207 research outputs found
Quantum-classical transition for an analog of double-slit experiment in complex collisions: Dynamical decoherence in quantum many-body systems
We study coherent superpositions of clockwise and anti-clockwise rotating
intermediate complexes with overlapping resonances formed in bimolecular
chemical reactions. Disintegration of such complexes represents an analog of
famous double-slit experiment. The time for disappearance of the interference
fringes is estimated from heuristic arguments related to fingerprints of
chaotic dynamics of a classical counterpart of the coherently rotating complex.
Validity of this estimate is confirmed numerically for the H+D chemical
reaction. Thus we demonstrate the quantum--classical transition in temporal
behavior of highly excited quantum many-body systems in the absence of external
noise and coupling to an environment.Comment: 5 pages, 2 ps color figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Macroscopic quantum superpositions in highly-excited strongly-interacting many-body systems
We demonstrate a break-down in the macroscopic (classical-like) dynamics of
wave-packets in complex microscopic and mesoscopic collisions. This break-down
manifests itself in coherent superpositions of the rotating clockwise and
anticlockwise wave-packets in the regime of strongly overlapping many-body
resonances of the highly-excited intermediate complex. These superpositions
involve many-body configurations so that their internal interactive
complexity dramatically exceeds all of those previously discussed and
experimentally realized. The interference fringes persist over a time-interval
much longer than the energy relaxation-redistribution time due to the
anomalously slow phase randomization (dephasing). Experimental verification of
the effect is proposed.Comment: Title changed, few changes in the abstract and in the main body of
the paper, and changes in the font size in the figure. Uses revTex4, 4 pages,
1 ps figur
Slow cross-symmetry phase relaxation in complex collisions
We discuss the effect of slow phase relaxation and the spin off-diagonal
-matrix correlations on the cross section energy oscillations and the time
evolution of the highly excited intermediate systems formed in complex
collisions. Such deformed intermediate complexes with strongly overlapping
resonances can be formed in heavy ion collisions, bimolecular chemical
reactions and atomic cluster collisions. The effects of quasiperiodic energy
dependence of the cross sections, coherent rotation of the hyperdeformed
intermediate complex, Schr\"odinger cat states and
quantum-classical transition are studied for Mg+Si heavy ion
scattering.Comment: 10 pages including 2 color ps figures. To be published in Physics of
Atomic Nuclei (Yadernaya fizika
The ‘state of exception’ and disaster education: a multilevel conceptual framework with implications for social justice
The term ‘state of exception’ has been used by Italian political theorist Giorgio Agamben to explain the ways in which emergencies, crises and disasters are used by governments to suspend legal processes. In this paper, we innovatively apply Agamben’s theory to the way in which countries prepare and educate the population for various types of emergencies. We focus on two main aspects of Agamben’s work: first, the paradoxical nature of the state of exception, as both a transient and a permanent part of governance. Second, it is a ‘liminal’ concept expressing the limits of law and where ‘law’ meets ‘not-law’. We consider the relationship between laws related to disasters and emergencies, and case studies of the ways in which three countries (England, Germany and Japan) educate their populations for crisis and disaster. In England, we consider how emergency powers have been orientated around the protection of the Critical National Infrastructure and how this has produced localised ‘states of exception’ and, relatedly, pedagogical anomalies. In Germany, we consider the way in which laws related to disaster and civil protection, and the nature of volunteering for civil protection, produce exceptional spaces for non-German bodies. In Japan, we consider the debate around the absence of emergency powers and relate this to Japanese non-exceptional disaster education for natural disasters. Applying Agamben’s work, we conclude by developing a new, multilevel empirical framework for analysing disaster education with implications for social justice
Asymmetric Excitatory Synaptic Dynamics Underlie Interaural Time Difference Processing in the Auditory System
In order to localize sounds in the environment, the auditory system detects and encodes differences in signals between each ear. The exquisite sensitivity of auditory brain stem neurons to the differences in rise time of the excitation signals from the two ears allows for neuronal encoding of microsecond interaural time differences
Identifying an educational response to the prevent policy: student perspectives on learning about terrorism, extremism and radicalisation
School responses to the Prevent agenda have tended to focus primarily on ‘safeguarding’ approaches, which essentially perceive some young people as being ‘at risk’ and potentially as presenting a risk to others. In this article we consider evidence from secondary school students who experienced a curriculum project on terrorism, extremism and radicalisation. We argue that a curriculum response which addresses the acquisition of knowledge can build students’ critical capacity for engagement with radicalisation through enhanced political literacy and media literacy. We further argue this represents a genuinely educational response to Prevent, as opposed to a more restrictive securitised approach
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