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The Super-Kamiokande and T2K collaborations present a joint measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters from their atmospheric and beam neutrino data. It uses a common interaction model for events overlapping in neutrino energy and correlated detector systematic uncertainties between the two datasets, which are found to be compatible. Using 3244.4 days of atmospheric data and a beam exposure of $19.7(16.3) \times 10^{20}$ protons on target in (anti)neutrino mode, the analysis finds a 1.9$\sigma$ exclusion of CP-conservation (defined as $J_{CP}=0$) and a preference for the normal mass ordering., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures

We prove a general Levinson's theorem for Schr\"odinger operators in two dimensions with threshold obstructions at zero energy. Our results confirm and simplify earlier seminal results of Boll\'e, Gesztesy et al., while providing an explicit topological interpretation. We also derive explicit formulas for the wave operators, and so show that they are elements of a $C^*$-algebra introduced by Cordes. As a consequence of our approach, we provide an evaluation of the spectral shift function at zero in the presence of $p$-resonances., Comment: 27 pages

We obtain a new bound on the second moment of modified shifted convolutions of the generalized 3-fold divisor function, and show that, for applications, the modified version is sufficient., Comment: Referee's correction and suggestions incorporated. 23 pages

Recent experiments demonstrated that GaAs-AlAs based micropillar cavities are promising systems for quantum optomechanics, allowing the simultaneous three-dimensional confinement of near-infrared photons and acoustic phonons in the 18-100 GHz range. Here, we investigate through numerical simulations the optomechanical properties of this new platform. We evidence how the Poisson's ratio and semiconductor-vacuum boundary conditions lead to very distinct features in the mechanical and optical three dimensional confinement. We find a strong dependence of the mechanical quality factor and strain distribution on the micropillar radius, in great contrast to what is predicted and observed in the optical domain. The derived optomechanical coupling constants g_0 reach ultra-large values in the 10^6 rad/s range.

We report on measurements of the local friction law at a multi-contact interface formed between a smooth rubber and statistically rough glass lenses, under steady state friction. Using contact imaging, surface displacements are measured, and inverted to extract both distributions of frictional shear stress and contact pressure with a spatial resolution of about 10~$\mu$m. For a glass surface whose topography is self-affine with a Gaussian height asperity distribution, the local frictional shear stress is found to vary strongly sub-linearly with the local contact pressure over the whole investigated pressure range. Such sub-linear behavior is also evidenced for a surface with a non Gaussian height asperity distribution, demonstrating that, for such multi-contact interfaces, Amontons-Coulomb's friction law does not prevail at the local scale.

This paper addresses the issue of the determination of the frictional stress distribution from the inversion of the measured surface displacement field for sliding interfaces between a glass lens and a rubber (poly(dimethylsiloxane)) substrate. Experimental results show that high lateral strains are achieved at the periphery of the sliding contacts. As a consequence, an accurate inversion of the displacement field requires that finite strains and non linear response of the rubber substrate are taken into account. For that purpose, a Finite Element (FE) inversion procedure is implemented where the measured displacement field is applied as a boundary condition at the upper surface of a meshed body representing the rubber substrate. Normal pressure is also determined by the same way, if non-diverging values are assumed at the contact edge. This procedure is applied to linearly sliding contacts as well as on twisting contacts.

This paper reports on the frictional properties of smooth rubber substrates sliding against rigid surfaces covered with various densities of colloidal nano-particles (average diameter 77 nm). Friction experiments were carried out using a transparent Poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) rubber contacting a silica lens with silica nano-particles sintered onto its surface. Using a previously described methodology (Nguyen \textit{et al.}, \textit{J. of Adhesion} \textbf{87} (2011) 235-250 ), surface shear stress and contact-pressure distribution within the contact were determined from a measurement of the displacement field at the surface of the PDMS elastomer. Addition of silica nano-particles results in a strong, pressure-independent enhancement of the frictional shear stress as compared to the smooth lens. The contribution of viscoelastic losses to these increased frictional properties is analyzed in the light of a numerical model that solves the contact problem between the rubber and the rough surface. An order-of-magnitude agreement is obtained between experimental and theoretical results, the latter showing that the calculation of viscoelastic dissipation within the contact is very sensitive to the details of the topography of the rigid asperities.

The statistical analysis of the fading End to End channel gain of the amplify and forward relaying protocol, however, is well known as extremely complex, and research work to date have only studied the asymptotic behaviour of the outage probability of the network at either very low or very high Signal Noise Ratios. Most current works circumvent the analytical complexity by first ignoring the effect of Additive White Gaussian noise then by using the simple approximated upper bound for the Signal Noise Ratio. The new approximated upper bound proposed in this paper, is far better bound than the previous results for the entire Signal Noise Ratio, which allows us to derive exact analytical expressions to study the effect of Additive White Gaussian noise on the network performance.

Vibrating nano- and micromechanical resonators have been the subject of research aiming at ultrasensitive mass sensors for mass spectrometry, chemical analysis and biomedical diagnosis. Unfortunately, their merits diminish dramatically in liquids due to dissipative mechanisms like viscosity and acoustic losses. A push towards faster and lighter miniaturized nanodevices would enable improved performances, provided dissipation was controlled and novel techniques were available to efficiently drive and read-out their minute displacement. Here we report on a nano-optomechanical approach to this problem using miniature semiconductor disks. These devices combine mechanical motion at high frequency above the GHz, ultra-low mass of a few picograms, and moderate dissipation in liquids. We show that high-sensitivity optical measurements allow to direct resolve their thermally driven Brownian vibrations, even in the most dissipative liquids. Thanks to this novel technique, we experimentally, numerically and analytically investigate the interaction of these resonators with arbitrary liquids. Nano-optomechanical disks emerge as probes of rheological information of unprecedented sensitivity and speed, opening applications in sensing and fundamental science.

The Low Energy Neutron Detector Array (LENDA) is a neutron time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer developed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab- oratory (NSCL) for use in inverse kinematics experiments with rare isotope beams. Its design has been motivated by the need to study the spin-isospin response of unstable nuclei using (p, n) charge-exchange reactions at intermediate energies (> 100 MeV/u). It can be used, however, for any reaction study that involves emission of low energy neutrons (150 keV - 10 MeV). The array consists of 24 plastic scintillator bars and is capable of registering the recoiling neutron energy and angle with high detection efficiency. The neutron energy is determined by the time-of-flight technique, while the position of interaction is deduced using the timing and energy information from the two photomultipliers of each bar. A simple test setup utilizing radioactive sources has been used to characterize the array. Results of test measurements are compared with simulations. A neutron energy threshold of < 150 keV, an intrinsic time (position) resolution of \sim 400 ps (\sim 6 cm) and an efficiency > 20 % for neutrons below 4 MeV have been obtained., Comment: Version accepted for publication in Nucl. Instr. Methods A. Revised text, 2 new figures added (one in section 4 and one in section 7)

We explore the possibility that hyperfine interaction causes the recently discovered organic magnetoresistance (OMAR) effect. Our study employs both experiment and theoretical modelling. An excitonic pair mechanism model based on hyperfine interaction, previously suggested by others to explain magnetic field effects in organics, is examined. Whereas this model can explain a few key aspects of the experimental data, we, however, uncover several fundamental contradictions as well. By varying the injection efficiency for minority carriers in the devices, we show experimentally that OMAR is only weakly dependent on the ratio between excitons formed and carriers injected, likely excluding any excitonic effect as the origin of OMAR., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 table

Following the recent discovery of large magnetoresistance at room temperature in polyfluorence sandwich devices, we have performed a comprehensive magnetoresistance study on a set of organic semiconductor sandwich devices made from different pi-conjugated polymers and small molecules. The measurements were performed at different temperatures, ranging from 10K to 300K, and at magnetic fields, $B < 100mT$. We observed large negative or positive magnetoresistance (up to 10% at 300K and 10mT) depending on material and device operating conditions. We compare the results obtained in devices made from different materials with the goal of providing a comprehensive picture of the experimental data. We discuss our results in the framework of known magnetoresistance mechanisms and find that none of the existing models can explain our results.

Light-ion microbeams provide a unique opportunity to irradiate biological samples at the cellular level and to investigate radiobiological effects at low doses of high LET ionising radiation. Since 1998 a single-ion irradiation facility has been developed on the focused horizontal microbeam line of the CENBG 3.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator. This setup delivers in air single protons and alpha particles of a few MeV onto cultured cells, with a spatial resolution of a few microns, allowing subcellular targeting. In this paper, we present results from the use of the GEANT4 toolkit to simulate cellular irradiation with the CENBG microbeam line, from the entrance to the microprobe up to the cellular medium., Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, presented at the 2003 IEEE-NSS conference, Portland, OR, USA, October 20-24, 2003