13,173 research outputs found
Lithospheric failure on Venus
We develop a predictive model which has the ability to explain a postulated style of episodic plate tectonics on Venus, through the periodic occurrence of lithospheric subduction events. Present-day incipient subduction zones are associated with the existence of arcuate trenches on the Venusian lithosphere. These trenches resemble terrestrial subduction zones, and occur at the rim of coronae, uplift features thought to be due to deep-mantle convective plumes. The model we adopt represents the lithosphere as the thermal boundary layer which lies above a convective plume. We assume a temperature-dependent nonlinear viscoelastic rheology, and we assume a stress-based criterion for plastic yield. In developing this latter criterion, we are led to a re-interpretation of the strength envelope which is commonly used in analysing lithospheric stress, and we propose that the plastic yield strength has meaning (and is finite) below the lithosphere, using behaviour in the Earth as our 'laboratory' justification for this view. An inferred yield stress on the Earth is ca. 300 bar (30 MPa). Our model then shows that a thickening lithosphere becomes progressively more fluid as the stresses induced by the buoyant convective plume become large. Failure occurs when the effective lithosphere viscosity becomes equal to that of the underlying mantle. We show that reasonable expected values of yield stress in the range 100-200 bar (10-20 MPa) for Venusian mantle rocks are consistent within the framework of the model with radii of coronal trenches in the range 100-1200 km, and with the approximate time (200-800 Myr) which they may take to develop
The entanglement beam splitter: a quantum-dot spin in a double-sided optical microcavity
We propose an entanglement beam splitter (EBS) using a quantum-dot spin in a
double-sided optical microcavity. In contrast to the conventional optical beam
splitter, the EBS can directly split a photon-spin product state into two
constituent entangled states via transmission and reflection with high fidelity
and high efficiency (up to 100 percent). This device is based on giant optical
circular birefringence induced by a single spin as a result of cavity quantum
electrodynamics and the spin selection rule of trion transition (Pauli
blocking). The EBS is robust and it is immune to the fine structure splitting
in a realistic quantum dot. This quantum device can be used for
deterministically creating photon-spin, photon-photon and spin-spin
entanglement as well as a single-shot quantum non-demolition measurement of a
single spin. Therefore, the EBS can find wide applications in quantum
information science and technology.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
A periodically active pulsar giving insight into magnetospheric physics
PSR B1931+24 (J1933+2421) behaves as an ordinary isolated radio pulsar during
active phases that are 5-10 days long. However, the radio emission switches off
in less than 10 seconds and remains undetectable for the next 25-35 days, then
it switches on again. This pattern repeats quasi-periodically. The origin of
this behaviour is unclear. Even more remarkably, the pulsar rotation slows down
50% faster when it is on than when it is off. This indicates a massive increase
in magnetospheric currents when the pulsar switches on, proving that pulsar
wind plays a substantial role in pulsar spin-down. This allows us, for the
first time, to estimate the currents in a pulsar magnetospheric during the
occurrence of radio emission.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
Quantum process tomography of a controlled-NOT gate
We demonstrate complete characterization of a two-qubit entangling process -
a linear optics controlled-NOT gate operating with coincident detection - by
quantum process tomography. We use maximum-likelihood estimation to convert the
experimental data into a physical process matrix. The process matrix allows
accurate prediction of the operation of the gate for arbitrary input states,
and calculation of gate performance measures such as the average gate fidelity,
average purity and entangling capability of our gate, which are 0.90, 0.83 and
0.73, respectively.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. v2 contains new data corresponding to improved
gate operation. Figure quality slightly reduced for arXi
Contact with farming environment as a major risk factor for Shiga toxin (Vero cytotoxin)-producing Escherichia coli O157 infection in humans.
In a prospective, unmatched case-control study of sporadic Shiga toxin (Vero cytotoxin)-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157) infection in England, exposure to the farming environment emerged strongly as a risk factor (adjusted odds ratio = 2.45; 95% confidence intervals = 1.49-4.02; p=0.0004) posing further challenges and opportunities for prevention
Proposal for optical parity state re-encoder
We propose a re-encoder to generate a refreshed parity encoded state from an
existing parity encoded state. This is the simplest case of the scheme by
Gilchrist et al. (Phys. Rev. A 75, 052328). We show that it is possible to
demonstrate with existing technology parity encoded quantum gates and
teleportation.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
DE-ESCALATION OF TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITOR THERAPY IS SAFE IN CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKAEMIA IN DURABLE MOLECULAR RESPONSE (>= MR3 FOR >= 12 MONTHS): INITIAL RESULTS IN THE BRITISH DESTINY STUDY
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