44,966 research outputs found
Multiple mechanisms mediate the suppression of motion vision during escape maneuvers in flying Drosophila
During voluntary behaviors, animals need to disable any reflexes that could interfere with the intended movements. With the optomotor response, flies stabilize a straight flight path by correcting for unintended deviations sensed as the panoramic motion of the surround. HS cells of the fly are thought to mediate optomotor responses to horizontal motion. During spontaneous flight turns, an efference copy acts on HS cells with the right sign to counteract the visual input elicited by the fly’s own behavior. Here, we investigated, whether looming-elicited turns in flying Drosophila have a similar effect on HS cells. We show that looming stimuli themselves can influence the processing of panoramic motion stimuli in HS cells and that an inhibitory efference copy suppresses excitatory motion responses during turns in both directions, but only in a subset of HS cells. Our findings support the notion that the processing of sensory information is finely tuned to behavioral context
Multiple mechanisms mediate the suppression of motion vision during escape maneuvers in flying Drosophila
Animals must be able to discriminate self-generated (reafferent) from external (exafferent) sensory input. Otherwise, the former could interfere with perception and behavioral actions. The way this can be achieved is through an efference copy, which suppresses reafferent sensory input. An example for this is the optomotor response of the fly. With the optomotor response, flies stabilize a straight flight path by correcting for unintended deviations, which they sense as visual motion of their surrounding or optic flow. HS cells of the fly are tuned to rotational optic flow and are thought to mediate optomotor responses to horizontal motion. It has been shown that during spontaneous turns, an efference copy influences the membrane potential of HS cells. Here we investigate the influence of an efference copy during looming-elicited evasive turns combined with a subsequent optomotor stimulus in Drosophila. We show that looming stimuli themselves can influence the processing of preferred-direction motion in HS cells. In addition, an efference copy can influence visual processing during saccades in both directions, but only in a subset of cells. Our study supports the notion that processing of sensory information is finely tuned and dependent on both stimulus history and behavioral context
Propositional Dynamic Logic with Converse and Repeat for Message-Passing Systems
The model checking problem for propositional dynamic logic (PDL) over message
sequence charts (MSCs) and communicating finite state machines (CFMs) asks,
given a channel bound , a PDL formula and a CFM ,
whether every existentially -bounded MSC accepted by
satisfies . Recently, it was shown that this problem is
PSPACE-complete.
In the present work, we consider CRPDL over MSCs which is PDL equipped with
the operators converse and repeat. The former enables one to walk back and
forth within an MSC using a single path expression whereas the latter allows to
express that a path expression can be repeated infinitely often. To solve the
model checking problem for this logic, we define message sequence chart
automata (MSCAs) which are multi-way alternating parity automata walking on
MSCs. By exploiting a new concept called concatenation states, we are able to
inductively construct, for every CRPDL formula , an MSCA precisely
accepting the set of models of . As a result, we obtain that the model
checking problem for CRPDL and CFMs is still in PSPACE
Signatures of unconventional pairing in near-vortex electronic structure of LiFeAs
A major question in Fe-based superconductors remains the structure of the
pairing, in particular whether it is of unconventional nature. The electronic
structure near vortices can serve as a platform for phase-sensitive
measurements to answer this question. By solving Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations
for LiFeAs, we calculate the energy-dependent local electronic structure near a
vortex for different nodeless gap-structure possibilities. At low energies, the
local density of states (LDOS) around a vortex is determined by the
normal-state electronic structure. However, at energies closer to the gap
value, the LDOS can distinguish an anisotropic from a conventional isotropic
s-wave gap. We show within our self-consistent calculation that in addition,
the local gap profile differs between a conventional and an unconventional
pairing. We explain this through admixing of a secondary order parameter within
Ginzburg-Landau theory. In-field scanning tunneling spectroscopy near vortices
can therefore be used as a real-space probe of the gap structure
Real-Time Vector Automata
We study the computational power of real-time finite automata that have been
augmented with a vector of dimension k, and programmed to multiply this vector
at each step by an appropriately selected matrix. Only one entry
of the vector can be tested for equality to 1 at any time. Classes of languages
recognized by deterministic, nondeterministic, and "blind" versions of these
machines are studied and compared with each other, and the associated classes
for multicounter automata, automata with multiplication, and generalized finite
automata.Comment: 14 page
Nonequilibrium quasiparticle distribution in superconducting resonators: analytical approach
In the superconducting state, the presence of a finite gap in the excitation
spectrum implies that the number of excitations (quasiparticles) is
exponentially small at temperatures well below the critical one. Conversely,
minute perturbations can significantly impact both the distribution in energy
and number of quasiparticles. Typically, the interaction with the
electromagnetic environment is the main perturbation source driving
quasiparticles out of thermal equilibrium, while a phonon bath is responsible
for restoration of equilibrium. Here we derive approximate analytical solutions
for the quasiparticle distribution function in superconducting resonators and
explore the impact of nonequilibrium on two measurable quantities: the
resonator's quality factor and its resonant frequency. Applying our results to
experimental data, we conclude that while at intermediate temperatures there is
clear evidence for the nonequilibrium effects due to heating of the
quasiparticles by photons, the low-temperature measurements are not explained
by this mechanism.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure
Observation of the Faraday effect via beam deflection in a longitudinal magnetic field
We report the observation of the magnetic field induced circular differential
deflection of light at the interface of a Faraday medium. The difference in the
angles of refraction or reflection between the two circular polarization
components is a function of the magnetic field strength and the Verdet
constant. The reported phenomena permit the observation of the Faraday effect
not via polarization rotation in transmission, but via changes in the
propagation direction in refraction or in reflection. An unpolarized light beam
is predicted to split into its two circular polarization components. The light
deflection arises within a few wavelengths at the interface and is therefore
independent of pathlength
Stability analysis of collective neutrino oscillations in the supernova accretion phase with realistic energy and angle distributions
We revisit our previous results on the matter suppression of self-induced
neutrino flavor conversions during a supernova (SN) accretion phase, performing
a linearized stability analysis of the neutrino equations of motion, in the
presence of realistic SN density profiles. In our previous numerical study, we
used a simplified model based on an isotropic neutrino emission with a single
typical energy. Here, we take into account realistic neutrino energy and angle
distributions. We find that multi-energy effects have a sub-leading impact in
the flavor stability of the SN neutrino fluxes with respect to our previous
single-energy results. Conversely, realistic forward-peaked neutrino angular
distributions would enhance the matter suppression of the self-induced
oscillations with respect to an isotropic neutrino emission. As a result, in
our models for iron-core SNe, collective flavor conversions have a negligible
impact on the characterization of the observable neutrino signal during the
accretion phase. Instead, for a low-mass O-Ne-Mg core SN model, with lower
matter density profile and less forward-peaked angular distributions,
collective conversions are possible also at early times.Comment: v2: 8 pages, 3 eps figures. Revised version. Minor changes.
References updated. Matches the version published on PR
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