arXiv subjects

A. Widom

Publications and source records attributed to A. Widom.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Electron Capture in a Fully Ionized Plasma

Properties of fully ionized water plasmas are discussed including plasma charge density oscillations and the screening of the Coulomb law especially in the dilute classical Debye regime. A kinetic model with two charged particle scattering events determines the transition rate per unit time for electron capture by a nucleus with the resulting nuclear transmutations. Two corrections to the recent Maiani et al. calculations are made: (i) The Debye screening length is only employed within its proper domain of validity. (ii) The WKB approximation employed by Maiani in the long De Broglie wave length limit is evidently invalid. We replace this incorrect approximation with mathematically rigorous Calogero inequalities in order to discuss the scattering wave functions. Having made these corrections, we find a verification for our previous results based on condensed matter electro-weak quantum field theory for nuclear transmutations in chemical batteries.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

The Physics Programme Of The MoEDAL Experiment At The LHC

The MoEDAL experiment at Point 8 of the LHC ring is the seventh and newest LHC experiment. It is dedicated to the search for highly ionizing particle avatars of physics beyond the Standard Model, extending significantly the discovery horizon of the LHC. A MoEDAL discovery would have revolutionary implications for our fundamental understanding of the Microcosm. MoEDAL is an unconventional and largely passive LHC detector comprised of the largest array of Nuclear Track Detector stacks ever deployed at an accelerator, surrounding the intersection region at Point 8 on the LHC ring. Another novel feature is the use of paramagnetic trapping volumes to capture both electrically and magnetically charged highly-ionizing particles predicted in new physics scenarios. It includes an array of TimePix pixel devices for monitoring highly-ionizing particle backgrounds. The main passive elements of the MoEDAL detector do not require a trigger system, electronic readout, or online computerized data acquisition. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the MoEDAL physics reach, which is largely complementary to the programs of the large multi-purpose LHC detectors ATLAS and CMS.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Biological Electric Fields and Rate Equations for Biophotons

Ultraweak bioluminescence - the emission of biophotons - remains an experimentally well-established, but theoretically poorly understood phenomenon. This paper presents several related investigations into the physical process of both spontaneous biophoton emission and delayed luminescence. Since light intensities depend upon the modulus squared of their corresponding electric fields we first make some general estimates about the inherent electric fields within various biological systems. Since photon emission from living matter following an initial excitation ("delayed luminescence") typically does not follow a simple exponential decay law after excitation we discuss such non-exponential decays from a general theoretical perspective and argue that they are often to be expected and why. We then discuss the dynamics behind some nonlinear rate equations, connecting them both to biological growth rates and biophoton emission rates, noting a possible connection with cancer. We then return to non-exponential decay laws seen for delayed luminescence in an experimental context and again note a possible connection with cancer.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2013

Analysis of an attempt at detection of neutrons produced in a plasma discharge electrolytic cell

R. Faccini et al. \cite{Faccini:2013} have attempted a replication of an earlier experiment by D. Cirillo et al. \cite{Cirillo:2012} in which neutrons [as well as nuclear transmutations] were observed in a modified Mizuno cell. No neutron production is observed in the recent experiment \cite{Faccini:2013} and no evidence for microwave radiation or nuclear transmutations are reported. A careful analysis shows major technical differences in the two experiments and we explore the underlying reasons for the lack of any nuclear activity in the newer experiment.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2013

Photo-Disintegration of the Iron Nucleus in Fractured Magnetite Rocks with Magnetostriction

There has been considerable interest in recent experiments on iron nuclear disintegrations observed when rocks containing such nuclei are crushed and fractured. The resulting nuclear transmutations are particularly strong for the case of magnetite rocks, i.e. loadstones. We argue that the fission of the iron nucleus is a consequence of photo-disintegration. The electro-strong coupling between electromagnetic fields and nuclear giant dipole resonances are central for producing observed nuclear reactions. The large electron energies produced during the fracture of piezomagnetic rocks are closely analogous to the previously discussed case of the fracture of piezoelectric rocks. In both cases electro-weak interactions can produce neutrons and neutrinos from energetic protons and electrons thus inducing nuclear transmutations. The electro-strong condensed matter coupling discussed herein represents new many body collective nuclear photo-disintegration effects.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2013

Electrostrong Nuclear Disintegration in Condensed Matter

Photo- and electro-disintegration techniques have been traditionally used for studying giant dipole resonances and through them nuclear structure. Over a long period, detailed theoretical models for the giant dipole resonances were proposed and low energy electron accelerators were constructed to perform experiments to test their veracity. More recently, through laser and "smart" material devices, electrons have been accelerated in condensed matter systems up to several tens of MeV. We discuss here the possibility of inducing electro-disintegration of nuclei through such devices. It involves a synthesis of electromagnetic and strong forces in condensed matter via giant dipole resonances to give an effective "electro-strong interaction" - a large coupling of electromagnetic and strong interactions in the tens of MeV range.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2013

Weak Interaction Neutron Production Rates in Fully Ionized Plasmas

Employing the weak interaction reaction wherein a heavy electron is captured by a proton to produce a neutron and a neutrino, the neutron production rate for neutral hydrogen gases and for fully ionized plasmas is computed. Using the Coulomb atomic bound state wave functions of a neutral hydrogen gas, our production rate results are in agreement with recent estimates by Maiani {\it et al}. Using Coulomb scattering state wave functions for the fully ionized plasma, we find a substantially enhanced neutron production rate. The scattering wave function should replace the bound state wave function for estimates of the enhanced neutron production rate on water plasma drenched cathodes of chemical cells.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Thermodynamic Rule Determining the Biological DNA Information Capacity

A rigorous thermodynamic expression is derived for the total biological information capacity per unit length of a DNA molecule. The total information includes the usual four letter coding sequence information plus that excess information coding often erroneously referred to as "junk". We conclude that the currently understood human DNA code is about a hundred megabyte program written on a molecule with about a ten gigabyte memory. By far, most of the programing code is not presently understood.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2012

Theories of Low Energy Nuclear Transmutations

Employing concrete examples from nuclear physics it is shown that low energy nuclear reactions can and have been induced by all of the four fundamental interactions (i) (stellar) gravitational, (ii) strong, (iii) electromagnetic and (iv) weak. Differences are highlighted through the great diversity in the rates and similarity through the nature of the nuclear reactions initiated by each.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2012

Erroneous Wave Functions of Ciuchi et al for Collective Modes in Neutron Production on Metallic Hydride Cathodes

There is a recent comment (Ciuchi et al., 2012) concerning the theory of collective many body effects on the neutron production rates in a chemical battery cathode. Ciuchi et al employ an inverse beta decay expression that contains a two body amplitude. Only one electron and one proton may exist in the Ciuchi et al model initial state wave function. A flaw in their reasoning is that one cannot in reality describe collective many body correlations with only a two particle wave function. One needs very many particles to describe collective effects. In the model wave functions of Ciuchi et al there are no metallic hydrides, there are no cathodes and there are no chemical batteries. Employing a wave function with only one electron and one proton is inadequate for describing collective metallic hydride surface quantum plasma physics in cathodes accurately.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2012

Electromagnetic Signals from Bacterial DNA

Chemical reactions can be induced at a distance due to the propagation of electromagnetic signals during intermediate chemical stages. Although it is well known at optical frequencies, e.g. photosynthetic reactions, electromagnetic signals hold true for much lower frequencies. In E. coli bacteria such electromagnetic signals can be generated by electric transitions between energy levels describing electrons moving around DNA loops. The electromagnetic signals between different bacteria within a community is a "wireless" version of intercellular communication found in bacterial communities connected by "nanowires". The wireless broadcasts can in principle be of both the AM and FM variety due to the magnetic flux periodicity in electron energy spectra in bacterial DNA orbital motions.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2012

Neutron Production from the Fracture of Piezoelectric Rocks

A theoretical explanation is provided for the experimental evidence that fracturing piezoelectric rocks produces neutrons. The elastic energy micro-crack production ultimately yields the macroscopic fracture. The mechanical energy is converted by the piezoelectric effect into electric field energy. The electric field energy decays via radio frequency (microwave) electric field oscillations. The radio frequency electric fields accelerate the condensed matter electrons which then collide with protons producing neutrons and neutrinos.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2011

Space-Like Motions of Quantum Zero Mass Neutrinos

Recent experimental reports of super-luminal velocity neutrinos moving between Geneva and Gran Sasso in no way contradict the special relativity considerations of conventional quantum field theory. A neutrino exchanged between Geneva and Gran Sasso is both virtual and space-like. The Lorentz invariant space-like distance $L$ and the Lorentz invariant space-like four momentum transfered $\varpi $ between Geneva and Gran Sasso can be extracted from experimental data as will be shown in this work.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2011

An Argument for Nonminimal Higgs Coupling to Gravity

The coupling of gravity to a scalar field raises a number of interesting questions of principle since the usual minimal coupling obtained by replacing ordinary derivatives with covariant derivatives is not available -- they are the same operation on scalar fields. Conformal couplings in the Lagrangian proportional to $ϕ^2 R$ have been suggested before, usually to maintain conformal invariance for massless scalar fields, but at the cost of breaking the equivalence principle. Here we give intuitive arguments for the appearance of such a term due to fluctuations of scalar particles about their classical world lines. Remarkably, these arguments give precisely a correction of the form required to maintain conformal invariance. We also show that such a term would naturally be expected for the Higgs field in the Standard Model, making a perhaps surprising connection between weak-scale physics and gravity. The nonminimal coupling, whether induced by quantum corrections or already present as a bare term, can be constrained from measurements of the Higgs width assuming the Higgs particle is to be detected.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Production and detection of heavy matter anti-matter from Higgs decays

The one-loop Higgs coupling to two gluons has been invoked in the past to estimate that the fraction of the nucleon mass which is due to the Higgs is rather small but calculable (approximately 8 percent). To test the veracity of this hypothesis, we employ the same mechanism to compute the Higgs coupling to an arbitrary stable nucleus $A$ and its anti-nucleus $\bar{A}$. We find that the physical decay rate of a Higgs into a spin zero $A\bar{A}$ pair near the threshold corresponding to the Higgs mass is quite substantial, once we include the final state Coulomb corrections as well as possible form factor effects. If true, observation of even a few such decay events would be truly spectacular (with no competing background) since we are unaware of any other interaction which might lead to the production of a very heavy nucleus accompanied by its anti nucleus in nucleon-(anti-) nucleon scattering.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Detecting and Identifying Heavy Nuclei and Antinuclei with Standard Detectors

Most data gathered from high energy experiments at colliders are analyzed assuming that particles stable enough to not decay in the detector volume, and able to interact strongly or electromagnetically, must be electrons, muons, protons, neutrons, photons, kaons, and charged pions, or their antiparticles. While light nuclei and antinuclei such as (anti)deuterons have been detected, we argue that it is experimentally interesting to look for even heavier nuclei in high energy collisions. To this end, we point out that using only tracking and calorimetry information it is, in principle, possible to also search for high energy nuclei and antinuclei and determine, with errors, their charge Z and atomic weight A.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Biological Nuclear Transmutations as a Source of Biophotons

Soft multi-photon radiation from hard higher energy reaction sources can be employed to describe three major well established properties of biophoton radiation; Namely, (i) the mild radiation intensity decreases for higher frequencies, (ii) the coherent state Poisson counting statistics, and (iii) the time delayed luminescence with a hyperbolic time tail. Since the soft photon frequencies span the visible to the ultraviolet frequency range, the hard reaction sources have energies extending into the nuclear transmutation regime.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2010

Electric Dipole Moments and Polarizability in the Quark-Diquark Model of the Neutron

For a bound state internal wave function respecting parity symmetry, it can be rigorously argued that the mean electric dipole moment must be strictly zero. Thus, both the neutron, viewed as a bound state of three quarks, and the water molecule, viewed as a bound state of ten electrons two protons and an oxygen nucleus, both have zero mean electric dipole moments. Yet, the water molecule is said to have a nonzero dipole moment strength $d=eΛ$ with $Λ_{H_2O} \approx 0.385\ \dot{A}$. The neutron may also be said to have an electric dipole moment strength with $Λ_{neutron} \approx 0.612\ fm$. The neutron analysis can be made experimentally consistent, if one employs a quark-diquark model of neutron structure.

hep-ph↗