Time-Varying Fine-Structure Constant Requires Cosmological Constant

Webb et al. presented preliminary evidence for a time-varying fine-structure constant. We show Teller's formula for this variation to be ruled out within the Einstein-de Sitter universe, however, it is compatible with cosmologies which require a large cosmological constant.Comment: 3 pages, no figures, revtex, to be published in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Ultrafast response of tunnel injected quantum dot based semiconductor optical amplifiers in the 1300 nm range

The ultrafast gain and refractive index dynamics of tunnel injected quantum dot based semiconductor optical amplifiers in the 1300 nm range are investigated using a heterodyne pump probe technique. In the gain regime, ground state wavelengths exhibit full gain recovery in less than 10 ps up to 3 times transparency, attributed to enhanced carrier refilling via the injector layer. The effect of the injector can also been seen in unusual phase dynamics at excited state wavelengths at this injection level. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. (doi:10.1063/1.3686901

Theoretical tools for CMB physics

This review presents, in a self-consistent manner, those analytical tools that are relevant for the analysis of the physics of CMB anisotropies generated in different theoretical models of the early Universe. After introducing the physical foundations of the Sachs-Wolfe effect, the origin and evolution of the scalar, tensor and vector modes of the geometry is treated in both gauge-invariant and gauge-dependent descriptions. Some of the recent progresses in the theory of cosmological perturbations are scrutinized with particular attention to their implications for the adiabatic and isocurvature paradigms, whose description is reviewed both within conventional fluid approaches and within the the Einstein-Boltzmann treatment. Open problems and theoretical challenges for a unified theory of the early Universe are outlined in light of their implications for the generation of large-scale anisotropies in the CMB sky and in light of the generation of stochastic backgrounds of relic gravitons between few Hz and the GHz.Comment: 147 pages, 6 figures; minor corrected typo

Hippocampal volumes are important predictors for memory function in elderly women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Normal aging involves a decline in cognitive function that has been shown to correlate with volumetric change in the hippocampus, and with genetic variability in the APOE-gene. In the present study we utilize 3D MR imaging, genetic analysis and assessment of verbal memory function to investigate relationships between these factors in a sample of 170 healthy volunteers (age range 46–77 years).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Brain morphometric analysis was performed with the automated segmentation work-flow implemented in FreeSurfer. Genetic analysis of the APOE genotype was determined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA from whole-blood. All individuals were subjected to extensive neuropsychological testing, including the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT). To obtain robust and easily interpretable relationships between explanatory variables and verbal memory function we applied the recent method of conditional inference trees in addition to scatterplot matrices and simple pairwise linear least-squares regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>APOE genotype had no significant impact on the CVLT results (scores on long delay free recall, CVLT-LD) or the ICV-normalized hippocampal volumes. Hippocampal volumes were found to decrease with age and a right-larger-than-left hippocampal asymmetry was also found. These findings are in accordance with previous studies. CVLT-LD score was shown to correlate with hippocampal volume. Multivariate conditional inference analysis showed that gender and left hippocampal volume largely dominated predictive values for CVLT-LD scores in our sample. Left hippocampal volume dominated predictive values for females but not for males. APOE genotype did not alter the model significantly, and age was only partly influencing the results.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Gender and left hippocampal volumes are main predictors for verbal memory function in normal aging. APOE genotype did not affect the results in any part of our analysis.</p

Shear thickening regimes of dense non-Brownian suspensions

We propose a unifying rheological framework for dense suspensions of non-Brownian spheres, predicting the onsets of particle friction and particle inertia as distinct shear thickening mechanisms, while capturing quasistatic and soft particle rheology at high volume fractions and shear rates respectively. Discrete element method simulations that take suitable account of hydrodynamic and particle-contact interactions corroborate the model predictions, demonstrating both mechanisms of shear thickening, and showing that they can occur concurrently with carefully selected particle surface properties under certain flow conditions. Microstructural transitions associated with frictional shear thickening are presented. We find very distinctive divergences of both the microstructural and dynamic variables with respect to volume fraction in the thickened and non-thickened states

Segmented line-focused V(z) transducer for enhancement of guided mode detection and measurement: A theoretical and numerical study

International audienc

Enhancement of Guided Wave Detection and Measurement in Buried Layers of Multilayered Structures Using a New Design of V(z) Acoustic Transducers

This paper presents the possibility of enhancement of the generation and detection of poorly energetic acoustic-guided waves in multilayered structures using a new design for a V(z) transducer. By defining a modified V(z) transducer composed of segmented piezoelectric elements, the acoustical energy can be directed towards specific angles in such a way as to generate guided waves that are poorly energetic. By comparing the results using this new design to those obtained with a classical V(z) transducer, it is shown that the generation and detection of such waves is greatly improved, especially for poorly energetic waves that belong to a buried layer in a multilayered structure. This is especially seen on the components of the spectra of V(z). The modeling of the modified V(z) signature for a multi-element focused transducer is widely detailed first. Then, in order to illustrate the advantages of our proposed method, a three-layer structure (aluminum/epoxy/steel) is discussed. The interest of this method for the characterization of elastic properties of &ldquo;buried&rdquo; layers through specific guided waves that are detected with great difficulty&mdash;or even not at all&mdash;with a classical V(z) transducer is demonstrated, especially for the A0 and S0 modes corresponding to the steel layer inside the three-layer structure. In this study, we also develop a specific tracking method for particular guided waves possessing large phase velocity variations over the considered frequency range, as is the case for the S0 mode of the steel sub-layer

CONTRIBUTION DE LA MICROSCOPIE ACOUSTIQUE A LA CARACTERISATION DES MATERIAUX (APPLICATION A LA DETERMINATION DES CONSTANTES ELASTIQUES)

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