425 research outputs found
Global pointwise decay estimates for defocusing radial nonlinear wave equations
We prove global pointwise decay estimates for a class of defocusing
semilinear wave equations in dimensions restricted to spherical symmetry.
The technique is based on a conformal transformation and a suitable choice of
the mapping adjusted to the nonlinearity. As a result we obtain a pointwise
bound on the solutions for arbitrarily large Cauchy data, provided the
solutions exist globally. The decay rates are identical with those for small
data and hence seem to be optimal. A generalization beyond the spherical
symmetry is suggested.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur
Optical lattice quantum simulator for QED in strong external fields: spontaneous pair creation and the Sauter-Schwinger effect
Spontaneous creation of electron-positron pairs out of the vacuum due to a
strong electric field is a spectacular manifestation of the relativistic
energy-momentum relation for the Dirac fermions. This fundamental prediction of
Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has not yet been confirmed experimentally as the
generation of a sufficiently strong electric field extending over a large
enough space-time volume still presents a challenge. Surprisingly, distant
areas of physics may help us to circumvent this difficulty. In condensed matter
and solid state physics (areas commonly considered as low energy physics), one
usually deals with quasi-particles instead of real electrons and positrons.
Since their mass gap can often be freely tuned, it is much easier to create
these light quasi-particles by an analogue of the Sauter-Schwinger effect. This
motivates our proposal of a quantum simulator in which excitations of
ultra-cold atoms moving in a bichromatic optical lattice represent particles
and antiparticles (holes) satisfying a discretized version of the Dirac
equation together with fermionic anti-commutation relations. Using the language
of second quantization, we are able to construct an analogue of the spontaneous
pair creation which can be realized in an (almost) table-top experiment.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure
Moving in an environment of induced sensory-motor incongruence does not influence pain sensitivity in healthy volunteers: A randomised within-subject cross-over experiment
A mismatch between the brain\u27s motor control and sensory systems has been suggested as one mechanism whereby maladaptive neuroplastic changes contribute to the experience of chronic pain. Several studies have investigated this hypothesis by artificially inducing a state of sensory-motor incongruence using mirrors. The data to date appear to suggest that creating an environment of sensori-motor incongruence induces various sensory changes and feeling of peculiarity, however the effect on pain is less clear. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that healthy participants would demonstrate reduced pain thresholds and report greater intensity of pain in a condition of induced sensory motor incongruence compared to conditions that did not promote incongruence
Late-time tails of a Yang-Mills field on Minkowski and Schwarzschild backgrounds
We study the late-time behavior of spherically symmetric solutions of the
Yang-Mills equations on Minkowski and Schwarzschild backgrounds. Using
nonlinear perturbation theory we show in both cases that solutions having
smooth compactly supported initial data posses tails which decay as at
timelike infinity. Moreover, for small initial data on Minkowski background we
derive the third-order formula for the amplitude of the tail and confirm
numerically its accuracy.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Zinc isotopes from archaeological bones provide reliable trophic level information for marine mammals
In marine ecology, dietary interpretations of faunal assemblages often rely on nitrogen isotopes as the main or only applicable trophic level tracer. We investigate the geographic variability and trophic level isotopic discrimination factors of bone zinc 66Zn/64Zn ratios (δ66Zn value) and compared it to collagen nitrogen and carbon stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) values. Focusing on ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from multiple Arctic archaeological sites, we investigate trophic interactions between predator and prey over a broad geographic area. All proxies show variability among sites, influenced by the regional food web baselines. However, δ66Zn shows a significantly higher homogeneity among different sites. We observe a clear trophic spacing for δ15N and δ66Zn values in all locations, yet δ66Zn analysis allows a more direct dietary comparability between spatially and temporally distinct locations than what is possible by δ15N and δ13C analysis alone. When combining all three proxies, a more detailed and refined dietary analysis is possible
Multiple homography estimation with full consistency constraints
A novel approach is presented to estimating a set of interdependent homography matrices linked together by latent variables. The approach allows enforcement of all underlying consistency constraints while accounting for the arbitrariness of the scale of each individual matrix. The input data is assumed to be in the form of a set of homography matrices obtained by estimation from image data with the consistency constraints ignored, appended by a set of error covariances associated with these matrix estimates. A cost function is proposed for upgrading, via optimisation, the input data to a set of homography matrices satisfying the constraints. The function is invariant to a change of any of the individual scales of the input matrices. The proposed approach is applied to the particular problem of estimating a set of homography matrices induced by multiple planes in the 3D scene between two views. Experimental results are given which demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.Wojciech Chojnacki, Zygmunt L. Szpak, Michael J. Brooks and Anton van den Hengelhttp://dicta2010.conference.nicta.com.au
Enforcing consistency constraints in uncalibrated multiple homography estimation using latent variables
An approach is presented for estimating a set of interdependent homography matrices linked together by latent variables. The approach allows enforcement of all underlying consistency constraints while accounting for the arbitrariness of the scale of each individual matrix. The input data is assumed to be in the form of a set of homography matrices individually estimated from image data with no regard to the consistency constraints, appended by a set of error covariances, each characterising the uncertainty of a corresponding homography matrix. A statistically motivated cost function is introduced for upgrading, via optimisation, the input data to a set of homography matrices satisfying the constraints. The function is invariant to a change of any of the individual scales of the input matrices. The proposed approach is applied to the particular problem of estimating a set of homography matrices induced by multiple planes in the 3D scene between two views. An optimisation algorithm for this problem is developed that operates on natural underlying latent variables, with the use of those variables ensuring that all consistency constraints are satisfied. Experimental results indicate that the algorithm outperforms previous schemes proposed for the same task and is fully comparable in accuracy with the ‘gold standard’ bundle adjustment technique, rendering the whole approach both of practical and theoretical interest. With a view to practical application, it is shown that the proposed algorithm can be incorporated into the familiar random sampling and consensus technique, so that the resulting modified scheme is capable of robust fitting of fully consistent homographies to data with outliers.Wojciech Chojnacki, Zygmunt L. Szpak, Michael J. Brooks, Anton van den Henge
Octupole transitions in the 208Pb region
The 208Pb region is characterised by the existence of collective octupole states.
Here we populated such states in 208Pb + 208Pb deep-inelastic reactions. γ-ray angular
distribution measurements were used to infer the octupole character of several E3 transitions.
The octupole character of the 2318 keV 17− → 14+ in 208Pb, 2485 keV 19/2
− → 13/2
+ in
207Pb, 2419 keV 15/2
− → 9/2
+ in 209Pb and 2465 keV 17/2
+ → 11/2
− in 207Tl transitions was
demonstrated for the first time. In addition, shell model calculations were performed using two
different sets of two-body matrix elements. Their predictions were compared with emphasis on
collective octupole states.This work is supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council
(STFC), UK, US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract No. DEAC02-06CH11357
and DE-FG02-94ER40834, NSF grant PHY-1404442
Intermediate behavior of Kerr tails
The numerical investigation of wave propagation in the asymptotic domain of
Kerr spacetime has only recently been possible thanks to the construction of
suitable hyperboloidal coordinates. The asymptotics revealed an apparent puzzle
in the decay rates of scalar fields: the late-time rates seemed to depend on
whether finite distance observers are in the strong field domain or far away
from the rotating black hole, an apparent phenomenon dubbed "splitting". We
discuss far-field "splitting" in the full field and near-horizon "splitting" in
certain projected modes using horizon-penetrating, hyperboloidal coordinates.
For either case we propose an explanation to the cause of the "splitting"
behavior, and we determine uniquely decay rates that previous studies found to
be ambiguous or immeasurable. The far-field "splitting" is explained by
competition between projected modes. The near-horizon "splitting" is due to
excitation of lower multipole modes that back excite the multipole mode for
which "splitting" is observed. In both cases "splitting" is an intermediate
effect, such that asymptotically in time strong field rates are valid at all
finite distances. At any finite time, however, there are three domains with
different decay rates whose boundaries move outwards during evolution. We then
propose a formula for the decay rate of tails that takes into account the
inter--mode excitation effect that we study.Comment: 16 page
Charged particle decay of hot and rotating Mo nuclei in fusion-evaporation reactions
A study of fusion-evaporation and (partly) fusion-fission channels for the
Mo compound nucleus, produced at different excitation energies in the
reaction Ti + Ca at 300, 450 and 600 MeV beam energies, is
presented. Fusion-evaporation and fusion-fission cross sections have been
extracted and compared with the existing systematics. Experimental data
concerning light charged particles have been compared with the prediction of
the statistical model in its implementation in the Gemini++ code, well suited
even for high spin systems, in order to tune the main model parameters in a
mass region not abundantly covered by exclusive experimental data.
Multiplicities for light charged particles emitted in fusion evaporation events
are also presented. Some discrepancies with respect to the prediction of the
statistical model have been found for forward emitted -particles; they
may be due both to pre-equilibrium emission and to reaction channels (such as
Deep Inelastic Collisions, QuasiFission/QuasiFusion) different from the
compound nucleus formation.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figure
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