3,304 research outputs found
Noncommutative Particles in Curved Spaces
We present a formulation in a curved background of noncommutative mechanics,
where the object of noncommutativity is considered as an
independent quantity having a canonical conjugate momentum. We introduced a
noncommutative first-order action in D=10 curved spacetime and the covariant
equations of motions were computed. This model, invariant under diffeomorphism,
generalizes recent relativistic results.Comment: 1+15 pages. Latex. New comments and results adde
Garvey-Kelson Relations for Nuclear Charge Radii
The Garvey-Kelson relations (GKRs) are algebraic expressions originally
developed to predict nuclear masses. In this letter we show that the GKRs
provide a fruitful framework for the prediction of other physical observables
that also display a slowly-varying dynamics. Based on this concept, we extend
the GKRs to the study of nuclear charge radii. The GKRs are tested on 455 out
of the approximately 800 nuclei whose charge radius is experimentally known. We
find a rms deviation between the GK predictions and the experimental values of
only 0.01 fm. This should be contrasted against some of the most successful
microscopic models that yield rms deviations almost three times as large.
Predictions - with reliable uncertainties - are provided for 116 nuclei whose
charge radius is presently unknown.Comment: 4 pages and 3 figure
Thermometry with spin-dependent lattices
We propose a method for measuring the temperature of strongly correlated
phases of ultracold atom gases confined in spin-dependent optical lattices. In
this technique, a small number of "impurity" atoms--trapped in a state that
does not experience the lattice potential--are in thermal contact with atoms
bound to the lattice. The impurity serves as a thermometer for the system
because its temperature can be straightforwardly measured using time-of-flight
expansion velocity. This technique may be useful for resolving many open
questions regarding thermalization in these isolated systems. We discuss the
theory behind this method and demonstrate proof-of-principle experiments,
including the first realization of a 3D spin-dependent lattice in the strongly
correlated regime.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures v2: Several references added; Section on heating
rates updated to include dipole fluctuation terms; Section added on the
limitations of the proposed method. To appear in New Journal of Physic
Four-dimensional distribution of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic cloud over Europe observed by EARLINET
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallaj ökull in April-May 2010 represents a "natural experiment" to study the impact of volcanic emissions on a continental scale. For the first time, quantitative data about the presence, altitude, and layering of the volcanic cloud, in conjunction with optical information, are available for most parts of Europe derived from the observations by the European Aerosol Research Lidar NETwork (EARLINET). Based on multi-wavelength Raman lidar systems, EARLINET is the only instrument worldwide that is able to provide dense time series of high-quality optical data to be used for aerosol typing and for the retrieval of particle microphysical properties as a function of altitude. In this work we show the four-dimensional (4-D) distribution of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic cloud in the troposphere over Europe as observed by EARLINET during the entire volcanic event (15 April-26 May 2010). All optical properties directly measured (backscatter, extinction, and particle linear depolarization ratio) are stored in the EARLINET database available at www.earlinet.org. A specific relational database providing the volcanic mask over Europe, realized ad hoc for this specific event, has been developed and is available on request at www.earlinet.org. During the first days after the eruption, volcanic particles were detected over Central Europe within a wide range of altitudes, from the upper troposphere down to the local planetary boundary layer (PBL). After 19 April 2010, volcanic particles were detected over southern and south-eastern Europe. During the first half of May (5-15 May), material emitted by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was detected over Spain and Portugal and then over the Mediterranean and the Balkans. The last observations of the event were recorded until 25 May in Central Europe and in the Eastern Mediterranean area. The 4-D distribution of volcanic aerosol layering and optical properties on European scale reported here provides an unprecedented data set for evaluating satellite data and aerosol dispersion models for this kind of volcanic events.Peer reviewe
Quantum entanglement and disentanglement of multi-atom systems
We present a review of recent research on quantum entanglement, with special
emphasis on entanglement between single atoms, processing of an encoded
entanglement and its temporary evolution. Analysis based on the density matrix
formalism are described. We give a simple description of the entangling
procedure and explore the role of the environment in creation of entanglement
and in disentanglement of atomic systems. A particular process we will focus on
is spontaneous emission, usually recognized as an irreversible loss of
information and entanglement encoded in the internal states of the system. We
illustrate some certain circumstances where this irreversible process can in
fact induce entanglement between separated systems. We also show how
spontaneous emission reveals a competition between the Bell states of a two
qubit system that leads to the recently discovered "sudden" features in the
temporal evolution of entanglement. An another problem illustrated in details
is a deterministic preparation of atoms and atomic ensembles in long-lived
stationary squeezed states and entangled cluster states. We then determine how
to trigger the evolution of the stable entanglement and also address the issue
of a steered evolution of entanglement between desired pairs of qubits that can
be achieved simply by varying the parameters of a given system.Comment: Review articl
State space modelling and data analysis exercises in LISA Pathfinder
LISA Pathfinder is a mission planned by the European Space Agency to test the
key technologies that will allow the detection of gravitational waves in space.
The instrument on-board, the LISA Technology package, will undergo an
exhaustive campaign of calibrations and noise characterisation campaigns in
order to fully describe the noise model. Data analysis plays an important role
in the mission and for that reason the data analysis team has been developing a
toolbox which contains all the functionalities required during operations. In
this contribution we give an overview of recent activities, focusing on the
improvements in the modelling of the instrument and in the data analysis
campaigns performed both with real and simulated data.Comment: Plenary talk presented at the 9th International LISA Symposium, 21-25
May 2012, Pari
Coevolved mutations reveal distinct architectures for two core proteins in the bacterial flagellar motor
Switching of bacterial flagellar rotation is caused by large domain movements of the FliG protein triggered by binding of the signal protein CheY to FliM. FliG and FliM form adjacent multi-subunit arrays within the basal body C-ring. The movements alter the interaction of the FliG C-terminal (FliGC) "torque" helix with the stator complexes. Atomic models based on the Salmonella entrovar C-ring electron microscopy reconstruction have implications for switching, but lack consensus on the relative locations of the FliG armadillo (ARM) domains (amino-terminal (FliGN), middle (FliGM) and FliGC) as well as changes during chemotaxis. The generality of the Salmonella model is challenged by the variation in motor morphology and response between species. We studied coevolved residue mutations to determine the unifying elements of switch architecture. Residue interactions, measured by their coevolution, were formalized as a network, guided by structural data. Our measurements reveal a common design with dedicated switch and motor modules. The FliM middle domain (FliMM) has extensive connectivity most simply explained by conserved intra and inter-subunit contacts. In contrast, FliG has patchy, complex architecture. Conserved structural motifs form interacting nodes in the coevolution network that wire FliMM to the FliGC C-terminal, four-helix motor module (C3-6). FliG C3-6 coevolution is organized around the torque helix, differently from other ARM domains. The nodes form separated, surface-proximal patches that are targeted by deleterious mutations as in other allosteric systems. The dominant node is formed by the EHPQ motif at the FliMMFliGM contact interface and adjacent helix residues at a central location within FliGM. The node interacts with nodes in the N-terminal FliGc α-helix triad (ARM-C) and FliGN. ARM-C, separated from C3-6 by the MFVF motif, has poor intra-network connectivity consistent with its variable orientation revealed by structural data. ARM-C could be the convertor element that provides mechanistic and species diversity.JK was supported by Medical Research Council grant U117581331. SK was supported by seed funds from Lahore University of Managment Sciences (LUMS) and the Molecular Biology Consortium
The physics of dipolar bosonic quantum gases
This article reviews the recent theoretical and experimental advances in the
study of ultracold gases made of bosonic particles interacting via the
long-range, anisotropic dipole-dipole interaction, in addition to the
short-range and isotropic contact interaction usually at work in ultracold
gases. The specific properties emerging from the dipolar interaction are
emphasized, from the mean-field regime valid for dilute Bose-Einstein
condensates, to the strongly correlated regimes reached for dipolar bosons in
optical lattices.Comment: Review article, 71 pages, 35 figures, 350 references. Submitted to
Reports on Progress in Physic
Study of CP violation in Dalitz-plot analyses of B0 --> K+K-KS, B+ --> K+K-K+, and B+ --> KSKSK+
We perform amplitude analyses of the decays , , and , and measure CP-violating
parameters and partial branching fractions. The results are based on a data
sample of approximately decays, collected with the
BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy factory at the SLAC National
Accelerator Laboratory. For , we find a direct CP asymmetry
in of , which differs
from zero by . For , we measure the
CP-violating phase .
For , we measure an overall direct CP asymmetry of
. We also perform an angular-moment analysis of
the three channels, and determine that the state can be described
well by the sum of the resonances , , and
.Comment: 35 pages, 68 postscript figures. v3 - minor modifications to agree
with published versio
Did most present-day spirals form during the last 8 Gyrs? A formation history with violent episodes revealed by panchromatic observations
(abridged) Studies of distant galaxies have shown that ellipticals and large
spirals were already in place 8 Gyr ago, leading to a very modest recent star
formation in intermediate mass galaxies. This is challenged by a recent
analysis (Heavens et al. 2004) of the fossil record of the stellar populations
of ~10^5 nearby galaxies, which show that intermediate mass galaxies have
formed or assembled the bulk of their stars 4 to 8 Gyr ago. Here we present
direct observational evidence supporting the Heavens et al's findings from a
long term, multi-wavelength study of 195 z>0.4 intermediate mass galaxies,
mostly selected from the CFRS survey. We show that a recent and efficient star
formation is revealed at IR wavelengths since ~15% of intermediate mass
galaxies at z>0.4 are indeed luminous IR galaxies (LIRGs), a phenomenon far
more common than in the local Universe. The star formation in LIRGs is
sufficient in itself to produce 38% of the total stellar mass of intermediate
mass galaxies and then to account for most of the reported stellar mass
formation since z=1. The high occurrence of LIRGs is easily understood only if
they correspond to episodic peaks of star formation, during which galaxies are
reddened through short IREs (infrared episodes). We examine how galaxy IREs can
be related to the emergence at high redshift, of the abundant population of
galaxies with small size, blue core and many irregularities. We show that
recent merging and gas infall naturally explain both morphological changes and
episodic star formation history in a hierarchical galaxy formation frame. We
propose a simple scenario in which 75+-25% of intermediate mass spirals have
experienced recently their last major merger event, leading to a drastic
reshaping of their bulges and disks during the last 8 Gyrs.Comment: 19 pages, 7 PS figures, 4 Tables. Accepted for publication in A&A,
revised versio
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