Nucleic acid vibrational circular dichroism, absorption, and linear dichroism spectra. I. A DeVoe theory approach

Infrared (IR) vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), absorption, and linear dichroism (LD) spectra of four homopolyribonucleotides, poly(rA), poly(rG), poly(rC), and poly(rU), have been calculated, in the 1750–1550 cm-1 spectral region, using the DeVoe polarizability theory. A newly derived algorithm, which approximates the Hilbert transform of imaginaries to reals, was used in the calculations to obtain real parts of oscillator polarizabilities associated with each normal mode. The calculated spectra of the polynucleotides were compared with previously measured solution spectra. The good agreement between calculated and measured polynucleotide spectra indicates, for the first time, that the DeVoe theory is a useful means of calculating the VCD and IR absorption spectra of polynucleotides. For the first time, calculated DeVoe theory VCD and IR absorption spectra of oriented polynucleotides are presented. The calculated VCD spectra for the oriented polynucleotides are used to predict the spectra for such measurements made in the future. The calculated IR spectra for the oriented polynucleotides are useful in interpreting the linear dichroism of the polynucleotides

Geometric Aspects of D-branes and T-duality

We explore the differential geometry of T-duality and D-branes. Because D-branes and RR-fields are properly described via K-theory, we discuss the (differential) K-theoretic generalization of T-duality and its application to the coupling of D-branes to RR-fields. This leads to a puzzle involving the transformation of the A-roof genera in the coupling.Comment: 26 pages, JHEP format, uses dcpic.sty; v2: references added, v3: minor change

Numerical studies of the two- and three-dimensional gauge glass at low temperature

We present results from Monte Carlo simulations of the two- and three-dimensional gauge glass at low temperature using the parallel tempering Monte Carlo method. Our results in two dimensions strongly support the transition being at T_c=0. A finite-size scaling analysis, which works well only for the larger sizes and lower temperatures, gives the stiffness exponent theta = -0.39 +/- 0.03. In three dimensions we find theta = 0.27 +/- 0.01, compatible with recent results from domain wall renormalization group studies.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PR

Twisted K-Theory of Lie Groups

I determine the twisted K-theory of all compact simply connected simple Lie groups. The computation reduces via the Freed-Hopkins-Teleman theorem to the CFT prescription, and thus explains why it gives the correct result. Finally I analyze the exceptions noted by Bouwknegt et al.Comment: 16 page

The Elliptic curves in gauge theory, string theory, and cohomology

Elliptic curves play a natural and important role in elliptic cohomology. In earlier work with I. Kriz, thes elliptic curves were interpreted physically in two ways: as corresponding to the intersection of M2 and M5 in the context of (the reduction of M-theory to) type IIA and as the elliptic fiber leading to F-theory for type IIB. In this paper we elaborate on the physical setting for various generalized cohomology theories, including elliptic cohomology, and we note that the above two seemingly unrelated descriptions can be unified using Sen's picture of the orientifold limit of F-theory compactification on K3, which unifies the Seiberg-Witten curve with the F-theory curve, and through which we naturally explain the constancy of the modulus that emerges from elliptic cohomology. This also clarifies the orbifolding performed in the previous work and justifies the appearance of the w_4 condition in the elliptic refinement of the mod 2 part of the partition function. We comment on the cohomology theory needed for the case when the modular parameter varies in the base of the elliptic fibration.Comment: 23 pages, typos corrected, minor clarification

Monte Carlo simulations of the four-dimensional XY spin glass at low temperatures

We report results for simulations of the four-dimensional XY spin glass using the parallel tempering Monte Carlo method at low temperatures for moderate sizes. Our results are qualitatively consistent with earlier work on the three-dimensional gauge glass as well as three- and four-dimensional Edwards-Anderson Ising spin glass. An extrapolation of our results would indicate that large-scale excitations cost only a finite amount of energy in the thermodynamic limit. The surface of these excitations may be fractal, although we cannot rule out a scenario compatible with replica symmetry breaking in which the surface of low-energy large-scale excitations is space filling.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure

Duality symmetry and the form fields of M-theory

In previous work we derived the topological terms in the M-theory action in terms of certain characters that we defined. In this paper, we propose the extention of these characters to include the dual fields. The unified treatment of the M-theory four-form field strength and its dual leads to several observations. In particular we elaborate on the possibility of a twisted cohomology theory with a twist given by degrees greater than three.Comment: 12 pages, modified material on the differentia

Too Afraid to Learn: Attitudes towards Statistics as a Barrier to Learning Statistics and to Acquiring Quantitative Skills

Quantitative skills are important for studying and understanding social reality. Political science students, however, experience difficulties in acquiring and retaining such skills. Fear of statistics has often been listed among the major causes for this problem. This study aims at understanding the underlying factors for this anxiety and proposes a potential remedy. More specifically, we advocate the integration of quantitative material into non-methodological courses. After assessing the influence of dispositional, course-related and person-related factors on the attitudes towards statistics among political science students, we provide insights into the relation between these attitudes on the one hand and the learning and retention of statistics skills on the other. Our results indicate that a curriculum-wide approach to normalise the use of quantitative methods can not only foster interest in statistics but also foster retention of the acquired skills

Raman spectroscopies in shock-compressed materials

Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, stimulated Raman scattering and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering have been used to measure temperatures and changes in molecular vibrational frequencies for detonating and shocked materials. Inverse Raman and Raman induced Kerr effect spectroscopies have been suggested as diagnostic probes for determining and phenomenology of shock-induced chemical reactions. The practicality, advantages, and disadvantages of using Raman scattering techniques as diagnostic probes of microscopic phenomenology through and immediately behind the shock front of shock-compressed molecular systems are discussed