1,406 research outputs found
Catastrophic Phase Transitions and Early Warnings in a Spatial Ecological Model
Gradual changes in exploitation, nutrient loading, etc. produce shifts
between alternative stable states (ASS) in ecosystems which, quite often, are
not smooth but abrupt or catastrophic. Early warnings of such catastrophic
regime shifts are fundamental for designing management protocols for
ecosystems. Here we study the spatial version of a popular ecological model,
involving a logistically growing single species subject to exploitation, which
is known to exhibit ASS. Spatial heterogeneity is introduced by a carrying
capacity parameter varying from cell to cell in a regular lattice. Transport of
biomass among cells is included in the form of diffusion. We investigate
whether different quantities from statistical mechanics -like the variance, the
two-point correlation function and the patchiness- may serve as early warnings
of catastrophic phase transitions between the ASS. In particular, we find that
the patch-size distribution follows a power law when the system is close to the
catastrophic transition. We also provide links between spatial and temporal
indicators and analyze how the interplay between diffusion and spatial
heterogeneity may affect the earliness of each of the observables. We find that
possible remedial procedures, which can be followed after these early signals,
are more effective as the diffusion becomes lower. Finally, we comment on
similarities and differences between these catastrophic shifts and paradigmatic
thermodynamic phase transitions like the liquid-vapour change of state for a
fluid like water
A causal model of radiating stellar collapse
We find a simple exact model of radiating stellar collapse, with a shear-free
and non-accelerating interior matched to a Vaidya exterior. The heat flux is
subject to causal thermodynamics, leading to self-consistent determination of
the temperature . We solve for exactly when the mean collision time
is constant, and perturbatively in a more realistic case of variable
. Causal thermodynamics predicts temperature behaviour that can
differ significantly from the predictions of non-causal theory. In particular,
the causal theory gives a higher central temperature and greater temperature
gradient.Comment: Latex [ioplppt style] 9 pages; to appear Class. Quantum Gra
Rare insights into intraspecific brood parasitism and apparent quasi–parasitism in black–capped chickadees
Genetic analysis of passerine birds often finds evidence of extra–pair copulations within species, but genetic evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) and quasi–parasitism (Q–P) are relatively rare. Further, it is even rarer for genetic patterns that might indicate quasi–parasitism (resident male sires offspring through extra–pair copulations, and allows the female to lay these within the male’s nest) to be coupled with observational evidence of this behavior. In this paper, we report behavioral observations surrounding the nest of black–capped chickadee, one of the few species in which both IBP and Q–P have been detected through a genetic analysis. These were later confirmed to have young genetically mismatched with both attending parents, as well as mismatched with the attending female but sired by the attending male. The behavioral patterns associated with this nest are contrasted with the two previously reported cases of IPB/Q–P in this species, and suggest that rare ‘detection’ of quasi–parasitism may be explained by converging patterns of extra–pair behavior and the rarer strategy of intraspecific brood parasitism.
Key words: Interspecific brood parasitism, Quasi–parasitism, Black–capped chickadees.El análisis genético de los paseriformes a menudo se tropieza con evidencias de cópulas fuera de pareja ocurridas dentro de la misma especie, sin embargo las evidencias genéticas del parasitismo de puesta intraespecífico (IBP) y el cuasiparasitismo (Q–P) son relativamente raras. Además, es incluso más raro que los patrones genéticos que podrían indicar el cuasiparasitismo (un macho residente engendra hijos mediante una cópula fuera de su pareja, y permite que la hembra ponga los huevos dentro del nido masculino) estén respaldados por evidencias observadas de esta conducta. En este artículo, informamos de las observaciones etológicas que tuvieron lugar en torno a un nido de carbonero cabecinegro, una de las pocas especies en las que se ha detectado tanto el IBP como el Q–P mediante análisis genético. Más adelante se confrimó que los jóvenes no coincidían genéticamente con ambos padres cuidadores, así como tampoco coincidían con la hembra cuidadora, pero si con el macho cuidador. Los patrones conductuales asociados a este nido se comparan con los otros dos casos conocidos con anterioridad de IPB/Q–P en esta especie, y se sugiere que la "detección” poco frecuente del cuasiparasitismo puede explicarse mediante los patrones convergentes de las conductas extra pareja y la estrategia aún más rara del parasitismo de puesta intraespecífico.
Palabras clave: Parasitismo de puesta intraespecífico, Cuasiparasitismo, Carbonero cabecinegro.Genetic analysis of passerine birds often finds evidence of extra–pair copulations within species, but genetic evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) and quasi–parasitism (Q–P) are relatively rare. Further, it is even rarer for genetic patterns that might indicate quasi–parasitism (resident male sires offspring through extra–pair copulations, and allows the female to lay these within the male’s nest) to be coupled with observational evidence of this behavior. In this paper, we report behavioral observations surrounding the nest of black–capped chickadee, one of the few species in which both IBP and Q–P have been detected through a genetic analysis. These were later confirmed to have young genetically mismatched with both attending parents, as well as mismatched with the attending female but sired by the attending male. The behavioral patterns associated with this nest are contrasted with the two previously reported cases of IPB/Q–P in this species, and suggest that rare ‘detection’ of quasi–parasitism may be explained by converging patterns of extra–pair behavior and the rarer strategy of intraspecific brood parasitism.
Key words: Interspecific brood parasitism, Quasi–parasitism, Black–capped chickadees
Disorder-enhanced phase coherence in trapped bosons on optical lattices
The consequences of disorder on interacting bosons trapped in optical
lattices are investigated by quantum Monte Carlo simulations. At small to
moderate strengths of potential disorder a unique effect is observed: if there
is a Mott plateau at the center of the trap in the clean limit, phase coherence
{\it increases} as a result of disorder. The localization effects due to
correlation and disorder compete against each other, resulting in a partial
delocalization of the particles in the Mott region, which in turn leads to
increased phase coherence. In the absence of a Mott plateau, this effect is
absent. A detailed analysis of the uniform system without a trap shows that the
disordered states participate in a Bose glass phase.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Field-tuned quantum tunneling in a supramolecule dimer
Field-tuned quantum tunneling in two single-molecule magnets coupled
antiferromagnetically and formed a supramolecule dimer is studied. We obtain
step-like magnetization curves by means of the numerically exact solution of
the time-dependent Schr\H{o}dinger equation. The steps in magnetization curves
show the phenomenon of quantum resonant tunneling quantitatively. The effects
of the sweeping rate of applied field is discussed. These results obtained from
quantum dynamical evolution well agree with the recent experiment[W.Wernsdorfer
et al. Nature 416(2002)406].Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Submited to Phys. Rev.
Memory Effects in Turbulent Dynamo: Generation and Propagation of Large Scale Magnetic Field
We are concerned with large scale magnetic field dynamo generation and
propagation of magnetic fronts in turbulent electrically conducting fluids. An
effective equation for the large scale magnetic field is developed here that
takes into account the finite correlation times of the turbulent flow. This
equation involves the memory integrals corresponding to the dynamo source term
describing the alpha-effect and turbulent transport of magnetic field. We find
that the memory effects can drastically change the dynamo growth rate, in
particular, non-local turbulent transport might increase the growth rate
several times compared to the conventional gradient transport expression.
Moreover, the integral turbulent transport term leads to a large decrease of
the speed of magnetic front propagation.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
Discovery of Gamma-ray Pulsations from the Transitional Redback PSR J1227-4853
The 1.69 ms spin period of PSR J1227-4853 was recently discovered in radio
observations of the low-mass X-ray binary XSS J12270-4859 following the
announcement of a possible transition to a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar
state, inferred from decreases in optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray flux from the
source. We report the detection of significant (5) gamma-ray pulsations
after the transition, at the known spin period, using ~1 year of data from the
Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The
gamma-ray light curve of PSR J1227-4853 can be fit by one broad peak, which
occurs at nearly the same phase as the main peak in the 1.4 GHz radio profile.
The partial alignment of light-curve peaks in different wavebands suggests that
at least some of the radio emission may originate at high altitude in the
pulsar magnetosphere, in extended regions co-located with the gamma-ray
emission site. We folded the LAT data at the orbital period, both pre- and
post-transition, but find no evidence for significant modulation of the
gamma-ray flux. Analysis of the gamma-ray flux over the mission suggests an
approximate transition time of 2012 November 30. Continued study of the pulsed
emission and monitoring of PSR J1227-4853, and other known redback systems, for
subsequent flux changes will increase our knowledge of the pulsar emission
mechanism and transitioning systems.Comment: 5 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ, updated to
reflect accepted version and add additional coautho
Spin-parity dependent tunneling of magnetization in single-molecule magnets
Single-molecule magnets facilitate the study of quantum tunneling of
magnetization at the mesoscopic level. The spin-parity effect is among the
fundamental predictions that have yet to be clearly observed. It is predicted
that quantum tunneling is suppressed at zero transverse field if the total spin
of the magnetic system is half-integer (Kramers degeneracy) but is allowed in
integer spin systems. The Landau-Zener method is used to measure the tunnel
splitting as a function of transverse field. Spin-parity dependent tunneling is
established by comparing the transverse field dependence of the tunnel
splitting of integer and half-integer spin systems.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Routes towards Anderson-Like localization of Bose-Einstein condensates in disordered optical lattices
We investigate, both experimentally and theoretically, possible routes
towards Anderson-like localization of Bose-Einstein condensates in disordered
potentials. The dependence of this quantum interference effect on the nonlinear
interactions and the shape of the disorder potential is investigated.
Experiments with an optical lattice and a superimposed disordered potential
reveal the lack of Anderson localization. A theoretical analysis shows that
this absence is due to the large length scale of the disorder potential as well
as its screening by the nonlinear interactions. Further analysis shows that
incommensurable superlattices should allow for the observation of the
cross-over from the nonlinear screening regime to the Anderson localized case
within realistic experimental parameters.Comment: 4 pages to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Collective oscillations of two colliding Bose-Einstein condensates
Two 87Rb condensates (F=2, m_f=2 and m_f=1) are produced in highly displaced
harmonic traps and the collective dynamical behaviour is investigated. The
mutual interaction between the two condensates is evidenced in the
center-of-mass oscillations as a frequency shift of 6.4(3)%. Calculations based
on a mean-field theory well describe the observed effects of periodical
collisions both on the center-of-mass motion and on the shape oscillations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, revtex - revised versio
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