18,735 research outputs found
New broad 8Be nuclear resonances
Energies, total and partial widths, and reduced width amplitudes of 8Be
resonances up to an excitation energy of 26 MeV are extracted from a coupled
channel analysis of experimental data. The presence of an extremely broad J^pi
= 2^+ ``intruder'' resonance is confirmed, while a new 1^+ and very broad 4^+
resonance are discovered. A previously known 22 MeV 2^+ resonance is likely
resolved into two resonances. The experimental J^pi T = 3^(+)? resonance at 22
MeV is determined to be 3^-0, and the experimental 1^-? (at 19 MeV) and 4^-?
resonances to be isospin 0.Comment: 16 pages, LaTe
The B Neutrino Spectrum
Knowledge of the energy spectrum of B neutrinos is an important
ingredient for interpreting experiments that detect energetic neutrinos from
the Sun. The neutrino spectrum deviates from the allowed approximation because
of the broad alpha-unstable Be final state and recoil order corrections to
the beta decay. We have measured the total energy of the alpha particles
emitted following the beta decay of B. The measured spectrum is
inconsistent with some previous measurements, in particular with a recent
experiment of comparable precision. The beta decay strength function for the
transition from B to the accessible excitation energies in Be is fit to
the alpha energy spectrum using the R-matrix approach. Both the positron and
neutrino energy spectra, corrected for recoil order effects, are constructed
from the strength function. The positron spectrum is in good agreement with a
previous direct measurement. The neutrino spectrum disagrees with previous
experiments, particularly for neutrino energies above 12 MeV.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, submitted to Phys. Rev. C, typos
correcte
Split-sideband spectroscopy in slowly modulated optomechanics
Optomechanical coupling between the motion of a mechanical oscillator and a
cavity represents a new arena for experimental investigation of quantum effects
on the mesoscopic and macroscopic scale.The motional sidebands of the output of
a cavity offer ultra-sensitive probes of the dynamics. We introduce a scheme
whereby these sidebands split asymmetrically and show how they may be used as
experimental diagnostics and signatures of quantum noise limited dynamics. We
show split-sidebands with controllable asymmetry occur by simultaneously
modulating the light-mechanical coupling and - slowly and out
of-phase. Such modulations are generic but already occur in optically trapped
set-ups where the equilibrium point of the oscillator is varied cyclically. We
analyse recently observed, but overlooked, experimental split-sideband
asymmetries; although not yet in the quantum regime, the data suggests that
split sideband structures are easily accessible to future experiments
Glassy dynamics in granular compaction
Two models are presented to study the influence of slow dynamics on granular
compaction. It is found in both cases that high values of packing fraction are
achieved only by the slow relaxation of cooperative structures. Ongoing work to
study the full implications of these results is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures; accepted in J. Phys: Condensed Matter,
proceedings of the Trieste workshop on 'Unifying concepts in glass physics
Shaking a Box of Sand
We present a simple model of a vibrated box of sand, and discuss its dynamics
in terms of two parameters reflecting static and dynamic disorder respectively.
The fluidised, intermediate and frozen (`glassy') dynamical regimes are
extensively probed by analysing the response of the packing fraction to steady,
as well as cyclic, shaking, and indicators of the onset of a `glass transition'
are analysed. In the `glassy' regime, our model is exactly solvable, and allows
for the qualitative description of ageing phenomena in terms of two
characteristic lengths; predictions are also made about the influence of grain
shape anisotropy on ageing behaviour.Comment: Revised version. To appear in Europhysics Letter
Cavity cooling a single charged nanoparticle
The development of laser cooling coupled with the ability to trap atoms and
ions in electromagnetic fields, has revolutionised atomic and optical physics,
leading to the development of atomic clocks, high-resolution spectroscopy and
applications in quantum simulation and processing. However, complex systems,
such as large molecules and nanoparticles, lack the simple internal resonances
required for laser cooling. Here we report on a hybrid scheme that uses the
external resonance of an optical cavity, combined with radio frequency (RF)
fields, to trap and cool a single charged nanoparticle. An RF Paul trap allows
confinement in vacuum, avoiding instabilities that arise from optical fields
alone, and crucially actively participates in the cooling process. This system
offers great promise for cooling and trapping a wide range of complex charged
particles with applications in precision force sensing, mass spectrometry,
exploration of quantum mechanics at large mass scales and the possibility of
creating large quantum superpositions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures Updated version includes additional references,
new title, and supplementary information include
Optomechanical cooling of levitated spheres with doubly-resonant fields
Optomechanical cooling of levitated dielectric particles represents a
promising new approach in the quest to cool small mechanical resonators towards
their quantum ground state. We investigate two-mode cooling of levitated
nanospheres in a self-trapping regime. We identify a rich structure of split
sidebands (by a mechanism unrelated to usual strong-coupling effects) and
strong cooling even when one mode is blue detuned. We show the best regimes
occur when both optical fields cooperatively cool and trap the nanosphere,
where cooling rates are over an order of magnitude faster compared to
corresponding single-sideband cooling rates.Comment: 8 Pages, 7 figure
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