Twin-Photon Confocal Microscopy

A recently introduced two-channel confocal microscope with correlated detection promises up to 50% improvement in transverse spatial resolution [Simon, Sergienko, Optics Express {\bf 18}, 9765 (2010)] via the use of photon correlations. Here we achieve similar results in a different manner, introducing a triple-confocal correlated microscope which exploits the correlations present in optical parametric amplifiers. It is based on tight focusing of pump radiation onto a thin sample positioned in front of a nonlinear crystal, followed by coincidence detection of signal and idler photons, each focused onto a pinhole. This approach offers further resolution enhancement in confocal microscopy

Complex Langevin dynamics for dynamical QCD at nonzero chemical potential: a comparison with multi-parameter reweighting

We study lattice QCD at non-vanishing chemical potential using the complex Langevin equation. We compare the results with multi-parameter reweighting both from $\mu=0$ and phase quenched ensembles. We find a good agreement for lattice spacings below $\approx$0.15 fm. On coarser lattices the complex Langevin approach breaks down. Four flavors of staggered fermions are used on $N_t=4, 6$ and 8 lattices. For one ensemble we also use two flavors to investigate the effects of rooting.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, PRD version, minor change

Quasiperiodic oscillations in a strong gravitational field around neutron stars testing braneworld models

The strong gravitational field of neutron stars in the brany universe could be described by spherically symmetric solutions with a metric in the exterior to the brany stars being of the Reissner-Nordstrom type containing a brany tidal charge representing the tidal effect of the bulk spacetime onto the star structure. We investigate the role of the tidal charge in orbital models of high-frequency quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in neutron star binary systems. We focus on the relativistic precession model. We give the radial profiles of frequencies of the Keplerian (vertical) and radial epicyclic oscillations. We show how the standard relativistic precession model modified by the tidal charge fits the observational data, giving estimates of the allowed values of the tidal charge and the brane tension based on the processes going in the vicinity of neutron stars. We compare the strong field regime restrictions with those given in the weak-field limit of solar system experiments.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure

Ideal kink instability of a magnetic loop equilibrium

The force-free coronal loop model by Titov & D\'emoulin (1999} is found to be unstable with respect to the ideal kink mode, which suggests this instability as a mechanism for the initiation of flares. The long-wavelength ($m=1$) mode grows for average twists \Phi\ga3.5\pi (at a loop aspect ratio of $\approx$ 5). The threshold of instability increases with increasing major loop radius, primarily because the aspect ratio then also increases. Numerically obtained equilibria at subcritical twist are very close to the approximate analytical equilibrium; they do not show indications of sigmoidal shape. The growth of kink perturbations is eventually slowed down by the surrounding potential field, which varies only slowly with radius in the model. With this field a global eruption is not obtained in the ideal MHD limit. Kink perturbations with a rising loop apex lead to the formation of a vertical current sheet below the apex, which does not occur in the cylindrical approximation.Comment: Astron. Astrophys. Lett., accepte

Testing magnetofrictional extrapolation with the Titov-D\'emoulin model of solar active regions

We examine the nonlinear magnetofrictional extrapolation scheme using the solar active region model by Titov and D\'emoulin as test field. This model consists of an arched, line-tied current channel held in force-free equilibrium by the potential field of a bipolar flux distribution in the bottom boundary. A modified version, having a parabolic current density profile, is employed here. We find that the equilibrium is reconstructed with very high accuracy in a representative range of parameter space, using only the vector field in the bottom boundary as input. Structural features formed in the interface between the flux rope and the surrounding arcade-"hyperbolic flux tube" and "bald patch separatrix surface"-are reliably reproduced, as are the flux rope twist and the energy and helicity of the configuration. This demonstrates that force-free fields containing these basic structural elements of solar active regions can be obtained by extrapolation. The influence of the chosen initial condition on the accuracy of reconstruction is also addressed, confirming that the initial field that best matches the external potential field of the model quite naturally leads to the best reconstruction. Extrapolating the magnetogram of a Titov-D\'emoulin equilibrium in the unstable range of parameter space yields a sequence of two opposing evolutionary phases which clearly indicate the unstable nature of the configuration: a partial buildup of the flux rope with rising free energy is followed by destruction of the rope, losing most of the free energy.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure