Wh plus missing-E-T signature from gaugino pair production at the LHC

In SUSY models with heavy squarks and gaugino mass unification, the gaugino pair production reaction pp -> (W) over tilde (+/-)(1)(Z) over tilde (2) dominates gluino pair production for m (g) over tilde less than or similar to 1 TeV at LHC with root s = 14 TeV (LHC14). For this mass range, the two-body decays (W) over tilde (1) -> W (Z) over tilde (1) and (Z) over tilde (2) -> h (Z) over tilde (1) are expected to dominate the chargino and neutralino branching fractions. By searching for lb (b) over tilde + is not an element of(T) events from (W) over tilde (+/-)(1)Z(2) production, we show that LHC14 with 100 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity becomes sensitive to chargino masses in the range m((W) over tilde1) similar to 450-550 GeV corresponding to m (g) over tilde similar to 1.5-2 TeV in models with gaugino mass unification. For 10(3) fb(-1), LHC14 is sensitive to the Wh channel for m((W) over tilde1) similar to 300-800 GeV, corresponding to m (g) over tilde similar to 1-2.8 TeV, which is comparable to the reach for gluino pair production followed by cascade decays. The Wh + is not an element of(T) search channel opens up a new complementary avenue for SUSY searches at LHC, and serves to point to SUSYas the origin of any new physics discovered via multijet and multilepton + is not an element of(T) channels.

Root niche separation can explain avoidance of seasonal drought stress and vulnerability of overstory trees to extended drought in a mature Amazonian forest

Large areas of Amazonian evergreen forest experience seasonal droughts extending for three or more months, yet show maximum rates of photosynthesis and evapotranspiration during dry intervals. This apparent resilience is belied by disproportionate mortality of the large trees in manipulations that reduce wet season rainfall, occurring after 2-3 years of treatment. The goal of this study is to characterize the mechanisms that produce these contrasting ecosystem responses. A mechanistic model is developed based on the ecohydrological framework of TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network)-based Real Time Integrated Basin Simulator + Vegetation Generator for Interactive Evolution (tRIBS+VEGGIE). The model is used to test the roles of deep roots and soil capillary flux to provide water to the forest during the dry season. Also examined is the importance of "root niche separation," in which roots of overstory trees extend to depth, where during the dry season they use water stored from wet season precipitation, while roots of understory trees are concentrated in shallow layers that access dry season precipitation directly. Observational data from the Tapajo's National Forest, Brazil, were used as meteorological forcing and provided comprehensive observational constraints on the model. Results strongly suggest that deep roots with root niche separation adaptations explain both the observed resilience during seasonal drought and the vulnerability of canopy-dominant trees to extended deficits of wet season rainfall. These mechanisms appear to provide an adaptive strategy that enhances productivity of the largest trees in the face of their disproportionate heat loads and water demand in the dry season. A sensitivity analysis exploring how wet season rainfall affects the stability of the rainforest system is presented. Citation: Ivanov, V. Y., L. R. Hutyra, S. C. Wofsy, J. W. Munger, S. R. Saleska, R. C. de Oliveira Jr., and P. B. de Camargo (2012), Root niche separation can explain avoidance of seasonal drought stress and vulnerability of overstory trees to extended drought in a mature Amazonian forest, Water Resour. Res., 48, W12507, doi:10.1029/2012WR011972.

Revealing archaeal diversity patterns and methane fluxes in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, and their association to Brazilian Antarctic Station activities

The study of Antarctic archaeal communities adds information on the biogeography of this group and helps understanding the dynamics of biogenic methane production in such extreme habitats. Molecular methods were combined to methane flux determinations in Martel Inlet, Admiralty Bay, to assess archaeal diversity, to obtain information about contribution of the area to atmospheric methane budget and to detect possible interferences of the Antarctic Brazilian Station Comandante Ferraz (EACF) wastewater discharge on local archaeal communities and methane emissions. Methane fluxes in Martel Inlet ranged from 3.2 to 117.9 mu mol CH(4) m(-2) d(-1), with an average of 51.3 +/- 8.5 mu mol CH(4) m(-2) d(-1) and a median of 57.6 mu mol CH(4) m(-2)d(-1). However, three negative fluxes averaging -11.3 mu mol CH(4) m(-2) d(-1) were detected in MacKellar Inlet, indicating that Admiralty Bay can be either a source or sink of atmospheric methane. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that archaeal communities at EACF varied with depth and formed a group separated from the reference sites. Granulometric analysis indicated that differences observed may be mostly related to sediment type. However, an influence of wastewater input could not be discarded, since higher methane fluxes were found at CF site. suggesting stimulation of local methanogenesis. DGGE profile of the wastewater sample grouped separated from all other samples, suggesting that methanogenesis stimulation may be due to changes in environmental conditions rather than to the input of allochtonous species from the wastewater. 16S ribosomal DNA clone libraries analysis showed that all wastewater sequences were related to known methanogenic groups belonging to the hydrogenotrophic genera Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter and the aceticlastic genus Methanosaeta. EACF and Botany Point sediment clone libraries retrieved only groups of uncultivated Archaea, with predominance of Crenarchaeota representatives (MCG, MG1, MBG-B, MBG-C and MHVG groups). Euryarchaeota sequences found were mostly related to the LDS and RC-V groups, but MBG-D and DHVE-5 were also present. No representatives of cultivated methanogenic groups were found, but coverage estimates suggest that a higher number of clones would have to be analyzed in order to cover the greater archaeal diversity of Martel Inlet sediment. Nevertheless, the analysis of the libraries revealed groups not commonly found by other authors in Antarctic habitats and also indicated the presence of groups of uncultivated archaea previously associated to methane rich environments or to the methane cycle. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A search for anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultra high energy cosmic rays recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Observations of cosmic rays arrival directions made with the Pierre Auger Observatory have previously provided evidence of anisotropy at the 99% CL using the correlation of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) with objects drawn from the Veron-Cetty Veron catalog. In this paper we report on the use of three catalog independent methods to search for anisotropy. The 2pt-L, 2pt+ and 3pt methods, each giving a different measure of self-clustering in arrival directions, were tested on mock cosmic ray data sets to study the impacts of sample size and magnetic smearing on their results, accounting for both angular and energy resolutions. If the sources of UHECRs follow the same large scale structure as ordinary galaxies in the local Universe and if UHECRs are deflected no more than a few degrees, a study of mock maps suggests that these three method can efficiently respond to the resulting anisotropy with a P-value = 1.0% or smaller with data sets as few as 100 events. using data taken from January 1, 2004 to July 31, 2010 we examined the 20, 30, ... , 110 highest energy events with a corresponding minimum energy threshold of about 49.3 EeV. The minimum P-values found were 13.5% using the 2pt-L method, 1.0% using the 2pt+ method and 1.1% using the 3pt method for the highest 100 energy events. In view of the multiple (correlated) scans performed on the data set, these catalog-independent methods do not yield strong evidence of anisotropy in the highest energy cosmic rays.

Strangeness Enhancement in Cu-Cu and Au-Au Collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

We report new STAR measurements of midrapidity yields for the Lambda, (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0), Xi(-), (Xi) over bar (+), Omega(-), (Omega) over bar (+) particles in Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, and midrapidity yields for the Lambda, (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0) particles in Au + Au at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. We show that, at a given number of participating nucleons, the production of strange hadrons is higher in Cu + Cu collisions than in Au + Au collisions at the same center-of-mass energy. We find that aspects of the enhancement factors for all particles can be described by a parametrization based on the fraction of participants that undergo multiple collisions.

SEARCH FOR POINT-LIKE SOURCES OF ULTRA-HIGH ENERGY NEUTRINOS AT THE PIERRE AUGER OBSERVATORY AND IMPROVED LIMIT ON THE DIFFUSE FLUX OF TAU NEUTRINOS

The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory can detect neutrinos with energy E-nu between 10(17) eV and 10(20) eV from point-like sources across the sky south of +55 degrees and north of -65 degrees declinations. A search has been performed for highly inclined extensive air showers produced by the interaction of neutrinos of all flavors in the atmosphere (downward-going neutrinos), and by the decay of tau leptons originating from tau neutrino interactions in Earth's crust (Earth-skimming neutrinos). No candidate neutrinos have been found in data up to 2010 May 31. This corresponds to an equivalent exposure of similar to 3.5 years of a full surface detector array for the Earth-skimming channel and similar to 2 years for the downward-going channel. An improved upper limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos has been derived. Upper limits on the neutrino flux from point-like sources have been derived as a function of the source declination. Assuming a differential neutrino flux k(PS) . E-nu(-2). from a point-like source, 90% confidence level upper limits for k(PS) at the level of approximate to 5x10(-7) and 2.5x10(-6) GeV cm(-2) s(-1) have been obtained over a broad range of declinations from the searches for Earth-skimming and downward-going neutrinos, respectively.

Impact of Corticosterone Treatment on Spontaneous Seizure Frequency and Epileptiform Activity in Mice with Chronic Epilepsy

Stress is the most commonly reported precipitating factor for seizures in patients with epilepsy. Despite compelling anecdotal evidence for stress-induced seizures, animal models of the phenomena are sparse and possible mechanisms are unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that increased levels of the stress-associated hormone corticosterone ( CORT) would increase epileptiform activity and spontaneous seizure frequency in mice rendered epileptic following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. We monitored video-EEG activity in pilocarpine-treated mice 24/7 for a period of four or more weeks, during which animals were serially treated with CORT or vehicle. CORT increased the frequency and duration of epileptiform events within the first 24 hours of treatment, and this effect persisted for up to two weeks following termination of CORT injections. Interestingly, vehicle injection produced a transient spike in CORT levels - presumably due to the stress of injection - and a modest but significant increase in epileptiform activity. Neither CORT nor vehicle treatment significantly altered seizure frequency; although a small subset of animals did appear responsive. Taken together, our findings indicate that treatment of epileptic animals with exogenous CORT designed to mimic chronic stress can induce a persistent increase in interictal epileptiform activity.

Directed Flow of Identified Particles in Au plus Au Collisions at root S-NN=200 GeV at RHIC

STAR's measurements of directed flow (v(1)) around midrapidity for pi(+/-), K-+/-, K-S(0), p, and (p) over bar in Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV are presented. A negative v(1) (y) slope is observed for most of produced particles (pi(+/-), K-+/-, K-S(0), p, and (p) over bar). In 5%-30% central collisions, a sizable difference is present between the v(1)(y) slope of protons and antiprotons, with the former being consistent with zero within errors. The v(1) excitation function is presented. Comparisons to model calculations (RQMD, UrQMD, AMPT, QGSM with parton recombination, and a hydrodynamics model with a tilted source) are made. For those models which have calculations of v(1) for both pions and protons, none of them can describe v(1()y) forpions and protons simultaneously. The hydrodynamics model with a tilted source as currently implemented cannot explain the centrality dependence of the difference between the v(1)(y) slopes of protons and antiprotons.

Quartz OSL sensitivity as a proxy for storm activity on the southern Brazilian coast during the Late Holocene

Natural cycles of irradiation during burial and bleaching due to solar exposure during transport increase the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) sensitivity of quartz sand grains. The relationship between the OSL sensitivity and sediment transport allows to discriminate quartz sand grains with different depositional histories. In this paper, we evaluate the variation of OSL sensitivity in quartz grains deposited during the progradation of the Ilha Comprida barrier on the southern Brazilian, coast. Changes in sand sensitivity recorded by barrier growth since 6 ka ago are controlled by the variation in the proportion of low versus high sensitivity quartz grains. Low sensitivity grains with short sedimentary history are supplied by the Ribeira de Iguape River and reach the barrier through southward alongshore currents during fair weather conditions. Storm conditions shift the alongshore currents to northeast and permit the transport of high sensitivity grains with long sedimentary history from distal southern coastal sectors to the barrier. Therefore, the input of distal sediments for the Ilha Comprida barrier depends on the frequency and intensity of storms. Thus, the OSL sensitivity can be used as proxy for storm activity. The variation of OSL sensitivity through time indicates that the Ilha Comprida barrier changed from a relatively stable to an unstable storm pattern around 2 ka ago. Periods with increased storm activity peaked around AD 500, AD 1500 and AD 1850, approximately on the boundaries of the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.