Application No. AU 2020205249 Al (19) AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Application No. AU 2020205249 Al (19) AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE (12) STANDARD PATENT APPLICATION (11) Application No. AU 2020205249 Al (19) AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE (54) Title Matriptase and u-plasminogen activator substrates and other cleavable moieties and methods of use thereof (51) International Patent Classification(s) C07K 16/00 (2006.01) A61K 39/00 (2006.01) (21) Application No: 2020205249 (22) Date of Filing: 2020.07.14 (43) Publication Date: 2020.08.06 (43) Publication Journal Date: 2020.08.06 (62) Divisional of: 2015210862 (71) Applicant(s) Cytomx Therapeutics, Inc. (72) Inventor(s) Nguyen, Margaret Thy Luu;Moore,Stephen James;Hostetter, Daniel Robert;Vasiljeva, Olga (74) Agent / Attorney Spruson & Ferguson, GPO Box 3898, Sydney, NSW, 2001, AU Abstract The invention relates generally to polypeptides that include a cleavable moiety that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase and u-plasminogen activator (uPA), to activatable antibodies and other larger molecules that include the cleavable moiety that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase and u-plasminogen activator, and to methods of making and using these polypeptides that include a cleavable moiety that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase and uplasminogen activator in a variety of therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic indications. MATRIPTASE AND U-PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR SUBSTRATES AND OTHER CLEAVABLE MOIETIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF Related Applications [00011 This application is a divisional of No. 2015210862, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/934,619, filed January 31, 2014 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/971,009, filed March 27, 2014, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Field of the Invention 100021 The invention relates generally to polypeptides that include a cleavable moiety that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase and u plasminogen activator (uPA), to activatable antibodies and other larger molecules that include the cleavable moiety that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase and uPA, and to methods of making and using these polypeptides that include a cleavable moiety that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase and uPA in a variety of therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic indications. BackgroundoftheInvention 100031 Proteases are enzymes that cleave the peptide bonds between amino acid residues. Some proteases are known to break specific peptide bonds based on the presence of a particular amino acid sequence within a protein. Proteases occur naturally in all organisms and are involved in a variety of physiological reactions from simple degradation to highly regulated pathways. However, many pathological conditions are associated with deregulated expression and/or activity of proteases. As such, inappropriate proteolysis can have a major role in development and progression of cancer as well as cardiovascular, inflammatory, neurodegenerative, eukaryotic, bacterial and viral and parasitic diseases. 100041 Accordingly, there exists a need to identify new substrates for proteases and to use these substrates in a variety of therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic indications. Summary of the Invention 100051 The disclosure provides amino acid sequences that include a cleavable moiety (CM) that is a substrate for at least one protease selected from matriptase (also I referred to herein as MT-SP1, matriptase-1, and similar terms denoting matriptase) and u plasminogen activator (also referred to herein as uPA, urokinase, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, and similar terms denoting uPA). These CMs are useful in a variety of therapeutic, diagnostic and prophylactic indications. [0006] In some embodiments, the CM is linked or otherwise attached to an antibody. For example, the CM is used to link one or more agents to the antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof that binds a given target, such that the CM is cleaved when exposed to the protease, i.e., matriptase and/or uPA, and the agent is released from the antibody or antigen-binding fragment. Exemplary targets include, but are not limited to the targets shown in Table 1. Exemplary antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof include, but are not limited to, the targets shown in Table 2. In some embodiments, the antibody in the uncleaved state has the structural arrangement from N-terminus to C terminus as follows: Agent-CM-(Antibody or Antigen-Binding Fragment) or (Antibody or Antigen-Binding Fragment)-CM-Agent. In some embodiments, the antibody comprises a linking peptide between the antibody or antigen-binding fragment and the CM. In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment comprises a linking peptide between the CM and the conjugated agent. [0007] In some embodiments, the antibody comprises a first linking peptide (LP1) and a second linking peptide (LP2), wherein the antibody in the uncleaved state has the structural arrangement from N-terminus to C-terminus as follows: Agent-LP1-CM-LP2- (Antibody or Antigen-Binding Fragment) or (Antibody or Antigen-Binding Fragment)-LP2 CM-LP1-Agent. In some embodiments, the two linking peptides need not be identical to each other. [0008] In some embodiments, at least one of LPl or LP2 comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of (GS)n, (GGS)n, (GSGGS)n (SEQ ID NO: 385) and (GGGS)n (SEQ ID NO: 386), where n is an integer of at least one. [0009] In some embodiments, at least one of LPl or LP2 comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of GGSG (SEQ ID NO: 387), GGSGG (SEQ ID NO: 388), GSGSG (SEQ ID NO: 389), GSGGG (SEQ ID NO: 390), GGGSG (SEQ ID NO: 391), and GSSSG (SEQ ID NO: 392). [00010] In some embodiments, LP1 comprises the amino acid sequence GSSGGSGGSGGSG (SEQ ID NO: 393), GSSGGSGGSGG (SEQ ID NO: 394), 2 GSSGGSGGSGGS (SEQ ID NO: 395), GSSGGSGGSGGSGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 396), GSSGGSGGSG (SEQ ID NO: 397), or GSSGGSGGSGS (SEQ ID NO: 398). [00011] In some embodiments, LP2 comprises the amino acid sequence GSS, GGS, GGGS (SEQ ID NO: 399), GSSGT (SEQ ID NO: 400) or GSSG (SEQ ID NO: 401). [00012] In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment has an equilibrium dissociation constant of about 100 nM or less for binding to the target. [000131 In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binds a target. In some embodiments, the antibody or immunologically active fragment thereof that binds the target is a monoclonal antibody, domain antibody, single chain, Fab fragment, a F(ab') 2 fragment, a scFv, a scab, a dAb, a single domain heavy chain antibody, or a single domain light chain antibody. In some embodiments, such an antibody or immunologically active fragment thereof that binds the target is a mouse, other rodent, chimeric, humanized or fully human monoclonal antibody. [00014] In some embodiments, the protease, i.e., matriptase and/or uPA is co localized with the target in a tissue, and the protease cleaves the CM in the antibody when the antibody is exposed to the protease. [00015] In some embodiments, the CM is a polypeptide of up to 15 amino acids in length. [000161 In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for at least matriptase. In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for at least uPA. In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for at least matriptase and uPA. [00017] In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for matriptase and/or uPA, and is resistant to cleavage by at least one other protease. In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for matriptase and/or uPA, and is resistant to cleavage by at least plasmin. In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for matriptase and/or uPA, and is resistant to cleavage by at least tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). [00018] In some embodiments, the CM is a substrate for matriptase and/or uPA and includes a motif sequence that is recognized by matriptase and/or uPA, provided that for any given motif sequence of the disclosure: (i) the CM does not comprise any of the following amino acid sequences TGRGPSWV (SEQ ID NO: 402), SARGPSRW (SEQ ID NO: 403), or TARGPSFK (SEQ ID NO: 404); and the CM does not comprise a consensus 3 amino acid sequence based on these amino acid sequences, such as for example, TARGPSW (SEQ ID NO: 405); (ii) the CM does not comprise any of the following amino acid sequences LSGRSDNH (SEQ ID NO: 406), GGWHTGRN (SEQ ID NO: 407), HTGRSGAL (SEQ ID NO: 408), or PLTGRSGG (SEQ ID NO: 409); and the CM does not comprise a consensus amino acid sequence based on these amino acid sequences, such as for example, LTGRSGA (SEQ ID NO: 410); and/or (iii) the CM does not comprise any of the following amino acid sequences AARGPAIH (SEQ ID NO: 411), RGPAFNPM (SEQ ID NO: 412), SSRGPAYL (SEQ ID NO: 413), or RGPATPIM (SEQ ID NO: 414); and the CM does not comprise a consensus amino acid sequence based on these amino acid sequences, such as for example, RGPA (SEQ ID NO: 415). [00019] In some embodiments, the motif sequence is a substrate for at least matriptase and includes a core CM consensus sequence shown in Tables 8A-8J below. In some embodiments, the motif sequence includes a subgenus, i.e., a subset, of the core CM consensus sequence shown in Tables 8A-8J below. Table 8A. Matriptase Cleavable Core CM Consensus Sequence 1 Core CM Consensus 1 Subgenus of Core CM Consensus 1 X1X2X 3X4 X 5 (SEQ ID NO: 2), wherein X1 is A, G, P, R, S, or V; X 2 is A, L, M, P, S, or V; X3 is G, L, or P; X 4 is R; and X 5 is A, G, R, S, or V X X X X X (SEQ ID 1 2 3 4 5 NO: 1), wherein: X1X2X 3X4 X 5 (SEQ ID NO: 3), wherein X1 is A, X 1 is A, G, H, K, L, N, P, R, S, or V; P, R, S, or V; X 2 is A, L, M, S, or V; X 3 is P; X4 X 2 is A, H, L, M, P, Q, R, S, or V; is R; and X5 is A, G, S, or V X 3 is A, E, F, G, I, L, P, R, S, T, or V; X1X2X 3 X4 X 5 (SEQ ID NO: 4), wherein: X 1 is A, X 4 is A, I, K, N, R, T, or W; and P, or R; X 2 is A, S, or V; X 3 is P; X4 is R; and X5 X 5 is A, G, I, L, M, Q, R, S, or V is S or V X1X2X 3X4 X 5(SEQ ID NO: 5), wherein: X 1 is A, P, or R; X 2 is A or S; X3 is P; X4 is R; and X5 is S 4 Table 8B.
Recommended publications
  • The WISP Paradigm
    The WISP Paradigm Javier Redondo Max Planck Institut (Werner Heisenberg Institut) Munich MPI 14/12/2009 Hidden Sectors in PBSM Extensions of SM often include Hidden Sectors Fields coupled to SM only through gravity or high energy “messenger” fields... This is the case in string theory (compactifications produce many particles, new gauge symmetries, and KKs) Desirable for SUSY Also in GUT theories... Massive Messengers Standard Model Hidden Sector e−, ν, q, γ, W ±, Z, g...H a, γ, ψMCP... Hidden Sectors can be quite complicated we certainly don’t know! Hidden Sector BIG guys Light guys (live in the mountains) (mass is protected by a symmetry) Goldstone Chiral Bosons fermions Gauge and more... Bosons hard to detect; not only as hidden they have suppressed interactions but as hidden, also heavy! light they have no thresholds and they can have maybe at LHC or ILC... coherent forces Let symmetry be our guide ! Hidden Sectors can be quite complicated we certainly don’t know! Hidden Sector BIG guys Light guys (live in the mountains) (mass is protected by a symmetry) Goldstone Chiral Bosons WISPsfermions (very) weakly interacting sub-eV Particles Gauge and more... Bosons hard to detect; not only as hidden they have suppressed interactions but as hidden, also heavy! light they have no thresholds and they can have maybe at LHC or ILC... coherent forces Let symmetry be our guide ! Axion-like-Particles and Axions 1 µν Axions are GB of a color anomalous U(1) Tr Gµν G a 4fa { } The color anomalous term creates a potential with CP conserving minimum Solution to Strong CP which gives the axion a mass m f 10 10GeV 1 m π π 0.6 meV − − .
    [Show full text]
  • Axions & Wisps
    FACULTY OF SCIENCE AXIONS & WISPS STEPHEN PARKER 2nd Joint CoEPP-CAASTRO Workshop September 28 – 30, 2014 Great Western, Victoria 2 Talk Outline • Frequency & Quantum Metrology Group at UWA • Basic background / theory for axions and hidden sector photons • Photon-based experimental searches + bounds • Focus on resonant cavity “Haloscope” experiments for CDM axions • Work at UWA: Past, Present, Future A Few Useful Review Articles: J.E. Kim & G. Carosi, Axions and the strong CP problem, Rev. Mod. Phys., 82(1), 557 – 601, 2010. M. Kuster et al. (Eds.), Axions: Theory, Cosmology, and Experimental Searches, Lect. Notes Phys. 741 (Springer), 2008. P. Arias et al., WISPy Cold Dark Matter, arXiv:1201.5902, 2012. [email protected] The University of Western Australia 3 Frequency & Quantum Metrology Research Group ~ 3 staff, 6 postdocs, 8 students Hosts node of ARC CoE EQuS Many areas of research from fundamental to applied: Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator Tests of Lorentz Symmetry & fundamental constants Ytterbium Lattice Clock for ACES mission Material characterization Frequency sources, synthesis, measurement Low noise microwaves + millimetrewaves …and lab based searches for WISPs! Core WISP team: Stephen Parker, Ben McAllister, Eugene Ivanov, Mike Tobar [email protected] The University of Western Australia 4 Axions, ALPs and WISPs Weakly Interacting Slim Particles Axion Like Particles Slim = sub-eV Origins in particle physics (see: strong CP problem, extensions to Standard Model) but become pretty handy elsewhere WISPs Can be formulated as: Dark Matter (i.e. Axions, hidden photons) ALPs Dark Energy (i.e. Chameleons) Low energy scale dictates experimental approach Axions WISP searches are complementary to WIMP searches [email protected] The University of Western Australia 5 The Axion – Origins in Particle Physics CP violating term in QCD Lagrangian implies neutron electric dipole moment: But measurements place constraint: Why is the neutron electric dipole moment (and thus θ) so small? This is the Strong CP Problem.
    [Show full text]
  • Rare Event Physics WG1
    Rare event physics WG1 Our ambitious mission : ● Show the state of the art of the physics of rare events ● Cover for both experimental and theoretical aspects ● Provide hints for the exploration of next generation experiments (link with WG5) ● Provide a guideline for experimental and technological efforts, like constraints for low cosmo- and radio-purity techniques(WG2), for detection methods (WG3) and analysis tools (WG4) ● Being inclusive to any other scientific field that would profit of deep underground sites Christine Marquet, CENBG Mariangela Settimo, Subatech May 31, 2021 - visioconference Luca Scotto Lavina, LPNHE Two major axes 1. Dark Matter WG1 We will keep a particular eye on direct search of dark matter : ● Scoping the whole zoology of models (WIMP, WISP, axions, …), nucleo- or lepto-philic ● Exploring a wide (and experimentally accessible) range of masses/energies ( >GeV, sub-GeV, down to μeV) ● Looking for any trace of daily and seasonal modulation ● Using a plethora of targets and combinations of energy losses ● Complementarity with colliders (new particles) and indirect evidences (annihilation) Christine Marquet, CENBG Mariangela Settimo, Subatech May 31, 2021 - visioconference Luca Scotto Lavina, LPNHE Two major axes 2. Neutrinoless double beta decay WG1 We will keep an eye on the search for the intimate nature of neutrinos : ● Nature of neutrino (Majorana/Dirac) ● Fixing the neutrino mass scale and possible mass scenarii ● Proof of a lepton number violation ● Neutrino hierarchy ● Impact on baryon asymmetry of the Universe
    [Show full text]
  • The International Axion Observatory IAXO
    Letter of Intent to the CERN SPSC The International Axion Observatory IAXO IAXO Collaboration August 7, 2013 CERN-SPSC-2013-022 / SPSC-I-242 08/08/2013 Version: 1.0 IAXO The International Axion Observatory Letter of Intent Date: August 7, 2013 Page 3 of 80 Letter of Intent to the CERN SPSC The International Axion Observatory IAXO E. Armengaud1, F. T. Avignone2, M. Betz3, P. Brax4, P. Brun1, G. Cantatore5, J. M. Carmona6, G. P. Carosi7, F. Caspers3, S. Caspi8, S. A. Cetin9, D. Chelouche10, F. E. Christensen11, A. Dael1, T. Dafni6, M. Davenport3, A.V. Derbin12, K. Desch13, A. Diago6, B. Dobrich¨ 14, I. Dratchnev12, A. Dudarev3, C. Eleftheriadis15, G. Fanourakis16, E. Ferrer-Ribas1, J. Galan´ 1, J. A. Garc´ıa6, J. G. Garza6, T. Geralis16, B. Gimeno17, I. Giomataris1, S. Gninenko18, H. Gomez´ 6, D. Gonzalez-D´ ´ıaz6, E. Guendelman19, C. J. Hailey20, T. Hiramatsu21, D. H. H. Hoffmann22, D. Horns23, F. J. Iguaz6, I. G. Irastorza6;∗, J. Isern24, K. Imai25, A. C. Jakobsen11, J. Jaeckel26, K. Jakovciˇ c´27, J. Kaminski13, M. Kawasaki28, M. Karuza29, M. Krcmarˇ 27, K. Kousouris3, C. Krieger13, B. Lakic´27, O. Limousin1, A. Lindner14, A. Liolios15, G. Luzon´ 6, S. Matsuki30, V. N. Muratova12, C. Nones1, I. Ortega6, T. Papaevangelou1, M. J. Pivovaroff7, G. Raffelt31, J. Redondo31, A. Ringwald14, S. Russenschuck3, J. Ruz7, K. Saikawa32, I. Savvidis15, T. Sekiguchi28, Y. K. Semertzidis33, I. Shilon3, P. Sikivie34, H. Silva3, H. ten Kate3, A. Tomas6, S. Troitsky18, T. Vafeiadis3, K. van Bibber35, P. Vedrine1, J. A. Villar6, J. K. Vogel7, L. Walckiers3, A.
    [Show full text]
  • WISP Dark Matter Theory
    WISP Dark Matter Theory. Andreas Ringwald (DESY) Latest Results in Dark Matter Searches Stockholm, Sweden 12-14 May 2014 Introduction > Plenty of dark matter (DM) candi- dates spanning huge parameter range in masses and couplings > Two classes stand out because of their convincing physics case and the variety of experimental and observational probes: § Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), such as neutralinos § Very Weakly Interacting Slim (=ultra- light) Particles (WISPs), such as axions, axion-like particles and hidden photons [Kim,Carosi `10] Andreas Ringwald | WISP Dark Matter Theory, Latest Results in Dark Matter Searches, Stockholm, 12-14 May 2014 | Page 2 Theoretically favored WISP candidates > Pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons: § “Axion-Like Particles” (ALPs) arising from breaking of global U(1) symmetries at high energy scale f a ; angular part of complex SM singlet Higgs-like field • Low energy effective field theory has shift symmetry a ( x ) a ( x ) + const . , forbidding 2 2 explicit mass terms, m a a ( x ) , in the Lagrangian ! • Effective couplings to/ SM particles suppressed by powers of high energy scale f a , e.g. coupling to photons, ↵ a C F F˜µ⌫ aγ µ⌫ L ⊃−8⇡ fa • Examples: • Axion from breaking of global chiral symmetry; axion field acts as dynamical theta parameter, [Peccei,Quinn 77; Weinberg 78; Wilczek 78] spontaneously relaxing to zero, (thus CP conserved in strong interactions) • mass due to chiral symmetry breaking, • Majoron from breaking of global lepton number symmetry [Chikashige et al. 78] • high scale
    [Show full text]
  • The Many Faces of the Inflaton Field
    The many faces of the inflaton field Tommi Tenkanen in collaboration with T. Alanne, F. Sannino, K. Tuominen, and V. Vaskonen Queen Mary University of London Talk based on arXiv: 1606.06063, 1607.01379, 1611.04932 University of Helsinki 8/3/2017 E-mail: [email protected] Tommi Tenkanen The many faces of the inflaton field 8/3/2017 1 / 30 Open problems in cosmology Tommi Tenkanen The many faces of the inflaton field 8/3/2017 2 / 30 Evidence for Dark Matter Great deal of evidence for the existence of dark matter: rotational velocity curves of galaxies, Bullet Cluster1, acoustic peaks in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation spectrum... Still the nature of dark matter is unknown 1 Image: Chandra X-ray Observatory Tommi Tenkanen The many faces of the inflaton field 8/3/2017 3 / 30 What is Dark Matter? What is the correct explanation for the invisible matter content observed in the universe? Does the dark matter particle exist? Or are there many dark matter particles? Are they WIMP’s, FIMP’s, SIMP’s, GIMP’s, PIDM’s, WISP’s, ALP’s, Wimpzillas, or sterile neutrinos? Or should gravity be modified? How can we tell which model is the correct one (if any)? Tommi Tenkanen The many faces of the inflaton field 8/3/2017 4 / 30 Search for Dark Matter Many on-going experiments exist2 Yet no conclusive detection. 2 Original image: Max-Planck-Institut Für Kernphysik Tommi Tenkanen The many faces of the inflaton field 8/3/2017 5 / 30 Matter–antimatter asymmetry Why is there more matter than antimatter? How and at what point in the history of the universe was this asymmetry generated? Electroweak baryogenesis remains as a viable candidate for explaining the origin of this asymmetry.
    [Show full text]
  • Wisp Unification Theory Particles of Nothingness
    WISP UNIFICATION THEORY PARTICLES OF NOTHINGNESS KEVIN HARKESS Wisp Unification Theory Particles of Nothingness Kevin Harkess BSc (Hons) HR Harkess Research 95 Sibelius Close Basingstoke Hampshire RG22 4HX England. First published in 2003 by Harkess Research 95 Sibelius Close, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4HX. Reprinted 2011 (with revisions). Copyright © Kevin Harkess 2002 Kevin Harkess has asserted his right under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, (other than short extracts for the purpose of review) or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher and copyright holder. The material contained in this CD-ROM eBook is set out in good faith for the development of new scientific theories and no liability can be accepted for the loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in it. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 0-9543694-0-8 (eBook CD-ROM) ISBN 0-9543694-1-6 (paperback) Design and origination by Kevin Harkess Illustrations by Kim Albinson and Kevin Harkess Front cover illustration by Paul Privitera Printed in Great Britain by Harkess Research Dedication To Dawn, Michael and Bethany CONTENTS Introduction . .xiii 1 Matter, Space and Time . .1 1.1 Basic understanding . .1 1.1.1 – Matter . .1 1.1.2 – Space . .1 1.1.3 – Time . .1 1.1.4 – Perception of reality .
    [Show full text]
  • Arxiv:1604.07677V2 [Astro-Ph.SR] 10 Jun 2016 Section of Astro-Geophysics, Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece, [email protected]
    Solar Physics DOI: 10.1007/•••••-•••-•••-••••-• Interplanetary Type IV Bursts A. Hillaris1, C. Bouratzis1, A. Nindos2 c Springer •••• Abstract We study the characteristics of moving type IV radio bursts which ex- tend to the hectometric wavelengths (interplanetary type IV or type IVIP bursts) and their relationship with energetic phenomena on the Sun. Our dataset com- prises 48 interplanetary type IV bursts observed with the Radio and Plasma Wave Investigation (WAVES) instrument onboard Wind in the 13.825 MHz–20 kHz frequency range. The dynamic spectra of the Radio Solar Telescope Net- work (RSTN), the Nançay Decametric Array (DAM), the Appareil de Routine pour le Traitement et l’ Enregistrement Magnetique de l’ Information Spectral (ARTEMIS-IV), the Culgoora, Hiraiso and Izmiran Radio Spectrographs were used to track the evolution of the events in the low corona. These were sup- plemented with soft X-ray (SXR) flux-measurements from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and coronal mass ejections (CME) data from the Large Angle and Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Positional information of the coronal bursts was obtained by the Nançay radioheliograph (NRH). We examined the relationship of the type IV events with coronal radio bursts, CMEs and SXR flares. The majority of the events (45) were characterized as compact; their duration was on average 106 minutes. This type of events was, mostly, associated with M- and X-class flares (40 out of 45) and fast CMEs; 32 of these events had CMEs faster than 1000 km s−1. Furthermore, in 43 compact events the CME was, possibly, subjected to reduced aerodynamic drag as it was propagating in the wake of a previous CME.
    [Show full text]
  • New Sources of Gravitational Wave Signals: the Black Hole Graviton Laser
    UdeM-GPP-TH-18-262 New sources of gravitational wave signals: The black hole graviton laser Éric Dupuis∗ and M. B. Paranjape† Groupe de physique des particules, Département de physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succ. centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3J7 Abstract A graviton laser works, in principle, by the stimulated emission of coherent gravitons from a lasing medium. For significant amplification, we must have a very long path length and/or very high densities. Black holes and the existence of weakly interacting sub-eV dark matter particles (WISPs) solve both of these obstacles. Orbiting trajectories for massless particles around black holes are well understood [1] and allow for arbitrarily long graviton path lengths. Superradiance from Kerr black holes of WISPs can provide the sufficiently high density [2]. This suggests that black holes can act as efficient graviton lasers. Thus directed graviton laser beams have been emitted since the beginning of the universe and give rise to new sources of gravitational wave signals. To be in the path of particularly harmfully amplified graviton death rays will not be pleasant. “Essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2018 Awards for Essays on Gravitation.” July 10, 2018 Corresponding author: M. B. Paranjape, [email protected] arXiv:1807.03163v1 [gr-qc] 6 Jul 2018 PACS numbers: 73.40.Gk,75.45.+j,75.50.Ee,75.50.Gg,75.50.Xx,75.75.Jn ∗ [email protected][email protected] 1 I. INTRODUCTION Black holes admit quantum mechanical bound states of ultra light particles such as ax- ions, other dark matter candidates that are weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs), [3], or neutrinos.
    [Show full text]
  • World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) FY2016 WPI Project Progress Report (Post-10Th Year Evaluation)
    World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) FY2016 WPI Project Progress Report (Post-10th Year Evaluation) Host Institution The University of Tokyo Host Institution Head Makoto Gonokami Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of Research Center Center Director Hitoshi Murayama the Universe Common instructions: * Unless otherwise specified, prepare this report from the timeline of 31 March 2017. * So as to base this fiscal year’s follow-up review on the document ”Post-interim evaluation revised center project,” please prepare this report from the perspective of the revised project. * Use yen (¥) when writing monetary amounts in the report. If an exchange rate is used to calculate the yen amount, give the rate. Summary of State of WPI Center Project Progress (write within 2 pages) Scientific research progress In the calendar year (CY) 2016, 345 (450 when including WPI-related) papers were published. We have consistently produced a large number of scientific papers in the past 3 years (452 in CY2014, 466 in CY2015 including WPI-related papers) after a steady increase (75, 199, 240, 292, 347, 380 papers from CY2008 to CY2013). Among the WPI papers published in CY2016, the rate of highly cited papers “top 1% of papers” was 16 (3.6%) based on the Web of Science by Thomson Reuters. The impact factor for all of our refereed papers published from the institute’s inception to Dec 2016 are as follows: the average number of citations per paper is 23.1; 85 papers have over 100 citations and 287 over 50 citations in which review papers are excluded.
    [Show full text]
  • Letter of Interest Light Dark Matter Candidates with Mev Gamma-Ray
    Snowmass2021 - Letter of Interest Light Dark Matter Candidates with MeV gamma-ray signatures Thematic Areas: (check all that apply /) (CF1) Dark Matter: Particle Like (CF2) Dark Matter: Wavelike (CF3) Dark Matter: Cosmic Probes (CF4) Dark Energy and Cosmic Acceleration: The Modern Universe (CF5) Dark Energy and Cosmic Acceleration: Cosmic Dawn and Before (CF6) Dark Energy and Cosmic Acceleration: Complementarity of Probes and New Facilities (CF7) Cosmic Probes of Fundamental Physics (Other) [Please specify frontier/topical group] Contact Information: Name (Institution) [email]: Regina Caputo, NASA GSFC Collaboration (optional): AMEGO Team Authors: Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, University of New Hampshire, [email protected] Carolyn Kierans, NASA GSFC, [email protected] Milena Crnogorceviˇ c,´ University of Maryland, [email protected] Samuel D. McDermott, Fermilab, [email protected] Rebecca K. Leane, SLAC, [email protected] Zorawar Wadiasingh, NASA/GSFC/NPP, [email protected] Tesla Jeltema, University of California Santa Cruz, [email protected] John Tomsick, UC Berkeley/Space Sciences Laboratory, [email protected] Yu-Dai Tsai, Fermilab and University of Chicago, [email protected] Abstract: Weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs) (e.g. axions and axion-like particles) are an in- creasingly explored dark matter candidate which produces distinct γ-ray signatures. Over the last decade, data taken between 50 MeV to >300 GeV by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has only recently begun exploring the phase space of interest for these models and thus far, there are no conclusive detections. At lower energies, the angular resolution of the Fermi-LAT makes source identification challenging, inhibit- ing our ability to more sensitively probe WISP models.
    [Show full text]
  • Search for Wisps Gains Momentum
    CERN Courier September 2018 Dark matter Got radiation? Knirck/MPIS Search for See what you’ve been missing WISPs gains momentum Despite tremendous efforts, the search for the constituents of dark matter has so far been unsuccessful. Interest is therefore growing in new experiments that probe dark-matter candidates such as axions and other very weakly interacting sub-eV particles. PhotoPPhoPhotPhhhohotoottooc coccourtesyourteuurturrtertrtetesysyyo ooffEf E EUEUROfusion.URROfROfuROOfuOffufussiosionsiioniioonon..W WWeWebsite:ebsbsitbsitssiitite:e:w: wwww.euro-fusion.orgwwwww.ew.wweuro-urro-oo-fusfufusiusiusussiioon.oonon.nn.n.ono.o. orrgg Photo courtesy of EUROfusion. Website: www.euro-fusion.org Understanding the nature of dark matter is one of the most press- which is broken spontaneously in the vacuum. Such extensions ing problems in physics. This strangely nonreactive material is contain an additional scalar field with a potential shaped like a Imaging in radiation environments just got easier estimated, from astronomical observations, to make up 85% of all Mexican hat – similar to the Higgs potential in the SM (figure 1). matter in the universe. The known particles of the Standard Model This leads to spontaneous breaking of symmetry at a scale cor- (SM) of particle physics, on the other hand, account for a paltry 15%. responding to the radius of the trough of the hat: excitations in the With superior capabilities for operating in radiation environments, the MegaRAD cameras provide Physicists have proposed many dark-matter candidates. Two in direction along the trough correspond to a light Nambu–Goldstone excellent image quality well beyond dose limitations of conventional cameras, and are well suited particular stand out because they arise in extensions of the SM that (NG) boson, while the excitation in the radial direction perpen- solve other fundamental puzzles, and because there are a variety dicular to the trough corresponds to a heavy particle with a mass for radiation hardened imaging applications of experimental opportunities to search for them.
    [Show full text]