Ultrafast photodoping and effective Fermi-Dirac distribution of the Dirac particles in Bi2Se3

We exploit time- and angle- resolved photoemission spectroscopy to determine the evolution of the out-of-equilibrium electronic structure of the topological insulator Bi2Se. The response of the Fermi-Dirac distribution to ultrashort IR laser pulses has been studied by modelling the dynamics of the hot electrons after optical excitation. We disentangle a large increase of the effective temperature T* from a shift of the chemical potential mu*, which is consequence of the ultrafast photodoping of the conduction band. The relaxation dynamics of T* and mu* are k-independent and these two quantities uniquely define the evolution of the excited charge population. We observe that the energy dependence of the non-equilibrium charge population is solely determined by the analytical form of the effective Fermi-Dirac distribution.Comment: 5 Pages, 3 Figure

Yield Curve Shapes and the Asymptotic Short Rate Distribution in Affine One-Factor Models

We consider a model for interest rates, where the short rate is given by a time-homogenous, one-dimensional affine process in the sense of Duffie, Filipovic and Schachermayer. We show that in such a model yield curves can only be normal, inverse or humped (i.e. endowed with a single local maximum). Each case can be characterized by simple conditions on the present short rate. We give conditions under which the short rate process will converge to a limit distribution and describe the limit distribution in terms of its cumulant generating function. We apply our results to the Vasicek model, the CIR model, a CIR model with added jumps and a model of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type

Evidence of reduced surface electron-phonon scattering in the conduction band of Bi_{2}Se_{3} by non-equilibrium ARPES

The nature of the Dirac quasiparticles in topological insulators calls for a direct investigation of the electron-phonon scattering at the \emph{surface}. By comparing time-resolved ARPES measurements of the TI Bi_{2}Se_{3} with different probing depths we show that the relaxation dynamics of the electronic temperature of the conduction band is much slower at the surface than in the bulk. This observation suggests that surface phonons are less effective in cooling the electron gas in the conduction band.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Holomorphic transforms with application to affine processes

In a rather general setting of It\^o-L\'evy processes we study a class of transforms (Fourier for example) of the state variable of a process which are holomorphic in some disc around time zero in the complex plane. We show that such transforms are related to a system of analytic vectors for the generator of the process, and we state conditions which allow for holomorphic extension of these transforms into a strip which contains the positive real axis. Based on these extensions we develop a functional series expansion of these transforms in terms of the constituents of the generator. As application, we show that for multidimensional affine It\^o-L\'evy processes with state dependent jump part the Fourier transform is holomorphic in a time strip under some stationarity conditions, and give log-affine series representations for the transform.Comment: 30 page

Surface diffusion of Au on Si(111): A microscopic study

The direct evolution of submonolayer two-dimensional Au phases on the Si(111)-(7x7) surface was studied in real time using the spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscope located at the synchrotron radiation source ELETTRA. A finite area covered by 1 monolayer (ML) of gold with a steplike transition zone was prepared by evaporation in situ. Subsequent annealing resulted in the spread of the Au layer and the formation of laterally extended Si(111)-(5x1)-Au and Si(111)-(√3x √3)R30°-Au surface reconstructions. At a temperature around 970 K, the boundary of the gold-covered region propagates on the clean Si(111)-(7x7) and exhibits a nonlinear dependence on time. The ordered Si(111)-(5x1)-Au plateau develops a separated front moving with constant velocity. Two values of the Au diffusion coefficients were estimated at a temperature of about 985 K: (1) D7x7=5,2x10-8 cm2 s-1 as the average diffusion coefficient for Au on a clean Si(111)-(7x7) surface in the concentration range from 0.4 ML up to 0.66 ML and (2) D5x1=1.2x10-7 cm2 s-1 as the lower limit for the diffusion of single Au atoms on the Si(111)-(5x1)-Au ordered phase

COBRA - Double beta decay searches using CdTe detectors

A new approach (called COBRA) for investigating double beta decay using CdTe (CdZnTe) semiconductor detectors is proposed. It follows the idea that source and detector are identical. This will allow simultaneous measurements of 5 $\beta^-\beta^-$ - and 4 $\beta^+\beta^+$ - emitters at once. Half-life limits for neutrinoless double beta decay of Cd-116 and Te-130 can be improved by more than one order of magnitude with respect to current limits and sensitivities on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of less than 1 eV can be obtained. Furthermore, for the first time a realistic chance of observing double electron capture processes exists. Additional searches for rare processes like the 4-fold forbidden Cd-113 $\beta$-decay, the electron capture of Te-123 and dark matter detection can be performed. The achievable limits are evaluated for 10 kg of such detectors and can be scaled accordingly towards higher detector masses because of the modular design of the proposed experiment.Comment: 13 pages, 3 eps-figures, submitte

Social Determinants of Health and the Use of Community-Based Rehabilitation Following Stroke: Methodologic Considerations

Social determinants are non-medical factors frequently used to study disparities in health outcomes but have not been widely explored in regard to rehabilitation services utilization. In our NICHD-funded study, Access to and Effectiveness of Community-Based Rehabilitation After Stroke, we reviewed several conceptual models and frameworks for the study of social determinants to inform our work. The overall objective of this special communication is to describe our approach to identifying, selecting, and utilizing area-level measures of social determinants to explore the relationship between social determinants and rehabilitation use. We present our methods for developing a conceptual model and a methodological framework for the selection of social determinant measures relevant to rehabilitation use and an overview of publicly available data on social determinants. We then discuss methodological challenges encountered and future directions for this work

Observational Study Design in Veterinary Pathology, Part 1: Study Design

Observational studies are the basis for much of our knowledge of veterinary pathology and are highly relevant to the daily practice of pathology. However, recommendations for conducting pathology-based observational studies are not readily available. In part 1 of this series, we offer advice on planning and conducting an observational study with examples from the veterinary pathology literature. Investigators should recognize the importance of creativity, insight, and innovation in devising studies that solve problems and fill important gaps in knowledge. Studies should focus on specific and testable hypotheses, questions, or objectives. The methodology is developed to support these goals. We consider the merits and limitations of different types of analytic and descriptive studies, as well as of prospective vs retrospective enrollment. Investigators should define clear inclusion and exclusion criteria and select adequate numbers of study subjects, including careful selection of the most appropriate controls. Studies of causality must consider the temporal relationships between variables and the advantages of measuring incident cases rather than prevalent cases. Investigators must consider unique aspects of studies based on archived laboratory case material and take particular care to consider and mitigate the potential for selection bias and information bias. We close by discussing approaches to adding value and impact to observational studies. Part 2 of the series focuses on methodology and validation of methods

Analysis of Fourier transform valuation formulas and applications

The aim of this article is to provide a systematic analysis of the conditions such that Fourier transform valuation formulas are valid in a general framework; i.e. when the option has an arbitrary payoff function and depends on the path of the asset price process. An interplay between the conditions on the payoff function and the process arises naturally. We also extend these results to the multi-dimensional case, and discuss the calculation of Greeks by Fourier transform methods. As an application, we price options on the minimum of two assets in L\'evy and stochastic volatility models.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Appl. Math. Financ

Effects of CP Violation on Event Rates in the Direct Detection of Dark Matter

A full analytic analysis of the effects of CP violating phases on the event rates in the direct detection of dark matter in the scattering of neutralinos from nuclear targets is given. The analysis includes CP violating phases in softly broken supersymmetry in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) when generational mixings are ignored. A numerical analysis shows that large CP violating phases including the constraints from the experimental limits on the neutron and the electron electric dipole moment (EDM) can produce substantial effects on the event rates in dark matter detectors.Comment: 17 pages, LaTex, including 2 figures; revised version to appear in the Physical Review