2,437 research outputs found
The microlocal spectrum condition and Wick polynomials of free fields on curved spacetimes
Quantum fields propagating on a curved spacetime are investigated in terms of
microlocal analysis. We discuss a condition on the wave front set for the
corresponding n-point distributions, called ``microlocal spectrum condition''
(SC). On Minkowski space, this condition is satisfied as a consequence of
the usual spectrum condition. Based on Radzikowski's determination of the wave
front set of the two-point function of a free scalar field, satisfying the
Hadamard condition in the Kay and Wald sense, we construct in the second part
of this paper all Wick polynomials including the energy-momentum tensor for
this field as operator valued distributions on the manifold and prove that they
satisfy our microlocal spectrum condition.Comment: 21 pages, AMS-LaTeX, 2 figures appended as Postscript file
Measurement-induced localization of relative degrees of freedom
Published versio
Nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation for a PT symmetric delta-functions double well
The time-independent nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation is solved for two
attractive delta-function shaped potential wells where an imaginary loss term
is added in one well, and a gain term of the same size but with opposite sign
in the other. We show that for vanishing nonlinearity the model captures all
the features known from studies of PT symmetric optical wave guides, e.g., the
coalescence of modes in an exceptional point at a critical value of the
loss/gain parameter, and the breaking of PT symmetry beyond. With the
nonlinearity present, the equation is a model for a Bose-Einstein condensate
with loss and gain in a double well potential. We find that the nonlinear
Hamiltonian picks as stationary eigenstates exactly such solutions which render
the nonlinear Hamiltonian itself PT symmetric, but observe coalescence and
bifurcation scenarios different from those known from linear PT symmetric
Hamiltonians.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Journal of Physics
Modular detergents tailor the purification and structural analysis of membrane proteins including G-protein coupled receptors
Detergents enable the purification of membrane proteins and are indispensable reagents instructural biology. Even though a large variety of detergents have been developed in the lastcentury, the challenge remains to identify guidelines that allowfine-tuning of detergents forindividual applications in membrane protein research. Addressing this challenge, here weintroduce the family of oligoglycerol detergents (OGDs). Native mass spectrometry (MS)reveals that the modular OGD architecture offers the ability to control protein purificationand to preserve interactions with native membrane lipids during purification. In addition to abroad range of bacterial membrane proteins, OGDs also enable the purification and analysisof a functional G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR). Moreover, given the modular design ofthese detergents, we anticipatefine-tuning of their properties for specific applications instructural biology. Seen from a broader perspective, this represents a significant advance forthe investigation of membrane proteins and their interactions with lipids
Vacuum Structures in Hamiltonian Light-Front Dynamics
Hamiltonian light-front dynamics of quantum fields may provide a useful
approach to systematic non-perturbative approximations to quantum field
theories. We investigate inequivalent Hilbert-space representations of the
light-front field algebra in which the stability group of the light-front is
implemented by unitary transformations. The Hilbert space representation of
states is generated by the operator algebra from the vacuum state. There is a
large class of vacuum states besides the Fock vacuum which meet all the
invariance requirements. The light-front Hamiltonian must annihilate the vacuum
and have a positive spectrum. We exhibit relations of the Hamiltonian to the
nontrivial vacuum structure.Comment: 16 pages, report \# ANL-PHY-7524-TH-93, (Latex
A Bisognano-Wichmann-like Theorem in a Certain Case of a Non Bifurcate Event Horizon related to an Extreme Reissner-Nordstr\"om Black Hole
Thermal Wightman functions of a massless scalar field are studied within the
framework of a ``near horizon'' static background model of an extremal R-N
black hole. This model is built up by using global Carter-like coordinates over
an infinite set of Bertotti-Robinson submanifolds glued together. The
analytical extendibility beyond the horizon is imposed as constraints on
(thermal) Wightman's functions defined on a Bertotti-Robinson sub manifold. It
turns out that only the Bertotti-Robinson vacuum state, i.e. , satisfies
the above requirement. Furthermore the extension of this state onto the whole
manifold is proved to coincide exactly with the vacuum state in the global
Carter-like coordinates. Hence a theorem similar to Bisognano-Wichmann theorem
for the Minkowski space-time in terms of Wightman functions holds with
vanishing ``Unruh-Rindler temperature''. Furtermore, the Carter-like vacuum
restricted to a Bertotti-Robinson region, resulting a pure state there, has
vanishing entropy despite of the presence of event horizons. Some comments on
the real extreme R-N black hole are given
Reappraising the theme of breeding systems in Echinococcus: is outcrossing a rare phenomenon?
Selfing has been considered the most common mode of reproduction in Echinococcus flatworms. However, population genetic studies on the asexual larval stage involving nuclear co-dominant markers have not always revealed significant heterozygote deficiencies - the expected outcome of a regularly and highly inbred population. In this study, we analysed the genetic structure of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato populations from Southern Brazil during their adult (sexual) stage using 1 mitochondrial and 1 nuclear marker (cox 1 and mdh, respectively). We show that parasite genetic differentiation is largest among definitive hosts (domestic dogs) from different farms, suggesting that transmission is mostly maintained within a farm. Moreover, we show that heterozygote deficiencies are not significant, and we suggest that outbreeding is the most common mode of reproduction of the parasite in that regio
Online monitoring the isomerization of an azobenzene-based dendritic bolaamphiphile using ion mobility-mass spectrometry
Ion mobility-mass spectrometry was used to obtain detailed information about
the kinetics of the light-induced cis/trans isomerization process of a new
supramolecular azobenzene-based bolaamphiphile. Further experiments revealed
that the investigated light-induced structural transition dramatically
influences the aggregation behaviour of the molecule
Activations in temporal areas using visual and auditory naming stimuli: A language fMRI study in temporal lobe epilepsy
OBJECTIVE: Verbal fluency functional MRI (fMRI) is used for predicting language deficits after anterior temporal lobe resection (ATLR) for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but primarily engages frontal lobe areas. In this observational study we investigated fMRI paradigms using visual and auditory stimuli, which predominately involve language areas resected during ATLR.
METHODS: Twenty-three controls and 33 patients (20 left (LTLE), 13 right (RTLE)) were assessed using three fMRI paradigms: verbal fluency, auditory naming with a contrast of auditory reversed speech; picture naming with a contrast of scrambled pictures and blurred faces.
RESULTS: Group analysis showed bilateral temporal activations for auditory naming and picture naming. Correcting for auditory and visual input (by subtracting activations resulting from auditory reversed speech and blurred pictures/scrambled faces respectively) resulted in left-lateralised activations for patients and controls, which was more pronounced for LTLE compared to RTLE patients.
Individual subject activations at a threshold of T > 2.5, extent >10 voxels, showed that verbal fluency activated predominantly the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in 90% of LTLE, 92% of RTLE, and 65% of controls, compared to right IFG activations in only 15% of LTLE and RTLE and 26% of controls.
Middle temporal (MTG) or superior temporal gyrus (STG) activations were seen on the left in 30% of LTLE, 23% of RTLE, and 52% of controls, and on the right in 15% of LTLE, 15% of RTLE, and 35% of controls.
Auditory naming activated temporal areas more frequently than did verbal fluency (LTLE: 93%/73%; RTLE: 92%/58%; controls: 82%/70% (left/right)). Controlling for auditory input resulted in predominantly left-sided temporal activations.
Picture naming resulted in temporal lobe activations less frequently than did auditory naming (LTLE 65%/55%; RTLE 53%/46%; controls 52%/35% (left/right)). Controlling for visual input had left-lateralising effects.
CONCLUSION: Auditory and picture naming activated temporal lobe structures, which are resected during ATLR, more frequently than did verbal fluency. Controlling for auditory and visual input resulted in more left-lateralised activations. We hypothesise that these paradigms may be more predictive of postoperative language decline than verbal fluency fMRI
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