3,622 research outputs found
Hyperuniformity with no fine tuning in sheared sedimenting suspensions
Particle suspensions, present in many natural and industrial settings,
typically contain aggregates or other microstructures that can complicate
macroscopic flow behaviors and damage processing equipment. Recent work found
that applying uniform periodic shear near a critical transition can reduce
fluctuations in the particle concentration across all length scales, leading to
a hyperuniform state. However, this strategy for homogenization requires fine
tuning of the strain amplitude. Here we show that in a model of sedimenting
particles under periodic shear, there is a well-defined regime at low
sedimentation speed where hyperuniform scaling automatically occurs. Our
simulations and theoretical arguments show that the homogenization extends up
to a finite lengthscale that diverges as the sedimentation speed approaches
zero.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Intrinsic avalanches and collective phenomena in a Mn(II)-free radical ferrimagnetic chain
Magnetic hysteresis loops below 300 mK on single crystals of the Mn(II) -
nitronyl nitroxide free radical chain (Mn(hfac)_2({\it R})-3MLNN) present
abrupt reversals of the magnetization, or avalanches. We show that, below 200
mK, the avalanches occur at a constant field, independent of the sample and so
propose that this avalanche field is an intrinsic property. We compare this
field to the energy barrier existing in the sample and conclude that the
avalanches are provoked by multiple nucleation of domain-walls along the
chains. The different avalanche field observed in the zero field cooled
magnetization curves suggests that the avalanche mechanisms are related to the
competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order in this compound.Comment: 9 pages, 7 fig, to be published in Phys. Rev.
The inexorable resistance of inertia determines the initial regime of drop coalescence
Drop coalescence is central to diverse processes involving dispersions of
drops in industrial, engineering and scientific realms. During coalescence, two
drops first touch and then merge as the liquid neck connecting them grows from
initially microscopic scales to a size comparable to the drop diameters. The
curvature of the interface is infinite at the point where the drops first make
contact, and the flows that ensue as the two drops coalesce are intimately
coupled to this singularity in the dynamics. Conventionally, this process has
been thought to have just two dynamical regimes: a viscous and an inertial
regime with a crossover region between them. We use experiments and simulations
to reveal that a third regime, one that describes the initial dynamics of
coalescence for all drop viscosities, has been missed. An argument based on
force balance allows the construction of a new coalescence phase diagram
Phonon superradiance and phonon laser effect in nanomagnets
We show that the theory of spin-phonon processes in paramagnetic solids must
take into account the coherent generation of phonons by the magnetic centers.
This effect should drastically enhance spin-phonon rates in nanoscale
paramagnets and in crystals of molecular nanomagnets.Comment: 4 PR pages, 1 Figur
A study on various methods of supplying propellant to an orbit insertion rocket engine
Various types of pumps and pump drives were evaluated to determine the lightest weight system for supplying propellants to a planetary orbit insertion rocket engine. From these analyses four candidate propellant feed systems were identified. Systems Nos. 1 and 2 were both battery powered (lithium-thionyl-chloride or silver-zinc) motor driven pumps. System 3 was a monopropellant gas generator powered turbopump. System 4 was a bipropellant gas generator powered turbopump. Parameters considered were pump break horsepower, weight, reliability, transient response and system stability. Figures of merit were established and the ranking of the candidate systems was determined. Conceptual designs were prepared for typical motor driven pumps and turbopump configurations for a 1000 lbf thrust rocket engine
Portals to Wonderland: Health portals lead to confusing information about the effects of health care
BACKGROUND: The Internet offers a seemingly endless amount of health information of varying quality. Health portals, which provide entry points to quality-controlled collections of websites, have been hailed as a solution to this problem. The objective of this study is to assess the extent to which government-run health portals provide access to relevant, valid and understandable information about the effects of health care. METHODS: We selected eight clinically relevant questions for which there was a systematic review, searched four portals for answers, and compared the answers we found to the results of the systematic reviews. RESULTS: Our searches resulted in 3400 hits, 155 of which mentioned both the condition and the intervention in one of the eight questions. Sixty-three of the 155 web pages did not give any information about the effect of the intervention. Seventy-seven qualitatively described the effects of the intervention. Twenty-six of these had information that was too unclear to be categorised; 15 were not consistent with the systematic review; and 36 were consistent with the review, but usually did not mention what happens without the intervention, what outcomes have been measured or when they were measured. Fifteen web pages quantitatively described effects. Four of these were abstracts from the systematic review, nine had information that was incomplete and potentially misleading because of a lack of information about people not receiving the intervention and the length of follow-up; one had information that was consistent with the review, but only referred to three trials whereas the review included six; and one was consistent with the review. CONCLUSION: Information accessible through health portals is unlikely to be based on systematic reviews and is often unclear, incomplete and misleading. Portals are only as good as the websites they lead to. Investments in national health portals are unlikely to benefit consumers without investments in the production and maintenance of relevant, valid and understandable information to which the portals lead
Decomposition of time-covariant operations on quantum systems with continuous and/or discrete energy spectrum
Every completely positive map G that commutes which the Hamiltonian time
evolution is an integral or sum over (densely defined) CP-maps G_\sigma where
\sigma is the energy that is transferred to or taken from the environment. If
the spectrum is non-degenerated each G_\sigma is a dephasing channel followed
by an energy shift. The dephasing is given by the Hadamard product of the
density operator with a (formally defined) positive operator. The Kraus
operator of the energy shift is a partial isometry which defines a translation
on R with respect to a non-translation-invariant measure.
As an example, I calculate this decomposition explicitly for the rotation
invariant gaussian channel on a single mode.
I address the question under what conditions a covariant channel destroys
superpositions between mutually orthogonal states on the same orbit. For
channels which allow mutually orthogonal output states on the same orbit, a
lower bound on the quantum capacity is derived using the Fourier transform of
the CP-map-valued measure (G_\sigma).Comment: latex, 33 pages, domains of unbounded operators are now explicitly
specified. Presentation more detailed. Implementing the shift after the
dephasing is sometimes more convenien
Translating research into policy and practice in developing countries: a case study of magnesium sulphate for pre-eclampsia.
BACKGROUND: The evidence base for improving reproductive health continues to grow. However, concerns remain that the translation of this evidence into appropriate policies is partial and slow. Little is known about the factors affecting the use of evidence by policy makers and clinicians, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that might affect the translation of randomised controlled trial (RCT) findings into policies and practice in developing countries. METHODS: The recent publication of an important RCT on the use of magnesium sulphate to treat pre-eclampsia provided an opportunity to explore how research findings might be translated into policy. A range of research methods, including a survey, group interview and observations with RCT collaborators and a survey of WHO drug information officers, regulatory officials and obstetricians in 12 countries, were undertaken to identify barriers and facilitators to knowledge translation. RESULTS: It proved difficult to obtain reliable data regarding the availability and use of commonly used drugs in many countries. The perceived barriers to implementing RCT findings regarding the use of magnesium sulphate for pre-eclampsia include drug licensing and availability; inadequate and poorly implemented clinical guidelines; and lack of political support for policy change. However, there were significant regional and national differences in the importance of specific barriers. CONCLUSION: The policy changes needed to ensure widespread availability and use of magnesium sulphate are variable and complex. Difficulties in obtaining information on availability and use are combined with the wide range of barriers across settings, including a lack of support from policy makers. This makes it difficult to envisage any single intervention strategy that might be used to promote the uptake of research findings on magnesium sulphate into policy across the study settings. The publication of important trials may therefore not have the impacts on health care that researchers hope for
Dynamic behavior of magnetic avalanches in the spin-ice compound DyTiO
Avalanches of the magnetization, that is to say an abrupt reversal of the
magnetization at a given field, have been previously reported in the spin-ice
compound DyTiO. This out-of-equilibrium process, induced by
magneto-thermal heating, is quite usual in low temperature magnetization
studies. A key point is to determine the physical origin of the avalanche
process. In particular, in spin-ice compounds, the origin of the avalanches
might be related to the monopole physics inherent to the system. We have
performed a detailed study of the avalanche phenomena in three single crystals,
with the field oriented along the [111] direction, perpendicular to [111] and
along the [100] directions. We have measured the changing magnetization during
the avalanches and conclude that avalanches in spin ice are quite slow compared
to the avalanches reported in other systems such as molecular magnets. Our
measurements show that the avalanches trigger after a delay of about 500 ms and
that the reversal of the magnetization then occurs in a few hundreds of
milliseconds. These features suggest an unusual propagation of the reversal,
which might be due to the monopole motion. The avalanche fields seem to be
reproducible in a given direction for different samples, but they strongly
depend on the initial state of magnetization and on how the initial state was
achieved.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figure
Low temperature magnetic hysteresis in Mn acetate single crystals
Precise magnetic hysteresis measurements of small single crystals of
Mn acetate of spin 10 have been conducted down to 0.4 K using a high
sensitivity Hall magnetometer. At higher temperature (>1.6K) step-like changes
in magnetization are observed at regularly spaced magnetic field intervals, as
previously reported. However, on lowering the temperature the steps in
magnetization shift to higher magnetic fields, initially gradually. These
results are consistent with the presence of a second order uniaxial magnetic
anisotropy, first observed by EPR spectroscopy, and thermally assisted
tunnelling with tunnelling relaxation occurring from levels of progressively
lower energy as the temperature is reduced. At lower temperature an abrupt
shift in step positions is found. We suggest that this shift may be the first
evidence of an abrupt, or first-order, transition between thermally assisted
and pure quantum tunnelling, suggested by recent theory.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Europhys. Let
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