267 research outputs found
Analytic Solution of Emden-Fowler Equation and Critical Adsorption in Spherical Geometry
In the framework of mean-field theory the equation for the order-parameter
profile in a spherically-symmetric geometry at the bulk critical point reduces
to an Emden-Fowler problem. We obtain analytic solutions for the surface
universality class of extraordinary transitions in for a spherical shell,
which may serve as a starting point for a pertubative calculation. It is
demonstrated that the solution correctly reproduces the Fisher-de Gennes effect
in the limit of the parallel-plate geometry.Comment: (to be published in Z. Phys. B), 7 pages, 1 figure, uuencoded
postscript file, 8-9
Charging Effects and Quantum Crossover in Granular Superconductors
The effects of the charging energy in the superconducting transition of
granular materials or Josephson junction arrays is investigated using a
pseudospin one model. Within a mean-field renormalization-group approach, we
obtain the phase diagram as a function of temperature and charging energy. In
contrast to early treatments, we find no sign of a reentrant transition in
agreement with more recent studies. A crossover line is identified in the
non-superconducting side of the phase diagram and along which we expect to
observe anomalies in the transport and thermodynamic properties. We also study
a charge ordering phase, which can appear for large nearest neighbor Coulomb
interaction, and show that it leads to first-order transitions at low
temperatures. We argue that, in the presence of charge ordering, a non
monotonic behavior with decreasing temperature is possible with a maximum in
the resistance just before entering the superconducting phase.Comment: 15 pages plus 4 fig. appended, Revtex, INPE/LAS-00
Aging without disorder on long time scales
We study the Metropolis dynamics of a simple spin system without disorder,
which exhibits glassy dynamics at low temperatures. We use an implementation of
the algorithm of Bortz, Kalos and Lebowitz \cite{bortz}. This method turns out
to be very efficient for the study of glassy systems, which get trapped in
local minima on many different time scales. We find strong evidence of aging
effects at low temperatures. We relate these effects to the distribution
function of the trapping times of single configurations.Comment: 8 pages Revtex, 7 figures uuencoded (Revised version: the figures are
now present
From Linear to Nonlinear Response in Spin Glasses: Importance of Mean-Field-Theory Predictions
Deviations from spin-glass linear response in a single crystal Cu:Mn 1.5 at %
are studied for a wide range of changes in magnetic field, . Three
quantities, the difference , the effective waiting time,
, and the difference are examined in our
analysis. Three regimes of spin-glass behavior are observed as
increases. Lines in the plane, corresponding to ``weak'' and
``strong'' violations of linear response under a change in magnetic field, are
shown to have the same functional form as the de Almeida-Thouless critical
line. Our results demonstrate the existence of a fundamental link between
static and dynamic properties of spin glasses, predicted by the mean-field
theory of aging phenomena.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure
Dimensional and Temperature Crossover in Trapped Bose Gases
We investigate the long-range phase coherence of homogeneous and trapped Bose
gases as a function of the geometry of the trap, the temperature, and the
mean-field interactions in the weakly interacting limit. We explicitly take
into account the (quasi)condensate depletion due to quantum and thermal
fluctuations, i.e., we include the effects of both phase and density
fluctuations. In particular, we determine the phase diagram of the gas by
calculating the off-diagonal one-particle density matrix and discuss the
various crossovers that occur in this phase diagram and the feasibility of
their experimental observation in trapped Bose gases.Comment: One figure added, typos corrected, refernces adde
Relationships of psychosocial factors to dietary intakes of preadolescent girls from diverse backgrounds
Family and personal factors that might be related to the development of food selection and eating patterns have not been well studied in children. The aim of this study was to examine whether such psychosocial factors differ in girls from four culturally diverse Girl Scout troops and how these factors are associated with dietary intakes. The social measures and dietary assessments were all obtained at baseline on subjects who were participating in a small nutrition education programme. The programme enrolled girls and one parent for each girl from four Girl Scout troops in Detroit, Michigan. The social factors assessed included girls’ emotionality and use of food to regulate emotions, their general attitudes about health, eating and body image, and self-perceptions of their competence. Dietary intakes also were assessed in both the girls and their parents. There were large differences between troops in ethnicity and parent education level, and there were differences in dietary intakes as well. The psychosocial factors assessed in this study, however, did not differ significantly by troop. When the psychosocial factors were examined for their relationships to dietary factors, there was an indication that families which reported higher self-competence and academic competence in their daughters also had healthier eating patterns in their daughters. This was a small study, but the data suggest that simple comparisons between ethnic groups may not adequately capture the complexity of family and psychosocial factors contributing to good dietary practices.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73597/1/j.1740-8709.2006.00051.x.pd
Portion Size: What We Know and What We Need to Know
There is increasing evidence that the portion sizes of many foods have increased and in a laboratory at least this increases the amount eaten. The conclusions are, however, limited by the complexity of the phenomenon. There is a need to consider meals freely chosen over a prolonged period when a range of foods of different energy densities are available. A range of factors will influence the size of the portion size chosen: amongst others packaging, labeling, advertising, and the unit size rather than portion size of the food item. The way portion size interacts with the multitude of factors that determine food intake needs to be established. In particular, the role of portion size on energy intake should be examined as many confounding variables exist and we must be clear that it is portion size that is the major problem. If the approach is to make a practical contribution, then methods of changing portion sizes will need to be developed. This may prove to be a problem in a free market, as it is to be expected that customers will resist the introduction of smaller portion sizes, given that value for money is an important motivator
Eliciting a predatory response in the eastern corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) using live and inanimate sensory stimuli: implications for managing invasive populations
North America's Eastern corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) has been introduced to several islands throughout the Caribbean and Australasia where it poses a significant threat to native wildlife. Invasive snake control programs often involve trapping with live bait, a practice that, as well as being costly and labour intensive, raises welfare and ethical concerns. This study assessed corn snake response to live and inanimate sensory stimuli in an attempt to inform possible future trapping of the species and the development of alternative trap lures. We exposed nine individuals to sensory cues in the form of odour, visual, vibration and combined stimuli and measured the response (rate of tongue-flick [RTF]). RTF was significantly higher in odour and combined cues treatments, and there was no significant difference in RTF between live and inanimate cues during odour treatments. Our findings suggest chemical cues are of primary importance in initiating predation and that an inanimate odour stimulus, absent of simultaneous visual and vibratory cues, is a potential low-cost alternative trap lure for the control of invasive corn snake populations
Chaotic, memory and cooling rate effects in spin glasses: Is the Edwards-Anderson model a good spin glass?
We investigate chaotic, memory and cooling rate effects in the three
dimensional Edwards-Anderson model by doing thermoremanent (TRM) and AC
susceptibility numerical experiments and making a detailed comparison with
laboratory experiments on spin glasses. In contrast to the experiments, the
Edwards-Anderson model does not show any trace of re-initialization processes
in temperature change experiments (TRM or AC). A detailed comparison with AC
relaxation experiments in the presence of DC magnetic field or coupling
distribution perturbations reveals that the absence of chaotic effects in the
Edwards-Anderson model is a consequence of the presence of strong cooling rate
effects. We discuss possible solutions to this discrepancy, in particular the
smallness of the time scales reached in numerical experiments, but we also
question the validity of the Edwards-Anderson model to reproduce the
experimental results.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. The original version of the paper has been
split in two parts. The second part is now available as cond-mat/010224
A statistical correlation of sunquakes based on their seismic and white-light emission
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the transient seismic emission, i.e. “sunquakes,” from some solar flares. Some theories associate high-energy electrons and/or white-light emission with sunquakes. High-energy charged particles and their subsequent heating of the photosphere and/or chromosphere could induce acoustic waves in the solar interior. We carried out a correlative study of solar flares with emission in hard X-rays, enhanced continuum emission at 6173 Å, and transient seismic emission. We selected those flares observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) with a considerable flux above 50 keV between 1 January 2010 and 26 June 2014. We then used data from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory to search for excess visible-continuum emission and new sunquakes not previously reported. We found a total of 18 sunquakes out of 75 flares investigated. All of the sunquakes were associated with an enhancement of the visible continuum during the flare. Finally, we calculated a coefficient of correlation for a set of dichotomic variables related to these observations. We found a strong correlation between two of the standard helioseismic detection techniques, and between sunquakes and visible-continuum enhancements. We discuss the phenomenological connectivity between these physical quantities and the observational difficulties of detecting seismic signals and excess continuum radiation
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