RESUMO
We have set limits on contributions of scalar interactions to nuclear beta decay. A magneto-optical trap provides a localized source of atoms suspended in space, so the low-energy recoiling nuclei can freely escape and be detected in coincidence with the beta. This allows reconstruction of the neutrino momentum, and the measurement of the beta-nu correlation, in a more direct fashion than previously possible. The beta-nu correlation parameter of the 0(+)-->0(+) pure Fermi decay of (38)K(m) is a =0.9981+/-0.0030+0.0032 / -0.0037, consistent with the standard model prediction a =1.
RESUMO
A new technique, full neutrino momentum reconstruction, is used to set limits on the admixture of heavy neutrinos into the electron neutrino. We measure coincidences between nuclear recoils and positrons from the beta decay of trapped radioactive atoms and deduce the neutrino momentum. A search for peaks in the reconstructed recoil time-of-flight spectrum as a function of positron energy is performed. The admixture upper limits range from 4 x 10(-3) to 2 x 10(-2) and are the best direct limits for neutrinos (as opposed to antineutrinos) for the mass region of 0.7 to 3.5 MeV.
RESUMO
The structure of tubes of reassembled nucleocapsid protein (VP6) from bovine rotavirus (BRV) was determined using optical diffraction of electron micrographs. The tubes consist of a five-start helix of hexagons, with 38 hexagons per helix in a true repeat of three turns. The morphological subunits comprising the hexagons are probably elongated trimers. The structure of naturally occurring tubes (D. Chasey and J. Labram, 1983, J. Gen. Virol. 64, 863-872) was also examined and shown to be similar but not identical to that of tubes assembled in vitro. Considerations of the assembly process are discussed.
