Spontaneous double alpha decay: First experimental limit and prospects of investigation

Nuclear decays with simultaneous emission of two alpha particles are energetically possible for a number of nuclides. Prospects of searching for such kind of decay for nuclides present in the natural isotopic composition of elements are discussed here. The first experimental limit on half-life for 2α decay is set for 209Bi as T1/2 > 2.9·1020 y at 90 % C.L., using the data of work [P. de Marcillac et al. Nature 422 (2003) 876]. Theoretical T1/2 estimations for the process are also given. Using these values, which are on the level of 1033 y or more, one can conclude that the prospects of experimental observation of 2α decay are very pessimistic.

Long-term quality assessment and monitoring of light microscope performance through accessible and reliable protocols, tools and metrics

Reliable, reproducible and comparable results are what biology requires from microscopy. To achieve that level of confidence, monitoring the stability of the microscope performance over time with standardized quality testing routines is essential for mining quantitative data. Three levels of microscope quality control procedures should be considered: i) usage of accessible and affordable tools and samples, ii) execution of easy and fast, preferably automatized, acquisition protocols, iii) analysis of data in the most automated way possible with adequate metrics for long-term monitoring. In this paper, we test the acquisition protocols on the mainly used microscope techniques (wide-field, spinning disk and confocal microscopy) with simple quality control tools. Seven protocols specify metrics on measuring the lateral and axial resolution (Point-Spread Function) of the system, field flatness, chromatic aberrations and co-registration, illumination power monitoring and stability, stage drift and positioning repeatability and finally temporal and spatial noise sources of camera detectors. We designed an ImageJ/FiJi java plugin named MetroloJ_QC to incorporate the identified metrics and automatize the data processing for the analysis. After processing and comparing the data of microscopes from more than ten imaging facilities, we test the robustness of the metrics and the protocols by determining experimental limit values. Our results give a first extensive characterization of the quality control procedures of a light microscope, with an automated data processing and experimental limit values that can be used by core facility staff and researchers to monitor the microscope performance over time.

Theoretical Study on the Formation of 1-neutron and 2-neutron Halo Nuclei via Decay of Elements in Super-Heavy Region

The possibility for the existence of 1-neutron and 2-neutron halo nuclei through the decay of even-even nuclei 270-316116, 272-318118 and 278-320120 in the super-heavy region is studied within the frame work of the Coulomb and Proximity Potential Model (CPPM). Halo structure in neutron rich nuclei with Z<=20 is identified by calculating the neutron separation energies and on the basis of potential energy considerations. The 1n + core configuration of proposed 1-neutron halo nuclei between z=10 and Z=20 is found shifted to 2n + core configuration in higher angular momentum states. The calculation of half-life of decay is performed by considering the proposed halo nuclei as spherical cluster and as deformed nuclei with a rms radius. Except for 15C, the half-life of decay is found decreased when the rms radius is considered. Only the 1-neutron halo nuclei 26F and 55Ca showed half-lives of decay which are less than the experimental limit. None of the proposed 2-neutron halo nuclei have shown a half-life of decay lower than the experimental limit. Also, the probability for the emission of neutron halo nuclei is found to be less in super-heavy region when compared with the clusters of same isotope family. Further, neutron shell closure at neutron numbers 150, 164 and 184 is identified form the plot of log10 T1/2 verses the neutron number of parents. The plots of Q-1/2 verses log10 T1/2 and -ln P verses log10 T1/2 for various halo nuclei emitted from the super-heavy elements are found to be linear showing that Geiger-Nuttall law is applicable to the emission of neutron halo also.

Lepton-flavor-violating decays of the SM-like Higgs boson $h\rightarrow e_ie_j$, and $e_i \rightarrow e_j\, \gamma $ in a flipped 3-3-1 model

In the framework of the flipped 3-3-1 model introduced recently [R. M. Fonseca and M. Hirsch, J. High Energy Phys. 1608, 003 (2016)], the lepton-flavor-violating (LFV) decay $\mu \rightarrow 3e$ was predicted to have a large branching ratio (Br) close to the recent experimental limit. We will show that the Br of LFV decays of the standard-model-like (SM-like) Higgs boson decays (LFVHD) Br$(h\rightarrow e_ae_b)$ may also be large. Namely, Br$(h\rightarrow \mu\tau,e\tau)$ can reach values of $\mathcal{O}(10^{-4}){-}\mathcal{O}(10^{-5})$, which will reach the upcoming experimental sensitivities. On the other hand, for LFV decays of charged leptons (cLFV) $(e_b\rightarrow e_a\gamma)$, the branching ratios are well below experimental bounds.

Variation of the fine-structure constant caused by expansion of the Universe

In this paper, we evaluate the fine-structure constant variation that should take place as the pseudo-Riemannian Universe expands and its curvature is changed adiabatically. Such variation of the fine-structure constant is attributed to an energy loss by an extended physical system (consisting of baryonic component and electromagnetic (EM) field) due to expansion of our Universe. Obtained ratio [Formula: see text] (per second) is only five times smaller than actually reported experimental limit on this value. For this reason, the obtained variation can probably be measured within a couple of years. To argue the correctness of our approach, we calculate the Planck constant as adiabatic invariant of the EM field propagated on the pseudo-Riemannian manifold characterized by slowly varied geometry. Finally, we discuss the double clock experiment based on Al[Formula: see text] and Hg[Formula: see text] clocks carried out by Rosenband et al. (Science 2008). We show that in this case (when the fine-structure constant is changed adiabatically), the method based on double clock experiment cannot be applied to measure the fine-structure constant variation.