4,941 research outputs found
Self-organization of traffic jams in cities: effects of stochastic dynamics and signal periods
We propose a cellular automata model for vehicular traffic in cities by
combining (and appropriately modifying) ideas borrowed from the
Biham-Middleton-Levine (BML) model of city traffic and the Nagel-Schreckenberg
(NS) model of highway traffic. We demonstrate a phase transition from the
"free-flowing" dynamical phase to the completely "jammed" phase at a vehicle
density which depends on the time periods of the synchronized signals and the
separation between them. The intrinsic stochasticity of the dynamics, which
triggers the onset of jamming, is similar to that in the NS model, while the
phenomenon of complete jamming through self-organization as well as the final
jammed configurations are similar to those in the BML model. Using our new
model, we have made an investigation of the time-dependence of the average
speeds of the cars in the "free-flowing" phase as well as the dependence of
flux and jamming on the time period of the signals.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX, 4 eps figures include
Spin-stretching modes in anisotropic magnets: spin-wave excitations in the multiferroic Ba2CoGe2O7
We studied spin excitations of the multiferroic Ba2CoGe2O7 in high magnetic
fields up to 33 T. In the electron spin resonance and far infrared absorption
spectra we found several spin excitations beyond the two conventional magnon
modes expected for such a two-sublattice antiferromagnet. We show that a
multi-boson spin-wave theory can capture these unconventional modes, that
include spin-stretching modes associated with an oscillating magnetic dipole
(or only quadrupole) moment. The lack of the inversion symmetry allows these
modes to become electric dipole active. We expect that the spin-stretching
modes can be generally observed in inelastic neutron scattering and light
absorption experiments in a broad class of ordered S > 1/2 spin systems with
strong single-ion anisotropy and/or non-centrosymmetric lattice structure.Comment: 5+4 pages, 3 figures, supplement added, manuscript revise
Abelian symmetries in multi-Higgs-doublet models
N-Higgs doublet models (NHDM) are a popular framework to construct
electroweak symmetry breaking mechanisms beyond the Standard model. Usually,
one builds an NHDM scalar sector which is invariant under a certain symmetry
group. Although several such groups have been used, no general analysis of
symmetries possible in the NHDM scalar sector exists. Here, we make the first
step towards this goal by classifying the elementary building blocks, namely
the abelian symmetry groups, with a special emphasis on finite groups. We
describe a strategy that identifies all abelian groups which are realizable as
symmetry groups of the NHDM Higgs potential. We consider both the groups of
Higgs-family transformations only and the groups which also contain generalized
CP transformations. We illustrate this strategy with the examples of 3HDM and
4HDM and prove several statements for arbitrary N.Comment: 33 pages, 2 figures; v2: conjecture 3 is proved and becomes theorem
3, more explanations of the main strategy are added, matches the published
versio
Metrological characterization of the pulsed Rb clock with optical detection
We report on the implementation and the metrological characterization of a
vapor-cell Rb frequency standard working in pulsed regime. The three main parts
that compose the clock, physics package, optics and electronics, are described
in detail in the paper. The prototype is designed and optimized to detect the
clock transition in the optical domain. Specifically, the reference atomic
transition, excited with a Ramsey scheme, is detected by observing the
interference pattern on a laser absorption signal.
\ The metrological analysis includes the observation and characterization of
the clock signal and the measurement of frequency stability and drift. In terms
of Allan deviation, the measured frequency stability results as low as
, being the averaging time, and
reaches the value of few units of for s, an
unprecedent achievement for a vapor cell clock. We discuss in the paper the
physical effects leading to this result with particular care to laser and
microwave noises transferred to the clock signal. The frequency drift, probably
related to the temperature, stays below per day, and no evidence of
flicker floor is observed.
\ We also mention some possible improvements that in principle would lead to
a clock stability below the level at 1 s and to a drift of few units
of per day
The Kasteleyn model and a cellular automaton approach to traffic flow
We propose a bridge between the theory of exactly solvable models and the
investigation of traffic flow. By choosing the activities in an apropriate way
the dimer configurations of the Kasteleyn model on a hexagonal lattice can be
interpreted as space-time trajectories of cars. This then allows for a
calculation of the flow-density relationship (fundamental diagram). We further
introduce a closely-related cellular automaton model. This model can be viewed
as a variant of the Nagel-Schreckenberg model in which the cars do not have a
velocity memory. It is also exactly solvable and the fundamental diagram is
calculated.Comment: Latex, 13 pages including 3 ps-figure
New pixelized Micromegas detector for the COMPASS experiment
New Micromegas (Micro-mesh gaseous detectors) are being developed in view of
the future physics projects planned by the COMPASS collaboration at CERN.
Several major upgrades compared to present detectors are being studied:
detectors standing five times higher luminosity with hadron beams, detection of
beam particles (flux up to a few hundred of kHz/mm^2, 10 times larger than for
the present detectors) with pixelized read-out in the central part, light and
integrated electronics, and improved robustness. Studies were done with the
present detectors moved in the beam, and two first pixelized prototypes are
being tested with muon and hadron beams in real conditions at COMPASS. We
present here this new project and report on two series of tests, with old
detectors moved into the beam and with pixelized prototypes operated in real
data taking condition with both muon and hadron beams.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, proceedings to the Micro-Pattern Gaseous
Detectors conference (MPGD2009), 12-15 June 2009, Kolympari, Crete, Greece
Minor details added and language corrections don
Maxwell Model of Traffic Flows
We investigate traffic flows using the kinetic Boltzmann equations with a
Maxwell collision integral. This approach allows analytical determination of
the transient behavior and the size distributions. The relaxation of the car
and cluster velocity distributions towards steady state is characterized by a
wide range of velocity dependent relaxation scales, , with
the ratio of the passing and the collision rates. Furthermore, these
relaxation time scales decrease with the velocity, with the smallest scale
corresponding to the decay of the overall density. The steady state cluster
size distribution follows an unusual scaling form . This distribution is primarily algebraic, , for , and is exponential otherwise.Comment: revtex, 10 page
Ambiguous figures and the content of experience
Representationalism is the position that the phenomenal character of an experience is either identical with, or supervenes on, the content of that experience. Many representationalists hold that the relevant content of experience is nonconceptual. I propose a counterexample to this form of representationalism that arises from the phenomenon of Gestalt switching, which occurs when viewing ambiguous figures. First, I argue that one does not need to appeal to the conceptual content of experience or to judgements to account for Gestalt switching. I then argue that experiences of certain ambiguous figures are problematic because they have different phenomenal characters but that no difference in the nonconceptual content of these experiences can be identified. I consider three solutions to this problem that have been proposed by both philosophers and psychologists and conclude that none can account for all the ambiguous figures that pose the problem. I conclude that the onus is on representationalists to specify the relevant difference in content or to abandon their position
Group Approach to the Quantization of the P\"oschl-Teller dynamics
The quantum dynamics of a particle in the Modified P\"oschl-Teller potential
is derived from the group by applying a Group Approach to
Quantization (GAQ). The explicit form of the Hamiltonian as well as the ladder
operators is found in the enveloping algebra of this basic symmetry group. The
present algorithm provides a physical realization of the non-unitary,
finite-dimensional, irreducible representations of the group. The
non-unitarity manifests itself in that only half of the states are
normalizable, in contrast with the representations of SU(2) where all the
states are physical.Comment: 17 pages, LaTe
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