Three Dimensional Quantum Geometry and Deformed Poincare Symmetry

We study a three dimensional non-commutative space emerging in the context of three dimensional Euclidean quantum gravity. Our starting point is the assumption that the isometry group is deformed to the Drinfeld double D(SU(2)). We generalize to the deformed case the construction of the flat Euclidean space as the quotient of its isometry group ISU(2) by SU(2). We show that the algebra of functions becomes the non-commutative algebra of SU(2) distributions endowed with the convolution product. This construction gives the action of ISU(2) on the algebra and allows the determination of plane waves and coordinate functions. In particular, we show that: (i) plane waves have bounded momenta; (ii) to a given momentum are associated several SU(2) elements leading to an effective description of an element in the algebra in terms of several physical scalar fields; (iii) their product leads to a deformed addition rule of momenta consistent with the bound on the spectrum. We generalize to the non-commutative setting the local action for a scalar field. Finally, we obtain, using harmonic analysis, another useful description of the algebra as the direct sum of the algebra of matrices. The algebra of matrices inherits the action of ISU(2): rotations leave the order of the matrices invariant whereas translations change the order in a way we explicitly determine.Comment: latex, 37 page

Massless Particles in Arbitrary Dimensions

Various properties of two kinds of massless representations of the n-conformal (or (n+1)-De Sitter) group $\tilde{G}_n=\widetilde{SO}_0(2,n)$ are investigated for $n\ge2$. It is found that, for space-time dimensions $n\ge3$, the situation is quite similar to the one of the n=4 case for $S_n$-massless representations of the n-De Sitter group $\widetilde{SO}_0(2,n-1)$. These representations are the restrictions of the singletons of $\tilde{G}_n$. The main difference is that they are not contained in the tensor product of two UIRs with the same sign of energy when n>4, whereas it is the case for another kind of massless representation. Finally some examples of Gupta-Bleuler triplets are given for arbitrary spin and $n\ge3$.Comment: 33 pages, LaTeX2e. To be published in Reviews in Math. Phy

Finite element analysis of gradient coil deformation and vibration in NMR microscopy

Resolution degradation due to gradient coil deformation and vibration in NMR microscopy is investigated using finite element analysis. From the analysis, deformations due to the Lorentz force can be as large as 1-10 μm depending on the gradient strength and coil frame material. Thus, these deformations can be one of the major resolution limiting factors in NMR microscopy. Coil vibration, which depends on the input current waveform and resolution degradation due to time-variant deformation and time-invariant deformation are investigated by numerical simulations

Separation of Damping and Velocity Strain Dependencies using an Ultrasonic Monochromatic Excitation

International audiencePrecise knowledge of the dependence of elastic modulus and Q factor on the amplitude of excitation is a prerequisite for the development and validation of models to explain the hysteresis observed in qua-sistatic experiments for various media, i.e., the different deformations at the same applied stress observed when stress change rate is positive or negative. Separation of different contributions to dynamic nonlin-earity (e.g., those due to nonequilibrium effects, often termed conditioning) and independent estimation of nonlinearities originated by the strain dependence of velocity and the damping factor are required, which is often not possible with standard approaches. Here we propose and validate a method that, measuring the response of a sample to a monochromatic excitation at different amplitudes, allows fast, continuous, and quasi-real-time monitoring of the dependence of the material elastic properties on amplitude: dynamic elastic modulus (related with velocity through density) and Q factor of the mechanical resonances (related with wave-amplitude attenuation parameters)

Solutions of multigravity theories and discretized brane worlds

We determine solutions to 5D Einstein gravity with a discrete fifth dimension. The properties of the solutions depend on the discretization scheme we use and some of them have no continuum counterpart. In particular, we find that the neglect of the lapse field (along the discretized direction) gives rise to Randall-Sundrum type metric with a negative tension brane. However, no brane source is required. We show that this result is robust under changes in the discretization scheme. The inclusion of the lapse field gives rise to solutions whose continuum limit is gauge fixed by the discretization scheme. We find however one particular scheme which leads to an undetermined lapse reflecting the reparametrization invariance of the continuum theory. We also find other solutions, with no continuum counterpart with changes in the metric signature or avoidance of singularity. We show that the models allow a continuous mass spectrum for the gravitons with an effective 4D interaction at small scales. We also discuss some cosmological solutions.Comment: 19 page

High-resolution genome-wide scan of genes, gene-networks and cellular systems impacting the yeast ionome

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Theory of band gap bowing of disordered substitutional II-VI and III-V semiconductor alloys

For a wide class of technologically relevant compound III-V and II-VI semiconductor materials AC and BC mixed crystals (alloys) of the type A(x)B(1-x)C can be realized. As the electronic properties like the bulk band gap vary continuously with x, any band gap in between that of the pure AC and BC systems can be obtained by choosing the appropriate concentration x, granted that the respective ratio is miscible and thermodynamically stable. In most cases the band gap does not vary linearly with x, but a pronounced bowing behavior as a function of the concentration is observed. In this paper we show that the electronic properties of such A(x)B(1-x)C semiconductors and, in particular, the band gap bowing can well be described and understood starting from empirical tight binding models for the pure AC and BC systems. The electronic properties of the A(x)B(1-x)C system can be described by choosing the tight-binding parameters of the AC or BC system with probabilities x and 1-x, respectively. We demonstrate this by exact diagonalization of finite but large supercells and by means of calculations within the established coherent potential approximation (CPA). We apply this treatment to the II-VI system Cd(x)Zn(1-x)Se, to the III-V system In(x)Ga(1-x)As and to the III-nitride system Ga(x)Al(1-x)N.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure