4,530 research outputs found
Optical studies of gap, hopping energies and the Anderson-Hubbard parameter in the zigzag-chain compound SrCuO2
We have investigated the electronic structure of the zigzag ladder (chain)
compound SrCuO2 combining polarized optical absorption, reflection,
photoreflectance and pseudo-dielectric function measurements with the model
calculations. These measurements yield an energy gap of 1.42 eV (1.77 eV) at
300 K along (perpendicular) to the Cu-O chains. We have found that the lowest
energy gap, the correlation gap, is temperature independent. The electronic
structure of this oxide is calculated using both the
local-spin-density-approximation with gradient correction method, and the
tight-binding theory for the correlated electrons. The calculated density of
electronic states for non-correlated and correlated electrons shows
quasi-one-dimensional character. The correlation gap values of 1.42 eV
(indirect transition) and 1.88 eV (direct transition) have been calculated with
the electron hopping parameters t = 0.30 eV (along a chain), t_yz = 0.12 eV
(between chains) and the Anderson-Hubbard repulsion on copper sites U= 2.0 eV.
We concluded that SrCuO_2 belongs to the correlated-gap insulators.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Phys.Rev.
Underground railroads: citizen entitlements and unauthorized mobility in the antebellum period and today
In recent years, some scholars and prominent political figures have advocated the deepening of North American integration on roughly the European Union model, including the creation of new political institutions and the free movement of workers across borders. The construction of such a North American Union, if it included even a very thin trans-state citizenship regime, could represent the most significant expansion of individual entitlements in the region since citizenship was extended to former slaves in the United States. With such a possibility as its starting point, this article explores some striking parallels between the mass, legally prohibited movement across boundaries by fugitive slaves in the pre-Civil War period, and that by current unauthorized migrants to the United States. Both were, or are, met on their journeys by historically parallel groups of would-be helpers and hinderers. Their unauthorized movements in both periods serve as important signals of incomplete entitlements or institutional protections. Most crucially, moral arguments for extending fuller entitlements to both groups are shown here to be less distinct than may be prima facie evident, reinforcing the case for expanding and deepening the regional membership regime
Cosmological neutrinos
The current status of neutrino cosmology is reviewed, from the question of
neutrino decoupling and the presence of sterile neutrinos to the effects of
neutrinos on the cosmic microwave background and large scale structure.
Particular emphasis is put on cosmological neutrino mass measurements.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, review for NJP focus issue on neutrino
Mean-field analysis of the q-voter model on networks
We present a detailed investigation of the behavior of the nonlinear q-voter
model for opinion dynamics. At the mean-field level we derive analytically, for
any value of the number q of agents involved in the elementary update, the
phase diagram, the exit probability and the consensus time at the transition
point. The mean-field formalism is extended to the case that the interaction
pattern is given by generic heterogeneous networks. We finally discuss the case
of random regular networks and compare analytical results with simulations.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figure
The subpopulation pattern of eel sperm is affected by post-activation time, hormonal treatment and thermal regime
[EN] There has been a marked reduction in natural stocks of eels (genus Anguilla) over the past 60 years, and the culture of eels is still based on the capture of very large quantities of juveniles. It is necessary to close the life cycle in captivity in order to ease the pressure on wild populations. The aims of the present study were to evaluate sperm subpopulations (through cluster analysis of computer-aided sperm analysis data) in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and to assess the effects of motility acquisition time after activation (i.e. at 30, 60 and 90 s), the thermal regimen (i.e. 10 degrees C (T10) or 15 degrees C (T15) and up to 20 degrees C, or constant at 20 degrees C (T20)) and hormonal treatments (i.e. human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), recombinant (r) hCG or pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG)) on these subpopulations. In all cases, we obtained three subpopulations of spermatozoa: low velocity and linear (S1); high velocity with low linearity (S2); and high velocity and linear (S3; considered high quality). Total motility and S1 were affected by acquisition time; thus, 30 s is recommended as the standard time for motility acquisition. When eels were kept at 20 degrees C (T20), motility data fitted quadratic models, with the highest motility and proportion of S3 between Weeks 8 and 12 after the first injection. Lower temperatures (T10, T15) delayed spermiation and the obtaining of high-quality spermatozoa (S3), but did not seem to alter the spermiation process (similar subpopulation pattern). Conversely, the hormonal treatments altered both the dynamics of the subpopulation pattern and the onset of spermiation (with PMSG delaying it). Total motility and the yield of S3 with the widely used hCG treatment varied throughout the spermiation period. However, using rhCG allowed us to obtain high-quality and constant motility for most of the study (Weeks 7-20), and the S3 yield was also higher overall (61.8 +/- 1.3%; mean +/- s.e.m.) and more stable over time than the other hormonal treatments (averaging 53.0 +/- 1.4%). Using T20 and rhCG would be more economical and practical, allowing us to obtain a higher number of S3 spermatozoa over an extended time.This study was funded by the European Community's 7th Framework Program under the Theme 2 'Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Bio-technology', grant agreement no. 245257 (PRO-EEL) and Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP/2012/086). VG and MCV have predoctoral grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2010-16009) and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) PAID Program (2011-S2-02-6521), respectively. DSP was supported by a contract cofinanced by Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and UPV (PTA2011-4948-I). FM-P was supported by the Ramon y Cajal program (MICINN, RYC-2008-02560).Gallego Albiach, V.; Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Peñaranda, D.; Pérez Igualada, LM.; Herraez, MP.; Asturiano Nemesio, JF.; Martinez-Pastor, F. (2015). The subpopulation pattern of eel sperm is affected by post-activation time, hormonal treatment and thermal regime. Reproduction, Fertility and Development. 27(3):529-543. https://doi.org/10.1071/RD13198S52954327
Scale-Free model for governing universe dynamics
We investigate the effects of scale-free model on cosmology, providing, in
this way, a statistical background in the framework of general relativity. In
order to discuss properties and time evolution of some relevant universe
dynamical parameters (cosmographic parameters), such as (Hubble
parameter), (deceleration parameter), (jerk parameter) and
(snap parameter), which are well re-defined in the framework of scale-free
model, we analyze a comparison between WMAP data. Hence the basic purpose of
the work is to consider this statistical interpretation of mass distribution of
universe, in order to have a mass density dynamics, not inferred from
Friedmann equations, via scale factor . This model, indeed, has been used
also to explain a possible origin and a viable explanation of cosmological
constant, which assumes a statistical interpretation without the presence of
extended theories of gravity; hence the problem of dark energy could be
revisited in the context of a classical probability distribution of mass, which
is, in particular, for the scale-free model, , with
. The CDM model becomes, with these considerations, a
consequence of the particular statistics together with the use of general
relativity.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Scaling of mean first-passage time as efficiency measure of nodes sending information on scale-free Koch networks
A lot of previous work showed that the sectional mean first-passage time
(SMFPT), i.e., the average of mean first-passage time (MFPT) for random walks
to a given hub node (node with maximum degree) averaged over all starting
points in scale-free small-world networks exhibits a sublinear or linear
dependence on network order (number of nodes), which indicates that hub
nodes are very efficient in receiving information if one looks upon the random
walker as an information messenger. Thus far, the efficiency of a hub node
sending information on scale-free small-world networks has not been addressed
yet. In this paper, we study random walks on the class of Koch networks with
scale-free behavior and small-world effect. We derive some basic properties for
random walks on the Koch network family, based on which we calculate
analytically the partial mean first-passage time (PMFPT) defined as the average
of MFPTs from a hub node to all other nodes, excluding the hub itself. The
obtained closed-form expression displays that in large networks the PMFPT grows
with network order as , which is larger than the linear scaling of
SMFPT to the hub from other nodes. On the other hand, we also address the case
with the information sender distributed uniformly among the Koch networks, and
derive analytically the entire mean first-passage time (EMFPT), namely, the
average of MFPTs between all couples of nodes, the leading scaling of which is
identical to that of PMFPT. From the obtained results, we present that although
hub nodes are more efficient for receiving information than other nodes, they
display a qualitatively similar speed for sending information as non-hub nodes.
Moreover, we show that the location of information sender has little effect on
the transmission efficiency. The present findings are helpful for better
understanding random walks performed on scale-free small-world networks.Comment: Definitive version published in European Physical Journal
Dissecting the long-term emission behaviour of the BL Lac object Mrk 421
We report on long-term multiwavelengthmonitoring of blazar Mrk 421 by the GLAST-AGILE
Support Program of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (GASP-WEBT) collaboration and
Steward Observatory, and by the Swift and Fermi satellites. We study the source behaviour in
the period 2007–2015, characterized by several extreme flares. The ratio between the optical,
X-ray and γ -ray fluxes is very variable. The γ -ray flux variations show a fair correlation with
the optical ones starting from 2012.We analyse spectropolarimetric data and find wavelengthdependence
of the polarization degree (P), which is compatible with the presence of the
host galaxy, and no wavelength dependence of the electric vector polarization angle (EVPA).
Optical polarimetry shows a lack of simple correlation between P and flux and wide rotations of
the EVPA.We build broad-band spectral energy distributions with simultaneous near-infrared
and optical data from the GASP-WEBT and ultraviolet and X-ray data from the Swift satellite.
They show strong variability in both flux and X-ray spectral shape and suggest a shift of
the synchrotron peak up to a factor of ∼50 in frequency. The interpretation of the flux and
spectral variability is compatible with jet models including at least two emitting regions that
can change their orientation with respect to the line of sight.http://10.0.4.69/mnras/stx2185Accepted manuscrip
Ultrahigh energy neutrinos in the Mediterranean: Detecting ντ and νμ with a km3 telescope
We perform a study of the ultra high energy neutrino detection performances of a km3 Neutrino Telescope sitting at the three proposed sites for ANTARES, NEMO and NESTOR in the Mediterranean sea. We focus on the effect of the underwater surface profile on the total amount of yearly expected tau and mu crossing the fiducial volume in the limit of full detection efficiency and energy resolution. We also emphasize the possible enhancement of matter effect by a suitable choice of the geometry of the Telescope
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