8,443 research outputs found
Improving CMB non-Gaussianity estimators using tracers of local structure
Local non-Gaussianity causes correlations between large scale perturbation
modes and the small scale power. The large-scale CMB signal has contributions
from the integrated Sachs Wolfe (ISW) effect, which does not correlate with the
small scale power. If this ISW contribution can be removed, the sensitivity to
local non-Gaussianity is improved. Gravitational lensing and galaxy counts can
be used to trace the ISW contribution; in particular we show that the CMB
lensing potential is highly correlated with the ISW signal. We construct a
nearly-optimal estimator for the local non-Gaussianity parameter \fnl and
investigate to what extent we can use this to decrease the variance on
{\fnl}. We show that the variance can be decreased by up to at Planck
sensitivity using galaxy counts. CMB lensing is a good bias-independent ISW
tracer for future more sensitive observations, though the fractional decrease
in variance is small if good polarization data is also available.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Comments welcom
Locality and topology in the molecular Aharonov-Bohm effect
It is shown that the molecular Aharonov-Bohm effect is neither nonlocal nor
topological in the sense of the standard magnetic Aharonov-Bohm effect. It is
further argued that there is a close relationship between the molecular
Aharonov-Bohm effect and the Aharonov-Casher effect for an electrically neutral
spin particle encircling a line of charge.Comment: 3 pages, no figure
Searching for degeneracies of real Hamiltonians using homotopy classification of loops in SO()
Topological tests to detect degeneracies of Hamiltonians have been put
forward in the past. Here, we address the applicability of a recently proposed
test [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 92}, 060406 (2004)] for degeneracies of real
Hamiltonian matrices. This test relies on the existence of nontrivial loops in
the space of eigenbases SO. We develop necessary means to determine the
homotopy class of a given loop in this space. Furthermore, in cases where the
dimension of the relevant Hilbert space is large the application of the
original test may not be immediate. To remedy this deficiency, we put forward a
condition for when the test is applicable to a subspace of Hilbert space.
Finally, we demonstrate that applying the methodology of [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf
92}, 060406 (2004)] to the complex Hamiltonian case does not provide any new
information.Comment: Minor changes, journal reference adde
Optical Polarization of 52 Radio-Loud QSOs and BL Lac Objects
Polarization measurements are presented for 52 radio-loud QSOs and BL Lac
objects. For 9 highly polarized (p >3%) AGN, these are the first published
polarization measurements. Of these 9, 7 are highly-polarized QSOs (HPQs), one
is a BL Lac object and another is a likely BL Lac object. Polarization
variability is confirmed for some of these new and previously known
highly-polarized AGN. While 6 of the HPQs have flat radio spectra are almost
certainly blazars, PKS 1452-217 is probably a new member of the rare class of
radio-loud QSOs that show high polarization by scattering, and is therefore
important for testing orientation Unified Schemes. In competition for the
highest redshift HPQ are the well-observed QSO PKS 0438-43 at z = 2.85, with
maximum p = 4.7%, and PKS 0046-315 at z = 2.72, for which we find p = 13%.Comment: 6 pages. Astronomical Journal, in pres
Photoemissive Determination of Barrier Shape in Tunnel Junctions
Tunnel junctions have been characterized
in terms of three parameters, the barrier
heights φ_1, and φ_2, and the width S, which generally
are determined by a fit of experimental
current-voltage characteristic curves with theory.
In metal-semiconductor systems barrier
heights have been determined independently
of other parameters from measurement of the
spectral dependence of photoresponse. We
wish to report the first results of the application
of this technique to the measurement of
the barrier heights in Al-Al_2O_3-A1 and Al-A1_20_3—Au tunnel junctions where the Al_2O_3 thickness
is in the range of 20 to 40 Å 
Berry's Phase in the Presence of a Stochastically Evolving Environment: A Geometric Mechanism for Energy-Level Broadening
The generic Berry phase scenario in which a two-level system is coupled to a
second system whose dynamical coordinate is slowly-varying is generalized to
allow for stochastic evolution of the slow system. The stochastic behavior is
produced by coupling the slow system to a heat resevoir which is modeled by a
bath of harmonic oscillators initially in equilibrium at temperature T, and
whose spectral density has a bandwidth which is small compared to the
energy-level spacing of the fast system. The well-known energy-level shifts
produced by Berry's phase in the fast system, in conjunction with the
stochastic motion of the slow system, leads to a broadening of the fast system
energy-levels. In the limit of strong damping and sufficiently low temperature,
we determine the degree of level-broadening analytically, and show that the
slow system dynamics satisfies a Langevin equation in which Lorentz-like and
electric-like forces appear as a consequence of geometrical effects. We also
determine the average energy-level shift produced in the fast system by this
mechanism.Comment: 29 pages, RevTex, submitted to Phys. Rev.
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