Creating non-equilibrium states of matter with highly unequal electron and lattice temperatures allows unsurpassed insight into the dynamic coupling between electrons and ions through time-resolved energy relaxation measurements. Recent studies on lo
w-temperature laser-heated graphite suggest a complex energy exchange when compared to other materials. To avoid problems related to surface preparation, crystal quality and poor understanding of the energy deposition and transport mechanisms, we apply a different energy deposition mechanism, via laser-accelerated protons, to isochorically and non-radiatively heat macroscopic graphite samples up to temperatures close to the melting threshold. Using time-resolved x ray diffraction, we show clear evidence of a very small electron-ion energy transfer, yielding approximately three times longer relaxation times than previously reported. This is indicative of the existence of an energy transfer bottleneck in non-equilibrium warm dense matter.
Using the simulation framework of the SiD detector to study the Higgs -> mumu decay channel showed a considerable gain in signal significance could be achieved through an increase in charged particle momentum resolution. However more detailed simulat
ions of theZ -> mumu decay channel demonstrated that significant improvement in the resolution could not be achieved through an increase in tracker granularity. Conversely detector stability studies into missing/dead vertex layers using longer lived particles displayed an increase in track resolution. The existing 9.15 cm x 25 {mu}m silicon strip geometry was replaced with 100 x 100 micrometers silicon pixels improving secondary vertex resolution by a factor of 100. Study into highly collimated events through the use of dense jets showed that momentum resolution can be increased by a factor of 2, greatly improving signal significance but requiring a reduction in pixel size to 25 micrometers. An upgrade of the tracker granularity from the 9.15 cm strips to micrometer sized pixels requires an increase in number and complexity of sensor channels yet provides only a small improvement in the majority of linear collider physics.
We demonstrate the capability of AKARI for mapping diffuse far-infrared emission and achieved reliability of all-sky diffuse map. We have conducted an all-sky survey for more than 94 % of the whole sky during cold phase of AKARI observation in 2006 F
eb. -- 2007 Aug. The survey in far-infrared waveband covers 50 um -- 180 um with four bands centered at 65 um, 90 um, 140 um, and 160 um and spatial resolution of 3000 -- 4000 (FWHM).This survey has allowed us to make a revolutionary improvement compared to the IRAS survey that was conducted in 1983 in both spatial resolution and sensitivity after more than a quarter of a century. Additionally, it will provide us the first all-sky survey data with high-spatial resolution beyond 100 um. Considering its extreme importance of the AKARI far-infrared diffuse emission map, we are now investigating carefully the quality of the data for possible release of the archival data. Critical subjects in making image of diffuse emission from detected signal are the transient response and long-term stability of the far-infrared detectors. Quantitative evaluation of these characteristics is the key to achieve sensitivity comparable to or better than that for point sources (< 20 -- 95 [MJy/sr]). We describe current activities and progress that are focused on making high quality all-sky survey images of the diffuse far-infrared emission.
