Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Superconductivity in NaxCoO2.yH2O

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the superconducting transition temperature of Na{0.35}CoO{2}.yH{2}O was investigated by ac susceptibility measurements up to 1.6 GPa. The pressure coefficient of T{c} is negative and the dependence T{c}(p) is nonlinear over the pressure range investigated. The magnitude of the average dlnT{c}/dp=-0.07 GPa^{-1} is comparable to the pressure coefficient of electron-doped high-T{c} copper oxide superconductors with a similar value of T{c}. Our results provide support to the assumption of two-dimensional superconductivity in Na{0.35}CoO{2}.yH{2}O, which is similar to the cuprate systems, and suggest that intercalation of larger molecules may lead to an enhancement of T{c}.Comment: Revised Manuscrip

All-optical switching in a two-channel waveguide with cubic-quintic nonlinearity

We consider dynamics of spatial beams in a dual-channel waveguide with competing cubic and quintic (CQ) nonlinearities. Gradually increasing the power in the input channel, we identify four different regimes of the pulses coupling into the cross channel, which alternate three times between full pass and full stop, thus suggesting three realizations of switching between the channels. As in the case of the Kerr (solely cubic) nonlinearity, the first two regimes are the linear one, and one dominated by the self-focusing nonlinearity, with the beam which, respectively, periodically couples between the channels, or stays in the input channel. Further increase of the power reveals two novel transmission regimes, one characterized by balance between the competing nonlinearities, which again allows full coupling between the channels, and a final regime dominated by the self-defocusing quintic nonlinearity. In the latter case, the situation resembles that known for a self-repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a double-well potential, which is characterized by strong symmetry breaking; accordingly, the beam again abides in the input channel, contrary to an intuitive expectation that the self-defocusing nonlinearity would push it into the cross channel. The numerical results are qualitatively explained by a simple analytical model based on the variational approximation.Comment: Journal of Physics B (in press

Temperature dependence of instantons in QCD

We investigate the temperature dependence of the instanton contents of gluon fields, using unquenched lattice QCD and the cooling method. The instanton size parameter deduced from the correlation function decreases from 0.44fm below the phase-transition temperature $T_c$ ($\approx 150$MeV) to 0.33fm at 1.3 $T_c$. The instanton charge distribution is Poissonian above $T_c$, but it deviates from the convoluted Poisson at low temperature. The topological susceptibility decreases rapidly below $T_c$, showing the apparent restoration of the $U(1)_A$ symmetry already at $T \approx T_c$.Comment: 8 pages TEX, 3 Postscript figures available at http://www.krl.caltech.edu/preprints/MAP.htm

Elastic and thermodynamic properties of the shape-memory alloy AuZn

The current work reports on the elastic shear moduli, internal friction, and the specific heat of the B2 cubic ordered alloy AuZn as a function of temperature. Measurements were made on single-crystal and polycrystalline samples using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), semi-adiabatic calorimetry and stress-strain measurements. Our results confirm that this alloy exhibits the shape-memory effect and a phase transition at 64.75 K that appears to be continuous (second-order) from the specific heat data. It is argued that the combination of equiatomic composition and a low transformation temperature constrain the chemical potential and its derivatives to exhibit behavior that lies at the borderline between that of a first-order (discontinuous) and a continuous phase transition. The acoustic dissipation does not peak at the transtion temperature as expected, but shows a maximum well into the low-temperature phase. The Debye temeprature value of 219 K, obtained from the low-temperature specific heat data is in favorable agreement with that determined from the acoustic data (207 K) above the transition.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Pilot interaction with automated airborne decision making systems

An investigation was made of interaction between a human pilot and automated on-board decision making systems. Research was initiated on the topic of pilot problem solving in automated and semi-automated flight management systems and attempts were made to develop a model of human decision making in a multi-task situation. A study was made of allocation of responsibility between human and computer, and discussed were various pilot performance parameters with varying degrees of automation. Optimal allocation of responsibility between human and computer was considered and some theoretical results found in the literature were presented. The pilot as a problem solver was discussed. Finally the design of displays, controls, procedures, and computer aids for problem solving tasks in automated and semi-automated systems was considered

Simulating Star Formation and Feedback in Galactic Disk Models

We use a high-resolution grid-based hydrodynamics method to simulate the multi-phase interstellar medium in a Milky Way-size quiescent disk galaxy. The models are global and three-dimensional, and include a treatment of star formation and feedback. We examine the formation of gravitational instabilities and show that a form of the Toomre instability criterion can successfully predict where star formation will occur. Two common prescriptions for star formation are investigated. The first is based on cosmological simulations and has a relatively low threshold for star formation, but also enforces a comparatively low efficiency. The second only permits star formation above a number density of 1000 cm^-3 but adopts a high efficiency. We show that both methods can reproduce the observed slope of the relationship between star formation and gas surface density (although at too high a rate for our adopted parameters). A run which includes feedback from type II supernovae is successful at driving gas out of the plane, most of which falls back onto the disk. This feedback also substantially reduces the star formation rate. Finally, we examine the density and pressure distribution of the ISM, and show that there is a rough pressure equilibrium in the disk, but with a wide range of pressures at a given location (and even wider for the case including feedbackComment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted to Astrophysical Journa