7,642 research outputs found
Quantum Andreev Map: A Paradigm of Quantum Chaos in Superconductivity. .
We introduce quantum maps with particle-hole conversion (Andreev reflection) and particle-hole symmetry, which exhibit the same excitation gap as quantum dots in the proximity to a superconductor. Computationally, the Andreev maps are much more efficient than billiard models of quantum dots. This makes it possible to test analytical predictions of random-matrix theory and semiclassical chaos that were previously out of reach of computer simulations. We have observed the universal distribution of the excitation gap for a large Lyapunov exponent and the logarithmic reduction of the gap when the Ehrenfest time becomes comparable to the quasiparticle dwell time
On the Submillimeter Opacity of Protoplanetary Disks
Solid particles with the composition of interstellar dust and power-law size
distribution dn/da propto a^{-p} for a 3 lambda and 3 <
p < 4 will have submm opacity spectral index beta(lambda) = dln(kappa)/dln(nu)
approx (p-3) beta_{ism}, where beta_{ism} approx 1.7 is the opacity spectral
index of interstellar dust material in the Rayleigh limit. For the power-law
index p approx 3.5 that characterizes interstellar dust, and that appears
likely for particles growing by agglomeration in protoplanetary disks, grain
growth to sizes a > 3 mm will result in beta(1 mm) < ~1. Grain growth can
naturally account for beta approx 1 observed for protoplanetary disks, provided
that a_{max} > ~ 3 lambda.Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 17 pages, 6 figure
High spatial resolution mid-infrared observations of the low-mass young star TW Hya
We want to improve knowledge of the structure of the inner few AU of the
circumstellar disk around the nearby T Tauri star TW Hya. Earlier studies have
suggested the existence of a large inner hole, possibly caused by interactions
with a growing protoplanet. We used interferometric observations in the N-band
obtained with the MIDI instrument on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer,
together with 10 micron spectra recorded by the infrared satellite Spitzer. The
fact that we were able to determine N-band correlated fluxes and visibilities
for this comparatively faint source shows that MIR interferometry can be
applied to a large number of low-mass young stellar objects.
The MIR spectra obtained with Spitzer reveal emission lines from HI (6-5), HI
(7-6), and [Ne II] and show that over 90% of the dust we see in this wavelength
regime is amorphous. According to the correlated flux measured with MIDI, most
of the crystalline material is in the inner, unresolved part of the disk, about
1 AU in radius. The visibilities exclude the existence of a very large (3-4 AU
radius) inner hole in the circumstellar disk of TW Hya, which was required in
earlier models. We propose instead a geometry of the inner disk where an inner
hole still exists, but at a much reduced radius, with the transition from zero
to full disk height between 0.5 and 0.8 AU, and with an optically thin
distribution of dust inside. Such a model can comply with SED and MIR
visibilities, as well as with visibility and extended emission observed in the
NIR at 2 micron. If a massive planet was the reason for this inner hole, as has
been speculated, its orbit would have to be closer to the star than 0.3 AU.
Alternatively, we may be witnessing the end of the accretion phase and an early
phase of an inward-out dispersal of the circumstellar disk.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted by A&
The impact of Scholasticism and Protestantism on Ulrich Huber’s views on constitutionalism and tyranny
Ulrich Huber’s (1636-1694) contribution to public law was initiated with his lectures on the general principles of constitutional law at Franeker. The fruits of his work culminated in his De Jure Civitatis. The era in which Huber produced this work was generally characterized by the emergence of rationalism and enlightenment in Dutch jurisprudence. More specifically Huber’s work reflects the influence of the transition from enlightened absolutism to democratic government based on the will of the subjects. His views on popular sovereignty culminated in Huber’s theory of limited government and resistance to tyranny. A study of the Latin text of Huber’s pioneering work reveals valuable perspectives on these trends in the transition of Dutch jurisprudence from scholasticism to enlightenment
Young stars in Epsilon Cha and their disks: disk evolution in sparse associations
(abridge) The nearby young stellar association Epsilon Cha association has an
estimated age of 3-5 Myr, making it an ideal laboratory to study the disk
dissipation process and provide empirical constraints on the timescale of
planet formation. We combine the available literature data with our Spitzer IRS
spectroscopy and VLT/VISIR imaging data. The very low mass stars USNO-B120144.7
and 2MASS J12005517 show globally depleted spectral energy distributions
pointing at strong dust settling. 2MASS J12014343 may have a disk with a very
specific inclination where the central star is effectively screened by the cold
outer parts of a flared disk but the 10 micron radiation of the warm inner disk
can still reach us. We find the disks in sparse stellar associations are
dissipated more slowly than those in denser (cluster) environments. We detect
C_{2}H_{2} rovibrational band around 13.7 micron on the IRS spectrum of
USNO-B120144.7. We find strong signatures of grain growth and crystallization
in all Epsilon Cha members with 10 micron features detected in their IRS
spectra. We combine the dust properties derived in the Epsilon Cha sample with
those found using identical or similar methods in the MBM 12, Coronet cluster,
Eta Cha associations, and in the cores to disks (c2d) legacy program. We find
that disks around low-mass young stars show a negative radial gradient in the
mass-averaged grain size and mass fraction of crystalline silicates. A positive
correlation exists between the mass-averaged grain sizes of amorphous silicates
and the accretion rates if the latter is above ~10^{-9} Msun/yr, possibly
indicating that those disks are sufficiently turbulent to prevent grains of
several microns in size to sink into the disk interior.Comment: 17 pages, 18 figures, 6 tables, language revised; accepted to A&
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Landscape Approaches III: Landscape Approaches to Aquatic Connectivity Improvement: Panel Discussion
Feedhorn-Coupled TES Polarimeter Camera Modules at 150 GHz for CMB Polarization Measurements with SPTpol
The SPTpol camera is a dichroic polarimetric receiver at 90 and 150 GHz. Deployed in January 2012 on the South Pole Telescope (SPT), SPTpol is looking for faint polarization signals in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The camera consists of 180 individual Transition Edge Sensor (TES) polarimeters at 90 GHz and seven 84-polarimeter camera modules (a total of 588 polarimeters) at 150 GHz. We present the design, dark characterization, and in-lab optical properties of the 150 GHz camera modules. The modules consist of photolithographed arrays of TES polarimeters coupled to silicon platelet arrays of corrugated feedhorns, both of which are fabricated at NIST-Boulder. In addition to mounting hardware and RF shielding, each module also contains a set of passive readout electronics for digital frequency-domain multiplexing. A single module, therefore, is fully functional as a miniature focal plane and can be tested independently. Across the modules tested before deployment, the detectors average a critical temperature of 478 mK, normal resistance R_N of 1.2 Ω, unloaded saturation power of 22.5 pW, (detector-only) optical efficiency of ~ 90%, and have electrothermal time constants < 1 ms in transition
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