1,397 research outputs found
The Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn Sum Rule and the Spin Structure of the Nucleon
The Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule is one of several dispersive sum rules
that connect the Compton scattering amplitudes to the inclusive photoproduction
cross sections of the target under investigation. Being based on such universal
principles as causality, unitarity, and gauge invariance, these sum rules
provide a unique testing ground to study the internal degrees of freedom that
hold the system together. The present article reviews these sum rules for the
spin-dependent cross sections of the nucleon by presenting an overview of
recent experiments and theoretical approaches. The generalization from real to
virtual photons provides a microscope of variable resolution: At small
virtuality of the photon, the data sample information about the long range
phenomena, which are described by effective degrees of freedom (Goldstone
bosons and collective resonances), whereas the primary degrees of freedom
(quarks and gluons) become visible at the larger virtualities. Through a rich
body of new data and several theoretical developments, a unified picture of
virtual Compton scattering emerges, which ranges from coherent to incoherent
processes, and from the generalized spin polarizabilities on the low-energy
side to higher twist effects in deep inelastic lepton scattering.Comment: 32 pages, 19 figures, review articl
Plasticity facilitates sustainable growth in the commons
In the commons, communities whose growth depends on public goods, individuals
often rely on surprisingly simple strategies, or heuristics, to decide whether
to contribute to the common good (at risk of exploitation by free-riders).
Although this appears a limitation, here we show how four heuristics lead to
sustainable growth by exploiting specific environmental constraints. The two
simplest ones --contribute permanently or switch stochastically between
contributing or not-- are first shown to bring sustainability when the public
good efficiently promotes growth. If efficiency declines and the commons is
structured in small groups, the most effective strategy resides in contributing
only when a majority of individuals are also contributors. In contrast, when
group size becomes large, the most effective behavior follows a minimal-effort
rule: contribute only when it is strictly necessary. Both plastic strategies
are observed in natural systems what presents them as fundamental social motifs
to successfully manage sustainability
Energy Calibration of the JLab Bremsstrahlung Tagging System
In this report, we present the energy calibration of the Hall B
bremsstrahlung tagging system at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility. The calibration was performed using a magnetic pair spectrometer. The
tagged photon energy spectrum was measured in coincidence with pairs
as a function of the pair spectrometer magnetic field. Taking advantage of the
internal linearity of the pair spectrometer, the energy of the tagging system
was calibrated at the level of . The absolute energy scale
was determined using the rate measurements close to the end-point of
the photon spectrum. The energy variations across the full tagging range were
found to be MeV.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figure
Problems with Using Evolutionary Theory in Philosophy
Does science move toward truths? Are present scientific theories (approximately) true? Should we invoke truths to explain the success of science? Do our cognitive faculties track truths? Some philosophers say yes, while others say no, to these questions. Interestingly, both groups use the same scientific theory, viz., evolutionary theory, to defend their positions. I argue that it begs the question for the former group to do so because their positive answers imply that evolutionary theory is warranted, whereas it is self-defeating for the latter group to do so because their negative answers imply that evolutionary theory is unwarranted
Motor control by precisely timed spike patterns
A fundamental problem in neuroscience is to understand how sequences of
action potentials ("spikes") encode information about sensory signals and motor
outputs. Although traditional theories of neural coding assume that information
is conveyed by the total number of spikes fired (spike rate), recent studies of
sensory and motor activity have shown that far more information is carried by
the millisecond-scale timing patterns of action potentials (spike timing).
However, it is unknown whether or how subtle differences in spike timing drive
differences in perception or behavior, leaving it unclear whether the
information carried by spike timing actually plays a causal role in brain
function. Here we demonstrate how a precise spike timing code is read out
downstream by the muscles to control behavior. We provide both correlative and
causal evidence to show that the nervous system uses millisecond-scale
variations in the timing of spikes within multi-spike patterns to regulate a
relatively simple behavior - respiration in the Bengalese finch, a songbird.
These findings suggest that a fundamental assumption of current theories of
motor coding requires revision, and that significant improvements in
applications, such as neural prosthetic devices, can be achieved by using
precise spike timing information.Comment: 48 pages, 16 figure
Emotions and actions associated with altruistic helping and punishment
Evolutionary altruism (defined in terms of fitness effects) exists in the context of punishment in addition to helping. We examine the proximate psychological mechanisms that motivate altruistic helping and punishment, including the effects of genetic relatedness, potential for future interactions, and individual differences in propensity to help and punish. A cheater who is a genetic relative provokes a stronger emotional reaction than a cheater who is a stranger, but the behavioral response is modulated to avoid making the transgression public in the case of cheating relatives. Numerous behavioral differences are not accompanied by emotional differences, suggesting that other psychological mechanisms dictate the specific response to emotion-provoking events. Paradoxically, there is a positive correlation between temptation to cheat and propensity to punish others for cheating, leading to a concept of ?selfish punishment? that has been substantiated by a computer simulation model. This study demonstrates that fictional scenarios can provide an important methodological tool for studying the psychological basis of helping and punishment
Behavioral/Cognitive Multifunctional and Context-Dependent Control of Vocal Acoustics by Individual Muscles
The relationship between muscle activity and behavioral output determines how the brain controls and modifies complex skills. In vocal control, ensembles of muscles are used to precisely tune single acoustic parameters such as fundamental frequency and sound amplitude. If individual vocal muscles were dedicated to the control of single parameters, then the brain could control each parameter independently by modulating the appropriate muscle or muscles. Alternatively, if each muscle influenced multiple parameters, a more complex control strategy would be required to selectively modulate a single parameter. Additionally, it is unknown whether the function of single muscles is fixed or varies across different vocal gestures. A fixed relationship would allow the brain to use the same changes in muscle activation to, for example, increase the fundamental frequency of different vocal gestures, whereas a context-dependent scheme would require the brain to calculate different motor modifications in each case. We tested the hypothesis that single muscles control multiple acoustic parameters and that the function of single muscles varies across gestures using three complementary approaches. First, we recorded electromyographic data from vocal muscles in singing Bengalese finches. Second, we electrically perturbed the activity of single muscles during song. Third, we developed an ex vivo technique to analyze the biomechanical and acoustic consequences of single-muscle perturbations. We found that single muscles drive changes in multiple parameters and that the function of single muscles differs across vocal gestures, suggesting that the brain uses a complex, gesture-dependent control scheme to regulate vocal output
Reichenbach's Common Cause Principle in Algebraic Quantum Field Theory with Locally Finite Degrees of Freedom
In the paper it will be shown that Reichenbach's Weak Common Cause Principle
is not valid in algebraic quantum field theory with locally finite degrees of
freedom in general. Namely, for any pair of projections A and B supported in
spacelike separated double cones O(a) and O(b), respectively, a correlating
state can be given for which there is no nontrivial common cause (system)
located in the union of the backward light cones of O(a) and O(b) and commuting
with the both A and B. Since noncommuting common cause solutions are presented
in these states the abandonment of commutativity can modulate this result:
noncommutative Common Cause Principles might survive in these models
Effects of T=0 two body matrix elements on M1 and Gamow-Teller transitions: isospin decomposition
We perform calculations for M1 transitions and allowed Gamow Teller (GT)
transitions in the even-even Titanium isotopes - Ti, Ti, and
Ti. We first do calculations with the FPD6 interaction. Then to study
the effect of T=0 matrix elements on the M1 and GT rates we introduce a second
interaction in which all the T=0 matrix elements are set equal to zero and a
third in which all the T=0 matrix elements are set to a constant. For the
latter two interactions the T=1 matrix elements are the same as for FPD6. We
are thus able to study the effects of the fluctuating T=0 matrix elements on M1
and GT rates
Photofission of heavy nuclei at energies up to 4 GeV
Total photofission cross sections for 238U, 235U, 233U, 237Np, 232Th, and
natPb have been measured simultaneously, using tagged photons in the energy
range Egamma=0.17-3.84 GeV. This was the first experiment performed using the
Photon Tagging Facility in Hall B at Jefferson Lab. Our results show that the
photofission cross section for 238U relative to that for 237Np is about 80%,
implying the presence of important processes that compete with fission. We also
observe that the relative photofission cross sections do not depend strongly on
the incident photon energy over this entire energy range. If we assume that for
237Np the photofission probability is equal to unity, we observe a significant
shadowing effect starting below 1.5 GeV.Comment: 4 pages of RevTex, 6 postscript figures, Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
- …