On the use of the Mollwo-Ivey relationship

Departures from the Mollwo-Ivey relationship are expected to be pronounced in crystals containing large cations

Dephasing representation: Employing the shadowing theorem to calculate quantum correlation functions

Due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, various classical systems differing only on the scale smaller than Planck's cell correspond to the same quantum system. This fact is used to find a unique semiclassical representation without the Van Vleck determinant, applicable to a large class of correlation functions expressible as quantum fidelity. As in the Feynman path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, all contributing trajectories have the same amplitude: that is why it is denoted the ``dephasing representation.'' By relating the present approach to the problem of existence of true trajectories near numerically-computed chaotic trajectories, the approximation is made rigorous for any system in which the shadowing theorem holds. Numerical implementation only requires computing actions along the unperturbed trajectories and not finding the shadowing trajectories. While semiclassical linear-response theory was used before in quasi-integrable and chaotic systems, here its validity is justified in the most generic, mixed systems. Dephasing representation appears to be a rare practical method to calculate quantum correlation functions in nonuniversal regimes in many-dimensional systems where exact quantum calculations are impossible.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev. E (R

THEORY OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE SELF-TRAPPED EXCITON IN QUARTZ

Quartz is an insulator with an extremely wide band gap in the vacuum ultra-violet. However, under irradiation from high-energy electrons or X-rays, samples of high purity emit a luminescence band in the blue, corresponding to a Stokes shift of approximately 7 eV. This large Stokes shift has been ascribed to the self-trapping of an exciton in an otherwise perfect lattice owing to the distortion it induces; the authors review the evidence for this assignment, and describe electronic-structure calculations which reveal the structure of the distorted configuration and also explain various experimentally determined properties of the centre. The self-trapping process they postulate is a novel one as it is driven primarily by the electron component of the exciton

Stability and control characteristics of an air-breathing missile configuration having a forward located inlet

An investigation was made to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of an airbreathing missile configuration having a forward located inlet. Control was provided by cruciform tail surfaces. Aerodynamic data were obtained for the body-tail configuration alone and with planar or cruciform wings. At Mach numbers from 2.86 to 4.63, the model had internal flow. At Mach numbers from 1.70 to 2.86, the internal duct was closed, and an inlet fairing was installed to simulate boost conditions

Swarm optimization for adaptive phase measurements with low visibility

Adaptive feedback normally provides the greatest accuracy for optical phase measurements. New advances in nitrogen vacancy centre technology have enabled magnetometry via individual spin measurements, which are similar to optical phase measurements but with low visibility. The adaptive measurements that previously worked well with high-visibility optical interferometry break down and give poor results for nitrogen vacancy centre measurements. We use advanced search techniques based on swarm optimisation to design better adaptive measurements that can provide improved measurement accuracy with low-visibility interferometry, with applications in nitrogen vacancy centre magnetometry.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, comments welcom

An examination of knowledge prioritisation in secondary physical education teacher education courses

A number of terms have been used to describe knowledge needed for teaching, one of which is subject knowledge. How knowledge for teaching is conceptualised in teacher education prioritises some knowledge bases over other knowledge bases. Further, knowledge prioritised by student teachers is influenced by socialisation prior to and during an initial teacher education course and priorities for student teachers as they develop as teachers. Previous research in physical education teacher education points to the pre-eminence of content knowledge above other knowledge bases. The purpose of this study was to look at what knowledge is prioritised by student teachers, school-based mentors and university tutors working on three secondary physical education initial teacher education courses in England. Results showed that content knowledge was seen as having greater importance for student teachers and mentors, but university tutors generally conceptualised subject knowledge more broadly, suggesting that it should be seen as covering a number of knowledge bases needed for teaching. These results are discussed in relation to socialisation processes in education and phases of development. Although there is a clear physical education focus to this work, it is possible that student teachers learning to teach other subjects may also focus excessively on subject content knowledge above other knowledge bases

DEFECT ELECTRONIC STATES IN BETA-CAROTENE AND LOWER HOMOLOGS

We present semi-empirical calculations of the atomic geometries and electronic charge distributions of beta-carotene homologues of different chain lengths. We find defects in charged and photoexcited chains that are similar to the defects found in the degenerate polymer trans-polyacetylene, and we show how confinement affects these defects as the chains we shortened. Our results exhibit a generalized form of charge-conjugation symmetry in which the properties of a negatively charged defect are related to those of a positive one and vice versa