825 research outputs found
Characterising a solid state qubit via environmental noise
We propose a method for characterising the energy level structure of a
solid-state qubit by monitoring the noise level in its environment. We consider
a model persistent-current qubit in a lossy resevoir and demonstrate that the
noise in a classical bias field is a sensitive function of the applied field.Comment: 3 Figure
Comparisons of Statistical Multifragmentation and Evaporation Models for Heavy Ion Collisions
The results from ten statistical multifragmentation models have been compared
with each other using selected experimental observables. Even though details in
any single observable may differ, the general trends among models are similar.
Thus these models and similar ones are very good in providing important physics
insights especially for general properties of the primary fragments and the
multifragmentation process. Mean values and ratios of observables are also less
sensitive to individual differences in the models. In addition to
multifragmentation models, we have compared results from five commonly used
evaporation codes. The fluctuations in isotope yield ratios are found to be a
good indicator to evaluate the sequential decay implementation in the code. The
systems and the observables studied here can be used as benchmarks for the
development of statistical multifragmentation models and evaporation codes.Comment: To appear on Euorpean Physics Journal A as part of the Topical Volume
"Dynamics and Thermodynamics with Nuclear Degrees of Freedo
Nonorientable spacetime tunneling
Misner space is generalized to have the nonorientable topology of a Klein
bottle, and it is shown that in a classical spacetime with multiply connected
space slices having such a topology, closed timelike curves are formed.
Different regions on the Klein bottle surface can be distinguished which are
separated by apparent horizons fixed at particular values of the two angular
variables that eneter the metric. Around the throat of this tunnel (which we
denote a Klein bottlehole), the position of these horizons dictates an ordinary
and exotic matter distribution such that, in addition to the known diverging
lensing action of wormholes, a converging lensing action is also present at the
mouths. Associated with this matter distribution, the accelerating version of
this Klein bottlehole shows four distinct chronology horizons, each with its
own nonchronal region. A calculation of the quantum vacuum fluctuations
performed by using the regularized two-point Hadamard function shows that each
chronology horizon nests a set of polarized hypersurfaces where the
renormalized momentum-energy tensor diverges. This quantum instability can be
prevented if we take the accelerating Klein bottlehole to be a generalization
of a modified Misner space in which the period of the closed spatial direction
is time-dependent. In this case, the nonchronal regions and closed timelike
curves cannot exceed a minimum size of the order the Planck scale.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex, Accepted in Phys. Rev.
Gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori: a combined analysis of 12 case control studies nested within prospective cohorts
BACKGROUND: The magnitude of the association
between Helicobacter pylori and
incidence of gastric cancer is unclear. H
pylori infection and the circulating antibody
response can be lost with development
of cancer; thus retrospective studies
are subject to bias resulting from classifi-
cation of cases as H pylori negative when
they were infected in the past.
AIMS: To combine data from all case control
studies nested within prospective
cohorts to assess more reliably the relative
risk of gastric cancer associated with H
pylori infection.To investigate variation in
relative risk by age, sex, cancer type and
subsite, and interval between blood sampling
and cancer diagnosis.
METHODS: Studies were eligible if blood
samples for H pylori serology were collected
before diagnosis of gastric cancer in
cases. Identified published studies and two
unpublished studies were included. Individual
subject data were obtained for
each. Matched odds ratios (ORs) and 95%
confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated
for the association between H pylori
and gastric cancer.
RESULTS: Twelve studies with 1228 gastric
cancer cases were considered. The association
with H pylori was restricted to noncardia
cancers (OR 3.0; 95% CI 2.3–3.8)
and was stronger when blood samples for
H pylori serology were collected 10+ years
before cancer diagnosis (5.9; 3.4–10.3). H
pylori infection was not associated with an
altered overall risk of cardia cancer (1.0;
0.7–1.4).
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that
5.9 is the best estimate of the relative risk
of non-cardia cancer associated with H
pylori infection and that H pylori does not
increase the risk of cardia cancer. They
also support the idea that when H pylori
status is assessed close to cancer diagnosis,
the magnitude of the non-cardia
association may be underestimated
Hamiltonian 2-forms in Kahler geometry, III Extremal metrics and stability
This paper concerns the explicit construction of extremal Kaehler metrics on
total spaces of projective bundles, which have been studied in many places. We
present a unified approach, motivated by the theory of hamiltonian 2-forms (as
introduced and studied in previous papers in the series) but this paper is
largely independent of that theory.
We obtain a characterization, on a large family of projective bundles, of
those `admissible' Kaehler classes (i.e., the ones compatible with the bundle
structure in a way we make precise) which contain an extremal Kaehler metric.
In many cases, such as on geometrically ruled surfaces, every Kaehler class is
admissible. In particular, our results complete the classification of extremal
Kaehler metrics on geometrically ruled surfaces, answering several
long-standing questions.
We also find that our characterization agrees with a notion of K-stability
for admissible Kaehler classes. Our examples and nonexistence results therefore
provide a fertile testing ground for the rapidly developing theory of stability
for projective varieties, and we discuss some of the ramifications. In
particular we obtain examples of projective varieties which are destabilized by
a non-algebraic degeneration.Comment: 40 pages, sequel to math.DG/0401320 and math.DG/0202280, but largely
self-contained; partially replaces and extends math.DG/050151
Arbitrary rotation and entanglement of flux SQUID qubits
We propose a new approach for the arbitrary rotation of a three-level SQUID
qubit and describe a new strategy for the creation of coherence transfer and
entangled states between two three-level SQUID qubits. The former is succeeded
by exploring the coupled-uncoupled states of the system when irradiated with
two microwave pulses, and the latter is succeeded by placing the SQUID qubits
into a microwave cavity and used adiabatic passage methods for their
manipulation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Observational Constraints on Cosmological Models with the Updated Long Gamma-Ray Bursts
In the present work, by the help of the newly released Union2 compilation
which consists of 557 Type Ia supernovae (SNIa), we calibrate 109 long
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) with the well-known Amati relation, using the
cosmology-independent calibration method proposed by Liang {\it et al.}. We
have obtained 59 calibrated high-redshift GRBs which can be used to constrain
cosmological models without the circularity problem (we call them ``Hymnium''
GRBs sample for convenience). Then, we consider the joint constraints on 7
cosmological models from the latest observational data, namely, the combination
of 557 Union2 SNIa dataset, 59 calibrated Hymnium GRBs dataset (obtained in
this work), the shift parameter from the WMAP 7-year data, and the distance
parameter of the measurement of the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) peak
in the distribution of SDSS luminous red galaxies. We also briefly consider the
comparison of these 7 cosmological models.Comment: 19 pages, 3 tables, 10 figures, revtex4; v2: accepted for publication
in JCAP; v3: published versio
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