Un nuevo yacimiento de Vertebrados en el Burdigaliense de Martorell (Provincia de Barcelona)

Se describe en la nota presente un nuevo yacimiento inédito del Burdigaliense del Vallés-Penedés, cerca de Martorell y de la falla con la cadena litoral. Se da un resumen de la fauna encontrada y un corte estratigráfico detallado de la nueva localidadPeer reviewe

A quantum gate array can be programmed to evaluate the expectation value of any operator

A programmable gate array is a circuit whose action is controlled by input data. In this letter we describe a special--purpose quantum circuit that can be programmed to evaluate the expectation value of any operator $O$ acting on a space of states of $N$ dimensions. The circuit has a program register whose state $|\Psi(O)>_P$ encodes the operator $O$ whose expectation value is to be evaluated. The method requires knowledge of the expansion of $O$ in a basis of the space of operators. We discuss some applications of this circuit and its relation to known instances of quantum state tomography.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures include

Extension of the Shirafuji model for Massive Particles with Spin

We extend the Shirafuji model for massless particles with primary spacetime coordinates and composite four-momenta to a model for massive particles with spin and electric charge. The primary variables in the model are the spacetime four-vector, four scalars describing spin and charge degrees of freedom as well as a pair of Weyl spinors. The geometric description proposed in this paper provides an intermediate step between the free purely twistorial model in two-twistor space in which both spacetime and four-momenta vectors are composite, and the standard particle model, where both spacetime and four-momenta vectors are elementary. We quantize the model and find explicitly the first-quantized wavefunctions describing relativistic particles with mass, spin and electric charge. The spacetime coordinates in the model are not commutative; this leads to a wavefunction that depends only on one covariant projection of the spacetime four-vector (covariantized time coordinate) defining plane wave solutions.Comment: Latex, 27 pages, appendix.sty, newlfont.sty (attached

Cosmological and Astrophysical Neutrino Mass Measurements

Cosmological and astrophysical measurements provide powerful constraints on neutrino masses complementary to those from accelerators and reactors. Here we provide a guide to these different probes, for each explaining its physical basis, underlying assumptions, current and future reach.Comment: 11 page

Effect of a commercial air valve on the rapid filling of a single pipeline: a numerical and experimental analysis

[EN] The filling process in water pipelines produces pressure surges caused by the compression of air pockets. In this sense, air valves should be appropriately designed to expel sufficient air to avoid pipeline failure. Recent studies concerning filling maneuvers have been addressed without considering the behavior of air valves. This work shows a mathematical model developed by the authors which is capable of simulating the main hydraulic and thermodynamic variables during filling operations under the effect of the air valve in a single pipeline, which is based on the mass oscillation equation, the air¿water interface, the polytropic equation of the air phase, the air mass equation, and the air valve characterization. The mathematical model is validated in a 7.3-m-long pipeline with a 63-mm nominal diameter. A commercial air valve is positioned in the highest point of the hydraulic installation. Measurements indicate that the mathematical model can be used to simulate this phenomenon by providing good accuracy.This work is supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (grant number PD/BD/114459/2016).Coronado-Hernández, OE.; Besharat, M.; Fuertes-Miquel, VS.; Ramos, HM. (2019). Effect of a commercial air valve on the rapid filling of a single pipeline: a numerical and experimental analysis. Water. 11(9):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11091814S11311

Massive relativistic particle model with spin from free two-twistor dynamics and its quantization

We consider a relativistic particle model in an enlarged relativistic phase space M^{18} = (X_\mu, P_\mu, \eta_\alpha, \oeta_\dalpha, \sigma_\alpha, \osigma_\dalpha, e, \phi), which is derived from the free two-twistor dynamics. The spin sector variables (\eta_\alpha, \oeta_\dalpha, \sigma_\alpha,\ osigma_\dalpha) satisfy two second class constraints and account for the relativistic spin structure, and the pair (e,\phi) describes the electric charge sector. After introducing the Liouville one-form on M^{18}, derived by a non-linear transformation of the canonical Liouville one-form on the two-twistor space, we analyze the dynamics described by the first and second class constraints. We use a composite orthogonal basis in four-momentum space to obtain the scalars defining the invariant spin projections. The first-quantized theory provides a consistent set of wave equations, determining the mass, spin, invariant spin projection and electric charge of the relativistic particle. The wavefunction provides a generating functional for free, massive higher spin fields.Comment: FTUV-05-0919, IFIC-05-46, IFT UWr 0110/05. Plain latex file, no macros, 22 pages. A comment and references added. To appear in PRD1

Application of Newton–Raphson Method for Computing the Final Air–Water Interface Location in a Pipe Water Filling

The estimation of thermodynamic behavior during filling processes with entrapped air in water pipelines is a complex task as it requires solving a system of algebraic-differential equations. A lot of different numerical methods have been used for this purpose in literature including the rigid water column (RWC) model. The main advantage of the RWC model is its acceptable accuracy with very low computational load. In that context, this research presents the computation of critical points of the physical equations that describe the phenomenon. These points provide information about the final position of the air–water interface. The Newton–Raphson method was then applied to obtain a unique equation that can be used by engineers to directly compute variables such as air pocket pressure and water column length at the end of the hydraulic event. A case study was analyzed to compare the results of the mathematical model with the obtained equation for computing critical points. Both methods provided the same values for the water column length at the end of the hydraulic event. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify dependent and non-dependent parameters for evaluating the critical points. The proposed formulation was validated through an experimental set of data. © 2023 by the authors

Singers show enhanced performance and neural representation of vocal imitation

Humans have a remarkable capacity to finely control the muscles of the larynx, via distinct patterns of cortical topography and innervation that may underpin our sophisticated vocal capabilities compared with non-human primates. Here, we investigated the behavioural and neural correlates of laryngeal control, and their relationship to vocal expertise, using an imitation task that required adjustments of larynx musculature during speech. Highly trained human singers and non-singer control participants modulated voice pitch and vocal tract length (VTL) to mimic auditory speech targets, while undergoing real-time anatomical scans of the vocal tract and functional scans of brain activity. Multivariate analyses of speech acoustics, larynx movements and brain activation data were used to quantify vocal modulation behaviour and to search for neural representations of the two modulated vocal parameters during the preparation and execution of speech. We found that singers showed more accurate task-relevant modulations of speech pitch and VTL (i.e. larynx height, as measured with vocal tract MRI) during speech imitation; this was accompanied by stronger representation of VTL within a region of the right somatosensory cortex. Our findings suggest a common neural basis for enhanced vocal control in speech and song. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’

Singers show enhanced performance and neural representation of vocal imitation

Humans have a remarkable capacity to finely control the muscles of the larynx, via distinct patterns of cortical topography and innervation that may underpin our sophisticated vocal capabilities compared with non-human primates. Here, we investigated the behavioural and neural correlates of laryngeal control, and their relationship to vocal expertise, using an imitation task that required adjustments of larynx musculature during speech. Highly trained human singers and non-singer control participants modulated voice pitch and vocal tract length (VTL) to mimic auditory speech targets, while undergoing real-time anatomical scans of the vocal tract and functional scans of brain activity. Multivariate analyses of speech acoustics, larynx movements and brain activation data were used to quantify vocal modulation behaviour and to search for neural representations of the two modulated vocal parameters during the preparation and execution of speech. We found that singers showed more accurate task-relevant modulations of speech pitch and VTL (i.e. larynx height, as measured with vocal tract MRI) during speech imitation; this was accompanied by stronger representation of VTL within a region of the right somatosensory cortex. Our findings suggest a common neural basis for enhanced vocal control in speech and song. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’