837 research outputs found
Simplicial Quantum Gravity on a Randomly Triangulated Sphere
We study 2D quantum gravity on spherical topologies employing the Regge
calculus approach with the dl/l measure. Instead of the normally used fixed
non-regular triangulation we study random triangulations which are generated by
the standard Voronoi-Delaunay procedure. For each system size we average the
results over four different realizations of the random lattices. We compare
both types of triangulations quantitatively and investigate how the difference
in the expectation value of the squared curvature, , for fixed and random
triangulations depends on the lattice size and the surface area A. We try to
measure the string susceptibility exponents through finite-size scaling
analyses of the expectation value of an added -interaction term, using two
conceptually quite different procedures. The approach, where an ultraviolet
cut-off is held fixed in the scaling limit, is found to be plagued with
inconsistencies, as has already previously been pointed out by us. In a
conceptually different approach, where the area A is held fixed, these problems
are not present. We find the string susceptibility exponent in
rough agreement with theoretical predictions for the sphere, whereas the
estimate for appears to be too negative. However, our results
are hampered by the presence of severe finite-size corrections to scaling,
which lead to systematic uncertainties well above our statistical errors. We
feel that the present methods of estimating the string susceptibilities by
finite-size scaling studies are not accurate enough to serve as testing grounds
to decide about a success or failure of quantum Regge calculus.Comment: LaTex, 29 pages, including 9 figure
New insight into cataract formation -- enhanced stability through mutual attraction
Small-angle neutron scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations
combined with an application of concepts from soft matter physics to complex
protein mixtures provide new insight into the stability of eye lens protein
mixtures. Exploring this colloid-protein analogy we demonstrate that weak
attractions between unlike proteins help to maintain lens transparency in an
extremely sensitive and non-monotonic manner. These results not only represent
an important step towards a better understanding of protein condensation
diseases such as cataract formation, but provide general guidelines for tuning
the stability of colloid mixtures, a topic relevant for soft matter physics and
industrial applications.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication on Phys. Rev. Let
Volume fluctuations and geometrical constraints in granular packs
Structural organization and correlations are studied in very large packings
of equally sized acrylic spheres, reconstructed in three-dimensions by means of
X-ray computed tomography. A novel technique, devised to analyze correlations
among more than two spheres, shows that the structural organization can be
conveniently studied in terms of a space-filling packing of irregular
tetrahedra. The study of the volume distribution of such tetrahedra reveals an
exponential decay in the region of large volumes; a behavior that is in very
good quantitative agreement with theoretical prediction. I argue that the
system's structure can be described as constituted of two phases: 1) an
`unconstrained' phase which freely shares the volume; 2) a `constrained' phase
which assumes configurations accordingly with the geometrical constraints
imposed by the condition of non-overlapping between spheres and mechanical
stability. The granular system exploits heterogeneity maximizing freedom and
entropy while constraining mechanical stability.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Point Source Extraction with MOPEX
MOPEX (MOsaicking and Point source EXtraction) is a package developed at the
Spitzer Science Center for astronomical image processing. We report on the
point source extraction capabilities of MOPEX. Point source extraction is
implemented as a two step process: point source detection and profile fitting.
Non-linear matched filtering of input images can be performed optionally to
increase the signal-to-noise ratio and improve detection of faint point
sources. Point Response Function (PRF) fitting of point sources produces the
final point source list which includes the fluxes and improved positions of the
point sources, along with other parameters characterizing the fit. Passive and
active deblending allows for successful fitting of confused point sources.
Aperture photometry can also be computed for every extracted point source for
an unlimited number of aperture sizes. PRF is estimated directly from the input
images. Implementation of efficient methods of background and noise estimation,
and modified Simplex algorithm contribute to the computational efficiency of
MOPEX. The package is implemented as a loosely connected set of perl scripts,
where each script runs a number of modules written in C/C++. Input parameter
setting is done through namelists, ASCII configuration files. We present
applications of point source extraction to the mosaic images taken at 24 and 70
micron with the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS) as part of the Spitzer
extragalactic First Look Survey and to a Digital Sky Survey image. Completeness
and reliability of point source extraction is computed using simulated data.Comment: 20 pages, 13 Postscript figures, accepted for publication in PAS
Identification of structure in condensed matter with the topological cluster classification
We describe the topological cluster classification (TCC) algorithm. The TCC
detects local structures with bond topologies similar to isolated clusters
which minimise the potential energy for a number of monatomic and binary simple
liquids with particles. We detail a modified Voronoi bond detection
method that optimizes the cluster detection. The method to identify each
cluster is outlined, and a test example of Lennard-Jones liquid and crystal
phases is considered and critically examined.Comment: 28 pages, 28 figure
New Monte Carlo method for planar Poisson-Voronoi cells
By a new Monte Carlo algorithm we evaluate the sidedness probability p_n of a
planar Poisson-Voronoi cell in the range 3 \leq n \leq 1600. The algorithm is
developed on the basis of earlier theoretical work; it exploits, in particular,
the known asymptotic behavior of p_n as n\to\infty. Our p_n values all have
between four and six significant digits. Accurate n dependent averages, second
moments, and variances are obtained for the cell area and the cell perimeter.
The numerical large n behavior of these quantities is analyzed in terms of
asymptotic power series in 1/n. Snapshots are shown of typical occurrences of
extremely rare events implicating cells of up to n=1600 sides embedded in an
ordinary Poisson-Voronoi diagram. We reveal and discuss the characteristic
features of such many-sided cells and their immediate environment. Their
relevance for observable properties is stressed.Comment: 35 pages including 10 figures and 4 table
Asymptotic statistics of the n-sided planar Voronoi cell: II. Heuristics
We develop a set of heuristic arguments to explain several results on planar
Poisson-Voronoi tessellations that were derived earlier at the cost of
considerable mathematical effort. The results concern Voronoi cells having a
large number n of sides. The arguments start from an entropy balance applied to
the arrangement of n neighbors around a central cell. It is followed by a
simplified evaluation of the phase space integral for the probability p_n that
an arbitrary cell be n-sided. The limitations of the arguments are indicated.
As a new application we calculate the expected number of Gabriel (or full)
neighbors of an n-sided cell in the large-n limit.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure
Gravitational Wilson Loop and Large Scale Curvature
In a quantum theory of gravity the gravitational Wilson loop, defined as a
suitable quantum average of a parallel transport operator around a large
near-planar loop, provides important information about the large-scale
curvature properties of the geometry. Here we shows that such properties can be
systematically computed in the strong coupling limit of lattice regularized
quantum gravity, by performing a local average over rotations, using an assumed
near-uniform measure in group space. We then relate the resulting quantum
averages to an expected semi-classical form valid for macroscopic observers,
which leads to an identification of the gravitational correlation length
appearing in the Wilson loop with an observed large-scale curvature. Our
results suggest that strongly coupled gravity leads to a positively curved (De
Sitter-like) quantum ground state, implying a positive effective cosmological
constant at large distances.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure
Cell size distribution in a random tessellation of space governed by the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami model: Grain size distribution in crystallization
The space subdivision in cells resulting from a process of random nucleation
and growth is a subject of interest in many scientific fields. In this paper,
we deduce the expected value and variance of these distributions while assuming
that the space subdivision process is in accordance with the premises of the
Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami model. We have not imposed restrictions on the
time dependency of nucleation and growth rates. We have also developed an
approximate analytical cell size probability density function. Finally, we have
applied our approach to the distributions resulting from solid phase
crystallization under isochronal heating conditions
The perimeter of large planar Voronoi cells: a double-stranded random walk
Let be the probability for a planar Poisson-Voronoi cell to have
exactly sides. We construct the asymptotic expansion of up to
terms that vanish as . We show that {\it two independent biased
random walks} executed by the polar angle determine the trajectory of the cell
perimeter. We find the limit distribution of (i) the angle between two
successive vertex vectors, and (ii) the one between two successive perimeter
segments. We obtain the probability law for the perimeter's long wavelength
deviations from circularity. We prove Lewis' law and show that it has
coefficient 1/4.Comment: Slightly extended version; journal reference adde
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