25,205 research outputs found
Optical Resonators in Current and Future Experiments of the ALPS Collaboration
Get PDFThe ALPS collaboration runs a "light shining through a wall" (LSW) experiment to search for weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs). Its sensitivity is significantly enhanced by the incorporation of a large-scale production resonator and a small-scale high-power resonant second harmonic generator. Here we report on important experimental details and limitations of these resonators and derive recommendations for further experiments. A very promising improvement for a future ALPS experiment is the incorporation of an additional large-scale regeneration resonator. We present a rough sketch of how to combine a regeneration resonator with a single-photon counter (SPC) as detector for regenerated photons
ALPS II technical overview and status report
No full textThe Any Light Particle Search II (ALPS\,II) is an experiment that utilizes the concept of resonant enhancement to improve on the sensitivity of traditional light shining through a wall style experiments. These experiments attempt to detect photons passing through an opaque wall by converting to relativistic weakly interacting sub-eV particles and then reconverting back to photons. ALPS\,II at DESY in Hamburg, Germany will use dually resonant optical cavities before and after the wall to increase the probability of this interaction occurring. This paper gives a technical overview and status report of the experiment
First sensitivity limits of the ALPS TES detector
No full textThe Any Light Particle Search II (ALPS II) requires a sensitive detection of 1064~nm photons. Thus, a low dark count rate () and a high detection efficiency () is needed. ALPS has set up a transition-edge sensor (TES) detector system, namely the ALPS TES detector. It is found that thermal photons from room temperature surfaces are the main contribution of dark counts for 1064~nm photon signals. Furthermore, the current setup of the ALPS TES detector shows an improvement compared to using the ALPS I detector
Status of ALPS-II at DESY
No full textThe light-shining-through-a-wall (LSW) experiment ALPS at DESY provides the current best lab-based bounds for WISP couplings. Based on this success, preparations for ALPS-II have started. The aim is to increase the sensitivity by three orders of magnitude to probe parameter regions with astrophysical hints for the existence of WISPs from white dwarf energy loss and the TeV transparency of the intergalactic medium. To reach this sensitivity, ALPS-II will be considerably longer, making use of 2 x 12 HERA dipole magnets. The laser power in the WISP-production region will be increased and a second optical cavity in the regeneration region will be constructed. Additionally, a very low-noise transition-edge photo-detector is in development. In a pre-experiment, it will be possible to probe the hidden-photon interpretation of the WMAP-7 excess in sterile neutrinos
The Service User and Carer Working Group's Journey Through the ALPS Programme
No full textThe ALPS operational plan includes a specific aim related to service user and carer involvement: To enhance the role of service users and carers in assessment and learning in practice settings. This led to the advent of the Service User & Carer Working Group. This workshop will explain more about the work of this group. This will be supported by a case study from an ALPS funded project piloting an innovative assessment process involving service users and students in mental health nursing.
The group were given responsibilty for taking forward this aim either as a group, in liaison with other ALPS groups, or through developing, influencing, advising and /or overseeing activity at each partner site. Membership includes representatives from all five partner institutions and two service users.
As the programme nears completion the group has agreed areas where ALPS has made an impact in terms of service user and carer involvement. These are:
• ALPS has provided a structure through which local universities could further sustain their involvement ‘community of practice’ and so is contributing to an overall cultural shift and institutional leveling in terms of involvement practice
• ALPS has funded valuable research into involvement in research and what matters to service users and carers when it comes to shared care and decision making
• A shared policy on payment of service users across institutions for ALPS work has been an unprecedented development
• ALPS has funded the development of an online involvement good practice resource
• Seeking service users and carer feedback has been more clearly legitimized through the assessment tool and so should have some sustainability as a practice
The objectives of this workshop will be:
To share some of the successes, challenges and lessons learnt by the service user and carer working group about the preparedness (or not) of the overall health and social care economy for involvement.
To demonstrate the groups agreed areas where ALPS has made an impact in terms of involvement as above.
To highlight the effective collaboration of the group that is seen as one of it's key strengths.
Case Study
The case study project is in the field of mental health, proposong new ways of using the ALPS suite. This will include a group of service users working closely with an academic to develop realistic case based scenarios for student assessment and feedback. Planning will be comprehensive and include design of learning materials, understanding the feedback process, dealing with sensitive issues, planning and preparing role-plays, ethical issues, group and student logistics and student learning outcomes.
Each student will then undertake a simulated assessment with a service user. The purpose of this assessment is to develop and improve the student’s communication skills, when working with service users and carers. The assessment will use the ALPS suite. Each assessment will be broken down into three 15 minute phases. Assessments are planned to take 15 minutes each, with each assessment observed by an academic and a student peer. In the next 15 minutes the student will reflect and write up their individual reflection. The three observers will discuss and prepare for feedback. In the final 15 minutes of the session the student will receive feedback from the service user, student peer and academic. Feedback will be provided to the student in a timely manner that is individual, tailored, improvement focused. All feedback will be recorded using a PC or existing devices.
Following this simulation, students will take the communication ALPS Assessment tool with them into their next placement, thereby embedding into their practice portfolio. Outcomes from this will post-date the embedding project, but will contribute to the overall ALPS programme
‘A productive and happy collaboration’: maximising impact through project design
No full textThis case study describes a highly collaborative project created to develop an online self-assessment tool that offers students the opportunity to plan their preparedness to enter the work place named the Preparation for Placement Assessment Tool. The aim of the project was to develop an artefact that aidsall students to think about and prepare for placements, and more broadly to be work-ready. It also aims to help disabled students to identify and manage their individual needs. Working in collaboration with students is offered as an effective strategy for improving project outcomes and managing the tensions for academics of balancing research, teaching, learning and scholarly activities.This paper discusses the project background, design and delivery, which includes the engagement of a diverse mix of students, and the practice research methodologies used. Discussion focuses on the project’s impact, particularly on the students involved. Four key factors: student power, methodology, the use of funding and slow burn are identified as significant for success
Developing effective partnerships for facilitating sustainable tourism associated with protected areas
Get PDFThis paper provides highlights of the progress to date of a two-year Australia-wide study that seeks to identify the attributes, both process and outcome-related, characterizing successful tourism-protected area partnerships. A wide range of literature is used to develop a list of partner-, process- and context-related factors that contribute to successful partnerships. Utilizing this theory-driven approach to analyse the Australian Alps National Parks trans-border partnership, the paper provides preliminary explanations of how and why this particular partnership, in spite of very limited funding, has been successful in achieving desired outcomes. Notably, the partnership has strengthened agency efficiency, helped build organizational, community and tourism industry capacity, enhanced social capital and goodwill, and stimulated innovation. Economic, social, cultural, and ecological sustainability outcomes have been achieved, overcoming legislative and administrative impediments, insufficient resources, and lack of legal authority to implement the activities of the partnership
The Structure of Scientific Collaboration Networks in Scientometrics
Get PDFThe structure of scientific collaboration networks in scientometrics was investigated at the level of individuals by using bibliographic data of all papers published in the international journal Scientometrics retrieved from the Science Citation Index (SCI) during 1978 to 2004. Combined analysis of social network analysis (SNA), co-occurrence analysis, cluster analysis and frequency analysis of words was explored to reveal: (1) The microstructure of the collaboration network on scientists’ aspects of scientometrics; (2) The major collaborative fields of the collaborative sub-networks; (3) The collaborative center of the collaboration network in scientometrics
Collaboration in Iranian Scientific Publications
No full textThis study looks at international collaboration in Iranian scientific publications through the ISI Science Citation Index® (SCI) for the years 1995-1999, inclusive. These results are compared to and contrasted with the earlier findings for the periods covering 1985-1994 (Osareh & Wilson 2000). The results of Iran's increasing productivity over a 15-year period are presented. Iran doubled its output in the first two five-year periods and increased 2.8-fold from the second to the third five-year period. The rise in Iran's scientific publication output is due mainly to factors such as the ending of the war, better economic conditions, recent changes in the Iranian government's policy, basic changes in the political environment brought about by the Reformers, expansion of the Iranian presses for national publications, and the recent return of a large number of students trained overseas through government scholarships. External changes also account for the increased productivity, e.g., the acceptance of three Iranian source journals by the SCI, increased access to international databases through the Internet and better electronic communication facilities for international collaboration. One of the most important and significant factors that caused this dramatic rise seems to be the government's research policies in the last few years. Since 1999, the Iran Science, Research and Technology Ministry, has encouraged researchers to publish their non-Farsi language articles in highly ranked international scientific journals, for example, by giving prizes to researchers who publish their articles in ISI-ranked journals
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