188 research outputs found
Creating Joint Representations of Collaborative Problem Solving with Multi-touch Technology
Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative learning, allowing more equitable access to shared digital content. In this paper, we explore how large multi-touch tables can be used by groups of students as an external representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups of students working on a logic reasoning problem was examined to identify their levels of reasoning about the task, and how they used the table to support their reasoning. Results indicate that of the 13 groups who solved or nearly solved the problem, 12 used the table to represent their reasoning process, while only four groups who used the table to support their reasoning process did not solve the problem. Examples from three groups are used to explore the different ways the table was used as an external representation of the groups' processes. The findings indicate that the group problem-solving process can be enhanced with the use of multi-touch tables, although students may need support in using the technology effectively to support their collaborative reasoning
Advances in single crystal growth and annealing treatment of electron-doped HTSC
High quality electron-doped HTSC single crystals of and have been
successfully grown by the container-free traveling solvent floating zone
technique. The optimally doped and crystals have transition temperatures
of \,K and \,K, respectively, with a transition width of less than
\,K. We found a strong dependence of the optimal growth parameters on the Ce
content . We discuss the optimization of the post-growth annealing treatment
of the samples, the doping extension of the superconducting dome for both
compounds as well as the role of excess oxygen. The absolute oxygen content of
the as-grown crystals is determined from thermogravimetric experiments and is
found to be . This oxygen surplus is nearly completely removed by a
post-growth annealing treatment. The reduction process is reversible as
demonstrated by magnetization measurements. In as-grown samples the excess
oxygen resides on the apical site O(3). This apical oxygen has nearly no doping
effect, but rather influences the evolution of superconductivity by inducing
additional disorder in the CuO layers. The very high crystal quality of
is particularly manifest in magnetic quantum
oscillations observed on several samples at different doping levels. They
provide a unique opportunity of studying the Fermi surface and its dependence
on the carrier concentration in the bulk of the crystals.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J.
Transverse phase-locking in fully frustrated Josephson junction arrays: a new type of fractional giant steps
We study, analytically and numerically, phase locking of driven vortex
lattices in fully-frustrated Josephson junction arrays at zero temperature. We
consider the case when an ac current is applied {\it perpendicular} to a dc
current. We observe phase locking, steps in the current-voltage
characteristics, with a dependence on external ac-drive amplitude and frequency
qualitatively different from the Shapiro steps, observed when the ac and dc
currents are applied in parallel. Further, the critical current increases with
increasing transverse ac-drive amplitude, while it decreases for longitudinal
ac-drive. The critical current and the phase-locked current step width,
increase quadratically with (small) amplitudes of the ac-drive. For larger
amplitudes of the transverse ac-signal, we find windows where the critical
current is hysteretic, and windows where phase locking is suppressed due to
dynamical instabilities. We characterize the dynamical states around the
phase-locking interference condition in the curve with voltage noise,
Lyapunov exponents and Poincar\'e sections. We find that zero temperature
phase-locking behavior in large fully frustrated arrays is well described by an
effective four plaquette model.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure
Velocity-force characteristics of an interface driven through a periodic potential
We study the creep dynamics of a two-dimensional interface driven through a
periodic potential using dynamical renormalization group methods. We find that
the nature of weak-drive transport depends qualitatively on whether the
temperature is above or below the equilibrium roughening transition
temperature . Above , the velocity-force characteristics is Ohmic,
with linear mobility exhibiting a jump discontinuity across the transition. For
, the transport is highly nonlinear, exhibiting an interesting
crossover in temperature and weak external force . For intermediate drive,
, we find near a power-law velocity-force characteristics
, with , and well-below ,
, with . In the limit
of vanishing drive () the velocity-force characteristics crosses over
to , and is controlled by soliton nucleation.Comment: 18 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Quantum Interference in Superconducting Wire Networks and Josephson Junction Arrays: Analytical Approach based on Multiple-Loop Aharonov-Bohm Feynman Path-Integrals
We investigate analytically and numerically the mean-field
superconducting-normal phase boundaries of two-dimensional superconducting wire
networks and Josephson junction arrays immersed in a transverse magnetic field.
The geometries we consider include square, honeycomb, triangular, and kagome'
lattices. Our approach is based on an analytical study of multiple-loop
Aharonov-Bohm effects: the quantum interference between different electron
closed paths where each one of them encloses a net magnetic flux. Specifically,
we compute exactly the sums of magnetic phase factors, i.e., the lattice path
integrals, on all closed lattice paths of different lengths. A very large
number, e.g., up to for the square lattice, exact lattice path
integrals are obtained. Analytic results of these lattice path integrals then
enable us to obtain the resistive transition temperature as a continuous
function of the field. In particular, we can analyze measurable effects on the
superconducting transition temperature, , as a function of the magnetic
filed , originating from electron trajectories over loops of various
lengths. In addition to systematically deriving previously observed features,
and understanding the physical origin of the dips in as a result of
multiple-loop quantum interference effects, we also find novel results. In
particular, we explicitly derive the self-similarity in the phase diagram of
square networks. Our approach allows us to analyze the complex structure
present in the phase boundaries from the viewpoint of quantum interference
effects due to the electron motion on the underlying lattices.Comment: 18 PRB-type pages, plus 8 large figure
Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe
In this first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, we find that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade−1) between 1985 and 2009. Our analyses show that surface water warming rates are dependent on combinations of climate and local characteristics, rather than just lake location, leading to the counterintuitive result that regional consistency in lake warming is the exception, rather than the rule. The most rapidly warming lakes are widely geographically distributed, and their warming is associated with interactions among different climatic factors—from seasonally ice-covered lakes in areas where temperature and solar radiation are increasing while cloud cover is diminishing (0.72°C decade−1) to ice-free lakes experiencing increases in air temperature and solar radiation (0.53°C decade−1). The pervasive and rapid warming observed here signals the urgent need to incorporate climate impacts into vulnerability assessments and adaptation efforts for lakes.Peer reviewe
A global database of lake surface temperatures collected by in situ and satellite methods from 1985–2009
Peer reviewe
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