750 research outputs found
Spin Structure of Many-Body Systems with Two-Body Random Interactions
We investigate the spin structure of many-fermion systems with a
spin-conserving two-body random interaction. We find a strong dominance of
spin-0 ground states and considerable correlations between energies and wave
functions of low-lying states with different spin, but no indication of
pairing. The spectral densities exhibit spin-dependent shapes and widths, and
depend on the relative strengths of the spin-0 and spin-1 couplings in the
two-body random matrix. The spin structure of low-lying states can largely be
explained analytically.Comment: 10 pages, including 3 figure
Understanding visual map formation through vortex dynamics of spin Hamiltonian models
The pattern formation in orientation and ocular dominance columns is one of
the most investigated problems in the brain. From a known cortical structure,
we build spin-like Hamiltonian models with long-range interactions of the
Mexican hat type. These Hamiltonian models allow a coherent interpretation of
the diverse phenomena in the visual map formation with the help of relaxation
dynamics of spin systems. In particular, we explain various phenomena of
self-organization in orientation and ocular dominance map formation including
the pinwheel annihilation and its dependency on the columnar wave vector and
boundary conditions.Comment: 4 pages, 15 figure
Laser-driven electron source suitable for single-shot Gy-scale irradiation of biological cells at dose-rates exceeding Gy/s
We report on the first systematic characterisation of a tuneable laser-driven
electron source capable of delivering Gy-scale doses in a duration of 10 - 20
ps, thus reaching unprecedented dose rates in the range of
Gy/s. Detailed characterisation of the source indicates, in agreement with
Monte-Carlo simulations, single-shot delivery of multi-Gy doses per pulse over
cm-scale areas, with a high degree of spatial uniformity. The results reported
here confirm that a laser-driven source of this kind can be used for systematic
studies of the response of biological cells to picosecond-scale radiation at
ultra-high dose rates.Comment: submitted for publicatio
Stochastic Approach to Enantiomeric Excess Amplification and Chiral Symmetry Breaking
Stochastic aspects of chemical reaction models related to the Soai reactions
as well as to the homochirality in life are studied analytically and
numerically by the use of the master equation and random walk model. For
systems with a recycling process, a unique final probability distribution is
obtained by means of detailed balance conditions. With a nonlinear
autocatalysis the distribution has a double-peak structure, indicating the
chiral symmetry breaking. This problem is further analyzed by examining
eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the master equation. In the case without
recycling process, final probability distributions depend on the initial
conditions. In the nonlinear autocatalytic case, time-evolution starting from a
complete achiral state leads to a final distribution which differs from that
deduced from the nonzero recycling result. This is due to the absence of the
detailed balance, and a directed random walk model is shown to give the correct
final profile. When the nonlinear autocatalysis is sufficiently strong and the
initial state is achiral, the final probability distribution has a double-peak
structure, related to the enantiomeric excess amplification. It is argued that
with autocatalyses and a very small but nonzero spontaneous production, a
single mother scenario could be a main mechanism to produce the homochirality.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure
c-di-GMP modulates type IV MSHA pilus retraction and surface attachment in Vibrio cholerae.
Biofilm formation by Vibrio cholerae facilitates environmental persistence, and hyperinfectivity within the host. Biofilm formation is regulated by 3',5'-cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and requires production of the type IV mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pilus. Here, we show that the MSHA pilus is a dynamic extendable and retractable system, and its activity is directly controlled by c-di-GMP. The interaction between c-di-GMP and the ATPase MshE promotes pilus extension, whereas low levels of c-di-GMP correlate with enhanced retraction. Loss of retraction facilitated by the ATPase PilT increases near-surface roaming motility, and impairs initial surface attachment. However, prolonged retraction upon surface attachment results in reduced MSHA-mediated surface anchoring and increased levels of detachment. Our results indicate that c-di-GMP directly controls MshE activity, thus regulating MSHA pilus extension and retraction dynamics, and modulating V. cholerae surface attachment and colonization
A crop yield change emulator for use in GCAM and similar models: Persephone v1.0
Future changes in Earth system state will impact agricultural yields and,
through these changed yields, can have profound impacts on the global
economy. Global gridded crop models estimate the influence of these Earth
system changes on future crop yields but are often too computationally
intensive to dynamically couple into global multi-sector economic models,
such as the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) and other similar-in-scale models. Yet, generalizing a faster
site-specific crop model's results to be used globally will introduce
inaccuracies, and the question of which model to use is unclear given the
wide variation in yield response across crop models. To examine the feedback
loop among socioeconomics, Earth system changes, and crop yield changes,
rapidly generated yield responses with some quantification of crop response
uncertainty are desirable. The Persephone v1.0 response functions presented
in this work are based on the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and
Improvement Project (AgMIP) Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP)
sensitivity test data set and are focused on providing GCAM and similar models with a tractable number of rapid
to evaluate dynamic yield response functions corresponding to a range of the
yield response sensitivities seen in the C3MP data set. With the Persephone
response functions, a new variety of agricultural impact experiments will be
open to GCAM and other economic models: for example, examining the economic
impacts of a multi-year drought in a key agricultural region and how economic
changes in response to the drought can, in turn, impact the drought.</p
CO2 emission mitigation and fossil fuel markets: Dynamic and international aspects of climate policies
This paper explores a multi-model scenario ensemble to assess the impacts of idealized and non-idealized climate change stabilization policies on fossil fuel markets. Under idealized conditions climate policies significantly reduce coal use in the short- and long-term. Reductions in oil and gas use are much smaller, particularly until 2030, but revenues decrease much more because oil and gas prices are higher than coal prices. A first deviation from optimal transition pathways is delayed action that relaxes global emission targets until 2030 in accordance with the Copenhagen pledges. Fossil fuel markets revert back to the no-policy case: though coal use increases strongest, revenue gains are higher for oil and gas. To balance the carbon budget over the 21st century, the long-term reallocation of fossil fuels is significantly larger -- twice and more -- than the short-term distortion. This amplifying effect results from coal lock-in and inter-fuel substitution effects to balance the full-century carbon budget. The second deviation from the optimal transition pathway relaxes the global participation assumption. The result here is less clear-cut across models, as we find carbon leakage effects ranging from positive to negative because trade and substitution patterns of coal, oil, and gas differ across models. In summary, distortions of fossil fuel markets resulting from relaxed short-term global emission targets are more important and less uncertain than the issue of carbon leakage from early mover action
Evidence for short range orbital order in paramagnetic insulating (Al,V)_2O_3
The local structure of (Al_0.06V_0.94)_2O_3 in the paramagnetic insulating
(PI) and antiferromagnetically ordered insulating (AFI) phase has been
investigated using hard and soft x-ray absorption techniques. It is shown that:
1) on a local scale, the symmetry of the vanadium sites in both the PI and the
AFI phase is the same; and 2) the vanadium 3d - oxygen 2p hybridization, as
gauged by the oxygen 1s absorption edge, is the same for both phases, but
distinctly different from the paramagnetic metallic phase of pure V_2O_3. These
findings can be understood in the context of a recently proposed model which
relates the long range monoclinic distortion of the antiferromagnetically
ordered state to orbital ordering, if orbital short range order in the PI phase
is assumed. The measured anisotropy of the x-ray absorption spectra is
discussed in relation to spin-polarized density functional calculations.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Calibration and analysis of the uncertainty in downscaling global land use and land cover projections from GCAM using Demeter (v1.0.0)
Demeter is a community spatial downscaling model that
disaggregates land use and land cover changes projected by integrated
human–Earth system models. Demeter has not been intensively calibrated, and
we still lack good knowledge about its sensitivity to key parameters and
parameter uncertainties. We used long-term global satellite-based land
cover records to calibrate key Demeter parameters. The results identified the
optimal parameter values and showed that the parameterization substantially
improved the model's performance. The parameters of intensification ratio and
selection threshold were the most sensitive and needed to be carefully tuned,
especially for regional applications. Further, small parameter uncertainties
after calibration can be inflated when propagated into future scenarios,
suggesting that users should consider the parameterization equifinality to
better account for the uncertainties in Demeter-downscaled products. Our
study provides a key reference for Demeter users and ultimately contributes
to reducing the uncertainties in Earth system model simulations.</p
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