788 research outputs found
Equilibrium for fragmentation with immigration
This paper introduces stochastic processes that describe the evolution of
systems of particles in which particles immigrate according to a Poisson
measure and split according to a self-similar fragmentation. Criteria for
existence and absence of stationary distributions are established and
uniqueness is proved. Also, convergence rates to the stationary distribution
are given. Linear equations which are the deterministic counterparts of
fragmentation with immigration processes are next considered. As in the
stochastic case, existence and uniqueness of solutions, as well as existence
and uniqueness of stationary solutions, are investigated.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/105051605000000340 in the
Annals of Applied Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aap/) by the Institute
of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org
Experimental measurement of efficiency and transport coherence of a cold atom Brownian motor in optical lattices
The rectification of noise into directed movement or useful energy is
utilized by many different systems. The peculiar nature of the energy source
and conceptual differences between such Brownian motor systems makes a
characterization of the performance far from straightforward. In this work,
where the Brownian motor consists of atoms interacting with dissipative optical
lattices, we adopt existing theory and present experimental measurements for
both the efficiency and the transport coherence. We achieve up to 0.3% for the
efficiency and 0.01 for the P\'eclet number
Infrared phonon dynamics of multiferroic BiFeO3 single crystal
We discuss the first infrared reflectivity measurement on a BiFeO3 single
crystal between 5 K and room temperature. The 9 predicted ab-plane E phonon
modes are fully and unambiguously determined. The frequencies of the 4 A1
c-axis phonons are found. These results settle issues between theory and data
on ceramics. Our findings show that the softening of the lowest frequency E
mode is responsible for the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant,
indicating that the ferroelectric transition in BiFeO3 is soft-mode driven.Comment: 5 pages (figures included
Thermodynamic basis of the concept of "recombination resistances"
The concept of "recombination resistance" introduced by Shockley and Read
(Phys. Rev. 87, 835 (1952)) is discussed within the framework of the
thermodynamics of irreversible processes ruled by the principle of the minimum
rate of entropy production. It is shown that the affinities of recombination
processes represent "voltages" in a thermodynamic Ohm-like law where the net
rates of recombinations represent the "currents". The quantities thus found
allow for the definition of the "dissipated power" which is to be related to
the rate of entropy production of the recombination processes dealt with.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Saltatory drift in a randomly driven two-wave potential
Dynamics of a classical particle in a one-dimensional, randomly driven
potential is analysed both analytically and numerically. The potential
considered here is composed of two identical spatially-periodic saw-tooth-like
components, one of which is externally driven by a random force. We show that
under certain conditions the particle may travel against the averaged external
force performing a saltatory unidirectional drift with a constant velocity.
Such a behavior persists also in situations when the external force averages
out to zero. We demonstrate that the physics behind this phenomenon stems from
a particular behavior of fluctuations in random force: upon reaching a certain
level, random fluctuations exercise a locking function creating points of
irreversibility which the particle can not overpass. Repeated (randomly) in
each cycle, this results in a saltatory unidirectional drift. This mechanism
resembles the work of an escapement-type device in watches. Considering the
overdamped limit, we propose simple analytical estimates for the particle's
terminal velocity.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures; appearing in Journal of Physics: Condensed
Matter, special issue on Molecular Motors and Frictio
Radioactive decays at limits of nuclear stability
The last decades brought an impressive progress in synthesizing and studying
properties of nuclides located very far from the beta stability line. Among the
most fundamental properties of such exotic nuclides, usually established first,
is the half-life, possible radioactive decay modes, and their relative
probabilities. When approaching limits of nuclear stability, new decay modes
set in. First, beta decays become accompanied by emission of nucleons from
highly excited states of daughter nuclei. Second, when the nucleon separation
energy becomes negative, nucleons start to be emitted from the ground state.
Here, we present a review of the decay modes occurring close to the limits of
stability. The experimental methods used to produce, identify and detect new
species and their radiation are discussed. The current theoretical
understanding of these decay processes is overviewed. The theoretical
description of the most recently discovered and most complex radioactive
process - the two-proton radioactivity - is discussed in more detail.Comment: Review, 68 pages, 39 figure
Influence of the lattice topography on a three-dimensional, controllable Brownian motor
We study the influence of the lattice topography and the coupling between
motion in different directions, for a three-dimensional Brownian motor based on
cold atoms in a double optical lattice. Due to controllable relative spatial
phases between the lattices, our Brownian motor can induce drifts in arbitrary
directions. Since the lattices couple the different directions, the relation
between the phase shifts and the directionality of the induced drift is non
trivial. Here is therefore this relation investigated experimentally by
systematically varying the relative spatial phase in two dimensions, while
monitoring the vertically induced drift and the temperature. A relative spatial
phase range of 2pi x 2pi is covered. We show that a drift, controllable both in
speed and direction, can be achieved, by varying the phase both parallel and
perpendicular to the direction of the measured induced drift. The experimental
results are qualitatively reproduced by numerical simulations of a simplified,
classical model of the system
Demonstration of a controllable three-dimensional Brownian motor in symmetric potentials
We demonstrate a Brownian motor, based on cold atoms in optical lattices,
where isotropic random fluctuations are rectified in order to induce controlled
atomic motion in arbitrary directions. In contrast to earlier demonstrations of
ratchet effects, our Brownian motor operates in potentials that are spatially
and temporally symmetric, but where spatiotemporal symmetry is broken by a
phase shift between the potentials and asymmetric transfer rates between them.
The Brownian motor is demonstrated in three dimensions and the noise-induced
drift is controllable in our system.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Critical phenomena: 150 years since Cagniard de la Tour
Critical phenomena were discovered by Cagniard de la Tour in 1822, who died
150 years ago. In order to mark this anniversary, the context and the early
history of his discovery is reviewed. We then follow with a brief sketch of the
history of critical phenomena, indicating the main lines of development until
the present date.
Os fen\'omenos cr\'{\i}ticos foram descobertos pelo Cagniard de la Tour em
Paris em 1822. Para comemorar os 150 anos da sua morte, o contexto e a
hist\'oria initial da sua descoberta \'e contada. Conseguimos com uma
descri\c{c}\~ao breve da hist\'oria dos fen\'emenos cr\'{\i}ticos, indicando as
linhas principais do desenvolvimento at\'e o presente.Comment: Latex2e, 8 pp, 3 eps figures include
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