7,034 research outputs found
Observation of correlations up to the micrometer scale in sliding charge-density waves
High-resolution coherent x-ray diffraction experiment has been performed on
the charge density wave (CDW) system KMoO. The satellite
reflection associated with the CDW has been measured with respect to external
dc currents. In the sliding regime, the satellite reflection displays
secondary satellites along the chain axis which corresponds to correlations up
to the micrometer scale. This super long range order is 1500 times larger than
the CDW period itself. This new type of electronic correlation seems inherent
to the collective dynamics of electrons in charge density wave systems. Several
scenarios are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures Typos added, references remove
The chemical diversity of comets
A fundamental question in cometary science is whether the different dynamical
classes of comets have different chemical compositions, which would reflect
different initial conditions. From the ground or Earth orbit, radio and
infrared spectroscopic observations of a now significant sample of comets
indeed reveal deep differences in the relative abundances of cometary ices.
However, no obvious correlation with dynamical classes is found. Further
results come, or are expected, from space exploration. Such investigations, by
nature limited to a small number of objects, are unfortunately focussed on
short-period comets (mainly Jupiter-family). But these in situ studies provide
"ground truth" for remote sensing. We discuss the chemical differences in
comets from our database of spectroscopic radio observations, which has been
recently enriched by several Jupiter-family and Halley-type comets.Comment: In press in Earth, Moon and Planets (proceedings of the workshop
"Future Ground-based Solar System Research: Synergies with Space Probes and
Space Telescopes", Portoferraio, Isola d'Elba, Livorno (Italy), 8-12
September 2008). 6 pages with 2 figure
Searching for Dark Matter at the LHC with a Mono-Z
We investigate a mono-Z process as a potential dark matter search strategy at
the LHC. In this channel a single Z boson recoils against missing transverse
momentum, attributed to dark matter particles, , which escape the
detector. This search strategy is related, and complementary to, monojet and
monophoton searches. For illustrative purposes we consider the process
in a toy dark matter model, where the Z boson is
emitted from either the initial state quarks, or from the internal propagator.
Among the signatures of this process will be a pair of muons with high pT that
reconstruct to the invariant mass of the Z, and large amounts of missing
transverse energy. Being a purely electroweak signal, QCD and other Standard
Model backgrounds are relatively easily removed with modest selection cuts. We
compare the signal to Standard Model backgrounds and demonstrate that, even for
conservative cuts, there exist regions of parameter space where the signal may
be clearly visible above background in future LHC data, allowing either new
discovery potential or the possibility of supplementing information about the
dark sector beyond that available from other observable channels.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure
Dark Matter Annihilation Signatures from Electroweak Bremsstrahlung
We examine observational signatures of dark matter annihilation in the Milky
Way arising from electroweak bremsstrahlung contributions to the annihilation
cross section. It has been known for some time that photon bremsstrahlung may
significantly boost DM annihilation yields. Recently, we have shown that
electroweak bremsstrahlung of W and Z gauge bosons can be the dominant
annihilation channel in some popular models with helicity-suppressed 2 --> 2
annihilation. W/Z-bremsstrahlung is particularly interesting because the gauge
bosons produced via annihilation subsequently decay to produce large correlated
fluxes of electrons, positrons, neutrinos, hadrons (including antiprotons) and
gamma rays, which are all of importance in indirect dark matter searches. Here
we calculate the spectra of stable annihilation products produced via
gamma/W/Z-bremsstrahlung. After modifying the fluxes to account for the
propagation through the Galaxy, we set upper bounds on the annihilation cross
section via a comparison with observational data. We show that stringent cosmic
ray antiproton limits preclude a sizable dark matter contribution to observed
cosmic ray positron fluxes in the class of models for which the bremsstrahlung
processes dominate.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Updated to match PRD versio
Resampling technique applied to statistics of microsegregation characterization
Characterization of chemical heterogeneities at the dendrite scale is of practical importance for understanding phase transformation either during solidification or during subsequent solid-state treatment. Spot analysis with electron probe is definitely well-suited to investigate such heterogeneities at the micron scale that is relevant for most solidified products. However, very few has been done about the statistics of experimental solute distributions gained from such analyses when they are now more and more used for validating simulation data. There are two main sources generating discrepancies between estimated and actual solute distributions in an alloy: i) data sampling with a limited number of measurements to keep analysis within a reasonable time length; and ii) uncertainty linked to the measurement process, namely the physical noise that accompanies X-ray emission. Focusing on the first of these sources, a few 2-D composition images have been generated by phase field modelling of a Mg-Al alloy. These images were then used to obtain "true" solute distributions to which to compare coarse grid analyses as generally performed with a microanalyser. Resampling, i.e. generating several distributions by grid analyses with limited number of picked-up values, was then used to get statistics of estimates of solute distribution. The discussion of the present results deals first with estimating the average solute content and then focuses on the distribution in the primary phase
Complex networks: new trends for the analysis of brain connectivity
Today, the human brain can be studied as a whole. Electroencephalography,
magnetoencephalography, or functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques
provide functional connectivity patterns between different brain areas, and
during different pathological and cognitive neuro-dynamical states. In this
Tutorial we review novel complex networks approaches to unveil how brain
networks can efficiently manage local processing and global integration for the
transfer of information, while being at the same time capable of adapting to
satisfy changing neural demands.Comment: Tutorial paper to appear in the Int. J. Bif. Chao
High energy gamma ray balloon instrument
The High Energy Gamma Ray Balloon Instrument was built in part to verify certain subsystems' performance for the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) instrument, the high energy telescope to be carried on the Gamma Ray Observatory. This paper describes the instrument, the performance of some subsystems, and some relevant results
The Locality Problem in Quantum Measurements
The locality problem of quantum measurements is considered in the framework
of the algebraic approach. It is shown that contrary to the currently
widespread opinion one can reconcile the mathematical formalism of the quantum
theory with the assumption of the existence of a local physical reality
determining the results of local measurements. The key quantum experiments:
double-slit experiment on electron scattering, Wheeler's delayed-choice
experiment, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, and quantum teleportation are
discussed from the locality-problem point of view. A clear physical
interpretation for these experiments, which does not contradict the classical
ideas, is given.Comment: Latex, 40 pages, 7 figure
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