The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) is an experimental program designed to detect and study dark matter, which is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects on visible matter. CDMS specifically focuses on searching for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), which are one of the leading theoretical candidates for dark matter.
Directional Recoil Identification from Tracks (DRIFT) is a technique used in particle physics, particularly in the context of detecting dark matter. This method relies on the tracking of particles that are produced when a dark matter candidate interacts with normal matter in a detector. In essence, when a dark matter particle collides with an atomic nucleus, it can impart energy and cause the nucleus to recoil. The recoiling nucleus then travels through the detector material, leaving behind a track.
EDELWEISS can refer to several things depending on the context: 1. **Edelweiss (Flower)**: A perennial plant known scientifically as Leontopodium alpinum, commonly found in mountainous regions of Europe. It is characterized by its star-shaped white flowers and is often associated with the Alps. The flower has become a symbol of the Swiss Alps and is often linked to themes of purity and rugged beauty.
The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment was a significant scientific endeavor aimed at the direct detection of dark matter, specifically focusing on Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). The experiment was located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, deep underground to shield it from cosmic rays and other sources of background radiation that could interfere with its measurements.
Microlensing is a phenomenon in astrophysics where the light from a distant star is temporarily magnified and distorted due to the gravitational field of a foreground object, usually a star or a planet. This is a direct consequence of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which predicts that massive objects can bend the path of light passing near them, a concept known as gravitational lensing.
PandaX, or PandaX Project, is a scientific initiative primarily focused on the direct detection of dark matter. It is part of a series of experiments designed to search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which are one of the leading candidates for dark matter. The PandaX experiment utilizes underground sites to minimize interference from cosmic rays and other background radiation, enhancing the chances of detecting rare interactions between dark matter particles and ordinary matter.
Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) is a specific type of optical device that is used primarily in fiber optic communication and sensing applications. An FBG consists of a periodic variation in the refractive index of the optical fiber core, which is created through various techniques such as exposure to UV light. This periodic change in refractive index acts as a wavelength-selective reflector.
The Fraunhofer distance is a concept used in optics, particularly in the study of wave propagation and diffraction patterns. It refers to the distance from a wave source at which the wavefronts can be considered parallel, and thus the far-field approximation can be applied. This approximation simplifies the mathematical treatment of the wave behavior, especially when analyzing diffraction patterns.
Neutron diffraction is a technique used to investigate the atomic and magnetic structures of materials by scattering neutrons off of them. It is similar to X-ray diffraction, but it utilizes neutrons instead of X-rays. The key aspects of neutron diffraction include: 1. **Neutron Source**: Neutrons are produced in nuclear reactors or spallation sources. These neutrons are then directed toward the sample being studied.
CACNB1 (Calcium Voltage-Gated Channel Subunit Beta 1) is a gene that encodes a protein which is part of the voltage-gated calcium channel complex. This protein is a beta subunit that is essential for the proper functioning of calcium channels in the nervous and muscular systems. Calcium channels are crucial for various physiological processes, including muscle contraction, neurotransmitter release, and cell signaling.
Scattering amplitude is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory that describes the probability amplitude for a scattering process to occur. It quantifies how likely it is for incoming particles (or waves) to be scattered into a specific final state after interacting with each other. ### Key Points about Scattering Amplitude: 1. **Quantum Mechanics Framework**: In the context of quantum mechanics, the scattering amplitude is related to the wave function of the incoming and outgoing particles.
In the context of condensed matter physics, a "superstructure" refers to a periodic arrangement of atoms or molecules that goes beyond the basic repeating unit of a crystal lattice. This term is commonly used to describe phenomena where the atomic arrangement exhibits a longer-range periodicity, often resulting from certain interactions within the material, such as those related to changes in composition, temperature, or pressure.
The Uniform Theory of Diffraction (UTD) is a mathematical approach used in the fields of electromagnetic wave propagation and antenna theory. It is a refined method for analyzing how waves diffract around edges and over surfaces, particularly in situations where geometrical optics does not provide sufficient accuracy. ### Key Features of UTD: 1. **Physical Basis**: UTD combines principles of geometric optics with diffraction theory.
Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) is a spectroscopic technique that combines electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study the interactions between unpaired electrons and nearby nuclei. This method is particularly useful for investigating the environments of paramagnetic species, such as radicals or transition metal complexes, and for obtaining detailed information about their electronic and structural properties.
Coronal radiative losses refer to the energy that is radiated away by the solar corona, which is the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere. The corona is extremely hot, with temperatures reaching millions of degrees Celsius, and it emits energy primarily in the form of X-rays and ultraviolet radiation. In astrophysics, particularly in the study of stellar atmospheres, radiative losses occur when hot plasma (such as that found in the corona) cools by emitting photons.
The Lyman-alpha line is a specific spectral line in the ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It corresponds to a transition of an electron in a hydrogen atom from the second energy level (n=2) to the first energy level (n=1). This transition emits a photon with a wavelength of approximately 121.6 nanometers (nm).
Inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES) is a powerful experimental technique used to study the electronic states of materials, particularly surfaces and interfaces. In contrast to traditional photoemission spectroscopy (PES), which involves the excitation of electrons from a material by incident photons (measuring the emitted electrons), IPES involves the injection of electrons into a material, where these electrons can excite the material and subsequently emit photons.
Nano-Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (Nano-ARPES) is an advanced experimental technique in condensed matter physics used to study the electronic structure of materials at the nanoscale. It combines the principles of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with nanoscale spatial resolution.
Pinned article: ourbigbook/introduction-to-the-ourbigbook-project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact