5,809 research outputs found
Making Cold Molecules by Time-dependent Feshbach Resonances
Pairs of trapped atoms can be associated to make a diatomic molecule using a
time dependent magnetic field to ramp the energy of a scattering resonance
state from above to below the scattering threshold. A relatively simple model,
parameterized in terms of the background scattering length and resonance width
and magnetic moment, can be used to predict conversion probabilities from atoms
to molecules. The model and its Landau-Zener interpretation are described and
illustrated by specific calculations for Na, Rb, and Cs
resonances. The model can be readily adapted to Bose-Einstein condensates.
Comparison with full many-body calculations for the condensate case show that
the model is very useful for making simple estimates of molecule conversion
efficiencies.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures; talk for Quantum Challenges Symposium, Warsaw,
Poland, September 4-7, 2003. Published in Journal of Modern Optics 51,
1787-1806 (2004). Typographical errors in Journal article correcte
Classification of zero-energy resonances by dissociation of Feshbach molecules
We study the dissociation of Feshbach molecules by a magnetic field sweep
across a zero-energy resonance. In the limit of an instantaneous magnetic field
change, the distribution of atomic kinetic energy can have a peak indicating
dominance of the molecular closed-channel spin configuration over the entrance
channel. The extent of this dominance influences physical properties such as
stability with respect to collisions, and so the readily measurable presence or
absence of the corresponding peak provides a practical method of classifying
zero-energy resonances. Currently achievable ramp speeds, e.g. those
demonstrated by Duerr et al. [Phys. Rev. A 70, 031601 (2005)], are fast enough
to provide magnetic field changes that may be interpreted as instantaneous. We
study the transition from sudden magnetic field changes to asymptotically wide,
linear ramps. In the latter limit, the predicted form of the atomic kinetic
energy distribution is independent of the specific implementation of the
two-body physics, provided that the near-resonant scattering properties are
properly accounted for.Comment: 10 pages, 5 eps figure
Electronic Structure and Lattice dynamics of NaFeAs
The similarity of the electronic structures of NaFeAs and other Fe pnictides
has been demonstrated on the basis of first-principle calculations. The global
double-degeneracy of electronic bands along X-M and R-A direction indicates the
instability of Fe pnictides and is explained on the basis of a tight-binding
model. The de Haas-van Alphen parameters for the Fermi surface (FS) of NaFeAs
have been calculated. A spin density wave (SDW)
instead of a charge density wave (CDW) ground state is predicted based on the
calculated generalized susceptibility and a criterion
derived from a restricted Hatree-Fock model. The strongest electron-phonon
(e-p) coupling has been found to involve only As, Na z-direction vibration with
linear-response calculations. A possible enhancement mechanism for e-p coupling
due to correlation is suggested
Robust adaptive MPC using control contraction metrics
We present a robust adaptive model predictive control (MPC) framework for
nonlinear continuous-time systems with bounded parametric uncertainty and
additive disturbance. We utilize general control contraction metrics (CCMs) to
parameterize a homothetic tube around a nominal prediction that contains all
uncertain trajectories. Furthermore, we incorporate model adaptation using
set-membership estimation. As a result, the proposed MPC formulation is
applicable to a large class of nonlinear systems, reduces conservatism during
online operation, and guarantees robust constraint satisfaction and convergence
to a neighborhood of the desired setpoint. One of the main technical
contributions is the derivation of corresponding tube dynamics based on CCMs
that account for the state and input dependent nature of the model mismatch.
Furthermore, we online optimize over the nominal parameter, which enables
general set-membership updates for the parametric uncertainty in the MPC.
Benefits of the proposed homothetic tube MPC and online adaptation are
demonstrated using a numerical example involving a planar quadrotor.Comment: This is the accepted version of the paper in Automatica, 202
Scientists of the future: an analysis of talented students' interests
Background: Nowadays, scientists not only need to be creative, resourceful, and inventive regarding their research questions and need to understand their field and research methods, but also need to know how to teach, how to catalog, how to fill out proposal forms, and much more. The main goal of this study was to investigate and compare science interest profiles of different groups of students, focusing both on successful participants in science competitions and on possible gender differences. We expected that successful participants in science competitions would generally have greater interests in scientific activities than non-participants but were especially interested in such areas we expect from successful scientists today, thereby helping us judge the design of successful enrichment measures. Results: Significant mean differences in interest in science activities between participants and non-participants of science competitions were found on six of seven dimensions as well as regarding in-school activities, activities in enrichment measures, and vocational interests. The differences were especially large concerning investigative, social, enterprising, and networking activities. Moreover, we found differences between girls and boys on the social and artistic dimensions, meaning that girls were significantly more interested in science activities which also had an artistic and creative aspect such as drawing or a social aspect such as teaching. Conclusions: We not only found overall differences to-be-expected favoring the participants, but also could also identify specific profiles. Especially large differences were consistently found in those areas which could be regarded as especially important for most researchers. Our findings might help developing measures and activities to foster the interest in science activities for “regular” students as well as for especially talented students
The QSO evolution derived from the HBQS and other complete QSO surveys
An ESO Key programme dedicated to an Homogeneous Bright QSO Survey (HBQS) has
been completed. 327 QSOs (Mb<-23, 0.3<z<2.2) have been selected over 555 deg^2
with 15<B<18.75. For B<16.4 the QSO surface density turns out to be a factor
2.2 higher than what measured by the PG survey, corresponding to a surface
density of 0.013+/-.006 deg^{-2}. If the Edinburgh QSO Survey is included, an
overdensity of a factor 2.5 is observed, corresponding to a density of
0.016+/-0.005 deg^{-2}. In order to derive the QSO optical luminosity function
(LF) we used Monte Carlo simulations that take into account of the selection
criteria, photometric errors and QSO spectral slope distribution. The LF can be
represented with a Pure Luminosity Evolution (L(z)\propto(1+z)^k) of a two
power law both for q_0=0.5 and q_0=0.1. For q_0=0.5 k=3.26, slower than the
previous Boyle's (1992) estimations of k=3.45. A flatter slope beta=-3.72 of
the bright part of the LF is also required. The observed overdensity of bright
QSOs is concentrated at z<0.6. It results that in the range 0.3<z<0.6 the
luminosity function is flatter than observed at higher redshifts. In this
redshift range, for Mb<-25, 32 QSOs are observed instead of 19 expected from
our best-fit PLE model. This feature requires a luminosity dependent luminosity
evolution in order to satisfactorily represent the data in the whole 0.3<z<2.2
interval.Comment: Invited talk in "Wide Field Spectroscopy" (20-24 May 1996, Athens),
eds. M. Kontizas et al. 6 pages and 3 eps figures, LaTex file, uses epfs.sty
and crckapb.sty (included
The Nucleon Spectral Function at Finite Temperature and the Onset of Superfluidity in Nuclear Matter
Nucleon selfenergies and spectral functions are calculated at the saturation
density of symmetric nuclear matter at finite temperatures. In particular, the
behaviour of these quantities at temperatures above and close to the critical
temperature for the superfluid phase transition in nuclear matter is discussed.
It is shown how the singularity in the thermodynamic T-matrix at the critical
temperature for superfluidity (Thouless criterion) reflects in the selfenergy
and correspondingly in the spectral function. The real part of the on-shell
selfenergy (optical potential) shows an anomalous behaviour for momenta near
the Fermi momentum and temperatures close to the critical temperature related
to the pairing singularity in the imaginary part. For comparison the selfenergy
derived from the K-matrix of Brueckner theory is also calculated. It is found,
that there is no pairing singularity in the imaginary part of the selfenergy in
this case, which is due to the neglect of hole-hole scattering in the K-matrix.
From the selfenergy the spectral function and the occupation numbers for finite
temperatures are calculated.Comment: LaTex, 23 pages, 21 PostScript figures included (uuencoded), uses
prc.sty, aps.sty, revtex.sty, psfig.sty (last included
Magnetoresistance of metallic perovskite oxide LaNiO
We report a study of the magnetoresistance (MR) of the metallic perovskite
oxide LaNiO as a function of the oxygen stoichiometry
( 0.14), magnetic field (H ) and temperature (1.5K T 25K). We find a strong dependence of the nature of MR on the oxygen
stoichiometry. The MR at low temperatures change from positive to negative as
the sample becomes more oxygen deficient (i.e, increases). Some of the
samples which are more resistive, show a resistivity minima at
20K. We find that in these samples the MR is positive at T >
and negative for T < . We conclude that in the absence of
strong magnetic interaction, the negative MR in these oxides can arise from
weak localisation effects.Comment: 10 pages in REVTeX format, 4 eps fig
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