Liquid-Gas Phase Transition in Nuclear Equation of State

A canonical ensemble model is used to describe a caloric curve of nuclear liquid-gas phase transition. Allowing a discontinuity in the freeze out density from one spinodal density to another for a given initial temperature, the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition can be described as first order. Averaging over various freeze out densities of all the possible initial temperatures for a given total reaction energy, the first order characteristics of liquid-gas phase transition is smeared out to a smooth transition. Two experiments, one at low beam energy and one at high beam energy show different caloric behaviors and are discussed.Comment: 12 pages in Revtex including two Postscript figure

A Kalman filter model for signal estimation in the auditory system

Using a Kalman filter that contains a forward-predictive model of a relevant system, to predict the states of that system by means of an analysis-by-synthesis implementation in order to evade significant time delays incurred by feedback mechanisms was previously applied to the coordinated movement of limbs by means of the cerebellum. In this dissertation, the same concept was applied to the auditory system in order to investigate if such a concept is a universal neurophysiological method for correctly estimating a state in a quick and reliable way. To test this assumption an auditory system model and Kalman estimator were designed, where the Kalman filter contained a stochastically equivalent forward-predictive model of the complete auditory system model. The Kalman filter was used to estimate the power found in a particular band of the frequency spectrum and its performance in the mean-squared error sense was compared to that of a simple postsynaptic current decoding filter under various types of neural channel noise. It was shown that the Kalman filter, containing a biologically plausible internal model could estimate the power better than a postsynaptic current decoding filter, proposed in the literature. When the just-noticeable difference in intensity discrimination, as reported in the literature, was compared to model-predictions, it was shown that a smaller mean-squared error results in the case of the designed auditory system model and Kalman estimator. This suggests that the application of the Kalman filter concept is important as it provides a bridge between measured data and the auditory system model. It was concluded that a Kalman filter model containing a biologically plausible internal model can explain some characteristics of the signal processing of the auditory system. The research suggests that the principle of an estimator that contains an internal model could be a universal neurophysiological method for the correct estimation of a desired state.Dissertation (MEng (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineeringunrestricte

A high-precision polarimeter

We have built a polarimeter in order to measure the electron beam polarization in hall C at JLAB. Using a superconducting solenoid to drive the pure-iron target foil into saturation, and a symmetrical setup to detect the Moller electrons in coincidence, we achieve an accuracy of <1%. This sets a new standard for Moller polarimeters.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, submitted to N.I.

Temperature determination from the lattice gas model

Determination of temperature from experimental data has become important in searches for critical phenomena in heavy ion collisions. Widely used methods are ratios of isotopes (which rely on chemical and thermal equilibrium), population ratios of excited states etc. Using the lattice gas model we propose a new observable: $n_{ch}/Z$ where $n_{ch}$ is the charge multiplicity and $Z$ is the charge of the fragmenting system. We show that the reduced multiplicity is a good measure of the average temperature of the fragmenting system.Comment: 11 pages, 2 ps file

Weak evidence of bright light effects on human LH and FSH

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most mammals are seasonal breeders whose gonads grow to anticipate reproduction in the spring and summer. As day length increases, secretion increases for two gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This response is largely controlled by light. Light effects on gonadotropins are mediated through effects on the suprachiasmatic nucleus and responses of the circadian system. There is some evidence that seasonal breeding in humans is regulated by similar mechanisms, and that light stimulates LH secretion, but primate responses seem complex.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To gain further information on effects of bright light on LH and FSH secretion in humans, we analyzed urine samples collected in three experiments conducted for other goals. First, volunteers ages 18-30 years and 60-75 commenced an ultra-short 90-min sleep-wake cycle, during which they were exposed to 3000 lux light for 3 hours at balanced times of day, repeated for 3 days. Urine samples were assayed to explore any LH phase response curve. Second, depressed participants 60-79 years of age were treated with bright light or dim placebo light for 28 days, with measurements of urinary LH and FSH before and after treatment. Third, women of ages 20-45 years with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) were treated to one 3-hour exposure of morning light, measuring LH and FSH in urine before and after the treatments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two of the three studies showed significant increases in LH after light treatment, and FSH also tended to increase, but there were no significant contrasts with parallel placebo treatments and no significant time-of-day treatment effects.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results gave some support for the hypothesis that bright light may augment LH secretion. Longer-duration studies may be needed to clarify the effects of light on human LH and FSH.</p

Finite size effects and the order of a phase transition in fragmenting nuclear systems

We discuss the implications of finite size effects on the determination of the order of a phase transition which may occur in infinite systems. We introduce a specific model to which we apply different tests. They are aimed to characterise the smoothed transition observed in a finite system. We show that the microcanonical ensemble may be a useful framework for the determination of the nature of such transitions.Comment: LateX, 5 pages, 5 figures; Fig. 1 change

Thermodynamics of a finite system of classical particles with short and long range interactions and nuclear fragmentation

We describe a finite inhomogeneous three dimensional system of classical particles which interact through short and (or) long range interactions by means of a simple analytic spin model. The thermodynamic properties of the system are worked out in the framework of the grand canonical ensemble. It is shown that the system experiences a phase transition at fixed average density in the thermodynamic limit. The phase diagram and the caloric curve are constructed and compared with numerical simulations. The implications of our results concerning the caloric curve are discussed in connection with the interpretation of corresponding experimental data.Comment: 11pages, LaTeX, 6 figures. Major change : A new section dealing with numerical simulations in the framework of a cellular model has been adde

An investigation of standard thermodynamic quantities as determined via models of nuclear multifragmentation

Both simple and sophisticated models are frequently used in an attempt to understand how real nuclei breakup when subjected to large excitation energies, a process known as nuclear multifragmentation. Many of these models assume equilibriumthermodynamics and produce results often interpreted as evidence of a phase transition. This work examines one class of models and employs standard thermodynamical procedure to explore the possible existence and nature of a phase transition. The role of various terms, e.g. Coulomb and surface energy, is discussed.Comment: 19 two-column format pages with 24 figure

One-loop chiral amplitudes of Moller scattering process

The high energy amplitudes of the large angles Moller scattering are calculated in frame of chiral basis in Born and 1-loop QED level. Taking into account as well the contribution from emission of soft real photons the compact relations free from infrared divergences are obtained. The expressions for separate chiral amplitudes contribution to the cross section are in agreement with renormalization group predictions.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Liquid-gas phase transition in nuclei in the relativistic Thomas-Fermi theory

The equation of state (EOS) of finite nuclei is constructed in the relativistic Thomas-Fermi theory using the non-linear $\sigma-\omega -\rho$ model. The caloric curves are calculated by confining the nuclei in the freeze-out volume taken to be a sphere of size about 4 to 8 times the normal nuclear volume. The results obtained from the relativistic theory are not significantly different from those obtained earlier in a non-relativistic framework. The nature of the EOS and the peaked structure of the specific heat $C_v$ obtained from the caloric curves show clear signals of a liquid-gas phase transition in finite nuclei. The temperature evolution of the Gibbs potential and the entropy at constant pressure indicate that the characteristics of the transition are not too different from the first-order one.Comment: RevTex file(19 pages) and 12 psfiles for fugures. Physical Review C (in Press