A simple expression for the ADM mass

We show by an almost elementary calculation that the ADM mass of an asymptotically flat space can be computed as a limit involving a rate of change of area of a closed 2-surface. The result is essentially the same as that given by Brown and York. We will prove this result in two ways, first by direct calculation from the original formula as given by Arnowitt, Deser and Misner and second as a corollary of an earlier result by Brewin for the case of simplicial spaces.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

1,2,6-thiadiazinones as novel narrow spectrum calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) inhibitors

We demonstrate for the first time that 4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one (TDZ) can function as a chemotype for the design of ATP-competitive kinase inhibitors. Using insights from a co-crystal structure of a 3,5-bis(arylamino)-4H-1,2,6-thiadiazin-4-one bound to calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2), several analogues were identified with micromolar activity through targeted displacement of bound water molecules in the active site. Since the TDZ analogues showed reduced promiscuity compared to their 2,4-dianilinopyrimidine counter parts, they represent starting points for development of highly selective kinase inhibitors

Elastic deformation of a fluid membrane upon colloid binding

When a colloidal particle adheres to a fluid membrane, it induces elastic deformations in the membrane which oppose its own binding. The structural and energetic aspects of this balance are theoretically studied within the framework of a Helfrich Hamiltonian. Based on the full nonlinear shape equations for the membrane profile, a line of continuous binding transitions and a second line of discontinuous envelopment transitions are found, which meet at an unusual triple point. The regime of low tension is studied analytically using a small gradient expansion, while in the limit of large tension scaling arguments are derived which quantify the asymptotic behavior of phase boundary, degree of wrapping, and energy barrier. The maturation of animal viruses by budding is discussed as a biological example of such colloid-membrane interaction events.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, REVTeX style, follow-up on cond-mat/021242

Vibrational Study of 13C-enriched C60 Crystals

The infrared (IR) spectrum of solid C60 exhibits many weak vibrational modes. Symmetry breaking due to 13C isotopes provides a possible route for optically activating IR-silent vibrational modes. Experimental spectra and a semi-empirical theory on natural abundance and 13C-enriched single crystals of C60 are presented. By comparing the experimental results with the theoretical results, we exclude this isotopic activation mechanism from the explanation for weakly active fundamentals in the spectra.Comment: Accepted for Phys. Rev. B, typeset in REVTEX v3.0 in LaTeX. Postscript file including figures is available at http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~mmartin/papers/c13twocol2.ps File with figures will be e-mailed by reques

Brane cosmological perturbations

We address the question of cosmological perturbations in the context of brane cosmology, where our Universe is a three-brane where matter is confined, whereas gravity lives in a higher dimensional spacetime. The equations governing the bulk perturbations are computed in the case of a general warped universe. The results are then specialized to the case of a five-dimensional spacetime, scenario which has recently attracted a lot of attention. In this context, we decompose the perturbations into `scalar', `vector' and `tensor' modes, which are familiar in the standard theory of cosmological perturbations. The junction conditions, which relate the metric perturbations to the matter perturbations in the brane, are then computed.Comment: 14 pages, Latex; no figur

Generalized Quantum Theory of Recollapsing Homogeneous Cosmologies

A sum-over-histories generalized quantum theory is developed for homogeneous minisuperspace type A Bianchi cosmological models, focussing on the particular example of the classically recollapsing Bianchi IX universe. The decoherence functional for such universes is exhibited. We show how the probabilities of decoherent sets of alternative, coarse-grained histories of these model universes can be calculated. We consider in particular the probabilities for classical evolution defined by a suitable coarse-graining. For a restricted class of initial conditions and coarse grainings we exhibit the approximate decoherence of alternative histories in which the universe behaves classically and those in which it does not. For these situations we show that the probability is near unity for the universe to recontract classically if it expands classically. We also determine the relative probabilities of quasi-classical trajectories for initial states of WKB form, recovering for such states a precise form of the familiar heuristic "J d\Sigma" rule of quantum cosmology, as well as a generalization of this rule to generic initial states.Comment: 41 pages, 4 eps figures, revtex 4. Modest revisions throughout. Physics unchanged. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Geology of the Nevado Coropuna volcanic complex

The Nevado Coropuna volcanic complex (NCVC), located in the northernmost CAVZ (15°3’ S, 72º39’ W), includes several edifices, aligned WNW-ESE above Neogene ignimbrites. Adjacent composite volcanoes include the Late Pliocene, eroded Sunjillpa to the WNW and the glacially eroded, 0.6-0.25 Ma-old Cunciacha to the ESE. Located on the west flank of the Western Cordillera, the asymmetric volcanic complex shows stubby lava flows overlying the NE, 4500 m-high plateau, contrasting with long, inverted lava flows and debris-avalanche deposits filling deep valleys draining the steep SW flanks. The central, highest NCVC is a cluster of five, aligned lava domes reaching 6160 and 6330 masl. The dome cluster and its voluminous lava flows overlie an old stratovolcano with inverted lava flows dated at 1.02 Ma. The 0.4 Ma-old base of dome cluster is overlain by lower lava flows c. 270 - 254 ka, middle lava flows c. 118 - 108 ka, and the uppermost lava domes 70 – 60 ka. A high-spatial resolution DEM shows six vents on the domes and one collapse scar open to the south. NCVC has grown atop a caldera as shown by AMS data collected on Early Quaternary ignimbrites dipping away west, south and east of NCVC, and by abnormal contacts with both adjacent volcanoes to the WNW and the ESE. All lavas show two major compositional fields of high-K andesites and dacites (SiO2 57-67%wt). Harker diagrams and trace elements suggest AFC magmatic processes. Although CNVC tephra and PDC deposits represent a small volume, we observed Late Glacial Plinian fallout are scattered and Holocene ashfall layers are associated with three lava flows, the youngest being 1700 to 2400 yr old. The Nevado Coropuna ice cap c. 44.1 km2 is arguably the largest in the world tropical belt

Sub-microsecond correlations in photoluminescence from InAs quantum dots

Photon correlation measurements reveal memory effects in the optical emission of single InAs quantum dots with timescales from 10 to 800 ns. With above-band optical excitation, a long-timescale negative correlation (antibunching) is observed, while with quasi-resonant excitation, a positive correlation (blinking) is observed. A simple model based on long-lived charged states is presented that approximately explains the observed behavior, providing insight into the excitation process. Such memory effects can limit the internal efficiency of light emitters based on single quantum dots, and could also be problematic for proposed quantum-computation schemes.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

The Centurion 18 telescope of the Wise Observatory

We describe the second telescope of the Wise Observatory, a 0.46-m Centurion 18 (C18) installed in 2005, which enhances significantly the observing possibilities. The telescope operates from a small dome and is equipped with a large-format CCD camera. In the last two years this telescope was intensively used in a variety of monitoring projects. The operation of the C18 is now automatic, requiring only start-up at the beginning of a night and close-down at dawn. The observations are mostly performed remotely from the Tel Aviv campus or even from the observer's home. The entire facility was erected for a component cost of about 70k$ and a labor investment of a total of one man-year. We describe three types of projects undertaken with this new facility: the measurement of asteroid light variability with the purpose of determining physical parameters and binarity, the following-up of transiting extrasolar planets, and the study of AGN variability. The successful implementation of the C18 demonstrates the viability of small telescopes in an age of huge light-collectors, provided the operation of such facilities is very efficient.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, some figures quality was degraded, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Limiting Carleman weights and anisotropic inverse problems

In this article we consider the anisotropic Calderon problem and related inverse problems. The approach is based on limiting Carleman weights, introduced in Kenig-Sjoestrand-Uhlmann (Ann. of Math. 2007) in the Euclidean case. We characterize those Riemannian manifolds which admit limiting Carleman weights, and give a complex geometrical optics construction for a class of such manifolds. This is used to prove uniqueness results for anisotropic inverse problems, via the attenuated geodesic X-ray transform. Earlier results in dimension $n \geq 3$ were restricted to real-analytic metrics.Comment: 58 page