Distribution and density of the partition function zeros for the diamond-decorated Ising model

Exact renormalization map of temperature between two successive decorated lattices is given, and the distribution of the partition function zeros in the complex temperature plane is obtained for any decoration-level. The rule governing the variation of the distribution pattern as the decoration-level changes is given. The densities of the zeros for the first two decoration-levels are calculated explicitly, and the qualitative features about the densities of higher decoration-levels are given by conjecture. The Julia set associated with the renormalization map is contained in the distribution of the zeros in the limit of infinite decoration level, and the formation of the Julia set in the course of increasing the decoration-level is given in terms of the variations of the zero density.Comment: 8 pages,8figure

Lyapunov Potential Description for Laser Dynamics

We describe the dynamical behavior of both class A and class B lasers in terms of a Lyapunov potential. For class A lasers we use the potential to analyze both deterministic and stochastic dynamics. In the stochastic case it is found that the phase of the electric field drifts with time in the steady state. For class B lasers, the potential obtained is valid in the absence of noise. In this case, a general expression relating the period of the relaxation oscillations to the potential is found. We have included in this expression the terms corresponding to the gain saturation and the mean value of the spontaneously emitted power, which were not considered previously. The validity of this expression is also discussed and a semi-empirical relation giving the period of the relaxation oscillations far from the stationary state is proposed and checked against numerical simulations.Comment: 13 pages (including 7 figures) LaTeX file. To appear in Phys Rev.A (June 1999

Interleukin-13 Genetic Variants, Household Carpet Use and Childhood Asthma

10.1371/journal.pone.0051970PLoS ONE81

Leukotriene antagonists as first-line or add-on asthma controller therapy

Most randomized trials of treatment for asthma study highly selected patients under idealized conditions. METHODS: We conducted two parallel, multicenter, pragmatic trials to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of a leukotriene-receptor antagonist (LTRA) as compared with either an inhaled glucocorticoid for first-line asthma-controller therapy or a long-acting beta(2)-agonist (LABA) as add-on therapy in patients already receiving inhaled glucocorticoid therapy. Eligible primary care patients 12 to 80 years of age had impaired asthma-related quality of life (Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire [MiniAQLQ] score =6) or inadequate asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire [ACQ] score =1). We randomly assigned patients to 2 years of open-label therapy, under the care of their usual physician, with LTRA (148 patients) or an inhaled glucocorticoid (158 patients) in the first-line controller therapy trial and LTRA (170 patients) or LABA (182 patients) added to an inhaled glucocorticoid in the add-on therapy trial. RESULTS: Mean MiniAQLQ scores increased by 0.8 to 1.0 point over a period of 2 years in both trials. At 2 months, differences in the MiniAQLQ scores between the two treatment groups met our definition of equivalence (95% confidence interval [CI] for an adjusted mean difference, -0.3 to 0.3). At 2 years, mean MiniAQLQ scores approached equivalence, with an adjusted mean difference between treatment groups of -0.11 (95% CI, -0.35 to 0.13) in the first-line controller therapy trial and of -0.11 (95% CI, -0.32 to 0.11) in the add-on therapy trial. Exacerbation rates and ACQ scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Study results at 2 months suggest that LTRA was equivalent to an inhaled glucocorticoid as first-line controller therapy and to LABA as add-on therapy for diverse primary care patients. Equivalence was not proved at 2 years. The interpretation of results of pragmatic research may be limited by the crossover between treatment groups and lack of a placebo group

Solidification behavior of intensively sheared hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy liquid

The official published version of this article can be found at the link below.The effect of the processing temperature on the microstructural and mechanical properties of Al-Si (hypoeutectic) alloy solidified from intensively sheared liquid metal has been investigated systematically. Intensive shearing gives a significant refinement in grain size and intermetallic particle size. It also is observed that the morphology of intermetallics, defect bands, and microscopic defects in high-pressure die cast components are affected by intensive shearing the liquid metal. We attempt to discuss the possible mechanism for these effects.Funded by the EPSRC

Entanglement capability of self-inverse Hamiltonian evolution

We determine the entanglement capability of self-inverse Hamiltonian evolution, which reduces to the known result for Ising Hamiltonian, and identify optimal input states for yielding the maximal entanglement rate. We introduce the concept of the operator entanglement rate, and find that the maximal operator entanglement rate gives a lower bound on the entanglement capability of a general Hamiltonian.Comment: 4 pages, no figures. Version 3: small change

Kontsevich product and gauge invariance

We analyze the question of $U_{\star} (1)$ gauge invariance in a flat non-commutative space where the parameter of non-commutativity, $\theta^{\mu\nu} (x)$, is a local function satisfying Jacobi identity (and thereby leading to an associative Kontsevich product). We show that in this case, both gauge transformations as well as the definitions of covariant derivatives have to modify so as to have a gauge invariant action. We work out the gauge invariant actions for the matter fields in the fundamental and the adjoint representations up to order $\theta^{2}$ while we discuss the gauge invariant Maxwell theory up to order $\theta$. We show that despite the modifications in the gauge transformations, the covariant derivative and the field strength, Seiberg-Witten map continues to hold for this theory. In this theory, translations do not form a subgroup of the gauge transformations (unlike in the case when $\theta^{\mu\nu}$ is a constant) which is reflected in the stress tensor not being conserved.Comment: 7 page

Classical dynamics of a two-species Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of nonlinear maser processes

The stability analysis of a generalized Dicke model, in the semi-classical limit, describing the interaction of a two-species Bose-Einstein condensate driven by a quantized field in the presence of Kerr and spontaneous parametric processes is presented. The transitions from Rabi to Josephson dynamics are identified depending on the relative value of the involved parameters. Symmetry-breaking dynamics are shown for both types of coherent oscillations due to the quantized field and nonlinear optical processes.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication as chapter in "Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking, Self-Trapping, and Josephson Oscillations in Nonlinear Systems

Direct Optical Coupling to an Unoccupied Dirac Surface State in the Topological Insulator Bi2_2Se3_3

We characterize the occupied and unoccupied electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ by one-photon and two-photon angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and slab band structure calculations. We reveal a second, unoccupied Dirac surface state with similar electronic structure and physical origin to the well-known topological surface state. This state is energetically located 1.5 eV above the conduction band, which permits it to be directly excited by the output of a Ti:Sapphire laser. This discovery demonstrates the feasibility of direct ultrafast optical coupling to a topologically protected, spin-textured surface state.Comment: Accepted to Physical Review Letter

Evolution of active and polar photospheric magnetic fields during the rise of Cycle 24 compared to previous cycles

The evolution of the photospheric magnetic field during the declining phase and minimum of Cycle 23 and the recent rise of Cycle 24 are compared with the behavior during previous cycles. We used longitudinal full-disk magnetograms from the NSO's three magnetographs at Kitt Peak, the Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) Vector Spectro-Magnetograph (VSM), the Spectromagnetograph and the 512-Channel Magnetograph instruments, and longitudinal full-disk magnetograms from the Mt. Wilson 150-foot tower. We analyzed 37 years of observations from these two observatories that have been observing daily, weather permitting, since 1974, offering an opportunity to study the evolving relationship between the active region and polar fields in some detail over several solar cycles. It is found that the annual averages of a proxy for the active region poloidal magnetic field strength, the magnetic field strength of the high-latitude poleward streams, and the time derivative of the polar field strength are all well correlated in each hemisphere. These results are based on statistically significant cyclical patterns in the active region fields and are consistent with the Babcock-Leighton phenomenological model for the solar activity cycle. There was more hemispheric asymmetry in the activity level, as measured by total and maximum active region flux, during late Cycle 23 (after around 2004), when the southern hemisphere was more active, and Cycle 24 up to the present, when the northern hemisphere has been more active, than at any other time since 1974. The active region net proxy poloidal fields effectively disappeared in both hemispheres around 2004, and the polar fields did not become significantly stronger after this time. We see evidence that the process of Cycle 24 field reversal has begun at both poles.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physic