Explore the vast range of titles available.

Laboratory experiments searching for galactic dark matter particles scattering off nuclei have so far not been able to establish a discovery. We use data from the XENON100 experiment to search for dark matter interacting with electrons. With no evidence for a signal above the low background of our experiment, we exclude a variety of representative dark matter models that would induce electronic recoils. For axial-vector couplings to electrons, we exclude cross sections above 6 × 10–35 cm2 for particle masses of mx = 2 GeV/c2. Independent of the dark matter halo, we exclude leptophilic models as an explanation for the long-standing DAMA/LIBRA signal, such as couplings to electrons through axial-vector interactions at a 4.4σ. confidence level, mirror dark matter at 3.6σ, and luminous dark matter at 4.6σ.

Background:Chromosomal rearrangements resulting in an interstitial inverted duplication with concomitant terminal deletion were first described for the short arm of chromosome 8 in 1976. Since then, this type of alteration has been identified and characterised for most chromosome arms. Three mechanisms are commonly proposed to explain the origin of this type of rearrangement. All three mechanisms involve formation of a dicentric chromosome that then breaks in a subsequent meiotic division to produce a monocentric duplicated and deleted chromosome. However, the events leading to the formation of the dicentric chromosome differ between the mechanisms. In one mechanism, either parent carries a paracentric inversion. This results in formation of a loop during meiotic pairing with a recombination event occurring in the loop. In the second mechanism, inverted low copy repeats in the same chromosome arm allow partial folding of one homologue onto itself with a recombination event between the inverted repeats. The third mechanism involves a pre-meiotic double-strand break with subsequent fusion, or U-type exchange, between the sister chromatids. The first two mechanisms require a single copy region to exist between the duplicated and deleted regions on the derivative chromosome, and therefore high resolution analysis of the rearrangement can be used to distinguish between these mechanisms.Methods and results:Using G-banded chromosome analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and array comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH), we describe 17 new cases of inverted duplication with terminal deletion of 2q, 4p, 5p, 6q, 8p, 9p, 10q, 13q, 15q, 18p, 18q, and 22q.Conclusions:These new cases, combined with previously described cases, demonstrate that U-type exchange is the most frequent mechanism for this rearrangement and can be observed on most, or perhaps all, chromosome arms.

Device performance and defects in AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been correlated. Surface depressions and threading dislocations, revealed by optical-defect mapping and atomic force microscopy (AFM), compromised the effectiveness of the SiNx surface-passivation effect as evidenced by the gate-lag measurements. The residual carriers in the GaN-buffer layer observed from the capacitance-voltage depth profile have been attributed to the point defects and threading dislocations either acting as donors or causing local charge accumulations. Deep-level transient-spectroscopy measurements showed the existence of several traps corresponding to surface states and bulk-dislocation defects. The formation of electron-accumulation regions on the surface or (and) in the GaN-buffer layer was confirmed by current-voltage measurements. This second, virtual gate formed by electron accumulations can deplete the channel and cause a large-signal gain collapse leading to degraded output power. A good correlation was established between the device performance and defects in AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure.

Purpose: Copy number variants have emerged as a major cause of human disease such as autism and intellectual disabilities. Because copy number variants are common in normal individuals, determining the functional and clinical significance of rare copy number variants in patients remains challenging. The adoption of whole-genome chromosomal microarray analysis as a first-tier diagnostic test for individuals with unexplained developmental disabilities provides a unique opportunity to obtain large copy number variant datasets generated through routine patient care. Methods: A consortium of diagnostic laboratories was established (the International Standards for Cytogenomic Arrays consortium) to share copy number variant and phenotypic data in a central, public database. We present the largest copy number variant case-control study to date comprising 15,749 International Standards for Cytogenomic Arrays cases and 10,118 published controls, focusing our initial analysis on recurrent deletions and duplications involving 14 copy number variant regions. Results: Compared with controls, 14 deletions and seven duplications were significantly overrepresented in cases, providing a clinical diagnosis as pathogenic. Conclusion: Given the rapid expansion of clinical chromosomal microarray analysis testing, very large datasets will be available to determine the functional significance of increasingly rare copy number variants. This data will provide an evidence-based guide to clinicians across many disciplines involved in the diagnosis, management, and care of these patients and their families.

Super Li-rich stars form a very small and enigmatic group whose existence cannot be explained in terms of the standard stellar evolution theory. The goal of our study is to check the reality of this group of cool giants based on an independent technique. We have carried out such a check using the K giant HD 77361 (HR 3597), which has previously been assigned to this rare type, as an example. We have redetermined the effective temperature T eff and surface gravity log g for this star. We have applied two different methods, photometric and spectroscopic, to estimate T eff (the accuracy of the Li-abundance determination depends significantly on this parameter). The value of log g has been found from the highly accurate parallax of this nearby star. To apply the photometric method of determining T eff , we have performed U BV observations of the star, which yielded V = 6.18 ± 0.03, B − V = 1.13 ± 0.01, and U − B = 1.18±0.05. The following parameters of the star have been found: effective temperature T eff = 4370± 100 K, surface gravity log g = 2.30 ± 0.10, iron abundance log ϵ (Fe) = 7.49 ± 0.14, microturbulence V t = 1.1 ± 0.2 km s −1 , rotational velocity V sin i = 4.5 km s −1 , and mass M = 1.3 ± 0.2 M ⊙ The lithium abundance has been determined from a non-LTE analysis of three Li I lines: the resonance line at 6707.8 Å and the subordinate lines at 6103.6 and 8126.4 Å (the latter in a blend with a CN molecular line). We have found a high lithium abundance, log ϵ (Li) = 3.75 ± 0.11, which exceeds considerably the initial abundance log ϵ (Li) = 3.2 ± 0.1 for young stars in the solar neighborhood. Thus, we have confirmed that the K giant HD 77361 actually belongs to the type of super Li-rich stars. It is noted that a high lithium abundance in such cool giants is inconsistent with predictions of the standard stellar evolution theory and may suggest a recent synthesis of lithium in these stars.

We describe the purification of xenon from traces of the radioactive noble gas radon using a cryogenic distillation column. The distillation column was integrated into the gas purification loop of the XENON100 detector for online radon removal. This enabled us to significantly reduce the constant 222Rn background originating from radon emanation. After inserting an auxiliary 222Rn emanation source in the gas loop, we determined a radon reduction factor of R>27 (95% C.L.) for the distillation column by monitoring the 222Rn activity concentration inside the XENON100 detector.

Neutrinos are thought to be produced in astrophysical sources outside our solar system but, up until recently, they had only been observed from one supernova in 1987. Aartsen et al. ( 10.1126/science.1242856 ; see the cover) report data obtained between 2010 and 2012 with the IceCube neutrino detector that reveal the presence of a high-energy neutrino flux containing the most energetic neutrinos ever observed, including 28 events at energies between 30 and 1200 TeV. Although the origin of this flux is unknown, the findings are consistent with expectations for a neutrino population with origins outside the solar system. The IceCube observatory at the South Pole detected neutrinos from outside our solar system. We report on results of an all-sky search for high-energy neutrino events interacting within the IceCube neutrino detector conducted between May 2010 and May 2012. The search follows up on the previous detection of two PeV neutrino events, with improved sensitivity and extended energy coverage down to about 30 TeV. Twenty-six additional events were observed, substantially more than expected from atmospheric backgrounds. Combined, both searches reject a purely atmospheric origin for the 28 events at the 4σ level. These 28 events, which include the highest energy neutrinos ever observed, have flavors, directions, and energies inconsistent with those expected from the atmospheric muon and neutrino backgrounds. These properties are, however, consistent with generic predictions for an additional component of extraterrestrial origin.

The XENON1T experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) is the first WIMP dark matter detector operating with a liquid xenon target mass above the ton-scale. Out of its 3.2 t liquid xenon inventory, 2.0 t constitute the active target of the dual-phase time projection chamber. The scintillation and ionization signals from particle interactions are detected with low-background photomultipliers. This article describes the XENON1T instrument and its subsystems as well as strategies to achieve an unprecedented low background level. First results on the detector response and the performance of the subsystems are also presented.

Two-neutrino double electron capture (2 ν ECEC) is a second-order weak-interaction process with a predicted half-life that surpasses the age of the Universe by many orders of magnitude 1 . Until now, indications of 2 ν ECEC decays have only been seen for two isotopes 2 – 5 , 78 Kr and 130 Ba, and instruments with very low background levels are needed to detect them directly with high statistical significance 6 , 7 . The 2 ν ECEC half-life is an important observable for nuclear structure models 8 – 14 and its measurement represents a meaningful step in the search for neutrinoless double electron capture—the detection of which would establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino and would give access to the absolute neutrino mass 15 – 17 . Here we report the direct observation of 2 ν ECEC in 124 Xe with the XENON1T dark-matter detector. The significance of the signal is 4.4 standard deviations and the corresponding half-life of 1.8 × 10 22  years (statistical uncertainty, 0.5 × 10 22  years; systematic uncertainty, 0.1 × 10 22  years) is the longest measured directly so far. This study demonstrates that the low background and large target mass of xenon-based dark-matter detectors make them well suited for measuring rare processes and highlights the broad physics reach of larger next-generation experiments 18 – 20 . Two-neutrino double electron capture is observed experimentally in 124 Xe with the XENON1T detector, yielding a half-life of 1.8 × 10 22 years.

The effective temperatures T eff and carbon and nitrogen abundances in the atmospheres of the cool R CrB stars ES Aql, SV Sge, Z UMi, and NSV 11154 have been determined by modeling their spectral energy distributions in the optical and near-infrared. The hydrogen-deficient model atmospheres were computed using the SAM12 code in the classical approximation, taking into account sources of opacity characteristic of the atmospheres of R CrB stars. The influence of the hydrogen deficiency on theoretical stellar spectra is analyzed. The resulting effective-temperature estimates for ES Aql, SV Sge, Z UMi, and NSV 11154 are in the range T eff = 4600–5200 K. The carbon abundances log n (C) in the atmospheres of ES Aql, SV Sge, and Z UMi are 8.9–10.1, corresponding to [C/Fe] values typical of the atmospheres of R CrB stars. The nitrogen abundances are lower than those determined in other studies, and differ considerably from star to star. The mean [N/Fe] value for these three stars is ≈1.5 dex lowthan the mean [N/Fe] for known warm R CrB stars. Abnormally high estimates were obtained for the atmosphere of NSV 11154: log n (C) = 10.8 and log n (N) = 10.0. The approximate log g estimates agree with the conclusion from photometric observations that cool R CrB stars have lower luminosities than hotter R CrB stars.