Anomalously high potentials observed on ISEE

Data from two electric field experiments and from the plasma composition experiment on ISEE-1 are used to show that the spacecraft charged to close to -70 V in sunlight at 0700 UT on March 17, 1978. Data from the electron spectrometer experiment show that there was a potential barrier of -10 to -20 V about the spacecraft during this event. The potential barrier was effective in turning back emitted photoelectrons to the spacecraft. The stringent electrostatic cleanliness specifications imposed on ISEE make the presence of differential charging unlikely. Modeling of this event is required to determine if the barrier was produced by the presence of space charge

A new class of trapped light filaments

New class light filament identified in Raman radiation of intense ruby laser bea

Yang-Baxter equation for the asymmetric eight-vertex model

In this note we study `a la Baxter [1] the possible integrable manifolds of the asymmetric eight-vertex model. As expected they occur when the Boltzmann weights are either symmetric or satisfy the free-fermion condition but our analysis clarify the reason both manifolds need to share a universal invariant. We also show that the free-fermion condition implies three distinct classes of integrable models.Comment: Latex, 12 pages, 1 figur

Pancreatic cysts suspected to be branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm without concerning features have low risk for development of pancreatic cancer.

BackgroundThe risk of developing pancreatic cancer is uncertain in patients with clinically suspected branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (BD-IPMN) based on the "high-risk stigmata" or "worrisome features" criteria proposed in the 2012 international consensus guidelines ("Fukuoka criteria").MethodsRetrospective case series involving patients referred for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) of indeterminate pancreatic cysts with clinical and EUS features consistent with BD-IPMN. Rates of pancreatic cancer occurring at any location in the pancreas were compared between groups of patients with one or more Fukuoka criteria ("Highest-Risk Group", HRG) and those without these criteria ("Lowest-Risk Group", LRG).ResultsAfter exclusions, 661 patients comprised the final cohort (250 HRG and 411 LRG patients), 62% female with an average age of 67 years and 4 years of follow up. Pancreatic cancer, primarily adenocarcinoma, occurred in 60 patients (59 HRG, 1 LRG). Prevalent cancers diagnosed during EUS, immediate surgery, or first year of follow up were found in 48/661 (7.3%) of cohort and exclusively in HRG (33/77, 42.3%). Using Kaplan-Meier method, the cumulative incidence of cancer at 7 years was 28% in HRG and 1.2% in LRG patients (P<0.001).ConclusionsThis study supports using Fukuoka criteria to stratify the immediate and long-term risks of pancreatic cancer in presumptive BD-IPMN. The risk of pancreatic cancer was highest during the first year and occurred exclusively in those with "high-risk stigmata" or "worrisome features" criteria. After the first year all BD-IPMN continued to have a low but persistent cancer risk

A Spin - 3/2 Ising Model on a Square Lattice

The spin - 3/2 Ising model on a square lattice is investigated. It is shown that this model is reducible to an eight - vertex model on a surface in the parameter space spanned by coupling constants J, K, L and M. It is shown that this model is equivalent to an exactly solvable free fermion model along two lines in the parameter space.Comment: LaTeX, 7 pages, 1 figure upon request; JETP Letters, in pres

Wave-train induced unpinning of weakly anchored vortices in excitable media

A free vortex in excitable media can be displaced and removed by a wave-train. However, simple physical arguments suggest that vortices anchored to large inexcitable obstacles cannot be removed similarly. We show that unpinning of vortices attached to obstacles smaller than the core radius of the free vortex is possible through pacing. The wave-train frequency necessary for unpinning increases with the obstacle size and we present a geometric explanation of this dependence. Our model-independent results suggest that decreasing excitability of the medium can facilitate pacing-induced removal of vortices in cardiac tissue.Comment: Published versio

Dynamics of lattice spins as a model of arrhythmia

We consider evolution of initial disturbances in spatially extended systems with autonomous rhythmic activity, such as the heart. We consider the case when the activity is stable with respect to very smooth (changing little across the medium) disturbances and construct lattice models for description of not-so-smooth disturbances, in particular, topological defects; these models are modifications of the diffusive XY model. We find that when the activity on each lattice site is very rigid in maintaining its form, the topological defects - vortices or spirals - nucleate a transition to a disordered, turbulent state.Comment: 17 pages, revtex, 3 figure

Ordering in Two-Dimensional Ising Models with Competing Interactions

We study the 2D Ising model on a square lattice with additional non-equal diagonal next-nearest neighbor interactions. The cases of classical and quantum (transverse) models are considered. Possible phases and their locations in the space of three Ising couplings are analyzed. In particular, incommensurate phases occurring only at non-equal diagonal couplings, are predicted. We also analyze a spin-pseudospin model comprised of the quantum Ising model coupled to XY spin chains in a particular region of interactions, corresponding to the Ising sector's super-antiferromagnetic (SAF) ground state. The spin-SAF transition in the coupled Ising-XY model into a phase with co-existent SAF Ising (pseudospin) long-range order and a spin gap is considered. Along with destruction of the quantum critical point of the Ising sector, the phase digram of the Ising-XY model can also demonstrate a re-entrance of the spin-SAF phase. A detailed study of the latter is presented. The mechanism of the re-entrance, due to interplay of interactions in the coupled model, and the conditions of its appearance are established. Applications of the spin-SAF theory for the transition in the quarter-filled ladder compound NaV2O5 are discussed.Comment: Minor revisions and refs. added; published version of the invited paper in a special issue of "Low Temp. Physics

Analysis of a three-component model phase diagram by Catastrophe Theory

We analyze the thermodynamical potential of a lattice gas model with three components and five parameters using the methods of Catastrophe Theory. We find the highest singularity, which has codimension five, and establish its transversality. Hence the corresponding seven-degree Landau potential, the canonical form Wigwam or $A_6$, constitutes the adequate starting point to study the overall phase diagram of this model.Comment: 16 pages, Latex file, submitted to Phys. Rev.