12,480 research outputs found
On the Preparation of Pure States in Resonant Microcavities
We consider the time evolution of the radiation field (R) and a two-level
atom (A) in a resonant microcavity in terms of the Jaynes-Cummings model with
an initial general pure quantum state for the radiation field. It is then
shown, using the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and also a Poisson resummation
technique, that {\it perfect} coherence of the atom can in general never be
achieved. The atom and the radiation field are, however, to a good
approximation in a pure state in the middle of what
has been traditionally called the ``collapse region'', independent of the
initial state of the atoms, provided that the initial pure state of the
radiation field has a photon number probability distribution which is
sufficiently peaked and phase differences that do not vary significantly around
this peak. An approximative analytic expression for the quantity
\Tr[\rho^2_{A}(t)], where is the reduced density matrix for the
atom, is derived. We also show that under quite general circumstances an
initial entangled pure state will be disentangled to the pure state .Comment: 14 pages and 3 figure
A Research-Based Curriculum for Teaching the Photoelectric Effect
Physics faculty consider the photoelectric effect important, but many
erroneously believe it is easy for students to understand. We have developed
curriculum on this topic including an interactive computer simulation,
interactive lectures with peer instruction, and conceptual and mathematical
homework problems. Our curriculum addresses established student difficulties
and is designed to achieve two learning goals, for students to be able to (1)
correctly predict the results of photoelectric effect experiments, and (2)
describe how these results lead to the photon model of light. We designed two
exam questions to test these learning goals. Our instruction leads to better
student mastery of the first goal than either traditional instruction or
previous reformed instruction, with approximately 85% of students correctly
predicting the results of changes to the experimental conditions. On the
question designed to test the second goal, most students are able to correctly
state both the observations made in the photoelectric effect experiment and the
inferences that can be made from these observations, but are less successful in
drawing a clear logical connection between the observations and inferences.
This is likely a symptom of a more general lack of the reasoning skills to
logically draw inferences from observations.Comment: submitted to American Journal of Physic
A comparative analysis of rawinsonde and NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellite profile data
Comparisons are made between rawinsonde and satellite profiles in seven areas for a wide range of surface and weather conditions. Variables considered include temperature, dewpoint temperature, thickness, precipitable water, lapse rate of temperature, stability, geopotential height, mixing ratio, wind direction, wind speed, and kinematic parameters, including vorticity and the advection of vorticity and temperature. In addition, comparisons are made in the form of cross sections and synoptic fields for selected variables. Sounding data from the NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellites were used. Geostrophic wind computed from smoothed geopotential heights provided large scale flow patterns that agreed well with the rawinsonde wind fields. Surface wind patterns as well as magnitudes computed by use of the log law to extrapolate wind to a height of 10 m agreed with observations. Results of this study demonstrate rather conclusively that satellite profile data can be used to determine characteristics of large scale systems but that small scale features, such as frontal zones, cannot yet be resolved
A Conversation Among Deans on Results: Legal Education, Institutional Change, and a Decade of Gender Studies
On March 10, 2006, the Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, cosponsoring with the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and the Harvard Law Review, hosted a conference, Results: Legal Education, Institutional Change, and a Decade of Gender Studies, to address the number of student experience studies that detail women\u27s lower performance in and dissatisfaction with law school. Rather than advocate for a particular set of responses to the different experiences of men and women in legal education, this conference sought to foster a discussion about the institutional challenges these patterns highlight. As one means of accomplishing this end, law school deans from across the country spoke about their strategies to change legal education. Edward Rubin, dean of Vanderbilt Law School, discussed how law school still acts as a rite of passage that is more suited to an era when the public sphere was male-dominated, and suggested reforms in legal curriculum in light of changes in the legal profession. W. H. Knight, dean of the University of Washington School of Law, concentrated on how law school culture might change as to become more rewarding for students and more inclusive of students from diverse backgrounds. Katherine Bartlett, dean of Duke Law School, spoke about the role of technology in infusing the context in which law operates in the study of law, as well as the Duke Blueprint, a mission statement that helps students (and faculty) examine the motives and values they will bring to becoming a lawyer
Impacts of Grazing on Watersheds: A State of Knowledge.
36 pgLivestock grazing affects watershed hydrologic properties by removing
protective plant cover and by trampling. Reductions in the
vegetation cover may: (a) increase the impact of raindrops, (b) decrease
soil organic matter and soil aggregates, (c) increase surface
crusts, (d) decrease infiltration rates, and/or increase erosion. Resultant
impacts may include increased overland flow, reduced soil water
content, and increased erosion. Bacteria and/or nutrients as potential
pollutants from livestock grazing do not appear to be a problem on
areas not included on riparian zones.
Existing studies show no hydrologic advantage to grazing a watershed
lightly rather than moderately. Some studies show no difference
in soil loss, infiltration capacity, or soil bulk density between light.
moderate, or ungrazed pastures. Little information supports claims for
specialized grazing systems. To evaluate hydrologic impacts adequately,
additional studies, both intensive and extensive, should be
conducted
Depth-averaged simulation of flows in asymmetric compound channels with smooth and rough narrow floodplains
Depth-averaged hydrodynamic models are predominantly used in numerical simulations of
compound channel flows. One of the most popular methods for the depth-averaged simulation
is Shiono and Knight method (SKM). This method accounts for the effects of bed friction, lateral
turbulence and secondary flows, via three key parameters f, λ and Γ, respectively. The conventional
expressions that are developed to calibrate these parameters are generally based on
experiments in compound channels with wide floodplains. In this study, the application of SKM
to an asymmetric compound channel with a narrow floodplain is examined in terms of the
calibration requirements. Two sets of experiments that have smooth and rough floodplains are
conducted and then simulated by SKM. In smooth floodplain cases, the results reveal that SKM
model with the conventional calibration expressions of f, λ and Г is reasonably capable of
predicting the distributions of depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress in the main
channel. However, in the floodplain region, the expressions recommended for calibrating Г
need to be modified to improve the predicted results in that region. In cases of the rough
floodplain, the results indicate that only the values of λ in the main channel need to be
changed from its conventional values to improve the predictions
Magneto-elastic coupling and competing entropy changes in substituted CoMnSi metamagnets
We use neutron diffraction, magnetometry and low temperature heat capacity to
probe giant magneto-elastic coupling in CoMnSi-based antiferromagnets and to
establish the origin of the entropy change that occurs at the metamagnetic
transition in such compounds. We find a large difference between the electronic
density of states of the antiferromagnetic and high magnetisation states. The
magnetic field-induced entropy change is composed of this contribution and a
significant counteracting lattice component, deduced from the presence of
negative magnetostriction. In calculating the electronic entropy change, we
note the importance of using an accurate model of the electronic density of
states, which here varies rapidly close to the Fermi energy.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Figures 4 and 6 were updated in v2 of this
preprint. In v3, figures 1 and 2 have been updated, while Table II and the
abstract have been extended. In v4, Table I has updated with relevant neutron
diffraction dat
THE ACCUSED IS ENTERING THE COURTROOM: THE LIVE-TWEETING OF A MURDER TRIAL.
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupThe use of social media is now widely accepted within journalism as an outlet for news information. Live tweeting of unfolding events is standard practice. In March 2014, Oscar Pistorius went on trial in the Gauteng High Court for murder. Hundreds of journalists present began live-tweeting coverage, an unprecedented combination of international interest, permission to use technology and access which resulted in massive streams of consciousness reports of events as they unfolded. Based on a corpus of Twitter feeds of twenty-four journalists covering the trial, this study analyses the content and strategies of these feeds in order to present an understanding of how microblogging is used as a live reporting tool. This study shows the development of standardised language and strategies in reporting on Twitter, concluding that journalists adopt a narrow range of approaches, with no significant variation in terms of gender, location, or medium. This is in contrast to earlier studies in the field (Awad, 2006, Hedman, 2015; Kothari, 2010; Lariscy, Avery, Sweetser, & Howes, 2009 Lasorsa, 2012; Lasorsa, Lewis, & Holton, 2011; Sigal, 1999, Vis, 2013).Peer reviewe
Locating the source of projectile fluid droplets
The ill-posed projectile problem of finding the source height from spattered
droplets of viscous fluid is a longstanding obstacle to accident reconstruction
and crime scene analysis. It is widely known how to infer the impact angle of
droplets on a surface from the elongation of their impact profiles. However,
the lack of velocity information makes finding the height of the origin from
the impact position and angle of individual drops not possible. From aggregate
statistics of the spatter and basic equations of projectile motion, we
introduce a reciprocal correlation plot that is effective when the polar launch
angle is concentrated in a narrow range. The vertical coordinate depends on the
orientation of the spattered surface, and equals the tangent of the impact
angle for a level surface. When the horizontal plot coordinate is twice the
reciprocal of the impact distance, we can infer the source height as the slope
of the data points in the reciprocal correlation plot. If the distribution of
launch angles is not narrow, failure of the method is evident in the lack of
linear correlation. We perform a number of experimental trials, as well as
numerical calculations and show that the height estimate is insensitive to
aerodynamic drag. Besides its possible relevance for crime investigation,
reciprocal-plot analysis of spatter may find application to volcanism and other
topics and is most immediately applicable for undergraduate science and
engineering students in the context of crime-scene analysis.Comment: To appear in the American Journal of Physics (ms 23338). Improved
readability and organization in this versio
Phase-change chalcogenide glass metamaterial
Combining metamaterials with functional media brings a new dimension to their
performance. Here we demonstrate substantial resonance frequency tuning in a
photonic metamaterial hybridized with an electrically/optically switchable
chalcogenide glass. The transition between amorphous and crystalline forms
brings about a 10% shift in the near-infrared resonance wavelength of an
asymmetric split-ring array, providing transmission modulation functionality
with a contrast ratio of 4:1 in a device of sub-wavelength thickness.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure
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