6,411 research outputs found
Implications of non-feasible transformations among icosahedral orbitals
The symmetric group that permutes the six five-fold axes of an
icosahedron is introduced to go beyond the simple rotations that constitute the
icosahedral group . Owing to the correspondence , the
calculation of the Coulomb energies for the icosahedral configurations
based on the sequence can be brought
to bear on Racah's classic theory for the atomic d shell based on . Among the elements of is the kaleidoscope
operator that rotates the weight space of SO(5) by . Its use
explains some puzzling degeneracies in d^3 involving the spectroscopic terms
^2P, ^2F, ^2G and ^2H.Comment: Tentatively scheduled to appear in Physical Preview Letters Apr 5,
99. Revtex, 1 ps figur
New methodology for assessing the probability of contaminating Mars
Methodology is proposed to assess the probability that the planet Mars will be contaminated by terrestrial microorganisms aboard a spacecraft. The present NASA methods are extended to permit utilization of detailed information on microbial characteristics, the lethality of release and transport mechanisms, and of other information about the Martian environment. Different types of microbial release are distinguished, and for each release mechanism a probability of growth is computed. Using this new methodology, an assessment was carried out for the 1975 Viking landings on Mars. The resulting probability of contamination for each Viking lander is 6 x 10 to the -6 power, and is amenable to revision as additional information becomes available
Assessment of the probability of contaminating Mars
New methodology is proposed to assess the probability that the planet Mars will by biologically contaminated by terrestrial microorganisms aboard a spacecraft. Present NASA methods are based on the Sagan-Coleman formula, which states that the probability of contamination is the product of the expected microbial release and a probability of growth. The proposed new methodology extends the Sagan-Coleman approach to permit utilization of detailed information on microbial characteristics, the lethality of release and transport mechanisms, and of other information about the Martian environment. Three different types of microbial release are distinguished in the model for assessing the probability of contamination. The number of viable microbes released by each mechanism depends on the bio-burden in various locations on the spacecraft and on whether the spacecraft landing is accomplished according to plan. For each of the three release mechanisms a probability of growth is computed, using a model for transport into an environment suited to microbial growth
Quantifying Finite Temperature Effects in Atom Chip Interferometry of Bose-Einstein Condensates
We quantify the effect of phase fluctuations on atom chip interferometry of
Bose-Einstein condensates. At very low temperatures, we observe small phase
fluctuations, created by mean-field depletion, and a resonant production of
vortices when the two clouds are initially in anti-phase. At higher
temperatures, we show that the thermal occupation of Bogoliubov modes makes
vortex production vary smoothly with the initial relative phase difference
between the two atom clouds. We also propose a technique to observe vortex
formation directly by creating a weak link between the two clouds. The position
and direction of circulation of the vortices is subsequently revealed by kinks
in the interference fringes produced when the two clouds expand into one
another. This procedure may be exploited for precise force measurement or
motion detection.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Quantum reflection of ultracold atoms from thin films, graphene, and semiconductor heterostructures
We show that thin dielectric films can be used to enhance the performance of
passive atomic mirrors by enabling quantum reflection probabilities of over 90%
for atoms incident at velocities ~1 mm/s, achieved in recent experiments. This
enhancement is brought about by weakening the Casimir-Polder attraction between
the atom and the surface, which induces the quantum reflection. We show that
suspended graphene membranes also produce higher quantum reflection
probabilities than bulk matter. Temporal changes in the electrical resistance
of such membranes, produced as atoms stick to the surface, can be used to
monitor the reflection process, non-invasively and in real time. The resistance
change allows the reflection probability to be determined purely from
electrical measurements without needing to image the reflected atom cloud
optically. Finally, we show how perfect atom mirrors may be manufactured from
semiconductor heterostructures, which employ an embedded two-dimensional
electron gas to tailor the atom-surface interaction and so enhance the
reflection by classical means.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
The Sensitivity of First Generation Epoch of Reionization Observatories and Their Potential for Differentiating Theoretical Power Spectra
Statistical observations of the epoch of reionization (EOR) power spectrum
provide a rich data set for understanding the transition from the cosmic "dark
ages" to the ionized universe we see today. EOR observations have become an
active area of experimental cosmology, and three first generation
observatories--MWA, PAST, and LOFAR--are currently under development. In this
paper we provide the first quantitative calculation of the three dimensional
power spectrum sensitivity, incorporating the design parameters of a planned
array. This calculation is then used to explore the constraints these first
generation observations can place on the EOR power spectrum. The results
demonstrate the potential of upcoming power spectrum observations to constrain
theories of structure formation and reionization.Comment: 7 pages with 5 figures. Submitted to Ap
Cold atoms near superconductors: Atomic spin coherence beyond the Johnson noise limit
We report on the measurement of atomic spin coherence near the surface of a
superconducting niobium wire. As compared to normal conducting metal surfaces,
the atomic spin coherence is maintained for time periods beyond the Johnson
noise limit. The result provides experimental evidence that magnetic near field
noise near the superconductor is strongly suppressed. Such long atomic spin
coherence times near superconductors open the way towards the development of
coherently coupled cold atom / solid state hybrid quantum systems with
potential applications in quantum information processing and precision force
sensing.Comment: Major revisions of the text for submission to New Journal of Physics
8 pages, 4 figure
Analytic Treatment of Positronium Spin Splittings in Light-Front QED
We study the QED bound-state problem in a light-front hamiltonian approach.
Starting with a bare cutoff QED Hamiltonian, , with matrix elements
between free states of drastically different energies removed, we perform a
similarity transformation that removes the matrix elements between free states
with energy differences between the bare cutoff, , and effective
cutoff, \lam (\lam < \Lam). This generates effective interactions in the
renormalized Hamiltonian, . These effective interactions are derived
to order in this work, with . is renormalized
by requiring it to satisfy coupling coherence. A nonrelativistic limit of the
theory is taken, and the resulting Hamiltonian is studied using bound-state
perturbation theory (BSPT). The effective cutoff, \lam^2, is fixed, and the
limit, 0 \longleftarrow m^2 \alpha^2\ll \lam^2 \ll m^2 \alpha \longrightarrow
\infty, is taken. This upper bound on \lam^2 places the effects of
low-energy (energy transfer below \lam) emission in the effective
interactions in the sector. This lower bound on \lam^2
insures that the nonperturbative scale of interest is not removed by the
similarity transformation. As an explicit example of the general formalism
introduced, we show that the Hamiltonian renormalized to reproduces
the exact spectrum of spin splittings, with degeneracies dictated by rotational
symmetry, for the ground state through . The entire calculation is
performed analytically, and gives the well known singlet-triplet ground state
spin splitting of positronium, . We discuss remaining
corrections other than the spin splittings and how they can be treated in
calculating the spectrum with higher precision.Comment: 46 pages, latex, 3 Postscript figures included, section on remaining
corrections added, title changed, error in older version corrected, cutoff
placed in a windo
First record of the Western Grape Leafhopper, Erythroneura elegantula Osborn (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), in Canada
Surveys conducted in the South Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, revealed that a new leafhopper pest of grapes, the western grape leafhopper (WGL), Erythroneura elegantula Osborn, was widespread and often abundant in Vineyards on the east side of the Valley from just north of Penticton south to the United States border. Infestations occurred on drier upland sites where most commercial grape production occurs. The largest populations of up to 40 nymphs per leaf were recorded from commercial Vineyards that had applied reduced rates of the insecticide carbaryl for control of the Virginia creeper leafhopper, E. ziczac Walsh
Geometric scaling in the spectrum of an electron captured by a stationary finite dipole
We examine the energy spectrum of a charged particle in the presence of a
{\it non-rotating} finite electric dipole. For {\emph{any}} value of the dipole
moment above a certain critical value p_{\mathrm{c}}$ an infinite series of
bound states arises of which the energy eigenvalues obey an Efimov-like
geometric scaling law with an accumulation point at zero energy. These
properties are largely destroyed in a realistic situation when rotations are
included. Nevertheless, our analysis of the idealised case is of interest
because it may possibly be realised using quantum dots as artificial atoms.Comment: 5 figures; references added, outlook section reduce
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