635 research outputs found
Mermin-Ho vortex in ferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates
The Mermin-Ho and Anderson-Toulouse coreless non-singular vortices are
demonstrated to be thermodynamically stable in ferromagnetic spinor
Bose-Einstein condensates with the hyperfine state F=1. The phase diagram is
established in a plane of the rotation drive vs the total magnetization by
comparing the energies for other competing non-axis-symmetric or singular
vortices. Their stability is also checked by evaluating collective modes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Axisymmetric versus Non-axisymmetric Vortices in Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates
The structure and stability of various vortices in F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein
condensates are investigated by solving the extended Gross-Pitaevskii equation
under rotation. We perform an extensive search for stable vortices, considering
both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric vortices and covering a wide range of
ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. The topological defect called
Mermin-Ho (Anderson-Toulouse) vortex is shown to be stable for ferromagnetic
case. The phase diagram is established in a plane of external rotation Omega vs
total magnetization M by comparing the free energies of possible vortices. It
is shown that there are qualitative differences between axisymmetric and
non-axisymmetric vortices which are manifested in the Omega- and M-dependences.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
An accurate determination of the Avogadro constant by counting the atoms in a 28Si crystal
The Avogadro constant links the atomic and the macroscopic properties of
matter. Since the molar Planck constant is well known via the measurement of
the Rydberg constant, it is also closely related to the Planck constant. In
addition, its accurate determination is of paramount importance for a
definition of the kilogram in terms of a fundamental constant. We describe a
new approach for its determination by "counting" the atoms in 1 kg
single-crystal spheres, which are highly enriched with the 28Si isotope. It
enabled isotope dilution mass spectroscopy to determine the molar mass of the
silicon crystal with unprecedented accuracy. The value obtained, 6.02214084(18)
x 10^23 mol^-1, is the most accurate input datum for a new definition of the
kilogram.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 3 table
Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates with Many Vortices
Vortex-lattice structures of antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein
condensates with hyperfine spin F=1 are investigated theoretically based on the
Ginzburg-Pitaevskii equations near . The Abrikosov lattice with clear
core regions are found {\em never stable} at any rotation drive .
Instead, each component prefers to shift the core
locations from the others to realize almost uniform order-parameter amplitude
with complicated magnetic-moment configurations. This system is characterized
by many competing metastable structures so that quite a variety of vortices may
be realized with a small change in external parameters.Comment: 4 page
Exact calculation of the skyrmion lifetime in a ferromagnetic Bose condensate
The tunneling rate of a skyrmion in ferromagnetic spin-1/2 Bose condensates
through an off-centered potential barrier is calculated exactly with the
periodic instanton method. The prefactor is shown to depend on the chemical
potential of the core atoms, at which level the atom tunnels. Our results can
be readily extended to estimate the lifetime of other topological excitations
in the condensate, such as vortices and monopoles.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, to appear Phys. Rev.
Diffused vorticity approach to the oscillations of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic plus quartic trap
The collective modes of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined in an
attractive quadratic plus quartic trap are investigated. Assuming the presence
of a large number of vortices we apply the diffused vorticity approach to the
system. We then use the sum rule technique for the calculation of collective
frequencies, comparing the results with the numerical solution of the
linearized hydrodynamic equations. Numerical solutions also show the existence
of low-frequency multipole modes which are interpreted as vortex oscillations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Coreless vortex ground state of the rotating spinor condensate
We study the ground state of the rotating spinor condensate and show that for
slow rotation the ground state of the ferromagnetic spinor condensate is a
coreless vortex. While coreless vortex is not topologically stable, we show
that there is an energetic threshold for the creation of a coreless vortex.
This threshold corresponds to a critical rotation frequency that vanishes as
the system size increases. Also, we demonstrate the dramatically different
behavior of the spinor condensate with anti-ferromagnetic interactions. For
anti-ferromagnetic spinor condensate the angular momentum as a function of
rotation frequency exhibits the familiar staircase behavior, but in contrast to
an ordinary condensate the first step is to the state with angular momentum 1/2
per particle.Comment: v2: Numerical parameters for trapping frequency in z-direction and
for the particle number changed. Two new citations added ([13] and [22]).
More discussion in chapter III A. added. A new Figure 4 added, former figure
4 changed to Figure
Feshbach resonances in rubidium 87: Precision measurement and analysis
More than 40 Feshbach resonances in rubidium 87 are observed in the magnetic
field range between 0.5 and 1260 G for various spin mixtures in the lower
hyperfine ground state. The Feshbach resonances are observed by monitoring the
atom loss, and their positions are determined with an accuracy of 30 mG. In a
detailed analysis, the resonances are identified and an improved set of model
parameters for the rubidium interatomic potential is deduced. The elastic width
of the broadest resonance at 1007 G is predicted to be significantly larger
than the magnetic field resolution of the apparatus. This demonstrates the
potential for applications based on tuning the scattering length.Comment: figure 2 corrected; minor changes in the tex
Disruption of Neuronal Autophagy by Infected Microglia Results in Neurodegeneration
There is compelling evidence to support the idea that autophagy has a protective function in neurons and its disruption results in neurodegenerative disorders. Neuronal damage is well-documented in the brains of HIV-infected individuals, and evidence of inflammation, oxidative stress, damage to synaptic and dendritic structures, and neuronal loss are present in the brains of those with HIV-associated dementia. We investigated the role of autophagy in microglia-induced neurotoxicity in primary rodent neurons, primate and human models. We demonstrate here that products of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected microglia inhibit neuronal autophagy, resulting in decreased neuronal survival. Quantitative analysis of autophagy vacuole numbers in rat primary neurons revealed a striking loss from the processes. Assessment of multiple biochemical markers of autophagic activity confirmed the inhibition of autophagy in neurons. Importantly, autophagy could be induced in neurons through rapamycin treatment, and such treatment conferred significant protection to neurons. Two major mediators of HIV-induced neurotoxicity, tumor necrosis factor-α and glutamate, had similar effects on reducing autophagy in neurons. The mRNA level of p62 was increased in the brain in SIV encephalitis and as well as in brains from individuals with HIV dementia, and abnormal neuronal p62 dot structures immunoreactivity was present and had a similar pattern with abnormal ubiquitinylated proteins. Taken together, these results identify that induction of deficits in autophagy is a significant mechanism for neurodegenerative processes that arise from glial, as opposed to neuronal, sources, and that the maintenance of autophagy may have a pivotal role in neuroprotection in the setting of HIV infection
Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov State in Heavy Fermion Superconductors
The Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state is a novel superconducting
state in a strong magnetic field characterized by the formation of Cooper pairs
with nonzero total momentum (k \uparrow, -k+q \downarrow), instead of the
ordinary BCS pairs (k \uparrow, -k \downarrow). A fascinating aspect of the
FFLO state is that it exhibits inhomogeneous superconducting phases with a
spatially oscillating order parameter and spin polarization. The FFLO state has
been of interest in various research fields, not only in superconductors in
solid state physics, but also in neutral Fermion superfluid of ultracold atomic
gases and in color superconductivity in high energy physics. In spite of
extensive studies of various superconductors, there has been no undisputed
experimental verification of the FFLO state, mainly because of the very
stringent conditions required of the superconducting materials. Among several
classes of materials, certain heavy fermion and organic superconductors are
believed to provide conditions that are favorable to the formation of the FFLO
state. This review presents recent experimental and theoretical developments of
the FFLO state mainly in heavy fermion superconductors. In particular we
address the recently discovered quasi-two-dimensional superconductor CeCoIn_5,
which is a strong candidate for the formation of the FFLO state.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures with jpsf2.cls, to be published in J. Phys. Soc.
Jpn. (Special Topics - Frontiers of Novel Superconductivity in Heavy Fermion
Compounds
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