Two-Photon Excitation of Low-Lying Electronic Quadrupole States in Atomic Clusters

A simple scheme of population and detection of low-lying electronic quadrupole modes in free small deformed metal clusters is proposed. The scheme is analyzed in terms of the TDLDA (time-dependent local density approximation) calculations. As test case, the deformed cluster $Na^+_{11}$ is considered. Long-living quadrupole oscillations are generated via resonant two-photon (two-dipole) excitation and then detected through the appearance of satellites in the photoelectron spectra generated by a probe pulse. Femtosecond pump and probe pulses with intensities $I = 2\cdot 10^{10} - 2\cdot 10^{11} W/cm^2$ and pulse duration $T = 200 - 500$ fs are found to be optimal. The modes of interest are dominated by a single electron-hole pair and so their energies, being combined with the photoelectron data for hole states, allow to gather new information about mean-field spectra of valence electrons in the HOMO-LUMO region. Besides, the scheme allows to estimate the lifetime of electron-hole pairs and hence the relaxation time of electronic energy into ionic heat.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Central depression in nuclear density and its consequences for the shell structure of superheavy nuclei

The influence of the central depression in the density distribution of spherical superheavy nuclei on the shell structure is studied within the relativistic mean field theory. Large depression leads to the shell gaps at the proton Z=120 and neutron N=172 numbers, while flatter density distribution favors N=184 for neutrons and leads to the appearance of a Z=126 shell gap and to the decrease of the size of the Z=120 shell gap. The correlations between the magic shell gaps and the magnitude of central depression are discussed for relativistic and non-relativistic mean field theories.Comment: 5 page

TDDFT with Skyrme Forces: Effect of Time-Odd Densities on Electric Giant Resonances

Time-odd densities and their effect on electric giant resonances are investigated within the self-consistent separable random-phase-approximation (SRPA) model for various Skyrme forces (SkT6, SkO, SkM*, SIII, SGII, SLy4, SLy6, SkI3). Time-odd densities restore Galilean invariance of the Skyrme functional, violated by the effective-mass and spin-orbital terms. In even-even nuclei these densities do not contribute to the ground state but can affect the dynamics. As a particular case, we explore the role of the current density in description of isovector E1 and isoscalar E2 giant resonances in a chain of Nd spherical and deformed isotopes with A=134-158. Relation of the current to the effective masses and relevant parameters of the Skyrme functional is analyzed. It is shown that current contribution to E1 and E2 resonances is generally essential and fully determined by the values and signs of the isovector and isoscalar effective-mass parameters of the force. The contribution is the same for all the isotope chain, i.e. for both standard and exotic nuclei.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, will be published in Proceed. of 14th Nuclear Physics Workshop (Kazimierez, Poland, September, 2007) Comment: latex error in openning Fig. 2 was correcte

Self-Consistent Separable RPA For Density- and Current-Dependent Forces

Self-consistent factorization of two-body residual interaction is proposed for arbitrary density- and current-dependent energy functionals. Following this procedure, a separable RPA (SRPA) method is constructed. SRPA dramatically simplifies the calculations and demonstrates quick convergence to exact results. The method is tested for SkM* forces.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, contribution to Proceedings of 7th International Spring Seminar on Nuclear Physics, Maiori, Italy, May 27-31, 200

Optimizing phonon space in the phonon-coupling model

We present a new scheme to select the most relevant phonons in the phonon-coupling model, named here time-blocking approximation (TBA). The new criterion, based on the phonon-nucleon coupling strengths rather than on $B(EL)$ values, is more selective and thus produces much smaller phonon spaces in TBA. This is beneficial in two respects: first, it curbs down the computational cost, and second, it reduces the danger of double counting in the expansion basis of TBA. We use here TBA in a form where the coupling strength is regularized to keep the given Hartree-Fock ground state stable. The scheme is implemented in an RPA and TBA code based on the Skyrme energy functional. We first explore carefully the cutoff dependence with the new criterion and can work out a natural (optimal) cutoff parameter. Then we use the freshly developed and tested scheme to a survey of giant resonances and low-lying collective states in six doubly magic nuclei looking also on the dependence of the results when varying the Skyrme parametrization.Comment: 9 figures, 3 table

Honeybees Learn Odour Mixtures via a Selection of Key Odorants

BACKGROUND The honeybee has to detect, process and learn numerous complex odours from her natural environment on a daily basis. Most of these odours are floral scents, which are mixtures of dozens of different odorants. To date, it is still unclear how the bee brain unravels the complex information contained in scent mixtures. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This study investigates learning of complex odour mixtures in honeybees using a simple olfactory conditioning procedure, the Proboscis-Extension-Reflex (PER) paradigm. Restrained honeybees were trained to three scent mixtures composed of 14 floral odorants each, and then tested with the individual odorants of each mixture. Bees did not respond to all odorants of a mixture equally: They responded well to a selection of key odorants, which were unique for each of the three scent mixtures. Bees showed less or very little response to the other odorants of the mixtures. The bees' response to mixtures composed of only the key odorants was as good as to the original mixtures of 14 odorants. A mixture composed of the other, non-key-odorants elicited a significantly lower response. Neither an odorant's volatility or molecular structure, nor learning efficiencies for individual odorants affected whether an odorant became a key odorant for a particular mixture. Odorant concentration had a positive effect, with odorants at high concentration likely to become key odorants. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our study suggests that the brain processes complex scent mixtures by predominantly learning information from selected key odorants. Our observations on key odorant learning lend significant support to previous work on olfactory learning and mixture processing in honeybees.This work was supported by a grant from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Food Futures Flagship Collaborative Research Fund (CBR3_45865_9 W2003, http://www.csiro.au/org/FoodFuturesFlagship.html). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Self-consistency in the phonon space of the particle-phonon coupling model

In the paper the non-linear generalization of the time blocking approximation (TBA) is presented. The TBA is one of the versions of the extended random-phase approximation (RPA) developed within the Green-function method and the particle-phonon coupling model. In the generalized version of the TBA the self-consistency principle is extended onto the phonon space of the model. The numerical examples show that this non-linear version of the TBA leads to the convergence of the results with respect to enlarging the phonon space of the model.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, 1 tabl

Spatial separation of large dynamical blue shift and harmonic generation

We study the temporal and spatial dynamics of the large amplitude and frequency modulation that can be induced in an intense, few cycle laser pulse as it propagates through a rapidly ionizing gas. Our calculations include both single atom and macroscopic interactions between the non-linear medium and the laser field. We analyze the harmonic generation by such pulses and show that it is spatially separated from the ionization dynamics which produce a large dynamical blue shift of the laser pulse. This means that small changes in the initial laser focusing conditions can lead to large differences in the laser frequency modulation, even though the generated harmonic spectrum remains essentially unchanged.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Under revisio