De beeldende kracht van kwetsbaarheid

Het systeemdenken, dat uitgaat van een ‘beheersbare werkelijkheid’, is in de huidige westerse cultuur ten onrechte een dominante denkvorm boven denkvormen die o.a. in de kunst tot uitdrukking komen. Kunst kan erkenning geven aan de kwetsbare en gebrekkige kant van het menszijn, waar wij dikwijls mee worstellen. Om contrastervaringen, ingrijpende gebeurtenissen die in contrast staan tot ons vanzelfsprekende betekeniskader, een plaats te geven, is duiding en articulatie van belang. Hierin kan beeldende kunst handreikingen bieden. Deze studie onderzoekt wat de betekenis is van beeldende kunst voor het articuleren en duiden van contrastervaringen en wat daarin de functie is van het systeemdenken en poëtisch denken. Uit interviews met beeldend kunstenaars blijkt dat kunst dicht bij onze lichamelijke verhouding tot de werkelijkheid staat. Omdat contrastervaringen in ons betekeniskader nog niet geconceptualiseerd, maar wel ‘voelbaar’ aanwezig zijn, is kunst als ‘pré-reflectieve taal’ een passende vorm van articulatie. De kunstenaar beoogt met zijn werk zichzelf en de kijker te ontregelen. Ontregeling opent nieuwe perspectieven op alledaagse en ingrijpende gebeurtenissen. Hiermee krijgt het poëtisch denken, als tegenhanger tegen het systeemdenken meer zeggingskracht. Zij leidt niet tot wetenschappelijke zekerheden, maar maakt wel ruimte voor nieuwe perspectieven op ervaringen die buiten ons beheersbare controle gebied liggen

Predicted signatures of p-wave superfluid phases and Majorana zero modes of fermionic atoms in RF absorption

We study the superfluid phases of quasi-2D atomic Fermi gases interacting via a p-wave Feshbach resonance. We calculate the absorption spectra of these phases under a hyperfine transition, for both non-rotating and rotating superfluids. We show that one can identify the different phases of the p-wave superfluid from the absorption spectrum. The absorption spectrum shows clear signatures of the existence of Majorana zero modes at the cores of vortices of the weakly-pairing $p_x+ip_y$ phase

Non-Abelian anyons: when Ising meets Fibonacci

We consider an interface between two non-Abelian quantum Hall states: the Moore-Read state, supporting anyons of Ising type, and the k=2 NASS (non-Abelian spin-singlet) state, supporting anyons of Fibonacci type. It is shown that the interface supports neutral excitations described by a 1+1 dimensional conformal field theory with central charge c=7/10. We discuss effects of the mismatch of the quantum statistical properties of the quasi-holes between the two sides, as reflected by the interface theory.Comment: As published in PR

Value alignment and public perceived legitimacy of the European Union and the Court of Justice

The present study aims to extend research on the role of values for the perceived legitimacy of legal authorities by focusing on (1) supranational legal authorities and (2) a broad range of values. We examine how (alignment between) people’s personal values and their perception of the values of the European Union (EU) are related to perceived legitimacy of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) and the EU more broadly. Inspired by moral foundations theory, we distinguish between individualizing (i.e., “democracy”, “liberty”, and “fairness”) and binding values (i.e., “rule of law”, “respect for national authority”, and “respect for tradition”). An online survey was conducted in six EU member states (N = 1,136). A factor analysis confirmed a two-factor model (individualizing vs. binding values) for both personal values and perceived EU values. Four regression models were run for each of the value factors, including personal values, perceived EU values, and their interaction, on each of the outcomes (i.e., perceived CJEU and EU legitimacy). Perceived endorsement by the EU of both individualizing and binding values predicted higher legitimacy perceptions of the CJEU and EU. Furthermore, personal binding values had a negative effect on perceived EU legitimacy when participants perceived the EU to weakly support binding values, but a positive effect when the EU was perceived to strongly support binding values. The results suggest that value alignment plays an important role in perceived legitimacy of the CJEU and EU, and that better representing binding values might be a strategy to improve perceived EU legitimacy.Social decision makin

Weddell Sea iceberg drift: Five years of observations

Since 1999, 52 icebergs have been tagged with GPS buoys in the Weddell Seato enable monitoring of their position. The chosen icebergs were of small tomedium size, with a few icebergs larger than 10 km associatedwith the calving of icebergs A38 and A43 from the Ronne Ice Shelf.The majority of icebergs were tagged off Neumayer Station (8E, 70S).It was found that smaller bergs with edges shorter than 200 m had the shortestlife cycle (< 0.5 yr). Iceberg and thus freshwater export out of theWeddell Sea was found to be highly variable. In one year the majority of buoysdeployed remained in the Weddell Sea, constituting about 40 % of the NCEP P-Efreshwater input, whereas in other years all of the tagged icebergs were exported.The observed drifts of icebergs and sea-ice showed a remarkably coherent motion.The analysis of an iceberg - sea-ice buoy array in the western Weddell Seaand an iceberg array in the eastern Weddell Sea showed a coherent sea-iceiceberg drift in sea-ice concentrations above 86 %. Dynamic kinematic parameter(DKP) during the course of coherent movement were low and deviations from the meancourse associated with the passage of low-pressure system. The length scale ofcoherent movement was estimated to be less than 250km; about half the value found forthe Arctic Ocean

ARBOLADO URBANO EN LA PATAGONIA ANDINA: : BUSCANDO EL EQUILIBRIO

Los árboles son seres potencialmente longevos y voluminosos. A los beneficios que producen los árboles en los centros urbanos, como la mejora en la calidad del aire y la moderación de las temperaturas, se oponen los perjuicios que provocan sus caídas totales o parciales, el daño a tendidos eléctricos y cañerías y la obstrucción de la visibilidad. La solución a este conflicto pasa por un compromiso que tome en cuenta los fundamentos a favor y en contra del arbolado urbano y mejore la armonía ambiental de los centros urbanos

Electronic confinement of surface states in a topological insulator nanowire

We analyze the confinement of electronic surface states in a model of a topological insulator nanowire. Spin-momentum locking in the surface states reduces unwanted backscattering in the presence of non-magnetic disorder and is known to counteract localization for certain values of magnetic flux threading the wire. We show that intentional backscattering can be induced for a range of conditions in the presence of a nanowire constriction. We propose a geometry for a nanowire that involves two constrictions and show that these regions form effective barriers that allow for the formation of a quantum dot. We analyze the zero-temperature non-interacting electronic transport through the device using the Landauer-B\"{u}ttiker approach and show how externally applied magnetic flux parallel to the nanowire and electrostatic gates can be used to control the spectrum of the quantum dot and the electronic transport through the surface states of the model device

The integration of subgroups at the supranational level: the relation between social identity, national threat, and perceived legitimacy of the EU

Previous research suggests that social identity influences public attitudes about the European Union, but little is known about the role of social identity for perceived legitimacy of the EU. This article explores the relation between different forms of identification (national, EU, dual) and EU legitimacy perceptions, and the moderation of this relationship by experienced threat to national power and sociocultural identity. A survey was conducted in six countries (N = 1136). A factor analysis of legitimacy items resulted in two subscales (institutional trust and duty to obey). Separate regression analyses were therefore run on these subscales. All forms of identification were positively related to perceived EU legitimacy, while threat was a strong and universal negative predictor. However, the results suggest that national identification only positively predicted legitimacy when participants experienced no threat to their nation by the EU, while dual identification positively predicted legitimacy even when participants experienced threat. Overall, respect for national identities and their values may offer opportunities to safeguard and improve the perceived legitimacy of the EU. Findings are discussed in terms of the literature on the ingroup projection model and the common ingroup model.The progression of EU law: Accommodating change and upholding valuesSocial decision makin

Collective States of Interacting Anyons, Edge States, and the Nucleation of Topological Liquids

Quantum mechanical systems, whose degrees of freedom are so-called su(2)_k anyons, form a bridge between ordinary SU(2) spin systems and systems of interacting non-Abelian anyons. Such a connection can be made for arbitrary spin-S systems, and we explicitly discuss spin-1/2 and spin-1 systems. Anyonic spin-1/2 chains exhibit a topological protection mechanism that stabilizes their gapless ground states and which vanishes only in the limit (k to infinity) of the ordinary spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain. For anyonic spin-1 chains we find their phase diagrams to closely mirror the one of the biquadratic SU(2) spin-1 chain. Our results describe at the same time nucleation of different 2D topological quantum fluids within a `parent' non-Abelian quantum Hall state, arising from a macroscopic occupation of localized, interacting anyons. The edge states between the `nucleated' and the `parent' liquids are neutral, and correspond precisely to the gapless modes of the anyonic chains.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Observing Majorana bound states of Josephson vortices in topological superconductors

In recent years there has been an intensive search for Majorana fermion states in condensed matter systems. Predicted to be localized on cores of vortices in certain non-conventional superconductors, their presence is known to render the exchange statistics of bulk vortices non-Abelian. Here we study the equations governing the dynamics of phase solitons (fluxons) in a long Josephson junction in a topological superconductor. We show that the fluxon will bind a localized zero energy Majorana mode and will consequently behave as a non-Abelian anyon. The low mass of the fluxon, as well as its experimentally observed quantum mechanical wave-like nature, will make it a suitable candidate for vortex interferometry experiments demonstrating non-Abelian statistics. We suggest two experiments that may reveal the presence of the zero mode carried by the fluxon. Specific experimental realizations will be discussed as well.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, published version (title modified