The Stokes boundary layer for a thixotropic or antithixotropic fluid

We present a mathematical investigation of the oscillatory boundary layer (‘Stokes layer’) in a semi-infinite fluid bounded by an oscillating wall (the socalled ‘Stokes problem’), when the fluid has a thixotropic or antithixotropic rheology. We obtain asymptotic solutions in the limit of small-amplitude oscillations, and we use numerical integration to validate the asymptotic solutions and to explore the behaviour of the system for larger-amplitude oscillations. The solutions that we obtain differ significantly from the classical solution for a Newtonian fluid. In particular, for antithixotropic fluids the velocity reaches zero at a finite distance from the wall, in contrast to the exponential decay for a thixotropic or a Newtonian fluid. For small amplitudes of oscillation, three regimes of behaviour are possible: the structure parameter may take values defined instantaneously by the shear rate, or by a long-term average; or it may behave hysteretically. The regime boundaries depend on the precise specification of structure build-up and breakdown rates in the rheological model, illustrating the subtleties of complex fluid models in non-rheometric settings. For larger amplitudes of oscillation the dominant behaviour is hysteretic. We discuss in particular the relationship between the shear stress and the shear rate at the oscillating wall

Precis of epistemic angst:Book Symposium: Duncan Pritchard, Epistemic Angst (Princeton University Press, 2015, xiii + 236 pages)

ABSTRACT This book symposium features three critical pieces dealing with Duncan Pritchard's book, 'Epistemic Angst'; the symposium also contains Pritchard's replies to his critics

Assessing the Performance of the Haplotype Block Model of Linkage Disequilibrium

Several recent studies have suggested that linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the human genome has a fundamentally “blocklike” structure. However, thus far there has been little formal assessment of how well the haplotype block model captures the underlying structure of LD. Here we propose quantitative criteria for assessing how blocklike LD is and apply these criteria to both real and simulated data. Analyses of several large data sets indicate that real data show a partial fit to the haplotype block model; some regions conform quite well, whereas others do not. Some improvement could be obtained by genotyping higher marker densities but not by increasing the number of samples. Nonetheless, although the real data are only moderately blocklike, our simulations indicate that, under a model of uniform recombination, the structure of LD would actually fit the block model much less well. Simulations of a model in which much of the recombination occurs in narrow hotspots provide a much better fit to the observed patterns of LD, suggesting that there is extensive fine-scale variation in recombination rates across the human genome

Safety, the Preface Paradox and Possible Worlds Semantics

This paper contains an argument to the effect that possible worlds semantics renders semantic knowledge impossible, no matter what ontological interpretation is given to possible worlds. The essential contention made is that possible worlds semantic knowledge is unsafe and this is shown by a parallel with the preface paradox

Contrast Interferometry Using Bose-Einstein Condensates to Measure h/m and the Fine Structure Constant

The kinetic energy of an atom recoiling due to absorption of a photon was measured as a frequency using an interferometric technique called ``contrast interferometry''. Optical standing wave pulses were used as atom-optical elements to create a symmetric three-path interferometer with a Bose-Einstein condensate. The recoil phase accumulated in different paths was measured using a single-shot detection technique. The scheme allows for additional photon recoils within the interferometer and its symmetry suppresses several random and systematic errors including those from vibrations and ac Stark shifts. We have measured the photon recoil frequency of sodium to $7$ppm precision, using a simple realization of this scheme. Plausible extensions should yield a sufficient precision to bring within reach a ppb-level determination of $h/m$ and the fine structure constant $\alpha$

Demonstration of a Quantum Gate using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

We demonstrate a native $\mathrm{CNOT}$ gate between two individually addressed neutral atoms based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). This protocol utilizes the strong long-range interactions of Rydberg states to enable conditional state transfer on the target qubit when operated in the blockade regime. An advantage of this scheme is it enables implementation of multi-qubit CNOT$^k$ gates using a pulse sequence independent of qubit number, and provides an simple gate for efficient implementation of quantum algorithms and error correction. We achieve a loss corrected gate fidelity of $\mathcal{F}_\mathrm{CNOT}^\mathrm{cor} = 0.82(6)$, and prepare an entangled Bell-state with $\mathcal{F}_\mathrm{Bell}^\mathrm{cor} = 0.66(5)$, limited at present by laser power. We present a number of technical improvements to advance this to a level required for fault-tolerant scaling.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures plus Supplementary Materia

Museum DNA reveals the demographic history of the endangered Seychelles warbler

The importance of evolutionary conservation – how understanding evolutionary forces can help guide conservation decisions – is widely recognized. However, the historical demography of many endangered species is unknown, despite the fact that this can have important implications for contemporary ecological processes and for extinction risk. Here, we reconstruct the population history of the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) – an ecological model species. By the 1960s, this species was on the brink of extinction, but its previous history is unknown. We used DNA samples from contemporary and museum specimens spanning 140 years to reconstruct bottleneck history. We found a 25% reduction in genetic diversity between museum and contemporary populations, and strong genetic structure. Simulations indicate that the Seychelles warbler was bottlenecked from a large population, with an ancestral Ne of several thousands falling to <50 within the last century. Such a rapid decline, due to anthropogenic factors, has important implications for extinction risk in the Seychelles warbler, and our results will inform conservation practices. Reconstructing the population history of this species also allows us to better understand patterns of genetic diversity, inbreeding and promiscuity in the contemporary populations. Our approaches can be applied across species to test ecological hypotheses and inform conservation

The lifetimes of evaporating sessile droplets are significantly extended by strong thermal effects

The evaporation of sessile droplets is analysed when the influence of the thermal properties of the system is strong. We obtain asymptotic solutions for the evolution, and hence explicit expressions for the lifetimes, of droplets when the substrate has a high thermal resistance relative to the droplet and when the saturation concentration of the vapour depends strongly on temperature. In both situations we find that the lifetimes of the droplets are significantly extended relative to those when thermal effects are weak