Finite Lattice Hamiltonian Computations in the P-Representation: the Schwinger Model

The Schwinger model is studied in a finite lattice by means of the P-representation. The vacuum energy, mass gap and chiral condensate are evaluated showing good agreement with the expected values in the continuum limit.Comment: 6 pages, 5 eps figures, espcrc

Teams or Tournaments? A Field Experiment on Cooperation and Competition in Academic Achievement

This paper assesses the effect of two stylized and antithetic non-monetary incentive schemes on students’ effort. We collect data from a field experiment where incentives are exogenously imposed, performance is monitored and individual characteristics are observed. Students are randomly assigned to a tournament scheme that fosters competition between coupled students, a cooperative scheme that promotes information sharing and collaboration between students and a control treatment in which students can neither compete, nor cooperate. In line with theoretical predictions, we find that competition induces higher effort with respect to cooperation and cooperation does not increase effort with respect to the baseline. However, this is true only for men, while women do not seem to react to non-monetary incentives.

A radial mass profile analysis of the lensing cluster MS2137-23

We reanalyze the strong lens modeling of the cluster of galaxies MS2137-23 using a new data set obtained with the ESO VLT. We found the photometric redshifts of the two main arc systems are both at z=1.6. After subtraction of the central cD star light of the HST image we found that only one object lying underneath has the expected properties of the fifth image associated to the tangential arc. We improve the previous lens modelings of the central dark matter distribution of the cluster, using an isothermal model with a core (IS) and the NFW-like model with a cusp. Without the fifth image, the arc properties together with the shear map profile are equally well fit by the and by an IS and a sub-class of generalized-NFW mass profiles having inner slope power index in the range 0.7<alpha<1.2. Adding new constrains provided by the fifth image favors IS profiles that better predict the fifth image properties. A model including cluster galaxy perturbations or the the stellar mass distribution does not change our conclusions but imposes the M/L_I of the cD stellar component is below 10 at a 99% confidence level. Using our new detailed lensing model together with Chandra X-ray data and the cD stellar component we finally discuss intrinsic properties of the gravitational potential. Whereas X-ray and dark matter have a similar shape at various radius, the cD stellar isophotes are twisted by 13 deg. The sub- arc-second azimuthal shift we observe between the radial arc position and the predictions of elliptical models correspond to what is expected from a mass distribution twist. This shift may result from a projection effect of the cD and the cluster halos, thus revealing the triaxiality of the system.Comment: Final version accepted in A&

Damping and frequency shift in the oscillations of two colliding Bose-Einstein condensates

We have investigated the center-of-mass oscillations of a Rb87 Bose-Einstein condensate in an elongated magneto-static trap. We start from a trapped condensate and we transfer part of the atoms to another trapped level, by applying a radio-frequency pulse. The new condensate is produced far from its equilibrium position in the magnetic potential, and periodically collides with the parent condensate. We discuss how both the damping and the frequency shift of the oscillations are affected by the mutual interaction between the two condensates, in a wide range of trapping frequencies. The experimental data are compared with the prediction of a mean-field model.Comment: 5 RevTex pages, 7 eps figure

The paradox of the clumps mathematically explained

The lumpy distribution of species along a continuous one-dimensional niche axis recently found by Scheffer and van Nes (Scheffer and van Ness 2006) is explained mathematically. We show that it emerges simply from the eigenvalue and eigenvectors of the community matrix. Both the transient patterns—lumps and gaps between them—as well as the asymptotic equilibrium are explained. If the species are evenly distributed along the niche axis, the emergence of these patterns can be demonstrated analytically. The more general case, of randomly distributed species, shows only slight deviations and is illustrated by numerical simulation. This is a robust result whenever the finiteness of the niche is taken into account: it can be extended to different analytic dependence of the interaction coefficients with the distance on the niche axis (i.e., different kernel interactions), different boundary conditions, etc. We also found that there is a critical value both for the width of the species distribution s and the number of species n below which the clusterization disappear