Development of a mass spectrometer system for the measurement of inert gases in meteorites

The study of the inert gases in meteorites has provided many clues as to the origin and evolution of the solar system. Particularly crucial and complex are the gases krypton and xenon. To accurately measure the isotopic compositions of these gases requires a mass spectrometer of high sensitivity and resolution. A previously unused and largely untested mass spectrometer system was brought to the point where it was ready for routine sample analyses. This involved, among other things, focusing the ion beam for optimal peak shape and sensitivity, documenting the instrument's response to a series of characteristic tests such as multplier gain checks, and interfacing the instrument to a computer to run the sample analyses. Following this testing and setting up, three iron meteorite samples were to be analyzed for argon, krypton, and xenon. The three samples were shown in prior work to possibly contain primordial heavy inert gases. Although these analyses have not yet been carried out, it is anticipated that they will be completed in the near future

A Model of High-Frequency Self-Mixing in Double-Barrier Rectifier

In this paper, a new model of the frequency dependence of the double-barrier THz rectifier is presented. The new structure is of interest because it can be realized by CMOS image sensor technology. Its application in a complex field such as that of THz receivers requires the availability of an analytical model, which is reliable and able to highlight the dependence on the parameters of the physical structure. The model is based on the hydrodynamic semiconductor equations, solved in the small signal approximation. The model depicts the mechanisms of the THz modulation of the charge in the depleted regions of the double-barrier device and explains the self-mixing process, the frequency dependence, and the detection capability of the structure. The model thus substantially improves the analytical models of the THz rectification available in literature, mainly based on lamped equivalent circuits

Towards an Ontology Metadata Standard

In this poster, we present (i) a proposal for a metadata standard, known as Ontology Metadata Vocabulary (OMV) which is based on discussions in the EU IST thematic network of excellence Knowledge Web1 and (ii) two complementary reference implementations which show the benefit of such a standard in decentralized and centralized scenarios, i.e. the Oyster P2P system and the Onthology metadata portal

Quantum synchronization as a local signature of super- and subradiance

We study the relationship between the collective phenomena of super and subradiance and spontaneous synchronization of quantum systems. To this aim we revisit the case of two detuned qubits interacting through a pure dissipative bosonic environment, which contains the minimal ingredients for our analysis. By using the Liouville formalism, we are able to find analytically the ultimate connection between these phenomena. We find that dynamical synchronization is due to the presence of long standing coherence between the ground state of the system and the subradiant state. We finally show that, under pure dissipation, the emergence of spontaneous synchronization and of subradiant emission occur on the same time scale. This reciprocity is broken in the presence of dephasing noise.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

On the origin of <i>Halipeurus heraldicus</i> on Round Island petrels: cophylogenetic relationships between petrels and their chewing lice

Lice phylogenetic relationships have often been used to elucidate host relationships and vice versa. In this study, we investigate the louse genus Halipeurus which parasitizes bird hosts in the families Procellariidae, Hydrobatidae and Pelecanoididae. The presence of two lice species on Pterodroma arminjoniana in different breeding grounds (Halipeurus heraldicus on Round Island, off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and Halipeurus kermadecensis on Trindade Island in the Atlantic Ocean) has led to some confusion in the distribution of Pt. arminjoniana and its close relatives Pt. heraldica and Pt. neglecta. By using a cophylogenetic approach that incorporates uncertainties in phylogenetic reconstructions, we show significant overall coevolution between Halipeurus lice and their hosts. However, the study also indicates that the presence of H. heraldicus on Pt. arminjoniana and Pt. neglecta on Round Island and on Pt. heraldica on Gambier Island are the result of a host switch whereas H. kermadecensis is the ancestral parasite of Pt. arminjoniana. This suggests that H. kermadecensis was lost during or after colonisation of Round Island by Pt. arminjoniana. We conclude that cophylogenetic analyses are central to inferring the evolutionary history and biogeographical patterns of hosts and their parasites

Entanglement production by quantum error correction in the presence of correlated environment

We analyze the effect of a quantum error correcting code on the entanglement of encoded logical qubits in the presence of a dephasing interaction with a correlated environment. Such correlated reservoir introduces entanglement between physical qubits. We show that for short times the quantum error correction interprets such entanglement as errors and suppresses it. However for longer time, although quantum error correction is no longer able to correct errors, it enhances the rate of entanglement production due to the interaction with the environment.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, published versio

Landauer's principle in multipartite open quantum system dynamics

We investigate the link between information and thermodynamics embodied by Landauer's principle in the open dynamics of a multipartite quantum system. Such irreversible dynamics is described in terms of a collisional model with a finite temperature reservoir. We demonstrate that Landauer's principle holds, for such a configuration, in a form that involves the flow of heat dissipated into the environment and the rate of change of the entropy of the system. Quite remarkably, such a principle for {\it heat and entropy power} can be explicitly linked to the rate of creation of correlations among the elements of the multipartite system and, in turn, the non-Markovian nature of their reduced evolution. Such features are illustrated in two exemplary cases.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTeX4-1; Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let