Periodically driven stochastic un- and refolding transitions of biopolymers

Mechanical single molecule experiments probe the energy profile of biomolecules. We show that in the case of a profile with two minima (like folded/unfolded) periodic driving leads to a stochastic resonance-like phenomenon. We demonstrate that the analysis of such data can be used to extract four basic parameters of such a transition and discuss the statistical requirements of the data acquisition. As advantages of the proposed scheme, a polymeric linker is explicitly included and thermal fluctuations within each well need not to be resolved.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to EP

CLIC Drive Beam and LHC Based Fel-Nucleus Collider

The feasibility of a CLIC-LHC based FEL-nucleus collider is investigated. It is shown that the proposed scheme satisfies all requirements of an ideal photon source for the Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence method. The physics potential of the proposed collider is illustrated for a beam of Pb nuclei.Comment: Presented at PAC05, 16-20 May 2005, Knoxville, TN, US

Solitonic-exchange mechanism of surface~diffusion

We study surface diffusion in the framework of a generalized Frenkel-Kontorova model with a nonconvex transverse degree of freedom. The model describes a lattice of atoms with a given concentration interacting by Morse-type forces, the lattice being subjected to a two-dimensional substrate potential which is periodic in one direction and nonconvex (Morse) in the transverse direction. The results are used to describe the complicated exchange-mediated diffusion mechanism recently observed in MD simulations [J.E. Black and Zeng-Ju Tian, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 71}, 2445-2448(1993)].Comment: 22 Revtex pages, 9 figures to appear in Phys. Rev.

Dynamical phase diagram of the dc-driven underdamped Frenkel-Kontorova chain

Multistep dynamical phase transition from the locked to the running state of atoms in response to a dc external force is studied by MD simulations of the generalized Frenkel-Kontorova model in the underdamped limit. We show that the hierarchy of transition recently reported [Braun et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 1295 (1997)] strongly depends on the value of the friction constant. A simple phenomenological explanation for the friction dependence of the various critical forces separating intermediate regimes is given.Comment: 12 Revtex Pages, 4 EPS figure

Dynamics of Vortex Shells in Mesoscopic Superconducting Corbino Disks

In mesoscopic superconducting disks vortices form shell structures as recently observed in Nb disks. We study the dynamics of such vortices, driven by an external current I_0, in a Corbino setup. At very low I_0, the system exhibits rigid body rotation while at some critical current I_c,i vortex shells rotate separately with angular velocities omega_i. This critical current I_c,i has a remarkable non-monotonous dependence on the applied magnetic field which is due to a dynamically-induced structural transition with a rearrangement of vortices over the shells similar to the Coster-Kronig transition in hollow atoms. Thermally-activated externally-driven flux motion in a disk with pinning centers explains experimentally observed omega_i as a function of I_0 and T and the dynamically-induced melting transition.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Arthropod diversity and pest dynamics in various production input levels and cropping system strategies

Non-Peer ReviewedEconomic viability and soil degradation are major issues facing farmers in the grassland ecozone of the Northern Great Plains. Crop diversification, reduced fallow and reduced inputs are being promoted in an effort to address these issues. A systems approach is applied as the experimental framework with which to monitor and assess alternate input and cropping strategies. The design, data collection and evaluation are based on the collaborative efforts of crop, pest, economic and soil scientists. This paper highlights the role of arthropods (insects, spiders, mites) in the assessment of farming systems. Arthropods are the most diverse group of organisms in most ecosystems. Many species, including beneficial and pest species, are well-suited to characterizing the ecosystems that they inhabit. Ecosystem-based, arthropod baselines are viewed by the authors as an integral component in evaluating farming systems

Perturbative QCD Correction to the Light-Cone Sum Rule for the B∗BπB^*B\pi and D∗DπD^*D\pi Couplings

The $B^*B\pi$ and $D^*D\pi$ couplings have previously been derived from a QCD light-cone sum rule in leading order. Here, we describe the calculation of the $O(\alpha_s)$ correction to the twist 2 term of this sum rule. The result is used for a first next-to-leading order analysis. We obtain $g_{B^*B\pi}= 22\pm 7$ and $g_{D^*D\pi}=10.5\pm 3$, where the error indicates the remaining theoretical uncertainty.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, Latex, epsfi

Ultrafast spin polarization control of Dirac fermions in topological insulators

Three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) are characterized by spin-polarized Dirac-cone surface states that are protected from backscattering by time-reversal symmetry. Control of the spin polarization of topological surface states (TSSs) using femtosecond light pulses opens novel perspectives for the generation and manipulation of dissipationless surface spin currents on ultrafast timescales. Using time-, spin-, and angle-resolved spectroscopy, we directly monitor for the first time the ultrafast response of the spin polarization of photoexcited TSSs to circularly-polarized femtosecond pulses of infrared light. We achieve all-optical switching of the transient out-of-plane spin polarization, which relaxes in about 1.2 ps. Our observations establish the feasibility of ultrafast optical control of spin-polarized Dirac fermions in TIs and pave the way for novel optospintronic applications at ultimate speeds.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Discovery of Radio/X-ray/Optical Resolved Supernova Remnants in the Center of the Andromeda Galaxy

We have detected a spatially resolved supernova remnant (SNR) in the center of the Andromeda Galaxy, in radio, X-ray, and optical wavelengths. These observations provide the highest spatial resolution imaging of a radio/X-ray/optical SNR in that galaxy to date. The multi-wavelength morphology, radio spectral index, X-ray colors, and narrow-band optical imaging are consistent with a shell-type SNR. A second SNR is also seen resolved in both radio and X-ray. By comparing the morphological sturcture of the SNRs in different wavelengths and with that in our own Galaxy, we can study the shock morphologies of SNRs in the Andromeda Galaxy. The proximity of the SNRs to the core suggests high interstellar medium density in the vicinity of the SNRs in the center of the Andromeda Galaxy.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ