9,899 research outputs found
ROSAT HRI Observations of the Crab Pulsar: An Improved Temperature upper limit for PSR 0531+21
ROSAT HRI observations have been used to determine an upper limit of the Crab
pulsar surface temperature from the off-pulse count rate. For a neutron star
mass of 1.4 \Mo and a radius of 10 km as well as the standard distance and
interstellar column density, the redshifted temperature upper limit is\/
K . This is the lowest temperature
upper limit obtained for the Crab pulsar so far. Slightly different values for
are computed for the various neutron star models available in the
literature, reflecting the difference in the equation of state.Comment: 5 pages, uuencoded postscript, to be published in the Proceedings of
the NATO Advanced Study Insitute on "Lives of the Neutron Stars", ed. A.
Alpar, U. Kiziloglu and J. van Paradijs ( Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1995 )
Correlations and Equilibration in Relativistic Quantum Systems
In this article we study the time evolution of an interacting field
theoretical system, i.e. \phi^4-field theory in 2+1 space-time dimensions, on
the basis of the Kadanoff-Baym equations for a spatially homogeneous system
including the self-consistent tadpole and sunset self-energies. We find that
equilibration is achieved only by inclusion of the sunset self-energy.
Simultaneously, the time evolution of the scalar particle spectral function is
studied for various initial states. We also compare associated solutions of the
corresponding Boltzmann equation to the full Kadanoff-Baym theory. This
comparison shows that a consistent inclusion of the spectral function has a
significant impact on the equilibration rates only if the width of the spectral
function becomes larger than 1/3 of the particle mass. Furthermore, based on
these findings, the conventional transport of particles in the on-shell
quasiparticle limit is extended to particles of finite life time by means of a
dynamical spectral function A(X,\vec{p},M^2). The off-shell propagation is
implemented in the Hadron-String-Dynamics (HSD) transport code and applied to
the dynamics of nucleus-nucleus collisions.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures to appear in "Nonequilibrium at short time scales
- Formation of correlations", edited by K. Morawetz, Springer, Berlin (2003),
p16
Gauge links for transverse momentum dependent correlators at tree-level
In this paper we discuss the incorporation of gauge links in hadronic matrix
elements that describe the soft hadronic physics in high energy scattering
processes. In this description the matrix elements appear in soft correlators
and they contain non-local combinations of quark and gluon fields. In our
description we go beyond the collinear approach in which case also the
dependence on transverse momenta of partons is taken into consideration. The
non-locality in the transverse direction leads to a complex gauge link
structure for the full process, in which color is entangled, even at
tree-level. We show that at tree-level in a 1-parton unintegrated (1PU)
situation, in which only the transverse momentum of one of the initial state
hadrons is relevant, one can get a factorized expression involving transverse
momentum dependent (TMD) distribution functions. We point out problems at the
level of two initial state hadrons, even for relatively simple processes such
as Drell-Yan scattering.Comment: 25 pages, corrected typos and updated reference
Superconducting properties of the attractive Hubbard model
A self-consistent set of equations for the one-electron self-energy in the
ladder approximation is derived for the attractive Hubbard model in the
superconducting state. The equations provide an extension of a T-matrix
formalism recently used to study the effect of electron correlations on
normal-state properties. An approximation to the set of equations is solved
numerically in the intermediate coupling regime, and the one-particle spectral
functions are found to have four peaks. This feature is traced back to a peak
in the self-energy, which is related to the formation of real-space bound
states. For comparison we extend the moment approach to the superconducting
state and discuss the crossover from the weak (BCS) to the intermediate
coupling regime from the perspective of single-particle spectral densities.Comment: RevTeX format, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Z.Phys.
A One-Health environmental risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in Londonâs waterways throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had huge impacts on global urban populations, activity and health, yet little is known about attendant consequences for urban river ecosystems. We detected significant changes in occurrence and risks from contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in waterways across Greater London (UK) during the pandemic. We were able to rapidly identify and monitor large numbers of CECs in n=390 samples across 2019â2021 using novel direct-injection liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for scalable targeted analysis, suspect screening and prioritisation of CEC risks. At total of 10,029 measured environmental concentrations (MECs) were obtained for 66 unique CECs. Pharmaceutical MECs decreased during lockdown in 2020 in the R. Thames (pâ€0.001), but then increased significantly in 2021 (p â€0.01). For the tributary rivers, the R. Lee, Beverley Brook, R. Wandle and R. Hogsmill were the most impacted primarily via wastewater treatment plant effluent and combined sewer overflows. For the R. Hosgmill in particular, pharmaceutical MEC trends were generally correlated with NHS prescription statistics, likely reflecting limited wastewater dilution. Suspect screening of âŒ1,200 compounds tentatively identified 25 additional CECs at the five impacted sites, including metabolites such as O-desmethylvenlafaxine, an EU Watch List compound. Lastly, risk quotients (RQs) â„0.1 were calculated for 21 compounds across the whole Greater London freshwater catchment, of which 7 were of medium risk (RQ â„1.0) and three were in the high-risk category (RQ â„10), including imidacloprid (RQ=19.6), azithromycin (15.7) and diclofenac (10.5). This is the largest spatiotemporal dataset of its kind for any major capital city globally and the first for Greater London, representing âŒ16 % of the population of England, and delivering a foundational One Health case study in the third largest city in Europe across a global pandemic
Electron-hole symmetry in a semiconducting carbon nanotube quantum dot
Optical and electronic phenomena in solids arise from the behaviour of
electrons and holes (unoccupied states in a filled electron sea). Electron-hole
symmetry can often be invoked as a simplifying description, which states that
electrons with energy above the Fermi sea behave the same as holes below the
Fermi energy. In semiconductors, however, electron-hole symmetry is generally
absent since the energy band structure of the conduction band differs from the
valence band. Here we report on measurements of the discrete, quantized-energy
spectrum of electrons and holes in a semiconducting carbon nanotube. Through a
gate, an individual nanotube is filled controllably with a precise number of
either electrons or holes, starting from one. The discrete excitation spectrum
for a nanotube with N holes is strikingly similar to the corresponding spectrum
for N electrons. This observation of near perfect electron-hole symmetry
demonstrates for the first time that a semiconducting nanotube can be free of
charged impurities, even in the limit of few-electrons or holes. We furthermore
find an anomalously small Zeeman spin splitting and an excitation spectrum
indicating strong electron-electron interactions.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Magnetic resonance peak and nonmagnetic impurities
Nonmagnetic Zn impurities are known to strongly suppress superconductivity.
We review their effects on the spin excitation spectrum in , as investigated by inelastic neutron scattering measurements.Comment: Proceedings of Mato Advanced Research Workshop BLED 2000. To appear
in Nato Science Series: B Physic
Quantum memory for entangled two-mode squeezed states
A quantum memory for light is a key element for the realization of future
quantum information networks. Requirements for a good quantum memory are (i)
versatility (allowing a wide range of inputs) and (ii) true quantum coherence
(preserving quantum information). Here we demonstrate such a quantum memory for
states possessing Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement. These
multi-photon states are two-mode squeezed by 6.0 dB with a variable orientation
of squeezing and displaced by a few vacuum units. This range encompasses
typical input alphabets for a continuous variable quantum information protocol.
The memory consists of two cells, one for each mode, filled with cesium atoms
at room temperature with a memory time of about 1msec. The preservation of
quantum coherence is rigorously proven by showing that the experimental memory
fidelity 0.52(2) significantly exceeds the benchmark of 0.45 for the best
possible classical memory for a range of displacements.Comment: main text 5 pages, supplementary information 3 page
Experiences, Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing Task Shifting in Underserved Remote Settings: The Case of Kongwa District, Central Tanzania.
Tanzania is experiencing acute shortages of Health Workers (HWs), a situation which has forced health managers, especially in the underserved districts, to hastily cope with health workers' shortages by adopting task shifting. This has however been due to limited options for dealing with the crisis of health personnel. There are on-going discussions in the country on whether to scale up task shifting as one of the strategies for addressing health personnel crisis. However, these discussions are not backed up by rigorous scientific evidence. The aim of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, to describe the current situation of implementing task shifting in the context of acute shortages of health workers and, secondly, to provide a descriptive account of the potential opportunities or benefits and the likely challenges which might ensue as a result of implementing task shifting. We employed in-depth interviews with informants at the district level and supplemented the information with additional interviews with informants at the national level. Interviews focussed on the informants' practical experiences of implementing task shifting in their respective health facilities (district level) and their opinions regarding opportunities and challenges which might be associated with implementation of task shifting practices. At the national level, the main focus was on policy issues related to management of health personnel in the context of implementation of task shifting, in addition to seeking their opinions and perceptions regarding opportunities and challenges of implementing task shifting if formally adopted. Task shifting has been in practice for many years in Tanzania and has been perceived as an inevitable coping mechanism due to limited options for addressing health personnel shortages in the country. Majority of informants had the concern that quality of services is likely to be affected if appropriate policy infrastructures are not in place before formalising tasks shifting. There was also a perception that implementation of task shifting has ensured access to services especially in underserved remote areas. Professional discontent and challenges related to the management of health personnel policies were also perceived as important issues to consider when implementing task shifting practices. Additional resources for additional training and supervisory tasks were also considered important in the implementation of task shifting in order to make it deliver much the same way as it is for conventional modalities of delivering care. Task shifting implementation occurs as an ad hoc coping mechanism to the existing shortages of health workers in many undeserved areas of the country, not just in the study site whose findings are reported in this paper. It is recommended that the most important thing to do now is not to determine whether task shifting is possible or effective but to define the limits of task shifting so as to reach a consensus on where it can have the strongest and most sustainable impact in the delivery of quality health services. Any action towards this end needs to be evidence-based
Kondo Conductance in an Atomic Nanocontact from First Principles
The electrical conductance of atomic metal contacts represents a powerful
tool to detect nanomagnetism. Conductance reflects magnetism through anomalies
at zero bias -- generally with Fano lineshapes -- due to the Kondo screening of
the magnetic impurity bridging the contact. A full atomic-level understanding
of this nutshell many-body system is of the greatest importance, especially in
view of our increasing need to control nanocurrents by means of magnetism.
Disappointingly, zero bias conductance anomalies are not presently calculable
from atomistic scratch. In this Letter we demonstrate a working route
connecting approximately but quantitatively density functional theory (DFT) and
numerical renormalization group (NRG) approaches and leading to a
first-principles conductance calculation for a nanocontact, exemplified by a Ni
impurity in a Au nanowire. A Fano-like conductance lineshape is obtained
microscopically, and shown to be controlled by the impurity s-level position.
We also find a relationship between conductance anomaly and geometry, and
uncover the possibility of opposite antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic Kondo
screening -- the latter exhibiting a totally different and unexplored zero bias
anomaly. The present matching method between DFT and NRG should permit the
quantitative understanding and exploration of this larger variety of Kondo
phenomena at more general magnetic nanocontacts.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. Supplementary materials under request at
[email protected]
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