Overcoming the Circular Problem for \gamma-ray Bursts in Cosmological Global Fitting Analysis

Due to the lack of low redshift long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), the circular problem has been a severe obstacle for using GRBs as cosmological candles. In this paper, we present a new method to deal with such a problem in MCMC global fitting analysis. Assuming that a certain type of correlations between different observables exists in a subsample of GRBs, for the parameters involved in the correlation relation, we treat them as free parameters and determine them simultaneously with cosmological parameters through MCMC analysis on GRB data together with other observational data. Then the circular problem is naturally eliminated in this procedure. We take the Ghirlanda relation as an example while keeping in mind the debate about its physical validity. Together with SNe Ia, WMAP and SDSS data, we include 27 GRBs with the reported Ghirlanda relation in our study, and perform MCMC global fitting. We consider the $\Lambda$CDM model and dynamical dark energy models. In each case, in addition to the constraints on the relevant cosmological parameters, we obtain the best fit values as well as the distributions of the correlation parameters $A$ and $C$. We find that the observational data sets other than GRBs can affect $A$ and $C$ considerably through their degeneracies with the cosmological parameters. The results on $A$ and $C$ for different cosmological models are in well agreement within $1\sigma$ range. The best fit value of $A$ in all models being analyzed is $A\sim 1.53$ with $\sigma \sim 0.08$. For $C$, we have the best value in the range of $0.94-0.98$ with $\sigma\sim 0.1$. It is also noted that the distributions of $A$ and $C$ are generally broader than the priors used in many studies in literature. (Abriged)Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in Ap

Monolithic millimeter-wave diode grid frequency multiplier arrays

Monolithic diode frequency multiplier arrays, including barrier-N-N(+) (BNN) doubler, multi-quantum-barrier-varactor (MQBV) tripler, Schottky-quantum-barrier-varactor (SQBV) tripler, and resonant-tunneling-diode (RTD) tripler arrays, have been successfully fabricated with yields between 85 and 99 percent. Frequency doubling and/or tripling have been observed for all the arrays. Output powers of 2.4-2.6 W (eta = 10-18 percent) at 66 GHz with the BNN doubler and 3.8-10 W (eta = 1.7-4 percent) at 99 GHz with the SQBV tripler have been achieved

LIDAR vs. GEODAS land elevation data in hurricane induced inundation modelling

International audienceLIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and GEODAS (GEOphysical DAta System) are respectively taken as the land elevation data for a 3-D storm surge and inundation model to investigate the subsequent inundation differences. Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Croatan-Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary System (CAPES), North Carolina, are the two investigated regions. Significant inundation differences with LIDAR versus GEODAS are found in both regions. The modeled inundation area with GEODAS is larger than with LIDAR. For Category 2?3 hypothetical hurricanes, the maximum inundation difference in Hilton Head region is 67%, while the difference in the CAPES is 156%. Generally, vertical precision difference of the two databases is the major reason for the inundation difference. Recently constructed man-made structures, not included in the GEODAS, but included in the LIDAR data sets may be another contributing reason

Building integrated solar thermal (BIST) technologies and their applications: a review of structural design and architectural integration

Solar energy has enormous potential to meet the majority of present world energy demand by effective integration with local building components. One of the most promising technologies is building integrated solar thermal (BIST) technology. This paper presents a review of the available literature covering various types of BIST technologies and their applications in terms of structural design and architectural integration. The review covers detailed description of BIST systems using air, hydraulic (water/heat pipe/refrigerant) and phase changing materials (PCM) as the working medium. The fundamental structure of BIST and the various specific structures of available BIST in the literature are described. Design criteria and practical operation conditions of BIST systems are illustrated. The state of pilot projects is also fully depicted. Current barriers and future development opportunities are therefore concluded. Based on the thorough review, it is clear that BIST is very promising devices with considerable energy saving prospective and building integration feasibility. This review shall facilitate the development of solar driven service for buildings and help the corresponding saving in fossil fuel consumption and the reduction in carbon emission

Entanglement and quantum phase transition in alternating XY spin chain with next-nearest neighbour interactions

By using the method of density-matrix renormalization-group to solve the different spin-spin correlation functions, the nearest-neighbouring entanglement(NNE) and next-nearest-neighbouring entanglement(NNNE) of one-dimensional alternating Heisenberg XY spin chain is investigated in the presence of alternating nearest neighbour interactions of exchange couplings, external magnetic fields and next-nearest neighbouring interactions. For dimerized ferromagnetic spin chain, NNNE appears only above the critical dimerized interaction, meanwhile, the dimerized interaction effects quantum phase transition point and improves NNNE to a large value. We also study the effect of ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic next-nearest neighboring (NNN) interactions on the dynamics of NNE and NNNE. The ferromagnetic NNN interaction increases and shrinks NNE below and above critical frustrated interaction respectively, while the antiferromagnetic NNN interaction always decreases NNE. The antiferromagnetic NNN interaction results to a larger value of NNNE in comparison to the case when the NNN interaction is ferromagnetic.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures,. accepted by Chinese Physics B 2008 11 (in press

The controlled teleportation of an arbitrary two-atom entangled state in driven cavity QED

In this paper, we propose a scheme for the controlled teleportation of an arbitrary two-atom entangled state $|\phi>_{12}=a|gg>_{12}+b|ge>_{12}+c|eg>_{12}+d|ee>_{12}$ in driven cavity QED. An arbitrary two-atom entangled state can be teleported perfectly with the help of the cooperation of the third side by constructing a three-atom GHZ entangled state as the controlled channel. This scheme does not involve apparent (or direct) Bell-state measurement and is insensitive to the cavity decay and the thermal field. The probability of the success in our scheme is 1.0.Comment: 10 page

Ambipolar Field Effect in Topological Insulator Nanoplates of (BixSb1-x)2Te3

Topological insulators represent a new state of quantum matter attractive to both fundamental physics and technological applications such as spintronics and quantum information processing. In a topological insulator, the bulk energy gap is traversed by spin-momentum locked surface states forming an odd number of surface bands that possesses unique electronic properties. However, transport measurements have often been dominated by residual bulk carriers from crystal defects or environmental doping which mask the topological surface contribution. Here we demonstrate (BixSb1-x)2Te3 as a tunable topological insulator system to manipulate bulk conductivity by varying the Bi/Sb composition ratio. (BixSb1-x)2Te3 ternary compounds are confirmed as topological insulators for the entire composition range by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements and ab initio calculations. Additionally, we observe a clear ambipolar gating effect similar to that observed in graphene using nanoplates of (BixSb1-x)2Te3 in field-effect-transistor (FET) devices. The manipulation of carrier type and concentration in topological insulator nanostructures demonstrated in this study paves the way for implementation of topological insulators in nanoelectronics and spintronics.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Anti-AIDS agents 87. New bio-isosteric dicamphanoyl-dihydropyranochromone (DCP) and dicamphanoyl-khellactone (DCK) analogues with potent anti-HIV activity

Six 3′R,4′R-di-O-(S)-camphanoyl-2′,2′-dimethyldihydropyrano[2,3-f]chromone (DCP) and two 3′R,4′R-di-O-(S)-camphanoyl-(+)-cis-khellactone (DCK) derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for inhibition of HIV-1NL4-3 replication in TZM-bl cells. 2-Ethyl-2′-monomethyl-1′-oxa- and -1′-thia-DCP (5a, 6a), as well as 2-ethyl-1′-thia-DCP (7a) exhibited potent anti-HIV activity with EC50 values of 30, 38 and 54 nM and therapeutic indexes of 152.6, 48.0 and 100.0, respectively, which were better than or comparable to those of the lead compound 2-ethyl-DCP in the same assay. 4-Methyl-1′-thia-DCK (8a) also showed significant inhibitory activity with an EC50 of 128 nM and TI of 237.9

Chalcogenide Glass-on-Graphene Photonics

Two-dimensional (2-D) materials are of tremendous interest to integrated photonics given their singular optical characteristics spanning light emission, modulation, saturable absorption, and nonlinear optics. To harness their optical properties, these atomically thin materials are usually attached onto prefabricated devices via a transfer process. In this paper, we present a new route for 2-D material integration with planar photonics. Central to this approach is the use of chalcogenide glass, a multifunctional material which can be directly deposited and patterned on a wide variety of 2-D materials and can simultaneously function as the light guiding medium, a gate dielectric, and a passivation layer for 2-D materials. Besides claiming improved fabrication yield and throughput compared to the traditional transfer process, our technique also enables unconventional multilayer device geometries optimally designed for enhancing light-matter interactions in the 2-D layers. Capitalizing on this facile integration method, we demonstrate a series of high-performance glass-on-graphene devices including ultra-broadband on-chip polarizers, energy-efficient thermo-optic switches, as well as graphene-based mid-infrared (mid-IR) waveguide-integrated photodetectors and modulators

Measurements of the Cross Section for e+e- -> hadrons at Center-of-Mass Energies from 2 to 5 GeV

We report values of $R = \sigma(e^+e^-\to {hadrons})/\sigma(e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-)$ for 85 center-of-mass energies between 2 and 5 GeV measured with the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure