5,685 research outputs found
The Effect of Magnetic Variability on Stellar Angular Momentum Loss II: The Sun, 61 Cygni A, Eridani, Bootis A and Bootis A
The magnetic fields of low-mass stars are observed to be variable on decadal
timescales, ranging in behaviour from cyclic to stochastic. The changing
strength and geometry of the magnetic field should modify the efficiency of
angular momentum loss by stellar winds, but this has not been well quantified.
In Finley et al. (2018) we investigated the variability of the Sun, and
calculated the time-varying angular momentum loss rate in the solar wind. In
this work, we focus on four low-mass stars that have all had their surface
magnetic fields mapped for multiple epochs. Using mass loss rates determined
from astrospheric Lyman- absorption, in conjunction with scaling
relations from the MHD simulations of Finley & Matt (2018), we calculate the
torque applied to each star by their magnetised stellar winds. The variability
of the braking torque can be significant. For example, the largest torque for
Eri is twice its decadal averaged value. This variation is
comparable to that observed in the solar wind, when sparsely sampled. On
average, the torques in our sample range from 0.5-1.5 times their average
value. We compare these results to the torques of Matt et al. (2015), which use
observed stellar rotation rates to infer the long-time averaged torque on
stars. We find that our stellar wind torques are systematically lower than the
long-time average values, by a factor of ~3-30. Stellar wind variability
appears unable to resolve this discrepancy, implying that there remain some
problems with observed wind parameters, stellar wind models, or the long-term
evolution models, which have yet to be understood.Comment: 15 pages + 8 figures, accepted for publication to Ap
Spacetime Defects: von K\'arm\'an vortex street like configurations
A special arrangement of spinning strings with dislocations similar to a von
K\'arm\'an vortex street is studied. We numerically solve the geodesic
equations for the special case of a test particle moving along twoinfinite rows
of pure dislocations and also discuss the case of pure spinning defects.Comment: 9 pages, 2figures, CQG in pres
A review of the decoherent histories approach to the arrival time problem in quantum theory
We review recent progress in understanding the arrival time problem in
quantum mechanics, from the point of view of the decoherent histories approach
to quantum theory. We begin by discussing the arrival time problem, focussing
in particular on the role of the probability current in the expected classical
solution. After a brief introduction to decoherent histories we review the use
of complex potentials in the construction of appropriate class operators. We
then discuss the arrival time problem for a particle coupled to an environment,
and review how the arrival time probability can be expressed in terms of a POVM
in this case. We turn finally to the question of decoherence of the
corresponding histories, and we show that this can be achieved for simple
states in the case of a free particle, and for general states for a particle
coupled to an environment.Comment: 10 pages. To appear in DICE 2010 conference proceeding
Cognition-Enhancing Drugs: Can We Say No?
Normative analysis of cognition-enhancing drugs frequently weighs the liberty interests of drug users against egalitarian commitments to a level playing field. Yet those who would refuse to engage in neuroenhancement may well find their liberty to do so limited in a society where such drugs are widespread. To the extent that unvarnished emotional responses are world-disclosive, neurocosmetic practices also threaten to provide a form of faulty data to their users. This essay examines underappreciated liberty-based and epistemic rationales for regulating cognition-enhancing drugs
Radio-frequency reflectometry on an undoped AlGaAs/GaAs single electron transistor
Radio frequency reflectometry is demonstrated in a sub-micron undoped
AlGaAs/GaAs device. Undoped single electron transistors (SETs) are attractive
candidates to study single electron phenomena due to their charge stability and
robust electronic properties after thermal cycling. However these devices
require a large top-gate which is unsuitable for the fast and sensitive radio
frequency reflectometry technique. Here we demonstrate rf reflectometry is
possible in an undoped SET.Comment: Four pages, three figures, one supplementary fil
Critical Exponents of the Three Dimensional Random Field Ising Model
The phase transition of the three--dimensional random field Ising model with
a discrete () field distribution is investigated by extensive Monte
Carlo simulations. Values of the critical exponents for the correlation length,
specific heat, susceptibility, disconnected susceptibility and magnetization
are determined simultaneously via finite size scaling. While the exponents for
the magnetization and disconnected susceptibility are consistent with a first
order transition, the specific heat appears to saturate indicating no latent
heat. Sample to sample fluctuations of the susceptibilty are consistent with
the droplet picture for the transition.Comment: Revtex, 10 pages + 4 figures included as Latex files and 1 in
Postscrip
Quantum key distribution using a triggered quantum dot source emitting near 1.3 microns
We report the distribution of a cryptographic key, secure from photon number
splitting attacks, over 35 km of optical fiber using single photons from an
InAs quantum dot emitting ~1.3 microns in a pillar microcavity. Using below
GaAs-bandgap optical excitation, we demonstrate suppression of multiphoton
emission to 10% of the Poissonian level without detector dark count
subtraction. The source is incorporated into a phase encoded interferometric
scheme implementing the BB84 protocol for key distribution over standard
telecommunication optical fiber. We show a transmission distance advantage over
that possible with (length-optimized) uniform intensity weak coherent pulses at
1310 nm in the same system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
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