6,145 research outputs found
Constant-pressure sound waves in non-Hermitian disordered media
When waves impinge on a disordered material they are back-scattered and form
a highly complex interference pattern. Suppressing any such distortions in the
free propagation of a wave is a challenging task with many applications in a
number of different disciplines. In a recent theoretical proposal, it was
pointed out that both perfect transmission through disorder as well as a
complete suppression of any variation in a wave intensity can be achieved by
adding a continuous gain-loss distribution to the disorder. Here we show that
this abstract concept can be implemented in a realistic acoustic system. Our
prototype consists of an acoustic waveguide containing several inclusions that
scatter the incoming wave in a passive configuration and provide the gain or
loss when being actively controlled. Our measurements on this non-Hermitian
acoustic metamaterial demonstrate unambiguously the creation of a
reflectionless scattering wave state that features a unique form of discrete
constant-amplitude pressure waves. In addition to demonstrating that gain-loss
additions can turn localised systems into transparent ones, we expect our
proof-of-principle demonstration to trigger interesting new developments not
only in sound engineering, but also in other related fields such as in
non-Hermitian photonics
Gas and stellar dynamics in NGC 1068. Probing the galactic gravitational potential
We present Sauron 2D spectrography of the central 1.5 kpc of the nearby Sey2
galaxy NGC1068, encompassing the well-known NIR inner bar. We have successively
disentangled the respective contributions of the ionized gas and stars, thus
deriving their 2D distribution and kinematics. The [OIII] and Hbeta emission
lines exhibit very different spatial distribution and kinematics, the latter
following inner spiral arms with clumps associated with star formation. Strong
inwards streaming motions are observed in both the Hbeta and [OIII] kinematics.
The stellar kinematics also exhibit clear signatures of a non-axisymmetric
tumbling potential, with a twist in both the velocity and h3 fields. We
re-examined the long-slit data of Shapiro et al (2003) using pPXF: a strong
decoupling of h3 is revealed, and the central decrease in h4 hinted in the
Sauron data is confirmed. These data also suggest that NGC1068 is a good
candidate for a so-called sigma-drop. We confirm the possible presence of two
pattern speeds. We also examine the stellar kinematics of bars formed in
N-body+SPH simulations built from axisymmetric initial conditions. These
successfully reproduce a number of properties observed in the 2D kinematics of
NGC1068, and the long-slit data, showing that the kinematic signature of the
NIR bar is imprinted in the stellar kinematics. The remaining differences
between the models and the observed properties are mostly due to the exclusion
of star formation and the lack of the primary large-scale oval/bar in the
simulations. These models suggest that the inner bar could drive a significant
amount of gas down to a scale of ~300 pc. This is consistent with the
interpretation of the sigma-drop in NGC1068 being the result of central gas
accretion followed by an episode of star formation.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS, 20 pages, 17 figures (high res
version available at
www-obs.univ-lyon1.fr/eric.emsellem/preprints/NGC1068_Emsellemetal_final.pdf
First Order Premelting Transition of Vortex Lattices
Vortex lattices in the high temperature superconductors undergo a first order
phase transition which has thus far been regarded as melting from a solid to a
liquid. We point out an alternative possibility of a two step process in which
there is a first order transition from an ordinary vortex lattice to a soft
vortex solid followed by another first order melting transition from the soft
vortex solid to a vortex liquid. We focus on the first step. This premelting
transition is induced by vacancy and interstitial vortex lines. We obtain good
agreement with the experimental transition temperature versus field, latent
heat, and magnetization jumps for YBCO and BSCCO.Comment: revised version replaces 9705092, 5 pages, Latex, 2 postscript
figures, defect line wandering is included, 2 step melting is propose
Does organic livestock husbandry uses less energy and produces less greenhouse gas than conventional husbandry? Analysis in lactating sheep farms
We have undertaken in this work an evaluation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the Non-Renewable Energy (NRE) consumption on a sample of 1250 farms-years, operating in sheep meat production, in either organic (OA) or conventional (CA) agriculture, over the period 1987 to 2012, based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. There was no significant difference for NRE consumption (79.6 MJ in OA and 79.7 MJ in CA, per kg of carcass); indeed the gains in OA thanks to a lower use of chemical fertilizers and purchase of lesser concentrates feed were offset by the higher level of mechanization (here fuels and equipment). For GHG emissions, we found a significant difference of 5% beneficial to organic production systems (31.1 vs. 32.7 kg CO2 eq/kg carcass)
Structure factor and dynamics of the helix-coil transition
Thermodynamical properties of the helix-coil transition were successfully
described in the past by the model of Lifson, Poland and Sheraga. Here we
compute the corresponding structure factor and show that it possesses a
universal scaling behavior near the transition point, even when the transition
is of first order. Moreover, we introduce a dynamical version of this model,
that we solve numerically. A Langevin equation is also proposed to describe the
dynamics of the density of hydrogen bonds. Analytical solution of this equation
shows dynamical scaling near the critical temperature and predicts a gelation
phenomenon above the critical temperature. In the case when comparison of the
two dynamical approaches is possible, the predictions of our phenomenological
theory agree with the results of the Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
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