The effect of magnetic dipolar interactions on the interchain spin wave dispersion in CsNiF_3

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements were performed on the ferromagnetic chain system CsNiF_3 in the collinear antiferromagnetic ordered state below T_N = 2.67K. The measured spin wave dispersion was found to be in good agreement with linear spin wave theory including dipolar interactions. The additional dipole tensor in the Hamiltonian was essential to explain some striking phenomena in the measured spin wave spectrum: a peculiar feature of the dispersion relation is a jump at the zone center, caused by strong dipolar interactions in this system. The interchain exchange coupling constant and the planar anisotropy energy were determined within the present model to be J'/k_B = -0.0247(12)K and A/k_B = 3.3(1)K. This gives a ratio J/J' \approx 500, using the previously determined intrachain coupling constant J/k_B = 11.8$. The small exchange energy J' is of the same order as the dipolar energy, which implies a strong competition between the both interactions.Comment: 18 pages, TeX type, 7 Postscript figures included. To be published in Phys. Rev.

A Probabilistic Analysis of Kademlia Networks

Kademlia is currently the most widely used searching algorithm in P2P (peer-to-peer) networks. This work studies an essential question about Kademlia from a mathematical perspective: how long does it take to locate a node in the network? To answer it, we introduce a random graph K and study how many steps are needed to locate a given vertex in K using Kademlia's algorithm, which we call the routing time. Two slightly different versions of K are studied. In the first one, vertices of K are labelled with fixed IDs. In the second one, vertices are assumed to have randomly selected IDs. In both cases, we show that the routing time is about c*log(n), where n is the number of nodes in the network and c is an explicitly described constant.Comment: ISAAC 201

Assembly, trafficking and function of gamma-secretase

gamma-Secretase catalyzes the final cleavage of the beta-amyloid precursor protein to generate amyloid-beta peptide, the principal component of amyloid plaques in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Here, we review the identification of gamma-secretase as a protease complex and its assembly and trafficking to its site(s) of cellular function. In reconstitution experiments, gamma-secretase was found to be composed of four integral membrane proteins, presenilin (PS), nicastrin (NCT), PEN-2 and APH-1 that are essential and sufficient for gamma-secretase activity. PS, which serves as a catalytic subunit of gamma-secretase, was identified as a prototypic member of novel aspartyl proteases of the GxGD type. In human cells, gamma-secretase could be further defined as a heterogeneous activity consisting of distinct complexes that are composed of PS1 or PS2 and APH-1a or APH-1b homologues together with NCT and PEN-2. Using green fluorescent protein as a reporter we localized PS and gamma-secretase activity at the plasma membrane and endosomes. Investigation of gamma-secretase complex assembly in knockdown and knockout cells of the individual subunits allowed us to develop a model of complex assembly in which NCT and APH-1 first stabilize PS before PEN-2 assembles as the last component. Furthermore, we could map domains in PS and PEN-2 that govern assembly and trafficking of the complex. Finally, Rer1 was identified as a PEN-2-binding protein that serves a role as an auxiliary factor for gamma-secretase complex assembly. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Highly efficient, tunable single photon source based on single molecules

The authors studied spatially isolated terrylene molecules immobilized in a quasiplanar optical λ/2-microresonator using confocal microscopy and spectroscopy at variable temperatures. At T = 1.8 K, they observed individual molecules relaxing into microresonator-allowed vibronic levels of their electronic ground state by emission of single fluorescence photons. Coupling the purely electronic transition of embedded molecules to the longitudinal photonic mode of the microresonator resulted in an ultimate spectral narrowing and an increased collection efficiency of the emitted single photon wave trains

Experimental Test of Relativistic Quantum State Collapse with Moving Reference Frames

An experimental test of relativistic wave-packet collapse is presented. The tested model assumes that the collapse takes place in the reference frame determined by the massive measuring detectors. Entangled photons are measured at 10 km distance within a time interval of less than 5 ps. The two apparatuses are in relative motion so that both detectors, each in its own inertial reference frame, are first to perform the measurement. The data always reproduces the quantum correlations and thus rule out a class of collapse models. The results also set a lower bound on the "speed of quantum information" to 0.66 x 10^7 and 1.5 x 10^4 times the speed of light in the Geneva and the background radiation reference frames, respectively. The very difficult and deep question of where the collapse takes place - if it takes place at all - is considered in a concrete experimental context.Comment: 4 pages + 2 ps figure

Being Smart about Parts

When conducting a measurement system assessment study, practitioners want as precise an estimate of the true repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) as possible so they can correctly decide whether the measurement system is acceptable. They are, however, faced with cost and time constraints that restrict the number of parts and repeated measurements that can be used in the study. By incorporating freely available production measurements (baseline data), they can reduce the number of parts in the study to two or three and still obtain a better estimate of the R&R than they would have otherwise. To avoid bias, they must ensure the baseline data reflect the current manufacturing and measurement processes