3,452 research outputs found
Topological interactions between ring polymers: Implications for chromatin loops
Chromatin looping is a major epigenetic regulatory mechanism in higher
eukaryotes. Besides its role in transcriptional regulation, chromatin loops
have been proposed to play a pivotal role in the segregation of entire
chromosomes. The detailed topological and entropic forces between loops still
remain elusive. Here, we quantitatively determine the potential of mean force
between the centers of mass of two ring polymers, i.e. loops. We find that the
transition from a linear to a ring polymer induces a strong increase in the
entropic repulsion between these two polymers. On top, topological interactions
such as the non-catenation constraint further reduce the number of accessible
conformations of close-by ring polymers by about 50%, resulting in an
additional effective repulsion. Furthermore, the transition from linear to ring
polymers displays changes in the conformational and structural properties of
the system. In fact, ring polymers adopt a markedly more ordered and aligned
state than linear ones. The forces and accompanying changes in shape and
alignment between ring polymers suggest an important regulatory function of
such a topology in biopolymers. We conjecture that dynamic loop formation in
chromatin might act as a versatile control mechanism regulating and maintaining
different local states of compaction and order.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures. The article has been accepted by The Journal Of
Chemical Physics. After it is published, it will be found at
http://jcp.aip.or
p-wave Feshbach molecules
We have produced and detected molecules using a p-wave Feshbach resonance
between 40K atoms. We have measured the binding energy and lifetime for these
molecules and we find that the binding energy scales approximately linearly
with magnetic field near the resonance. The lifetime of bound p-wave molecules
is measured to be 1.0 +/- 0.1 ms and 2.3 +/- 0.2 ms for the m_l = +/- 1 and m_l
= 0 angular momentum projections, respectively. At magnetic fields above the
resonance, we detect quasi-bound molecules whose lifetime is set by the
tunneling rate through the centrifugal barrier
Beyond power laws: Universality in the average avalanche shape
We report the measurement of multivariable scaling functions for the temporal
average shape of Barkhausen noise avalanches, and show that they are consistent
with the predictions of simple mean-field theories. We bypass the confounding
factors of time-retarded interactions (eddy currents) by measuring thin permal-
loy films, and bypass thresholding effects and amplifier distortions by
applying Wiener deconvolution. We find experimental shapes that are
approximately symmetric, and track the evolution of the scaling function. We
solve a mean- field theory for the magnetization dynamics and calculate the
form of the scaling function in the presence of a demagnetizing field and a
finite field ramp-rate, yielding quantitative agreement with the experiment.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figure
Chaotic Orbits in Thermal-Equilibrium Beams: Existence and Dynamical Implications
Phase mixing of chaotic orbits exponentially distributes these orbits through
their accessible phase space. This phenomenon, commonly called ``chaotic
mixing'', stands in marked contrast to phase mixing of regular orbits which
proceeds as a power law in time. It is operationally irreversible; hence, its
associated e-folding time scale sets a condition on any process envisioned for
emittance compensation. A key question is whether beams can support chaotic
orbits, and if so, under what conditions? We numerically investigate the
parameter space of three-dimensional thermal-equilibrium beams with space
charge, confined by linear external focusing forces, to determine whether the
associated potentials support chaotic orbits. We find that a large subset of
the parameter space does support chaos and, in turn, chaotic mixing. Details
and implications are enumerated.Comment: 39 pages, including 14 figure
PynPoint: a modular pipeline architecture for processing and analysis of high-contrast imaging data
The direct detection and characterization of planetary and substellar
companions at small angular separations is a rapidly advancing field. Dedicated
high-contrast imaging instruments deliver unprecedented sensitivity, enabling
detailed insights into the atmospheres of young low-mass companions. In
addition, improvements in data reduction and PSF subtraction algorithms are
equally relevant for maximizing the scientific yield, both from new and
archival data sets. We aim at developing a generic and modular data reduction
pipeline for processing and analysis of high-contrast imaging data obtained
with pupil-stabilized observations. The package should be scalable and robust
for future implementations and in particular well suitable for the 3-5 micron
wavelength range where typically (ten) thousands of frames have to be processed
and an accurate subtraction of the thermal background emission is critical.
PynPoint is written in Python 2.7 and applies various image processing
techniques, as well as statistical tools for analyzing the data, building on
open-source Python packages. The current version of PynPoint has evolved from
an earlier version that was developed as a PSF subtraction tool based on PCA.
The architecture of PynPoint has been redesigned with the core functionalities
decoupled from the pipeline modules. Modules have been implemented for
dedicated processing and analysis steps, including background subtraction,
frame registration, PSF subtraction, photometric and astrometric measurements,
and estimation of detection limits. The pipeline package enables end-to-end
data reduction of pupil-stabilized data and supports classical dithering and
coronagraphic data sets. As an example, we processed archival VLT/NACO L' and
M' data of beta Pic b and reassessed the planet's brightness and position with
an MCMC analysis, and we provide a derivation of the photometric error budget.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, PynPoint is
available at https://github.com/PynPoint/PynPoin
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