4,353 research outputs found
Quantum Phase Transitions detected by a local probe using Time Correlations and Violations of Leggett-Garg Inequalities
In the present paper we introduce a way of identifying quantum phase
transitions of many-body systems by means of local time correlations and
Leggett-Garg inequalities. This procedure allows to experimentally determine
the quantum critical points not only of finite-order transitions but also those
of infinite order, as the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition that is not always
easy to detect with current methods. By means of simple analytical arguments
for a general spin- Hamiltonian, and matrix product simulations of
one-dimensional and anisotropic models, we argue that
finite-order quantum phase transitions can be determined by singularities of
the time correlations or their derivatives at criticality. The same features
are exhibited by corresponding Leggett-Garg functions, which noticeably
indicate violation of the Leggett-Garg inequalities for early times and all the
Hamiltonian parameters considered. In addition, we find that the infinite-order
transition of the model at the isotropic point can be revealed by the
maximal violation of the Leggett-Garg inequalities. We thus show that quantum
phase transitions can be identified by purely local measurements, and that
many-body systems constitute important candidates to observe experimentally the
violation of Leggett-Garg inequalities.Comment: Minor changes, 11 pages, 11 figures. Final version published in Phys.
Rev.
An Expanding HI Photodissociated Region Associated with the Compact HII Region G213.880-11.837 in the GGD 14 Complex
We present high angular and spectral resolution HI 21~cm line observations
toward the cometary-shaped compact HII region G213.880-11.837 in the GGD~14
complex.The kinematics and morphology of the photodissociated region, traced by
the HI line emission, reveal that the neutral gas is part of an expanding flow.
The kinematics of the HI gas along the major axis of G213.880-11.837 shows that
the emission is very extended toward the SE direction, reaching LSR radial
velocities in the tail of about 14 km/s. The ambient LSR radial velocity of the
molecular gas is 11.5 km/s, which suggests a champagne flow of the HI gas. This
is the second (after G111.61+0.37) cometary HII/HI region known.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal (10 pages, 4
figures, 1 table
Estudio de la marcha en la infancia
El análisis de la marcha se ha visto reforzado por la
aparición de sistemas de invetigación de nueva tecnología
como son las plataformas de fuerzas monitorizadas
que permiten estudiar, con alta precisión, el desarrollo
cinético y en parte cinemático de la marcha. Con este
sistema hemos estudiado el paso de 62 niños de 5 y 6
años de edad, para determinar los valores de normalidad
de los parámetros temporoespaciales y las magnitudes
de las fuerzas de reacción pie-suelo en los tres
ejes de plano espaciales.
Hemos encontrado diferencias estadísticamente significativas
entre estas edades para la longitud de paso,
tiempo de doble apoyo y la mayoría de las fuerzas de
reacción del suelo, indicando una evolución de la marcha
en este periodo
Computer vision techniques for forest fire perception
This paper presents computer vision techniques for forest fire perception involving measurement of forest fire properties (fire front, flame height, flame inclination angle, fire base width) required for the implementation of advanced forest fire-fighting strategies. The system computes a 3D perception model of the fire and could also be used for visualizing the fire evolution in remote computer systems. The presented system integrates the processing of images from visual and infrared cameras. It applies sensor fusion techniques involving also telemetry sensors, and GPS. The paper also includes some results of forest fire experiments.European Commission EVG1-CT-2001-00043European Commission IST-2001-34304Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia DPI2005-0229
A Multi-Epoch Study of the Radio Continuum Emission of Orion Source I: Constraints on the Disk Evolution of a Massive YSO and the Dynamical History of Orion BN/KL
We present new 7mm continuum observations of Orion BN/KL with the VLA. We
resolve the emission from the protostar radio Source I and BN at several
epochs. Source I is highly elongated NW-SE, and remarkably stable in flux
density, position angle, and overall morphology over nearly a decade. This
favors the extended emission component arising from an ionized disk rather than
a jet. We have measured the proper motions of Source I and BN for the first
time at 43 GHz. We confirm that both sources are moving at high speed (12 and
26 km/s, respectively) approximately in opposite directions, as previously
inferred from measurements at lower frequencies. We discuss dynamical scenarios
that can explain the large motions of both BN and Source I and the presence of
disks around both. Our new measurements support the hypothesis that a close
(~50 AU) dynamical interaction occurred around 500 years ago between Source I
and BN as proposed by Gomez et al. From the dynamics of encounter we argue that
Source I today is likely to be a binary with a total mass on the order of 20
Msun, and that it probably existed as a softer binary before the close
encounter. This enables preservation of the original accretion disk, though
truncated to its present radius of ~50 AU. N-body numerical simulations show
that the dynamical interaction between a binary of 20 Msun total mass (I) and a
single star of 10 Msun mass (BN) may lead to the ejection of both and binary
hardening. The gravitational energy released in the process would be large
enough to power the wide-angle flow traced by H2 and CO emission in the BN/KL
nebula. Assuming the proposed dynamical history is correct, the smaller mass
for Source I recently estimated from SiO maser dynamics (>7 Msun) by Matthews
et al., suggests that non-gravitational forces (e.g. magnetic) must play an
important role in the circumstellar gas dynamics.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, accepted by Ap
Impact of successive spring frosts on leaf phenology and radial growth in three deciduous tree species with contrasting climate requirements in central Spain
Rear-edge tree populations forming the equatorward limit of distribution of temperate species are assumed to be more adapted to climate variability than central (core) populations. However, climate is expected to become more variable and the frequency of climate extremes is forecasted to increase. Climatic extreme events such as heat waves, dry spells and spring frosts could become more frequent, and negatively impact and jeopardize rear-edge stands. To evaluate these ideas, we analyzed the growth response of trees to successive spring frosts in a mixed forest, where two temperate deciduous species, Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech) and Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (sessile oak), both at their southernmost edge, coexist with the Mediterranean Quercus pyrenaica Willd. (Pyrenean oak). Growth reductions in spring-frost years ranked across species as F. sylvatica > Q. petraea > Q. pyrenaica. Leaf flushing occurred earlier in F. sylvatica and later in Q. pyrenaica, suggesting that leaf phenology was a strong determinant of spring frost damage and stem growth reduction. The frost impact depended on prior climate conditions, since warmer days prior to frost occurrence predisposed to frost damage. Autumn Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data showed delayed leaf senescence in spring-frost years and subsequent years as compared with pre-frost years. In the studied forest, the negative impact of spring frosts on Q. petraea and especially on F. sylvatica growth, was considerably higher than the impacts due to drought. The succession of four spring frosts in the last two decades determined a trend of decreasing resistance of radial growth to frosts in F. sylvatica. The increased frequency of spring frosts might prevent the expansion and persistence of F. sylvatica in this rear-edge Mediterranean population
Tracing the Bipolar Outflow from Orion Source I
Using CARMA, we imaged the 87 GHz SiO v=0 J=2-1 line toward Orion-KL with
0.45 arcsec angular resolution. The maps indicate that radio source I drives a
bipolar outflow into the surrounding molecular cloud along a NE--SW axis, in
agreement with the model of Greenhill et al. (2004). The extended high velocity
outflow from Orion-KL appears to be a continuation of this compact outflow.
High velocity gas extends farthest along a NW--SE axis, suggesting that the
outflow direction changes on time scales of a few hundred years.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in Ap J Letter
Size effects in the magnetic behaviour of TbAl_2 milled alloys
The study of the magnetic properties depending upon mechanical milling of the
ferromagnetic polycrystalline TbAl_2 material is reported. The Rietveld
analysis of the X-ray diffraction data reveals a decrease of the grain size
down to 14 nm and -0.15 % of variation of the lattice parameter, after 300
hours of milling time. Irreversibility in the zero field cooled - field cooled
(ZFC-FC) DC-susceptibility and clear peaks in the AC susceptibility between 5
and 300 K show that the long-range ferromagnetic structure is inhibited in
favour of a disordered spin arrangement below 45 K. This glassy behaviour is
also deduced from the variation of the irreversibility transition with the
field (H^{2/3}) and frequency. The magnetization process of the bulk TbAl_2 is
governed by domain wall thermal activation processes. By contrast, in the
milled samples, cluster-glass properties arise as a result of cooperative
interactions due to the substitutional disorder. The interactions are also
influenced by the nanograin structure of the milled alloys, showing a variation
of coercivity with the grain size, below the crossover between the multi- and
single-domain behaviours.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, to appear in J. Phys.: Condens. Ma
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