1,209 research outputs found
Lacking power impairs executive functions
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73018.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Four experiments explored whether lacking power impairs executive functioning, testing the hypothesis that the cognitive presses of powerlessness increase vulnerability to performance decrements during complex executive tasks. In the first three experiments, low power impaired performance on executive-function tasks: The powerless were less effective than the powerful at updating (Experiment 1), inhibiting (Experiment 2), and planning (Experiment 3). Existing research suggests that the powerless have difficulty distinguishing between what is goal relevant and what is goal irrelevant in the environment. A fourth experiment established that the executive-function impairment associated with low power is driven by goal neglect. The current research implies that the cognitive alterations arising from powerlessness may help foster stable social hierarchies and that empowering employees may reduce costly organizational errors.7 p
Analytical approach to electromagnetic processes in loosely bound nuclei: application to 8B
In this paper we develop an analytical model in order to study
electromagnetic processes involving loosely bound neutron--rich and
proton--rich nuclei. We construct a model wave function, to describe loosely
bound few--body systems, having the correct behaviour both at large and small
distances. The continuum states are approximated by regular Coulomb functions.
As a test case we consider the two--body Coulomb dissociation of 8B and, the
inverse, radiative capture reaction. The difference between using a pure
two--body model and the results obtained when incorporating many--body effects,
is investigated. We conclude that the interpretation of experimental data is
highly model dependent and stress the importance of measuring few--body
channels.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B. Added a comparison
with a potential model calculation in Fig.
NOAO fundamental plane survey II: Age and metallicity along the red sequence from line-strength data
We present spectroscopic line-strength data for 4097 red-sequence galaxies in 93 low-redshift galaxy clusters and use these to investigate variations in average stellar populations as a function of galaxy mass. Our analysis includes an improved treatment of nebular emission contamination, which affects 10% of the sample galaxies. Using the stellar population models of D. Thomas and collaborators, we simultaneously fit 12 observed line-strength relations in terms of common underlying trends of age, [Z/H] (total metallicity), and [/Fe] (-element enhancement). We find that the observed line-strength relations can be explained only if higher mass red-sequence galaxies are, on average, older, more metal-rich, and more -enhanced than lower mass galaxies. Quantitatively, the scaling relations are age0.59±0.13, Z/H0.53±0.08, and /Fe0.31±0.06, where the errors reflect the range obtained using different subsets of indices. Our conclusions are not strongly dependent on which Balmer lines are used as age indicators. The derived age- relation is such that if the largest (400 km s-1) galaxies formed their stars 13 Gyr ago, then the mean age of low-mass (50 km s-1) objects is only 4 Gyr. The data also suggest a large spread in age at the low-mass end of the red sequence, with 68% of the galaxies having ages between 2 and 8 Gyr. We conclude that although the stars in giant red galaxies in clusters formed early, most of the galaxies at the faint end joined the red sequence only at recent epochs. This "downsizing" trend is in good qualitative agreement with observations of the red sequence at higher redshifts but is not predicted by semianalytic models of galaxy formation
Time-reversal violating rotation of polarization plane of light in gas placed in electric field
Rotation of polarization plane of light in gas placed in electric field is
considered. Different factors causing this phenomenon are investigated. Angle
of polarization plane rotation for transition 6S_{1/2} - 7S_{1/2} in cesium
(lambda=539 nm) is estimated. The possibility to observe this effect
experimentally is discussed.Comment: 10 pages, Late
Lattice-switch Monte Carlo
We present a Monte Carlo method for the direct evaluation of the difference
between the free energies of two crystal structures. The method is built on a
lattice-switch transformation that maps a configuration of one structure onto a
candidate configuration of the other by `switching' one set of lattice vectors
for the other, while keeping the displacements with respect to the lattice
sites constant. The sampling of the displacement configurations is biased,
multicanonically, to favor paths leading to `gateway' arrangements for which
the Monte Carlo switch to the candidate configuration will be accepted. The
configurations of both structures can then be efficiently sampled in a single
process, and the difference between their free energies evaluated from their
measured probabilities. We explore and exploit the method in the context of
extensive studies of systems of hard spheres. We show that the efficiency of
the method is controlled by the extent to which the switch conserves correlated
microstructure. We also show how, microscopically, the procedure works: the
system finds gateway arrangements which fulfill the sampling bias
intelligently. We establish, with high precision, the differences between the
free energies of the two close packed structures (fcc and hcp) in both the
constant density and the constant pressure ensembles.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figures, RevTeX. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Scaling Behavior of Anomalous Hall Effect and Longitudinal Nonlinear Response in High-Tc Superconductors
Based on existing theoretical model and by considering our longitudinal
nonlinear response function, we derive a nonliear equation in which the mixed
state Hall resistivity can be expressed as an analytical function of magnetic
field, temperature and applied current. This equation enables one to compare
quantitatively the experimental data with theoretical model. We also find some
new scaling relations of the temperature and field dependency of Hall
resistivity. The comparison between our theoretical curves and experimental
data shows a fair agreement.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Observation of the screening signature in the lateral photovoltage of electrons in the Quantum Hall regime
The lateral photovoltage generated in the plane of a two-dimensional electron
system (2DES) by a focused light spot, exhibits a fine-structure in the quantum
oscillations in a magnetic field near the Quantum Hall conductivity minima. A
double peak structure occurs near the minima of the longitudinal conductivity
oscillations. This is the characteristic signature of the interplay between
screening and Landau quantization.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Critical end point behaviour in a binary fluid mixture
We consider the liquid-gas phase boundary in a binary fluid mixture near its
critical end point. Using general scaling arguments we show that the diameter
of the liquid-gas coexistence curve exhibits singular behaviour as the critical
end point is approached. This prediction is tested by means of extensive
Monte-Carlo simulations of a symmetrical Lennard-Jones binary mixture within
the grand canonical ensemble. The simulation results show clear evidence for
the proposed singularity, as well as confirming a previously predicted
singularity in the coexistence chemical potential [Fisher and Upton, Phys. Rev.
Lett. 65, 2402 (1990)]. The results suggest that the observed singularities,
particularly that in the coexistence diameter, should also be detectable
experimentally.Comment: 17 pages Revtex, 11 epsf figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
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