The Future of Quark Matter at RHIC

Projected annual results for heavy particle and high-p_{T} correlation studies at future RHICII luminosities.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings for Quark Matter 2006, Shanghai, Chin

Multi-photon transitions between energy levels in a current-biased Josephson tunnel junction

The escape of a small current-biased Josephson tunnel junction from the zero voltage state in the presence of weak microwave radiation is investigated experimentally at low temperatures. The measurements of the junction switching current distribution indicate the macroscopic quantum tunneling of the phase below a cross-over temperature of $T^{\star} \approx 280 \rm{mK}$. At temperatures below $T^{\star}$ we observe both single-photon and \emph{multi-photon} transitions between the junction energy levels by applying microwave radiation in the frequency range between $10 \rm{GHz}$ and $38 \rm{GHz}$ to the junction. These observations reflect the anharmonicity of the junction potential containing only a small number of levels.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Evaluation of the synoptic and mesoscale predictive capabilities of a mesoscale atmospheric simulation system

The overall performance characteristics of a limited area, hydrostatic, fine (52 km) mesh, primitive equation, numerical weather prediction model are determined in anticipation of satellite data assimilations with the model. The synoptic and mesoscale predictive capabilities of version 2.0 of this model, the Mesoscale Atmospheric Simulation System (MASS 2.0), were evaluated. The two part study is based on a sample of approximately thirty 12h and 24h forecasts of atmospheric flow patterns during spring and early summer. The synoptic scale evaluation results benchmark the performance of MASS 2.0 against that of an operational, synoptic scale weather prediction model, the Limited area Fine Mesh (LFM). The large sample allows for the calculation of statistically significant measures of forecast accuracy and the determination of systematic model errors. The synoptic scale benchmark is required before unsmoothed mesoscale forecast fields can be seriously considered

Static Charge Coupling of Intrinsic Josephson Junction

A microscopic theory for the coupling of intrinsic Josephson oscillations due to charge fluctuations on the quasi two-dimensional superconducting layers is presented. Thereby in close analogy to the normal state the effect of the scalar potential on the transport current is taken into account consistently. The dispersion of collective modes is derived and an estimate of the coupling constant is given. It is shown that the correct treatment of the quasiparticle current is essential in order to get the correct position of Shapiro steps. In this case the influence of the coupling on dc-properties like the $I-V$-curve is negligible.Comment: 6 pages latex, 5 figures, espcrc2.sty, Invited Contribution to "2nd International Symposiom on Intrinsic Josephson Effects and Plasma Oscillations in High-TC Superconductors", 22-24 August, Sendai, Japan, to be published in Physica

Decay of Superflow Confined in Thin Torus: A Realization of Tunneling Quantum Fields

The quantum nucleation of phase slips in neutral superfluids confined in a thin torus is investigated by means of the collective coordinate method. We have devised, with numerical justification, a certain collective coordinate to describe the quantum nucleation process of a phase slip. Considering the quantum fluctuation around the local minimum of the action, we calculate the effective mass of the phase slip. Due to the coherence of the condensate throughout the torus, the effective mass is proportional to the circumference L of the torus, and the decay rate has a strong exponential L-dependence.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, REVTe

Critical currents in Josephson junctions with macroscopic defects

The critical currents in Josephson junctions of conventional superconductors with macroscopic defects are calculated for different defect critical current densities as a function of the magnetic field. We also study the evolution of the different modes with the defect position, at zero external field. We study the stability of the solutions and derive simple arguments, that could help the defect characterization. In most cases a reentrant behavior is seen, where both a maximum and a minimum current exist.Comment: 17 pages with 16 figures, submitted to Supercond. Sci. Techno

History and modes of star formation in the most active region of the Small Magellanic Cloud, NGC 346

We discuss the star formation history of the SMC region NGC 346 based on Hubble Space Telescope images. The region contains both field stars and cluster members. Using a classical synthetic CMD procedure applied to the field around NGC 346 we find that there the star formation pace has been rising from a quite low rate 13 Gyr ago to \approx 1.4 \times 10^{-8} Mo yr^{-1}pc^{-2} in the last 100 Myr. This value is significantly higher than in other star forming regions of the SMC. For NGC 346 itself, we compare theoretical and observed Color-Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs) of several stellar sub-clusters identified in the region, and we derive their basic evolution parameters. We find that NGC 346 experienced different star formation regimes, including a dominant and focused "high density mode", with the sub-clusters hosting both pre-main sequence (PMS) and upper main sequence (UMS) stars, and a diffuse "low density mode", as indicated by the presence of low-mass PMS sub-clusters. Quantitatively, the star formation in the oldest sub-clusters started about 6 Myr ago with remarkable synchronization, it continued at high rate (up to 2 \times 10^{-5} Mo yr^{-1} pc^{-2}) for about 3 Myr and is now progressing at a lower rate. Interestingly, sub-clusters mainly composed by low mass PMS stars seem to experience now the first episode of star formation, following multi-seeded spatial patterns instead of resulting from a coherent trigger. Two speculative scenarios are put forth to explain the deficiency of UMS stars: the first invokes under-threshold conditions of the parent gas; the second speculates that the initial mass function (IMF) is a function of time, with the youngest sub-clusters not having had sufficient time to form more massive stars.Comment: 17 pages. Accepted for publication in A

Dynamic transitions between metastable states in a superconducting ring

Applying the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, transitions between metastable states of a superconducting ring are investigated in the presence of an external magnetic field. It is shown that if the ring exhibits several metastable states at a particular magnetic field, the transition from one metastable state to another one is governed by both the relaxation time of the absolute value of the order parameter tau_{|psi|} and the relaxation time of the phase of the order parameter tau_{phi}. We found that the larger the ratio tau_{|psi|}tau_{phi} the closer the final state will be to the absolute minimum of the free energy, i.e. the thermodynamic equilibrium. The transition to the final state occurs through a subsequent set of single phase slips at a particular point along the ring.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, Revtex 4.0 styl

Mode-Locking in Quantum-Hall-Effect Point Contacts

We study the effect of an ac drive on the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a tunnel junction between two fractional Quantum Hall fluids at filling $\nu ^{-1}$ an odd integer. Within the chiral Luttinger liquid model of edge states, the point contact dynamics is described by a driven damped quantum mechanical pendulum. In a semi-classical limit which ignores electron tunnelling, this model exhibits mode-locking, which corresponds to current plateaus in the I-V curve at integer multiples of $I= e\omega /2\pi$, with $\omega$ the ac drive angular frequency. By analyzing the full quantum model at non-zero $\nu$ using perturbative and exact methods, we study the effect of quantum fluctuation on the mode-locked plateaus. For $\nu=1$ quantum fluctuations smear completely the plateaus, leaving no trace of the ac drive. For $\nu \ge 1/2$ smeared plateaus remain in the I-V curve, but are not centered at the currents $I=n e \omega /2\pi$. For $\nu < 1/2$ rounded plateaus centered around the quantized current values are found. The possibility of using mode locking in FQHE point contacts as a current-to-frequency standard is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, minor change