51 research outputs found
Two-body correlations in Bose condensates
We formulate a method to study two-body correlations in a condensate of N
identical bosons. We use the adiabatic hyperspheric approach and assume a
Faddeev like decomposition of the wave function. We derive for a fixed
hyperradius an integro-differential equation for the angular eigenvalue and
wave function. We discuss properties of the solutions and illustrate with
numerical results. The interaction energy is for N~20 five times smaller than
that of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation
Identifying topological edge states in 2D optical lattices using light scattering
We recently proposed in a Letter [Physical Review Letters 108 255303] a novel
scheme to detect topological edge states in an optical lattice, based on a
generalization of Bragg spectroscopy. The scope of the present article is to
provide a more detailed and pedagogical description of the system - the
Hofstadter optical lattice - and probing method. We first show the existence of
topological edge states, in an ultra-cold gas trapped in a 2D optical lattice
and subjected to a synthetic magnetic field. The remarkable robustness of the
edge states is verified for a variety of external confining potentials. Then,
we describe a specific laser probe, made from two lasers in Laguerre-Gaussian
modes, which captures unambiguous signatures of these edge states. In
particular, the resulting Bragg spectra provide the dispersion relation of the
edge states, establishing their chiral nature. In order to make the Bragg
signal experimentally detectable, we introduce a "shelving method", which
simultaneously transfers angular momentum and changes the internal atomic
state. This scheme allows to directly visualize the selected edge states on a
dark background, offering an instructive view on topological insulating phases,
not accessible in solid-state experiments.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Revised and extended version, to appear in EJP
Special Topic for the special issue on "Novel Quantum Phases and Mesoscopic
Physics in Quantum Gases". Extended version of arXiv:1203.124
Genome-wide meta-analysis uncovers novel loci influencing circulating leptin levels.
Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone, the circulating levels of which correlate closely with overall adiposity. Although rare mutations in the leptin (LEP) gene are well known to cause leptin deficiency and severe obesity, no common loci regulating circulating leptin levels have been uncovered. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of circulating leptin levels from 32,161 individuals and followed up loci reaching P<10(-6) in 19,979 additional individuals. We identify five loci robustly associated (P<5 Ă 10(-8)) with leptin levels in/near LEP, SLC32A1, GCKR, CCNL1 and FTO. Although the association of the FTO obesity locus with leptin levels is abolished by adjustment for BMI, associations of the four other loci are independent of adiposity. The GCKR locus was found associated with multiple metabolic traits in previous GWAS and the CCNL1 locus with birth weight. Knockdown experiments in mouse adipose tissue explants show convincing evidence for adipogenin, a regulator of adipocyte differentiation, as the novel causal gene in the SLC32A1 locus influencing leptin levels. Our findings provide novel insights into the regulation of leptin production by adipose tissue and open new avenues for examining the influence of variation in leptin levels on adiposity and metabolic health
TRY plant trait database â enhanced coverage and open access
Plant traitsâthe morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plantsâdetermine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of traitâbased plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traitsâalmost complete coverage for âplant growth formâ. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and traitâenvironmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives
Personalization in Professional Academic Search
Contains fulltext :
122703.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)IRPS 2013 : Integrating IR technologies for Professional Search, Moscow, Russian Federation, March 24, 201
Modelling the readiness of soil for different methods of tillage
While research has been conducted on the workability and trafficability of soils separately, it is the combination of these two factors which allows a decision to be made about a fieldâs readiness for a given operation. Knowledge about when a field is ready for an operation is essential when planning when and where operations should be executed, so that they can be executed in an efficient and cost-effective way. In this paper, methods for evaluating workability and trafficability were combined to produce a novel decision support tool for assessing the readiness of a location for tillage operations over a period of time.
Three soils within a field were examined using the proposed tool to estimate the number of days they were in a state of readiness for conventional tillage and minimum tillage over an 11 year period. The soils were assessed for when they were trafficable, when they were workable and when they were both trafficable and workable. The assessments were made based on the soil texture, simulated soil water content and physical parameters of machines likely to be used for the defined operations.
All of the soils were ready for longer periods of time for minimum tillage than for conventional tillage. During autumn tillage, it was approximately twice as likely that the field would be ready for minimum tillage as it would be ready for conventional tillage. The tool offers the means for comparing operational management decisions either as a standalone tool or as a part of a larger farm management information system
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