976 research outputs found
The BMV experiment : a novel apparatus to study the propagation of light in a transverse magnetic field
In this paper, we describe in detail the BMV (Bir\'efringence Magn\'etique du
Vide) experiment, a novel apparatus to study the propagation of light in a
transverse magnetic field. It is based on a very high finesse Fabry-Perot
cavity and on pulsed magnets specially designed for this purpose. We justify
our technical choices and we present the current status and perspectives.Comment: To be published in the European Physical Journal
Towards a direct measurement of vacuum magnetic birefringence: PVLAS achievements
Nonlinear effects in vacuum have been predicted but never observed yet
directly. The PVLAS collaboration has long been working on an apparatus aimed
at detecting such effects by measuring vacuum magnetic birefringence.
Unfortunately the sensitivity has been affected by unaccounted noise and
systematics since the beginning. A new small prototype ellipsometer has been
designed and characterized at the Department of Physics of the University of
Ferrara, Italy entirely mounted on a single seismically isolated optical bench.
With a finesse F = 414000 and a cavity length L = 0.5 m we have reached the
predicted sensitivity of psi = 2x10^-8 1/sqrt(Hz) given the laser power at the
output of the ellipsomenter of P = 24 mW. This record result demonstrates the
feasibility of reaching such sensitivities and opens the way to designing a
dedicated apparatus for a first detection of vacuum magnetic birefringence
Interacting Discovery Processes on Complex Networks
Innovation is the driving force of human progress. Recent urn models reproduce well the dynamics through which the discovery of a novelty may trigger further ones, in an expanding space of opportunities, but neglect the effects of social interactions. Here we focus on the mechanisms of collective exploration and we propose a model in which many urns, representing different explorers, are coupled through the links of a social network and exploit opportunities coming from their contacts. We study different network structures showing, both analytically and numerically, that the pace of discovery of an explorer depends on its centrality in the social network. Our model sheds light on the role that social structures play in discovery processes
Limits on the violation of g-universality with a Galileo-type experiment
Abstract We present new results for a Galilean experiment using two masses of copper and tungsten in simultaneous free fall. The experiment searches for a possible difference in the free-fall acceleration Î g and it is sensitive to any composition-dependent interaction between the test masses and the earth, whose range exceeds 10 km. The results show no evidence for any composition-dependent gravity-like interaction within Îg ÎŒ Gal
Simplicial models of social contagion
Complex networks have been successfully used to describe the spread of
diseases in populations of interacting individuals. Conversely, pairwise
interactions are often not enough to characterize social contagion processes
such as opinion formation or the adoption of novelties, where complex
mechanisms of influence and reinforcement are at work. Here we introduce a
higher-order model of social contagion in which a social system is represented
by a simplicial complex and contagion can occur through interactions in groups
of different sizes. Numerical simulations of the model on both empirical and
synthetic simplicial complexes highlight the emergence of novel phenomena such
as a discontinuous transition induced by higher-order interactions. We show
analytically that the transition is discontinuous and that a bistable region
appears where healthy and endemic states co-exist. Our results help explain why
critical masses are required to initiate social changes and contribute to the
understanding of higher-order interactions in complex systems.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, Supplementary Informatio
Group interactions modulate critical mass dynamics in social convention
How can minorities of individuals overturn social conventions? The theory of critical mass states that when a committed minority reaches a critical size, a cascade of behavioural changes can occur, overturning apparently stable social norms. Evidence comes from theoretical and empirical studies in which minorities of very different sizes, including extremely small ones, manage to bring a system to its tipping point. Here, we explore this diversity of scenarios by introducing group interactions as a crucial element of realism into a model for social convention. We find that the critical mass necessary to trigger behaviour change can be very small if individuals have a limited propensity to change their views. Moreover, the ability of the committed minority to overturn existing norms depends in a complex way on the group size. Our findings reconcile the different sizes of critical mass found in previous investigations and unveil the critical role of groups in such processes. This further highlights the importance of the emerging field of higher-order networks, beyond pairwise interactions
Tectonic and stratigraphic evolution based on seismic sequence stratigraphy: Central rift section of the campos basin, offshore brazil
The rift section of the Brazilian basins represent the sedimentary record associated with the first stages of Gondwana breakâup in the Early Cretaceous phase (Berriasian to Aptian). The rift succession of the Campos Basin constitutes one of the main petroleum systems of Brazilâs marginal basins. This interval contains the main source rock and important reservoirs in the Lagoa Feia Group deposits. The Lagoa Feia Group is characterized by siliciclastic, carbonate and evaporite sediments deposited during the rift and postârift phases. Despite the economic relevance, little is known in stratigraphic terms regarding this rift interval. To date, most studies of the Lagoa Feia Group have adopted a lithostratigraphic approach, while this study proposes a tectonostrati-graphic framework for the deepârift succession of the Campos Basin (Lagoa Feia Group), using the fundamentals of seismic sequence stratigraphy. This work also aims to establish a methodological and practical procedure for the stratigraphic analysis of rift basins, using seismic data and seismofacies, and focusing on tectonicstratigraphic analysis. The dataset comprised 2D seismic lines, core and lithological logs from exploration wells. Three seismic facies were identified based on reflector patterns and lithologic data from well cores, providing an improved subdivision of the preâ, synâ and postârift stages. The synârift stage was further subdivided based on the geometric patterns of the reflectors. Tectonics was the main controlling factor in the sedimentary succession, and the pattern and geometry of the seismic reflectors of the synârift interval in the Campos Basin allowed the identification of three tectonic systems tracts: (i) a Rift Initiation Systems Tract; (ii) a High Tectonic Activity Systems Tract and (iii) a Low Tectonic Activity Systems Tract
Light propagation in non-trivial QED vacua
Within the framework of effective action QED, we derive the light cone
condition for homogeneous non-trivial QED vacua in the geometric optics
approximation. Our result generalizes the ``unified formula'' suggested by
Latorre, Pascual and Tarrach and allows for the calculation of velocity shifts
and refractive indices for soft photons travelling through these vacua.
Furthermore, we clarify the connection between the light velocity shift and the
scale anomaly. This study motivates the introduction of a so-called effective
action charge that characterizes the velocity modifying properties of the
vacuum. Several applications are given concerning vacuum modifications caused
by, e.g., strong fields, Casimir systems and high temperature.Comment: 13 pages, REVTeX, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
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