9,530 research outputs found
Geomagnetic modeling by optimal recursive filtering
The results of a preliminary study to determine the feasibility of using Kalman filter techniques for geomagnetic field modeling are given. Specifically, five separate field models were computed using observatory annual means, satellite, survey and airborne data for the years 1950 to 1976. Each of the individual field models used approximately five years of data. These five models were combined using a recursive information filter (a Kalman filter written in terms of information matrices rather than covariance matrices.) The resulting estimate of the geomagnetic field and its secular variation was propogated four years past the data to the time of the MAGSAT data. The accuracy with which this field model matched the MAGSAT data was evaluated by comparisons with predictions from other pre-MAGSAT field models. The field estimate obtained by recursive estimation was found to be superior to all other models
The photon blockade effect in optomechanical systems
We analyze the photon statistics of a weakly driven optomechanical system and
discuss the effect of photon blockade under single photon strong coupling
conditions. We present an intuitive interpretation of this effect in terms of
displaced oscillator states and derive analytic expressions for the cavity
excitation spectrum and the two photon correlation function . Our
results predict the appearance of non-classical photon correlations in the
combined strong coupling and sideband resolved regime, and provide a first
detailed understanding of photon-photon interactions in strong coupling
optomechanics
Microbiological quality of Portuguese yogurts
The microbiological quality of four brands of natural yogurts and two probiotic yogurts available in the Portuguese
market, was evaluated during the shelf-life period. Although the specific flora decreased during storage it was always
within the range of recommended values. No coliforms and an insignificant number of fungi were detected
Matrix bandwidth and profile reduction
This program, REDUCE, reduces the bandwidth and profile of sparse symmetric matrices, using row and corresponding column permutations. It is a realization of the algorithm described by the authors elsewhere. It was extensively tested and compared with several other programs and was found to be considerably faster than the others, superior for bandwidth reduction and as satisfactory as any other for profile reduction
Origin of line tension for a Lennard-Jones nanodroplet
The existence and origin of line tension has remained controversial in
literature. To address this issue we compute the shape of Lennard-Jones
nanodrops using molecular dynamics and compare them to density functional
theory in the approximation of the sharp kink interface. We show that the
deviation from Young's law is very small and would correspond to a typical line
tension length scale (defined as line tension divided by surface tension)
similar to the molecular size and decreasing with Young's angle. We propose an
alternative interpretation based on the geometry of the interface at the
molecular scale
Double Charge Exchange And Configuration Mixing
The energy dependence of forward pion double charge exchange reactions on
light nuclei is studied for both the Ground State transition and the
Double-Isobaric-Analog-State transitions. A common characteristic of these
double reactions is a resonance-like peak around 50 MeV pion lab energy. This
peak arises naturally in a two-step process in the conventional pion-nucleon
system with proper handling of nuclear structure and pion distortion. A
comparison among the results of different nuclear structure models demonstrates
the effects of configuration mixing. The angular distribution is used to fix
the single particle wave function.Comment: Added 1 figure (now 8) corrected references and various other change
Quantum bistability and spin current shot noise of a single quantum dot coupled to an optical microcavity
Here we explore spin dependent quantum transport through a single quantum dot
coupled to an optical microcavity. The spin current is generated by electron
tunneling between a single doped reservoir and the dot combined with intradot
spin flip transitions induced by a quantized cavity mode. In the limit of
strong Coulomb blockade, this model is analogous to the Jaynes-Cummings model
in quantum optics and generates a pure spin current in the absence of any
charge current. Earlier research has shown that in the classical limit where a
large number of such dots interact with the cavity field, the spin current
exhibits bistability as a function of the laser amplitude that drives the
cavity. We show that in the limit of a single quantum dot this bistability
continues to be present in the intracavity photon statistics. Signatures of the
bistable photon statistics manifest themselves in the frequency dependent shot
noise of the spin current despite the fact that the quantum mechanical average
spin current no longer exhibits bistability. Besides having significance for
future quantum dot based optoelectronic devices, our results shed light on the
relation between bistability, which is traditionally viewed as a classical
effect, and quantum mechanics
Existence of a critical point in the phase diagram of the ideal relativistic neutral Bose gas
We explore the phase transitions of the ideal relativistic neutral Bose gas
confined in a cubic box, without assuming the thermodynamic limit nor
continuous approximation. While the corresponding non-relativistic canonical
partition function is essentially a one-variable function depending on a
particular combination of temperature and volume, the relativistic canonical
partition function is genuinely a two-variable function of them. Based on an
exact expression of the canonical partition function, we performed numerical
computations for up to hundred thousand particles. We report that if the number
of particles is equal to or greater than a critical value, which amounts to
7616, the ideal relativistic neutral Bose gas features a spinodal curve with a
critical point. This enables us to depict the phase diagram of the ideal Bose
gas. The consequent phase transition is first-order below the critical pressure
or second-order at the critical pressure. The exponents corresponding to the
singularities are 1/2 and 2/3 respectively. We also verify the recently
observed `Widom line' in the supercritical region.Comment: 1+25 pages, 6 B/W figures: Comment on the Widom line added. Minor
improvement. Version to appear in `New Journal of Physics
Struggling and juggling: a comparison of assessment loads in research and teaching-intensive universities
In spite of the rising tide of metrics in UK higher education, there has been scant attention paid to assessment loads, when evidence demonstrates that heavy demands lead to surface learning. Our study seeks to redress the situation by defining assessment loads and comparing them across research-and teaching intensive universities. We clarify the concept of ‘assessment load’ in response to findings about high volumes of summative assessment on modular degrees. We define assessment load across whole undergraduate degrees, according to four measures: the volume of summative assessment; volume of formative assessment; proportion of examinations to coursework; number of different varieties of assessment. All four factors contribute to the weight of an assessment load, and influence students’ approaches to learning. Our research compares programme assessment data from 73 programmes in 14 UK universities, across two institutional categories. Research-intensives have higher summative assessment loads and a greater proportion of examinations; teaching-intensives have higher varieties of assessment. Formative assessment does not differ significantly across both university groups. These findings pose particular challenges for students in different parts of the sector. Our study questions the wisdom that ‘more’ is always better, proposing that lighter assessment loads may make room for ‘slow’ and deep learning
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