56 research outputs found
Continuous Quantum Measurement and the Quantum to Classical Transition
While ultimately they are described by quantum mechanics, macroscopic
mechanical systems are nevertheless observed to follow the trajectories
predicted by classical mechanics. Hence, in the regime defining macroscopic
physics, the trajectories of the correct classical motion must emerge from
quantum mechanics, a process referred to as the quantum to classical
transition. Extending previous work [Bhattacharya, Habib, and Jacobs, Phys.
Rev. Lett. {\bf 85}, 4852 (2000)], here we elucidate this transition in some
detail, showing that once the measurement processes which affect all
macroscopic systems are taken into account, quantum mechanics indeed predicts
the emergence of classical motion. We derive inequalities that describe the
parameter regime in which classical motion is obtained, and provide numerical
examples. We also demonstrate two further important properties of the classical
limit. First, that multiple observers all agree on the motion of an object, and
second, that classical statistical inference may be used to correctly track the
classical motion.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Revtex
Basic concepts in quantum computation
Section headings: 1 Qubits, gates and networks 2 Quantum arithmetic and
function evaluations 3 Algorithms and their complexity 4 From interferometers
to computers 5 The first quantum algorithms 6 Quantum search 7 Optimal phase
estimation 8 Periodicity and quantum factoring 9 Cryptography 10 Conditional
quantum dynamics 11 Decoherence and recoherence 12 Concluding remarksComment: 37 pages, lectures given at les Houches Summer School on "Coherent
Matter Waves", July-August 199
Gravitational Lensing at Millimeter Wavelengths
With today's millimeter and submillimeter instruments observers use
gravitational lensing mostly as a tool to boost the sensitivity when observing
distant objects. This is evident through the dominance of gravitationally
lensed objects among those detected in CO rotational lines at z>1. It is also
evident in the use of lensing magnification by galaxy clusters in order to
reach faint submm/mm continuum sources. There are, however, a few cases where
millimeter lines have been directly involved in understanding lensing
configurations. Future mm/submm instruments, such as the ALMA interferometer,
will have both the sensitivity and the angular resolution to allow detailed
observations of gravitational lenses. The almost constant sensitivity to dust
emission over the redshift range z=1-10 means that the likelihood for strong
lensing of dust continuum sources is much higher than for optically selected
sources. A large number of new strong lenses are therefore likely to be
discovered with ALMA, allowing a direct assessment of cosmological parameters
through lens statistics. Combined with an angular resolution <0.1", ALMA will
also be efficient for probing the gravitational potential of galaxy clusters,
where we will be able to study both the sources and the lenses themselves, free
of obscuration and extinction corrections, derive rotation curves for the
lenses, their orientation and, thus, greatly constrain lens models.Comment: 69 pages, Review on quasar lensing. Part of a LNP Topical Volume on
"Dark matter and gravitational lensing", eds. F. Courbin, D. Minniti. To be
published by Springer-Verlag 2002. Paper with full resolution figures can be
found at ftp://oden.oso.chalmers.se/pub/tommy/mmviews.ps.g
Weak Lensing and Dark Energy
We study the power of upcoming weak lensing surveys to probe dark energy.
Dark energy modifies the distance-redshift relation as well as the matter power
spectrum, both of which affect the weak lensing convergence power spectrum.
Some dark-energy models predict additional clustering on very large scales, but
this probably cannot be detected by weak lensing alone due to cosmic variance.
With reasonable prior information on other cosmological parameters, we find
that a survey covering 1000 sq. deg. down to a limiting magnitude of R=27 can
impose constraints comparable to those expected from upcoming type Ia supernova
and number-count surveys. This result, however, is contingent on the control of
both observational and theoretical systematics. Concentrating on the latter, we
find that the {\it nonlinear} power spectrum of matter perturbations and the
redshift distribution of source galaxies both need to be determined accurately
in order for weak lensing to achieve its full potential. Finally, we discuss
the sensitivity of the three-point statistics to dark energy.Comment: 16 pages, revtex. Peacock-Dodds PS used for all w, which weakens the
constraints. Tomography sec. expanded, estimate included of how well
systematics need to be controlle
Étude comparative des taux de mortalité entre les arbres dominants et les arbres indicateurs moyens de la station
Allosteric disulfide bonds
Protein disulfide bonds link cysteine residues in the polypeptide chain. The bonds contribute, sometimes crucially, to protein stability and function and are strongly conserved through the evolution of species. By analyzing the conservation of all structurally validated disulfide bonds across 29 completely sequenced eukaryotic genomes, we found that disulfide-bonded cysteines are even more conserved than tryptophan - the most conserved amino acid. Moreover, the rate of acquisition of disulfide bonds shows a strong positive correlation with organism complexity, which probably reflects the requirement for more sophistication in protein function in complex species. The majority of disulfide bonds perform a structural role by stabilizing the mature protein. Some disulfide bonds perform a functional role in the mature protein and can be divided into catalytic or allosteric disulfides. Catalytic disulfides/dithiols transfer electrons between proteins, while the allosteric bonds control the function of the protein in which they reside when they break and/or form. There are currently a dozen or so examples of allosteric disulfide bonds. The features of these bonds and their involvement in the respective proteins' function are discussed. A common aspect of 11 of the 12 allosteric bonds discussed herein is that they link β-strands or β-loops. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Disulfide bond acquisition through eukaryotic protein evolution
Disulfide bonds play critical roles in protein stability and function. They are generally considered to be strongly conserved among species. Although there is compelling evidence in the literature for this conservation on a case-by-case basis, comparative genomic analyses of disulfide conservation have in the past been limited. By analyzing the conservation of all structurally validated disulfide bonds from the Protein Data Bank across 29 completely sequenced eukaryotic genomes, we observe elevated conservation of disulfide-bonded cysteines (half-cystines) compared with unpaired cysteines and other amino acids. Remarkably, half-cystines are even more conserved than tryptophan - the most conserved amino acid. Overall, once disulfide bonds are acquired in proteins, they are rarely lost. Moreover, the acquisition of disulfide bonds shows a strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.74) with organismal complexity. Although the correlation weakens (R2 = 0.59) when yeast is excluded from the analysis, this trend is still apparent when compared with the slightly negative correlation of unpaired cysteine acquisition with organismal complexity. The accrual of disulfide bonds is likely to reflect the demand for greater sophistication in protein function in complex species. Our findings provide further support for the increasing usage of cysteines in modern proteomes and suggest that there has been positive selection for disulfide bonds through eukaryotic evolution. Finally, we show that the acquisition of the functionally relevant disulfide bond in domain 2 of the CD4 protein occurred independently in primates and rodents
- …