The Dicke model phase transition in the quantum motion of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical cavity

We show that the motion of a laser-driven Bose-Einstein condensate in a high-finesse optical cavity realizes the spin-boson Dicke-model. The quantum phase transition of the Dicke-model from the normal to the superradiant phase corresponds to the self-organization of atoms from the homogeneous into a periodically patterned distribution above a critical driving strength. The fragility of the ground state due to photon measurement induced back action is calculated.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Dipole-dipole instability of atom clouds in a far-detuned optical dipole trap

The effect of the dipole-dipole interaction on the far-off-resonance optical dipole trapping scheme is calculated by a mean-field approach. The trapping laser field polarizes the atoms and the accompanying dipole-dipole energy shift deepens the attractive potential minimum in a pancake-shaped cloud. At high density the thermal motion cannot stabilize the gas against self-contraction and an instability occurs. We calculate the boundary of the stable and unstable equilibrium regions on a two-dimensional phase diagram of the atom number and the ratio of the trap depth to the temperature. We discuss the limitations imposed by the dipole-dipole instability on the parameters needed to reach Bose-Einstein condensation in an optical dipole trap.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Photonic tuning of quasi-particle decay in a superfluid

We show that the damping rate of elementary excitations of hybrid systems close to a phase transition can undergo a remarkable resonance like enhancement before mode softening takes place. In particular, we consider the friction of a collective density wave in a homogeneous superfluid of weakly interacting bosonic atoms coupled to the electromagnetic field of a single mode optical resonator. Here the Beliaev damping can thus be controlled by an external laser drive and be enhanced by several orders of magnitude

Dynamic interaction between structure and liquid propellants in a space shuttle vehicle model, part 1 Final report

Dynamic interaction between structure and liquid propellants in space shuttle vehicle model

Coupling between structure and liquids in a parallel stage space shuttle design

A study was conducted to determine the influence of liquid propellants on the dynamic loads for space shuttle vehicles. A parallel-stage configuration model was designed and tested to determine the influence of liquid propellants on coupled natural modes. A forty degree-of-freedom analytical model was also developed for predicting these modes. Currently available analytical models were used to represent the liquid contributions, even though coupled longitudinal and lateral motions are present in such a complex structure. Agreement between the results was found in the lower few modes

Cavity optomechanics with a trapped, interacting Bose-Einstein condensate

The dispersive interaction of a Bose-Einstein condensate with a single mode of a high-finesse optical cavity realizes the radiation pressure coupling Hamiltonian. In this system the role of the mechanical oscillator is played by a single condensate excitation mode that is selected by the cavity mode function. We study the effect of atomic s-wave collisions and show that it merely renormalizes parameters of the usual optomechanical interaction. Moreover, we show that even in the case of strong harmonic confinement---which invalidates the use of Bloch states---a single excitation mode of the Bose-Einstein condensate couples significantly to the light field, that is the simplified picture of a single "mechanical" oscillator mode remains valid

The chemical structure of the very young starless core L1521E

L1521E is a dense starless core in Taurus that was found to have relatively low molecular depletion by earlier studies, thus suggesting a recent formation. We aim to characterize the chemical structure of L1521E and compare it to the more evolved L1544 pre-stellar core. We have obtained $\sim$2.5$\times$2.5 arcminute maps toward L1521E using the IRAM-30m telescope in transitions of various species. We derived abundances for the species and compared them to those obtained toward L1544. We estimated CO depletion factors. Similarly to L1544, $c$-C$_3$H$_2$ and CH$_3$OH peak at different positions. Most species peak toward the $c$-C$_3$H$_2$ peak. The CO depletion factor derived toward the $Herschel$ dust peak is 4.3$\pm$1.6, which is about a factor of three lower than that toward L1544. The abundances of sulfur-bearing molecules are higher toward L1521E than toward L1544 by factors of $\sim$2-20. The abundance of methanol is similar toward the two cores. The higher abundances of sulfur-bearing species toward L1521E than toward L1544 suggest that significant sulfur depletion takes place during the dynamical evolution of dense cores, from the starless to pre-stellar stage. The CO depletion factor measured toward L1521E suggests that CO is more depleted than previously found. Similar CH$_3$OH abundances between L1521E and L1544 hint that methanol is forming at specific physical conditions in Taurus, characterized by densities of a few $\times$10$^4$ cm$^{-3}$ and $N$(H$_2$)$\gtrsim$10$^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$, when CO starts to catastrophically freeze-out, while water can still be significantly photodissociated, so that the surfaces of dust grains become rich in solid CO and CH$_3$OH, as already found toward L1544. Methanol can thus provide selective crucial information about the transition region between dense cores and the surrounding parent cloud.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, abstract abridge