imaging, have been developed by several researchers. Due to ...their high sensitivity to weakly absorbing details, these techniques seem to be very promising for applications in the medical field. On the other hand, digital radiology is undergoing a wide diffusion, and its benefits are presently very well understood. Up to now, however, the strong pixel size constraints associated with phase contrast pattern detection limited the possibility of exploiting the advantages of phase contrast in digital radiology applications. In this paper, an innovative setup capable of removing the pixel size constraints, and thus opening the way to low dose digital phase contrast imaging, is described. Furthermore, we introduce an imaging technique based on the detection of radiation scattered at small angles: the information extracted from the sample is increased at no dose expense. We believe that several radiological fields, mammography being the first important example, may benefit from the herein described innovative imaging techniques.
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