#michael boroneic

[corcorannyborg]

Analysis from the presence of Ochrobactrum spp. as well as Brucella spp. within Haemaphysalis longicornis.

Here we found some of the primary genetics along with health care uses of both of these emerging career fields. Inheritance (2009) 102, 527-532; doi:Ten.1038/hdy.09.18; released online 4 Drive 2009Indonesia and Israel represent complete opposite regulating approaches along with bioethical outlooks relating to genetic testing. These studies investigates lay down behaviour (including behaviour of folks affected by anatomical illnesses) both in international locations towards genetic testing regarding grownups, emphasizing the variances involving social as well as argumentations, as well as between influenced and also non-affected perspectives. Regarding 3 major appearing designs : health-related technology/technocratic medicine; fiscal aspects of medical; as well as decision-making : a nationwide contrast had been obvious for the cultural degree of argumentation, however, not inside the individual circumstance regarding decision-making or perhaps the worries of folks suffering from hereditary ailments. We deduce through discussing your interaction associated with country wide tradition and also person experience with constructing arguments about the causes harm to and also advantages of dna testing, and also the ramifications for that research regarding cross-cultural bioethics poor ogenetic responsibilityo.Background Fine mesh fixation can be a crucial step up TAPP laparoscopic hernia restoration simply because tackers useful for this specific goal are usually associated with achievable neuralgia. Options for the current examine, 80 sufferers called along with unilateral inguinal or even femoral hernia were separated by 50 percent groupings pertaining to hernia restoration. Within first GDC0084 team capable had been preset together with titanium tacker. In the second party nylon uppers wasfixedwith just one suture ofVicryl. Final results Patients inside the Vicryl party experienced significantly less postoperative ache along with analgesic ingestion. 6 month follow-up exhibited no hernia recurrence both. Conclusions According to final results, utilization of Vicryl suture as opposed to a titanium tacker is effective as a result of decreased soreness, a smaller amount medication intake, and minimize charge.Looking with regard to biocompatible hydrophilic polymers ideal for prep regarding delivery techniques involving boron group compounds with good launching capability, all of us examined the actual connection associated with metallacarborane sodium [3-cobalt(3) bis(One,2-dicarbollide) with poly(2-ethyloxazoline) (PEOX) sufficient reason for a new double-hydrophilic obstruct copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(2-ethyloxazoline) (PEO-PEOX) in aqueous alternatives by way of a mixture of dispersing, microscopy, spectroscopy, and thermochemistry strategies. The particular papers is really a factor to long-time research involving story a mix of both nanostructures based on hydrophilic polymer-metallacarborane complexes. PEOX homopolymer communicates together with metallacarborane, resulting in a water-soluble, adversely charged intricate. In the case of diblock copolymer PEO-PEOX, both blocks communicate with metallacarborane via dihydrogen bonds along with have fun playing the enhancement associated with crossbreed gel-like nanostructures inside Zero.One Michael NaCl aqueous alternatives, that are unique as compared to additional boron cluster-containing polymeric programs. The stable circular nanoparticles with high metallacarborane content tend not to embrace core/shell framework, which was witnessed pertaining to other PEO-containing twice hydrophilic obstruct copolymers [Macromolecules Last year, 42, 4829], nevertheless the nanospheres are generally homogeneous. They include intermixed PEO along with PEOX hindrances, that happen to be cross-linked through metallacarborane molecules.

#GDC-0941 #BGB-3111 #MTP-131 #ITF2357 #KU-57788 #CB7630 #GDC-0994 #EPZ019997 #NSC 2382 #KY 12420 #AG-014699 #AZD6094 #AP24534 #ACP-196 #MLN2238 #CYC202 #NVP-LDE225 #Peptide 17 #NSC 118218 #LY3039478 #BEZ235 #CL-14377 #NSC-26271 #Caspase Inhibitor VI #AT406 #VS-4718 #RWJ 26251 #CH5126766 #BGB-290 #GDC-0084

[fumpkins]

Physicists confront the neutron lifetime puzzle

From left, ORNL’s Matthew Frost and Leah Broussard utilized a neutron spreading instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source to look for a dark matter twin to the neutron. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

To resolve an enduring puzzle about for how long a neutron can “live” outside an atomic nucleus, physicists amused a wild however testable theory presuming the presence of a right-handed variation of our left-handed universe. They developed a mind-bending experiment at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to attempt to spot a particle that has actually been hypothesized however not identified. If discovered, the thought “mirror neutron”—a dark-matter twin to the neutron—might describe a disparity in between responses from 2 kinds of neutron lifetime experiments and offer the initially observation of dark matter.

“Dark matter remains one of the most important and puzzling questions in science—clear evidence we don’t understand all matter in nature,” stated ORNL’s Leah Broussard, who led the research study released in Physical Review Letters.

Neutrons and protons comprise an atom’s nucleus. However, they likewise can exist outdoors nuclei. Last year, utilizing the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, co-author Frank Gonzalez, now at ORNL, led the most exact measurement ever of for how long totally free neutrons live prior to they decay, or develop into protons, electrons and anti-neutrinos. The response—877.8 seconds, provide or take 0.3 seconds, or a little under 15 minutes—meant a fracture in the Standard Model of particle physics. That design explains the habits of subatomic particles, such as the 3 quarks that comprise a neutron. The turning of quarks starts neutron decay into protons.

“The neutron lifetime is an important parameter in the Standard Model because it is used as an input for calculating the quark mixing matrix, which describes quark decay rates,” stated Gonzalez, who determined likelihoods of neutrons oscillating for the ORNL research study. “If the quarks don’t mix as we expect them to, that hints at new physics beyond the Standard Model.”

To procedure the lifetime of a complimentary neutron, researchers take 2 methods that need to reach the very same response. One traps neutrons in a magnetic bottle and counts their disappearance. The other counts protons appearing in a beam as neutrons decay. It ends up neutrons appear to live 9 seconds longer in a beam than in a bottle.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Leah Broussard reveals a neutron-taking in “wall” that stops all neutrons however in theory would permit theoretical mirror neutrons to travel through. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Over the years, perplexed physicists have actually thought about numerous factors for the disparity. One theory is that the neutron changes from one state to another and back once again. “Oscillation is a quantum mechanical phenomenon,” Broussard stated. “If a neutron can exist as either a regular or a mirror neutron, then you can get this sort of oscillation, a rocking back and forth between the two states, as long as that transition isn’t forbidden.”

The ORNL-led group carried out the very first look for neutrons oscillating into dark-matter mirror neutrons utilizing an unique disappearance and regrowth strategy. The neutrons were made at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science user center. A beam of neutrons was assisted to SNS’s magnetism reflectometer. Michael Fitzsimmons, a physicist with a joint consultation at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, utilized the instrument to use a strong electromagnetic field to improve oscillations in between neutron states. Then the beam struck a “wall” made from boron carbide, which is a strong neutron absorber.

If the neutron carries out in reality oscillate in between routine and mirror states, when the neutron state strikes the wall, it will engage with atomic nuclei and get soaked up into the wall. If it remains in its thought mirror neutron state, nevertheless, it is dark matter that will not engage.

So just mirror neutrons would make it through the wall to the opposite. It would be as if the neutrons had actually gone through a “portal” to some dark sector—a metaphorical principle utilized in the physics neighborhood. Yet, the press reporting on previous associated work had a good time taking liberties with the principle, comparing the thought mirror universe Broussard’s group is checking out to the “Upside Down” alternate reality in the television series “Stranger Things.” The group’s experiments were not checking out an actual website to a parallel universe.

“The dynamics are the same on the other side of the wall, where we try to induce what are presumably mirror neutrons—the dark-matter twin state—to turn back into regular neutrons,” stated co-author Yuri Kamyshkov, a UT physicist who with associates has actually long pursued the concepts of neutron oscillations and mirror neutrons. “If we see any regenerated neutrons, that could be a signal that we’ve seen something really exotic. The discovery of the particle nature of dark matter would have tremendous implications.”

Credit: ORNL

Matthew Frost of ORNL, who got his doctorate from UT dealing with Kamyshkov, carried out the explore Broussard and helped with information extraction, decrease and analysis. Frost and Broussard carried out initial tests with assistance from Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt, a neutron spreading researcher at ORNL.

Lawrence Heilbronn, a nuclear engineer at UT, defined backgrounds, whereas Erik Iverson, a physicist at ORNL, defined neutron signals. Through the DOE Office of Science Scientific Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program, Michael Kline of The Ohio State University found out how to determine oscillations utilizing graphics processing systems—accelerators of particular kinds of estimations in application codes—and carried out independent analyses of neutron beam strength and data, and Taylor Dennis of East Tennessee State University assisted establish the experiment and examined background information, ending up being a finalist in a competitors for this work. UT college students Josh Barrow, James Ternullo and Shaun Vavra with undergrads Adam Johnston, Peter Lewiz and Christopher Matteson contributed at numerous phases of experiment preparation and analysis. University of Chicago college student Louis Varriano, a previous UT Torchbearer, assisted with conceptual quantum-mechanical estimations of mirror-neutron regrowth.

The conclusion: No proof of neutron regrowth was seen. “One hundred percent of the neutrons stopped; zero percent passed through the wall,” Broussard stated. Regardless, the result is still crucial to the improvement of understanding in this field.

With one specific mirror-matter theory unmasked, the researchers rely on others to attempt to resolve the neutron lifetime puzzle. “We’re going to keep looking for the reason for the discrepancy,” Broussard stated. She and associates will utilize the High Flux Isotope Reactor, a DOE Office of Science user center at ORNL, for that. Ongoing upgrades at HFIR will make more delicate searches possible since the reactor will produce a much greater flux of neutrons, and the protected detector at its small-angle neutron spreading diffractometer has a lower background.

Because the strenuous experiment did not discover proof of mirror neutrons, the physicists had the ability to dismiss an improbable theory. And that takes them closer to resolving the puzzle.

If it appears unfortunate that the neutron lifetime puzzle stays unsolved, take solace from Broussard: “Physics is hard because we’ve done too good a job at it. Only the really hard problems—and lucky discoveries—are left.”

Understanding the early universe depends upon estimating the life-span of neutrons

More info: L. J. Broussard et al, Experimental Search for Neutron to Mirror Neutron Oscillations as an Explanation of the Neutron Lifetime Anomaly, Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.212503

Provided by Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Citation: Physicists confront the neutron lifetime puzzle (2022, June 28) recovered 28 June 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-06-physicists-neutron-lifetime-puzzle.html

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New post published on: https://livescience.tech/2022/06/29/physicists-confront-the-neutron-lifetime-puzzle/

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Physicists confront the neutron lifetime puzzle To solve a long-standing puzzle about how long a neutron can “live” outside an atomic nucleus, physicists entertained a wild but testable theory positing the existence of a right-handed version of our left-handed universe. They designed a mind-bending experiment at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to try to detect a particle that has been speculated but not spotted. If found, the theorized “mirror neutron” — a dark-matter twin to the neutron — could explain a discrepancy between answers from two types of neutron lifetime experiments and provide the first observation of dark matter. “Dark matter remains one of the most important and puzzling questions in science — clear evidence we don’t understand all matter in nature,” said ORNL’s Leah Broussard, who led the study published in Physical Review Letters. Neutrons and protons make up an atom’s nucleus. However, they also can exist outside nuclei. Last year, using the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, co-author Frank Gonzalez, now at ORNL, led the most precise measurement ever of how long free neutrons live before they decay, or turn into protons, electrons and anti-neutrinos. The answer — 877.8 seconds, give or take 0.3 seconds, or a little under 15 minutes — hinted at a crack in the Standard Model of particle physics. That model describes the behavior of subatomic particles, such as the three quarks that make up a neutron. The flipping of quarks initiates neutron decay into protons. “The neutron lifetime is an important parameter in the Standard Model because it is used as an input for calculating the quark mixing matrix, which describes quark decay rates,” said Gonzalez, who calculated probabilities of neutrons oscillating for the ORNL study. “If the quarks don't mix as we expect them to, that hints at new physics beyond the Standard Model.” To measure the lifetime of a free neutron, scientists take two approaches that should arrive at the same answer. One traps neutrons in a magnetic bottle and counts their disappearance. The other counts protons appearing in a beam as neutrons decay. It turns out neutrons appear to live nine seconds longer in a beam than in a bottle. Over the years, perplexed physicists have considered many reasons for the discrepancy. One theory is that the neutron transforms from one state to another and back again. “Oscillation is a quantum mechanical phenomenon,” Broussard said. “If a neutron can exist as either a regular or a mirror neutron, then you can get this sort of oscillation, a rocking back and forth between the two states, as long as that transition isn’t forbidden.” The ORNL-led team performed the first search for neutrons oscillating into dark-matter mirror neutrons using a novel disappearance and regeneration technique. The neutrons were made at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science user facility. A beam of neutrons was guided to SNS’s magnetism reflectometer. Michael Fitzsimmons, a physicist with a joint appointment at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, used the instrument to apply a strong magnetic field to enhance oscillations between neutron states. Then the beam impinged on a “wall” made of boron carbide, which is a strong neutron absorber. If the neutron does in fact oscillate between regular and mirror states, when the neutron state hits the wall, it will interact with atomic nuclei and get absorbed into the wall. If it is in its theorized mirror neutron state, however, it is dark matter that will not interact. So only mirror neutrons would make it through the wall to the other side. It would be as if the neutrons had gone through a “portal” to some dark sector — a figurative concept used in the physics community. Yet, the press reporting on past related work had fun taking liberties with the concept, comparing the theorized mirror universe Broussard’s team is exploring to the “Upside Down” alternate reality in the TV series “Stranger Things.” The team’s experiments were not exploring a literal portal to a parallel universe. “The dynamics are the same on the other side of the wall, where we try to induce what are presumably mirror neutrons — the dark-matter twin state — to turn back into regular neutrons,” said co-author Yuri Kamyshkov, a UT physicist who with colleagues has long pursued the ideas of neutron oscillations and mirror neutrons. “If we see any regenerated neutrons, that could be a signal that we’ve seen something really exotic. The discovery of the particle nature of dark matter would have tremendous implications.” Matthew Frost of ORNL, who received his doctorate from UT working with Kamyshkov, performed the experiment with Broussard and assisted with data extraction, reduction and analysis. Frost and Broussard performed preliminary tests with help from Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt, a neutron scattering scientist at ORNL. Lawrence Heilbronn, a nuclear engineer at UT, characterized backgrounds, whereas Erik Iverson, a physicist at ORNL, characterized neutron signals. Through the DOE Office of Science Scientific Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program, Michael Kline of The Ohio State University figured out how to calculate oscillations using graphics processing units – accelerators of specific types of calculations in application codes – and performed independent analyses of neutron beam intensity and statistics, and Taylor Dennis of East Tennessee State University helped set up the experiment and analyzed background data, becoming a finalist in a competition for this work. UT graduate students Josh Barrow, James Ternullo and Shaun Vavra with undergraduates Adam Johnston, Peter Lewiz and Christopher Matteson contributed at various stages of experiment preparation and analysis. University of Chicago graduate student Louis Varriano, a former UT Torchbearer, helped with conceptual quantum-mechanical calculations of mirror-neutron regeneration. The conclusion: No evidence of neutron regeneration was seen. “One hundred percent of the neutrons stopped; zero percent passed through the wall,” Broussard said. Regardless, the result is still important to the advancement of knowledge in this field. With one particular mirror-matter theory debunked, the scientists turn to others to try to solve the neutron lifetime puzzle. “We’re going to keep looking for the reason for the discrepancy,” Broussard said. She and colleagues will use the High Flux Isotope Reactor, a DOE Office of Science user facility at ORNL, for that. Ongoing upgrades at HFIR will make more sensitive searches possible because the reactor will produce a much higher flux of neutrons, and the shielded detector at its small-angle neutron scattering diffractometer has a lower background. Because the rigorous experiment did not find evidence of mirror neutrons, the physicists were able to rule out a far-fetched theory. And that takes them closer to solving the puzzle. If it seems sad that the neutron lifetime puzzle remains unsolved, take solace from Broussard: “Physics is hard because we’ve done too good a job at it. Only the really hard problems – and lucky discoveries – are left.” The title of the paper is “Experimental Search for Neutron to Mirror Neutron Oscillations as an Explanation of the Neutron Lifetime Anomaly.” DOE’s Office of Science and ORNL’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program supported the work. The study used resources of the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science user facility at ORNL.

#space #science #Astronomy #physics #news #neutrons #particles

[wbfinearts]

#scott prior #eric wert #susan mikula #jeff gola #michael boroneic #larry preston

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Synthesis of large-area 2D material: Atomic layer pushes surface steps away

The team led by UDE's Prof. Michael Horn-von Hoegen aims at producing the thinnest possible layer of boron, so-called borophene, since it promises properties that could enable the construction of two-dimensional transistors. The molecular beam epitaxy used for this purpose until now results in domains that are far too small. For more precise investigations and for use in technology, however, larger areas are needed. 

With their newly developed method of segregation-enhanced epitaxy, the team uses borazine gas and an iridium substrate. The essential components of borazine are boron and nitrogen atoms that are arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb structure. By heating the iridium sample in a borazine-containing environment, the boron molecules attach themselves to the surface, followed by the evaporation of the nitrogen. Above 1100°C, the boron moves into the iridium, because at such high temperatures the iridium can absorb additional boron atoms like a sponge—up to a quarter of its own volume. When the system has cooled down, borophene—the single-atom layer of boron—precipitates on the surface of the iridium crystal. In the process, it does not grow beyond surface steps of the underlying crystal but pushes them away in all directions to form areas as large as possible.

Read more.

#Materials Science #Science #2D materials #Boron #Borophene #Materials synthesis #Iridium

[consistentteamgerine]

I’m PRETTY SURE I remember Marcus telling us he was making these Beatles-inspired elements! (From the latest Kate Tectonics episode)

#awks if I'm wrong #BUT IM PRETTY SURE HE MADE THESE #it only says Marcus and Michael under 'animators' #and Im pretty sure Michael doesnt draw characters #SOOO #YAY LET'S CELEBRATE MARCUS' WORK #Kate Tectonics #The Beatles #Science #Elements #Helium #Hydrogen #Lithium #Boron #Beryllium

[spaceexp]

A simple fusion recipe

Nuclear Fusion Energy logo. 19 March 2020 Permanent magnets could help to optimize the geometry of a future fusion reactor.

Image above: Visualization of how a stellarator’s plasma (orange) can be manipulated using a combination of permanent magnets (red and blue) and superconducting coils (grey rings). Image Credits: C. Zhu/PPPL. Researchers have proposed a simplified design for nuclear-fusion reactors, based on powerful permanent magnets. Fusion reactors are still at the prototype stage. They confine plasma inside a doughnut-shaped magnetic field and heat it to millions of degrees, with the goal of fusing light atomic nuclei into heavier ones and releasing vast amounts of energy. One promising design, called a stellarator, normally requires sophisticated superconducting coils to make the plasma twist as it moves inside the doughnut. While helping his son with a science-fair project, Michael Zarnstorff at the Max Planck Princeton Research Center for Plasma Physics in New Jersey realized that neodymium–boron permanent magnets had become powerful enough to help. His team’s conceptual design combines simpler, ring-shaped superconducting coils with pancake-shaped magnets attached outside the plasma’s vacuum vessel. Like refrigerator magnets — which stick on only one side — these would produce their magnetic field mainly inside the vessel.

Animation above:Nuclear fusion is the process that allows our Sun to be the ultimate source of energy. Animation Credit: UK ST40 Fusion Reactor. The superconducting coils would be easier to make and would leave more space around the vacuum vessel for other key components of a future fusion reactor, the scientists say. Read more: Phys. Rev. Lett. (2020): https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.095001 Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: Nature/Physical Review Letter/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

#space #science

[currentclimate]

The Cretaceous-Paleogene die-off, also known as the K-Pg mass extinction event, occurred when a meteor slammed into Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period. The impact and its aftereffects killed roughly 75% of the animal and plant species on the planet, including whole groups like the non-avian dinosaurs and ammonites.

"For years, people suggested there would have been a decrease in ocean pH because the meteor impact hit sulphur-rich rocks and caused the raining-out of sulphuric acid, but until now no one had any direct evidence to show this happened," said lead author Michael Henehan, a former Yale scientist who is now at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany.

Turns out all they had to do was look at the foraminifera.

Foraminifera are tiny plankton that grow a calcite shell and have an amazingly complete fossil record going back hundreds of millions of years. Analysis of the chemical composition of foraminifera fossils from before, during, and after the K-Pg event produced a wealth of data about changes in the marine environment over time. Specifically, measurements of boron isotopes in these shells allowed the Yale scientists to detect changes in the ocean's acidity.

[lothirielswanmarvel]

Dinner with the Avengers (and a Turtle)

The clang of iron against wood smacked my ears sharply. Shouts arose in the distance–some out of fear, others were battlecries. A plethora of smells attacked me at the same time in a merciless cycle. I was doing what many would dream to do, but few would dare to accomplish.

Sit at the dinner table with the Avengers.

"Let us feast!" Thor boomed, holding his fork high before it dived into the mountain of lasagna on his plate.

"Wait!" Steve Rogers stared down everyone, mentally breaking our resolve and making us set our utensils down. He reached out to Tony on one side, and Natasha on the other.

"We have to say grace first." He said.

Tony snorted and rolled his eyes, but a sharp kick from Pepper under the table made him take Captain Steroid's hand. Natasha joined hands with Clint, and Bruce, who came in late from the lab and could take the last seat available, was seated next to Thor. We all knew the terror of this position: anyone who sat close to Thor was bound to be peddled in crumbs and stains, along with being scarred for life.

"Bless this food and the hands that prepared it," I peeped open an eye to catch Pepper's smirk, and Thor's excitedness that he made edible human food (not really, Pepper kept him away from the dishes...all of them).

"Many thanks for the meal and company, especially our new friend, Sam."

Sam Wilson, who also contributed to making the heap of lasagna, sat a few seats away from me. I didn't know much about him except that, like Rhodey, he was also from the military. The two were sitting next to each other now, itching to exchange their war stories.

Tony sighed as Steve continued, "What a blessing to come together today. Our thoughts are with Clint as he battles his coffee addiction–"

"And by battling, you mean giving up and living at Starbucks." Clint mumbled, silenced by a nudge from Natasha's arm.

"–And with Bruce, who has survived another day in Tony's lab. Our thoughts are with everyone else as they go through another day in the twenty-first century–by the way, God, the forties were better–may everyone be blessed and filled with happiness."

"You're forgetting someone." Steve opened his eyes for the first time since he started speaking. Bruce gave him a knowing look.

"Come on, he deserves some recognition!"

"Fine." Steve shut his eyes again, and angled his face towards the ceiling. "Our thoughts are also with Bruce's new turtle, who left the dog park to join this circus."

All eyes fell on Bruce, who was holding Thor's hand in one fist and a squirming-green glob in the other. It was Bruce's new companion after a crazy day at the park running from soccer moms. The turtle hadn't been around for long, but Bruce already had plans to make him mascot of the Science Bros cult.

"He had to!" Bruce replied defensively, acknowledging the green-shelled tortoise in front of him. "There was a duck uprising at the park! And the soccer moms were chasing after me for fresh meat!"

"Bruce! Respect your elders!" Steve remarked. He regained his composure, and finished the prayer, "Jesus give me–us!–strength...Amen."

"Amen." Tony the Atheist rolled his eyes in disgust. Thor was amazed by this new custom, at least until he found out it was for another totally different God other than himself.

The mountain of lasagna was eagerly passed around as Thor boasted about his newfound cooking skills. Bruce edged away from the Asgardian right next to him, sacrificing his salad bowl to his turtle.

"The art of Midgardian cooking holds my interest!" Thor declared. "And after assisting Lady Pepper with the main dish, I had time to prepare an Asgardian delicacy for my dear friends!"

Pepper's eyes widened with fear, but she kept her composure. "T-Thor, that's okay. Really, we made tons of food, we can save it for later–"

"I shall bring it forth!" For the first time ever, Thor ran away from a full plate of food for something presumably less edible and more terrifying. There were some panicked glances shared around the room before Sam spoke up.

"You guys have an amazing pad, here." He replied before taking a bite of a breadstick.

Pepper's frigid demeanour vanished. "Thank you so much, Sam! We're happy you could visit us–Steve has told us a lot about you."

"All good, I'm hopin'." Sam replied.

"The best," I spoke up before digging into mouth-watering crimson sauce dotted with spicy herbs. "I heard you're a fan of Marvin Gaye."

"Yes ma'am." He said with a dashing smile I'm sure he learned from Steve himself–that's probably where his manners came from, too. "You're interested in him?"

"Well, I hear it from Tony's bedroom a lot, so I kinda have to." I replied.

Pepper nearly choked on a forkful of lasagna as Natasha shot Tony a dark glare. Clint covered his face with a napkin, snickering underneath the beige veil.

"Are you into Bell Biv Devoe too?"

"Yeah! Steve, why have you been hogging this person all to yourself?"

"And the Commodores?"

"Are you trying to make me fangirl, Y/N?" Sam wiggled his eyebrows at me, his massive arms folded on the table.

"Michael Jackson!" I grinned.

"You're killing me!"

"Do you think that's a good name for him?" Bruce replied.

We all looked at him. "Who?"

Bruce pointed at his turtle, who was nudging a part of the pasta with its nose. "My turtle. I don't know, Michael Jackson is too snazzy–I want to name him after a periodic element!"

At the mention of science, Tony became invested in the conversation. I watched the new entertainment with amusement as I took a bite of the lasagna. Pepper and Sam had done a marvelous job; the mix of gooey parmesan, the soft texture of noodles, and more invaded my mouth as a welcome intruder.

"Does he look like a Seaborgium?" Bruce picked up the squirming turtle who was playing with it's meal and held him right in front of his face, nose to nose. "Maybe we can call him Rubidium and nickname him Ruby?"

"How's Cobalt sound?" Pepper suggested.

"That's pretty cool," Bruce shrugged, and propped up his turtle on his silverware. "Any others, though?"

Natasha patted her perfect crimson lips dry on her napkin. "Boron?"

"Eh, Tony would nickname him 'moron'–don't act like that's not true, Tony."

"Germanium?"

"Steve would hate him, and Tony would call him Hitler."

"Seriously, Bruce?!"

"Yes I am, Tony."

"Bismuth?" Pepper replied, nibbling on her salad.

"That sounds like meth, Pepper." I said.

She gagged on her food, once again striking Tony's shin under the circular table. The great Iron Man squealed and withered under Pepper's scowl.

"She's right. Tony would think that way." Bruce looked down at his tortoise, disappointed.

"But you're not supposed to." Nat's eyes burned deep into my soul across the table. I shivered and sunk low in my seat, trying to hide under the white tablecloth.

"I can't name him Rhodium. There can only be one." Bruce glanced up at Rhodey.

"How about Xenon?" Tony finally offered, leaning over the table to offer the turtle his entire bowl of salad. Pepper slapped his arm.

"Ouch!"

"Eat your vegetables, Tony!"

"But mom!"

"Now!"

"It's cuter in the bedroom..." Tony muttered, making my face turn red as I was scarred for life. That was one thing Marvin Gaye couldn't keep me from.

"Eh, I don't want to name him after a noble gas." Bruce watched as his little friend scurried over to a spare piece of lettuce that had fallen out of Tony's bowl and started to devour it.

"I HAVE RETURNED, MY FRIENDS!"

We all instinctively flinched at Thor's voice, but that wasn't the worst part. My nose wrinkled as another smell wafted into the room, mixing horribly with the spicy herbs of the lasagna. It was a pungent smell...and it was advancing towards the table.

Thor dropped a dish of nightmares on the table, it's true monstrous form hidden under a cloak of tin foil. That didn't stop tons of tiny flies from scurrying over it.

Bruce clutched his turtle to his chest defensively. "Holy cannoli...is that Tony's offspring?"

Tony snapped, "Ha ha. I'll have you know that I am civilized in the lab, Bruce."

"I'm in there with you, Tony-Macaroni. Nothing comes out of there alive again."

"You do!"

"I lost my soul the first time I went in there!"

"Is that because I stole your heart, Brucie?"

Thor beamed down at his disgusting Frankenstein. It's face hadn't even been revealed, and my stomach was ready to run away and leave me behind to rot. I wouldn't blame it, personally.

"Who would like to try it first?" Thor studied the pale faces of the people sitting at the table. "Ms. Potts, would you like to–"

"No thank you! I'm a vegan." Pepper quickly stuttered.

"Starting when?" Tony remarked.

"Starting now."

"Perhaps our new guest should have the honors." Thor turned to Sam, who I pitied more than ever.

I could see the fear in his eyes. Clint, being a fellow bird, stretched out a wing towards a feather in need, "You know what, man? Food is lame. Like, who needs it, anyway? I just live off of dust...and dirt...and Natasha's scraps."

Natasha sipped a wine glass that I knew was vodka. She nodded afterwards. To my surprise, she didn't show any reaction yet to Thor's death plate. Maybe it was all the alcohol–she needed a lot to deal with Tony, so everything was probably a blur to her.

Thor gasped when he laid eyes on Bruce's new pet. He bellowed, "What is this mighty creature?"

"He's my friend," Bruce held it closer to his chest, "I found him at the dog park. He survived the duck uprising."

"Maybe we should call him Thorium," Rhodey said thoughtfully. "Especially if that means our lives are spared from not dying at this dinner table."

Thor grinned at the turtle. "If you do not wish to taste my feast prepared, perhaps I can cook it for you! I can roast it in Clint's coffee for extra zest!"

Everyone at the table shot Thor terrified looks.

"You're not cooking my friend!" Bruce remarked, scooting his chair away from Thor. The sudden movement made the layer of bugs on Thor's platter shift. The insides of my stomach swirled with waves of nausea. I wasn't hungry anymore.

"And you are not wasting my coffee!" Clint stated firmly. I took a closer look at Clint and, loan behold, there was a Starbucks cup underneath the table near him. Steve would kill him later.

"That's a no on Thorium..." Tony uttered. Pepper was too petrified of the dish on the table to snap at him.

That turtle is in for bad luck: being roasted by Thor, forced to endure the torture of being the Science Bros mascot–

Science Bros.

Science Bros.

Bros.

"Bromine." I said. "Bromine sounds cool...if you like it."

The turtle squirmed in Bruce's hands, and he took it as a sign. Bruce stared at the little guy, almost asking for permission. "Bromine...I like that. Bro-Bro is the coolest!"

"I deem thee Bromine Bruceson, worthy of living under the roof of the Avengers!" Thor cheered.

"This was much more interesting than a night of Netflix 'n Chill." Sam replied.

#wait until they reach dessert #marvel #avengers #natasha romanoff #bruce banner #tony stark #james rhodes #sam wilson #thor #steve rogers #pepper potts #clint barton

[one-divides-into-two]

We are living at a very special moment in the history of imperialism: the transition from one phase (let us call it 'classical') to another whose details are only just beginning to be sketched out but whose general outlineis already clearly discernible. Nothing could be more mistaken than to posit, as Hardt and Negri do in their book [Empire], the existence of such an implausible entity as an empire without imperialism - a paralysing political oxymoron. Hence the need to argue against their theses, since, given the exceptional gravity of the current situation - a capitalism increasingly reactionary in the social, economic, political and cultural spheres, one that criminalizes social protest and militarizes inter· national politics - only an accurate diagnosis of the structure and operation of the international imperialist system will allow those social movements, political parties, labour unions, and popular organizations of all types that want to overthrow the current situation to face new journeys of struggle with any chance of success. An accurate diagnosis is also needed to identify the empire's enemies.

[...]

The illusion that we can undertake the struggle without a precise knowledge of the terrain in which the major battles of humanity will be fought can only lead to new and overwhelming defeats. Dear Don Quixote is not a good example to be imitated in politics; confusing windmills with powerfull knights with lances and armour was not the best path towards the realization of his dreams. Nor will St Francis of Assisi, another figure exalted in Hardt and Negri's text, serve as a model for inspiration. In fact, no emancipatory struggle is possible without an adequate social cartography to describe precisely the theatre of operations, and the social nature of the enemy and its mechanisms of domination and exploitation.

Atilio Boron, Empire and Imperialism: A Critical Reading of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri

[fumpkins]

Physicists confront the neutron lifetime puzzle

From left, ORNL’s Matthew Frost and Leah Broussard used a neutron scattering instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source to search for a dark matter twin to the neutron. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

To solve a long-standing puzzle about how long a neutron can “live” outside an atomic nucleus, physicists entertained a wild but testable theory positing the existence of a right-handed version of our left-handed universe. They designed a mind-bending experiment at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to try to detect a particle that has been speculated but not spotted. If found, the theorized “mirror neutron”—a dark-matter twin to the neutron—could explain a discrepancy between answers from two types of neutron lifetime experiments and provide the first observation of dark matter.

“Dark matter remains one of the most important and puzzling questions in science—clear evidence we don’t understand all matter in nature,” said ORNL’s Leah Broussard, who led the study published in Physical Review Letters.

Neutrons and protons make up an atom’s nucleus. However, they also can exist outside nuclei. Last year, using the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, co-author Frank Gonzalez, now at ORNL, led the most precise measurement ever of how long free neutrons live before they decay, or turn into protons, electrons and anti-neutrinos. The answer—877.8 seconds, give or take 0.3 seconds, or a little under 15 minutes—hinted at a crack in the Standard Model of particle physics. That model describes the behavior of subatomic particles, such as the three quarks that make up a neutron. The flipping of quarks initiates neutron decay into protons.

“The neutron lifetime is an important parameter in the Standard Model because it is used as an input for calculating the quark mixing matrix, which describes quark decay rates,” said Gonzalez, who calculated probabilities of neutrons oscillating for the ORNL study. “If the quarks don’t mix as we expect them to, that hints at new physics beyond the Standard Model.”

To measure the lifetime of a free neutron, scientists take two approaches that should arrive at the same answer. One traps neutrons in a magnetic bottle and counts their disappearance. The other counts protons appearing in a beam as neutrons decay. It turns out neutrons appear to live nine seconds longer in a beam than in a bottle.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Leah Broussard shows a neutron-absorbing “wall” that stops all neutrons but in theory would allow hypothetical mirror neutrons to pass through. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Over the years, perplexed physicists have considered many reasons for the discrepancy. One theory is that the neutron transforms from one state to another and back again. “Oscillation is a quantum mechanical phenomenon,” Broussard said. “If a neutron can exist as either a regular or a mirror neutron, then you can get this sort of oscillation, a rocking back and forth between the two states, as long as that transition isn’t forbidden.”

The ORNL-led team performed the first search for neutrons oscillating into dark-matter mirror neutrons using a novel disappearance and regeneration technique. The neutrons were made at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science user facility. A beam of neutrons was guided to SNS’s magnetism reflectometer. Michael Fitzsimmons, a physicist with a joint appointment at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, used the instrument to apply a strong magnetic field to enhance oscillations between neutron states. Then the beam impinged on a “wall” made of boron carbide, which is a strong neutron absorber.

If the neutron does in fact oscillate between regular and mirror states, when the neutron state hits the wall, it will interact with atomic nuclei and get absorbed into the wall. If it is in its theorized mirror neutron state, however, it is dark matter that will not interact.

So only mirror neutrons would make it through the wall to the other side. It would be as if the neutrons had gone through a “portal” to some dark sector—a figurative concept used in the physics community. Yet, the press reporting on past related work had fun taking liberties with the concept, comparing the theorized mirror universe Broussard’s team is exploring to the “Upside Down” alternate reality in the TV series “Stranger Things.” The team’s experiments were not exploring a literal portal to a parallel universe.

“The dynamics are the same on the other side of the wall, where we try to induce what are presumably mirror neutrons—the dark-matter twin state—to turn back into regular neutrons,” said co-author Yuri Kamyshkov, a UT physicist who with colleagues has long pursued the ideas of neutron oscillations and mirror neutrons. “If we see any regenerated neutrons, that could be a signal that we’ve seen something really exotic. The discovery of the particle nature of dark matter would have tremendous implications.”

Credit: ORNL

Matthew Frost of ORNL, who received his doctorate from UT working with Kamyshkov, performed the experiment with Broussard and assisted with data extraction, reduction and analysis. Frost and Broussard performed preliminary tests with help from Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt, a neutron scattering scientist at ORNL.

Lawrence Heilbronn, a nuclear engineer at UT, characterized backgrounds, whereas Erik Iverson, a physicist at ORNL, characterized neutron signals. Through the DOE Office of Science Scientific Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program, Michael Kline of The Ohio State University figured out how to calculate oscillations using graphics processing units—accelerators of specific types of calculations in application codes—and performed independent analyses of neutron beam intensity and statistics, and Taylor Dennis of East Tennessee State University helped set up the experiment and analyzed background data, becoming a finalist in a competition for this work. UT graduate students Josh Barrow, James Ternullo and Shaun Vavra with undergraduates Adam Johnston, Peter Lewiz and Christopher Matteson contributed at various stages of experiment preparation and analysis. University of Chicago graduate student Louis Varriano, a former UT Torchbearer, helped with conceptual quantum-mechanical calculations of mirror-neutron regeneration.

The conclusion: No evidence of neutron regeneration was seen. “One hundred percent of the neutrons stopped; zero percent passed through the wall,” Broussard said. Regardless, the result is still important to the advancement of knowledge in this field.

With one particular mirror-matter theory debunked, the scientists turn to others to try to solve the neutron lifetime puzzle. “We’re going to keep looking for the reason for the discrepancy,” Broussard said. She and colleagues will use the High Flux Isotope Reactor, a DOE Office of Science user facility at ORNL, for that. Ongoing upgrades at HFIR will make more sensitive searches possible because the reactor will produce a much higher flux of neutrons, and the shielded detector at its small-angle neutron scattering diffractometer has a lower background.

Because the rigorous experiment did not find evidence of mirror neutrons, the physicists were able to rule out a far-fetched theory. And that takes them closer to solving the puzzle.

If it seems sad that the neutron lifetime puzzle remains unsolved, take solace from Broussard: “Physics is hard because we’ve done too good a job at it. Only the really hard problems—and lucky discoveries—are left.”

Understanding the early universe depends on estimating the lifespan of neutrons

More information: L. J. Broussard et al, Experimental Search for Neutron to Mirror Neutron Oscillations as an Explanation of the Neutron Lifetime Anomaly, Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.212503

Provided by Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Citation: Physicists confront the neutron lifetime puzzle (2022, June 28) retrieved 28 June 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-06-physicists-neutron-lifetime-puzzle.html

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New post published on: https://livescience.tech/2022/06/29/physicists-confront-the-neutron-lifetime-puzzle/

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

It really was the asteroid New study underpins the idea of a sudden impact killing off dinosaurs and much of the other life Fossil remains of tiny calcareous algae not only provide information about the end of the dinosaurs, but also show how the oceans recovered after the fatal asteroid impact. Experts agree that a collision with an asteroid caused a mass extinction on our planet, but there were hypotheses that ecosystems were already under pressure from increasing volcanism. "Our data speak against a gradual deterioration in environmental conditions 66 million years ago," says Michael Henehan of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. Together with colleagues from the University of Yale, he published a study in the scientific journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS) that describes ocean acidification during this period. He investigated isotopes of the element boron in the calcareous shells of plankton (foraminifera). According to the findings, there was a sudden impact that led to massive ocean acidification. It took millions of years for the oceans to recover from acidification. "Before the impact event, we could not detect any increasing acidification of the oceans," says Henehan. The impact of a celestial body left traces: the "Chicxulub crater" in the Gulf of Mexico and tiny amounts of iridium in sediments. Up to 75 percent of all animal species went extinct at the time. The impact marks the boundary of two geological eras - the Cretaceous and the Palaeogene (formerly known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary). Henehan and his team at Yale University reconstructed the environmental conditions in the oceans using fossils from deep-sea drill cores and from rocks formed at that time. According to this, after the impact, the oceans became so acidic that organisms that made their shells from calcium carbonate could not survive. Because of this, as life forms in the upper layers of the oceans became extinct, carbon uptake by photosynthesis in the oceans was reduced by half. This state lasted several tens of thousands of years before calcareous algae spread again. However, it took several million years until the fauna and flora had recovered and the carbon cycle had reached a new equilibrium. The researchers found decisive data for this during an excursion to the Netherlands, where a particularly thick layer of rock from the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary is preserved in a cave. "In this cave, an especially thick layer of clay from the immediate aftermath of the impact accumulated, which is really quite rare" says Henehan. In most settings, sediment accumulates so slowly that such a rapid event such as an asteroid impact is hard to resolve in the rock record. "Because so much sediment was laid down there at once, it meant we could extract enough fossils to analyse, and we were able to capture the transition," says Henehan. Most of the work was done at his former place of work, Yale University. Now, at the GFZ, he is using the infrastructure here and hopes that this will provide a major impetus for his work. "With the femtosecond laser in the HELGES laboratory, we are working to be able to measure these kind of signals from much smaller amounts of sample," says Henehan. "This will in the future enable us to obtain all sorts of information at really high resolution in time, even from locations with very low sedimentation rates." IMAGE....The picture shows the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary at Geulhemmerberg in the Netherlands, where the boundary clay samples were taken. The event bed is clearly visible as a grey clay-rich layer, between the otherwise yellowish carbonate sediments. It was thought to have been laid down during calm periods between strong storm events. CREDIT Michael Henehan

#space #science #Astronomy #physics #dinosaurs #kt boundary

[wbfinearts]

Winter 2019 Exhibition

William Baczek Fine Arts, in Northampton, Massachusetts is pleased to announce the opening of the Winter 2019 Exhibition. The group exhibition highlights the work of nineteen gallery artists: Jana Brike, Travis Louie, El Gato Chimney, Eric Wert, Scott Prior, Susan Mikula, Michael Abrams, Jaq Chartier, Larry Preston, Jeff Gola, Brad Woodfin, Robert Sweeney, Mallory Lake, Rick Pas, Joshua Huyser, Chie Yoshii, Yin Yung Chun, Michael Boroneic, and Guy Laramée. The featured works span many mediums, from oil and egg tempera painting, to photography and carved books.

Selections from this exhibition and other works by gallery artists can be seen on the gallery’s web site at www.wbfinearts.com.  For more information about this or upcoming exhibits please call the gallery at 413-587-9880 or email at [email protected].  The gallery is located at 36 Main St. in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts and is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 – 5, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 – 7 and Sunday from 12 – 5.

Exhibition Dates: January 9 - February 28, 2019

#art #northamptonma #jana brike #travis louie #el gato chimney #eric wert #scott prior #susan mikula #michael abrams #jaq chartier #larry preston #jeff gola #brad woodfin #robert sweeney #mallory lake #rick pas #joshua huyser #chie yoshii #michael boroneic #guy laramee #oilpainting #eggtempera #ceramic #altered book #landscape #surrealism

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Boron nitride destroys 'forever' chemicals PFOA, GenX

Rice University chemical engineers found an efficient catalyst for destroying PFAS "forever" chemicals where they least expected.

"It was the control," said Rice Professor Michael Wong, referring to the part of a scientific experiment where researchers don't expect surprises. The control group is the yardstick of experimental science, the baseline by which variables are measured.

"We haven't yet tested this at a full scale, but in our benchtop tests in the lab, we could get rid of 99% of PFOA in four hours," Wong said of boron nitride, the light-activated catalyst he and his students stumbled upon and spent more than a year testing.

Read more.

#Materials Science #Science #Boron nitride #Catalysts #Environment #Boron #Nitrides #Rice University

[thebrideoftiffany]

X-Men OCs + Guide to Troubled Birds.

From the top left to right: Naomi Parker (Annika Boron), Isaac Parker (Matt McGorry), Michael Parker (Freddie Stroma), Samantha Cassidy (Nyla Lueeth).

#parkermoff #q