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Showing papers on "Proton published in 2012"


Journal ArticleDOI
Georges Aad, B. Abbott1, Jalal Abdallah2, A. A. Abdelalim3  +3013 moreInstitutions (174)
TL;DR: In this article, detailed measurements of the electron performance of the ATLAS detector at the LHC were reported, using decays of the Z, W and J/psi particles.
Abstract: Detailed measurements of the electron performance of the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported, using decays of the Z, W and J/psi particles. Data collected in 2010 at root s = 7 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of almost 40 pb(-1). The inter-alignment of the inner detector and the electromagnetic calorimeter, the determination of the electron energy scale and resolution, and the performance in terms of response uniformity and linearity are discussed. The electron identification, reconstruction and trigger efficiencies, as well as the charge misidentification probability, are also presented.

505 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The first measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry A(PV) in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from 208Pb is reported, which provides the first electroweak observation of the neutron skin which is expected in a heavy, neutron-rich nucleus.
Abstract: We report the first measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry A(PV) in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from 208Pb. A(PV) is sensitive to the radius of the neutron distribution (R(n)). The result A(PV)=0.656±0.060(stat)±0.014(syst) ppm corresponds to a difference between the radii of the neutron and proton distributions R(n)-R(p)=0.33(-0.18)(+0.16) fm and provides the first electroweak observation of the neutron skin which is expected in a heavy, neutron-rich nucleus.

475 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An ab initio molecular dynamics study is presented that reveals, for the first time, the microscopic mechanism of this high proton conductivity ineat liquid phosphoric acid.
Abstract: Neat liquid phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)) has the highest intrinsic proton conductivity of any known substance and is a useful model for understanding proton transport in other phosphate-based systems in biology and clean energy technologies. Here, we present an ab initio molecular dynamics study that reveals, for the first time, the microscopic mechanism of this high proton conductivity. Anomalously fast proton transport in hydrogen-bonded systems involves a structural diffusion mechanism in which intramolecular proton transfer is driven by specific hydrogen bond rearrangements in the surrounding environment. Aqueous media transport excess charge defects through local hydrogen bond rearrangements that drive individual proton transfer reactions. In contrast, strong, polarizable hydrogen bonds in phosphoric acid produce coupled proton motion and a pronounced protic dielectric response of the medium, leading to the formation of extended, polarized hydrogen-bonded chains. The interplay between these chains and a frustrated hydrogen-bond network gives rise to the high proton conductivity.

404 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that fluctuating proton positions in the colliding nuclei generate very strong magnetic and electric fields in the direction both parallel and perpendicular to the reaction plane.

403 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Discovery of a laser–plasma acceleration mechanism that generates 20 MeV proton beams with a 1% spread is a promising step in the development of laser-driven proton accelerators.
Abstract: Laser-driven proton accelerators could enable more effective cancer treatment, but to fulfil this function proton beams with a higher energy and narrower energy spread will need to be produced. Discovery of a laser–plasma acceleration mechanism that generates 20 MeV proton beams with a 1% spread is a promising step.

402 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A coordination polymer consisting of Zn(2+), 1,2,4-triazole, and orthophosphates is synthesized and intrinsic proton conduction by a coordination network is demonstrated for the first time.
Abstract: We synthesized a coordination polymer consisting of Zn2+, 1,2,4-triazole, and orthophosphates, and demonstrated for the first time intrinsic proton conduction by a coordination network. The compound has a two-dimensional layered structure with extended hydrogen bonds between the layers. It shows intrinsic proton conductivity along the direction parallel to the layers, as elucidated by impedance studies of powder and single crystals. From the low activation energy for proton hopping, the conduction mechanism was found to be of the Grotthuss fashion. The hopping is promoted by rotation of phosphate ligands, which are aligned on the layers at appropriate intervals.

236 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Nanostructured thin plastic foils have been used to enhance the mechanism of laser-driven proton beam acceleration, leading to a consequent increase in the maximum proton energy and beam charge and to the first experimental demonstration of such advanced target geometry.
Abstract: Nanostructured thin plastic foils have been used to enhance the mechanism of laser-driven proton beam acceleration. In particular, the presence of a monolayer of polystyrene nanospheres on the target front side has drastically enhanced the absorption of the incident 100 TW laser beam, leading to a consequent increase in the maximum proton energy and beam charge. The cutoff energy increased by about 60% for the optimal spheres' diameter of 535 nm in comparison to the planar foil. The total number of protons with energies higher than 1 MeV was increased approximately 5 times. To our knowledge this is the first experimental demonstration of such advanced target geometry. Experimental results are interpreted and discussed by means of 2(1/2)-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.

191 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the inclusion of the nucleon potential energies and collisional broadening of the response significantly alters this conclusion, and that the neutrino decoupling region, in particular, is significantly altered.
Abstract: Previous work on neutrino emission from proto-neutron stars which employed full solutions of the Boltzmann equation showed that the average energies of emitted electron neutrinos and antineutrinos are closer to one another than predicted by older, more approximate work. This in turn implied that the neutrino driven wind is proton rich during its entire life, precluding r-process nucleosynthesis and the synthesis of Sr, Y, and Zr. This work relied on charged-current neutrino interaction rates that are appropriate for a free nucleon gas. Here, it is shown in detail that the inclusion of the nucleon potential energies and collisional broadening of the response significantly alters this conclusion. Isovector interactions, which give rise to the nuclear symmetry energy, produce a difference between the neutron and proton single-particle energies ΔU=U_n−U_p and alter the kinematics of the charged-current reactions. In neutron-rich matter, and for a given neutrino/antineutrino energy, the rate for ν_e + n → e^− + p is enhanced while ν_e + p → n + e^+ is suppressed because the Q value for these reactions is altered by ±ΔU, respectively. In the neutrino decoupling region, collisional broadening acts to enhance both νe and ν_e cross sections, and random-phase approximation (RPA) corrections decrease the νe cross section and increase the ν_e cross section, but mean field shifts have a larger effect. Therefore, electron neutrinos decouple at lower temperature than when the nucleons are assumed to be free and have lower average energies. The change is large enough to allow for a reasonable period of time when the neutrino driven wind is predicted to be neutron rich. It is also shown that the electron fraction in the wind is influenced by the nuclear symmetry energy.

186 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a new combined analysis of CO and H I in the supernova supernova remnant (SNR) and derived the total protons in the interstellar medium (ISM) is presented.
Abstract: RX J1713.7-3946 is the most remarkable TeV {gamma}-ray supernova remnant (SNR) that emits {gamma}-rays in the highest energy range. We have made a new combined analysis of CO and H I in the SNR and derived the total protons in the interstellar medium (ISM). We have found that the inclusion of the H I gas provides a significantly better spatial match between the TeV {gamma}-rays and ISM protons than the H{sub 2} gas alone. In particular, the southeastern rim of the {gamma}-ray shell has a counterpart only in the H I. The finding shows that the ISM proton distribution is consistent with the hadronic scenario that cosmic-ray (CR) protons react with ISM protons to produce the {gamma}-rays. This provides another step forward for the hadronic origin of the {gamma}-rays by offering one of the necessary conditions missing in the previous hadronic interpretations. We argue that the highly inhomogeneous distribution of the ISM protons is crucial in the origin of the {gamma}-rays. Most of the neutral gas was likely swept up by the stellar wind of an OB star prior to the supernova (SN) explosion to form a low-density cavity and a swept-up dense wall. The cavity explains the low-density sitemore » where the diffusive shock acceleration of charged particles takes place with suppressed thermal X-rays, whereas the CR protons can reach the target protons in the wall to produce the {gamma}-rays. The present finding allows us to estimate the total CR proton energy to be {approx}10{sup 48} erg, 0.1% of the total energy of the SN explosion.« less

161 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Evidence provided by this Review shows that the coalescence of experimental and theoretical/computational work is not only highly desirable for that purpose, but, in fact, greatly needed.
Abstract: A magnificent edifice called acid/base chemistry is rooted in a single proton, small in size but of enormous importance. The upper floors of this building are reserved for biochemistry, while the penthouse belongs to life science. The edifice will grow into a sky scraper-like in the 21st century. Evidence provided by this Review shows that the coalescence of experimental and theoretical/computational work is not only highly desirable for that purpose, but, in fact, greatly needed.

160 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: By discovery of the transient formation of two further intermediate states in the reaction cycle of photosynthetic water oxidation, a temporal sequence of strictly alternating removal of electrons and protons from the catalytic site is established.
Abstract: Water oxidation by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants is pivotal in oxygenic photosynthesis, the process that powers life on Earth, and is the paradigm for engineering solar fuel–production systems. Each complete reaction cycle of photosynthetic water oxidation requires the removal of four electrons and four protons from the catalytic site, a manganese–calcium complex and its protein environment in photosystem II. In time-resolved photothermal beam deflection experiments, we monitored apparent volume changes of the photosystem II protein associated with charge creation by light-induced electron transfer (contraction) and charge-compensating proton relocation (expansion). Two previously invisible proton removal steps were detected, thereby filling two gaps in the basic reaction-cycle model of photosynthetic water oxidation. In the S2 → S3 transition of the classical S-state cycle, an intermediate is formed by deprotonation clearly before electron transfer to the oxidant (). The rate-determining elementary step (τ, approximately 30 µs at 20 °C) in the long-distance proton relocation toward the protein–water interface is characterized by a high activation energy (Ea = 0.46 ± 0.05 eV) and strong H/D kinetic isotope effect (approximately 6). The characteristics of a proton transfer step during the S0 → S1 transition are similar (τ, approximately 100 µs; Ea = 0.34 ± 0.08 eV; kinetic isotope effect, approximately 3); however, the proton removal from the Mn complex proceeds after electron transfer to . By discovery of the transient formation of two further intermediate states in the reaction cycle of photosynthetic water oxidation, a temporal sequence of strictly alternating removal of electrons and protons from the catalytic site is established.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the most widely used types of azole heterocycles are introduced and compared, particularly in terms of their performance characteristics in polyacids containing different functional groups.

Journal ArticleDOI
21 Jun 2012-Nature
TL;DR: Measurements of the half-life and decay energy for the decay of 100Sn, the heaviest doubly magic nucleus with equal numbers of protons and neutrons, establish the ‘superallowed’ nature of this Gamow–Teller transition.
Abstract: The shell structure of atomic nuclei is associated with 'magic numbers' and originates in the nearly independent motion of neutrons and protons in a mean potential generated by all nucleons. During beta(+)-decay, a proton transforms into a neutron in a previously not fully occupied orbital, emitting a positron-neutrino pair with either parallel or antiparallel spins, in a Gamow-Teller or Fermi transition, respectively. The transition probability, or strength, of a Gamow-Teller transition depends sensitively on the underlying shell structure and is usually distributed among many states in the neighbouring nucleus. Here we report measurements of the half-life and decay energy for the decay of Sn-100, the heaviest doubly magic nucleus with equal numbers of protons and neutrons. In the beta-decay of Sn-100, a large fraction of the strength is observable because of the large decay energy. We determine the largest Gamow-Teller strength so far measured in allowed nuclear beta-decay, establishing the 'superallowed' nature of this Gamow-Teller transition. The large strength and the low-energy states in the daughter nucleus, In-100, are well reproduced by modern, large-scale shell model calculations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Two self-assembled isostructural functionalized metal-organic nanotubes have been synthesized using 5-triazole isophthalic acid with In(III) and Cd(II) with one-dimensional nanotubular architecture and show proton conductivity along regular 1D channels.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using magic-angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR spectroscopy, the proton exchange and backbone conformational dynamics of M2TM in a virus-envelope-mimetic membrane are examined and support the shuttle mechanism of proton conduction, whose essential steps involve His-water proton Exchange facilitated by imidazole ring reorientations.
Abstract: The acid-activated proton channel formed by the influenza M2 protein is important for the life cycle of the virus. A single histidine, His37, in the M2 transmembrane domain (M2TM) is responsible for pH activation and proton selectivity of the channel. Recent studies suggested three models for how His37 mediates proton transport: a shuttle mechanism involving His37 protonation and deprotonation, a H-bonded imidazole-imidazolium dimer model, and a transporter model involving large protein conformational changes in synchrony with proton conduction. Using magic-angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR spectroscopy, we examined the proton exchange and backbone conformational dynamics of M2TM in a virus-envelope-mimetic membrane. At physiological temperature and pH, (15)N NMR spectra show fast exchange of the imidazole (15)N between protonated and unprotonated states. To quantify the proton exchange rates, we measured the (15)N T(2) relaxation times and simulated them for chemical-shift exchange and fluctuating N-H dipolar fields under (1)H decoupling and MAS. The exchange rate is 4.5 × 10(5) s(-1) for Nδ1 and 1.0 × 10(5) s(-1) for Ne2, which are approximately synchronized with the recently reported imidazole reorientation. Binding of the antiviral drug amantadine suppressed both proton exchange and ring motion, thus interfering with the proton transfer mechanism. By measuring the relative concentrations of neutral and cationic His as a function of pH, we determined the four pK(a) values of the His37 tetrad in the viral membrane. Fitting the proton current curve using the charge-state populations from these pK(a)'s, we obtained the relative conductance of the five charge states, which showed that the +3 channel has the highest time-averaged unitary conductance. At physiologically relevant pH, 2D correlation spectra indicated that the neutral and cationic histidines do not have close contacts, ruling out the H-bonded dimer model. Moreover, a narrowly distributed nonideal helical structure coexists with a broadly distributed ideal helical conformation without interchange on the sub-10 ms time scale, thus excluding the transporter model in the viral membrane. These data support the shuttle mechanism of proton conduction, whose essential steps involve His-water proton exchange facilitated by imidazole ring reorientations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the main motivations that make a proton-nucleus run a decisive ingredient for a successful heavy-ion program at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are summarized.
Abstract: Proton–nucleus (p+A) collisions have long been recognized as a crucial component of the physics program with nuclear beams at high energies, in particular for their reference role to interpret and understand nucleus–nucleus data as well as for their potential to elucidate the partonic structure of matter at low parton fractional momenta (small-x). Here, we summarize the main motivations that make a proton–nucleus run a decisive ingredient for a successful heavy-ion program at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and we present unique scientific opportunities arising from these collisions. We also review the status of ongoing discussions about operation plans for the p+A mode at the LHC.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors outline the many physics opportunities offered by a multi-purpose fixed-target experiment using the LHC proton and Pb beams extracted by a bent crystal.
Abstract: We outline the many physics opportunities offered by a multi-purpose fixed-target experiment using the LHC proton and Pb beams extracted by a bent crystal. In a proton run with the LHC 7-TeV beam, one can analyze pp, pd and pA collisions at sqrt(s_NN)~115 GeV and even higher using the Fermi motion in a nuclear target. In a Pb run with a 2.76 TeV-per-nucleon beam, sqrt(s_NN) is as high as 72 GeV. Bent crystals can be used to extract about 5x10^8 protons/s; the integrated luminosity over a year reaches 0.5fb-1 on a typical 1 cm-long target without species limitation. Such an extraction mode does not alter the performance of the collider experiments at the LHC. By instrumenting the target-rapidity region, gluon and heavy-quark proton and neutron PDFs can be accessed at large x and even at x larger than 1 in the nuclear case. Single diffractive physics and, for the first time, the large negative-xF domain can be accessed. The nuclear target-species versatility provides a unique opportunity to study nuclear matter vs. the features of the hot and dense matter formed in heavy-ion collisions, which can be studied in PbA collisions over the full range of target-rapidity domain with a large variety of nuclei. The polarization of hydrogen and nuclear targets allows an ambitious spin program, including measurements of the QCD lensing effects which underlie the Sivers single-spin asymmetry, the study of transversity distributions and possibly of polarized PDFs. We also emphasize the potential offered by pA ultra-peripheral collisions where the nucleus target A is used as a coherent photon source, mimicking photoproduction processes in ep collisions. Finally, we note that W and Z bosons can be produced and detected in a fixed-target experiment and in their threshold domain for the first time, providing new ways to probe the partonic content of the proton and the nucleus.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, distorted wave electron scattering calculations were used to extract the weak charge form factor FW($$\bar{q}$$), the weak radius RW, and the point neutron radius Rn, of 208Pb from the PREX parity violating asymmetry measurement.
Abstract: We use distorted wave electron scattering calculations to extract the weak charge form factor FW($$\bar{q}$$), the weak charge radius RW, and the point neutron radius Rn, of 208Pb from the PREX parity violating asymmetry measurement. The form factor is the Fourier transform of the weak charge density at the average momentum transfer $$\bar{q}$$ = 0.475 fm-1. We find FW($$\bar{q}$$) = 0.204 ± 0.028(exp) ± 0.001(model). We use the Helm model to infer the weak radius from FW($$\bar{q}$$). We find RW = 5.826 ± 0.181(exp) ± 0.027(model) fm. Here the exp error includes PREX statistical and systematic errors, while the model error describes the uncertainty in RW from uncertainties in the surface thickness σ of the weak charge density. The weak radius is larger than the charge radius, implying a 'weak charge skin' where the surface region is relatively enriched in weak charges compared to (electromagnetic) charges. We extract the point neutron radius Rn = 5.751 ± 0.175 (exp) ± 0.026(model) ± 0.005(strange) fm, from RW. Here there is only a very small error (strange) from possible strange quark contributions. We find Rn to be slightly smaller than RW because of the nucleon's size. As a result, we find a neutron skin thickness of Rn-Rp = 0.302 ± 0.175 (exp) ± 0.026 (model) ± 0.005 (strange) fm, where Rp is the point proton radius.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the radial variation of the power spectra of the magnetic field from 0.3 to about 0.9?AU, using Helios 2 spacecraft measurements in the fast solar wind.
Abstract: We analyze the radial variation of the power spectra of the magnetic field from 0.3 to about 0.9?AU, using Helios 2 spacecraft measurements in the fast solar wind. The time resolution of the magnetic field data allows us to study the power spectra up to 2?Hz. Generally, the corresponding spectral break frequency fb and the Doppler-shifted frequencies, which are related to the proton gyroradius and inertial scales, are close to a frequency f of about 0.5?Hz at a distance of 1?AU from the Sun. However, studying the radial evolution of the power spectra offers us the possibility to distinguish between those scales. Recent Ulysses observations show that, while the proton scales vary, fb stays nearly constant with the heliocentric distance R. In our study we confirm that fb varies within a small interval of [0.2, 0.4]?Hz only, as R varies from 0.3 to 0.9?AU. Moreover, if we assume parallel propagating fluctuations (with respect to the solar wind flow or background magnetic field), we can show that none of the proton scales are coincident with the break scale. If, however, we take into account the two-dimensional nature of the turbulent fluctuations, then we can show that the spatial scale corresponding to fb (R) does follow the proton inertial scale, ? p (R), but not the proton gyroradius scale, ? p (R), as a function of heliocentric distance. These observations indicate that the spectral break at the proton inertial scale might be related to the Hall effect, or be controlled by the ion-cyclotron damping of obliquely propagating fluctuations or the formation of current sheets scaling like ? p , which could be responsible for ion heating through magnetic reconnection.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the relation between proton and nucleon number fluctuations in the final state in relativistic heavy ion collisions is explored and a factorization of the distribution function of the proton, the neutron, and their antiparticles with binomial distribution functions is presented.
Abstract: We explore the relation between proton and nucleon number fluctuations in the final state in relativistic heavy ion collisions It is shown that the correlations between the isospins of nucleons in the final state are almost negligible over a wide range of collision energy This leads to a factorization of the distribution function of the proton, the neutron, and their antiparticles in the final state with binomial distribution functions Using the factorization, we derive formulas to determine nucleon number cumulants, which are not direct experimental observables, from proton number fluctuations, which are experimentally observable in event-by-event analyses With a simple treatment for strange baryons, the nucleon number cumulants are further promoted to the baryon number ones Experimental determination of the baryon number cumulants makes it possible to compare various theoretical studies directly with experiments The effects of nonzero isospin density on this formula are addressed quantitatively It is shown that the effects are well suppressed over a wide energy range

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the electron-proton scattering data from Mainz were analyzed using a dispersive framework that respects the constraints from analyticity and unitarity on the nucleon structure.
Abstract: We analyze the recent electron-proton scattering data from Mainz using a dispersive framework that respects the constraints from analyticity and unitarity on the nucleon structure. We also perform a continued fraction analysis of these data. We find a small electric proton charge radius, rEp = 0.84−0.01+0.01 fm, consistent with the recent determination from muonic hydrogen measurements and earlier dispersive analyses. We also extract the proton magnetic radius, rMp = 0.86−0.03+0.02 fm, consistent with earlier determinations based on dispersion relations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, three models of transition between galactic and extragalactic cosmic rays are discussed: ankle, dip and mixed composition models, where a heavy galactic component is changed at the transition to a lighter or proton component.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that the rate of isomerization is limited by proton removal from, or delivery to, the complex, and the importance of precise proton delivery will be used to guide future catalyst design.
Abstract: To examine the role of proton delivery and removal in the electrocatalytic oxidation and production of hydrogen by [Ni(PR2NR′2)2]2+ (where PR2NR′2 is 1,5-R′-3,7-R-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane), we report experimental and theoretical studies of the intermolecular proton exchange reactions underlying the isomerization of [Ni(PCy2NBn2H)2]2+ (Cy = cyclohexyl, Bn = benzyl) species formed during the oxidation of H2 by [NiII(PCy2NBn2)2]2+ or the protonation of [Ni0(PCy2NBn2)2]. Three protonated isomers are formed (endo/endo, endo/exo, or exo/exo), which differ in the position of the N–H bond's with respect to nickel. The endo/endo isomer is the most productive isomer due to the two protons being sufficiently close to the nickel to proceed readily to the transition state to form/cleave H2. Therefore, the rate of isomerization of the endo/exo or exo/exo isomers to generate the endo/endo isomer can have an important impact on catalytic rates. We have found that the rate of isomerization is limited by proton r...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the amplitude T1 for forward doubly virtual Compton scattering in heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory, to fourth order in the chiral expansion and with the leading contribution of the $ \gamma$ N $ \Delta$ form factor, was calculated.
Abstract: We calculate the amplitude T1 for forward doubly virtual Compton scattering in heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory, to fourth order in the chiral expansion and with the leading contribution of the $ \gamma$ N $ \Delta$ form factor. This provides a model-independent expression for the amplitude in the low-momentum region, which is the dominant one for its contribution to the Lamb shift. It allows us to significantly reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the proton polarisability contributions to the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen. We also stress the importance of consistency between the definitions of the Born and structure parts of the amplitude. Our result leaves no room for any effect large enough to explain the discrepancy between proton charge radii as determined from muonic and normal hydrogen.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors empirically demonstrated that the proton range and prompt gamma distribution are well correlated in the therapy energy range, and that measuring prompt gammas is a viable method for the clinical application.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a one-parameter fit of the δ (1232 ) parameters from the resonance region was obtained for the photon-nucleus Compton scattering with respect to the Baldin sum rules.

Journal ArticleDOI
N. Abgrall1, Antoni Aduszkiewicz2, T. Antičić, N. G. Antoniou3, J. Argyriades1, B. Baatar4, A. Blondel1, J. Blümer5, M. Bogusz6, Laszlo Boldizsar7, A. Bravar1, William Brooks8, J. Brzychczyk9, A. Bubak10, S.A. Bunyatov4, O. Busygina, T. Cetner6, K. U. Choi11, P. Christakoglou3, T. Czopowicz6, N. Davis3, Fotis K. Diakonos3, S. Di Luise12, W. Dominik2, J. Dumarchez13, Ralph Engel5, Antonio Ereditato14, Luigi Salvatore Esposito12, G. A. Feofilov15, Z. Fodor16, A. Ferrero1, Ágnes Fülöp7, X. Garrido5, Marek Gaździcki17, Marek Gaździcki18, M.B. Golubeva, Katarzyna Grebieszkow6, A. Grzeszczuk10, F.F. Guber, A. Haesler1, H. Hakobyan8, T. Hasegawa, R. Idczak19, Y. Ivanov8, A. Ivashkin, Kreso Kadija, A. Kapoyannis3, N. Katrynska19, D. Kielczewska2, D. P. Kikola6, J. H. Kim11, M. Kirejczyk2, J. Kisiel10, Takashi Kobayashi, O. Kochebina15, V. I. Kolesnikov4, D. Kolev2, V. P. Kondratiev15, A. Korzenev1, S. Kowalski10, Alexey Krasnoperov4, Sergey Kuleshov8, Alexey Kurepin, R. Lacey20, J. Lagoda, Andras Laszlo7, V. V. Lyubushkin4, M. Maćkowiak-Pawłowska6, Z. Majka9, Alexander Malakhov4, A. Marchionni12, A. Marcinek9, Ioana Codrina Maris5, Vincent Marin, T. Matulewicz2, Viktor Matveev4, G. L. Melkumov4, A. Meregaglia12, M. Messina14, St Mrówczyński17, S. Murphy1, T. Nakadaira, K. Nishikawa, T. Palczewski, G. Pálla7, Apostolos Panagiotou3, T. Paul5, W. Peryt6, O. Petukhov, R. Płaneta9, J. Pluta6, B. A. Popov4, M. Posiadala2, S. Puławski10, W. Rauch21, M. Ravonel1, Rainer Arno Ernst Renfordt18, Arnaud Robert13, Dieter Røhrich22, E. Rondio, Biagio Rossi14, M. Roth5, André Rubbia12, Maciej Rybczyński17, A. Sadovsky, Ken Sakashita, T. Sekiguchi, P. Seyboth17, M. Shibata, E. Skrzypczak2, M. Słodkowski6, P. Staszel9, G. Stefanek17, J. Stepaniak, C. Strabel12, H. Ströbele18, T. Susa, P. Szaflik10, M. Szuba5, M. Tada, A. Taranenko20, V. Tereshchenko4, R. Tsenov2, Ludwik Turko19, R. Ulrich5, M. Unger5, M. Vassiliou3, Darko Veberič5, Vladimir Vechernin15, Gyorgy Vesztergombi7, A. Wilczek10, Zbigniew Wlodarczyk17, A. Wojtaszek-Szwarc17, J. Yi11, I. K. Yoo11, L. Zambelli13, W. Zipper10 
TL;DR: In this paper, a graphite target with a thickness of 4% of a nuclear interaction length was used to measure positively charged kaons in p+C interactions at 31 GeV/c.
Abstract: Spectra of positively charged kaons in p+C interactions at 31 GeV/c were measured with the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS. The analysis is based on the full set of data collected in 2007 with a graphite target with a thickness of 4% of a nuclear interaction length. Interaction cross sections and charged pion spectra were already measured using the same set of data. These new measurements in combination with the published ones are required to improve predictions of the neutrino flux for the T2K long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment in Japan. In particular, the knowledge of kaon production is crucial for precisely predicting the intrinsic electron neutrino component and the high energy tail of the T2K beam. The results are presented as a function of laboratory momentum in 2 intervals of the laboratory polar angle covering the range from 20 up to 240 mrad. The kaon spectra are compared with predictions of several hadron production models. Using the published pion results and the new kaon data, the K+/\pi+ ratios are computed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Whether a minimalistic model interface between an apolar hydrophobic phase (n-decane) and an aqueous phase mimics the biological pathway for lateral proton migration and the observed diffusion span and high proton mobility were both similar to the values previously reported for lipid bilayers are tested.
Abstract: Fast lateral proton migration along membranes is of vital importance for cellular energy homeostasis and various proton-coupled transport processes. It can only occur if attractive forces keep the proton at the interface. How to reconcile this high affinity to the membrane surface with high proton mobility is unclear. Here, we tested whether a minimalistic model interface between an apolar hydrophobic phase (n-decane) and an aqueous phase mimics the biological pathway for lateral proton migration. The observed diffusion span, on the order of tens of micrometers, and the high proton mobility were both similar to the values previously reported for lipid bilayers. Extensive ab initio simulations on the same water/n-decane interface reproduced the experimentally derived free energy barrier for the excess proton. The free energy profile GH+ adopts the shape of a well at the interface, having a width of two water molecules and a depth of 6 ± 2RT. The hydroniums in direct contact with n-decane have a reduced mobility. However, the hydroniums in the second layer of water molecules are mobile. Their in silico diffusion coefficient matches that derived from our in vitro experiments, (5.7 ± 0.7) × 10-5 cm2 s-1. Conceivably, these are the protons that allow for fast diffusion along biological membranes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the shape of the transverse momentum spectra of pions, kaons, protons, Xis, and Omegas was calculated in the (3+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamic model.
Abstract: Particle production in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV is studied in the (3+1)-dimensional viscous hydrodynamic model. The shapes of the calculated transverse momentum spectra of pions, kaons, protons, Xis, and Omegas are in satisfactory agreement with preliminary data of the ALICE Collaboration, while the particle ratio proton/pion is slightly overpredicted, and the strange barion yields are underpredicted.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work adds to the body of literature that proton CSI reduces dose to normal tissue compared to photon CSI for pediatric patients who are at substantial risk for developing radiogenic late effects, and generally applicable to other tumors that are treated with CSI.
Abstract: For many decades, the standard of care radiotherapy regimen for medulloblastoma has been photon (megavoltage x-rays) craniospinal irradiation (CSI). The late effects associated with CSI are well-documented in the literature and are in-part attributed to unwanted dose to healthy tissue. Recently, there is growing interest in using proton therapy for CSI in pediatric and adolescent patients to reduce this undesirable dose. Previous comparisons of dose to target and non-target organs from conventional photon CSI and passively scattered proton CSI have been limited to small populations (n ≤ 3) and have not considered the use of age-dependent target volumes in proton CSI. Standard of care treatment plans were developed for both photon and proton CSI for 18 patients. This cohort included both male and female medulloblastoma patients whose ages, heights, and weights spanned a clinically relevant and representative spectrum (age 2–16, BMI 16.4–37.9 kg/m2). Differences in plans were evaluated using Wilcoxon signed rank tests for various dosimetric parameters for the target volumes and normal tissue. Proton CSI improved normal tissue sparing while also providing more homogeneous target coverage than photon CSI for patients across a wide age and BMI spectrum. Of the 24 parameters (V5, V10, V15, and V20 in the esophagus, heart, liver, thyroid, kidneys, and lungs) Wilcoxon signed rank test results indicated 20 were significantly higher for photon CSI compared to proton CSI (p ≤ 0.05) . Specifically, V15 and V20 in all six organs and V5, V10 in the esophagus, heart, liver, and thyroid were significantly higher with photon CSI. Our patient cohort is the largest, to date, in which CSI with proton and photon therapies have been compared. This work adds to the body of literature that proton CSI reduces dose to normal tissue compared to photon CSI for pediatric patients who are at substantial risk for developing radiogenic late effects. Although the present study focused on medulloblastoma, our findings are generally applicable to other tumors that are treated with CSI.