Incoming Matter Research Articles

Broadband dark matter axion detection using a cylindrical capacitor

Cosmological axions/axion-like particles can compose a significant part of dark matter; however, the uncertainty of their mass is large. Here, we propose to search the axions using a cylindrical capacitor, in which the static electric field converts dark matter axions into an oscillating magnetic field. Due to the odd CPs, the axions couple to the electric field differently compared to the magnetic field. The axion couples to the electric field via a derivative that carries spatial information of incoming dark matter flux, while the coupling to the magnetic field depends on the dark matter density. This difference could be helpful in searching the axions and studies of the integrity of the theory, especially when the axions are very light, in which case the magnetic field-induced signal is DC-like. Orientation dependence could also be used to reduce the kinetic fluctuation-induced noise when multiple detectors operate simultaneously. In addition, a cylindrical setup shields the electric field to the laboratory and encompasses the axion-induced magnetic field within the capacitor. The induced oscillating magnetic field can then be picked up by a sensitive magnetometer. Adding a superconductor ring-coil system into the scheme can further boost the sensitivity and maintain the axion dark matter inherent bandwidth. This proposed setup could be capable of wide mass range searches.

Black Holes as the Source of All Matter and Radiation in the Universe

An in-depth study of general relativity has led to the development of a theory, CBU for the continuously breeding universe, in which the universe emerges from a quantum fluctuation and continues to expand due to the inflow of new matter, foremostly electrons and positrons. According to a novel model for black holes, a continuous inflow of matter prevents the black holes from becoming singularities, the contraction pressure is counteracted by the expansion pressure. The study shows that the gravitational energy gap between the event horizon and the inner photon sphere of a black hole is the source of incoming real matter from a QED vacuum foam of virtual particles. The calculated CBU results are in good agreement with current observations.

Micromorphological structure of maritime antarctic cryosols (King-George and Livingston Islands, West Antarctica)

Cryosols of the Antarctic maritime area are much different from the continental ones. The relatively moderate climate conditions in Maritime Antarctica and a strong interaction between the biotic and abiotic environment are drivers for more intensive soil formation processes than in the continental regions. Soil formation studies from the Maritime Antarctica are, however, rather rare. Therefore, micromorphological investigations on polar soils can contribute to more comprehensive information on soil genesis in Antarctica. In this study, we applied the micromorphological study of thin sections from soil micromonoliths to assess the intensity and trends of the pedogenic processes in selected soils from two adjacent islands of the South-Shetland archipelago: King George Island and Livingston Island. The results obtained show that regional lithology and the origin of the incoming organic matter mainly determine the micromorphological structure of the local soils. Soil matrix micromorphological properties and features (mineralogical content, weathering stage and even partly grain-size distribution) are mainly defined by pyroclastic particles due to recent and ancient volcanic eruptions. The presence of rounded grains and aggregated mineral particles is the evidence of marine origin of the sediments. Ornithogenic soils show the clear evidence of the organic plasma formation and mineral particles aggregation via the zoogenic organic substances provided by penguins which is a unique specifics of the maritime Antarctic soils.

Directional detectability of dark matter with single phonon excitations: Target comparison

Single phonon excitations are sensitive probes of light-dark matter in the keV-GeV mass window. For anisotropic target materials, the signal depends on the direction of the incoming dark matter wind and exhibits a daily modulation. We discuss in detail the various sources of anisotropy and carry out a comparative study of 26 crystal targets, focused on sub-MeV dark matter benchmarks. We compute the modulation reach for the most promising targets, corresponding to the cross section where the daily modulation can be observed for a given exposure, which allows us to combine the strength of dark matter-phonon couplings and the amplitude of daily modulation. We highlight ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (sapphire), ${\mathrm{CaWO}}_{4}$, and h-BN (hexagonal boron nitride) as the best polar materials for recovering a daily modulation signal, which feature $\mathcal{O}(1--100)%$ variations of detection rates throughout the day, depending on the dark matter mass and interaction. The directional nature of single phonon excitations offers a useful handle to mitigate backgrounds, which is crucial for fully realizing the discovery potential of near future experiments.

EPR Paradox, Einstein-Rosen bridges and teleportation

In this review, we go over the bases of quantum teleportation, ER bridges in General relativity, and the foundational work on the hypothesis ER=EPR and summarize the resulting wormhole teleportation protocol. We then discuss that − resulting from ER=EPR − certain wormholes have to be either traversable or at the very least let information permeate, resulting in the exploration of the possibility that incoming matter might change the metric outside of wormhole throats. In this study, made in the Schwarzschild metric with the original coordinate system, we managed to find a non-zero energy-momentum tensor produced by a particular solution of the electromagnetic wave equation in curved spacetime, implying a change in the overall metric by Einstein’s Equation.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ЗАГРЯЗНЕНИЙ СТОЧНЫХ ВОД НА БИОЦЕНОЗ АКТИВНОГО ИЛА

Wastewater from agro-industrial complexes is rich in organic components. Biological method is considered to be the most universal for their purification. It provides a high rate of biodegradation of pollution. But due to the high concentration of incoming pollutants, activated sludge microbiome can reduce its cleaning ability. High aeration rate is required for the effective decomposition of such compounds, since aerobic microorganisms predominate in the activated sludge. Under real conditions, the time for the oxidation of these substances by microbial communities is often insufficient. This imbalance between incoming organic matter and oxidized activated sludge microbiota leads to the growth of filamentous bacteria, which is one of the reasons of activated sludge swelling. The influence of high concentrations of pollutants in wastewater on a consortium of microorganisms of activated sludge was investigated to eliminate this negative factor. Physical and chemical composition of the wastewater was carried out according to standard methods. The composition of the activated sludge bacteriocenosis and pig intestine microbiome were determined by standard methods of inoculation in liquid and solid nutrient media. A correlation between the decrease in the concentration of pollutants and regeneration of activated sludge biocenosis has been established. A 59.8% decrease in the overall level of COD contamination of source effluents led to an increase in the number of flocculating microorganisms by 41.7%. Deep destruction of amine nitrogen (99%) and phosphorus (71.4%) was observed due to the activation of heterotrophic microorganisms.

Total mercury and methylmercury migration and transformation in an A2/O wastewater treatment plant

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTPs) serve an essential role in reducing mercury (Hg) pollution. However, few studies quantified the transport and transformation of Hg through MWTPs, particularly plants based on the anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic (A2/O) process. Here, we present a mass balance for total mercury (THg) and total methylmercury (TMeHg) at the plant, and investigate the influence of pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen on the occurrence and fate of methylmercury (MeHg) in the system. The concentrations of the THg and TMeHg in the raw sewage were 40.3 ± 26.6 ng/L (4.3 ± 2.7 g/day) and 1.9 ± 0.6 ng/L (193 ± 58 mg/day), respectively. Their concentrations in the plant's effluent water were 7.4 ± 1.5 ng/L (0.74 ± 0.2 g/day) and 0.04 ± 0.01 ng/L (3.9 ± 1.0 mg/day), corresponding to decreases of ~82% for THg and ~98% for TMeHg. Within the plant, only ~10% of the THg was removed with primary sedimentation, as Hg in the raw sewage was predominately in dissolved form. In contrast, a significant portion of TMeHg (~43%) was associated with incoming particulate matter. Much of the remaining Hg was removed in subsequent A2/O process and secondary clarifiers, with a ~78% of the THg entering the plant transferring to the dewatered sludge (concentration 1.05 ± 0.28 μg/g; 3.2 ± 0.8 g/day). These same steps decreased TMeHg in the water by ~95%, with <10% of that reduction being TMeHg transferred to the sludge (concentration 2.1 ± 1.1 ng/g; 6.2 ± 3.3 mg/day), suggesting >90% TMeHg degradation. In addition, the most important factor that impacted the variation of TMeHg concentrations was pH, then was temperature. Dissolved oxygen showed no relationship with TMeHg and DMeHg. Overall, this study demonstrates that A2/O MWTPs effectively remove MeHg from wastewater, however, sludge remains an important potential source of Hg to the environment.

The physics of cell-size regulation across timescales

The size of a cell is determined by a combination of synthesis, self-assembly, incoming matter and the balance of mechanical forces. Such processes operate at the single-cell level, but they are deeply interconnected with cell-cycle progression, resulting in a stable average cell size at the population level. Here, we examine this phenomenon by reviewing the physics of growth processes that operate at vastly different timescales, but result in the controlled production of daughter cells that are close copies of their mothers. We first review the regulatory mechanisms of size at short timescales, focusing on the contribution of fundamental physical forces. We then discuss the multiple relevant regulation processes operating on the timescale of the cell cycle. Finally, we look at how these processes interact: one of the most important challenges to date involves bridging the gap between timescales, connecting the physics of cell growth and the biology of cell-cycle progression. Cell size is regulated by processes ranging from rapid fluctuations to slower growth and division. Limited dialogue between communities studying these disparate timescales has hindered our understanding of size control—a gap bridged by this Review.

Cellulase-Free Xylanase by Halococcus thailandensis GUMFAS7 and Halorubrum saccharovorum GUMFAS1—Bionts of a Sponge Cinachyrella cavernosa

Intertidal sponges, during tidal flux and filter feeding cycle, often get exposed to an influx of water of varying salinities containing halophilic microbes and suspended agricultural detritus. Microbes get established in the lumen of the host during its filter feeding process and might participate in the degradation of incoming particulate matter. We successfully isolated two haloarchaeal bionts, strains GUMFAS1 and GUMFAS7, producing cellulase-free xylanases from one such sponge, identified as Cinachyrella cavernosa inhabiting the intertidal rocky region of Anjuna, Goa-India. The bionts exhibited 4.791 and 8.714 U/mg of cellulase-free xylanase activity, respectively. Xylanase from GUMFAS7 (XS7) showed maximum activity at 37°C, pH 5 and 20% NaCl concentration. Zymographic analysis of XS7 revealed a presence of three bands with xylanase activity of molecular weight 238, 60, and 18 kDa, respectively. The strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Halococcus thailandensis (GUMFAS7) and Halorubrum saccharovorum (GUMFAS1). The latter was identical to another isolate obtained from the waters surrounding the host. These findings reflect a unique type of interaction between haloarchaea and sponge. An in-depth study on this cellulase-free xylanase is underway and expected to be of significance in the field of extremozymes.

Directional axion detection

We develop a formalism to describe extensions of existing axion haloscope designs to those that possess directional sensitivity to incoming dark matter axion velocities. The effects are measurable if experiments are designed to have dimensions that approach the typical coherence length for the local axion field. With directional sensitivity, axion detection experiments would have a greatly enhanced potential to probe the local dark matter velocity distribution. We develop our formalism generally, but apply it to specific experimental designs, namely resonant cavities and dielectric disk haloscopes. We demonstrate that these experiments are capable of measuring the daily modulation of the dark matter signal and using it to reconstruct the three-dimensional velocity distribution. This allows one to measure the Solar peculiar velocity, probe the anisotropy of the dark matter velocity ellipsoid and identify cold substructures such as the recently discovered streams near to Earth. Directional experiments can also identify features over much shorter timescales, potentially facilitating the mapping of debris from axion miniclusters.

Field Evaluation of an Electrostatic Air Filtration System for Reducing Incoming Particulate Matter of a Hen House

Abstract. As a result of the unprecedented highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the U.S. in 2014-2015, some egg producers in the U.S. started using inlet air filtration to reduce the risk of disease transmission by air into hen houses. The removal efficiency of particulate matter (PM), the carrier of airborne pathogens, by such filtration systems has not been investigated. Therefore, this field study was conducted to evaluate the PM removal efficacy of an electrostatic air filtration system (consisting of a low-grade air filter and an electrostatic particle ionization, or EPI, system) installed at the inlet of a commercial high-rise hen house. The evaluation was performed in two test rounds over a one-year period. Results showed that average PM removal efficiencies in round 1 (spring to summer) and round 2 (late fall to spring) were respectively 66% and 29% for PM1, 66% and 30% for PM2.5, 66% and 31% for PM4, 68% and 36% for PM10, and 68% and 45% for total PM. Removal efficiency became unstable when the EPI system was inactive (i.e., when solely relying on the filter for PM removal). House static pressure and ventilation rate indicated considerable clogging of the filter media by dust accumulation and the need for replacement after ~16 weeks of use in the spring-to-summer sampling period (round 1); however, clogging was not an issue during the entire late fall-to-spring sampling period (24 weeks, round 2). The appearance of the filter changed gradually as dust accumulated with time, which can be captured by image analysis and used to judge filter dirtiness and lifespan. The findings of this field study provide insight into the efficacy of PM removal by such a low-cost air filtration system, which will help egg producers in their decision-making for disease prevention strategies. Keywords: Electrostatic particle ionization, Filtration, Hen house, Particulate matter, Reduction.

Designing quantum resonant scatterers at subwavelength scale

For an isotropic quantum resonant scatterer, such as a quantum dot embedded in host semiconductors, we propose a method to achieve resonant electron scattering by taking physical quantities into account through the second-order expansion. All needed physical information for spherical harmonic channels in anomalous quantum resonant scattering is revealed in a parameter space as the size of quantum scatterer is comparable to the de Broglie wavelength of incoming matter wave. Our results provide the guideline to realize quantum resonant scatterers with state-of-the-art semiconductor heterostructure technology.

Live Fast, Die Young: Optimizing Retention Times in High-Rate Contact Stabilization for Maximal Recovery of Organics from Wastewater.

Wastewater is typically treated by the conventional activated sludge process, which suffers from an inefficient overall energy balance. The high-rate contact stabilization (HiCS) has been proposed as a promising primary treatment technology with which to maximize redirection of organics to sludge for subsequent energy recovery. It utilizes a feast-famine cycle to select for bioflocculation, intracellular storage, or both. We optimized the HiCS process for organics recovery and characterized different biological pathways of organics removal and recovery. A total of eight HiCS reactors were operated at 15 °C at short solids retention times (SRT; 0.24-2.8 days), hydraulic contact times (tc; 8 and 15 min), and stabilization times (ts; 15 and 40 min). At an optimal SRT between 0.5 and 1.3 days and tc of 15 min and ts of 40 min, the HiCS system oxidized only 10% of influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) and recovered up to 55% of incoming organic matter into sludge. Storage played a minor role in the overall COD removal, which was likely dominated by aerobic biomass growth, bioflocculation onto extracellular polymeric substances, and settling. The HiCS process recovers enough organics to potentially produce 28 kWh of electricity per population equivalent per year by anaerobic digestion and electricity generation. This inspires new possibilities for energy-neutral wastewater treatment.

Interpreting the effect of increasing COD loading rates on the performance of a pre-anoxic MBBR system: implications on the attached and suspended biomass dynamics and nitrification-denitrification activity.

A pre-anoxic MBBR system was subjected to increasing organic loading rates up to 18gCOD/(m(2)day). At 3gCOD/(m(2)day), most of the incoming organic matter was removed via denitrification. However, at higher loads, anoxic COD removal became limited by the nitrite/nitrate supply from the aerobic reactor, which assumed an important role in this conversion. Despite the application of low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (<2mg/L) in this tank, nitrification was observed to be nearly complete until 8gCOD/(m(2)day). As the organic input was increased, the maximum specific nitrifying activity gradually declined. Activity tests suggested that an oxygen-limited environment was established in the biofilm. At lower loads [3-8gCOD/(m(2)day)], the nitrification product obtained was affected by the DO concentration, whereas from 16 to 21gCOD/(m(2)day), nitrite/nitrate profiles were likely associated with microbial stratification in the biofilm. The results also indicated that the role of the suspended biomass in the overall nitrification and denitrification can be very significant in high loaded MBBRs and should not be neglected, even at low HRTs.

Combined organic matter and nitrogen removal from a chemical industry wastewater in a two-stage MBBR system

Pesticide-producing factories generate highly polluting wastewaters containing toxic and hazardous compounds which should be reduced to acceptable levels before discharge. In this study, a chemical industry wastewater was treated in a pre-denitrification moving-bed biofilm reactor system subjected to an increasing internal mixed liquor recycle ratio from 2 to 4. Although the influent wastewater characteristics substantially varied over time, the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved organic carbon was quite stable and mostly higher than 90%. The highest fraction of the incoming organic matter was removed anoxically, favouring a low COD/N environment in the subsequent aerobic nitrifying tank and thus ensuring stable ammonium removal (90–95%). However, during pH and salt shock periods, nitrifiers were severely inhibited but gradually restored their full nitrifying capability as non-stressing conditions were reestablished. Besides promoting an increase in the maximum nitrification potential of the aerobic attached biomass from 0.34 to 0.63 mg , the increase in the internal recycle ratio was accompanied by an increase in nitrogen removal (60–78%) and maximum specific denitrification rate (2.7–3.3 mg ). Total polysaccharides (PS) and protein (PT) concentrations of attached biomass were observed to be directly influenced by the influent organic loading rate, while the PS/PT ratio mainly ranged from 0.3 to 0.5. Results of Microtox tests showed that no toxicity was found in the effluent of both the anoxic and aerobic reactors, indicating that the biological process was effective in removing residual substances which might adversely affect the receiving waters' ecosystem.

Emergence of four dimensional quantum mechanics from a deterministic theory in 11 dimensions

We develop a deterministic theory which accounts for the coupling of a high dimensional continuum of environmental excitations (called gravonons) to massive particle in a very localized and very weak fashion. For the model presented Schrödinger's equation can be solved practically exactly in 11 spacetime dimensions and the result demonstrates that as a function of time an incoming matter wave incident on a screen extinguishes, except at a single interaction center on the detection screen. This transition is reminiscent of the wave - particle duality arising from the ’’collapse” (also called ’’process one”) postulated in the Copenhagen-von Neumann interpretation. In our theory it is replaced by a sticking process of the particle from the vacuum to the surface of the detection screen. This situation was verified in experiments by using massive molecules. In our theory this ”wave-particle transition” is connected to the different dimensionalities of the space for particle motion and the gravonon dynamics, the latter propagating in the hidden dimensions of 11 dimensional spacetime. The fact that the particle is detected at apparently statistically determined points on the screen is traced back to the weakness and locality of the interaction with the gravonons which allows coupling on the energy shell alone. Although the theory exhibits a completely deterministic ”chooser” mechanism for single site sticking, an apparent statistical character results, as it is found in the experiments, due to small heterogeneities in the atomic and gravonon structures.

Nonequilibrium phase transition in compact stars through a violent shock

In this letter we study the dynamics of a first order phase transition from nucleonic to quark matter in neutron stars. Using standard equations of state for these two phases we find the density range where such a transition is possible. Then we study the transformation of the star assuming that the quark core is formed via a spherical shock wave. The thermodynamical conditions in the quark core are found from the conservation laws across the transition region. Their dependence on the density and velocity of the incoming nuclear matter are studied. It is found that the shock is especially violent in the beginning of the conversion process when the velocity of the infalling matter is especially high. As the shock propagates further from the center the front velocity first increases and reaches a maximum value when the incoming velocity is around $0.2$. Finally, the front velocity quickly goes to zero when incoming matter velocity approaches zero. We have shown that the density and pressure jumps are especially large in the begining of the transition process.

Meteorological drivers of the dynamics of autotrophic picoplankton

Summary1. The tiny non‐motile autotrophic picoplankton (APP; size range 0.2–2 μm) occur in all types of aquatic habitats and are comprised of prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic taxa. In the Boreal Zone, the majority of lakes have high concentrations of coloured humic substances that can adversely affect lake light climate and cause steep summertime stratification resulting in epilimnetic nutrient depletion. APP are more effective in nutrient and light acquisition than larger phytoplankton and thus should be competitive in humic lakes.2. Most lacustrine APP studies have been based on short sampling periods, and thus, interannual variation and its drivers are still unclear. We studied APP in the small, boreal, humic Lake Valkea‐Kotinen during five open‐water periods in 2002–06 to determine interannual variation and the importance of meteorological drivers for APP dynamics.3. Total APP showed a bimodal annual pattern, but the timing and vertical location of the two maxima varied during the study. In general, APP thrived in warm water and the most important abiotic factor controlling APP was stability of the water column (Ns). On average, 82% of APP were found in the epilimnion or metalimnion during summertime stratification.4. There was niche separation of APP and larger phytoplankton in the lake because, with only one exception, APP maxima occurred separately from the maxima of larger phytoplankton.5. Two groups, solitary eukaryotic APP and colonial picocyanobacteria (Merismopedia warmingiana), responded differently to the abiotic factors. Solitary APP preferred high water colour and low pH, both of which occurred after heavy rain, whereas colonial APP did not fare well when water colour was high. Our findings suggest that when future climate change‐related processes increase incoming allocthonous organic matter load from the catchment, solitary eukaryotic APP will be favoured.

Statistics of interfacial fluctuations of radially growing clusters

The dynamics of fluctuating radially growing interfaces is approached using the formalism of stochastic growth equations on growing domains. This framework reveals a number of dynamic features arising during surface growth. For fast growth, dilution, which spatially reorders the incoming matter, is responsible for the transmission of correlations. Its effects include the erasing of memory with respect to the initial condition, a partial attenuation of geometrically originated instabilities, and the restoration of universality in some special cases in which the critical exponents depend on the parameters of the equation of motion. In this sense, dilution rends the dynamics more similar to the usual one of planar systems. This fast growth regime is also characterized by the spatial decorrelation of the interface, which, in the case of radially growing interfaces, naturally originates rapid roughening and scale-dependent fractality, and suggests the advent of a self-similar fractal dimension. The center-of-mass fluctuations of growing clusters are also studied, and our analysis suggests the possible nonapplicability of usual scalings to the long-range surface fluctuations of the radial Eden model. In fact, our study points to the fact that this model belongs to a dilution-free universality class.

Transmission resonances in above-barrier reflection of ultra-cold atoms by the Rosen–Morse potential

Quantum above-barrier reflection of ultra-cold atoms by the Rosen–Morse potential is analytically considered within the mean-field Gross–Pitaevskii approximation. Reformulating the problem of reflectionless transmission as a quasi-linear eigenvalue problem for the potential depth, an approximation for the specific height of the potential that supports reflectionless transmission of the incoming matter wave is derived via modification of the Rayleigh–Schrödinger time-independent perturbation theory. The approximation provides a highly accurate description of the resonance position for all the resonance orders if the nonlinearity parameter is small compared with the incoming particle's chemical potential. Notably, the result for the first transmission resonance turns out to be exact, i.e. the derived formula for the resonant potential height gives the exact value of the first nonlinear resonance's position for all the allowed variation range of the involved parameters, the nonlinearity parameter and chemical potential. This has been demonstrated by constructing the exact solution of the problem for the first resonance. Furthermore, the presented approximation reveals that, in contrast to the linear case, in the nonlinear case reflectionless transmission may occur not only for potential wells but also for potential barriers with positive potential height. It also shows that the nonlinear shift of the resonance position from the position of the corresponding linear resonance is approximately described as a linear function of the resonance order. Finally, a compact (yet, highly accurate) analytic formula for the nth-order resonance position is constructed via combination of analytical and numerical methods.