Prospects for Observing and Localizing Gravitational-Wave Transients with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo

We present a possible observing scenario for the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors over the next decade, with the intention of providing information to the astronomy community to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We determine the expected sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals, and study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source. We report our findings for gravitational-wave transients, with particular focus on gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary neutron-star systems, which are considered the most promising for multi-messenger astronomy. The ability to localize the sources of the detected signals depends on the geographical distribution of the detectors and their relative sensitivity, and 90% credible regions can be as large as thousands of square degrees when only two sensitive detectors are operational. Determining the sky position of a significant fraction of detected signals to areas of 5 deg2 to 20 deg2 will require at least three detectors of sensitivity within a factor of ∼ 2 of each other and with a broad frequency bandwidth. Should the third LIGO detector be relocated to India as expected, a significant fraction of gravitational-wave signals will be localized to a few square degrees by gravitational-wave observations alone.

Regular modes in a mixed-dynamics-based optical fiber

A multimode optical fiber with a truncated transverse cross section acts as a powerful versatile support to investigate the wave features of complex ray dynamics. In this paper, we concentrate on the case of a geometry inducing mixed dynamics. We highlight that regular modes associated with stable periodic orbits present an enhanced spatial intensity localization. We report the statistics of the inverse participation ratio whose features are analogous to those of Anderson localized modes. Our study is supported by both numerical and experimental results on the spatial localization and spectral regularity of the regular modes.

Magneto-optics of massive dirac fermions in bulk Bi2Se3

We report on magneto-optical studies of Bi2Se3, a representative member of the 3D topological insulator family. Its electronic states in bulk are shown to be well described by a simple Dirac-type Hamiltonian for massive particles with only two parameters: the fundamental band gap and the band velocity. In a magnetic field, this model implies a unique property-spin splitting equal to twice the cyclotron energy: Es=2Ec. This explains the extensive magnetotransport studies concluding a fortuitous degeneracy of the spin and orbital split Landau levels in this material. The Es=2Ec match differentiates the massive Dirac electrons in bulk Bi2Se3 from those in quantum electrodynamics, for which Es=Ec always holds.

Transfer and degradation of polyacrylamide-based flocculants in hydrosystems: a review

The aim of this review was to summarize information and scientific data from the literature dedicated to the fate of polyacrylamide (PAM)-based flocculants in hydrosystems. Flocculants, usually composed of PAMs, are widely used in several industrial fields, particularly in minerals extraction, to enhance solid/liquid separation in water containing suspended matter. These polymers can contain residual monomer of acrylamide (AMD), which is known to be a toxic compound. This review focuses on the mechanisms of transfer and degradation, which can affect both PAM and residual AMD, with a special attention given to the potential release of AMD during PAM degradation. Due to the ability of PAM to adsorb onto mineral particles, its transport in surface water, groundwater, and soils is rather limited and restricted to specific conditions. PAM can also be a subject of biodegradation, photodegradation, and mechanical degradation, but most of the studies report slow degradation rates without AMD release. On the contrary, the adsorption of AMD onto particles is very low, which could favor its transfer in surface waters and groundwater. However, AMD transfer is likely to be limited by quick microbial degradation.

Microbial aerobic and anaerobic degradation of acrylamide in sludge and water under environmental conditions--case study in a sand and gravel quarry

Polyacrylamides (PAMs) are used in sand and gravel quarries as water purification flocculants for recycling process water in a recycling loop system where the flocculants remove fine particles in the form of sludge. The PAM-based flocculants, however, contain residual amounts of acrylamide (AMD) that did not react during the polymerization process. This acrylamide is released into the environment when the sludge is discharged into a settling basin. Here, we explore the microbial diversity and the potential for AMD biodegradation in water and sludge samples collected in a quarry site submitted to low AMD concentrations. The microbial diversity, analyzed by culture-dependent methods and the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis approach, reveals the presence of Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria, among which some species are known to have an AMD biodegradation activity. Results also show that the two main parts of the water recycling loop-the washing process and the settling basin-display significantly different bacterial profiles. The exposure time with residual AMD could, thus, be one of the parameters that lead to a selection of specific bacterial species. AMD degradation experiments with 0.5 g L(-1) AMD showed a high potential for biodegradation in all parts of the washing process, except the make-up water. The AMD biodegradation potential in samples collected from the washing process and settling basin was also analyzed taking into account on-site conditions: low (12 °C) and high (25 °C) temperatures reflecting the winter and summer seasons, and AMD concentrations of 50 μg L(-1). Batch tests showed rapid (as little as 18 h) AMD biodegradation under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at both the winter and summer temperatures, although there was a greater lag time before activity started with the AMD biodegradation at 12 °C. This study, thus, demonstrates that bacteria present in sludge and water samples exert an in situ and rapid biodegradation of AMD at low concentration, whatever the season, and in both the aerobic and anaerobic parts of the water recycling system.

EPA guidance on the early detection of clinical high risk states of psychoses

The aim of this guidance paper of the European Psychiatric Association is to provide evidence-based recommendations on the early detection of a clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis in patients with mental problems. To this aim, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies reporting on conversion rates to psychosis in non-overlapping samples meeting any at least any one of the main CHR criteria: ultra-high risk (UHR) and/or basic symptoms criteria. Further, effects of potential moderators (different UHR criteria definitions, single UHR criteria and age) on conversion rates were examined. Conversion rates in the identified 42 samples with altogether more than 4000 CHR patients who had mainly been identified by UHR criteria and/or the basic symptom criterion 'cognitive disturbances' (COGDIS) showed considerable heterogeneity. While UHR criteria and COGDIS were related to similar conversion rates until 2-year follow-up, conversion rates of COGDIS were significantly higher thereafter. Differences in onset and frequency requirements of symptomatic UHR criteria or in their different consideration of functional decline, substance use and co-morbidity did not seem to impact on conversion rates. The 'genetic risk and functional decline' UHR criterion was rarely met and only showed an insignificant pooled sample effect. However, age significantly affected UHR conversion rates with lower rates in children and adolescents. Although more research into potential sources of heterogeneity in conversion rates is needed to facilitate improvement of CHR criteria, six evidence-based recommendations for an early detection of psychosis were developed as a basis for the EPA guidance on early intervention in CHR states.

2D photonic-crystal optomechanical nanoresonator

We present the optical optimization of an optomechanical device based on a suspended InP membrane patterned with a 2D near-wavelength grating (NWG) based on a 2D photonic-crystal geometry. We first identify by numerical simulation a set of geometrical parameters providing a reflectivity higher than 99.8% over a 50-nm span. We then study the limitations induced by the finite value of the optical waist and lateral size of the NWG pattern using different numerical approaches. The NWG grating, pierced in a suspended InP 265-nm thick membrane, is used to form a compact microcavity involving the suspended nanomembrane as an end mirror. The resulting cavity has a waist size smaller than 10 μm and a finesse in the 200 range. It is used to probe the Brownian motion of the mechanical modes of the nanomembrane.

Monte-Carlo simulations of clinically realistic respiratory gated (18)F-FDG PET: application to lesion detectability and volume measurements

In PET/CT thoracic imaging, respiratory motion reduces image quality. A solution consists in performing respiratory gated PET acquisitions. The aim of this study was to generate clinically realistic Monte-Carlo respiratory PET data, obtained using the 4D-NCAT numerical phantom and the GATE simulation tool, to assess the impact of respiratory motion and respiratory-motion compensation in PET on lesion detection and volume measurement. To obtain reconstructed images as close as possible to those obtained in clinical conditions, a particular attention was paid to apply to the simulated data the same correction and reconstruction processes as those applied to real clinical data. The simulations required 140,000h (CPU) generating 1.5 To of data (98 respiratory gated and 49 ungated scans). Calibration phantom and patient reconstructed images from the simulated data were visually and quantitatively very similar to those obtained in clinical studies. The lesion detectability was higher when the better trade-off between lesion movement limitation (compared to ungated acquisitions) and image statistic preservation is considered (respiratory cycle sampling in 3 frames). We then compared the lesion volumes measured on conventional PET acquisitions versus respiratory gated acquisitions, using an automatic segmentation method and a 40%-threshold approach. A time consuming initial manual exclusion of noisy structures needed with the 40%-threshold was not necessary when the automatic method was used. The lesion detectability along with the accuracy of tumor volume estimates was largely improved with the gated compared to ungated PET images.

Improved upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from 2009-2010 LIGO and Virgo data

Gravitational waves from a variety of sources are predicted to superpose to create a stochastic background. This background is expected to contain unique information from throughout the history of the Universe that is unavailable through standard electromagnetic observations, making its study of fundamental importance to understanding the evolution of the Universe. We carry out a search for the stochastic background with the latest data from the LIGO and Virgo detectors. Consistent with predictions from most stochastic gravitational-wave background models, the data display no evidence of a stochastic gravitational-wave signal. Assuming a gravitational-wave spectrum of Ω_{GW}(f)=Ω_{α}(f/f_{ref})^{α}, we place 95% confidence level upper limits on the energy density of the background in each of four frequency bands spanning 41.5-1726 Hz. In the frequency band of 41.5-169.25 Hz for a spectral index of α=0, we constrain the energy density of the stochastic background to be Ω_{GW}(f)<5.6×10^{-6}. For the 600-1000 Hz band, Ω_{GW}(f)<0.14(f/900  Hz)^{3}, a factor of 2.5 lower than the best previously reported upper limits. We find Ω_{GW}(f)<1.8×10^{-4} using a spectral index of zero for 170-600 Hz and Ω_{GW}(f)<1.0(f/1300  Hz)^{3} for 1000-1726 Hz, bands in which no previous direct limits have been placed. The limits in these four bands are the lowest direct measurements to date on the stochastic background. We discuss the implications of these results in light of the recent claim by the BICEP2 experiment of the possible evidence for inflationary gravitational waves.