15,920 research outputs found
Exact solution of Riemann--Hilbert problem for a correlation function of the XY spin chain
A correlation function of the XY spin chain is studied at zero temperature.
This is called the Emptiness Formation Probability (EFP) and is expressed by
the Fredholm determinant in the thermodynamic limit. We formulate the
associated Riemann--Hilbert problem and solve it exactly. The EFP is shown to
decay in Gaussian.Comment: 7 pages, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
Structural Relaxation and Mode Coupling in a Simple Liquid: Depolarized Light Scattering in Benzene
We have measured depolarized light scattering in liquid benzene over the
whole accessible temperature range and over four decades in frequency. Between
40 and 180 GHz we find a susceptibility peak due to structural relaxation. This
peak shows stretching and time-temperature scaling as known from
relaxation in glass-forming materials. A simple mode-coupling model provides
consistent fits of the entire data set. We conclude that structural relaxation
in simple liquids and relaxation in glass-forming materials are
physically the same. A deeper understanding of simple liquids is reached by
applying concepts that were originally developed in the context of
glass-transition research.Comment: submitted to New J. Phy
Dosage compensation in birds
AbstractThe Z and W sex chromosomes of birds have evolved independently from the mammalian X and Y chromosomes [1]. Unlike mammals, female birds are heterogametic (ZW), while males are homogametic (ZZ). Therefore male birds, like female mammals, carry a double dose of sex-linked genes relative to the other sex. Other animals with nonhomologous sex chromosomes possess “dosage compensation” systems to equalize the expression of sex-linked genes. Dosage compensation occurs in animals as diverse as mammals, insects, and nematodes, although the mechanisms involved differ profoundly [2]. In birds, however, it is widely accepted that dosage compensation does not occur [3–5], and the differential expression of Z-linked genes has been suggested to underlie the avian sex-determination mechanism [6]. Here we show equivalent expression of at least six of nine Z chromosome genes in male and female chick embryos by using real-time quantitative PCR [7]. Only the Z-linked ScII gene, whose ortholog in Caenorhabditis elegans plays a crucial role in dosage compensation [8], escapes compensation by this assay. Our results imply that the majority of Z-linked genes in the chicken are dosage compensated
Elastic waves and transition to elastic turbulence in a two-dimensional viscoelastic Kolmogorov flow
We investigate the dynamics of the two-dimensional periodic Kolmogorov flow
of a viscoelastic fluid, described by the Oldroyd-B model, by means of direct
numerical simulations. Above a critical Weissenberg number the flow displays a
transition from stationary to randomly fluctuating states, via periodic ones.
The increasing complexity of the flow in both time and space at progressively
higher values of elasticity accompanies the establishment of mixing features.
The peculiar dynamical behavior observed in the simulations is found to be
related to the appearance of filamental propagating patterns, which develop
even in the limit of very small inertial non-linearities, thanks to the
feedback of elastic forces on the flow.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figure
Semiflexible polymers under external fields confined to two dimensions
The non-equilibrium structural and dynamical properties of semiflexible
polymers confined to two dimensions are investigated by molecular dynamics
simulations. Three different scenarios are considered: The force-extension
relation of tethered polymers, the relaxation of an initially stretched
semiflexible polymer, and semiflexible polymers under shear flow. We find
quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions for the force-extension
relation and the time dependence of the entropically contracting polymer. The
semiflexible polymers under shear flow exhibit significant conformational
changes at large shear rates, where less stiff polymers are extended by the
flow, whereas rather stiff polymers are contracted. In addition, the polymers
are aligned by the flow, thereby the two-dimensional semiflexible polymers
behave similarly to flexible polymers in three dimensions. The tumbling times
display a power-law dependence at high shear rate rates with an exponent
comparable to the one of flexible polymers in three-dimensional systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phy
Enhancing the Pierre Auger Observatory to the 10^{17} to 10^{18.5} eV Range: Capabilities of an Infill Surface Array
The Pierre Auger Observatory has been designed to study the highest-energy
cosmic rays in nature (E > 10^{18.5} eV). The determination of their arrival
direction, energy and composition is performed by the analysis of the
atmospheric showers they produce. The Auger Surface Array will consist of 1600
water Cerenkov detectors placed in an equilateral triangular grid of 1.5 km
spacing. The aim of this paper is to show that the addition of a "small" area
of surface detectors at half or less the above mentioned spacing would allow a
dramatic increase of the physical scope of this Observatory, reaching lower
energies at which the transition from galactic to extragalactic sources is
expected.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Nucl. Instr. & Meth.
in Phys. Res.
Multi-particle-collision dynamics: Flow around a circular and a square cylinder
A particle-based model for mesoscopic fluid dynamics is used to simulate
steady and unsteady flows around a circular and a square cylinder in a
two-dimensional channel for a range of Reynolds number between 10 and 130.
Numerical results for the recirculation length, the drag coefficient, and the
Strouhal number are reported and compared with previous experimental
measurements and computational fluid dynamics data. The good agreement
demonstrates the potential of this method for the investigation of complex
flows.Comment: 6 pages, separated figures in .jpg format, to be published in
Europhysics Letter
Signature of elasticity in the Faraday instability
We investigate the onset of the Faraday instability in a vertically vibrated
wormlike micelle solution. In this strongly viscoelastic fluid, the critical
acceleration and wavenumber are shown to present oscillations as a function of
driving frequency and fluid height. This effect, unseen neither in simple
fluids nor in previous experiments on polymeric fluids, is interpreted in terms
of standing elastic waves between the disturbed surface and the container
bottom. It is shown that the model of S. Kumar [Phys. Rev. E, {\bf 65}, 026305
(2002)] for a viscoelastic fluid accounts qualitatively for our experimental
observations. Explanations for quantitative discrepancies are proposed, such as
the influence of the nonlinear rheological behaviour of this complex fluid.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Continuum description of finite-size particles advected by external flows. The effect of collisions
The equation of the density field of an assembly of macroscopic particles
advected by a hydrodynamic flow is derived from the microscopic description of
the system. This equation allows to recognize the role and the relative
importance of the different microscopic processes implicit in the model: the
driving of the external flow, the inertia of the particles, and the collisions
among them.
The validity of the density description is confirmed by comparisons of
numerical studies of the continuum equation with Direct Simulation Monte Carlo
(DSMC) simulations of hard disks advected by a chaotic flow. We show that the
collisions have two competing roles: a dispersing-like effect and a clustering
effect (even for elastic collisions). An unexpected feature is also observed in
the system: the presence of collisions can reverse the effect of inertia, so
that grains with lower inertia are more clusterized.Comment: Final (strongly modified) version accepted in PRE; 6 pages, 3 figure
Deep shower interpretation of the cosmic ray events observed in excess of the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin energy
We consider the possibility that the ultra-high-energy cosmic ray flux has a
small component of exotic particles which create showers much deeper in the
atmosphere than ordinary hadronic primaries. It is shown that applying the
conventional AGASA/HiRes/Auger data analysis procedures to such exotic events
results in large systematic biases in the energy spectrum measurement. SubGZK
exotic showers may be mis-reconstructed with much higher energies and mimick
superGZK events. Alternatively, superGZK exotic showers may elude detection by
conventional fluorescence analysis techniques.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure
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