Resolved-sideband cooling and measurement of a micromechanical oscillator close to the quantum limit

The observation of quantum phenomena in macroscopic mechanical oscillators has been a subject of interest since the inception of quantum mechanics. Prerequisite to this regime are both preparation of the mechanical oscillator at low phonon occupancy and a measurement sensitivity at the scale of the spread of the oscillator's ground state wavefunction. It has been widely perceived that the most promising approach to address these two challenges are electro nanomechanical systems. Here we approach for the first time the quantum regime with a mechanical oscillator of mesoscopic dimensions--discernible to the bare eye--and 1000-times more massive than the heaviest nano-mechanical oscillators used to date. Imperative to these advances are two key principles of cavity optomechanics: Optical interferometric measurement of mechanical displacement at the attometer level, and the ability to use measurement induced dynamic back-action to achieve resolved sideband laser cooling of the mechanical degree of freedom. Using only modest cryogenic pre-cooling to 1.65 K, preparation of a mechanical oscillator close to its quantum ground state (63+-20 phonons) is demonstrated. Simultaneously, a readout sensitivity that is within a factor of 5.5+-1.5 of the standard quantum limit is achieved. The reported experiments mark a paradigm shift in the approach to the quantum limit of mechanical oscillators using optical techniques and represent a first step into a new era of experimental investigation which probes the quantum nature of the most tangible harmonic oscillator: a mechanical vibration.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Optomechanical sideband cooling of a micromechanical oscillator close to the quantum ground state

Cooling a mesoscopic mechanical oscillator to its quantum ground state is elementary for the preparation and control of low entropy quantum states of large scale objects. Here, we pre-cool a 70-MHz micromechanical silica oscillator to an occupancy below 200 quanta by thermalizing it with a 600-mK cold 3He gas. Two-level system induced damping via structural defect states is shown to be strongly reduced, and simultaneously serves as novel thermometry method to independently quantify excess heating due to the cooling laser. We demonstrate that dynamical backaction sideband cooling can reduce the average occupancy to 9+-1 quanta, implying that the mechanical oscillator can be found (10+- 1)% of the time in its quantum ground state.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Self-excited vibrations in turning: cutting moment analysis

This work aims at analysing the moment effects at the tool tip point and at the central axis, in the framework of a turning process. A testing device in turning, including a six-component dynamometer, is used to measure the complete torsor of the cutting actions in the case of self-excited vibrations. Many results are obtained regarding the mechanical actions torsor. A confrontation of the moment components at the tool tip and at the central axis is carried out. It clearly appears that analysing moments at the central axis avoids the disturbances induced by the transport of the moment of the mechanical actions resultant at the tool tip point. For instance, the order relation between the components of the forces is single. Furthermore, the order relation between the moments components expressed at the tool tip point is also single and the same one. But at the central axis, two different order relations regarding moments are conceivable. A modification in the rolling moment localization in the (y, z) tool plan is associated to these two order relations. Thus, the moments components at the central axis are particularly sensitive at the disturbances of machining, here the self-excited vibrations.Comment: 8 page

A disk inside the bipolar planetary nebula M2-9

Bipolarity in proto-planetary and planetary nebulae is associated with events occurring in or around their cores. Past infrared observations have revealed the presence of dusty structures around the cores, many in the form of disks. Characterising those dusty disks provides invaluable constraints on the physical processes that govern the final mass expulsion of intermediate-mass stars. We focus this study on the famous M2-9 bipolar nebula, where the moving lighthouse beam pattern indicates the presence of a wide binary. The compact and dense dusty core in the center of the nebula can be studied by means of optical interferometry. M2-9 was observed with VLTI/MIDI at 39-47 m baselines with the UT2-UT3 and UT3-UT4 baseline configurations. These observations are interpreted using a dust radiative transfer Monte Carlo code. A disk-like structure is detected perpendicular to the lobes and a good fit is found with a stratified disk model composed of amorphous silicates. The disk is compact, 25$\times$35 mas at 8$\rm \mu m$, and 37$\times$46 mas at 13$\rm \mu m$. For the adopted distance of 1.2 kpc, the inner rim of the disk is $\sim$15 AU. The mass represents a few percent of the mass found in the lobes. The compactness of the disk puts strong constraints on the binary content of the system, given an estimated orbital period 90-120yr. We derive masses of the binary components between 0.6--1.0M_{\sun} for a white dwarf and 0.6--1.4M_{\sun} for an evolved star. We present different scenarios on the geometric structure of the disk accounting for the interactions of the binary system, which includes an accretion disk as well.Comment: 9 figures, A&A accepte

SOUTH AFRICA’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION LEGISLATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS: CIVIL SOCIETY AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT AS DRIVERS

Published ArticleThe inclusion of access to information (ATI) in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996, hereafter the Constitution) and its concomitant legislation, the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) (No. 2 of 2000), is aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and democratic governance in the hitherto closed, authoritarian and apartheid society. The Constitution goes further to entrench socio-economic rights (SERs) in order to address the past injustices of ignorance, fear and want that impair the dignity of the majority of South Africans. ATI is described as the ‘touchstone’ of all human rights and upon which the other human rights, including SERs, are buttressed. SERs are, supposedly, enforced by the courts of law. However, their justiciability has become acrimonious and adversarial because it may include the courts making orders that may have budgetary implications, which usually fall under the purview of the executive-cum-legislation, thus undermining the separation of powers doctrine. The study suggests the concept of meaningful engagement to break the impasse, arguing that the concept is more ‘user-friendly’ and grounded in the Constitution and other statutory instrument and practices in the governance of South Africa

Time-resolved torsional relaxation of spider draglines by an optical technique.

International audienceThe sensitivity of the torsional pendulum demonstrates the self-shape-memory effect in different types of spider draglines. Here we report the time-resolved noncovalent bonds recovery in the protein structure. The torsional dynamics of such multilevel structure governed by reversible interactions are described in the frame of a nested model. Measurement of three different relaxation times confirms the existence of three energy storage levels in such two protein spidroin systems. Torsion opens the way to further investigations towards unraveling the tiny torque effects in biological molecules

Obligation, Free Choice, And The Logic Of Weakest Permissions

We introduce a new understanding of deontic modals that we call obligations as weakest permissions. We argue for its philosophical plausibility, study its expressive power in neighborhood models, provide a complete Hilbert-style axiom system for it and show that it can be extended and applied to practical norms in decision and game theory