699 research outputs found
Numerical sampling rules for paraxial regime pulse diffraction calculations
Sampling rules for numerically calculating ultrashort pulse fields are discussed. Such pulses are not monochromatic
but rather have a finite spectral distribution about some central (temporal) frequency. Accordingly,
the diffraction pattern for many spectral components must be considered. From a numerical implementation
viewpoint, one may ask how many of these spectral components are needed to accurately calculate the pulse
field. Using an analytical expression for the Fresnel diffraction from a 1-D slit, we examine this question by
varying the number of contributing spectral components. We show how undersampling the spectral profile produces
erroneous numerical artifacts (aliasing) in the spatialātemporal domain. A guideline, based on graphical
considerations, is proposed that determines appropriate sampling conditions. We show that there is a relationship
between this sampling rule and a diffraction wave that emerges from the aperture edge; comparisons are
drawn with boundary diffraction waves. Numerical results for 2-D square and circular apertures are presented
and discussed, and a potentially time-saving calculation technique that relates pulse distributions in different
z planes is described
Numerical sampling rules for paraxial regime pulse diffraction calculations
Sampling rules for numerically calculating ultrashort pulse fields are discussed. Such pulses are not monochromatic
but rather have a finite spectral distribution about some central (temporal) frequency. Accordingly,
the diffraction pattern for many spectral components must be considered. From a numerical implementation
viewpoint, one may ask how many of these spectral components are needed to accurately calculate the pulse
field. Using an analytical expression for the Fresnel diffraction from a 1-D slit, we examine this question by
varying the number of contributing spectral components. We show how undersampling the spectral profile produces
erroneous numerical artifacts (aliasing) in the spatialātemporal domain. A guideline, based on graphical
considerations, is proposed that determines appropriate sampling conditions. We show that there is a relationship
between this sampling rule and a diffraction wave that emerges from the aperture edge; comparisons are
drawn with boundary diffraction waves. Numerical results for 2-D square and circular apertures are presented
and discussed, and a potentially time-saving calculation technique that relates pulse distributions in different
z planes is described
Measurement of air and nitrogen fluorescence light yields induced by electron beam for UHECR experiments
Most of the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) experiments and projects
(HiRes, AUGER, TA, EUSO, TUS,...) use air fluorescence to detect and measure
extensive air showers (EAS). The precise knowledge of the Fluorescence Light
Yield (FLY) is of paramount importance for the reconstruction of UHECR. The
MACFLY - Measurement of Air Cherenkov and Fluorescence Light Yield - experiment
has been designed to perform such FLY measurements. In this paper we will
present the results of FLY in the 290-440 nm wavelength range for dry air and
pure nitrogen, both excited by electrons with energy of 1.5 MeV, 20 GeV and 50
GeV. The experiment uses a 90Sr radioactive source for low energy measurement
and a CERN SPS electron beam for high energy. We find that the FLY is
proportional to the deposited energy (E_d) in the gas and we show that the air
fluorescence properties remain constant independently of the electron energy.
At the reference point: atmospheric dry air at 1013 hPa and 23C, the ratio
FLY/E_d=17.6 photon/MeV with a systematic error of 13.2%.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
Integrable atomtronic interferometry
High sensitivity quantum interferometry requires more than just access to
entangled states. It is achieved through deep understanding of quantum
correlations in a system. Integrable models offer the framework to develop this
understanding. We communicate the design of interferometric protocols for an
integrable model that describes the interaction of bosons in a four-site
configuration. Analytic formulae for the quantum dynamics of certain
observables are computed. These expose the system's functionality as both an
interferometric identifier, and producer, of NOON states. Being equivalent to a
controlled-phase gate acting on two hybrid qudits, this system also highlights
an equivalence between Heisenberg-limited interferometry and quantum
information. These results are expected to open new avenues for
integrability-enhanced atomtronic technologies.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Wolf-Rayet and LBV Nebulae as the Result of Variable and Non-Spherical Stellar Winds
The physical basis for interpreting observations of nebular morphology around
massive stars in terms of the evolution of the central stars is reviewed, and
examples are discussed, including NGC 6888, OMC-1, and eta Carinae.Comment: To be published in the Proceedings of IAU Colloquium 169 on Variable
and Non-Spherical Stellar Winds in Luminous Hot Stars, ed. B. Wolf
(Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg). 7 pages, including 5 figures. A
full-resolution version of fig 4 is available in the version at
http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/theory/preprints.html#maclo
A diverse Pleistocene marsupial trackway assemblage from the Victorian Volcanic Plains, Australia
A diverse assemblage of late Pleistocene marsupial trackways on a lake bed in south-western Victoria provides the first information relating to the gaits and morphology of several megafaunal species, and represents the most speciose and best preserved megafaunal footprint site in Australia. The 60-110 ka volcaniclastic lacustrine sedimentary rocks preserve trackways of the diprotodontid Diprotodon optatum, a macropodid (probably Protemnodon sp.) and a large vombatid (perhaps Ramsayia magna or '. Phascolomys' medius) and possible prints of the marsupial lion, Thylacoleo carnifex. The footprints were imprinted within a short time period, demonstrating the association of the taxa present, rather than the time-averaged accumulations usually observed in skeletal fossil deposits. Individual manus and pes prints are distinguishable in some trackways, and in many cases some digital pad morphology is also present. Several parameters traditionally used to differentiate ichnotaxa, including trackway gauge and the degree of print in-turning relative to the midline, are shown to be subject to significant intraspecific variation in marsupials. Sexual dimorphism in the trackway proportions of Diprotodon, and its potential for occurrence in all large bodied, quadrupedal marsupials, is identified here for the first time
The Cosmic Infrared Background at 1.25 microns and 2.2 microns using DIRBE and 2MASS: a contribution not due to galaxies ?
Using the 2MASS 2nd Incremental Data Release and the Zodiacal-Subtracted
Mission Average maps of COBE/DIRBE, we estimate the cosmic background in the J
(1.25 micron) and K (2.2 microns) bands using selected areas representing 550
square degrees of sky. We find a J background of 22.9 \pm 7.0 kJy/sr (54.0 \pm
16.8 nW/m2/sr) and a K background of 20.4 \pm 4.9 kJy/sr (27.8 \pm 6.7
nW/m2/sr). This large scale study shows that the main uncertainty comes from
the residual zodiacal emission. The cosmic background we obtain is
significantly higher than integrated galaxy counts (3.6 \pm 0.8 kJy/sr and 5.3
\pm 1.2 kJy/sr for J and K, respectively), suggesting either an increase of the
galaxy luminosity function for magnitudes fainter than 30 or the existence of
another contribution to the cosmic background from primeval stars, black holes,
or relic particle decay.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, accepted in Ap
Gr1+IL-4-producing innate cells are induced in response to Th2 stimuli and suppress Th1-dependent antibody responses
Alum is used as a vaccine adjuvant and induces T<sub>h</sub>2 responses and T<sub>h</sub>2-driven antibody isotype production against co-injected antigens. Alum also promotes the appearance in the spleen of Gr1+IL-4+ innate cells that, via IL-4 production, induce MHC II-mediated signaling in B cells. To investigate whether these Gr1+ cells accumulate in the spleen in response to other T<sub>h</sub>2-inducing stimuli and to understand some of their functions, the effects of injection of alum and eggs from the helminth, Schistosoma mansoni, were compared. Like alum, schistosome eggs induced the appearance of Gr1+IL-4+ cells in spleen and promoted MHC II-mediated signaling in B cells. Unlike alum, however, schistosome eggs did not promote CD4 T cell responses against co-injected antigens, suggesting that the effects of alum or schistosome eggs on splenic B cells cannot by themselves explain the T cell adjuvant properties of alum. Accordingly, depletion of IL-4 or Gr1+ cells in alum-injected mice had no effect on the ability of alum to improve expansion of primary CD4 T cells. However, Gr1+ cells and IL-4 played some role in the effects of alum, since depletion of either resulted in antibody responses to antigen that included not only the normal T<sub>h</sub>2-driven isotypes, like IgG1, but also a T<sub>h</sub>1-driven isotype, IgG2c. These data suggest that alum affects the immune response in at least two ways: one, independent of Gr1+ cells and IL-4, that promotes CD4 T cell proliferation and another, via Gr1+IL-4+ cells, that participates in the polarization of the response
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Combined transcriptomic-(1)H NMR metabonomic study reveals yhat monoethylhexyl phthalate stimulates adipogenesis and glyceroneogenesis in human adipocytes
Adipose tissue is a major storage site for lipophilic environmental contaminants. The environmental metabolic disruptor hypothesis postulates that some pollutants can promote obesity or metabolic disorders by activating nuclear receptors involved in the control of energetic homeostasis. In this context, monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) is of particular concern since it was shown to activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Ī³ (PPARĪ³) in 3T3-L1 murine preadipocytes. In the present work, we used an untargeted, combined transcriptomic-(1)H NMR-based metabonomic approach to describe the overall effect of MEHP on primary cultures of human subcutaneous adipocytes differentiated in vitro. MEHP stimulated rapidly and selectively the expression of genes involved in glyceroneogenesis, enhanced the expression of the cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and reduced fatty acid release. These results demonstrate that MEHP increased glyceroneogenesis and fatty acid reesterification in human adipocytes. A longer treatment with MEHP induced the expression of genes involved in triglycerides uptake, synthesis, and storage; decreased intracellular lactate, glutamine, and other amino acids; increased aspartate and NAD, and resulted in a global increase in triglycerides. Altogether, these results indicate that MEHP promoted the differentiation of human preadipocytes to adipocytes. These mechanisms might contribute to the suspected obesogenic effect of MEHP
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