399 research outputs found
q-deformed dynamics and Josephson junction
We define a generalized rate equation for an observable in quantum mechanics,
that involves a parameter q and whose limit gives the standard
Heisenberg equation. The generalized rate equation is used to study dynamics of
current biased Josephson junction. It is observed that this toy model
incorporates diffraction like effects in the critical current. Physical
interpretation for q is provided which is also shown to be q-deformation
parameter.Comment: LaTeX 9 pages, submitted Mod. Phys. Lett. B, e-mail: [email protected]
Corner contribution to the entanglement entropy of strongly-interacting O(2) quantum critical systems in 2+1 dimensions
In a D=2+1 quantum critical system, the entanglement entropy across a
boundary with a corner contains a subleading logarithmic scaling term with a
universal coefficient. It has been conjectured that this coefficient is, to
leading order, proportional to the number of field components N in the
associated O(N) continuum field theory. Using density matrix
renormalization group calculations combined with the powerful numerical linked
cluster expansion technique, we confirm this scenario for the O(2)
Wilson-Fisher fixed point in a striking way, through direct calculation at the
quantum critical points of two very different microscopic models. The value of
this corner coefficient is, to within our numerical precision, twice the
coefficient of the Ising fixed point. Our results add to the growing body of
evidence that this universal term in the R\'enyi entanglement entropy reflects
the number of low-energy degrees of freedom in a system, even for strongly
interacting theories.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Ignorance based inference of optimality in thermodynamic processes
We derive ignorance based prior distribution to quantify incomplete
information and show its use to estimate the optimal work characteristics of a
heat engine.Comment: Latex, 10 pages, 3 figure
The normal ischiofemoral distance and its variations.
The aim of this study is to measure the ischiofemoral distance (IFD) in the normal hip with healthy surrounding soft tissues and describe its variations caused by gender, age and proximal femoral anatomy so that this could serve as a reference for future studies on this subject. This is a retrospective study in which we reviewed the CT scans of 149 patients (298 hips) who had a CT of their pelvis for non-orthopaedic (abdomino-pelvic) pathology. The images were reviewed by two independent observers and the IFD (the smallest distance between the lateral cortex of the ischial tuberosity and the posteromedial cortex of the lesser trochanter), offset (the perpendicular distance from the centre of the femoral head to a line running down the middle of the shaft of the femur) and the neck-shaft angle (the angle between the lines in the middle of the neck to the line forming the axis of the femoral shaft) were measured. The CT scans belonged to 71 males and 78 females (M: 48%, F: 52%), with an average age of 51  ± 19 years (range 18-92). The mean IFD was 18.6  ±  8 mm in the females and 23  ± 7 mm in the males and this difference was statistically significant (P <  0.001). The IFD increased by 1.06 mm for each 1 mm of offset and dropped by 0.09 mm with each year of age. However, the neck-shaft angle did not show any significant correlation with the IFD.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jhps/hnw00
Work extremum principle: Structure and function of quantum heat engines
We consider a class of quantum heat engines consisting of two subsystems
interacting via a unitary transformation and coupled to two separate baths at
different temperatures . The purpose of the engine is to extract
work due to the temperature difference. Its dynamics is not restricted to the
near equilibrium regime. The engine structure is determined by maximizing the
extracted work under various constraints. When this maximization is carried out
at finite power, the engine dynamics is described by well-defined temperatures
and satisfies the local version of the second law. In addition, its efficiency
is bounded from below by the Curzon-Ahlborn value and from
above by the Carnot value . The latter is reached|at finite
power|for a macroscopic engine, while the former is achieved in the equilibrium
limit . When the work is maximized at a zero power, even a small
(few-level) engine extracts work right at the Carnot efficiency.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
Flipping the thinking on equality, diversity, and inclusion. why EDI is essential for the development and progression of the chemical sciences: A case study approach
All learners have a contribution to make to the development of the Chemical Sciences, be that in novel ways to teach, and their perspectives and contexts, but also in research, both in chemical education and the wider Chemical Sciences. Through four case studies, this paper explores interactions with diverse groups and how this has altered perspectives on both teaching and research. The case studies include work with visually impaired adults, a project bringing together First Peoples in Australia with academics to explore old ways (traditional science) and new ways (modern approaches), primary (elementary) school perspectives on teaching science, and a project in South Africa to connect university and township communities. Not only do these case studies demonstrate the immense value these diverse groups bring to our understanding about how to learn, but they also bring new perspectives on how to view and solve chemical problems
Extended gaussian ensemble solution and tricritical points of a system with long-range interactions
The gaussian ensemble and its extended version theoretically play the
important role of interpolating ensembles between the microcanonical and the
canonical ensembles. Here, the thermodynamic properties yielded by the extended
gaussian ensemble (EGE) for the Blume-Capel (BC) model with infinite-range
interactions are analyzed. This model presents different predictions for the
first-order phase transition line according to the microcanonical and canonical
ensembles. From the EGE approach, we explicitly work out the analytical
microcanonical solution. Moreover, the general EGE solution allows one to
illustrate in details how the stable microcanonical states are continuously
recovered as the gaussian parameter is increased. We found out that it
is not necessary to take the theoretically expected limit
to recover the microcanonical states in the region between the canonical and
microcanonical tricritical points of the phase diagram. By analyzing the
entropy as a function of the magnetization we realize the existence of
unaccessible magnetic states as the energy is lowered, leading to a treaking of
ergodicity.Comment: 8 pages, 5 eps figures. Title modified, sections rewritten,
tricritical point calculations added. To appear in EPJ
Keeping the faith: reflections on religious nurture among young British Sikhs
Although young Sikhs are regularly accused of not attending gurdwara and not being interested in Sikhism, many young Sikhs are now learning about Sikhism outside traditional religious institutions. Using data gathered as part of a research project studying the transmission of Sikhism among 18- to 30-year-old British Sikhs, this essay explores how young Sikhs are learning about Sikhism in their pre-adult life stage. Examining the influences of the family and the school environment and the various methods used in gurdwaras, this essay offers a retrospective look on the ways in which young Sikhs are nurtured and socialised into Sikhism, providing an understanding from the perspective of young Sikhs themselves about which methods actually work and why
Insight into the photodynamics of photostabilizer molecules
Solar exposure of avobenzone, one of the most widely used commercial UVA filters on the market, is known to cause significant degradation. This finding has fueled research into developing photostabilizer molecules. In an effort to provide insight into their stand-alone photoprotection properties, the excited state dynamics of the photostabilizer, 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene) pentane-2,4-dione (TMBP), and its phenolic derivative, 3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzylidene) pentane-2,4-dione (DMBP), were studied with ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. Solutions of TMPB and DMBP in ethanol and in an industry-standard emollient, as well as TMBP and DMBP deposited on synthetic skin mimic, were investigated. These experiments were allied with computational methods to aid interpretation of the experimental data. Upon photoexcitation, these photostabilizers repopulate the electronic ground state via nonradiative decay within a few picoseconds involving a twisted intramolecular charge transfer configuration in the excited state, followed by internal conversion and subsequent vibrational cooling in the ground state. This finding implies that, aside from acting as a photostabilizer to certain UV filters, TMBP and DMBP may offer additional photoprotection in a sunscreen formulation as a stand-alone UV filter. Finally, TMBP and DMBP could also find applications as molecular photon-to-heat converters
- …