2003 Brookhaven National Laboratory Annual Illness and Injury Surveillance Report, Revised September 2007 (open access)

2003 Brookhaven National Laboratory Annual Illness and Injury Surveillance Report, Revised September 2007

Annual Illness and Injury Surveillance Program report for 2003 for Brookhaven National Lab. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) commitment to assuring the health and safety of its workers includes the conduct of epidemiologic surveillance activities that provide an early warning system for health problems among workers. The IISP monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence of workdays, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: United States. Department of Energy. Office of Illness and Injury Prevention Programs.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elastic and transport properties in polycrystals of crackedgrains: Cross-property relations and microstructure (open access)

Elastic and transport properties in polycrystals of crackedgrains: Cross-property relations and microstructure

Some arguments of Bristow (1960) concerning the effects of cracks on elastic and transport (i.e., electrical or thermal conduction) properties of cold-worked metals are reexamined. The discussion is posed in terms of a modern understanding of bounds and estimates for physical properties of polycrystals--in contrast to Bristow's approach using simple mixture theory. One type of specialized result emphasized here is the cross-property estimates and bounds that can be obtained using the methods presented. Our results ultimately agree with those of Bristow, i.e., confirming that microcracking is not likely to be the main cause of the observed elastic behavior of cold-worked metals. However, it also becomes clear that the mixture theory approach to the analysis is too simple and that crack-crack interactions are necessary for proper quantitative study of Bristow's problem.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Berryman, J.G.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effect of Background Emissivity on Gas Detection in Thermal Hyperspectral Imagery (open access)

Effect of Background Emissivity on Gas Detection in Thermal Hyperspectral Imagery

Detecting and identifying weak gaseous plumes using thermal imaging data is complicated by many factors. These include variability due to atmosphere, ground and plume temper- ature, and background clutter. This paper presents an analysis of one formulation of the physics-based radiance model, which describes at-sensor observed radiance. The background emissivity and plume/ground temperatures are isolated, and their effects on net chemical signal are described. This analysis shows that the plume’s physical state, emission or absorption, is directly dependent on the background emissivity. It then describes what conditions on the background emissivity have inhibiting effects on the net chemical signal. These claims are illustrated by analyzing synthetic hyperspectral imaging data with the Adaptive Matched Filter using four chemicals and three distinct background emissivities. Two chemicals (Carbontetrachloride and Tetraflourosilane) in the analysis had a very strong relationship with the background emissivities: they exhibited absorbance over a small range of wavenumbers and the background emissivities showed a consistent ordering at these wavenumbers. Analysis of simulated hyperspectral images containing these chemicals showed complete agreement with the analysis of the physics-based model that described when the background emissivities would have inhibiting effects on gas detection. The other chemicals considered (Ammonia and Tributylphosphate) exhibited very complex …
Date: October 2, 2008
Creator: Walsh, Stephen J.; Tardiff, Mark F.; Chilton, Lawrence K. & Metoyer, Candace N.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DiMES Studies of Temperature Dependence of Carbon Erosion and Re-Deposition in the DIII-D Divertor (open access)

DiMES Studies of Temperature Dependence of Carbon Erosion and Re-Deposition in the DIII-D Divertor

A strong effect of a moderately elevated surface temperature on net carbon deposition and deuterium co-deposition in the DIII-D divertor was observed under detached conditions. A DiMES sample with a gap 2 mm wide and 18 mm deep was exposed to lower-single-null (LSN) L-mode plasmas first at room temperature, and then at 200 C. At the elevated temperature, deuterium co-deposition in the gap was reduced by an order of magnitude. At the plasma-facing surface of the heated sample net carbon erosion was measured at a rate of 3 nm/s, whereas without heating net deposition is normally observed under detachment. In a related experiment three sets of molybdenum mirrors recessed 2 cm below the divertor floor were exposed to identical LSN ELMy H-mode discharges. The first set of mirrors exposed at ambient temperature exhibited net carbon deposition at a rate of up to 3.7 nm/s and suffered a significant drop in reflectivity. In contrast, two other mirror sets exposed at elevated temperatures between 90 C and 175 C exhibited virtually no carbon deposition.
Date: October 2, 2006
Creator: Rudakov, D.; Jacob, W.; Krieger, K.; Litnovsky, A.; Philipps, V.; West, W. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cleanup Verification Package for the 118-F-6 Burial Ground (open access)

Cleanup Verification Package for the 118-F-6 Burial Ground

This cleanup verification package documents completion of remedial action for the 118-F-6 Burial Ground located in the 100-FR-2 Operable Unit of the 100-F Area on the Hanford Site. The trenches received waste from the 100-F Experimental Animal Farm, including animal manure, animal carcasses, laboratory waste, plastic, cardboard, metal, and concrete debris as well as a railroad tank car.
Date: October 2, 2008
Creator: Sulloway, H. M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Introduction to Electroweak Symmetry Breaking (open access)

Introduction to Electroweak Symmetry Breaking

The Standard Model (SM) is the backbone of elementary particle physics-not only does it provide a consistent framework for studying the interactions of quark and leptons, but it also gives predictions which have been extensively tested experimentally. In these notes, I review the electroweak sector of the Standard Model, discuss the calculation of electroweak radiative corrections to observables, and summarize the status of SM Higgs boson searches. Despite the impressive experimental successes, however, the electroweak theory is not completely satisfactory and the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking is untested. I will discuss the logic behind the oft-repeated statement: 'There must be new physics at the TeV scale'. These lectures reflect my strongly held belief that upcoming results from the LHC will fundamentally change our understanding of electroweak symmetry breaking. In these lectures, I review the status of the electroweak sector of the Standard Model, with an emphasis on the importance of radiative corrections and searches for the Standard Model Higgs boson. A discussion of the special role of the TeV energy scale in electroweak physics is included.
Date: October 2, 2008
Creator: Dawson,S.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measurement of Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetries for Di-JetProduction in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt s = 200 GeV (open access)

Measurement of Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetries for Di-JetProduction in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt s = 200 GeV

We report the first measurement of the opening angledistribution between pairs of jets produced in high-energy collisions oftransversely polarized protons. The measurement probes (Sivers)correlations between the transverse spin orientation of a proton and thetransverse momentum directions of its partons. With both beams polarized,the wide pseudorapidity (-1 leq eta leq +2) coverage for jets permitsseparation of Sivers functions for the valence and sea regions. Theresulting asymmetries are all consistent with zero and considerablysmaller than Sivers effects observed in semi-inclusive deep inelasticscattering (SIDIS). We discuss theoretical attempts to reconcile the newresults with the sizable transverse spin effects seen in SIDIS andforward hadron production in pp collisions.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Abelev, B. I.; Adams, J.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Amonett, J.; Anderson, B. D. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Telomere dysfunction and cell survival: Roles for distinct TIN2-containing complexes (open access)

Telomere dysfunction and cell survival: Roles for distinct TIN2-containing complexes

Telomeres are maintained by three DNA binding proteins (TRF1, TRF2 and POT1), and several associated factors. One factor, TIN2, binds TRF1 and TRF2 directly and POT1 indirectly. Along with two other proteins, TPP1 and hRap1, these form a soluble complex that may be the core telomere maintenance complex. It is not clear whether sub-complexes also exist in vivo. We provide evidence for two TIN2 sub-complexes with distinct functions in human cells. We isolated these two TIN2 sub-complexes from nuclear lysates of unperturbed cells and cells expressing TIN2 mutants TIN2-13, TIN2-15C, which cannot bind TRF2 or TRF1, respectively. In cells with wild-type p53 function, TIN2-15C was more potent than TIN2-13 in causing telomere uncapping and eventual growth arrest. In cells lacking p53 function, TIN2-15C was more potent than TIN2-13 in causing telomere dysfunction and cell death. Our findings suggest that distinct TIN2 complexes exist, and that TIN2-15C-sensitive subcomplexes are particularly important for cell survival in the absence of functional p53.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Kim, Sahn-ho; Davalos, Albert R.; Heo, Seok-Jin; Rodier, Francis; Zou, Ying; Beausejour, Christian et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Toward a Mesoscale Model for the Dynamics of Polymer Solutions (open access)

Toward a Mesoscale Model for the Dynamics of Polymer Solutions

To model entire microfluidic systems containing solvated polymers we argue that it is necessary to have a numerical stability constraint governed only by the advective CFL condition. Advancements in the treatment of Kramers bead-rod polymer models are presented to enable tightly-coupled fluid-particle algorithms in the context of system-level modeling.
Date: October 2, 2006
Creator: Miller, G H & Trebotich, D
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Compton scattering measurements from dense plasmas (open access)

Compton scattering measurements from dense plasmas

Compton scattering has been developed for accurate measurements of densities and temperatures in dense plasmas. One future challenge is the application of this technique to characterize compressed matter on the National Ignition Facility where hydrogen and beryllium will approach extremely dense states of matter of up to 1000 g/cc. In this regime, the density, compressibility, and capsule fuel adiabat may be directly measured from the Compton scattered spectrum of a high-energy x-ray line source. Specifically, the scattered spectra directly reflect the electron velocity distribution. In non-degenerate plasmas, the width provides an accurate measure of the electron temperatures, while in partially Fermi degenerate systems that occur in laser-compressed matter it provides the Fermi energy and hence the electron density. Both of these regimes have been accessed in experiments at the Omega laser by employing isochorically heated solid-density beryllium and moderately compressed beryllium foil targets. In the latter experiment, compressions by a factor of 3 at pressures of 40 Mbar have been measured in excellent agreement with radiation hydrodynamic modeling.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Glenzer, S. H.; Neumayer, P.; Doeppner, T.; Landen, L.; Lee, R. W.; Wallace, R. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
MAXIMA-1: A Measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy on Angular Scales of 10' to 5 Degrees (open access)

MAXIMA-1: A Measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy on Angular Scales of 10' to 5 Degrees

We present a map and an angular power spectrum of the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from the first flight of MAXIMA. MAXIMA is a balloon-borne experiment with an array of 16 bolometric photometers operated at 100 mK. MAXIMA observed a 124 deg region of the sky with 10' resolution at frequencies of 150, 240 and 410 GHz. The data were calibrated using in-flight measurements of the CMB dipole anisotropy. A map of the CMB anisotropy was produced from three 150 and one 240 GHz photometer without need for foreground subtractions. Analysis of this CMB map yields a power spectrum for the CMB anisotropy over the range 36 {le} {ell} {le} 785. The spectrum shows a peak with an amplitude of 78 {+-} 6 {mu}K at {ell} {approx_equal} 220 and an amplitude varying between {approx} 40 {mu}K and {approx} 50 {mu}K for 400 {approx}< {ell} {approx}< 785.
Date: October 2, 2000
Creator: Ade, P.; Balbi, A.; Bock, J.; Borrill, J.; Boscaleri, A.; deBernardis, P. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Genetically Remote Pathogenic Strain NVH391-98 of the Bacillus cereus Group Represents the Cluster of Thermophilic Strains (open access)

The Genetically Remote Pathogenic Strain NVH391-98 of the Bacillus cereus Group Represents the Cluster of Thermophilic Strains

Bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group are known to cause food poisoning. A rare phylogenetically remote strain, NVH391-98, was recently characterized to encode a particularly efficient cytotoxin K presumably responsible for food poisoning. This pathogenic strain and its close relatives can be phenotypically distinguished from other strains of the B. cereus group by the inability to grow at temperatures below 17 degrees C and by the ability to grow at temperatures from 48 to 53 degrees C. A temperate phage, phBC391A2, residing in the genome of NVH391-98 allows us to distinguish the three known members of this thermophilic strain cluster.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Auger, Sandrine; Galleron, Nathalie; Bidnenko, Elena; Ehrlich, S. Dusko; Lapidus, Alla & Sorokin, Alexei
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Level-2 Milestone 2351: Terascale Simulation Facility Upgrade (open access)

Level-2 Milestone 2351: Terascale Simulation Facility Upgrade

This report documents the LLNL TSF upgrade ASC L2 milestone 2351: Terascale Simulation Facility upgrade, due Sept. 30, 2007. The full text of the milestone is included in Attachment 1. The stated goal of the milestone was: 'Complete a 3-MW expansion of electrical power for computing systems in the east computer room of the Terascale Simulation Facility (TSF) and complete the final connection of all air handlers that were delivered as part of the TSF line item'. In this report we detail the upgrade and cover the results of the process to accept the system by testing, adjusting, balancing and finally start-up of the system in accordance with the detailed project commissioning plan to be developed by the system engineers during the design phase of the project. The quarterly reports for the upgrade and the text of the project commissioning plan are included at the end of this document as Attachments 2 and 3.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Bailey, A M
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Metrology Measurement Capabilities (open access)

Metrology Measurement Capabilities

This document contains descriptions of Federal Manufacturing & Technologies (FM&T) Metrology capabilities, traceability flow charts, and the measurement uncertainty of each measurement capability. Metrology provides NIST traceable precision measurements or equipment calibration for a wide variety of parameters, ranges, and state-of-the-art uncertainties. Metrology laboratories conform to the requirements of the Department of Energy Development and Production Manual Chapter 13.2, ANSI/ISO/IEC ANSI/ISO/IEC 17025:2005, and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1. FM&T Metrology laboratories are accredited by NVLAP for the parameters, ranges, and uncertainties listed in the specific scope of accreditation under NVLAP Lab code 200108-0. See the Internet at http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/scopes/2001080.pdf. These parameters are summarized. The Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies (FM&T) Metrology Department has developed measurement technology and calibration capability in four major fields of measurement: (1) Mechanical; (2) Environmental, Gas, Liquid; (3) Electrical (DC, AC, RF/Microwave); and (4) Optical and Radiation. Metrology Engineering provides the expertise to develop measurement capabilities for virtually any type of measurement in the fields listed above. A strong audit function has been developed to provide a means to evaluate the calibration programs of our suppliers and internal calibration organizations. Evaluation includes measurement audits and technical surveys.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Gronniger, Dr. Glen E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Is Increased Low-dose somatic Radiosensitivity Associated with Increased Transgenerational Germline Mutation (open access)

Is Increased Low-dose somatic Radiosensitivity Associated with Increased Transgenerational Germline Mutation

Using single-molecule polymerase chain reaction, the frequency of spontaneous and radiation-induced mutation at an expanded simple tandem repeat (ESTR) locus was studied in DNA samples extracted from sperm and bone marrow of Atm knockout (Atm+/–) heterozygous male mice. The frequency of spontaneous mutation in sperm and bone marrow in Atm+/– males did not significantly differ from that in wild-type BALB/c mice. Acute gamma-ray exposure did not affect ESTR mutation frequency in bone marrow and resulted in similar increases in sperm samples taken from Atm+/– and BALB/c males. Taken together, these results suggest that the Atm haploinsufficiency analyzed in our study does not affect spontaneous and radiation-induced ESTR mutation frequency in mice.
Date: October 2, 2008
Creator: Brenner, David J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of An On-Line, Core Power Distribution Monitoring System (open access)

Development of An On-Line, Core Power Distribution Monitoring System

The objective of the proposed work was to develop a software package that can construct in three-dimensional core power distributions using the signals from constant temperature power sensors distributed in the reactor core. The software developed uses a mode-based state/parameter estmation technique that is particularly attractive when there are model uncertainties and/or large signal noise. The software yields the expected value of local power at the detector locations and points in between, as well as the probability distribution of the local power density
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: ALdemir, Tunc; Miller, Don & Wang, Peng
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Java Tool Framework for Automation of Hardware Commissioning and Maintenance Procedures (open access)

Java Tool Framework for Automation of Hardware Commissioning and Maintenance Procedures

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a 192-beam laser system designed to study high energy density physics. Each beam line contains a variety of line replaceable units (LRUs) that contain optics, stepping motors, sensors and other devices to control and diagnose the laser. During commissioning and subsequent maintenance of the laser, LRUs undergo a qualification process using the Integrated Computer Control System (ICCS) to verify and calibrate the equipment. The commissioning processes are both repetitive and tedious when we use remote manual computer controls, making them ideal candidates for software automation. Maintenance and Commissioning Tool (MCT) software was developed to improve the efficiency of the qualification process. The tools are implemented in Java, leveraging ICCS services and CORBA to communicate with the control devices. The framework provides easy-to-use mechanisms for handling configuration data, task execution, task progress reporting, and generation of commissioning test reports. The tool framework design and application examples will be discussed.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Ho, J. C.; Fisher, J. M.; Gordon, J. B.; Lagin, L. J. & West, S. L.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Olivine-FeS Partial-Melt (open access)

Olivine-FeS Partial-Melt

The figure shows Fe-S-filled melt channels in olivine created at high temperature and pressure. The 3D image was obtained on Beamline 8.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, with a spatial resolution of better than two microns (bar is 10 microns). Permeability of Fe-S melts in olivine at high temperatures and pressures provides an important constraint on models of planetary core formation. Permeability must be inferred from empirical relationships based on microstructure. To date, estimates of permeability have varied by more than five orders of magnitude. To provide more accurate constraints, we used high-resolution synchrotron radiation computed tomography to image the three-dimensional network of melt-containing pores in an olivine matrix, and calculated the permeability directly by solving the equations of Stokes flow through the actual pore network using a lattice-Boltzmann approach. These calculations provide an independent constraint on models of planetary core formation.
Date: October 2, 2006
Creator: Roberts, J.; Siebert, J.; Ryerson, F. J. & Kinney, J.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
RHIC Performance with polarized protons in run-6 (open access)

RHIC Performance with polarized protons in run-6

In this study, an array of vibration measurements at the undisturbed NSLS II site has been performed in order to establish the 'green-field' vibration environment and its spectral characteristics. The interaction of the green-field vibration environment with the NSLS II accelerator structure and the quantification of the storage ring vibration, both in terms of amplitude and spectral content have been assessed through a state-of-the-art wave propagation and scattering analysis. This paper focuses on the wave propagation and scattering aspect as well as on the filtering effects of accelerator structural parameters.
Date: October 2, 2006
Creator: Ptitsyn, V.; Ahrens, L.; Bai, M.; Beebe-Wang, J.; Blaskiewicz, M.; Bravar, S. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiscale modeling of MEMS dynamics and failure (open access)

Multiscale modeling of MEMS dynamics and failure

This work studies multiscale phenomena in silicon micro-resonators which comprise the mechanical components of next-generation Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). Unlike their larger relatives, the behavior of these sub-micron MEMS is not described well by conventional continuum models and finite elements, but it is determined appreciably by the interplay between physics at the Angstrom, nanometer and micron scales. As device sizes are reduced below the micron scale, atomistic processes cause systematic deviations from the behavior predicted by conventional continuum elastic theory. [1] These processes cause anomalous surface effects in the resonator frequency and quality factor-even for single crystal devices with clean surfaces due to thermal fluctuations. The simulation of these atomistic effects is a challenging problem due to the large number of atoms involved and due to the fact that they are finite temperature phenomena. Our simulations include up to two million atoms in the device itself, and hundreds of millions more are in the proximal regions of the substrate. A direct, atomistic simulation of the motion of this many atoms is prohibitive, and it would be inefficient. The micron-scale processes in the substrate are well described by finite elements, and an atomistic simulation is not required. On the other hand, atomistic …
Date: October 2, 2000
Creator: Rudd, R E
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Proceedings of the 23rd Seismic Research Symposium: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions (open access)

Proceedings of the 23rd Seismic Research Symposium: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions

These proceedings contain papers prepared for the 23rd Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, held 2-5 October, 2001 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. These papers represent the combined research related to ground-based nuclear explosion monitoring funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and other invited sponsors. The scientific objectives of the research are to improve the United States capability to detect, locate, and identify nuclear explosions. The purpose of the meeting is to provide the sponsoring agencies, as well as potential users, an opportunity to review research accomplished during the preceding year and to discuss areas of investigation for the coming year. For the researchers, it provides a forum for the exchange of scientific information toward achieving program goals, and an opportunity to discuss results and future plans. Paper topics include: seismic regionalization and calibration; detection and location of sources; wave propagation from source to receiver; the nature of seismic sources, including mining practices; hydroacoustic, infrasound, and radionuclide methods; on-site inspection; and data processing.
Date: October 2, 2001
Creator: Warren, N. Jill & Chavez, Francesca C.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Femtosecond THz Studies of Intra-Excitonic Transitions (open access)

Femtosecond THz Studies of Intra-Excitonic Transitions

Few-cycle THz pulses are employed to resonantly access the internal fine structure of photogenerated excitons in semiconductors, on the femtosecond time scale. This technique allows us to gain novel insight into many-body effects of excitons and reveal key quantum optical processes. We discuss experiments that monitor the density-dependent re?normalization of the binding energy of a high-density exciton gas in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells close to the Mott transition. In a dilute ensemble of 3p excitons in Cu2O, stimulated THz emission from internal transitions to the energetically lower 2s state is observed at a photon energy of 6.6 meV, with a cross section of 10-14 cm2. Simultaneous interband excitation of both exciton levels drives quantum beats, which cause efficient THz emission at the difference frequency. By extending this principle to various other exciton resonances, we develop a novel way of mapping the fine structure by two-dimensional THz emission spectroscopy.
Date: October 2, 2007
Creator: Huber, Rupert; Schmid, Ben A.; Kaindl, Robert A. & Chemla, Daniel S.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation Of Automated Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Relaxometry For Analysis Of Silicone Polymers (open access)

Evaluation Of Automated Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Relaxometry For Analysis Of Silicone Polymers

Screening studies and Design of Experiments (DoE) were performed to evaluate measurement variation of a new, non-destructive Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test system designed to assess age-induced degradation of Outer Pressure Pads (OPP). The test method and results from 54,275 measurements are described. A reduction in measurement error was obtained after metal support struts were replaced with plastic support struts adjacent to the front position of the test chamber. However, remaining interference and a lack of detecting any age-related degradation prevent the use of the NMR system as a non-destructive surveillance test for OPPs. A cursory evaluation of the system with cellular silicone samples obtained more uniform results with increased error as measurements approached the sample’s edge.
Date: October 2, 2009
Creator: Wilson, M. H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Proton Decay and the Planck Scale (open access)

Proton Decay and the Planck Scale

Even without grand unification, proton decay can be a powerful probe of physics at the highest energy scales. Supersymmetric theories with conserved R-parity contain Planck-suppressed dimension 5 operators that give important contributions tonucleon decay. These operators are likely controlled by flavor physics, which means current and near future proton decay experiments might yield clues about the fermion mass spectrum. I present a thorough analysis of nucleon partial lifetimes in supersymmetric one-flavon Froggatt-Nielsen models with a single U(1)_X family symmetry which is responsible for the fermionic mass spectrum as well as forbidding R-parity violating interactions. Many of the models naturally lead to nucleon decay near present limits without any reference to grand unification.
Date: October 2, 2004
Creator: Larson, Daniel T.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library