The size of the proton dos Santos, Joaquim M. F; Fernandes, Luis M. P; Liu, Yi-Wei ...
Nature (London),
07/2010, Letnik:
466, Številka:
7303
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The proton is the primary building block of the visible Universe, but many of its properties—such as its charge radius and its anomalous magnetic moment—are not well understood. The root-mean-square ...charge radius, rp, has been determined with an accuracy of 2 per cent (at best) by electron–proton scattering experiments. The present most accurate value of rp (with an uncertainty of 1 per cent) is given by the CODATA compilation of physical constants. This value is based mainly on precision spectroscopy of atomic hydrogen and calculations of bound-state quantum electrodynamics (QED; refs 8, 9). The accuracy of rp as deduced from electron–proton scattering limits the testing of bound-state QED in atomic hydrogen as well as the determination of the Rydberg constant (currently the most accurately measured fundamental physical constant). An attractive means to improve the accuracy in the measurement of rp is provided by muonic hydrogen (a proton orbited by a negative muon); its much smaller Bohr radius compared to ordinary atomic hydrogen causes enhancement of effects related to the finite size of the proton. In particular, the Lamb shift (the energy difference between the 2S1/2 and 2P1/2 states) is affected by as much as 2 per cent. Here we use pulsed laser spectroscopy to measure a muonic Lamb shift of 49,881.88(76) GHz. On the basis of present calculations of fine and hyperfine splittings and QED terms, we find rp = 0.84184(67) fm, which differs by 5.0 standard deviations from the CODATA value of 0.8768(69) fm. Our result implies that either the Rydberg constant has to be shifted by −110 kHz/c (4.9 standard deviations), or the calculations of the QED effects in atomic hydrogen or muonic hydrogen atoms are insufficient.
Monitoring the vital signs of mice is an essential practice during imaging procedures to avoid populational losses and improve image quality. For this purpose, a system based on a set of devices ...(piezoelectric sensor, optical module and thermistor) able to detect the heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature and arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) in mice anesthetized with sevoflurane was implemented. Results were validated by comparison with the reported literature on similar anesthetics. A new non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG) module was developed, and its first results reflect the viability of its integration in the system. The sensors were strategically positioned on mice, and the signals were acquired through a custom-made printed circuit board during imaging procedures with a micro-PET (Positron Emission Tomography). For sevoflurane concentration of 1.5%, the average values obtained were: 388 bpm (beats/minute), 124 rpm (respirations/minute) and 88.9% for the heart rate, respiratory rate and SpO2, respectively. From the ECG information, the value obtained for the heart rate was around 352 bpm for injectable anesthesia. The results compare favorably to the ones established in the literature, proving the reliability of the proposed system. The ECG measurements show its potential for mice heart monitoring during imaging acquisitions and thus for integration into the developed system.
Accurate knowledge of the charge and Zemach radii of the proton is essential, not only for understanding its structure but also as input for tests of bound-state quantum electrodynamics and its ...predictions for the energy levels of hydrogen. These radii may be extracted from the laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen (μp, that is, a proton orbited by a muon). We measured the $2{\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}^{\mathrm{F}=0}-2{\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{F}=1}$ transition frequency in μp to be 54611.16(1.05) gigahertz (numbers in parentheses indicate one standard deviation of uncertainty) and reevaluated the $2{\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}^{\mathrm{F}=1}-2{\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{F}=1}$ transition frequency, yielding 49881.35(65) gigahertz. From the measurements, we determined the Zemach radius, r Z = 1.082(37) femtometers, and the magnetic radius, r M = 0.87(6) femtometer, of the proton. We also extracted the charge radius, r E = 0.84087(39) femtometer, with an order of magnitude more precision than the 2010-CODATA value and at 7σ variance with respect to it, thus reinforcing the proton radius puzzle.
Laser spectroscopy of muonic deuterium Pohl, Randolf; Nez, François; Fernandes, Luis M. P. ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
08/2016, Letnik:
353, Številka:
6300
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The deuteron is the simplest compound nucleus, composed of one proton and one neutron. Deuteron properties such as the root-mean-square charge radius rd and the polarizability serve as important ...benchmarks for understanding the nuclear forces and structure. Muonic deuterium μd is the exotic atom formed by a deuteron and a negative muon μ⁻. We measured three 2S-2P transitions in μd and obtain rd = 2.12562(78) fm, which is 2.7 times more accurate but 7.5σ smaller than the CODATA-2010 value rd = 2.1424(21) fm. The μd value is also 3.5σ smaller than the rd value from electronic deuterium spectroscopy. The smaller rd, when combined with the electronic isotope shift, yields a "small" proton radius rp, similar to the one from muonic hydrogen, amplifying the proton radius puzzle.
Chronic cocaine use has been shown to lead to neurotoxicity in rodents and humans, being associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, recreational use, which may lead to addictive ...behavior, is often neglected. This occurs, in part, due to the belief that exposure to low doses of cocaine comes with no brain damage risk. Cocaine addicts have shown glucose metabolism changes related to dopamine brain activity and reduced volume of striatal gray matter. This work aims to evaluate the morphological brain changes underlying metabolic and locomotor behavioral outcome, in response to a single low dose of cocaine in a pre-clinical study. In this context, a Balb-c mouse model has been chosen, and animals were injected with a single dose of cocaine (0.5 mg/kg). Control animals were injected with saline. A behavioral test, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, and anatomopathological studies were conducted with this low dose of cocaine, to study functional, metabolic, and morphological brain changes, respectively. Animals exposed to this cocaine dose showed similar open field activity and brain metabolic activity as compared with controls. However, histological analysis showed alterations in the prefrontal cortex and
of mice exposed to cocaine. For the first time, it has been demonstrated that a single low dose of cocaine, which can cause no locomotor behavioral and brain metabolic changes, can induce structural damage. These brain changes must always be considered regardless of the dosage used. It is essential to alert the population even against the consumption of low doses of cocaine.
The energy levels of hydrogen-like atomic systems can be calculated with great precision. Starting from their quantum mechanical solution, they have been refined over the years to include the ...electron spin, the relativistic and quantum field effects, and tiny energy shifts related to the complex structure of the nucleus. These energy shifts caused by the nuclear structure are vastly magnified in hydrogen-like systems formed by a negative muon and a nucleus, so spectroscopy of these muonic ions can be used to investigate the nuclear structure with high precision. Here we present the measurement of two 2S-2P transitions in the muonic helium-4 ion that yields a precise determination of the root-mean-square charge radius of the α particle of 1.67824(83) femtometres. This determination from atomic spectroscopy is in excellent agreement with the value from electron scattering
, but a factor of 4.8 more precise, providing a benchmark for few-nucleon theories, lattice quantum chromodynamics and electron scattering. This agreement also constrains several beyond-standard-model theories proposed to explain the proton-radius puzzle
, in line with recent determinations of the proton charge radius
, and establishes spectroscopy of light muonic atoms and ions as a precise tool for studies of nuclear properties.
Line shape analysis of the Kβ transition in muonic hydrogen Covita, Daniel S.; Anagnostopoulos, Dimitrios F.; Fuhrmann, Hermann ...
The European physical journal. D, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics,
2018/4, Letnik:
72, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The K
β
transition in muonic hydrogen was measured with a high-resolution crystal spectrometer. The spectrum is shown to be sensitive to the ground-state hyperfine splitting, the corresponding ...triplet-to-singlet ratio, and the kinetic energy distribution in the 3
p
state. The hyperfine splitting and triplet-to-singlet ratio are found to be consistent with the values expected from theoretical and experimental investigations and, therefore, were fixed accordingly in order to reduce the uncertainties in the further reconstruction of the kinetic energy distribution. The presence of high-energetic components was established and quantified in both a phenomenological, i.e. cascade-model-free fit, and in a direct deconvolution of the Doppler broadening based on the Bayesian method.
Graphical abstract
CASZ1 is a conserved transcription factor involved in neural development, blood vessel assembly and heart morphogenesis. CASZ1 has been implicated in cancer, either suppressing or promoting tumor ...development depending on the tissue. However, the impact of CASZ1 on hematological tumors remains unknown. Here, we show that the T-cell oncogenic transcription factor TAL1 is a direct positive regulator of CASZ1, that T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) samples at diagnosis overexpress CASZ1b isoform, and that CASZ1b expression in patient samples correlates with PI3KAKT- mTOR signaling pathway activation. In agreement, overexpression of CASZ1b in both Ba/F3 and T-ALL cells leads to the activation of PI3K signaling pathway, which is required for CASZ1b-mediated transformation of Ba/F3 cells in vitro and malignant expansion in vivo. We further demonstrate that CASZ1b cooperates with activated NOTCH1 to promote T-ALL development in zebrafish, and that CASZ1b protects human T-ALL cells from serum deprivation and treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs. Taken together, our studies indicate that CASZ1b is a TAL1-regulated gene that promotes T-ALL development and resistance to chemotherapy.
A Xe-based single photon counting X-ray imaging system, based on a micro-hole & strip plate (MHSP), using a resistive charge division method was implemented. The MHSP is a hybrid microstructure that ...combines in a single element the features of the gas electron multiplier (GEM) and the micro-strip gas chamber (MSGC), presenting two charge multiplication stages. For 2D-imaging, the GEM-like side (top side) is structured with strips orthogonal to the MSGC-like strips at the bottom side. Two thin orthogonal resistive lines of about 100 Omega, between the strips (top side) and between the anode strips (bottom side) allows us to obtain the actual position in both x and y directions. The four signals collected from the edges of the resistive lines are then digitized and processed with a computer. Charge gains of 10 4 are obtained with the MHSP. Position resolutions of sigma x = 130 mum and sigma y = 250 mum were achieved for 8-keV X-rays, making it suitable for many applications in single photon X-ray imaging. First X-ray images produced by the system are presented together with a discussion of the image quality and future prospects.