Finite temperature behavior of impurity doped Lithium cluster {\em viz} Li6_6Sn

We have carried out extensive isokinetic {\it ab initio} molecular dynamic simulations to investigate the finite temperature properties of the impurity doped cluster Li$_6$Sn along with the host cluster Li$_7$. The data obtained from about 20 temperatures and total simulation time of at least 3 ns is used to extract thermodynamical quantities like canonical specific heat. We observe a substantial charge transfer from all Li atoms to Sn which inturn weakens the Li-Li bonds in Li$_6$Sn compared to the bonds in Li$_7$. This weakening of bonds changes the finite temperature behavior of Li$_6$Sn significantly. Firstly, Li$_6$Sn becomes liquid-like around 250 K, a much lower temperature than that of Li$_7$ ($\approx$~425 K). Secondly, an additional quasirotational motion of lithium atoms appears at lower temperatures giving rise to a shoulder around 50 K in the specific heat curve of Li$_6$Sn. The peak in the specific heat of Li$_7$ is very broad and the specific heat does not show any premelting features.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures Submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Effects of simulated turbulence on aircraft handling qualities

The influence of simulated turbulence on aircraft handling qualities is presented. Pilot opinions of the handling qualities of a light general aviation aircraft were evaluated in a motion-base simulator using a simulated turbulence environment. A realistic representation of turbulence disturbances is described in terms of rms intensity and scale length and their random variations with time. The time histories generated by the proposed turbulence models showed characteristics which are more similar to real turbulence than the frequently-used Gaussian turbulence model. The proposed turbulence models flexibly accommodate changes in atmospheric conditions and are easily implemented in flight simulator studies

Demonstration of double EIT using coupled harmonic oscillators and RLC circuits

Single and double electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a medium, consisting of four-level atoms in the inverted-Y configuration, are discussed using mechanical and electrical analogies. A three coupled spring-mass system subject to damping and driven by an external force is used to represent the four-level atom mechanically. The equations of motion of this system are solved analytically, which revealed single and double EIT. On the other hand, three coupled RLC circuits are used, as the electrical analog, to explore and experimentally demonstrate single and double EIT. The simplicity of these two models makes this experiment appropriate for undergraduate students and easy to incorporate into a college physics laboratory.Comment: REVTeX, 10 pages, 10 figures. Some text revision, added reference

Quantum evaporation of a naked singularity

We investigate here quantum effects in gravitational collapse of a scalar field model which classically leads to a naked singularity. We show that non-perturbative semi-classical modifications near the singularity, based on loop quantum gravity, give rise to a strong outward flux of energy. This leads to the dissolution of the collapsing cloud before the singularity can form. Quantum gravitational effects thus censor naked singularities by avoiding their formation. Further, quantum gravity induced mass flux has a distinct feature which may lead to a novel observable signature in astrophysical bursts.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Minor changes to match published version in Physical Review Letter

Markovian evolution of strongly coupled harmonic oscillators

We investigate how to model Markovian evolution of coupled harmonic oscillators, each of them interacting with a local environment. When the coupling between the oscillators is weak, dissipation may be modeled using local Lindblad terms for each of the oscillators in the master equation, as is commonly done. When the coupling between oscillators is strong, this model may become invalid. We derive a master equation for two coupled harmonic oscillators which are subject to individual heat baths modeled by a collection of harmonic oscillators, and show that this master equation in general contains non-local Lindblad terms. We compare the resulting time evolution with that obtained for dissipation through local Lindblad terms for each individual oscillator, and show that the evolution is different in the two cases. In particular, the two descriptions give different predictions for the steady state and for the entanglement between strongly coupled oscillators. This shows that when describing strongly coupled harmonic oscillators, one must take great care in how dissipation is modeled, and that a description using local Lindblad terms may fail. This may be particularly relevant when attempting to generate entangled states of strongly coupled quantum systems.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, significantly revised and close to the published versio

The Final Fate of Spherical Inhomogeneous Dust Collapse

We examine the role of the initial density and velocity distribution in the gravitational collapse of a spherical inhomogeneous dust cloud. Such a collapse is described by the Tolman-Bondi metric which has two free functions: the `mass-function' and the `energy function', which are determined by the initial density and velocity profile of the cloud. The collapse can end in a black-hole or a naked singularity, depending on the initial parameters characterizing these profiles. In the marginally bound case, we find that the collapse ends in a naked singularity if the leading non-vanishing derivative of the density at the center is either the first one or the second one. If the first two derivatives are zero, and the third derivative non-zero, the singularity could either be naked or covered, depending on a quantity determined by the third derivative and the central density. If the first three derivatives are zero, the collapse ends in a black hole. In particular, the classic result of Oppenheimer and Snyder, that homogeneous dust collapse leads to a black hole, is recovered as a special case. Analogous results are found when the cloud is not marginally bound, and also for the case of a cloud starting from rest. We also show how the strength of the naked singularity depends on the density and velocity distribution. Our analysis generalizes and simplifies the earlier work of Christodoulou and Newman [4,5] by dropping the assumption of evenness of density functions. It turns out that relaxing this assumption allows for a smooth transition from the naked singularity phase to the black-hole phase, and also allows for the occurrence of strong curvature naked singularities.Comment: 23 pages; Plain Tex; TIFR-TAP preprin

On the Role of Initial Data in the Gravitational Collapse of Inhomogeneous Dust

We consider here the gravitational collapse of a spherically symmetric inhomogeneous dust cloud described by the Tolman-Bondi models. By studying a general class of these models, we find that the end state of the collapse is either a black hole or a naked singularity, depending on the parameters of the initial density distribution, which are $\rho_{c}$, the initial central density of the massive body, and $R_0$, the initial boundary. The collapse ends in a black hole if the dimensionless quantity $\beta$ constructed out of this initial data is greater than 0.0113, and it ends in a naked singularity if $\beta$ is less than this number. A simple interpretation of this result can be given in terms of the strength of the gravitational potential at the starting epoch of the collapse.Comment: Original title changed, numerical range of naked singularity corrected. Plain Tex File. 14 pages. To appear in Physical Review

Finite Temperature Behavior of Small Silicon and Tin Clusters: An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study

The finite temperature behavior of small Silicon (Si$_{10}$, Si$_{15}$, and Si$_{20}$) and Tin (Sn$_{10}$ and Sn$_{20}$) clusters is studied using isokinetic Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. The lowest equilibrium structures of all the clusters are built upon a highly stable tricapped trigonal prism unit which is seen to play a crucial role in the finite temperature behavior of these clusters. Thermodynamics of small tin clusters (Sn$_{10}$ and Sn$_{20}$) is revisited in light of the recent experiments on tin clusters of sizes 18-21 [G. A. Breaux et. al. Phys. Rev. B {\bf 71} 073410 (2005)]. We have calculated heat capacities using multiple histogram technique for Si$_{10}$, Sn$_{10}$ and Si$_{15}$ clusters. Our calculated specific heat curves have a main peak around 2300 K and 2200 K for Si$_{10}$ and Sn$_{10}$ clusters respectively. However, various other melting indicators such as root mean square bond length fluctuations, mean square displacements show that diffusive motion of atoms within the cluster begins around 650 K. The finite temperature behavior of Si$_{10}$ and Sn$_{10}$ is dominated by isomerization and it is rather difficult to discern the temperature range for transition region. On the other hand, Si$_{15}$ does show a liquid like behavior over a short temperature range followed by the fragmentation observed around 1800 K. Finite temperature behavior of Si$_{20}$ and Sn$_{20}$ show that these clusters do not melt but fragment around 1200 K and 650 K respectively.Comment: 9 figure