50,678 research outputs found
First passage time for random walks in heterogeneous networks
The first passage time (FPT) for random walks is a key indicator of how fast
information diffuses in a given system. Despite the role of FPT as a
fundamental feature in transport phenomena, its behavior, particularly in
heterogeneous networks, is not yet fully understood. Here, we study, both
analytically and numerically, the scaling behavior of the FPT distribution to a
given target node, averaged over all starting nodes. We find that random walks
arrive quickly at a local hub, and therefore, the FPT distribution shows a
crossover with respect to time from fast decay behavior (induced from the
attractive effect to the hub) to slow decay behavior (caused by the exploring
of the entire system). Moreover, the mean FPT is independent of the degree of
the target node in the case of compact exploration. These theoretical results
justify the necessity of using a random jump protocol (empirically used in
search engines) and provide guidelines for designing an effective network to
make information quickly accessible.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
The color of sea level: importance of spatial variations in spectral shape for assessing the significance of trends
We investigate spatial variations in the shape of the spectrum of sea level variability, based on a homogeneously-sampled 12-year gridded altimeter dataset. We present a method of plotting spectral information as color, focusing on periods between 2 and 24 weeks, which shows that significant spatial variations in the spectral shape exist,
and contain useful dynamical information. Using the Bayesian Information Criterion, we determine that, typically, a 5th order autoregressive model is needed to capture the structure in the spectrum. Using this model, we show that statistical errors in fitted local trends range between less than 1 and more than 5 times what would be calculated assuming âwhiteâ noise, and the time needed to detect a 1 mm/yr trend ranges between about 5 years and many decades. For global-mean sea level, the statistical error reduces to 0.1 mm/yr over 12 years, with only 2 years needed to detect a 1 mm/yr trend. We find significant regional differences in trend from the global mean. The
patterns of these regional differences are indicative of a sea level trend dominated by dynamical ocean processes, over this perio
Theory of disorder-induced multiple coherent scattering in photonic crystal waveguides
We introduce a theoretical formalism to describe disorder-induced extrinsic
scattering in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides. This work details and
extends the optical scattering theory used in a recent \emph{Physical Review
Letter} [M. Patterson \emph{et al.}, \emph{Phys. Rev. Lett.} \textbf{102},
103901 (2009)] to describe coherent scattering phenomena and successfully
explain complex experimental measurements. Our presented theory, that combines
Green function and coupled mode methods, allows one to self-consistently
account for arbitrary multiple scattering for the propagating electric field
and recover experimental features such as resonances near the band edge. The
technique is fully three-dimensional and can calculate the effects of disorder
on the propagating field over thousands of unit cells. As an application of
this theory, we explore various sample lengths and disordered instances, and
demonstrate the profound effect of multiple scattering in the waveguide
transmission. The spectra yield rich features associated with disorder-induced
localization and multiple scattering, which are shown to be exasperated in the
slow light propagation regime
Exact mean first-passage time on the T-graph
We consider a simple random walk on the T-fractal and we calculate the exact
mean time to first reach the central node . The mean is performed
over the set of possible walks from a given origin and over the set of starting
points uniformly distributed throughout the sites of the graph, except .
By means of analytic techniques based on decimation procedures, we find the
explicit expression for as a function of the generation and of the
volume of the underlying fractal. Our results agree with the asymptotic
ones already known for diffusion on the T-fractal and, more generally, they are
consistent with the standard laws describing diffusion on low-dimensional
structures.Comment: 6 page
Time and M-theory
We review our recent proposal for a background independent formulation of a
holographic theory of quantum gravity. The present review incorporates the
necessary background material on geometry of canonical quantum theory,
holography and spacetime thermodynamics, Matrix theory, as well as our specific
proposal for a dynamical theory of geometric quantum mechanics, as applied to
Matrix theory. At the heart of this review is a new analysis of the conceptual
problem of time and the closely related and phenomenologically relevant problem
of vacuum energy in quantum gravity. We also present a discussion of some
observational implications of this new viewpoint on the problem of vacuum
energy.Comment: 86 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX, typos fixed, references added, and Sec.
6.2 revised; invited review for Int. J. Mod. Phys.
Peer-to-peer:is deviant behavior the norm on P2P file-sharing networks?
P2P file-sharing networks such as Kazaa, eDonkey, and Limewire boast millions of users. Because of scalability concerns and legal issues, such networks are moving away from the semicentralized approach that Napster typifies toward more scalable and anonymous decentralized P2P architectures. Because they lack any central authority, these networks provide a new, interesting context for the expression of human social behavior. However, the activities of P2P community members are sometimes at odds with what real-world authorities consider acceptable. One example is the use of P2P networks to distribute illegal pornography. To gauge the form and extent of P2P-based sharing of illegal pornography, we analyzed pornography-related resource-discovery traffic in the Gnutella P2P network. We found that a small yet significant proportion of Gnutella activity relates to illegal pornography: for example, 1.6 percent of searches and 2.4 percent of responses are for this type of material. But does this imply that such activity is widespread in the file-sharing population? On the contrary, our results show that a small yet particularly active subcommunity of users searches for and distributes illegal pornography, but it isn't a behavioral norm
Nonlinear photon transport in a semiconductor waveguide-cavity system containing a single quantum dot: Anharmonic cavity-QED regime
We present a semiconductor master equation technique to study the
input/output characteristics of coherent photon transport in a semiconductor
waveguide-cavity system containing a single quantum dot. We use this approach
to investigate the effects of photon propagation and anharmonic cavity-QED for
various dot-cavity interaction strengths, including weakly-coupled,
intermediately-coupled, and strongly-coupled regimes. We demonstrate that for
mean photon numbers much less than 0.1, the commonly adopted weak excitation
(single quantum) approximation breaks down, even in the weak coupling regime.
As a measure of the anharmonic multiphoton-correlations, we compute the Fano
factor and the correlation error associated with making a semiclassical
approximation. We also explore the role of electron--acoustic-phonon scattering
and find that phonon-mediated scattering plays a qualitatively important role
on the light propagation characteristics. As an application of the theory, we
simulate a conditional phase gate at a phonon bath temperature of K in the
strong coupling regime.Comment: To appear in PR
Perceptions, experiences and opportunities for occupational safety and health professionals arising out of the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study explored perceptions, experiences and opportunities for the occupational safety and health professional (OSHP) as a result of COVID-19. Using qualitative methods, interviews took place with OSHPs in two organisations to understand how their role developed during the pandemic. Additionally, seven focus groups were organised and met virtually, using the Zoom platform, each addressing a different topic identified by the researchers. Participants (n = 45) from 10 different countries were distributed among the focus groups. Topics were separated into four themes: impact on the workplace; the psychosocial dynamic; medical and health issues and occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. Results were subsequently divided into seven action categories and compared with the findings from the organisational interviews. Comparison pointed to an expanded role for the OSHP including business continuity, resilience and wellbeing in addition to assessing and controlling risks emerging during the pandemic. There is also the need for a means to adequately disseminate trustworthy information. Results indicated that there was no single âaverageâ role of the OSHP, demonstrating essential contributions as a member of the management team. Results also stressed that the pandemic carried three health-related co-morbidities, stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and burnout. Directions for future research included: the education of the OSHP to support a move away from compliance towards risk management; determining how mental health issues in organisations should be managed; expanded roles for OSHPs within business; and implications for professional bodies, membership institutions and academia in supporting the above-mentioned emerging roles
Gravitational Effects in Quantum Mechanics
To date, both quantum theory, and Einstein's theory of general relativity
have passed every experimental test in their respective regimes. Nevertheless,
almost since their inception, there has been debate surrounding whether they
should be unified and by now there exists strong theoretical arguments pointing
to the necessity of quantising the gravitational field. In recent years, a
number of experiments have been proposed which, if successful, should give
insight into features at the Planck scale. Here we review some of the
motivations, from the perspective of semi-classical arguments, to expect new
physical effects at the overlap of quantum theory and general relativity. We
conclude with a short introduction to some of the proposals being made to
facilitate empirical verification.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figures, review article. Submitted to Contemporary
Physic
Double-impulse magnetic focusing of launched cold atoms.
We have theoretically investigated three-dimensional focusing of a launched cloud of cold atoms using a pair of magnetic lens pulses (the alternate-gradient method). Individual lenses focus radially and defocus axially or vice versa. The performance of the two possible pulse sequences are compared and found to be ideal for loading both 'pancake' and 'sausage' shaped magnetic/optical microtraps. It is shown that focusing aberrations are considerably smaller for double-impulse magnetic lenses compared to single-impulse magnetic lenses. An analysis of clouds focused by the double-impulse technique is presented
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