University of Valencia

About: University of Valencia is a education organization based out in Valencia, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Neutrino. The organization has 27096 authors who have published 65669 publications receiving 1765689 citations. The organization is also known as: Universitat de València & UV.

AGATA - Advanced GAmma Tracking Array

Abstract: The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) is a European project to develop and operate the next generation gamma-ray spectrometer. AGATA is based on the technique of gamma-ray energy tracking in electrically segmented high-purity germanium crystals. This technique requires the accurate determination of the energy, time and position of every interaction as a gamma ray deposits its energy within the detector volume. Reconstruction of the full interaction path results in a detector with very high efficiency and excellent spectral response. The realisation of gamma-ray tracking and AGATA is a result of many technical advances. These include the development of encapsulated highly segmented germanium detectors assembled in a triple cluster detector cryostat, an electronics system with fast digital sampling and a data acquisition system to process the data at a high rate. The full characterisation of the crystals was measured and compared with detector-response simulations. This enabled pulse-shape analysis algorithms, to extract energy, time and position, to be employed. In addition, tracking algorithms for event reconstruction were developed. The first phase of AGATA is now complete and operational in its first physics campaign. In the future AGATA will be moved between laboratories in Europe and operated in a series of campaigns to take advantage of the different beams and facilities available to maximise its science output. The paper reviews all the achievements made in the AGATA project including all the necessary infrastructure to operate and support the spectrometer.

Haloes gone MAD: The Halo-Finder Comparison Project

Abstract: We present a detailed comparison of fundamental dark matter halo properties retrieved by a substantial number of different halo finders. These codes span a wide range of techniques including friends-of-friends, spherical-overdensity and phase-space-based algorithms. We

Miniaturized solid-phase extraction techniques

Abstract: More than 80% of analysis time is spent on sample collection and sample preparation, so sample preparation is a critical part of the analytical process. Traditionally, liquid-liquid extraction was developed and employed to screen for general unknowns. However, solid-phase extraction (SPE) is becoming highly popular as an alternative, due to its simplicity and economy in terms of time and solvent. This review summarizes the current state of the art and the future prospects for green analytical chemistry with special emphasis on environment-friendly sample-preparation techniques based on the solid phase. We discuss in detail miniaturized SPE techniques, based on the most relevant, most representative and most recent scientific references.

Perturbations of spacetime : gauge transformations and gauge invariance at second order and beyond

Abstract: We consider in detail the problem of gauge dependence that exists in relativistic perturbation theory, going beyond the linear approximation and treating second- and higher-order perturbations. We first derive some mathematical results concerning the Taylor expansion of tensor fields under the action of one-parameter families (not necessarily groups) of diffeomorphisms. Secondly, we define gauge invariance to an arbitrary order n. Finally, we give a generating formula for the gauge transformation to an arbitrary order and explicit rules to second and third order. This formalism can be used in any field of applied general relativity, such as cosmological and black hole perturbations, as well as in other spacetime theories. As a specific example, we consider here second-order perturbations in cosmology, assuming a flat Robertson - Walker background, giving explicit second-order transformations between the synchronous and the Poisson (generalized longitudinal) gauges.