1,442 research outputs found
Quantum information processing using Josephson junctions coupled through cavities
Josephson junctions have been shown to be a promising solid-state system for
implementation of quantum computation. The significant two-qubit gates are
generally realized by the capacitive coupling between the nearest neighbour
qubits. We propose an effective Hamiltonian to describe charge qubits coupled
through the cavity. We find that nontrivial two-qubit gates may be achieved by
this coupling. The ability to interconvert localized charge qubits and flying
qubits in the proposed scheme implies that quantum network can be constructed
using this large scalable solid-state system.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in Phys Rev A; typos corrected, solutions in last
eqs. correcte
Seed size, fecundity and postfire regeneration strategy are interdependent in Hakea
Seed size is a key functional trait that affects plant fitness at the seedling stage and may vary greatly with species fruit size, growth form and fecundity. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) and correlated trait evolution analysis, we investigated the interaction network between seed size and fecundity, postfire regeneration strategy, fruit size, plant height and serotiny (on-plant seed storage) among 82 species of the woody shrub genus, Hakea, with a wide spectrum of seed sizes (2–500 mg). Seed size is negatively correlated with fecundity, while fire-killed species (nonsprouters) produce more seeds than resprouters though they are of similar size. Seed size is unrelated to plant height and level of serotiny while it scales allometrically with fruit size. A strong phylogenetic signal in seed size revealed phylogenetic constraints on seed size variation in Hakea. Our analyses suggest a causal relationship between seed size, fecundity and postfire regeneration strategy in Hakea. These results demonstrate that fruit size, fecundity and evolutionary history have had most control over seed size variation among Hakea species
Phenotypic variation and differentiated gene expression of Australian plants in response to declining rainfall
Declining rainfall is projected to have negative impacts on the demographic performance of plant species. Little is known about the adaptive capacity of species to respond to drying climates, and whether adaptation can keep pace with climate change. In fire-prone ecosystems, episodic recruitment of perennial plant species in the first year postfire imposes a specific selection environment, offering a unique opportunity to quantify the scope for adaptive response to climate change. We examined the growth of seedlings of four fire-killed species under control and drought conditions for seeds from populations established in years following fire receiving average-to-above-average winter rainfall, or well-below-average winter rainfall. We show that offspring of plants that had established under drought had more efficient water uptake, and/or stored more water per unit biomass, or developed denser leaves, and all maintained higher survival in simulated drought than did offspring of plants established in average annual rainfall years. Adaptive phenotypic responses were not consistent across all traits and species, while plants that had established under severe drought or established in years with average-to-above-average rainfall had an overall different physiological response when growing either with or without water constraints. Seedlings descended from plants established under severe drought also had elevated gene expression in key pathways relating to stress response. Our results demonstrate the capacity for rapid adaptation to climate change through phenotypic variation and regulation of gene expression. However, effective and rapid adaptation to climate change may vary among species depending on their capacity to maintain robust populations under multiple stresses
Sources of dietary iodines bread, cows' milk, and infant formula in the Boston area
Dietary iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production. Although U.S. dietary iodine is generally adequate, some groups, especially women of childbearing age, are at risk for mild iodine deficiency. Children's average urinary iodine is higher than that of adults. U.S. dietary iodine sources have not been assessed recently. A survey of iodine content in 20 brands of bread, 18 brands of cows' milk, and eight infant formulae was performed between 2001 and 2002. Three bread varieties contained more than 300 μg iodine per slice. Iodine content in other brands was far lower (mean ± SD, 10.1 ± 13.2 μg iodine/ slice). All cows' milk samples had at least 88 μg iodine/250 ml, ranging from 88-168 μg (116.0 ± 22.1 μg/250 ml). Infant formulae values ranged from 16.2 to 56.8 μg iodine/5 oz (23.5 ± 13.78 μg/5 oz). The public should be aware of the need for adequate dietary iodine intake and should be aware that ingredient lists do not reflect the iodine content of foods
Distinguishable RGE running effects between Dirac neutrinos and Majorana neutrinos with vanishing Majorana CP-violating phases
In a novel parametrization of neutrino mixing and in the approximation of
-lepton dominance, we show that the one-loop renormalization-group
equations (RGEs) of Dirac neutrinos are different from those of Majorana
neutrinos even if two Majorana CP-violating phases vanish. As the latter can
keep vanishing from the electroweak scale to the typical seesaw scale, it makes
sense to distinguish between the RGE running effects of neutrino mixing
parameters in Dirac and Majorana cases. The differences are found to be quite
large in the minimal supersymmetric standard model with sizable ,
provided the masses of three neutrinos are nearly degenerate or have an
inverted hierarchy.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Some Issues in a Gauge Model of Unparticles
We address in a recent gauge model of unparticles the issues that are
important for consistency of a gauge theory, i.e., unitarity and Ward identity
of physical amplitudes. We find that non-integrable singularities arise in
physical quantities like cross section and decay rate from gauge interactions
of unparticles. We also show that Ward identity is violated due to the lack of
a dispersion relation for charged unparticles although the Ward-Takahashi
identity for general Green functions is incorporated in the model. A previous
observation that the unparticle's (with scaling dimension d) contribution to
the gauge boson self-energy is a factor (2-d) of the particle's has been
extended to the Green function of triple gauge bosons. This (2-d) rule may be
generally true for any point Green functions of gauge bosons. This implies that
the model would be trivial even as one that mimics certain dynamical effects on
gauge bosons in which unparticles serve as an interpolating field.Comment: v1:16 pages, 3 figures. v2: some clarifications made and presentation
improved, calculation and conclusion not modified; refs added and updated.
Version to appear in EPJ
G(2) quivers
We present, in explicit matrix representation and a modernity befitting the community, the classification of the finite discrete subgroups of G2 and compute the McKay quivers arising therefrom. Of physical interest are the classes of Script N = 1 gauge theories descending from M-theory and of mathematical interest are possible steps toward a systematic study of crepant resolutions to smooth G2 manifolds as well as generalised McKay Correspondences. This writing is a companion monograph to hep-th/9811183 and hep-th/9905212, wherein the analogues for Calabi-Yau three- and four-folds were considered
Spontaneous CP Violating Phase as the Phase in PMNS Matrix
We study the possibility of identifying the CP violating phases in the PMNS
mixing matrix in the lepton sector and also that in the CKM mixing matrix in
the quark sector with the phase responsible for the spontaneous CP violation in
the Higgs potential, and some implications. Since the phase in the CKM mixing
matrix is determined by experimental data, the phase in the lepton sector is
therefore also fixed. The mass matrix for neutrinos is constrained leading to
constraints on the Jarlskog CP violating parameter , and the effective mass
for neutrinoless double beta decay. The Yukawa couplings are
also constrained. Different ways of identifying the phases have different
predictions for and . Future
experimental data can be used to distinguish different models.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure
Skyrmion Excitations in Quantum Hall Systems
Using finite size calculations on the surface of a sphere we study the
topological (skyrmion) excitation in quantum Hall system with spin degree of
freedom at filling factors around . In the absence of Zeeman energy, we
find, in systems with one quasi-particle or one quasi-hole, the lowest energy
band consists of states with , where and are the total orbital and
spin angular momentum. These different spin states are almost degenerate in the
thermodynamic limit and their symmetry-breaking ground state is the state with
one skyrmion of infinite size. In the presence of Zeeman energy, the skyrmion
size is determined by the interplay of the Zeeman energy and electron-electron
interaction and the skyrmion shrinks to a spin texture of finite size. We have
calculated the energy gap of the system at infinite wave vector limit as a
function of the Zeeman energy and find there are kinks in the energy gap
associated with the shrinking of the size of the skyrmion. breaking ground
state is the state with one skyrmion of infinite size. In the presence of
Zeeman energy, the skyrmion size is determined by the interplay of the Zeeman
energy and electron-electronComment: 4 pages, 5 postscript figures available upon reques
Thermal Unparticles: A New Form of Energy Density in the Universe
Unparticle \U with scaling dimension d_\U has peculiar thermal properties
due to its unique phase space structure. We find that the equation of state
parameter \omega_\U, the ratio of pressure to energy density, is given by
1/(2d_\U +1) providing a new form of energy in our universe. In an expanding
universe, the unparticle energy density \rho_\U(T) evolves dramatically
differently from that for photons. For d_\U >1, even if \rho_\U(T_D) at a
high decoupling temperature is very small, it is possible to have a large
relic density \rho_\U(T^0_\gamma) at present photon temperature ,
large enough to play the role of dark matter. We calculate and
\rho_\U(T^0_\gamma) using photon-unparticle interactions for illustration.Comment: 5 pages; v3, journal version
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