5,445 research outputs found
Universal dielectric loss in amorphous solids from simultaneous bias and microwave field
We derive the ac dielectric loss in glasses due to resonant processes created
by two-level systems and a swept electric field bias. It is shown that at
sufficiently large ac fields and bias sweep rates the nonequilibrium loss
tangent created by the two fields approaches a universal maximum determined by
the bare linear dielectric permittivity. In addition this nonequilibrium loss
tangent is derived for a range of bias sweep rates and ac amplitudes and show
that the loss tangent creates a predicted loss function that can be understood
in a Landau-Zener theory and which can be used to extract the TLS density,
dipole moment, and relaxation rate.Comment: To appear in Physical Review Letters, 4 pages, 3 figure
The Transition from Heavy Fermion to Mixed Valence in Ce1-xYxAl3: A Quantitative Comparison with the Anderson Impurity Model
We present a neutron scattering investigation of Ce1-xYxAl3 as a function of
chemical pressure, which induces a transition from heavy-fermion behavior in
CeAl3 (TK=5 K) to a mixed-valence state at x=0.5 (TK=150 K). The crossover can
be modeled accurately on an absolute intensity scale by an increase in the k-f
hybridization, Vkf, within the Anderson impurity model. Surprisingly, the
principal effect of the increasing Vkf is not to broaden the low-energy
components of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility but to transfer spectral
weight to high energy.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Is there an association between perceived social support and cardiovascular health behaviours in people with severe mental illnesses?
PURPOSE: People with severe mental illnesses (SMI) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Research in the general population suggests that social support may protect against increased CVD morbidity and mortality; however, this may not apply to those with SMI. We aimed to explore the association between perceived social support and attendance at primary care nurse CVD risk reduction clinic appointments and CVD risk-reducing behaviours in an SMI population with elevated CVD risk factors. METHODS: We used longitudinal and cross-sectional data from a randomised controlled trial on 326 adults with SMI recruited via 76 general practices in England. Multilevel regression analysis estimated the effect of perceived social support on attendance at CVD risk reduction clinic appointments over 6 months, and adherence to CVD medication, physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol use at baseline, adjusted by age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation, psychiatric diagnosis and employment. RESULTS: Perceived social support predicted greater appointment attendance in unadjusted (IRR = 1.005; 1.000-1.010; p = 0.05) but not adjusted analysis (IRR = 1.003; 0.998-1.009; p = 0.25). Perceived social support was associated with greater adherence to medication; for each 1% increase in social support, there was a 4.2% increase in medication adherence (OR = 1.042; 1.015-1.070; p = 0.002). No association was found between greater perceived social support and greater physical activity, lower sedentary behaviour, healthier diet, lower alcohol use or being a non-smoker. CONCLUSIONS: Social support may be an important facilitator for CVD medication adherence and is potentially important for primary care appointment attendance; however, alternative strategies might be needed to help people with SMI engage in physical activity, healthier diets and to reduce their smoking and alcohol use
Response of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate to a rotating elliptical trap
We investigate numerically the response of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate
to a weakly-elliptical rotating trap over a large range of rotation
frequencies. We analyse the quadrupolar shape oscillation excited by rotation,
and discriminate between its stable and unstable regimes. In the latter case,
where a vortex lattice forms, we compare with experimental observations and
find good agreement. By examining the role of thermal atoms in the process, we
infer that the process is temperature-independent, and show how terminating the
rotation gives control over the number of vortices in the lattice. We also
study the case of critical rotation at the trap frequency, and observe large
centre-of-mass oscillations of the condensate.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figure
Large harmonic softening of the phonon density of states of uranium
Phonon density-of-states curves were obtained from inelastic neutron scattering spectra from the three crystalline phases of uranium at temperatures from 50 to 1213 K. The alpha -phase showed an unusually large thermal softening of phonon frequencies. Analysis of the vibrational power spectrum showed that this phonon softening originates with the softening of a harmonic solid, as opposed to vibrations in anharmonic potentials. It follows that thermal excitations of electronic states are more significant thermodynamically than are the classical volume effects. For the alpha-beta and beta-gamma phase transitions, vibrational and electronic entropies were comparable
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