22,014 research outputs found
Random copolymer: Gaussian variational approach
We study the phase transitions of a random copolymer chain with quenched
disorder. We apply a replica variational approach based on a Gaussian trial
Hamiltonian in terms of the correlation functions of monomer Fourier
coordinates. This allows us to study collapse, phase separation and freezing
transitions within the same mean field theory. The effective free energy of the
system is derived analytically and analysed numerically. Such quantities as the
radius of gyration or the average value of the overlap between different
replicas are treated as observables and evaluated by introducing appropriate
external fields to the Hamiltonian. We obtain the phase diagram and show that
this system exhibits a scale dependent freezing transition. The correlations
between replicas appear at different length scales as the temperature
decreases. This indicates the existence of the topological frustration.Comment: 15 pages, 4 Postscript figure
Exact Solution of a Jamming Transition: Closed Equations for a Bootstrap Percolation Problem
Jamming, or dynamical arrest, is a transition at which many particles stop
moving in a collective manner. In nature it is brought about by, for example,
increasing the packing density, changing the interactions between particles, or
otherwise restricting the local motion of the elements of the system. The onset
of collectivity occurs because, when one particle is blocked, it may lead to
the blocking of a neighbor. That particle may then block one of its neighbors,
these effects propagating across some typical domain of size named the
dynamical correlation length. When this length diverges, the system becomes
immobile. Even where it is finite but large the dynamics is dramatically
slowed. Such phenomena lead to glasses, gels, and other very long-lived
nonequilibrium solids. The bootstrap percolation models are the simplest
examples describing these spatio-temporal correlations. We have been able to
solve one such model in two dimensions exactly, exhibiting the precise
evolution of the jamming correlations on approach to arrest. We believe that
the nature of these correlations and the method we devise to solve the problem
are quite general. Both should be of considerable help in further developing
this field.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Mode-Coupling Theory of Colloids with Short-range Attractions
Within the framework of the mode-coupling theory of super-cooled liquids, we
investigate new phenomena in colloidal systems on approach to their glass
transitions. When the inter-particle potential contains an attractive part,
besides the usual repulsive hard core, two intersecting liquid-glass transition
lines appear, one of which extends to low densities, while the other one, at
high densities, shows a re-entrant behaviour. In the glassy region a new type
of transition appears between two different types of glasses. The complex
phenomenology can be described in terms of higher order glass transition
singularities. The various glass phases are characterised by means of their
viscoelastic properties. The glass driven by attractions has been associated to
particle gels, and the other glass is the well known repulsive colloidal glass.
These correspondences, in associations with the new predictions of glassy
behaviour mean that such phenomena may be expected in colloidal systems with,
for example, strong depletion or other short-ranged attractive potentials.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure
Dead Time Compensation for High-Flux Ranging
Dead time effects have been considered a major limitation for fast data
acquisition in various time-correlated single photon counting applications,
since a commonly adopted approach for dead time mitigation is to operate in the
low-flux regime where dead time effects can be ignored. Through the application
of lidar ranging, this work explores the empirical distribution of detection
times in the presence of dead time and demonstrates that an accurate
statistical model can result in reduced ranging error with shorter data
acquisition time when operating in the high-flux regime. Specifically, we show
that the empirical distribution of detection times converges to the stationary
distribution of a Markov chain. Depth estimation can then be performed by
passing the empirical distribution through a filter matched to the stationary
distribution. Moreover, based on the Markov chain model, we formulate the
recovery of arrival distribution from detection distribution as a nonlinear
inverse problem and solve it via provably convergent mathematical optimization.
By comparing per-detection Fisher information for depth estimation from high-
and low-flux detection time distributions, we provide an analytical basis for
possible improvement of ranging performance resulting from the presence of dead
time. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our formulation and
algorithm via simulations of lidar ranging.Comment: Revision with added estimation results, references, and figures, and
modified appendice
Simulating Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on Urban Transport Infrastructure in the UK
Urban areas face many risks from future climate change and their infrastructure will be placed under more pressure
due to changes in climate extremes. Using the Tyndall Centre Urban Integrated Assessment Framework, this paper
describes a methodology used to assess the impacts of future climate extremes on transport infrastructure in
London. Utilising high-resolution projections for future climate in the UK, alongside stochastic weather generators
for downscaling, urban temperature and flooding models are used to provide information on the likelihood of future
extremes. These are then coupled with spatial network models of urban transport infrastructure and, using thresholds
to define the point at which systems cease to function normally, disruption to the networks can be simulated.
Results are shown for both extreme heat and urban surface water flooding events and the impacts on the travelling
population, in terms of both disruption time and monetary cost
Geometry of Empty Space is the Key to Near-Arrest Dynamics
We study several examples of kinetically constrained lattice models using
dynamically accessible volume as an order parameter. Thereby we identify two
distinct regimes exhibiting dynamical slowing, with a sharp threshold between
them. These regimes are identified both by a new response function in
dynamically available volume, as well as directly in the dynamics. Results for
the selfdiffusion constant in terms of the connected hole density are
presented, and some evidence is given for scaling in the limit of dynamical
arrest.Comment: 11 page
Insights into the effective management of support groups for Aboriginal Australian women with substance use disorders
Aboriginal women with substance use disorders are a vulnerable population. This study examines approaches used to deliver support to Aboriginal women in an outpatient alcohol and other drug treatment service in Australia. A descriptive qualitative study was undertaken using structured interviews to explore staff and client perceptions of current and optimal processes for the management of an Aboriginal women’s group. The findings show that approaches to the management of the support group involved personal skills development and therapeutic strategies that were all grounded in the women’s social and cultural context. A framework is proposed for the management of support groups that may be transferrable to other culturally distinct and marginalised populations
Resummation Effects in Vector-Boson and Higgs Associated Production
Fixed-order QCD radiative corrections to the vector-boson and Higgs
associated production channels, pp -> VH (V=W, Z), at hadron colliders are well
understood. We combine higher order perturbative QCD calculations with
soft-gluon resummation of both threshold logarithms and logarithms which are
important at low transverse momentum of the VH pair. We study the effects of
both types of logarithms on the scale dependence of the total cross section and
on various kinematic distributions. The next-to-next-to-next-to-leading
logarithmic (NNNLL) resummed total cross sections at the LHC are almost
identical to the fixed-order perturbative next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO)
rates, indicating the excellent convergence of the perturbative QCD series.
Resummation of the VH transverse momentum (p_T) spectrum provides reliable
results for small values of p_T and suggests that implementing a jet-veto will
significantly decrease the cross sections.Comment: 25 pages, references update
Sphaleron-Bisphaleron bifurcations in a custodial-symmetric two-doublets model
The standard electroweak model is extended by means of a second
Brout-Englert-Higgs-doublet. The symmetry breaking potential is chosen is such
a way that (i) the Lagrangian possesses a custodial symmetry, (ii) a static,
spherically symmetric ansatz of the bosonic fields consistently reduces the
Euler-Lagrange equations to a set of differential equations. The potential
involves, in particular, products of fields of the two doublets, with a
coupling constant .Static, finite energy solutions of the classical
equations are constructed. The regular, non-trivial solutions having the lowest
classical energy can be of two types: sphaleron or bisphaleron, according to
the coupling constants. A special emphasis is put to the bifurcation between
these two types of solutions which is analyzed in function of the different
constants of the model,namely of .Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
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