13,112 research outputs found
Spectral Singularities of Complex Scattering Potentials and Infinite Reflection and Transmission Coefficients at real Energies
Spectral singularities are spectral points that spoil the completeness of the
eigenfunctions of certain non-Hermitian Hamiltonian operators. We identify
spectral singularities of complex scattering potentials with the real energies
at which the reflection and transmission coefficients tend to infinity, i.e.,
they correspond to resonances having a zero width. We show that a wave guide
modeled using such a potential operates like a resonator at the frequencies of
spectral singularities. As a concrete example, we explore the spectral
singularities of an imaginary PT-symmetric barrier potential and demonstrate
the above resonance phenomenon for a certain electromagnetic wave guide.Comment: Published versio
The Rapidly Fading Optical Afterglow of GRB 980519
GRB 980519 had the most rapidly fading of the well-documented GRB afterglows,
consistent with t^{-2.05 +/- 0.04} in BVRI as well as in X-rays during the two
days in which observations were made. We report VRI observations from the MDM
1.3m and WIYN 3.5m telescopes, and we synthesize an optical spectrum from all
of the available photometry. The optical spectrum alone is well fitted by a
power law of the form nu^{-1.20 +/- 0.25}, with some of the uncertainty due to
the significant Galactic reddening in this direction. The optical and X-ray
spectra together are adequately fitted by a single power law nu^{-1.05 +/-
0.10}. This combination of steep temporal decay and flat broad-band spectrum
places a severe strain on the simplest afterglow models involving spherical
blast waves in a homogeneous medium. Instead, the rapid observed temporal decay
is more consistent with models of expansion into a medium of density n(r)
proportional to r^{-2}, or with predictions of the evolution of a jet after it
slows down and spreads laterally. The jet model would relax the energy
requirements on some of the more extreme GRBs, of which GRB 980519 is likely to
be an example because of its large gamma-ray fluence and faint host galaxy.Comment: 13 pages, submitted to ApJ Letter
Wavelets Applied to the Detection of Point Sources of UHECRs
In this work we analyze the effect of smoothing maps containing arrival
directions of cosmic rays with a gaussian kernel and kernels of the mexican hat
wavelets of orders 1, 2 and 3. The analysis is performed by calculating the
amplification of the signal-to-noise ratio for several anisotropy patterns
(noise) and different number of events coming from a simulated source (signal)
for an ideal detector capable of observing the full sky with equal probability.
We extend this analysis for a virtual detector located within the array of
detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory, considering an acceptance law.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Proceedings of the Young Researchers Meeting,
2010. Available in:
http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/physicae/ojs-2.1.1/index.php/physicae/article/view/191;
Physicae, Proceedings of the Young Researchers Meeting, Vol 1, 201
Atopic disease in childhood
The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.A child with atopy produces IgE antibodies after exposure to common environmental allergens. The atopic diseases (eczema, asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis) are clinical syndromes each defined by a group of symptoms and signs. Not all children with atopy will have atopic disease or develop symptoms after exposure to an allergen. Both genetic and environmental factors determine the development of atopic disease. The presence of specific IgE antibodies to environmental allergens is determined with skin prick or radioallergosorbent testing in children with atopy. Test results should be interpreted in the context of the clinical history and further investigations (eg, allergen avoidance or challenge). Management of atopic disease is frequently symptomatic, but it is important to avoid identified allergen triggers. Immunotherapy may be considered in selected school-age children with severe rhinoconjunctivitis. Preventing atopic disease in high-risk infants and hindering progression of disease in children with established disease are the areas of active research.Michael S Gold and Andrew S Kem
Ratchet-like dynamics of fluxons in annular Josephson junctions driven by bi-harmonic microwave fields
Experimental observation of the unidirectional motion of a topological
soliton driven by a bi-harmonic ac force of zero mean is reported. The
observation is made by measuring the current-voltage characteristics for a
fluxon trapped in an annular Josephson junction that was placed into a
microwave field. The measured dependence of the fluxon mean velocity (rectified
voltage) at zero dc bias versus the phase shift between the first and second
harmonic of the driving force is in qualitative agreement with theoretical
expectations.Comment: 6 figure
Early Origins of Adult Cancer Risk Among Men and Women: Influence of Childhood Misfortune?
Objective—To examine the effect of five childhood misfortune domains—parental behavior, socioeconomic status, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and impairments—on all-site and selected site-specific cancer prevalence and all-site cancer incidence.
Method—Panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2004–2012) were used to investigate cancer risk among adults above the age of 50.
Results—Risky parental behavior and impairment in childhood were associated with higher odds of all-site cancer prevalence, and childhood chronic disease was associated with prostate cancer, even after adjusting for adult health and socioeconomic factors. Moreover, having one infectious disease in childhood lowered the odds of colon cancer. Cancer trends varied by race and ethnicity, most notably, higher prostate cancer prevalence among Black men and lower all-site cancer among Hispanic adults.
Discussion—These findings underscore the importance of examining multiple domains of misfortune because the type and amount of misfortune influence cancer risk in different ways
Focusing of Intense Subpicosecond Laser Pulses in Wedge Targets
Two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations characterizing the interaction
of ultraintense short pulse lasers in the range 10^{18} \leq I \leq 10^{20}
W/cm^{2} with converging target geometries are presented. Seeking to examine
intensity amplification in high-power laser systems, where focal spots are
typically non-diffraction limited, we describe key dynamical features as the
injected laser intensity and convergence angle of the target are systematically
varied. We find that laser pulses are focused down to a wavelength with the
peak intensity amplified by an order of magnitude beyond its vacuum value, and
develop a simple model for how the peak location moves back towards the
injection plane over time. This performance is sustained over hundreds of
femtoseconds and scales to laser intensities beyond 10^{20} W/cm^{2} at 1 \mu m
wavelength.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physics of Plasma
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