378 research outputs found
Fermion mixing in quasi-free states
Quantum field theoretic treatments of fermion oscillations are typically
restricted to calculations in Fock space. In this letter we extend the
oscillation formulae to include more general quasi-free states, and also
consider the case when the mixing is not unitary.Comment: 10 pages, Plain Te
Quantizing the damped harmonic oscillator
We consider the Fermi quantization of the classical damped harmonic
oscillator (dho). In past work on the subject, authors double the phase space
of the dho in order to close the system at each moment in time. For an
infinite-dimensional phase space, this method requires one to construct a
representation of the CAR algebra for each time. We show that unitary dilation
of the contraction semigroup governing the dynamics of the system is a logical
extension of the doubling procedure, and it allows one to avoid the
mathematical difficulties encountered with the previous method.Comment: 4 pages, no figure
Engineered nonlinear lattices
We show that with the quasi-phase-matching technique it is possible to fabricate stripes of nonlinearity that trap and guide light like waveguides. We investigate an array of such stripes and find that when the stripes are sufficiently narrow, the beam dynamics is governed by a quadratic nonlinear discrete equation. The proposed structure therefore provides an experimental setting for exploring discrete effects in a controlled manner. In particular, we show propagation of breathers that are eventually trapped by discreteness. When the stripes are wide the beams evolve in a structure we term a quasilattice, which interpolates between a lattice system and a continuous system.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Spatially valid proprioceptive cues improve the detection of a visual stimulus
Vision and proprioception are the main sensory modalities that convey hand location and direction of movement. Fusion of these sensory signals into a single robust percept is now well documented. However, it is not known whether these modalities also interact in the spatial allocation of attention, which has been demonstrated for other modality pairings. The aim of this study was to test whether proprioceptive signals can spatially cue a visual target to improve its detection. Participants were instructed to use a planar manipulandum in a forward reaching action and determine during this movement whether a near-threshold visual target appeared at either of two lateral positions. The target presentation was followed by a masking stimulus, which made its possible location unambiguous, but not its presence. Proprioceptive cues were given by applying a brief lateral force to the participant’s arm, either in the same direction (validly cued) or in the opposite direction (invalidly cued) to the on-screen location of the mask. The d′ detection rate of the target increased when the direction of proprioceptive stimulus was compatible with the location of the visual target compared to when it was incompatible. These results suggest that proprioception influences the allocation of attention in visual spac
Resonances Width in Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields
We study the spectral properties of a charged particle confined to a
two-dimensional plane and submitted to homogeneous magnetic and electric fields
and an impurity potential. We use the method of complex translations to prove
that the life-times of resonances induced by the presence of electric field are
at least Gaussian long as the electric field tends to zero.Comment: 3 figure
Localization of shadow poles by complex scaling
Through numerical examples we show that the complex scaling method is suited
to explore the pole structure in multichannel scattering problems. All poles
lying on the multisheeted Riemann energy surface, including shadow poles, can
be revealed and the Riemann sheets on which they reside can be identified.Comment: 6 pages, Latex with Revtex, 3 figures (not included) available on
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Second order perturbation theory for embedded eigenvalues
We study second order perturbation theory for embedded eigenvalues of an
abstract class of self-adjoint operators. Using an extension of the Mourre
theory, under assumptions on the regularity of bound states with respect to a
conjugate operator, we prove upper semicontinuity of the point spectrum and
establish the Fermi Golden Rule criterion. Our results apply to massless
Pauli-Fierz Hamiltonians for arbitrary coupling.Comment: 30 pages, 2 figure
Towards a conceptual framework demonstrating the effectiveness of audiovisual patient descriptions (patient video cases): a review of the current literature
Background: Technological advances have enabled the widespread use of video cases via web-streaming and online download as an educational medium. The use of real subjects to demonstrate acute pathology should aid the education of health care professionals. However, the methodology by which this effect may be tested is not clear.
Methods: We undertook a literature review of major databases, found relevant articles relevant to using patient video cases as educational interventions, extracted the methodologies used and assessed these methods for internal and construct validity.
Results: A review of 2532 abstracts revealed 23 studies meeting the inclusion criteria and a final review of 18 of relevance. Medical students were the most commonly studied group (10 articles) with a spread of learner satisfaction, knowledge and behaviour tested. Only two of the studies fulfilled defined criteria on achieving internal and construct validity. The heterogeneity of articles meant it was not possible to perform any meta-analysis.
Conclusions: Previous studies have not well classified which facet of training or educational outcome the study is aiming to explore and had poor internal and construct validity. Future research should aim to validate a particular outcome measure, preferably by reproducing previous work rather than adopting new methods. In particular cognitive processing enhancement, demonstrated in a number of the medical student studies, should be tested at a postgraduate level
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