Probing vortices in 4He nanodroplets

We present static and dynamical properties of linear vortices in 4He droplets obtained from Density Functional calculations. By comparing the adsorption properties of different atomic impurities embedded in pure droplets and in droplets where a quantized vortex has been created, we suggest that Ca atoms should be the dopant of choice to detect vortices by means of spectroscopic experiments.Comment: Typeset using Revtex4, 4 pages and 2 Postscript file

A sub-Doppler resolution double resonance molecular beam infrared spectrometer operating at chemically relevant energies (~2 eV)

A molecular beam spectrometer capable of achieving sub-Doppler resolution at 2 eV (~18 000 cm^–1) of vibrational excitation is described and its performance demonstrated using the CH stretch chromophore of HCN. Two high finesse resonant power-buildup cavities are used to excite the molecules using a sequential double resonance technique. A v = 0-->2 transition is first saturated using a 1.5 µm color center laser, whereupon a fraction of the molecules is further excited to the v = 6 level using an amplitude modulated Ti:Al2O3 laser. The energy absorbed by the molecules is detected downstream of both excitation points by a cryogenically cooled bolometer using phase sensitive detection. A resolution of approximately 15 MHz (i.e., three parts in 10^8) is demonstrated by recording a rotational line in the v = 6 manifold of HCN. Scan speeds of up to several cm^–1/h were obtained, with signal-to-noise ratios in excess of 100. The high signal-to-noise ratio and a dynamic range of 6×10^4 means that future experiments to study statistical intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution in small molecules and unimolecular isomerizations can be attempted. We would also like to point out that, with improved metrology in laser wavelengths, this instrument can also be used to provide improved secondary frequency standards based upon the rovibrational spectra of molecules

Dissipation in planar resonant planetary systems

Close-in planetary systems detected by the Kepler mission present an excess of periods ratio that are just slightly larger than some low order resonant values. This feature occurs naturally when resonant couples undergo dissipation that damps the eccentricities. However, the resonant angles appear to librate at the end of the migration process, which is often believed to be an evidence that the systems remain in resonance. Here we provide an analytical model for the dissipation in resonant planetary systems valid for low eccentricities. We confirm that dissipation accounts for an excess of pairs that lie just aside from the nominal periods ratios, as observed by the Kepler mission. In addition, by a global analysis of the phase space of the problem, we demonstrate that these final pairs are non-resonant. Indeed, the separatrices that exist in the resonant systems disappear with the dissipation, and remains only a circulation of the orbits around a single elliptical fixed point. Furthermore, the apparent libration of the resonant angles can be explained using the classical secular averaging method. We show that this artifact is only due to the severe damping of the amplitudes of the eigenmodes in the secular motion.Comment: 18 pages, 20 figures, accepted to A&

Energy recovery and efficiency improvement for an activated sludge, agro-food WWTP upgrade

Abstract Wastewater treatment's primary purpose is to protect surface water quality, aquatic life, beneficial and recreational uses of waterways, and primarily comply with local water emission standards. Lately, additional requirements were added for these facilities, concerning minimization of a series of sidestream environmental impacts (i.e., odours, generated waste by-products, etc.), air emissions, including CO2, methane and nitrogen greenhouse gases (GHGs), and mitigation of various other likely impacts resulting from energy and chemical use in treatment processes. This paper describes a case study in Northern Europe, where critical analysis of an industrial wastewater treatment plant's present conditions, during an evaluation of upgrade possibilities to improve regulatory compliance, led to a sustainable intervention proposal. According to the formulated proposal, process improvement, energy recovery, and overall savings and GHG emissions reduction could be simultaneously achieved with a series of relatively simple interventions

A Comparison between Position-Based and Image-Based Dynamic Visual Servoings in the Control of a Translating Parallel Manipulator

Two different visual servoing controls have been developed to govern a translating parallel manipulator with an eye-in-hand configuration, That is, a position-based and an image-based controller. The robot must be able to reach and grasp a target randomly positioned in the workspace; the control must be adaptive to compensate motions of the target in the 3D space. The trajectory planning strategy ensures the continuity of the velocity vector for both PBVS and IBVS controls, whereas a replanning event is needed. A comparison between the two approaches is given in terms of accuracy, fastness, and stability in relation to the robot peculiar characteristics

Resonate and fire dynamics in Complex Oscillation Based Test of analog filters

Recently, proposals have been made for enhancing the Oscillation Based Test (OBT) methodology by using non-plain oscillation regimes, leading to so called Complex Oscillation Based Test (COBT). Here we focus on a recently illustrated strategy for the testing of analog 2nd order filters, showing that the COBT dynamics is quite similar to that expressed by Resonate & Fire (R+F) neuron models. In this interpretation, the testing approach can be related to firing-rate measures. A brief description is given of the mathematical models necessary to achieve a precise characterization of firing times, showing how it can be used for testing purposes. A practical example with simulation data is also provided. © 2011 IEEE

"Spin-Disentangled" Exact Diagonalization of Repulsive Hubbard Systems: Superconducting Pair Propagation

By a novel exact diagonalization technique we show that bound pairs propagate between repulsive Hubbard clusters in a superconducting fashion. The size of the matrices that must be handled depends on the number of fermion configurations {\em per spin}, which is of the order of the square root of the overall size of the Hilbert space. We use CuO$_{4}$ units connected by weak O-O links to model interplanar coupling and c-axis superconductivity in Cuprates. The numerical evidence on Cu$_{2}$O$_{8}$ and Cu$_{3}$O$_{12}$ prompts a new analytic scheme describing the propagation of bound pairs and also the superconducting flux quantization in a 3-d geometry.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure