Improving the viability of mental models held by novice programmers

Recent research has found that many novice programmers often hold non-viable mental models of basic programming concepts such as assignment and object reference. This paper proposes a constructivist-based teaching model, integrating a cognitive conflict strategy with program visualization, with the aim of improving novice programmers’ mental models. The results of a preliminary empirical study suggest that, for the relatively straightforward concept of assignment, tight integration of program visualization with a cognitive conflict event that highlights a student’s inappropriate understanding can help improve students’ non-viable mental models. 14 out of 18 participants who held non-viable mental models of the assignment process successfully changed their model to be viable as a result of the proposed teaching model

Study of Light Scalar Meson Structure in D1D_1 decay

We study the quark structure of the sigma meson through the decay of $D_1(2430)$ meson by constructing an effective Lagrangian for charmed mesons interacting with light mesons based on the chiral symmetry and heavy quark symmetry. Within the linear realization of the chiral symmetry, we include the P-wave charmed mesons ($D_1(2430)$, $D_0(2400)$) as the chiral partners of ($D^\ast$, $D$), and the light scalar mesons as the chiral partner of the pseudoscalar mesons. In the light meson sector, both the $q\bar{q}$ and $qq\bar{q}\bar{q}$ states are incorporated respecting their different U(1)$_A$ transformation properties. We predict the $D_1 \to D\pi\pi$ decay width with two pions in the $I=0,\,l=0$ channel, which can be tested in the future experiment. We find that the width increases with the percentage of the $q\bar{q}$ content in the sigma meson.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Contribution to KMI Inauguration Conference "Quest for the Origin of Particles and the Universe" (KMIIN), 24-26 Nov. 2011, KMI, Nagoya Universit

Muscle Fatigue Analysis Using OpenSim

In this research, attempts are made to conduct concrete muscle fatigue analysis of arbitrary motions on OpenSim, a digital human modeling platform. A plug-in is written on the base of a muscle fatigue model, which makes it possible to calculate the decline of force-output capability of each muscle along time. The plug-in is tested on a three-dimensional, 29 degree-of-freedom human model. Motion data is obtained by motion capturing during an arbitrary running at a speed of 3.96 m/s. Ten muscles are selected for concrete analysis. As a result, the force-output capability of these muscles reduced to 60%-70% after 10 minutes' running, on a general basis. Erector spinae, which loses 39.2% of its maximal capability, is found to be more fatigue-exposed than the others. The influence of subject attributes (fatigability) is evaluated and discussed

Nearly Mass-Degenerate Majorana Neutrinos: Double Beta Decay and Neutrino Oscillations

Assuming equal tree-level Majorana masses for the standard-model neutrinos, either from the canonical seesaw mechanism or from a heavy scalar triplet, I discuss how their radiative splitting may be relevant to neutrinoless double beta decay and neutrino oscillations.Comment: 12 pages, including 4 figures, talk at NANP9

Gluon GPDs and Exclusive Photoproduction of a Quarkonium in Forward Region

Forward photoproduction of $J/\psi$ can be used to extract Generalized Parton Distributions(GPD's) of gluons. We analyze the process at twist-3 level and study relevant classifications of twist-3 gluon GPD's. At leading power or twist-2 level the produced $J/\psi$ is transversely polarized. We find that at twist-3 the produced $J/\psi$ is longitudinally polarized. Our study shows that in high energy limit the twist-3 amplitude is only suppressed by the inverse power of the heavy quark mass relatively to the twist-2 amplitude. This indicates that the power correction to the cross-section of unpolarized $J/\psi$ can have a sizeable effect. We have also derived the amplitude of the production of $h_c$ at twist-3, but the result contains end-point singularities. The production of other quarkonia has been briefly discussed.Comment: Discussions of results are adde

A Class of Coupled KdV systems and Their Bi-Hamiltonian Formulations

A Hamiltonian pair with arbitrary constants is proposed and thus a sort of hereditary operators is resulted. All the corresponding systems of evolution equations possess local bi-Hamiltonian formulation and a special choice of the systems leads to the KdV hierarchy. Illustrative examples are given.Comment: 8 pages, late

Kondo correlation and spin-flip scattering in spin-dependent transport through a quantum dot coupled to ferromagnetic leads

We investigate the linear and nonlinear dc transport through an interacting quantum dot connected to two ferromagnetic electrodes around Kondo regime with spin-flip scattering in the dot. Using a slave-boson mean field approach for the Anderson Hamiltonian having finite on-site Coulomb repulsion, we find that a spin-flip scattering always depresses the Kondo correlation at arbitrary polarization strength in both parallel and antiparallel alignment of the lead magnetization and that it effectively reinforces the tunneling related conductance in the antiparallel configuration. For systems deep in the Kondo regime, the zero-bias single Kondo peak in the differential conductance is split into two peaks by the intradot spin-flip scattering; while for systems somewhat further from the Kondo center, the spin-flip process in the dot may turn the zero-bias anomaly into a three-peak structure.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Toeplitz operators on symplectic manifolds

We study the Berezin-Toeplitz quantization on symplectic manifolds making use of the full off-diagonal asymptotic expansion of the Bergman kernel. We give also a characterization of Toeplitz operators in terms of their asymptotic expansion. The semi-classical limit properties of the Berezin-Toeplitz quantization for non-compact manifolds and orbifolds are also established.Comment: 40 page