6,125 research outputs found
Interference and complementarity for two-photon hybrid entangled states
In this work we generate two-photon hybrid entangled states (HES), where the
polarization of one photon is entangled with the transverse spatial degree of
freedom of the second photon. The photon pair is created by parametric
down-conversion in a polarization-entangled state. A birefringent double-slit
couples the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of these photons and
finally, suitable spatial and polarization projections generate the HES. We
investigate some interesting aspects of the two-photon hybrid interference, and
present this study in the context of the complementarity relation that exists
between the visibilities of the one- and two-photon interference patterns.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Accepted in Physical Review
Infusing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Into Science Methods Courses Across Virginia
This article outlines the results of a collaborative study of the effects of infusing problem-based learning (PBL) into K-12 science methods courses across four universities in Virginia. Changes in pre-service teachers\u27 attitudes surrounding science teaching were measured before and after completing a science methods course in which they experienced PBL first-hand as participants, and then practiced designing their own PBL units for use in their future classrooms. The results indicate that exposure to PBL enhances pre-service teachers\u27 knowledge of inquiry methods and self-efficacy in teaching science
Comparison of two sampling protocols and four home-range estimators using radio-tracking data from urban badgers Meles meles
Radio-telemetry is often the method of choice for studies of species whose behaviour is difficult to observe directly. However, considerable debate has ensued about the best way of deriving home-range estimates. In recent years, kernel estimators have become the most widely used method, together with the oldest and simplest method, the minimum convex polygon (MCP). More recently, it has been suggested that the local convex hull (LCH) might be more appropriate than kernel methods in cases where an animal’s home range includes a priori inaccessible areas. Yet another method, the Brownian bridge (BB), explicitly uses autocorrelated data to determine movement paths and, ultimately, home ranges or migration routes of animals. Whereas several studies have used simulation techniques to compare these different methods, few have used data from real animals. We used radio-telemetric data from urban badgers Meles meles to compare two sampling protocols (10-minute vs at least 30-minute inter-fix intervals) and four home-range estimators (MCP, fixed kernels (FK), LCH and BB). We used a multi-response permutation procedure and randomisation tests to compare overall patterns of fixes and degree of overlap of home ranges estimated using data from different sampling protocols, and a general linear model to compare the influence of sampling protocols and home-range estimator on the size of habitat patches. The shape of the estimated home ranges was influenced by sampling protocol in some cases. By contrast, the sizes and proportions of different habitats within home ranges were influenced by estimator type but not by sampling protocol. LCH performed consistently better than FK, and is especially appropriate for patchy study areas containing frequent no-go zones. However, we recommend using LCH in combination with other methods to estimate total range size, because LCH tended to produce smaller estimates than any other method. Results relating to BB are preliminary but suggest that this method is unsuitable for species in which range size is small compared to average travel speed.Marie-Curie Intra-European Fellowship (BSSUB - 24007); Defra WSC contract WM0304; Wildlife Biology granted the permit to upload the article to this repositor
On the logical structure of Bell theorems without inequalities
Bell theorems show how to experimentally falsify local realism. Conclusive
falsification is highly desirable as it would provide support for the most
profoundly counterintuitive feature of quantum theory - nonlocality. Despite
the preponderance of evidence for quantum mechanics, practical limits on
detector efficiency and the difficulty of coordinating space-like separated
measurements have provided loopholes for a classical worldview; these loopholes
have never been simultaneously closed. A number of new experiments have
recently been proposed to close both loopholes at once. We show some of these
novel designs fail in the most basic way, by not ruling out local hidden
variable models, and we provide an explicit classical model to demonstrate
this. They share a common flaw, which reveals a basic misunderstanding of how
nonlocality proofs work. Given the time and resources now being devoted to such
experiments, theoretical clarity is essential. Our explanation is presented in
terms of simple logic and should serve to correct misconceptions and avoid
future mistakes. We also show a nonlocality proof involving four participants
which has interesting theoretical properties.Comment: 8 pages, text clarified, explicit LHV model provided for flawed
nonlocality tes
The evolution of the high energy tail in the quiescent spectrum of the soft X-ray transient Aql X-1
A moderate level of variability has been detected in the quiescent luminosity
of several neutron star soft X-ray transients. Spectral variability was first
revealed by Chandra observations of Aql X-1 in the four months that followed
the 2000 X-ray outburst. By adopting the canonical model for quiescent spectrum
of soft X-ray transients, i.e. an absorbed neutron star atmosphere model plus a
power law tail, Rutledge et al. (2002a) concluded that the observed spectral
variations can be ascribed to temperature variations of the neutron star
atmosphere. These results can hardly be reconciled with the neutron star
cooling that is expected to take place in between outbursts (after deep crustal
heating in the accretion phase). Here we reanalyse the Chandra spectra of Aql
X-1, together with a long BeppoSAX observation in the same period, and propose
a different interpretation of the spectral variability: that this is due to
correlated variations of the power law component and the column density (>5, a
part of which might be intrinsic to the source), while the temperature and flux
of the neutron star atmospheric component remained unchanged. This lends
support to the idea that the power law component arises from emission at the
shock between a radio pulsar wind and inflowing matter from the companion star.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication on Ap
Short-term effects of deep ploughing on soil C stocks following renewal of a dairy pasture in New Zealand
In New Zealand’s high producing permanent pastures the topsoil constitutes a large reservoir of soil organic carbon (SOC), which shows a marked stratification with depth. As consequence, sub-surface layers can contain 10 times less carbon than the surface soil. In permanent pastures with high carbon inputs, the formation and decomposition of these surface SOC stocks are often at equilibrium and C storage shows little change over time. Pastoral based dairy systems utilising ryegrass plus clover cultivars require renewal every 7-10 years to avoid reversion to less productive grasses. This may involve spring cultivation (either no-till, shallow till or full cultivation), summer forage cropping and autumn re-grassing. It has been hypothesised that SOC stocks can be increased by inverting the soil profile at pasture renewal through infrequent (once in 25-30 years) deep mouldboard ploughing (up to 30 cm depth). Increased C sequestration occurs when the new grass quickly rebuilds SOC stocks in the new topsoil (exposed low C sub-soil) at a rate faster than the decomposition of SOC in the rich former topsoil transferred to depth (now below 15 cm). However, benefits form accelerated C storage may be offset if crop and pasture production is adversely affected by the ploughing event (e.g., as result of compaction or excessive drainage). Hence, the aim of this work was to assess the short-term effects of infrequent inversion tillage of long-term New Zealand pastoral-based dairy soils under summer crop management and autumn re-grassing. An imperfectly drained Typic Fragiaqualf under dairy grazing was deep ploughed (approx. 25 cm) and re-sown with turnip in October 2016; other treatments included were shallow (< 10 cm) cultivation and no-till. The site was core sampled (0-40 cm) before cultivation and after 5 months of turnip growth to assess changes in SOC. Plant growth, herbage quality, and nutrient leaching were monitored during the 5-month period; root growth was assessed at the end of the crop rotation. Full cultivation transferred SOC below 10 cm depth, as expected. Soil bulk density decreased whereas root mass increased (10-20 cm depth; P < 0.05) under deep cultivation only. Besides, losses of mineral N were attenuated under deep tillage, resulting in a relative increase in crop yield. The potential for infrequent inversion tillage increasing soil C sequestration as a greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation tool is currently being tested at other sites in New Zealand
Proposal to demonstrate the non-locality of Bohmian mechanics with entangled photons
Bohmian mechanics reproduces all statistical predictions of quantum
mechanics, which ensures that entanglement cannot be used for superluminal
signaling. However, individual Bohmian particles can experience superluminal
influences. We propose to illustrate this point using a double double-slit
setup with path-entangled photons. The Bohmian velocity field for one of the
photons can be measured using a recently demonstrated weak-measurement
technique. The found velocities strongly depend on the value of a phase shift
that is applied to the other photon, potentially at spacelike separation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
HST and ground-based eclipse observations of V2051 Ophiuchi: Binary parameters
We report on high-speed eclipse photometry of the dwarf nova V2051 Oph while
it was in a low brightness state, at B ~ 16.2 mag. In comparison to the average
IUE spectra, the ultraviolet continuum and emission lines appear reduced by
factors of, respectively, ~4 and ~5. Flickering activity is mostly suppressed
and the lightcurve shows the eclipse of a compact white dwarf at disc centre
which contributes ~60 per cent of the total light at 3900--4300 A. We use
measurements of contact phases in the eclipse lightcurve to derive the binary
geometry and to estimate masses and relevant dimensions. We find a mass ratio
of q= 0.19+/-0.03 and an inclination of i= 83+/-2 degrees. The masses of the
component stars are M_1 = 0.78+/-0.06 M_dot and M_2 = 0.15+/-0.03 M_dot. Our
photometric model predicts K_1 = 83+/-12 km/s and K_2= 435+/-11 km/s. The
predicted value of K_1 is in accordance with the velocity amplitude obtained
from the emission lines after a correction for asymmetric line emission in the
disc is made (Watts et al. 1986). The secondary of V2051 Oph is significantly
more massive than the secondaries of the other ultra-short period dwarf novae.
V2051 Oph is probably a relatively young system, whose secondary star had not
enough time to evolve out of thermal equilibrium.Comment: 16 pages, 7 postscript figures, coded using MNRAS latex style. To
appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Revised version
with changes in section 4.3. For related papers and files see
ftp://fsc01.fsc.ufsc.br/pub/bap and http://www.fsc.ufsc.br/~astr
Continuous Self-Similarity and -Duality
We study the spherically symmetric collapse of the axion/dilaton system
coupled to gravity. We show numerically that the critical solution at the
threshold of black hole formation is continuously self-similar. Numerical and
analytical arguments both demonstrate that the mass scaling away from
criticality has a critical exponent of .Comment: 17 pages, harvmac, six figures uuencoded in separate fil
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