4,823 research outputs found
Non-locality of non-Abelian anyons
Topological systems, such as fractional quantum Hall liquids, promise to
successfully combat environmental decoherence while performing quantum
computation. These highly correlated systems can support non-Abelian anyonic
quasiparticles that can encode exotic entangled states. To reveal the non-local
character of these encoded states we demonstrate the violation of suitable Bell
inequalities. We provide an explicit recipe for the preparation, manipulation
and measurement of the desired correlations for a large class of topological
models. This proposal gives an operational measure of non-locality for anyonic
states and it opens up the possibility to violate the Bell inequalities in
quantum Hall liquids or spin lattices.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
A Search for Very Active Stars in the Galaxy
We report the first results of a systematic search near the plane of the
Galaxy for the so called very active stars (VAS), which are characterized by a
hard X-ray spectrum and activity in the radio domain. Candidates with hard
X-ray binary-like spectra have been selected from the Bright ROSAT Source
Catalogue in the Zone of Avoidance () and were tentatively
identified in GB6/PMM/NVSS radio surveys. Most of them were observed with the
ATCA and VLA. Precise radio coordinates have led to unambiguous optical
identification for 60 candidates, and a sub-sample of five of themhas been
observed with the VLT. Also some discovery and confirmatory spectra were
obtained with the AAT (4-m) and BTA (6-m). Spectroscopy with moderate
dispersion, made with the FORS1 spectrograph of the VLT has revealed two
stellar objects (one of them, VASC J1628-41, is definitivelya binary VAS), one
new AGN and two featureless spectrum sources. One of these objects, VASC
J1353-66, shows a marginal evidence of proper motion, which, if confirmed,
would imply the discovery of a new type of galactic source.Comment: to appear in A&A, 7 figure
Do the Unidentified EGRET Sources Trace Annihilating Dark Matter in the Local Group?
In a cold dark matter (CDM) framework of structure formation, the dark matter
haloes around galaxies assemble through successive mergers with smaller haloes.
This merging process is not completely efficient, and hundreds of surviving
halo cores, or {\it subhaloes}, are expected to remain in orbit within the halo
of a galaxy like the Milky Way. While the dozen visible satellites of the Milky
Way may trace some of these subhaloes, the majority are currently undetected. A
large number of high-velocity clouds (HVCs) of neutral hydrogen {\it are}
observed around the Milky Way, and it is plausible that some of the HVCs may
trace subhaloes undetected in the optical. Confirming the existence of
concentrations of dark matter associated with even a few of the HVCs would
represent a dramatic step forward in our attempts to understand the nature of
dark matter. Supersymmetric (SUSY) extensions of the Standard Model of particle
physics currently suggest neutralinos as a natural well-motivated candidate for
the non-baryonic dark matter of the universe. If this is indeed the case, then
it may be possible to detect dark matter indirectly as it annihilates into
neutrinos, photons or positrons. In particular, the centres of subhaloes might
show up as point sources in gamma-ray observations. In this work we consider
the possibility that some of the unidentified EGRET -ray sources trace
annihilating neutralino dark matter in the dark substructure of the Local
Group. We compare the observed positions and fluxes of both the unidentified
EGRET sources and the HVCs with the positions and fluxes predicted by a model
of halo substructure, to determine to what extent any of these three
populations could be associated.Comment: 12 Pages, 4 figures, to appear in a special issue of ApSS. Presented
at "The Multiwavelength Approach to Unidentified Gamma-Ray Sources" (Hong
Kong, June 1 - 4, 2004; Conference organizers: K.S. Cheng and G.E. Romero
Challenges in context-aware mobile language learning: the MASELTOV approach
Smartphones, as highly portable networked computing devices with embedded sensors including GPS receivers, are ideal platforms to support context-aware language learning. They can enable learning when the user is en-gaged in everyday activities while out and about, complementing formal language classes. A significant challenge, however, has been the practical implementation of services that can accurately identify and make use of context, particularly location, to offer meaningful language learning recommendations to users. In this paper we review a range of approaches to identifying context to support mobile language learning. We consider how dynamically changing aspects of context may influence the quality of recommendations presented to a user. We introduce the MASELTOV project’s use of context awareness combined with a rules-based recommendation engine to present suitable learning content to recent immigrants in urban areas; a group that may benefit from contextual support and can use the city as a learning environment
Extracellular cleavage and shedding of P-cadherin: a mechanism underlying the invasive behaviour of breast cancer cells
Cell-cell adhesion is an elementary process in normal epithelial cellular architecture. Several studies have shown the role mediated by cadherins in this process, besides their role in the maintenance of cell polarity, differentiation and cell growth. However, during tumour progression, these molecules are frequently altered. In breast cancer, tumours that overexpress P-cadherin usually present a high histological grade, show decreased cell polarity and are associated with worse patient survival. However, little is known about how this protein dictates the very aggressive behaviour of these tumours. To achieve this goal, we set up two breast cancer cell models, where P-cadherin expression was differently modulated and analysed in terms of cell invasion, motility and migration. We show that P-cadherin overexpression, in breast cancer cells with wild-type E-cadherin, promotes cell invasion, motility and migration. Moreover, we found that the overexpression of P-cadherin induces the secretion of matrix metalloproteases, specifically MMP-1 and MMP-2, which then lead to P-cadherin ectodomain cleavage. Further, we showed that soluble P-cadherin fragment is able to induce in vitro invasion of breast cancer cells. Overall, our results contribute to elucidate the mechanism underlying the invasive behaviour of P-cadherin expressing breast tumours.scientific project (POCI/BIA-BCM/59252/2004) financed by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT). FCT also provided research grants as follows: Programa Ciência 2007 (FCT) for Joana Paredes, and PhD research grants for Ana Sofia Ribeiro (SFRH/BD/36096/2007) and André Albergaria (SFRH/BD/15316/2005)
Tensor completion in hierarchical tensor representations
Compressed sensing extends from the recovery of sparse vectors from
undersampled measurements via efficient algorithms to the recovery of matrices
of low rank from incomplete information. Here we consider a further extension
to the reconstruction of tensors of low multi-linear rank in recently
introduced hierarchical tensor formats from a small number of measurements.
Hierarchical tensors are a flexible generalization of the well-known Tucker
representation, which have the advantage that the number of degrees of freedom
of a low rank tensor does not scale exponentially with the order of the tensor.
While corresponding tensor decompositions can be computed efficiently via
successive applications of (matrix) singular value decompositions, some
important properties of the singular value decomposition do not extend from the
matrix to the tensor case. This results in major computational and theoretical
difficulties in designing and analyzing algorithms for low rank tensor
recovery. For instance, a canonical analogue of the tensor nuclear norm is
NP-hard to compute in general, which is in stark contrast to the matrix case.
In this book chapter we consider versions of iterative hard thresholding
schemes adapted to hierarchical tensor formats. A variant builds on methods
from Riemannian optimization and uses a retraction mapping from the tangent
space of the manifold of low rank tensors back to this manifold. We provide
first partial convergence results based on a tensor version of the restricted
isometry property (TRIP) of the measurement map. Moreover, an estimate of the
number of measurements is provided that ensures the TRIP of a given tensor rank
with high probability for Gaussian measurement maps.Comment: revised version, to be published in Compressed Sensing and Its
Applications (edited by H. Boche, R. Calderbank, G. Kutyniok, J. Vybiral
3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039
New observations of LS 5039, a High Mass X-ray Binary comprising a massive
star and compact object, were carried out with the High Energy Stereoscopic
System of Cherenkov Telescopes (H.E.S.S.) in 2005 at very high energy (VHE)
gamma-ray energies. These observations reveal that its flux and energy spectrum
are modulated with the 3.9 day orbital period of the binary system. This is the
first time in gamma-ray astronomy that orbital modulation has been observed,
and periodicity clearly established using ground-based gamma-ray detectors. The
VHE gamma-ray emission is largely confined to half of the orbit, peaking around
the inferior conjunction epoch of the compact object. For this epoch, there is
also a hardening of the energy spectrum in the energy range between 0.2 TeV and
a few TeV. The flux vs. orbital phase profile provides the first clear
indication of gamma-ray absorption via pair production within an astrophysical
source, a process which is expected to occur if the gamma-ray production site
is situated within ~1 AU of the compact object. Moreover the production region
size must be not significantly greater than the binary separation (~0.15 AU).
Notably, these constraints are also considerably smaller than the collimated
outflows or jets (extending out to ~1000 AU) observed in LS 5039. The spectral
hardening could arise from variations with phase in the maximum electron
energies, and/or the dominant VHE gamma-ray production mechanism.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Emissões de N2O e volatilização de NH3 de excretas bovinas em latossolo sob pastagem no Cerrado.
Frente à necessidade de obtenção de dados representativos sobre perdas de N pela bovinocultura, realizou-se o presente estudo para avaliar individualmente urina e fezes bovinas como fonte de óxido nitroso (N2O) e de amônia (NH)3 para a atmosfera. As avaliações foram realizadas na Embrapa Arroz e Feijão ? GO.FertBio 2010
Dynamics of a Quantum Phase Transition and Relaxation to a Steady State
We review recent theoretical work on two closely related issues: excitation
of an isolated quantum condensed matter system driven adiabatically across a
continuous quantum phase transition or a gapless phase, and apparent relaxation
of an excited system after a sudden quench of a parameter in its Hamiltonian.
Accordingly the review is divided into two parts. The first part revolves
around a quantum version of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism including also phenomena
that go beyond this simple paradigm. What they have in common is that
excitation of a gapless many-body system scales with a power of the driving
rate. The second part attempts a systematic presentation of recent results and
conjectures on apparent relaxation of a pure state of an isolated quantum
many-body system after its excitation by a sudden quench. This research is
motivated in part by recent experimental developments in the physics of
ultracold atoms with potential applications in the adiabatic quantum state
preparation and quantum computation.Comment: 117 pages; review accepted in Advances in Physic
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