9,824 research outputs found
A new perturbative approach to the adiabatic approximation
A new and intuitive perturbative approach to time-dependent quantum mechanics
problems is presented, which is useful in situations where the evolution of the
Hamiltonian is slow. The state of a system which starts in an instantaneous
eigenstate of the initial Hamiltonian is written as a power series which has a
straightforward diagrammatic representation. Each term of the series
corresponds to a sequence of "adiabatic" evolutions, during which the system
remains in an instantaneous eigenstate of the Hamiltonian, punctuated by
transitions from one state to another. The first term of this series is the
standard adiabatic evolution, the next is the well-known first correction to
it, and subsequent terms can be written down essentially by inspection.
Although the final result is perhaps not terribly surprising, it seems to be
not widely known, and the interpretation is new, as far as we know. Application
of the method to the adiabatic approximation is given, and some discussion of
the validity of this approximation is presented.Comment: 9 pages. Added references, discussion of previous results, expanded
upon discussion of main result and application of i
Rigid-Band Shift of the Fermi Level in a Strongly Correlated Metal: Sr(2-y)La(y)RuO(4)
We report a systematic study of electron doping of Sr2RuO4 by non-isovalent
substitution of La^(3+) for Sr^(2+). Using a combination of de Haas-van Alphen
oscillations, specific heat, and resistivity measurements, we show that
electron doping leads to a rigid-band shift of the Fermi level corresponding to
one doped electron per La ion, with constant many-body quasiparticle mass
enhancement over the band mass. The susceptibility spectrum is substantially
altered and enhanced by the doping but this has surprisingly little effect on
the strength of the unconventional superconducting pairing.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Formation of a Nematic Fluid at High Fields in Sr3Ru2O7
In principle, a complex assembly of strongly interacting electrons can
self-organise into a wide variety of collective states, but relatively few such
states have been identified in practice. We report that, in the close vicinity
of a metamagnetic quantum critical point, high purity Sr3Ru2O7 possesses a
large magnetoresistive anisotropy, consistent with the existence of an
electronic nematic fluid. We discuss a striking phenomenological similarity
between our observations and those made in high purity two-dimensional electron
fluids in GaAs devices.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 11 extra pages of supplementary informatio
A condensed-mass advection based model for the simulation of liquid polar stratospheric clouds
International audienceWe present a condensed-mass advection based model (MADVEC) designed to simulate the condensation/evaporation of liquid polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particles. A (Eulerian-in-radius) discretization scheme is used, making the model suitable for use in global or mesoscale chemistry and transport models (CTMs). The mass advection equations are solved using an adaption of the weighted average flux (WAF) scheme. We validate the numerical scheme using an analytical solution for multicomponent aerosols. The physics of the model are tested using a test case designed by Meilinger et al. (1995). The results from this test corroborate the composition gradients across the size distribution under rapid cooling conditions that were reported in earlier studies.</p
A Natural Analogue Study of Radionuclide Migration in a Water Conducting Fracture in Crystalline Rock
Sensory environment on health-related outcomes of hospital patients
Background: Hospital environments have recently received renewed interest, with considerable investments into building and renovating healthcare estates. Understanding the effectiveness of environmental interventions is important for resource utilisation and providing quality care. Objectives: To assess the effect of hospital environments on adult patient health-related outcomes. Search methods: We searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (last searched January 2006); MEDLINE (1902 to December 2006); EMBASE (January 1980 to February 2006); 14 other databases covering health, psychology, and the built environment; reference lists; and organisation websites. This review is currently being updated (MEDLINE last search October 2010), see Studies awaiting classification. Selection criteria: Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, and interrupted times series of environmental interventions in adult hospital patients reporting health-related outcomes. Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently undertook data extraction and 'Risk of bias' assessment. We contacted authors to obtain missing information. For continuous variables, we calculated a mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each study. For dichotomous variables, we calculated a risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). When appropriate, we used a random-effects model of meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was explored qualitatively and quantitatively based on risk of bias, case mix, hospital visit characteristics, and country of study. Main results: Overall, 102 studies have been included in this review. Interventions explored were: 'positive distracters', to include aromas (two studies), audiovisual distractions (five studies), decoration (one study), and music (85 studies); interventions to reduce environmental stressors through physical changes, to include air quality (three studies), bedroom type (one study), flooring (two studies), furniture and furnishings (one study), lighting (one study), and temperature (one study); and multifaceted interventions (two studies). We did not find any studies meeting the inclusion criteria to evaluate: art, access to nature for example, through hospital gardens, atriums, flowers, and plants, ceilings, interventions to reduce hospital noise, patient controls, technologies, way-finding aids, or the provision of windows. Overall, it appears that music may improve patient-reported outcomes such as anxiety; however, the benefit for physiological outcomes, and medication consumption has less support. There are few studies to support or refute the implementation of physical changes, and except for air quality, the included studies demonstrated that physical changes to the hospital environment at least did no harm. Authors' conclusions: Music may improve patient-reported outcomes in certain circumstances, so support for this relatively inexpensive intervention may be justified. For some environmental interventions, well designed research studies have yet to take place
Berom cultural beliefs and attitudes towards mental health problems in Nigeria: a mixed-methods study
Beliefs and attitudes are essential in mental health discourse. However, cultural beliefs and attitudes towards mental health problems (ATMHPs) among the Berom people of Nigeria are under-researched. The present studies made original contributions using the Cultural Identity Model (CIM) as predictors to investigate ATMHPs, and semi-structured interviews to further explain the potential impact of cultural beliefs on MHPs. In study-1, N = 140 participants responded to questionnaires on ATMHPs and were analysed using multivariate multiple regression in RStudio. Study-2 interviewed N = 13 participants (n = 7 laypeople; n = 6 practitioners). Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Study-1 findings showed CIM as a non-significant predictor of ATMHPs. However, in study-2, four themes emerged: Cultural beliefs that MHPs are caused by spiritual forces; Berom indigenous preference for traditional healing; Christian religious healing in Berom communities; and Western-trained mental health practitioners' perception of lay service-users. The authors concluded that the Berom traditional and Christian religious healings are beneficial
Probing the AGN Unification Model at redshift z 3 with MUSE observations of giant Ly nebulae
A prediction of the classic active galactic nuclei (AGN) unification model is
the presence of ionisation cones with different orientations depending on the
AGN type. Confirmations of this model exist for present times, but it is less
clear in the early Universe. Here, we use the morphology of giant Ly
nebulae around AGNs at redshift z3 to probe AGN emission and therefore
the validity of the AGN unification model at this redshift. We compare the
spatial morphology of 19 nebulae previously found around type I AGNs with a new
sample of 4 Ly nebulae detected around type II AGNs. Using two
independent techniques, we find that nebulae around type II AGNs are more
asymmetric than around type I, at least at radial distances ~physical kpc
(pkpc) from the ionizing source. We conclude that the type I and type II AGNs
in our sample show evidence of different surrounding ionising geometries. This
suggests that the classical AGN unification model is also valid for
high-redshift sources. Finally, we discuss how the lack of asymmetry in the
inner parts (r30 pkpc) and the associated high values of the HeII to
Ly ratios in these regions could indicate additional sources of (hard)
ionizing radiation originating within or in proximity of the AGN host galaxies.
This work demonstrates that the morphologies of giant Ly nebulae can be
used to understand and study the geometry of high redshift AGNs on
circum-nuclear scales and it lays the foundation for future studies using much
larger statistical samples.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Interaction between vortices in models with two order parameters
The interaction energy and force between widely separated strings is analyzed
in a field theory having applications to superconducting cosmic strings, the
SO(5) model of high-temperature superconductivity, and solitons in nonlinear
optics. The field theory has two order parameters, one of which is broken in
the vacuum (giving rise to strings), the other of which is unbroken in the
vacuum but which could nonetheless be broken in the core of the string. If this
does occur, there is an effect on the energetics of widely separated strings.
This effect is important if the length scale of this second order parameter is
longer than that of the other fields in the problem.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. Minor changes in the text. Accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev.
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