Newton-Cartan supergravity with torsion and Schrödinger supergravity

We derive a torsionfull version of three-dimensional N=2 Newton-Cartan supergravity using a non-relativistic notion of the superconformal tensor calculus. The “superconformal” theory that we start with is Schrödinger supergravity which we obtain by gauging the Schrödinger superalgebra. We present two non-relativistic N=2 matter multiplets that can be used as compensators in the superconformal calculus. They lead to two different off-shell formulations which, in analogy with the relativistic case, we call “old minimal” and “new minimal” Newton-Cartan supergravity. We find similarities but also point out some differences with respect to the relativistic case.

Horizon shells and BMS-like soldering transformations

We revisit the theory of null shells in general relativity, with a particular emphasis on null shells placed at horizons of black holes. We study in detail the considerable freedom that is available in the case that one solders two metrics together across null hypersurfaces (such as Killing horizons) for which the induced metric is invariant under translations along the null generators. In this case the group of soldering transformations turns out to be infinite dimensional, and these solderings create non-trivial horizon shells containing both massless matter and impulsive gravitational wave components. We also rephrase this result in the language of Carrollian symmetry groups. To illustrate this phenomenon we discuss in detail the example of shells on the horizon of the Schwarzschild black hole (with equal interior and exterior mass), uncovering a rich classical structure at the horizon and deriving an explicit expression for the general horizon shell energy-momentum tensor. In the special case of BMS-like soldering supertranslations we find a conserved shell-energy that is strikingly similar to the standard expression for asymptotic BMS supertranslation charges, suggesting a direct relation between the physical properties of these horizon shells and the recently proposed BMS supertranslation hair of a black hole.

Detection efficiency of microchannel plates for e(-) and pi(-) in the momentum range from 17.5 to 345 MeV/c

High-energy e(-) and pi(-) were measured by the multichannel plate (MCP) detector at the PiM1 beam line of the High Intensity Proton Accelerator Facilities located at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland. The measurements provide the absolute detection efficiencies for these particles: 5.8% +/- 0.5% for electrons in the beam momenta range 17.5-300 MeV/c and 6.0% +/- 1.3% for pions in the beam momenta range 172-345 MeV/c. The pulse height distribution determined from the measurements is close to an exponential function with negative exponent, indicating that the particles penetrated the MCP material before producing the signal somewhere inside the channel. Low charge extraction and nominal gains of the MCP detector observed in this study are consistent with the proposed mechanism of the signal formation by penetrating radiation. A very similar MCP ion detector will be used in the Neutral Ion Mass (NIM) spectrometer designed for the JUICE mission of European Space Agency (ESA) to the Jupiter system, to perform measurements of the chemical composition of the Galilean moon exospheres. The detection efficiency for penetrating radiation determined in the present studies is important for the optimisation of the radiation shielding of the NIM detector against the high-rate and high-energy electrons trapped in Jupiter's magnetic field. Furthermore, the current studies indicate that MCP detectors can be useful to measure high-energy particle beams at high temporal resolution. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Deformation mechanisms in second-phase affected microstructures and their energy balance

Based on the relationship Zener parameter (Z=second-phase size/second-phase volume fraction) vs. calcite grain size (dg), second-phase controlled aggregates and microstructures that are weakly affected by second-phases are discriminated. The latter are characterized by large but constant grain sizes, high calcite grain boundary fractions and crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO), while calcite grain size and calcite grain boundary fraction decrease continuously and CPO weakens with decreasing Z in second-phase controlled microstructures. These observations suggest that second-phase controlled microstructures predominantly deform via granular flow because pinning of calcite grain boundaries reduces the efficiency of dynamic recrystallization favoring mass transfer processes and grain boundary sliding. In contrast, the balance of grain size reduction and growth by dynamic recrystallization maintains a steady state grain size in microstructures that are only weakly affected by second-phases promoting a predominance of dislocation creep. With increasing temperature, the relationship between Z and dg persists but the calcite grain size increases continuously. Based on microstructures, the energy of each modifying process is calculated and its relative contribution is compared with energies of the competing processes (surface energy, dragging energy, dynamic recrystallization energy). The steady state microstructures result from a temperature-dependent energy minimization procedure of the system.