606 research outputs found
Capture Velocity for a Magneto-Optical Trap in a Broad Range of Light Intensity
In a recent paper, we have used the dark-spot Zeeman tuned slowing technique
[Phys. Rev. A 62, 013404-1, (2000)] to measure the capture velocity as a
function of laser intensity for a sodium magneto optical trap. Due to technical
limitation we explored only the low light intensity regime, from 0 to 27
mW/cm^2. Now we complement that work measuring the capture velocity in a
broader range of light intensities (from 0 to 400 mW/cm^2). New features,
observed in this range, are important to understant the escape velocity
behavior, which has been intensively used in the interpretation of cold
collisions. In particular, we show in this brief report that the capture
velocity has a maximum as function of the trap laser intensity, which would
imply a minimum in the trap loss rates.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figure
Emergence of turbulence in an oscillating Bose-Einstein condensate
We report on the experimental observation of vortices tangle in an atomic BEC
of Rb-87 atoms when an external oscillatory perturbation is introduced in the
trap. The vortices tangle configuration is a signature of the presence of a
turbulent regime in the cloud. We also show that this turbulent cloud has
suppression of the aspect ratio inversion typically observed in quantum
degenerate bosonic gases during free expansion. Instead, the cloud expands
keeping the ratio between their axis constant. Turbulence in atomic superfluids
may constitute an alternative system to investigate decay mechanisms as well as
to test fundamental theoretical aspects in this field.Comment: accepted for Phys. Rev. Let
Far infrared emitting plaster in knee osteoarthritis: a single blinded, randomised clinical trial.
Objective. Therapeutic approach of osteoarthritis (OA) still represents a challenge in clinical practice. The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of far infrared (FIR) emitting plaster in the treatment of knee OA. Design. This is a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group with equal randomization (1:1), clinical trial. Patients affected by knee OA were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment groups, either placebo plaster or far infrared emitting plaster. Primary endpoint was to assess pain improvement from baseline to 1 months posttreatment in the visual analogue score (VAS). Secondary end point was to evaluate pain score after 1 week of treatment and to compare ultrasonographic findings after 1 month of treatment. Results. Each group comprised 30 (in the FIR group) and 30 (in the placebo group) completers. VAS scores of the placebo and the FIR group were significantly lower at 1 week post-treatment (95% confidence interval CI = -1.14 to 0.31; P<0.05) and at the end of the study (95% confidence interval CI = -2.57 to -0.89; P=0.01). Effect size was -0.43 after one week of treatment and -1.38 after one month of treatment. The mean decrease in VAS values was ≥20% in the FIR group. The number of patients from the FIR group with joint effusion was lower (40%) compared to baseline (80%), while no changes were seen among the placebo group. Conclusions. Far infrared emitting plaster could be considered an effective non-pharmacological choice for the therapeutic management of knee OA
Out-of-phase oscillation between superfluid and thermal components for a trapped Bose condensate under oscillatory excitation
The vortex nucleation and the emergence of quantum turbulence induced by
oscillating magnetic fields, introduced by Henn E A L, et al. 2009 (Phys. Rev.
A 79, 043619) and Henn E A L, et al. 2009 (Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 045301), left
a few open questions concerning the basic mechanisms causing those interesting
phenomena. Here, we report the experimental observation of the slosh dynamics
of a magnetically trapped Rb Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) under the
influence of a time-varying magnetic field. We observed a clear relative
displacement in between the condensed and the thermal fraction center-of-mass.
We have identified this relative counter move as an out-of-phase oscillation
mode, which is able to produce ripples on the condensed/thermal fractions
interface. The out-of-phase mode can be included as a possible mechanism
involved in the vortex nucleation and further evolution when excited by time
dependent magnetic fields.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, 25 reference
An analytical solution for the critical number of particles for stable bose-einstein condensation under the influence of an anisotropic potential
We have considered a Bose gas in an anisotropic potential. Applying the the Gross-Pitaevskii Equation (GPE) for a confined dilute atomic gas, we have used the methods of optimized perturbation theory and self-similar root approximants, to obtain an analytical formula for the critical number of particles as a function of the anisotropy parameter for the potential. The spectrum of the GPE is also discussed.CNPQCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES
MOTOR DYSFUNCTION OF THE "NON AFFECTED" LOWER LIMB: A KINEMATIC COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN HEMIPARETIC STROKE AND TOTAL KNEE PROSTHESIZED PATIENTS
In patients with hemispheric stroke, abnormal motor performances are described also in the ipsilateral limbs. They may be due to a cortical reorganization in the unaffected hemisphere; moreover, also peripheral mechanisms may play a role. To explore this hypothesis, we studied motor performances in 15 patients with hemispheric stroke and in 14 patients with total knee arthroplasty, which have a reduced motility in the prosthesized leg. Using the unaffected leg, they performed five superimposed circular trajectories in a prefixed pathway on a computerized footboard, while looking at a marker on the computer screen. The average trace error was significantly different between the groups of patients and healthy subjects [F ((2,25)) = 7.9; p = 0.003]; on the contrary, the test time execution did not vary significantly. In conclusion, both groups of patients showed abnormal motor performances of the unaffected leg; this result suggests a likely contribution of peripheral mechanisms
Collective excitation of a Bose-Einstein condensate by modulation of the atomic scattering length
We excite the lowest-lying quadrupole mode of a Bose-Einstein condensate by
modulating the atomic scattering length via a Feshbach resonance. Excitation
occurs at various modulation frequencies, and resonances located at the natural
quadrupole frequency of the condensate and at the first harmonic are observed.
We also investigate the amplitude of the excited mode as a function of
modulation depth. Numerical simulations based on a variational calculation
agree with our experimental results and provide insight into the observed
behavior.Comment: Submitted to PR
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