7,612 research outputs found
Fitting isochrones to open cluster photometric data III. Estimating metallicities from UBV photometry
The metallicity is a critical parameter that affects the correct
determination fundamental characteristics stellar cluster and has important
implications in Galactic and Stellar evolution research. Fewer than 10 % of the
2174 currently catalog open clusters have their metallicity determined in the
literature. In this work we present a method for estimating the metallicity of
open clusters via non-subjective isochrone fitting using the cross-entropy
global optimization algorithm applied to UBV photometric data. The free
parameters distance, reddening, age, and metallicity simultaneously determined
by the fitting method. The fitting procedure uses weights for the observational
data based on the estimation of membership likelihood for each star, which
considers the observational magnitude limit, the density profile of stars as a
function of radius from the center of the cluster, and the density of stars in
multi-dimensional magnitude space. We present results of [Fe/H] for nine
well-studied open clusters based on 15 distinct UBV data sets. The [Fe/H]
values obtained in the ten cases for which spectroscopic determinations were
available in the literature agree, indicating that our method provides a good
alternative to determining [Fe/H] by using an objective isochrone fitting. Our
results show that the typical precision is about 0.1 dex
Does solar structure vary with solar magnetic activity?
We present evidence that solar structure changes with changes in solar
activity. We find that the adiabatic index, Gamma_1, changes near the second
helium ionization, i.e., at a depth of about 0.98 R_sun. We believe that this
change is a result of the change in the effective equation of state caused by
magnetic fields. Inversions should be able to detect the changes in Gamma_1 if
mode sets with reliable and precise high-degree modes are available.Comment: To appear in ApJ Letter
Split-sideband spectroscopy in slowly modulated optomechanics
Optomechanical coupling between the motion of a mechanical oscillator and a
cavity represents a new arena for experimental investigation of quantum effects
on the mesoscopic and macroscopic scale.The motional sidebands of the output of
a cavity offer ultra-sensitive probes of the dynamics. We introduce a scheme
whereby these sidebands split asymmetrically and show how they may be used as
experimental diagnostics and signatures of quantum noise limited dynamics. We
show split-sidebands with controllable asymmetry occur by simultaneously
modulating the light-mechanical coupling and - slowly and out
of-phase. Such modulations are generic but already occur in optically trapped
set-ups where the equilibrium point of the oscillator is varied cyclically. We
analyse recently observed, but overlooked, experimental split-sideband
asymmetries; although not yet in the quantum regime, the data suggests that
split sideband structures are easily accessible to future experiments
The magnitude of the variation in glycemia: a new parameter for risk assessment in acute coronary syndrome?
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the relationship between the magnitude of the variation in the level of glycemia during hospitalization and in-hospital and long-term mortality and postdischarge endpoints in two groups of patients with acute coronary syndrome: those with and those without a previous diagnosis of diabetes. METHODS: The study included 1210 patients admitted for acute coronary syndrome between May 2004 and July 2007. The study population was divided in two subgroups: patients with a previous diagnosis of diabetes (n=386) and nondiabetics (n=824). Each subgroup was further divided into four smaller groups according to the quartile of glycemia variation: diabetics (Q1: or=164 mg/dl) and nondiabetics (Q1: or=60 mg/dl). Patients were followed up for an average of 18 months after the occurrence of the acute coronary syndrome. RESULTS: In diabetic patients, there was no relationship between the magnitude of the glycemia variation and in-hospital or postdischarge endpoints. In nondiabetics, no significant difference was observed in in-hospital mortality or morbidity, but statistically significant clinical differences were found during follow-up. Multivariate regression analysis showed that Q4 versus Q1, age >or=70 years, and previous antiplatelet or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy were independent predictors of postdischarge endpoints in the nondiabetic group. CONCLUSIONS: In nondiabetic acute coronary syndrome patients, the magnitude of the variation in glycemia observed during hospitalization was a strong independent predictor of postdischarge clinical endpoints
Spin configurations in hard-soft coupled bilayer systems: from rigid magnet to exchange spring transitions
We investigate equilibrium properties of an exchange-spring magnetic system
constituted of a soft layer (e.g. Fe) of a given thickness on top of a hard
magnetic layer (e.g. FePt). The magnetization profile M(z) as a function of the
atomic position ranging from the bottom of the hard layer to the top of the
soft layer is obtained in two cases with regard to the hard layer: i) in the
case of a rigid interface (the FePt layer is a single layer), the profile is
obtained analytically as the exact solution of a sine-Gordon equation with
Cauchy's boundary conditions. Additional numerical simulations also confirm
this result. Asymptotic expressions of M(z) show a linear behavior near the
bottom and the top of the soft layer. In addition, a critical value of the
number of atomic planes in the soft layer, that is necessary for the onset of
spin deviations, is obtained in terms of the anisotropy and exchange coupling
between the adjacent plane in the soft layer. ii) in the case of a relaxed
interface (the FePt layer is a multilayer), the magnetization profile is
obtained numerically for various Fe and FePt films thicknesses and applied
field.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, PRB submitted (12-07-2010
Cavity cooling a single charged nanoparticle
The development of laser cooling coupled with the ability to trap atoms and
ions in electromagnetic fields, has revolutionised atomic and optical physics,
leading to the development of atomic clocks, high-resolution spectroscopy and
applications in quantum simulation and processing. However, complex systems,
such as large molecules and nanoparticles, lack the simple internal resonances
required for laser cooling. Here we report on a hybrid scheme that uses the
external resonance of an optical cavity, combined with radio frequency (RF)
fields, to trap and cool a single charged nanoparticle. An RF Paul trap allows
confinement in vacuum, avoiding instabilities that arise from optical fields
alone, and crucially actively participates in the cooling process. This system
offers great promise for cooling and trapping a wide range of complex charged
particles with applications in precision force sensing, mass spectrometry,
exploration of quantum mechanics at large mass scales and the possibility of
creating large quantum superpositions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures Updated version includes additional references,
new title, and supplementary information include
Comparisons for Esta-Task3: Cles and Cesam
We present the results of comparing three different implementations of the
microscopic diffusion process in the stellar evolution codes CESAM and CLES.
For each of these implementations we computed models of 1.0, 1.2 and 1.3
M. We analyse the differences in their internal structure at three
selected evolutionary stages, as well as the variations of helium abundance and
depth of the stellar convective envelope. The origin of these differences and
their effects on the seismic properties of the models are also considered.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, Joint HELAS and CoRoT/ESTA Workshop on
Solar/Stellar Models and Seismic Analysis Tools, Novembre, Porto 2007 To be
published in EAS Publications Serie
Full-duplex massive MIMO with physical layer network coding for the two-way relay channel
The role of interference in wireless networks has recently been profoundly re-thought with the emergence of new techniques for combating it and exploit it to maximize the use efficiency of the physical resources. This paper presents a two-way relay channel using a lattice-based physical layer network coding scheme, a massive MIMO array, and in-band full-duplex, taking into account the residual self-interference that results after applying recently developed cancellation techniques for the loopback interference. The proposed scheme is able to ultimately exchange information across the TWRC in only one time slot, whereas four time slots would be needed in a conventional TWRC. The system's performance is shown to be mostly dependent on the number of antennas at the relay, and also dependent on the channel state information of all the channel matrices, including the one describing the loopback interference at the relay. For base-stations and relays with a few hundred antennas, the proposed scheme is feasible for wireless systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
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