13,322 research outputs found
The renormalization group and quark number fluctuations in the Polyakov loop extended quark-meson model at finite baryon density
Thermodynamics and the phase structure of the Polyakov loop-extended two
flavors chiral quark--meson (PQM) model is explored beyond the mean-field
approximation. The analysis of the PQM model is based on the functional
renormalization group (FRG) method. We formulate and solve the renormalization
group flow equation for the scale-dependent thermodynamic potential in the
presence of the gluonic background field at finite temperature and density. We
determine the phase diagram of the PQM model in the FRG approach and discuss
its modification in comparison with the one obtained under the mean-field
approximation. We focus on properties of the net-quark number density
fluctuations as well as their higher moments and discuss the influence of
non-perturbative effects on their properties near the chiral crossover
transition. We show, that with an increasing net-quark number density the
higher order moments exhibit a peculiar structure near the phase transition. We
also consider ratios of different moments of the net-quark number density and
discuss their role as probes of deconfinement and chiral phase transitions
Distorted HI Gas in the Widely Separated LIRG Arp 256
We present new interferometric HI and CO (1-0) observations of the luminous
infrared source, Arp 256. Arp 256 consists of two spiral galaxies in an early
stage of merging, with a projected nuclear separation of 29 kpc (54") and an
infrared luminosity of 2.0E11 L_sun. Despite the large separation of the
galaxies' nuclei and mildly disrupted stellar components, the HI disks are
found to be strongly disrupted, and the southern galaxy in Arp 256 shows an
elevated star formation efficiency, which is consistent with a nuclear
starburst. Both of these results run contrary to expectations, posing
interesting questions on the physical mechanisms involved in stimulating star
formation during an interaction.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ. Author added.
Full resolution figures available at
http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/jchen/arp25
Descriptions of membrane mechanics from microscopic and effective two-dimensional perspectives
Mechanics of fluid membranes may be described in terms of the concepts of
mechanical deformations and stresses, or in terms of mechanical free-energy
functions. In this paper, each of the two descriptions is developed by viewing
a membrane from two perspectives: a microscopic perspective, in which the
membrane appears as a thin layer of finite thickness and with highly
inhomogeneous material and force distributions in its transverse direction, and
an effective, two-dimensional perspective, in which the membrane is treated as
an infinitely thin surface, with effective material and mechanical properties.
A connection between these two perspectives is then established. Moreover, the
functional dependence of the variation in the mechanical free energy of the
membrane on its mechanical deformations is first studied in the microscopic
perspective. The result is then used to examine to what extent different,
effective mechanical stresses and forces can be derived from a given, effective
functional of the mechanical free energy.Comment: 37 pages, 3 figures, minor change
Feasibility of diffusion and probabilistic white matter analysis in patients implanted with a deep brain stimulator.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) is an established advanced therapy that produces therapeutic effects through high frequency stimulation. Although this therapeutic option leads to improved clinical outcomes, the mechanisms of the underlying efficacy of this treatment are not well understood. Therefore, investigation of DBS and its postoperative effects on brain architecture is of great interest. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is an advanced imaging technique, which has the ability to estimate the structure of white matter fibers; however, clinical application of DWI after DBS implantation is challenging due to the strong susceptibility artifacts caused by implanted devices. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of generating meaningful white matter reconstructions after DBS implantation; and to subsequently quantify the degree to which these tracts are affected by post-operative device-related artifacts. DWI was safely performed before and after implanting electrodes for DBS in 9 PD patients. Differences within each subject between pre- and post-implantation FA, MD, and RD values for 123 regions of interest (ROIs) were calculated. While differences were noted globally, they were larger in regions directly affected by the artifact. White matter tracts were generated from each ROI with probabilistic tractography, revealing significant differences in the reconstruction of several white matter structures after DBS. Tracts pertinent to PD, such as regions of the substantia nigra and nigrostriatal tracts, were largely unaffected. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and clinical applicability of acquiring and processing DWI post-operatively in PD patients after DBS implantation. The presence of global differences provides an impetus for acquiring DWI shortly after implantation to establish a new baseline against which longitudinal changes in brain connectivity in DBS patients can be compared. Understanding that post-operative fiber tracking in patients is feasible on a clinically-relevant scale has significant implications for increasing our current understanding of the pathophysiology of movement disorders, and may provide insights into better defining the pathophysiology and therapeutic effects of DBS
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