18,832 research outputs found
A new solid-state logarithmic radiometer
Combination of temperature-compensated logarithmic amplifiers and p-i-n photodiodes operating in zero-bias mode provides lightweight radiometer for detecting spectral intensities encompassing more than three decades over a range of at least 300 to 800 nanometers at low power levels
Diversity-induced resonance in a system of globally coupled linear oscillators
The purpose of this paper to analyze in some detail the arguably simplest
case of diversity-induced reseonance: that of a system of globally-coupled
linear oscillators subjected to a periodic forcing. Diversity appears as the
parameters characterizing each oscillator, namely its mass, internal frequency
and damping coefficient are drawn from a probability distribution. The main
ingredients for the diversity-induced-resonance phenomenon are present in this
system as the oscillators display a variability in the individual responses but
are induced, by the coupling, to synchronize their responses. A steady state
solution for this model is obtained. We also determine the conditions under
which it is possible to find a resonance effect.Comment: Reported at the XI International Workshop "Instabilities and
Nonequilibrium Structures" Vina del Mar (Chile
XMM-Newton observations of the Seyfert 1 AGN H0557-385
We present XMM-Newton observations of the Seyfert 1 AGN H0557-385. We have
conducted a study into the warm absorber present in this source, and using
high-resolution RGS data we find that the absorption can be characterised by
two phases: a phase with log ionisation parameter xi of 0.50 (where xi is in
units of ergs cm/s) and a column of 0.2e21 cm^-2, and a phase with log xi of
1.62 and a column of 1.3e22 cm^-2. An iron K alpha line is detected. Neutral
absorption is also present in the source, and we discuss possible origins for
this. On the assumption that the ionised absorbers originate as an outflow from
the inner edge of the torus, we use a new method for finding the volume filling
factor. Both phases of H0557-385 have small volume filling factors (< 1%). We
also derive the volume filling factors for a sample of 23 AGN using this
assumption and for the absorbers with log xi > 0.7 we find reasonable agreement
with the filling factors obtained through the alternative method of equating
the momentum flow of the absorbers to the momentum loss of the radiation field.
By comparing the filling factors obtained by the two methods, we infer that
some absorbers with log xi < 0.7 occur at significantly larger distances from
the nucleus than the inner edge of the torus.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Observation of infinite-range intensity correlations above, at and below the 3D Anderson localization transition
We investigate long-range intensity correlations on both sides of the
Anderson transition of classical waves in a three-dimensional (3D) disordered
material. Our ultrasonic experiments are designed to unambiguously detect a
recently predicted infinite-range C0 contribution, due to local density of
states fluctuations near the source. We find that these C0 correlations, in
addition to C2 and C3 contributions, are significantly enhanced near mobility
edges. Separate measurements of the inverse participation ratio reveal a link
between C0 and the anomalous dimension \Delta_2, implying that C0 may also be
used to explore the critical regime of the Anderson transition.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures (main text plus supplemental information).
Updated version includes an improved introductory paragraph, minor text
revisions, a revised title and additional supplemental information on the
experimental detail
GEMINGA'S SOFT X-RAY EMISSION AND THE STRUCTURE OF ITS SURFACE
We present a model to explain the decrease in the amplitude of the pulse
profile with increasing energy observed in Geminga's soft X-ray surface thermal
emission. We assume the presence of plates surrounded by a surface with very
distinct physical properties: these two regions emit spectra of very distinct
shapes which present a crossover, the warm plates emitting a softer spectrum
than the colder surrounding surface. The strongly pulsed emission from the
plates dominates at low energy while the surroundings emission dominates at
high energy, producing naturally a strong decrease in the pulsed fraction. In
our illustrative example the plates are assumed to be magnetized while the rest
of the surface is field free.
This plate structure may be seen as a schematic representation of a
continuous but very nonuniform distribution of the surface magnetic field or as
a quasi realistic structure induced by past tectonic activity on Geminga.Comment: 10 pages, AASTeX latex, + 3 figures (compressed 7 uuencoded).
Submitted to Ap. J. Let
Recurrent scattering and memory effect at the Anderson localization transition
We report on ultrasonic measurements of the propagation operator in a
strongly scattering mesoglass. The backscattered field is shown to display a
deterministic spatial coherence due to a remarkably large memory effect induced
by long recurrent trajectories. Investigation of the recurrent scattering
contribution directly yields the probability for a wave to come back close to
its starting spot. The decay of this quantity with time is shown to change
dramatically near the Anderson localization transition. The singular value
decomposition of the propagation operator reveals the dominance of very intense
recurrent scattering paths near the mobility edge.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Magneto-elastic oscillations of neutron stars: exploring different magnetic field configurations
We study magneto-elastic oscillations of highly magnetized neutron stars
(magnetars) which have been proposed as an explanation for the quasi-periodic
oscillations (QPOs) appearing in the decaying tail of the giant flares of soft
gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs). We extend previous studies by investigating various
magnetic field configurations, computing the Alfv\'en spectrum in each case and
performing magneto-elastic simulations for a selected number of models. By
identifying the observed frequencies of 28 Hz (SGR 1900+14) and 30 Hz (SGR
1806-20) with the fundamental Alfv\'en QPOs, we estimate the required surface
magnetic field strength. For the magnetic field configurations investigated
(dipole-like poloidal, mixed toroidal-poloidal with a dipole-like poloidal
component and a toroidal field confined to the region of field lines closing
inside the star, and for poloidal fields with an additional quadrupole-like
component) the estimated dipole spin-down magnetic fields are between 8x10^14 G
and 4x10^15 G, in broad agreement with spin-down estimates for the SGR sources
producing giant flares. A number of these models exhibit a rich Alfv\'en
continuum revealing new turning points which can produce QPOs. This allows one
to explain most of the observed QPO frequencies as associated with
magneto-elastic QPOs. In particular, we construct a possible configuration with
two turning points in the spectrum which can explain all observed QPOs of SGR
1900+14. Finally, we find that magnetic field configurations which are entirely
confined in the crust (if the core is assumed to be a type I superconductor)
are not favoured, due to difficulties in explaining the lowest observed QPO
frequencies (f<30 Hz).Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables, matched to version accepted by MNRAS
with extended comparison/discussion to previous wor
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The small quinolone derived compound HT61 enhances the effect of tobramycin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo.
HT61 is a small quinolone-derived compound previously demonstrated to exhibit bactericidal activity against gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). When combined with the classical antibiotics and antiseptics neomycin, gentamicin, mupirocin and chlorhexidine, HT61 demonstrated synergistic bactericidal activity against both MSSA and MRSA infections in vitro. In this study, we investigated the individual antimicrobial activity of HT61 alongside its capability to increase the efficacy of tobramycin against both a tobramycin sensitive laboratory reference strain (PAO1) and tobramycin resistant clinical isolates (RP73, NN2) of the gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Using broth microdilution methods, the MICs of HT61 against all strains were assessed, as well as the effect of HT61 in combination with tobramycin using both the chequerboard method and bacterial time-kill assays. A murine model of pulmonary infection was also used to evaluate the combination therapy of tobramycin and HT61 in vivo. In these studies, we demonstrated significant synergism between HT61 and Tobramycin against the tobramycin resistant P. aeruginosa strains RP73 and NN2, whilst an additive/intermediate effect was observed for P. aeruginosa strain PA01 which was further confirmed using bacterial time kill analysis. In addition, the enhancement of tobramycin by HT61 was also evident in in vitro assays of biofilm eradication. Finally, in vivo studies revealed analogous effects to those observed in vitro with HT61 when administered in combination with tobramycin against each of the three P. aeruginosa strains at the highest tested dose (10 mg/kg)
Gravitational Theory with a Dynamical Time
A gravitational theory involving a vector field , whose zero
component has the properties of a dynamical time, is studied. The variation of
the action with respect to gives the covariant conservation of an
energy momentum tensor . Studying the theory in a
background which has killing vectors and killing tensors we find appropriate
shift symmetries of the field which lead to conservation laws. The
energy momentum that is the source of gravity is different
but related to and the covariant conservation of determines in general the vector field . When is chosen to be proportional to the metric, the theory
coincides with the Two Measures Theory, which has been studied before in
relation to the Cosmological Constant Problem. When the matter model consists
of point particles, or strings, the form of , solutions for
are found. For the case of a string gas cosmology, we find that
the Milne Universe can be a solution, where the gas of strings does not curve
the spacetime since although , , as a model for the early universe, this solution is also free
of the horizon problem. There may be also an application to the "time problem"
of quantum cosmology.Comment: 21 pages, discussions extended, some more explicit proofs included,
more references include
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