2,434 research outputs found
Charmonium at high temperature in two-flavor QCD
We compute charmonium spectral functions in 2-flavor QCD on anisotropic
lattices using the maximum entropy method. Our results suggest that the S-waves
(J/psi and eta_c) survive up to temperatures close to 2Tc, while the P-waves
(chi_c0 and chi_c1) melt away below 1.2Tc.Comment: 11 pages, 19 figures. v2: expanded discussion and modified
conclusions. One figure changed. To appear in PR
Colossal proximity effect in a superconducting triplet spin valve based on halfmetallic ferromagnetic CrO2
Ferromagnets can sustain supercurrents through the formation of equal spin
triplet Cooper pairs and the mechanism of odd-frequency pairing. Since such
pairs are not broken by the exchange energy of the ferromagnet, superconducting
triplet correlations are long-ranged and spin-polarized, with promises for
superconducting spintronics devices. The main challenge is to understand how
triplets are generated at the superconductor (S)/ ferromagnet (F) interface.
Here we use the concept of a so-called triplet spin valve (TSV) to investigate
the conversion of singlets in a conventional superconductor to triplets in the
halfmetallic ferromagnet CrO_2. TSV's are composed of two ferromagnetic layers
(separated by a thin normal metal (N) layer) and a superconductor
(F_1/N/F_2/S). The package F_1/N/F_2 generates triplets in F_1 when the
magnetization directions of the F_{1,2}-layers are not collinear. This drains
singlet pairs from the S-layer, and triplet generation is therefore signalled
by a decrease of the critical temperature . Recently, experiments with
TSV's were reported with Co draining layers, using in-plane fields, and finding
T_c-shifts up to 100~mK. Using CrO_2 instead of Co and rotating a magnetic
field from in-plane to out-of-plane, we find strong T_c variations of almost a
Kelvin up to fields of the order of a Tesla. Such strong drainage is consistent
with the large lengths over which supercurrents can flow in CrO_2, which are
significantly larger than in conventional ferromagnets. Our results point to
the special interest of halfmetals for superconducting spintronics.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; supplementary information separat
Mindfulness reduces reactivity to food cues: underlying mechanisms and applications in daily life
Purpose of Review:
Mindfulness-based interventions are becoming increasingly popular as a means to facilitate healthy eating. We suggest that the decentering component of mindfulness, which is the metacognitive insight that all experiences are impermanent, plays an especially important role in such interventions. To facilitate the application of decentering, we address its psychological mechanism to reduce reactivity to food cues, proposing that it makes thoughts and simulations in response to food cues less compelling. We discuss supporting evidence, applications, and challenges for future research.
Recent Findings:
Experimental and correlational studies consistently find that the adoption of a decentering perspective reduces subjective cravings, physiological reactivity such as salivation, and unhealthy eating.
Summary:
We suggest that the decentering perspective can be adopted in any situation to reduce reactivity to food cues. Considering people’s high exposure to food temptations in daily life, this makes it a powerful tool to empower people to eat healthily
Nonequilibrium time evolution of the spectral function in quantum field theory
Transport or kinetic equations are often derived assuming a quasi-particle
(on-shell) representation of the spectral function. We investigate this
assumption using a three-loop approximation of the 2PI effective action in real
time, without a gradient expansion or on-shell approximation. For a scalar
field in 1+1 dimensions the nonlinear evolution, including the integration over
memory kernels, can be solved numerically. We find that a spectral function
approximately described by a nonzero width emerges dynamically. During the
nonequilibrium time evolution the Wigner transformed spectral function is
slowly varying, even in presence of strong qualitative changes in the effective
particle distribution. These results may be used to make further analytical
progress towards a quantum Boltzmann equation including off-shell effects and a
nonzero width.Comment: 20 pages with 6 eps figures, explanation and references added; to
appear in Phys.Rev.
Flux-flow induced giant magnetoresistance in all-amorphous superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids
We present magnetoresistance measurements on all-amorphous ferromagnet (F) /
superconductor (S) heterostructures. The F/S/F trilayers show large
magnetoresistance peaks in a small field range around the coercive field of the
F layers, at temperatures within and below the superconducting transition. This
is interpreted as flux flow of weakly pinned vortices induced by the stray
field of Bloch magnetic domains in the F layers. Bilayers show much smaller
effects, implying that the Bloch walls of the F-layers in the trilayer line up
and focus the stray fields. The data are used to discuss the expected minimum
F-layer thickness needed to nucleate vortices.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
On the Complexity of Local Search for Weighted Standard Set Problems
In this paper, we study the complexity of computing locally optimal solutions
for weighted versions of standard set problems such as SetCover, SetPacking,
and many more. For our investigation, we use the framework of PLS, as defined
in Johnson et al., [JPY88]. We show that for most of these problems, computing
a locally optimal solution is already PLS-complete for a simple neighborhood of
size one. For the local search versions of weighted SetPacking and SetCover, we
derive tight bounds for a simple neighborhood of size two. To the best of our
knowledge, these are one of the very few PLS results about local search for
weighted standard set problems
Playing language games: higher education quality dynamics in Dutch national policies since 1985
Performance optimization of large stroke flexure hinges for high stiffness and eigenfrequency
Two flexure hinge types are optimized for high support stiffness and high first unwanted eigenfrequency for two different working ranges, ±5.7° and ±20°. We show how multiple performance specifications lead to different designs with different performance. The optimization uses efficient parameterized non-linear beam-based models. The constraints and load case are taken from an electron microscopy use case.
Optimization results show that the Three Flexure Cross Hinge has the highest first unwanted eigenfrequencies, while the new Infinity Flexure Hinge shows highest support stiffnesses. The design of the optimal geometry is detailed such that a prototype mechanism is manufactured and tested. Experiments show that the first unwanted eigenfrequency is 35 times higher than the first eigenfrequency throughout the working range
The allure of forbidden food: on the role of attention in self-regulation
The aim of the present studies was to examine the impact of food cues on restrained eaters' attention for food. Previous research has shown that restrained eaters spontaneously activate hedonic thoughts in response to palatable food cues, and that such food cues also lead them to inhibit their dieting goal. We argue that as a consequence, restrained eaters' selective attention will automatically be drawn towards hedonically relevant food items. Consistent with our expectations, the results of two studies revealed that restrained eaters, but not unrestrained eaters, displayed an attentional bias for hedonically rated food items when they had been pre-exposed to food cues. However, this attentional bias did not occur when restrained eaters were primed with the concept of dieting, thereby rendering the regulation of eating behavior more successful. These findings are discussed in the context of implicit processes in self-regulation
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