4,552 research outputs found
Competition between Kondo screening and quantum Hall edge reconstruction
We report on a Kondo correlated quantum dot connected to two-dimensional
leads where we demonstrate the renormalization of the g-factor in the pure
Zeeman case i.e, for magnetic fields parallel to the plane of the quantum dot.
For the same system we study the influence of orbital effects by investigating
the quantum Hall regime i.e. a perpendicular magnetic field is applied. In this
case an unusual behaviour of the suppression of the Kondo effect and of the
split zero-bias anomaly is observed. The splitting decreases with magnetic
field and shows discontinuous changes which are attributed to the intricate
interplay between Kondo screening and the quantum Hall edge structure
originating from electrostatic screening. This edge structure made up of
compressible and incompressible stripes strongly affects the Kondo temperature
of the quantum dot and thereby influences the renormalized g-factor
The Structure of Barium in the hcp Phase Under High Pressure
Recent experimental results on two hcp phases of barium under high pressure
show interesting variation of the lattice parameters. They are here interpreted
in terms of electronic structure calculation by using the LMTO method and
generalized pseudopotential theory (GPT) with a NFE-TBB approach. In phase II
the dramatic drop in c/a is an instability analogous to that in the group II
metals but with the transfer of s to d electrons playing a crucial role in Ba.
Meanwhile in phase V, the instability decrease a lot due to the core repulsion
at very high pressure. PACS numbers: 62.50+p, 61.66Bi, 71.15.Ap, 71.15Hx,
71.15LaComment: 29 pages, 8 figure
Why do gallium clusters have a higher melting point than the bulk?
Density functional molecular dynamical simulations have been performed on
Ga and Ga clusters to understand the recently observed
higher-than-bulk melting temperatures in small gallium clusters [Breaux {\em et
al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 91}, 215508 (2003)]. The specific-heat curve,
calculated with the multiple-histogram technique, shows the melting temperature
to be well above the bulk melting point of 303 K, viz. around 650 K and 1400 K
for Ga and Ga, respectively. The higher-than-bulk melting
temperatures are attributed mainly to the covalent bonding in these clusters,
in contrast with the covalent-metallic bonding in the bulk.Comment: 4 pages, including 6 figures. accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Let
Effective x-ray attenuation coefficient measurements from two full field digital mammography systems for data calibration applications
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Breast density is a significant breast cancer risk factor. Currently, there is no standard method for measuring this important factor. Work presented here represents an essential component of an ongoing project that seeks to determine the appropriate method for calibrating (standardizing) mammography image data to account for the x-ray image acquisition influences. Longer term goals of this project are to make accurate breast density measurements in support of risk studies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Logarithmic response calibration curves and effective x-ray attenuation coefficients were measured from two full field digital mammography (FFDM) systems with breast tissue equivalent phantom imaging and compared. Normalization methods were studied to assess the possibility of reducing the amount of calibration data collection. The percent glandular calibration map functional form was investigated. Spatial variations in the calibration data were used to assess the uncertainty in the calibration application by applying error propagation analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Logarithmic response curves are well approximated as linear. Measured effective x-ray attenuation coefficients are characteristic quantities independent of the imaging system and are in agreement with those predicted numerically. Calibration data collection can be reduced by applying a simple normalization technique. The calibration map is well approximated as linear. Intrasystem calibration variation was on the order of four percent, which was approximately half of the intersystem variation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>FFDM systems provide a quantitative output, and the calibration quantities presented here may be used for data acquired on similar FFDM systems.</p
Phase Estimation from Atom Position Measurements
We study the measurement of the position of atoms as a means to estimate the
relative phase between two Bose-Einstein condensates. First, we consider
atoms released from a double-well trap, forming an interference pattern, and
show that a simple least-squares fit to the density gives a shot-noise limited
sensitivity. The shot-noise limit can instead be overcome by using correlation
functions of order or larger. The measurement of the
-order correlation function allows to estimate the relative phase
at the Heisenberg limit. Phase estimation through the measurement of the
center-of-mass of the interference pattern can also provide sub-shot-noise
sensitivity. Finally, we study the effect of the overlap between the two clouds
on the phase estimation, when Mach-Zehnder interferometry is performed in a
double-well.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure
The moral muteness of managers: an Anglo-American phenomenon? German and British managers and their moral reasoning about environmental sustainability in business
Several studies in the Anglo-American context have indicated that managers present themselves as morally neutral employees who act only in the best interest of the company by employing objective skills. The reluctance of managers to use moral arguments in business is further accentuated in the now common argument presented as a neutral fact that the company must always prioritise shareholder value. These and other commercial aims are seen as an objective reality in business, whilst questions about sustainability, environmental problems or fair trade are seen as emotional or moral ones; a phenomenon described as ‘moral muteness’. This research explores whether this ‘moral muteness’ is an Anglo-American phenomenon and/or whether managers in other countries - in this case Germany - might express themselves in a different way. The focus is on moral arguments around environmental sustainability and the implications of this study for cross-cultural management. This article is based on a qualitative, comparative cross-cultural study of British and German managers in the Food Retail and Energy Sectors. In line with the studies mentioned above, British managers placed a strong emphasis on their moral neutrality. In contrast, German managers tended to use moral arguments when discussing corporate greening, often giving such arguments more weight than financial arguments. Overall, the study suggests that the ‘moral muteness’ of managers is a British phenomenon and quite distinct from the German approach. The article ends in a short exploration of how this understanding can help managers better manage people, organisations and change across cultures
The Cleveland Aircraft Fire Tests
On June 30 and July 1, 1966, tests were conducted to evaluate high expansion foam's ability to extend the time for which an aircraft passenger cabin environment would remain survivable during a post-crash fire. While some results tend to confirm those of similar tests, others may shed new light on the problem
Effective radiation attenuation calibration for breast density: compression thickness influences and correction
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Calibrating mammograms to produce a standardized breast density measurement for breast cancer risk analysis requires an accurate spatial measure of the compressed breast thickness. Thickness inaccuracies due to the nominal system readout value and compression paddle orientation induce unacceptable errors in the calibration.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A thickness correction was developed and evaluated using a fully specified two-component surrogate breast model. A previously developed calibration approach based on effective radiation attenuation coefficient measurements was used in the analysis. Water and oil were used to construct phantoms to replicate the deformable properties of the breast. Phantoms consisting of measured proportions of water and oil were used to estimate calibration errors without correction, evaluate the thickness correction, and investigate the reproducibility of the various calibration representations under compression thickness variations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The average thickness uncertainty due to compression paddle warp was characterized to within 0.5 mm. The relative calibration error was reduced to 7% from 48-68% with the correction. The normalized effective radiation attenuation coefficient (planar) representation was reproducible under intra-sample compression thickness variations compared with calibrated volume measures.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Incorporating this thickness correction into the rigid breast tissue equivalent calibration method should improve the calibration accuracy of mammograms for risk assessments using the reproducible planar calibration measure.</p
Thermodynamically Stable One-Component Metallic Quasicrystals
Classical density-functional theory is employed to study finite-temperature
trends in the relative stabilities of one-component quasicrystals interacting
via effective metallic pair potentials derived from pseudopotential theory.
Comparing the free energies of several periodic crystals and rational
approximant models of quasicrystals over a range of pseudopotential parameters,
thermodynamically stable quasicrystals are predicted for parameters approaching
the limits of mechanical stability of the crystalline structures. The results
support and significantly extend conclusions of previous ground-state
lattice-sum studies.Comment: REVTeX, 13 pages + 2 figures, to appear, Europhys. Let
Long period polytype boundaries in silicon carbide
A significant gap in our understanding of polytypism exists, caused partly by the lack of experimental data on the spatial distribution of polytype coalescence and knowledge of the regions between adjoining polytypes. Few observations, Takei & Francombe (1967) apart, of the relative location of different polytypes have been reported. A phenomenological description of the boundaries, exact position of one-dimensional disorder (1DD) and long period polytypes (LPP’s) has been made possible by synchrotron X-ray diffraction topography (XRDT)
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