592 research outputs found
Absence of charge backscattering in the nonequilibrium current of normal-superconductor structures
We study the nonequilibrium transport properties of a
normal-superconductor-normal structure, focussing on the effect of adding an
impurity in the superconducting region. Current conservation requires the
superfluid velocity to be nonzero, causing a distortion of the quasiparticle
dispersion relation within the superconductor. For weakly reflecting interfaces
we find a regime of intermediate voltages in which Andreev transmission is the
only permitted mechanism for quasiparticles to enter the superconductor.
Impurities in the superconductor can only cause Andreev reflection of these
quasiparticles and thus cannot degrade the current. At higher voltages, a state
of gapless superconductivity develops which is sensitive to the presence of
impurities.Comment: Latex file, 11 pages, 2 figures available upon request
[email protected], to be published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte
Evaluation of the capability of local helioseismology to discern between monolithic and spaghetti sunspot models
The helioseismic properties of the wave scattering generated by monolithic
and spaghetti sunspots are analyzed by means of numerical simulations. In these
computations, an incident f or p1 mode travels through the sunspot model, which
produces absorption and phase shift of the waves. The scattering is studied by
inspecting the wavefield, computing travel-time shifts, and performing
Fourier-Hankel analysis. The comparison between the results obtained for both
sunspot models reveals that the differences in the absorption coefficient can
be detected above noise level. The spaghetti model produces an steep increase
of the phase shift with the degree of the mode at short wavelengths, while
mode-mixing is more efficient for the monolithic model. These results provide a
clue for what to look for in solar observations to discern the constitution of
sunspots between the proposed monolithic and spaghetti models.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
Unravelling the dynamics of online ratings
Online product ratings are an immensely important source of information for consumers and accordingly a strong driver of commerce. Nonetheless, interpreting a particular rating in context can be very challenging. Ratings show significant variation over time, so understanding the reasons behind that variation is important for consumers, platform designers, and product creators. In this paper we contribute a set of tools and results that help shed light on the complexity of ratings dynamics. We consider multiple item types across multiple ratings platforms, and use a interpretable model to decompose ratings in a manner that facilitates comprehensibility. We show that the various kinds of dynamics observed in online ratings are largely understandable as a product of the nature of the ratings platform, the characteristics of the user population, known trends in ratings behavior, and the influence of recommendation systems. Taken together, these results provide a framework for both quantifying and interpreting the factors that drive the dynamics of online ratings.Published versio
Time-Varying Quantiles
A time-varying quantile can be fitted to a sequence of observations by formulating a time series model for the corresponding population quantile and iteratively applying a suitably modified state space signal extraction algorithm. Quantiles estimated in this way provide information on various aspects of a time series, including dispersion,
asymmetry and, for financial applications, value at risk. Tests for the constancy of quantiles, and associated contrasts, are constructed using indicator variables; these tests have a similar form to stationarity tests and, under the null hypothesis, their asymptotic distributions belong to the Cramér von Mises family. Estimates of the quantiles at the end of the series provide the basis for forecasting. As such they offer an alternative to conditional quantile autoregressions and, at the same time, give some insight into their structure and potential drawbacks
Integral-Field Spectroscopy of the Post Red Supergiant IRC +10420: evidence for an axi-symmetric wind
We present NAOMI/OASIS adaptive-optics assisted integral-field spectroscopy
of the transitional massive hypergiant IRC +10420, an extreme mass-losing star
apparently in the process of evolving from a Red Supergiant toward the
Wolf-Rayet phase. To investigate the present-day mass-loss geometry of the
star, we study the appearance of the line-emission from the inner wind as
viewed when reflected off the surrounding nebula. We find that, contrary to
previous work, there is strong evidence for wind axi-symmetry, based on the
equivalent-width and velocity variations of H and Fe {\sc ii}
6516. We attribute this behaviour to the appearance of the complex
line-profiles when viewed from different angles. We also speculate that the Ti
{\sc ii} emission originates in the outer nebula in a region analogous to the
Strontium Filament of Carinae, based on the morphology of the
line-emission. Finally, we suggest that the present-day axisymmetric wind of
IRC +10420, combined with its continued blueward evolution, is evidence that
the star is evolving toward the B[e] supergiant phase.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ. B&W-optimized
version can be downloaded from http://www.cis.rit.edu/~bxdpci/pubs.htm
Coulomb effects in a ballistic one-channel S-S-S device
We develop a theory of Coulomb oscillations in superconducting devices in the
limit of small charging energy . We consider a small
superconducting grain of finite capacity connected to two superconducting leads
by nearly ballistic single-channel quantum point contacts. The temperature is
supposed to be very low, so there are no single-particle excitations on the
grain. Then the behavior of the system may be described as quantum mechanics of
the superconducting phase on the island. The Josephson energy as a function of
this phase has two minima which become degenerate at the phase difference on
the leads equal to , the tunneling amplitude between them being controlled
by the gate voltage at the grain. We find the Josephson current and its
low-frequency fluctuations and predict their periodic dependence on the induced
charge with period .Comment: 11 pages, REVTeX, 10 figures, uses eps
Fine structure of the chromospheric activity in Solar-type stars - The Halpha Line
A calibration of H-alpha as both a chromospheric diagnostic and an age
indicator is presented, complementing the works previously done on this subject
(Herbig 1985, Pasquini & Pallavicini 1991. The chromospheric diagnostic was
built with a statistically significant sample, covering nine years of
observations, and including 175 solar neighborhood stars. Regarding the age
indicator, the presence of stars for which very accurate ages are determined,
such as those belonging to clusters and kinematic groups, lends confidence to
our analysis. We also investigate the possibility that stars of the same age
might have gone through different tracks of chromospheric decay, identifying -
within the same age range - effects of metallicity and mass. These parameters,
however, as well as age, seem to be significant only for dwarf stars, losing
their meaning when we analyze stars in the subgiant branch. This result
suggests that, in these evolved stars, the emission mechanism cannot be
magnetohydrodynamical in nature, in agreement with recent models (Fawzy et al.
2002c, and references therein). The Sun is found to be a typical star in its
H-alpha chromospheric flux, for its age, mass and metallicity. As a byproduct
of this work, we developed an automatic method to determine temperatures from
the wings of H-alpha, which means the suppression of the error inherent to the
visual procedure used in the literature.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysics. Nature of replacement: match astro-ph and ADS title (greek
letter
Implications for unified schemes from submillimetre and far-infrared follow-up of radio-selected samples
We extend our previous analysis which used generalized luminosity functions
(GLFs) to predict the number of quasars and galaxies in
low-radio-frequency-selected samples as a function of redshift, radio
luminosity, narrow-emission-line luminosity and type of unified scheme. Our
extended analysis incorporates the observed submillimetre (850 micron) flux
densities of radio sources, employs a new method which allows us to deal with
non detections, and focuses on the high-luminosity population. First, we
conclude that the submillimetre luminosity L_{850} of low-frequency-selected
radio sources is correlated with the bolometric luminosity L_{Bol} of their
quasar nuclei via an approximate scaling relation L_{850} \propto L_{Bol}^{0.7
\pm 0.2}. Second, we conclude that there is quantitative evidence for a
receding-torus-like physical process for the high-luminosity population within
a two-population unified scheme for radio sources; this evidence comes from the
fact that radio quasars are brighter in both narrow emission lines and
submillimetre luminosity than radio galaxies matched in radio luminosity and
redshift. Third, we note that the combination of a receding-torus-like scheme
and the assumption that the observed submillimetre emission is dominated by
quasar-heated dust yields a scaling relation L_{850} \propto L_{Bol}^{0.5}
which is within the errors of that determined here for radio-selected quasars,
and consistent with that inferred for radio-quiet quasars by Willott, Rawlings
& Grimes (2003).Comment: 13 pages (including an appendix), 5 figures, to appear in MNRA
The structure and stability of molecular cloud cores in external radiation fields
We have considered the thermal equilibrium in pre-protostellar cores in the
approximation where the dust temperature is independent of interactions with
the gas and where the gas is heated both by collisions with dust grains and
ionization by cosmic rays. We have then used these results to study the
stability of cores in the limit where thermal pressure dominates over magnetic
field and turbulence. We find that for cores with characteristics similar to
those observed, the gas and dust temperatures are coupled in the core interior.
As a consequence, the gas temperature like the dust temperature decreases
towards the center of these objects. The density structure computed taking into
account such deviations from isothermality are not greatly different from that
expected for an isothermal Bonnor-Ebert sphere. It is impossible in the
framework of these models to have a stable equilibrium core with mass above
about 5 solar masses and column density compatible with observed values. We
conclude from this that observed high mass cores are either supported by
magnetic field or turbulence or are already in a state of collapse. Lower mass
cores on the other hand have stable states and we conclude that the much
studied object B68 may be in a state of stable equilibrium if the internal gas
temperature is computed in self-consistent fashion. Finally we note that in
molecular clouds such as Ophiuchus and Orion with high radiation fields and
pressures, gas and dust temperatures are expected to be well coupled and hence
one expects temperatures to be relatively high as compared to low pressure
clouds like Taurus.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Astronomy & Astrophysics, in pres
Ontology, Matter and Emergence
“Ontological emergence” of inherent high-level properties with causal powers is witnessed nowhere. A non-substantialist conception of emergence works much better. It allows downward causation, provided our concept of causality is transformed accordingly
- …