13,020 research outputs found
Anisotropic exciton Stark shift in black phosphorus
We calculate the excitonic spectrum of few-layer black phosphorus by direct
diagonalization of the effective mass Hamiltonian in the presence of an applied
in-plane electric field. The strong attractive interaction between electrons
and holes in this system allows one to investigate the Stark effect up to very
high ionizing fields, including also the excited states. Our results show that
the band anisotropy in black phosphorus becomes evident in the direction
dependent field induced polarizability of the exciton
Modification of Projected Velocity Power Spectra by Density Inhomogeneities in Compressible Supersonic Turbulence
(Modified) The scaling of velocity fluctuation, dv, as a function of spatial
scale L in molecular clouds can be measured from size-linewidth relations,
principal component analysis, or line centroid variation. Differing values of
the power law index of the scaling relation dv = L^(g3D) in 3D are given by
these different methods: the first two give g3D=0.5, while line centroid
analysis gives g3D=0. This discrepancy has previously not been fully
appreciated, as the variation of projected velocity line centroid fluctuations
(dv_{lc} = L^(g2D)) is indeed described, in 2D, by g2D=0.5. However, if
projection smoothing is accounted for, this implies that g3D=0. We suggest that
a resolution of this discrepancy can be achieved by accounting for the effect
of density inhomogeneity on the observed g2D obtained from velocity line
centroid analysis. Numerical simulations of compressible turbulence are used to
show that the effect of density inhomogeneity statistically reverses the effect
of projection smoothing in the case of driven turbulence so that velocity line
centroid analysis does indeed predict that g2D=g3D=0.5. Using our numerical
results we can restore consistency between line centroid analysis, principal
component analysis and size-linewidth relations, and we derive g3D=0.5,
corresponding to shock-dominated (Burgers) turbulence. We find that this
consistency requires that molecular clouds are continually driven on large
scales or are only recently formed.Comment: 28 pages total, 20 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The Role of the Selective Adaptor p62 and Ubiquitin-Like Proteins in Autophagy.
The ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy were long viewed as independent, parallel degradation systems with no point of intersection. By now we know that these degradation pathways share certain substrates and regulatory molecules and show coordinated and compensatory function. Two ubiquitin-like protein conjugation pathways were discovered that are required for autophagosome biogenesis: the Atg12-Atg5-Atg16 and Atg8 systems. Autophagy has been considered to be essentially a nonselective process, but it turned out to be at least partially selective. Selective substrates of autophagy include damaged mitochondria, intracellular pathogens, and even a subset of cytosolic proteins with the help of ubiquitin-binding autophagic adaptors, such as p62/SQSTM1, NBR1, NDP52, and Optineurin. These proteins selectively recognize autophagic cargo and mediate its engulfment into autophagosomes by binding to the small ubiquitin-like modifiers that belong to the Atg8/LC3 family
Temperature Fluctuations driven by Magnetorotational Instability in Protoplanetary Disks
The magnetorotational instability (MRI) drives magnetized turbulence in
sufficiently ionized regions of protoplanetary disks, leading to mass
accretion. The dissipation of the potential energy associated with this
accretion determines the thermal structure of accreting regions. Until
recently, the heating from the turbulence has only been treated in an
azimuthally averaged sense, neglecting local fluctuations. However, magnetized
turbulence dissipates its energy intermittently in current sheet structures. We
study this intermittent energy dissipation using high resolution numerical
models including a treatment of radiative thermal diffusion in an optically
thick regime. Our models predict that these turbulent current sheets drive
order unity temperature variations even where the MRI is damped strongly by
Ohmic resistivity. This implies that the current sheet structures where energy
dissipation occurs must be well resolved to correctly capture the flow
structure in numerical models. Higher resolutions are required to resolve
energy dissipation than to resolve the magnetic field strength or accretion
stresses. The temperature variations are large enough to have major
consequences for mineral formation in disks, including melting chondrules,
remelting calcium-aluminum rich inclusions, and annealing silicates; and may
drive hysteresis: current sheets in MRI active regions could be significantly
more conductive than the remainder of the disk.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, ApJ In Press, updated to match proof
Wolf-Rayet and LBV Nebulae as the Result of Variable and Non-Spherical Stellar Winds
The physical basis for interpreting observations of nebular morphology around
massive stars in terms of the evolution of the central stars is reviewed, and
examples are discussed, including NGC 6888, OMC-1, and eta Carinae.Comment: To be published in the Proceedings of IAU Colloquium 169 on Variable
and Non-Spherical Stellar Winds in Luminous Hot Stars, ed. B. Wolf
(Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg). 7 pages, including 5 figures. A
full-resolution version of fig 4 is available in the version at
http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/theory/preprints.html#maclo
Representations of the Canonical group, (the semi-direct product of the Unitary and Weyl-Heisenberg groups), acting as a dynamical group on noncommuting extended phase space
The unitary irreducible representations of the covering group of the Poincare
group P define the framework for much of particle physics on the physical
Minkowski space P/L, where L is the Lorentz group. While extraordinarily
successful, it does not provide a large enough group of symmetries to encompass
observed particles with a SU(3) classification. Born proposed the reciprocity
principle that states physics must be invariant under the reciprocity transform
that is heuristically {t,e,q,p}->{t,e,p,-q} where {t,e,q,p} are the time,
energy, position, and momentum degrees of freedom. This implies that there is
reciprocally conjugate relativity principle such that the rates of change of
momentum must be bounded by b, where b is a universal constant. The appropriate
group of dynamical symmetries that embodies this is the Canonical group C(1,3)
= U(1,3) *s H(1,3) and in this theory the non-commuting space Q= C(1,3)/
SU(1,3) is the physical quantum space endowed with a metric that is the second
Casimir invariant of the Canonical group, T^2 + E^2 - Q^2/c^2-P^2/b^2 +(2h
I/bc)(Y/bc -2) where {T,E,Q,P,I,Y} are the generators of the algebra of
Os(1,3). The idea is to study the representations of the Canonical dynamical
group using Mackey's theory to determine whether the representations can
encompass the spectrum of particle states. The unitary irreducible
representations of the Canonical group contain a direct product term that is a
representation of U(1,3) that Kalman has studied as a dynamical group for
hadrons. The U(1,3) representations contain discrete series that may be
decomposed into infinite ladders where the rungs are representations of U(3)
(finite dimensional) or C(2) (with degenerate U(1)* SU(2) finite dimensional
representations) corresponding to the rest or null frames.Comment: 25 pages; V2.3, PDF (Mathematica 4.1 source removed due to technical
problems); Submitted to J.Phys.
Gravitational Collapse in Turbulent Molecular Clouds. II. Magnetohydrodynamical Turbulence
Hydrodynamic supersonic turbulence can only prevent local gravitational
collapse if the turbulence is driven on scales smaller than the local Jeans
lengths in the densest regions, a very severe requirement (Paper I). Magnetic
fields have been suggested to support molecular clouds either magnetostatically
or via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves. Whereas the first mechanism would form
sheet-like clouds, the second mechanism not only could exert a pressure onto
the gas counteracting the gravitational forces, but could lead to a transfer of
turbulent kinetic energy down to smaller spatial scales via MHD wave
interactions. This turbulent magnetic cascade might provide sufficient energy
at small scales to halt local collapse.
We test this hypothesis with MHD simulations at resolutions up to 256^3
zones, done with ZEUS-3D. We first derive a resolution criterion for
self-gravitating, magnetized gas: in order to prevent collapse of
magnetostatically supported regions due to numerical diffusion, the minimum
Jeans length must be resolved by four zones. Resolution of MHD waves increases
this requirement to roughly six zones. We then find that magnetic fields cannot
prevent local collapse unless they provide magnetostatic support. Weaker
magnetic fields do somewhat delay collapse and cause it to occur more uniformly
across the supported region in comparison to the hydrodynamical case. However,
they still cannot prevent local collapse for much longer than a global
free-fall time.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, accepted by Ap
Dysfunctional Light-Evoked Regulation of cAMP in Photoreceptors and Abnormal Retinal Adaptation in Mice Lacking Dopamine D4 Receptors
Dopamine is a retinal neuromodulator that has been implicated in many aspects of retinal physiology. Photoreceptor cells express dopamine D4 receptors that regulate cAMP metabolism. To assess the effects of dopamine on photoreceptor physiology, we examined the morphology, electrophysiology, and regulation of cAMP metabolism in mice with targeted disruption of the dopamine D4 receptor gene. Photoreceptor morphology and outer segment disc shedding after light onset were normal in D4 knock-out (D4KO) mice. Quinpirole, a dopamine D2/ D3/D4 receptor agonist, decreased cAMP synthesis in retinas of wild-type (WT) mice but not in retinas of D4KO mice. In WT retinas, the photoreceptors of which were functionally isolated by incubation in the presence of exogenous glutamate, light also suppressed cAMP synthesis. Despite the similar inhibition of cAMP synthesis, the effect of light is directly on the photoreceptors and independent of dopamine modulation, because it was unaffected by application of the D4 receptor antagonist L-745,870. Nevertheless, compared with WT retinas, basal cAMP formation was reduced in the photoreceptors of D4KO retinas, and light had no additional inhibitory effect. The results suggest that dopamine, via D4 receptors, normally modulates the cascade that couples light responses to adenylyl cyclase activity in photoreceptor cells, and the absence of this modulation results in dysfunction of the cascade. Dark-adapted electroretinogram (ERG) responses were normal in D4KO mice. However, ERG b-wave responses were greatly suppressed during both light adaptation and early stages of dark adaptation. Thus, the absence of D4 receptors affects adaptation, altering transmission of light responses from photoreceptors to inner retinal neurons. These findings indicate that dopamine D4 receptors normally play a major role in regulating photoreceptor cAMP metabolism and adaptive retinal responses to changing environmental illumination.Fil: Nir, Izhak. The University of Texas Health Science Center; Estados UnidosFil: Harrison, Joseph M.. The University of Texas Health Science Center; Estados UnidosFil: Haque, Rashidul. Emory University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Low, Malcolm J.. Oregon Health and Science University; Estados UnidosFil: Grandy, David K.. Oregon Health and Science University; Estados UnidosFil: Rubinstein, Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Iuvone, P. Michael. Emory University School of Medicine; Estados Unido
Corrections to deuterium hyperfine structure due to deuteron excitations
We consider the corrections to deuterium hyperfine structure originating from
the two-photon exchange between electron and deuteron, with the deuteron
excitations in the intermediate states. In particular, the motion of the two
intermediate nucleons as a whole is taken into account. The problem is solved
in the zero-range approximation. The result is in good agreement with the
experimental value of the deuterium hyperfine splitting.Comment: 7 pages, LaTe
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