374 research outputs found
Collisional shifts in optical-lattice atom clocks
We theoretically study the effects of elastic collisions on the determination
of frequency standards via Ramsey fringe spectroscopy in optical-lattice atom
clocks. Interparticle interactions of bosonic atoms in multiply-occupied
lattice sites can cause a linear frequency shift, as well as generate
asymmetric Ramsey fringe patterns and reduce fringe visibility due to
interparticle entanglement. We propose a method of reducing these collisional
effects in an optical lattice by introducing a phase difference of
between the Ramsey driving fields in adjacent sites. This configuration
suppresses site to site hopping due to interference of two tunneling pathways,
without degrading fringe visibility. Consequently, the probability of double
occupancy is reduced, leading to cancellation of collisional shifts.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure
A "critical" climatic evaluation of last interglacial (MIS 5e) records from the Norwegian Sea
Sediment cores from the Norwegian Sea were studied to evaluate interglacial climate conditions of the marine isotope stage 5e (MIS 5e). Using planktic forminiferal assemblages as the core method, a detailed picture of the evolution of surface water conditions was derived. According to our age model, a step-like deglaciation of the Saalian ice sheets is noted between ca. 135 and 124.5 Kya, but the deglaciation shows little response with regard to surface ocean warming. From then on, the rapidly increasing abundance of subpolar forminifers, concomitant with decreasing iceberg indicators, provides evidence for the development of interglacial conditions sensu stricto (5e-ss), a period that lasted for about 9 Ky. As interpreted from the foraminiferal records, and supported by the other proxies, this interval of 5e-ss was in two parts: showing an early warm phase, but with a fresher, i.e., lower salinity, water mass, and a subsequent cooling phase that lasted until ca. 118.5 Kya. After this time, the climatic optimum with the most intense advection of Atlantic surface water masses occurred until ca. 116 Kya. A rapid transition with two notable climatic perturbations is observed subsequently during the glacial inception. Overall, the peak warmth of the last interglacial period occurred relatively late after deglaciation, and at no time did it reach the high warmth level of the early Holocene. This finding must be considered when using the last interglacial situation as an analogue model for enhanced meridional transfer of ocean heat to the Arctic, with the prospect of a future warmer climate
Tree growth and wood quality of Ceiba pentandra (sumaúma) grown of "terra firme" and "varzea" sites.
In this study growth and wood quality of sumaúma grown in different plantations on terra firme and varzea sites in Amazon state (Brasil) were investigated. A comparison of plantation and natural grown trees indicated a slight increase of the anisotropy of the wood of plantation grown trees compared to natural growth
Evolutionary Game Theory and Social Learning Can Determine How Vaccine Scares Unfold
Immunization programs have often been impeded by vaccine scares, as evidenced by the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) autism vaccine scare in Britain. A “free rider” effect may be partly responsible: vaccine-generated herd immunity can reduce disease incidence to such low levels that real or imagined vaccine risks appear large in comparison, causing individuals to cease vaccinating. This implies a feedback loop between disease prevalence and strategic individual vaccinating behavior. Here, we analyze a model based on evolutionary game theory that captures this feedback in the context of vaccine scares, and that also includes social learning. Vaccine risk perception evolves over time according to an exogenously imposed curve. We test the model against vaccine coverage data and disease incidence data from two vaccine scares in England & Wales: the whole cell pertussis vaccine scare and the MMR vaccine scare. The model fits vaccine coverage data from both vaccine scares relatively well. Moreover, the model can explain the vaccine coverage data more parsimoniously than most competing models without social learning and/or feedback (hence, adding social learning and feedback to a vaccine scare model improves model fit with little or no parsimony penalty). Under some circumstances, the model can predict future vaccine coverage and disease incidence—up to 10 years in advance in the case of pertussis—including specific qualitative features of the dynamics, such as future incidence peaks and undulations in vaccine coverage due to the population's response to changing disease incidence. Vaccine scares could become more common as eradication goals are approached for more vaccine-preventable diseases. Such models could help us predict how vaccine scares might unfold and assist mitigation efforts
Finite elements and the discrete variable representation in nonequilibrium Green's function calculations. Atomic and molecular models
In this contribution, we discuss the finite-element discrete variable
representation (FE-DVR) of the nonequilibrium Green's function and its
implications on the description of strongly inhomogeneous quantum systems. In
detail, we show that the complementary features of FEs and the DVR allows for a
notably more efficient solution of the two-time Schwinger/Keldysh/Kadanoff-Baym
equations compared to a general basis approach. Particularly, the use of the
FE-DVR leads to an essential speedup in computing the self-energies.
As atomic and molecular examples we consider the He atom and the linear
version of H in one spatial dimension. For these closed-shell models we,
in Hartree-Fock and second Born approximation, compute the ground-state
properties and compare with the exact findings obtained from the solution of
the few-particle time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, submitted as proceedings of conference "PNGF IV
Manipulation and Detection of a Trapped Yb+ Ion Hyperfine Qubit
We demonstrate the use of trapped ytterbium ions as quantum bits for quantum
information processing. We implement fast, efficient state preparation and
state detection of the first-order magnetic field-insensitive hyperfine levels
of 171Yb+, with a measured coherence time of 2.5 seconds. The high efficiency
and high fidelity of these operations is accomplished through the stabilization
and frequency modulation of relevant laser sources.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl
Experimental and numerical investigation of the reflection coefficient and the distributions of Wigner's reaction matrix for irregular graphs with absorption
We present the results of experimental and numerical study of the
distribution of the reflection coefficient P(R) and the distributions of the
imaginary P(v) and the real P(u) parts of the Wigner's reaction K matrix for
irregular fully connected hexagon networks (graphs) in the presence of strong
absorption. In the experiment we used microwave networks, which were built of
coaxial cables and attenuators connected by joints. In the numerical
calculations experimental networks were described by quantum fully connected
hexagon graphs. The presence of absorption introduced by attenuators was
modelled by optical potentials. The distribution of the reflection coefficient
P(R) and the distributions of the reaction K matrix were obtained from the
measurements and numerical calculations of the scattering matrix S of the
networks and graphs, respectively. We show that the experimental and numerical
results are in good agreement with the exact analytic ones obtained within the
framework of random matrix theory (RMT).Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure
Erratic Flu Vaccination Emerges from Short-Sighted Behavior in Contact Networks
The effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccination programs depends on individual-level compliance. Perceptions about risks associated with infection and vaccination can strongly influence vaccination decisions and thus the ultimate course of an epidemic. Here we investigate the interplay between contact patterns, influenza-related behavior, and disease dynamics by incorporating game theory into network models. When individuals make decisions based on past epidemics, we find that individuals with many contacts vaccinate, whereas individuals with few contacts do not. However, the threshold number of contacts above which to vaccinate is highly dependent on the overall network structure of the population and has the potential to oscillate more wildly than has been observed empirically. When we increase the number of prior seasons that individuals recall when making vaccination decisions, behavior and thus disease dynamics become less variable. For some networks, we also find that higher flu transmission rates may, counterintuitively, lead to lower (vaccine-mediated) disease prevalence. Our work demonstrates that rich and complex dynamics can result from the interaction between infectious diseases, human contact patterns, and behavior
Exact propagators for atom-laser interactions
A class of exact propagators describing the interaction of an -level atom
with a set of on-resonance -lasers is obtained by means of the Laplace
transform method. State-selective mirrors are described in the limit of strong
lasers. The ladder, V and configurations for a three-level atom are
discussed. For the two level case, the transient effects arising as result of
the interaction between both a semi-infinite beam and a wavepacket with the
on-resonance laser are examined.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
Observation of Bound Surface States in Grain Boundary Junctions of High Temperature Superconductors
We have performed a detailed study of the tunneling spectra of bicrystal
grain boundary junctions (GBJs) fabricated from the HTS YBCO, BSCCO, LSCO, and
NCCO. In all experiments the tunneling direction was along the CuO planes. With
the exception of NCCO, for all materials a pronounced zero bias conductance
peak was observed which decreases with increasing temperature and disappears at
the critical temperature. These results can be explained by the presence of a
dominating d-wave symmetry of the order parameter resulting in the formation of
zero energy Andreev bound states at surfaces and interfaces of HTS. The absence
of a ZBCP for NCCO is consistent with a dominating s-wave symmetry of the pair
potential in this material. The observed nonlinear shift of spectral weight to
finite energies by applying a magnetic field is in qualitative agreement with
recent theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
- …