14,912 research outputs found
Dark Energy, Inflation and Extra Dimensions
We consider how accelerated expansion, whether due to inflation or dark
energy, imposes strong constraints on fundamental theories obtained by
compactification from higher dimensions. For theories that obey the null energy
condition (NEC), we find that inflationary cosmology is impossible for a wide
range of compactifications; and a dark energy phase consistent with
observations is only possible if both Newton's gravitational constant and the
dark energy equation-of-state vary with time. If the theory violates the NEC,
inflation and dark energy are only possible if the NEC-violating elements are
inhomogeneously distributed in thecompact dimensions and vary with time in
precise synchrony with the matter and energy density in the non-compact
dimensions. Although our proofs are derived assuming general relativity applies
in both four and higher dimensions and certain forms of metrics, we argue that
similar constraints must apply for more general compactifications.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure. v2: reference added, typos correcte
The return of the Andromedids meteor shower
The Andromedid meteor shower underwent spectacular outbursts in 1872 and
1885, producing thousands of visual meteors per hour and described as `stars
fell like rain' in Chinese records of the time. The shower originates from
comet 3D/Biela whose disintegration in the mid-1800's is linked to the
outbursts, but the shower has been weak or absent since the late 19th Century.
This shower returned in December 2011 with a zenithal hourly rate of
approximately 50, the strongest return in over a hundred years. Some 122
probable Andromedid orbits were detected by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar.
The shower outburst occurred during 2011 Dec 3-5. The radiant at RA
+ and Dec + is typical of the `classical' Andromedids of
the early 1800's, whose radiant was actually in Cassiopeia. The orbital
elements indicate that the material involved was released before 3D/Biela's
breakup prior to 1846. The observed shower in 2011 had a slow geocentric speed
(16 km s) and was comprised of small particles: the mean measured mass
from the radar is kg corresponding to radii of 0.5 mm at
a bulk density of 1000 kg/m.
Numerical simulations of the parent comet indicate that the meteoroids of the
2011 return of the Andromedids shower were primarily ejected during 3D/Biela's
1649 perihelion passage. The orbital characteristics, radiant, timing as well
as the absence of large particles in the streamlet are all consistent with
simulations. Predictions are made regarding other appearances of the shower in
the years 2000-2047 based on our numerical model. We note that the details of
the 2011 return can, in principle, be used to better constrain the orbit of
3D/Biela prior to the comets first recorded return in 1772.Comment: submitted to the Astronomical Journal Sep 22 201
Security of high-dimensional quantum key distribution protocols using Franson interferometers
Franson interferometers are increasingly being proposed as a means of
securing high-dimensional energy-time entanglement-based quantum key
distribution (QKD) systems. Heuristic arguments have been proposed that purport
to demonstrate the security of these schemes. We show, however, that such
systems are vulnerable to attacks that localize the photons to several
temporally separate locations. This demonstrates that a single pair of Franson
interferometers is not a practical approach to securing high-dimensional
energy-time entanglement based QKD. This observations leads us to investigate
the security of modified Franson-based-protocols, where Alice and Bob have two
or more Franson interferometers. We show that such setups can improve the
sensitivity against attacks that localize the photons to multiple temporal
locations. While our results do not constituting a full security proof, they do
show that a single pair of Franson interferometers is not secure and that
multiple such interferometers could be a promising candidate for experimentally
realizable high-dimensional QKD.Comment: 14 pages (single column format
Atomic vapor-based high efficiency optical detectors with photon number resolution
We propose a novel approach to the important fundamental problem of detecting
weak optical fields at the few photon level. The ability to detect with high
efficiency (>99%), and to distinguish the number of photons in a given time
interval is a very challenging technical problem with enormous potential
pay-offs in quantum communications and information processing. Our proposal
diverges from standard solid-state photo-detector technology by employing an
atomic vapor as the active medium, prepared in a specific quantum state using
laser radiation. The absorption of a photon will be aided by a dressing laser,
and the presence or absence of an excited atom will be detected using the
``cycling transition'' approach perfected for ion traps. By first incorporating
an appropriate upconversion scheme, our method can be applied to a wide variety
of optical wavelengths.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Origin of resolution enhancement by co-doping of scintillators: Insight from electronic structure calculations
It was recently shown that the energy resolution of Ce-doped LaBr
scintillator radiation detectors can be crucially improved by co-doping with
Sr, Ca, or Ba. Here we outline a mechanism for this enhancement on the basis of
electronic structure calculations. We show that (i) Br vacancies are the
primary electron traps during the initial stage of thermalization of hot
carriers, prior to hole capture by Ce dopants; (ii) isolated Br vacancies are
associated with deep levels; (iii) Sr doping increases the Br vacancy
concentration by several orders of magnitude; (iv) binds
to resulting in a stable neutral complex; and (v) association
with Sr causes the deep vacancy level to move toward the conduction band edge.
The latter is essential for reducing the effective carrier density available
for Auger quenching during thermalization of hot carriers. Subsequent
de-trapping of electrons from complexes then
can activate Ce dopants that have previously captured a hole leading to
luminescence. This mechanism implies an overall reduction of Auger quenching of
free carriers, which is expected to improve the linearity of the photon light
yield with respect to the energy of incident electron or photon
De-aliasing Undersampled Volume Images for Visualization
We present and illustrate a new technique, Image Correlation Supersampling (ICS), for resampling volume data that are undersampled in one dimension. The resulting data satisfies the sampling theorem, and, therefore, many visualization algorithms that assume the theorem is satisfied can be applied to the data. Without the supersampling the visualization algorithms create artifacts due to aliasing. The assumptions made in developing the algorithm are often satisfied by data that is undersampled temporally. Through this supersampling we can completely characterize phenomena with measurements at a coarser temporal sampling rate than would otherwise be necessary. This can save acquisition time and storage space, permit the study of faster phenomena, and allow their study without introducing aliasing artifacts. The resampling technique relies on a priori knowledge of the measured phenomenon, and applies, in particular, to scalar concentration measurements of fluid flow. Because of the characteristics of fluid flow, an image deformation that takes each slice image to the next can be used to calculate intermediate slice images at arbitrarily fine spacing. We determine the deformation with an automatic, multi-resolution algorithm
Rape and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Examining the Mediating Role of Explicit Sex-Power Beliefs for Men Versus Women
Many rape survivors exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and recent literature suggests survivors\u27 beliefs about sex and control may affect PTSD symptoms. The present study examined beliefs about sex and power as potential mediators of the relationship between rape and PTSD symptoms for men versus women. Participants (N = 782) reported lifetime history of rape, current PTSD symptoms, and beliefs about sex and power. Women reported higher levels of lifetime history of rape than men (19.7% for women; 9.7% for men). While rape history predicted PTSD symptoms for both genders, beliefs about sex and power were shown to be a significant partial mediator of this relationship for men, but not for women. Results extend the literature on rape and PTSD by suggesting that survivors\u27 beliefs about sex and power are connected and can affect their PTSD symptoms. Additionally, results illustrate how sexual violence against men may reaffirm male gender roles that entail power and aggression, and ultimately affect trauma recovery
Phosphorylation of MCPH1 isoforms during mitosis followed by isoformâspecific degradation by APC/CâCDH1
Microcephalinâ1 (MCPH1) exists as 2 isoforms that regulate cyclinâdependent kinaseâ1 activation and chromosome condensation during mitosis, with MCPH1 mutations causing primary microcephaly. MCPH1 is also a tumor suppressor protein, with roles in DNA damage repair/checkpoints. Despite these important roles, there is little information on the cellular regulation of MCPH1. We show that both MCPH1 isoforms are phosphorylated in a cyclinâdependent kinaseâ1âdependent manner in mitosis and identify several novel phosphorylation sites. Upon mitotic exit, MCPH1 isoforms were degraded by the anaphaseâpromoting complex/cyclosomeâCDH1 E3 ligase complex. Anaphaseâpromoting complex/cyclosomeâCDH1 target proteins generally have DâBox or KENâBox degron sequences. We found that MCPH1 isoforms are degraded independently, with the long isoform degradation being DâBox dependent, whereas the short isoform was KENâBox dependent. Our research identifies several novel mechanisms regulating MCPH1 and also highlights important issues with several commercial MCPH1 antibodies, with potential relevance to previously published data.âMeyer, S. K., Dunn, M., Vidler, D. S., Porter, A., Blain, P. G., Jowsey, P. A. Phosphorylation of MCPH1 isoforms during mitosis followed by isoformâspecific degradation by APC/CâCDH1. FASEB J. 33, 2796â2808 (2019). www.fasebj.or
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