4,742 research outputs found
Non-existence of Skyrmion-Skyrmion and Skyrmion-anti-Skyrmion static equilibria
We consider classical static Skyrmion-anti-Skyrmion and Skyrmion-Skyrmion
configurations, symmetric with respect to a reflection plane, or symmetric up
to a -parity transformation respectively. We show that the stress tensor
component completely normal to the reflection plane, and hence its integral
over the plane, is negative definite or positive definite respectively.
Classical Skyrmions always repel classical Skyrmions and classical Skyrmions
always attract classical anti-Skyrmions and thus no static equilibrium, whether
stable or unstable, is possible in either case. No other symmetry assumption is
made and so our results also apply to multi-Skyrmion configurations. Our
results are consistent with existing analyses of Skyrmion forces at large
separation, and with numerical results on Skymion-anti-Skyrmion configurations
in the literature which admit a different reflection symmetry. They also hold
for the massive Skyrme model. We also point out that reflection symmetric
self-gravitating Skyrmions or black holes with Skyrmion hair cannot rest in
symmetric equilibrium with self-gravitating anti-Skyrmions.Comment: v2 Typos corrected, refs added. v3 Journal versio
The quantum metrology triangle and the re-definition of the SI ampere and kilogram; Analysis of a reduced set of observational equations
We have developed a set of seven observational equations that include all of
the physics necessary to relate the most important of the fundamental constants
to the definitions of the SI kilogram and ampere. We have used these to
determine the influence of alternative definitions being considered for the SI
kilogram and ampere on the uncertainty of three of the fundamental constants
(h, e and mu). We have also reviewed the experimental evidence for the
exactness of the quantum metrology triangle resulting from experiments
combining the quantum Hall effect, the Josephson effects and single-electron
tunnelling.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures & 5 table
Revealing the Superfluid Lambda Transition in the Universal Thermodynamics of a Unitary Fermi Gas
We have observed the superfluid phase transition in a strongly interacting
Fermi gas via high-precision measurements of the local compressibility, density
and pressure down to near-zero entropy. Our data completely determine the
universal thermodynamics of strongly interacting fermions without any fit or
external thermometer. The onset of superfluidity is observed in the
compressibility, the chemical potential, the entropy, and the heat capacity. In
particular, the heat capacity displays a characteristic lambda-like feature at
the critical temperature of . This is the first clear
thermodynamic signature of the superfluid transition in a spin-balanced atomic
Fermi gas. Our measurements provide a benchmark for many-body theories on
strongly interacting fermions, relevant for problems ranging from
high-temperature superconductivity to the equation of state of neutron stars.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure
Solar cycle variability of Mars dayside exospheric temperatures: Model evaluation of underlying thermal balances
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95086/1/grl25450.pd
Moyal star product approach to the Bohr-Sommerfeld approximation
The Bohr-Sommerfeld approximation to the eigenvalues of a one-dimensional
quantum Hamiltonian is derived through order (i.e., including the
first correction term beyond the usual result) by means of the Moyal star
product. The Hamiltonian need only have a Weyl transform (or symbol) that is a
power series in , starting with , with a generic fixed point in
phase space. The Hamiltonian is not restricted to the kinetic-plus-potential
form. The method involves transforming the Hamiltonian to a normal form, in
which it becomes a function of the harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian.
Diagrammatic and other techniques with potential applications to other normal
form problems are presented for manipulating higher order terms in the Moyal
series.Comment: 27 pages, no figure
Classical stability of U(1)_A domain walls in dense matter QCD
It was recently shown that there exists metastable U(1)_A domain wall
configurations in high-density QCD (\mu >> 1 GeV). In the following we will
assess the stability of such non-trivial field configurations at intermediate
densities (\mu < 1 GeV). The existence of such configurations at intermediate
densities could have interesting consequences for the physics of neutron stars
with high core density.Comment: 13 pages, 2 Postscript figures, typos correcte
Comments on the continuing widespread and unnecessary use of a defective emission equation in field emission related literature
Field electron emission (FE) has relevance in many different technological
contexts. However, many related technological papers use a physically defective
elementary FE equation for local emission current density (LECD). This equation
takes the tunneling barrier as exactly triangular, as in the original FE theory
of 90 years ago. More than 60 years ago, it was shown that the so-called
Schottky-Nordheim (SN) barrier, which includes an image-potential-energy term
(that models exchange-and-correlation effects) is better physics. For a
metal-like emitter with work-function 4.5 eV, the SN-barrier-related
Murphy-Good FE equation predicts LECD values that are higher than the
elementary equation values by a large factor, often between around 250 and
around 500. By failing to mention/apply this 60-year-old established science,
or to inform readers of the large errors associated with the elementary
equation, many papers (aided by defective reviewing) spread a new kind of
"pathological science", and create a modern research-integrity problem. The
present paper aims to enhance author and reviewer awareness by summarizing
relevant aspects of FE theory, by explicitly identifying the misjudgment in the
original 1928 Fowler-Nordheim paper, by explicitly calculating the size of the
resulting error, and by showing in detail why most FE theoreticians regard the
1950s modifications as better physics. Suggestions are made, about nomenclature
and about citation practice, that may help to diminish misunderstandings.Comment: Submitted for publication; in v2 a correction to historical
information (with no numerical consequences) has been made in Appendix
FUSE Measurements of Far Ultraviolet Extinction. I. Galactic Sight Lines
We present extinction curves that include data down to far ultraviolet
wavelengths (FUV; 1050 - 1200 A) for nine Galactic sight lines. The FUV
extinction was measured using data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic
Explorer. The sight lines were chosen for their unusual extinction properties
in the infrared through the ultraviolet; that they probe a wide range of dust
environments is evidenced by the large spread in their measured ratios of
total-to-selective extinction, R_V = 2.43 - 3.81. We find that extrapolation of
the Fitzpatrick & Massa relationship from the ultraviolet appears to be a good
predictor of the FUV extinction behavior. We find that predictions of the FUV
extinction based upon the Cardelli, Clayton & Mathis (CCM) dependence on R_V
give mixed results. For the seven extinction curves well represented by CCM in
the infrared through ultraviolet, the FUV extinction is well predicted in three
sight lines, over-predicted in two sight lines, and under-predicted in 2 sight
lines. A Maximum Entropy Method analysis using a simple three component grain
model shows that seven of the nine sight lines in the study require a larger
fraction of grain materials to be in dust when FUV extinction is included in
the models. Most of the added grain material is in the form of small (radii <
200 A) grains.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 31 pages with
7 figure
Tuberculosis in Dr Granville's mummy: a molecular re-examination of the earliest known Egyptian mummy to be scientifically examined and given a medical diagnosis
‘Dr Granville's mummy’ was described to the Royal Society of London in 1825 and was the first ancient Egyptian mummy to be subjected to a scientific autopsy. The remains are those of a woman, Irtyersenu, aged about 50, from the necropolis of Thebes and dated to about 600 BC. Augustus Bozzi Granville (1783–1872), an eminent physician and obstetrician, described many organs still in situ and attributed the cause of death to a tumour of the ovary. However, subsequent histological investigations indicate that the tumour is a benign cystadenoma. Histology of the lungs demonstrated a potentially fatal pulmonary exudate and earlier studies attempted to associate this with particular disease conditions. Palaeopathology and ancient DNA analyses show that tuberculosis was widespread in ancient Egypt, so a systematic search for tuberculosis was made, using specific DNA and lipid biomarker analyses. Clear evidence for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA was obtained in lung tissue and gall bladder samples, based on nested PCR of the IS6110 locus. Lung and femurs were positive for specific M. tuberculosis complex cell-wall mycolic acids, demonstrated by high-performance liquid chromatography of pyrenebutyric acid–pentafluorobenzyl mycolates. Therefore, tuberculosis is likely to have been the major cause of death of Irtyersenu
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