437 research outputs found
Low-temperature anomalous specific heat without tunneling modes: a simulation for a-Si with voids
Using empirical potential molecular dynamics we compute dynamical matrix
eigenvalues and eigenvectors for a 4096 atom model of amorphous silicon and a
set of models with voids of different size based on it. This information is
then employed to study the localization properties of the low-energy
vibrational states, calculate the specific heat C(T) and examine the
low-temperature properties of our models usually attributed to the presence of
tunneling states in amorphous silicon. The results of our calculations for C(T)
and "excess specific heat bulge" in the C(T)/T^3 vs. T graph for voidless a-Si
appear to be in good agreement with experiment; moreover our investigation
shows that the presence of localized low-energy excitations in the vibrational
spectrum of our models with voids strongly manifests itself as a sharp peak in
C(T)/T^3 dependence at T < 3K. To our knowledge this is the first numerical
simulation that provides adequate agreement with experiment for the very
low-temperature properties of specific heat in disordered systems within the
limits of harmonic approximation.Comment: 5 pages with 2 ps figures, submitted to PR
Are there nu_mu or nu_tau in the flux of solar neutrinos on earth?
Using the model independent method of Villante, Fiorentini, Lisi, Fogli,
Palazzo, and the rates measured in the SNO and Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino
experiment, we calculate the amount of active nu_mu or nu_tau present in the
flux of solar neutrinos on Earth. We show that the probability of
nu_e->nu_{mu,tau} transitions is larger than zero at 99.89% CL. We find that
the averaged flux of nu_{mu,tau} on Earth is larger than 0.17 times the 8B nu_e
flux predicted by the BP2000 Standard Solar Model at 99% CL. We discuss also
the consequences of possible nu_e->anti-nu_{mu,tau} or nu_e->anti-nu_e
transitions of solar neutrinos. We derive a model-independent lower limit of
0.52 at 99% CL for the ratio of the 8B nu_e flux produced in the Sun and its
value in the BP2000 Standard Solar Model.Comment: 5 pages. Added discussion on possible nu_e->anti-nu_{mu,tau} or
nu_e->anti-nu_e transition
Symmetries and Elasticity of Nematic Gels
A nematic liquid-crystal gel is a macroscopically homogeneous elastic medium
with the rotational symmetry of a nematic liquid crystal. In this paper, we
develop a general approach to the study of these gels that incorporates all
underlying symmetries. After reviewing traditional elasticity and clarifying
the role of broken rotational symmetries in both the reference space of points
in the undistorted medium and the target space into which these points are
mapped, we explore the unusual properties of nematic gels from a number of
perspectives. We show how symmetries of nematic gels formed via spontaneous
symmetry breaking from an isotropic gel enforce soft elastic response
characterized by the vanishing of a shear modulus and the vanishing of stress
up to a critical value of strain along certain directions. We also study the
phase transition from isotropic to nematic gels. In addition to being fully
consistent with approaches to nematic gels based on rubber elasticity, our
description has the important advantages of being independent of a microscopic
model, of emphasizing and clarifying the role of broken symmetries in
determining elastic response, and of permitting easy incorporation of spatial
variations, thermal fluctuations, and gel heterogeneity, thereby allowing a
full statistical-mechanical treatment of these novel materials.Comment: 21 pages, 4 eps figure
Analysis of the intraspinal calcium dynamics and its implications on the plasticity of spiking neurons
The influx of calcium ions into the dendritic spines through the
N-metyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) channels is believed to be the primary trigger for
various forms of synaptic plasticity. In this paper, the authors calculate
analytically the mean values of the calcium transients elicited by a spiking
neuron undergoing a simple model of ionic currents and back-propagating action
potentials. The relative variability of these transients, due to the stochastic
nature of synaptic transmission, is further considered using a simple Markov
model of NMDA receptos. One finds that both the mean value and the variability
depend on the timing between pre- and postsynaptic action-potentials. These
results could have implications on the expected form of synaptic-plasticity
curve and can form a basis for a unified theory of spike time-dependent, and
rate based plasticity.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures. A few changes in section IV and addition of a
new figur
Minimal Noncanonical Cosmologies
We demonstrate how much it is possible to deviate from the standard
cosmological paradigm of inflation-assisted LambdaCDM, keeping within current
observational constraints, and without adding to or modifying any theoretical
assumptions. We show that within a minimal framework there are many new
possibilities, some of them wildly different from the standard picture. We
present three illustrative examples of new models, described phenomenologically
by a noncanonical scalar field coupled to radiation and matter. These models
have interesting implications for inflation, quintessence, reheating,
electroweak baryogenesis, and the relic densities of WIMPs and other exotics.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 3 table
Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches
Simulations of the neutron background for future large-scale particle dark
matter detectors are presented. Neutrons were generated in rock and detector
elements via spontaneous fission and (alpha,n) reactions, and by cosmic-ray
muons. The simulation techniques and results are discussed in the context of
the expected sensitivity of a generic liquid xenon dark matter detector.
Methods of neutron background suppression are investigated. A sensitivity of
pb to WIMP-nucleon interactions can be achieved by a
tonne-scale detector.Comment: 35 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in
Astroparticle Physic
Charged hydrogenic problem in a magnetic field: Non-commutative translations, unitary transformations, and coherent states
An operator formalism is developed for a description of charged electron-hole
complexes in magnetic fields. A novel unitary transformation of the Hamiltonian
that allows one to partially separate the center-of-mass and internal motions
is proposed. We study the operator algebra that leads to the appearance of new
effective particles, electrons and holes with modified interparticle
interactions, and their coherent states in magnetic fields. The developed
formalism is used for studying a two-dimensional negatively charged
magnetoexciton . It is shown that Fano-resonances are present in the
spectra of internal transitions, indicating the existence of
three-particle quasi-bound states embedded in the continuum of higher Landau
levels.Comment: 9 pages + 2 figures, accepted in PRB, a couple of typos correcte
Statistical Analysis of Different Muon-antineutrino->Electron-antineutrino Searches
A combined statistical analysis of the experimental results of the LSND and
KARMEN \numubnueb oscillation search is presented. LSND has evidence for
neutrino oscillations that is not confirmed by the KARMEN experiment. This
joint analysis is based on the final likelihood results for both data sets. A
frequentist approach is applied to deduce confidence regions. At a combined
confidence level of 36%, there is no area of oscillation parameters compatible
with both experiments. For the complementary confidence of 1-0.36=64%, there
are two well defined regions of oscillation parameters (sin^2(2th),Dm^2)
compatible with both experiments.Comment: 25 pages, including 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Energy Release During Slow Long Duration Flares Observed by RHESSI
Slow Long Duration Events (SLDEs) are flares characterized by long duration
of rising phase. In many such cases impulsive phase is weak with lack of
typical short-lasting pulses. Instead of that smooth, long-lasting Hard X-ray
(HXR) emission is observed. We analysed hard X-ray emission and morphology of
six selected SLDEs. In our analysis we utilized data from RHESSI and GOES
satellites. Physical parameters of HXR sources were obtained from imaging
spectroscopy and were used for the energy balance analysis. Characteristic time
of heating rate decrease, after reaching its maximum value, is very long, which
explains long rising phase of these flares.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physic
Rapid And Durable Responses With The Syk/Jak Inhibitor Cerdulatinib In A Phase 2 Study In Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma—Alone Or In Combination With Rituximab
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149541/1/hon30_2629.pd
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