511 research outputs found
Large scale chromosome folding Is stable against local changes in chromatin structure
Characterizing the link between small-scale chromatin structure and large-scale chromosome folding during interphase is a prerequisite for understanding transcription. Yet, this link remains poorly investigated. Here, we introduce a simple biophysical model where interphase chromosomes are described in terms of the folding of chromatin sequences composed of alternating blocks of fibers with different thicknesses and flexibilities, and we use it to study the influence of sequence disorder on chromosome behaviors in space and time. By employing extensive computer simulations, we thus demonstrate that chromosomes undergo noticeable conformational changes only on length-scales smaller than 10(5) basepairs and time-scales shorter than a few seconds, and we suggest there might exist effective upper bounds to the detection of chromosome reorganization in eukaryotes. We prove the relevance of our framework by modeling recent experimental FISH data on murine chromosomes. © 2016 Florescu et al
Single photons on demand from 3D photonic band-gap structures
We describe a practical implementation of a (semi-deterministic) photon gun
based on stimulated Raman adiabatic passage pumping and the strong enhancement
of the photonic density of states in a photonic band-gap material. We show that
this device allows {\em deterministic} and {\em unidirectional} production of
single photons with a high repetition rate of the order of 100kHz. We also
discuss specific 3D photonic microstructure architectures in which our model
can be realized and the feasibility of implementing such a device using
ions that produce single photons at the telecommunication
wavelength of m.Comment: 4 pages, 4 EPS figure
Description of non-specific DNA-protein interaction and facilitated diffusion with a dynamical model
We propose a dynamical model for non-specific DNA-protein interaction, which
is based on the 'bead-spring' model previously developed by other groups, and
investigate its properties using Brownian Dynamics simulations. We show that
the model successfully reproduces some of the observed properties of real
systems and predictions of kinetic models. For example, sampling of the DNA
sequence by the protein proceeds via a succession of 3d motion in the solvent,
1d sliding along the sequence, short hops between neighboring sites, and
intersegmental transfers. Moreover, facilitated diffusion takes place in a
certain range of values of the protein effective charge, that is, the
combination of 1d sliding and 3d motion leads to faster DNA sampling than pure
3d motion. At last, the number of base pairs visited during a sliding event is
comparable to the values deduced from single-molecule experiments. We also
point out and discuss some discrepancies between the predictions of this model
and some recent experimental results as well as some hypotheses and predictions
of kinetic models
Inversion formulas for the broken-ray Radon transform
We consider the inverse problem of the broken ray transform (sometimes also
referred to as the V-line transform). Explicit image reconstruction formulas
are derived and tested numerically. The obtained formulas are generalizations
of the filtered backprojection formula of the conventional Radon transform. The
advantages of the broken ray transform include the possibility to reconstruct
the absorption and the scattering coefficients of the medium simultaneously and
the possibility to utilize scattered radiation which, in the case of the
conventional X-ray tomography, is typically discarded.Comment: To be submitted to Inverse Problem
Self-optimization of optical confinement in ultraviolet photonic crystal slab laser
We studied numerically and experimentally the effects of structural disorder
on the performance of ultraviolet photonic crystal slab lasers. Optical gain
selectively amplifies the high-quality modes of the passive system. For these
modes, the in-plane and out-of-plane leakage rates may be automatically
balanced in the presence of disorder. The spontaneous optimization of in-plane
and out-of-plane confinement of light in a photonic crystal slab may lead to a
reduction of the lasing threshold.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Microscopic derivation of the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses
In this paper we provide a microscopic derivation of the master equation for
the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses. We single out both the
differences with the phenomenological master equation used in the literature
and the approximations under which the phenomenological model correctly
describes the dynamics of the atom-cavity system. Some examples wherein the
phenomenological and the microscopic master equations give rise to different
predictions are discussed in detail.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures New version with minor correction Accepted for
publication on Physical Review
Role of Fragment Higher Static Deformations in the Cold Binary Fission of Cf
We study the binary cold fission of Cf in the frame of a cluster
model where the fragments are born to their respective ground states and
interact via a double-folded potential with deformation effects taken into
account up to multipolarity . The preformation factors were
neglected. In the case when the fragments are assumed to be spherical or with
ground state quadrupole deformation, the -value principle dictates the
occurence of a narrow region around the double magic Sn, like in the
case of cluster radioactivity. When the hexadecupole deformation is turned on,
an entire mass-region of cold fission in the range 138 - 156 for the heavy
fragment arise, in agreement with the experimental observations.
This fact suggests that in the above mentioned mass-region, contrary to the
usual cluster radioactivity where the daughter nucleus is always a
neutron/proton (or both) closed shell or nearly closed shell spherical nucleus,
the clusterization mechanism seems to be strongly influenced by the
hexadecupole deformations rather than the -value.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure
Single photons on demand from tunable 3D photonic band-gap structures
In this article we propose to build a (semi-)deterministic photon gun by modifying the spontaneous decay in a photonic band-gap material. We show that such a device allows for deterministic and unidirectional single-photon emission with a repetition rate of the order of 100 kHz. We describe a specific realization of the 1D band-gap model by means of a 3D photonic-crystal heterostructure and the feasability of implementing such a device using Er3+ ions that produce single photons at the telecommunication wavelength of 1.55,m, important for many applications
Exploiting the quantum Zeno effect to beat photon loss in linear optical quantum information processors
We devise a new technique to enhance transmission of quantum information
through linear optical quantum information processors. The idea is based on
applying the Quantum Zeno effect to the process of photon absorption. By
frequently monitoring the presence of the photon through a QND (quantum
non-demolition) measurement the absorption is suppressed. Quantum information
is encoded in the polarization degrees of freedom and is therefore not affected
by the measurement. Some implementations of the QND measurement are proposed.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
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