317 research outputs found
Density matrix operatorial solution of the non--Markovian Master Equation for Quantum Brownian Motion
An original method to exactly solve the non-Markovian Master Equation
describing the interaction of a single harmonic oscillator with a quantum
environment in the weak coupling limit is reported. By using a superoperatorial
approach we succeed in deriving the operatorial solution for the density matrix
of the system. Our method is independent of the physical properties of the
environment. We show the usefulness of our solution deriving explicit
expressions for the dissipative time evolution of some observables of physical
interest for the system, such as, for example, its mean energy.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figur
Detailed Examination of Transport Coefficients in Cubic-Plus-Quartic Oscillator Chains
We examine the thermal conductivity and bulk viscosity of a one-dimensional
(1D) chain of particles with cubic-plus-quartic interparticle potentials and no
on-site potentials. This system is equivalent to the FPU-alpha beta system in a
subset of its parameter space. We identify three distinct frequency regimes
which we call the hydrodynamic regime, the perturbative regime and the
collisionless regime. In the lowest frequency regime (the hydrodynamic regime)
heat is transported ballistically by long wavelength sound modes. The model
that we use to describe this behaviour predicts that as the frequency goes to
zero the frequency dependent bulk viscosity and the frequency dependent thermal
conductivity should diverge with the same power law dependence on frequency.
Thus, we can define the bulk Prandtl number as the ratio of the bulk viscosity
to the thermal conductivity (with suitable prefactors to render it
dimensionless). This dimensionless ratio should approach a constant value as
frequency goes to zero. We use mode-coupling theory to predict the zero
frequency limit. Values of the bulk Prandtl number from simulations are in
agreement with these predictions over a wide range of system parameters. In the
middle frequency regime, which we call the perturbative regime, heat is
transported by sound modes which are damped by four-phonon processes. We call
the highest frequency regime the collisionless regime since at these
frequencies the observing times are much shorter than the characteristic
relaxation times of phonons. The perturbative and collisionless regimes are
discussed in detail in the appendices.Comment: Latex with references in .bib file. 36 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to
J. Stat. Phys. on Sept. 2
Resonant transmission through an open quantum dot
We have measured the low-temperature transport properties of a quantum dot
formed in a one-dimensional channel. In zero magnetic field this device shows
quantized ballistic conductance plateaus with resonant tunneling peaks in each
transition region between plateaus. Studies of this structure as a function of
applied perpendicular magnetic field and source-drain bias indicate that
resonant structure deriving from tightly bound states is split by Coulomb
charging at zero magnetic field.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. B (1997). 8 LaTex pages with 5 figure
Adaptive dynamic control of quadrupedal robotic gaits with artificial reaction networks.
The Artificial Reaction Network (ARN) is a bio-inspired connectionist paradigm based on the emerging field of Cellular Intelligence. It has properties in common with both AI and Systems Biology techniques including Artificial Neural Networks, Petri Nets, and S-Systems. In this paper, elements of temporal dynamics and pattern recognition are combined within a single ARN control system for a quadrupedal robot. The results show that the ARN has similar applicability to Artificial Neural Network models in robotic control tasks. In comparison to neural Central Pattern Generator models, the ARN can control gaits and offer reduced complexity. Furthermore, the results show that like spiky neural models, the ARN can combine pattern recognition and complex temporal control functionality in a single network
Semiclassical Instability of the Cauchy Horizon in Self-Similar Collapse
Generic spherically symmetric self-similar collapse results in strong
naked-singularity formation. In this paper we are concerned with particle
creation during a naked-singularity formation in spherically symmetric
self-similar collapse without specifying the collapsing matter. In the generic
case, the power of particle emission is found to be proportional to the inverse
square of the remaining time to the Cauchy horizon (CH). The constant of
proportion can be arbitrarily large in the limit to marginally naked
singularity. Therefore, the unbounded power is especially striking in the case
that an event horizon is very close to the CH because the emitted energy can be
arbitrarily large in spite of a cutoff expected from quantum gravity. Above
results suggest the instability of the CH in spherically symmetric self-similar
spacetime from quantum field theory and seem to support the existence of a
semiclassical cosmic censor. The divergence of redshifts and blueshifts of
emitted particles is found to cause the divergence of power to positive or
negative infinity, depending on the coupling manner of scalar fields to
gravity. On the other hand, it is found that there is a special class of
self-similar spacetimes in which the semiclassical instability of the CH is not
efficient. The analyses in this paper are based on the geometric optics
approximation, which is justified in two dimensions but needs justification in
four dimensions.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, minor errors corrected and some sentences added
in the introduction, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Primordial black holes in braneworld cosmologies: Accretion after formation
We recently studied the formation and evaporation of primordial black holes
in a simple braneworld cosmology, namely Randall-Sundrum Type II. Here we study
the effect of accretion from the cosmological background onto the black holes
after formation. While it is generally believed that in the standard cosmology
such accretion is of negligible importance, we find that during the high-energy
regime of braneworld cosmology accretion can be the dominant effect and lead to
a mass increase of potentially orders of magnitude. However, unfortunately the
growth is exponentially sensitive to the accretion efficiency, which cannot be
determined accurately. Since accretion becomes unimportant once the high-energy
regime is over, it does not affect any constraints expressed at the time of
black hole evaporation, but it can change the interpretation of those
constraints in terms of early Universe formation rates.Comment: 6 pages RevTeX4 file. Extension to discussion of thermal balance and
grey-body factor
Supermassive Binaries and Extragalactic Jets
Some quasars show Doppler shifted broad emission line peaks. I give new
statistics of the occurrence of these peaks and show that, while the most
spectacular cases are in quasars with strong radio jets inclined to the line of
sight, they are also almost as common in radio-quiet quasars. Theories of the
origin of the peaks are reviewed and it is argued that the displaced peaks are
most likely produced by the supermassive binary model. The separations of the
peaks in the 3C 390.3-type objects are consistent with orientation-dependent
"unified models" of quasar activity. If the supermassive binary model is
correct, all members of "the jet set" (astrophysical objects showing jets)
could be binaries.Comment: 31 pages, PostScript, missing figure is in ApJ 464, L105 (see
http://www.aas.org/ApJ/v464n2/5736/5736.html
Temporal patterns in artificial reaction networks.
The Artificial Reaction Network (ARN) is a bio-inspired connectionist paradigm based on the emerging field of Cellular Intelligence. It has properties in common with both AI and Systems Biology techniques including Artificial Neural Networks, Petri Nets, and S-Systems. This paper discusses the temporal aspects of the ARN model using robotic gaits as an example and compares it with properties of Artificial Neural Networks. The comparison shows that the ARN based network has similar functionality
Stress corrosion cracking in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aluminum alloys in saline environments
Copyright 2013 ASM International. This paper was published in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 44A(3), 1230 - 1253, and is made
available as an electronic reprint with the permission of ASM International. One print or electronic copy may
be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via
electronic or other means, duplications of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or
modification of the content of this paper are prohibited.Stress corrosion cracking of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu (AA7xxx) aluminum alloys exposed to saline environments at temperatures ranging from 293 K to 353 K (20 °C to 80 °C) has been reviewed with particular attention to the influences of alloy composition and temper, and bulk and local environmental conditions. Stress corrosion crack (SCC) growth rates at room temperature for peak- and over-aged tempers in saline environments are minimized for Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys containing less than ~8 wt pct Zn when Zn/Mg ratios are ranging from 2 to 3, excess magnesium levels are less than 1 wt pct, and copper content is either less than ~0.2 wt pct or ranging from 1.3 to 2 wt pct. A minimum chloride ion concentration of ~0.01 M is required for crack growth rates to exceed those in distilled water, which insures that the local solution pH in crack-tip regions can be maintained at less than 4. Crack growth rates in saline solution without other additions gradually increase with bulk chloride ion concentrations up to around 0.6 M NaCl, whereas in solutions with sufficiently low dichromate (or chromate), inhibitor additions are insensitive to the bulk chloride concentration and are typically at least double those observed without the additions. DCB specimens, fatigue pre-cracked in air before immersion in a saline environment, show an initial period with no detectible crack growth, followed by crack growth at the distilled water rate, and then transition to a higher crack growth rate typical of region 2 crack growth in the saline environment. Time spent in each stage depends on the type of pre-crack (“pop-in” vs fatigue), applied stress intensity factor, alloy chemistry, bulk environment, and, if applied, the external polarization. Apparent activation energies (E a) for SCC growth in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys exposed to 0.6 M NaCl over the temperatures ranging from 293 K to 353 K (20 °C to 80 °C) for under-, peak-, and over-aged low-copper-containing alloys (~0.8 wt pct), they are typically ranging from 20 to 40 kJ/mol for under- and peak-aged alloys, and based on limited data, around 85 kJ/mol for over-aged tempers. This means that crack propagation in saline environments is most likely to occur by a hydrogen-related process for low-copper-containing Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys in under-, peak- and over-aged tempers, and for high-copper alloys in under- and peak-aged tempers. For over-aged high-copper-containing alloys, cracking is most probably under anodic dissolution control. Future stress corrosion studies should focus on understanding the factors that control crack initiation, and insuring that the next generation of higher performance Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys has similar longer crack initiation times and crack propagation rates to those of the incumbent alloys in an over-aged condition where crack rates are less than 1 mm/month at a high stress intensity factor
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