18,078 research outputs found
Agricultural application of remote sensing. The potential from space platforms
Agricultural applications of photographic sensors and photograph interpretation techniques from orbiting satellite
Driven lattice gas of dimers coupled to a bulk reservoir
We investigate the non-equilibrium steady state of a one-dimensional (1D)
lattice gas of dimers. The dynamics is described by a totally asymmetric
exclusion process (TASEP) supplemented by attachment and detachment processes,
mimicking chemical equilibrium of the 1D driven transport with the bulk
reservoir. The steady-state phase diagram, current and density profiles are
calculated using both a refined mean-field theory and extensive stochastic
simulations. As a consequence of the on-off kinetics, a new phase coexistence
region arises intervening between low and high density phases such that the
discontinuous transition line of the TASEP splits into two continuous ones. The
results of the mean-field theory and simulations are found to coincide. We show
that the physical picture obtained in the corresponding lattice gas model with
monomers is robust, in the sense that the phase diagram changes quantitatively,
but the topology remains unaltered. The mechanism for phase separation is
identified as generic for a wide class of driven 1D lattice gases.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, 1tabl
Spin States in Graphene Quantum Dots
We investigate ground and excited state transport through small (d = 70 nm)
graphene quantum dots. The successive spin filling of orbital states is
detected by measuring the ground state energy as a function of a magnetic
field. For a magnetic field in-plane of the quantum dot the Zemann splitting of
spin states is measured. The results are compatible with a g-factor of 2 and we
detect a spin-filling sequence for a series of states which is reasonable given
the strength of exchange interaction effects expected for graphene
Four hot DOGs eaten up with the EVN
Hot dust-obscured galaxies (hot DOGs) are a rare class of hyperluminous
infrared galaxies recently identified with the Wide-field Infrared Survey
Explorer (WISE) satellite. The majority of the ~1000-member all-sky population
should be at high redshifts (z~2-3), at the peak of star formation in the
history of the Universe. This class most likely represents a short phase during
galaxy merging and evolution, a transition from starburst- to AGN-dominated
phases. For the first time, we observed four hot DOGs with known mJy-level
radio emission using the European VLBI Network (EVN) at 1.7 GHz, in a hope to
find compact radio features characteristic to AGN activity. All four target
sources are detected at ~15-30 mas angular resolution, confirming the presence
of an active nucleus. The sources are spatially resolved, i.e. the flux density
of the VLBI-detected components is smaller than the total flux density,
suggesting that a fraction of the radio emission originates from larger-scale
(partly starburst-related) activity. Here we show the preliminary results of
our e-EVN observations made in 2014 February, and discuss WISE J1814+3412, an
object with kpc-scale symmetric radio structure, in more detail.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure; appears in the proceedings of the 12th European
VLBI Network Symposium and Users Meeting (7-10 October 2014, Cagliari,
Italy), eds. A. Tarchi, M. Giroletti & L. Feretti. JREF Proceedings of
Science, PoS(EVN 2014)003,
http://pos.sissa.it/archive/conferences/230/003/EVN%202014_003.pd
Four hot DOGs in the microwave
Hot dust-obscured galaxies (hot DOGs) are a rare class of hyperluminous
infrared galaxies identified with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
(WISE) satellite. The majority of them is at high redshifts (z~2-3), at the
peak epoch of star formation in the Universe. Infrared, optical, radio, and
X-ray data suggest that hot DOGs contain heavily obscured, extremely luminous
active galactic nuclei (AGN). This class may represent a short phase in the
life of the galaxies, signifying the transition from starburst- to
AGN-dominated phases. Hot DOGs are typically radio-quiet, but some of them show
mJy-level emission in the radio (microwave) band. We observed four hot DOGs
using the technique of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). The 1.7-GHz
observations with the European VLBI Network (EVN) revealed weak radio features
in all sources. The radio is free from dust obscuration and, at such high
redshifts, VLBI is sensitive only to compact structures that are characteristic
of AGN activity. In two cases (WISE J0757+5113, WISE J1603+2745), the flux
density of the VLBI-detected components is much smaller than the total flux
density, suggesting that ~70-90 per cent of the radio emission, while still
dominated by AGN, originates from angular scales larger than probed by the EVN.
The source WISE J1146+4129 appears a candidate compact symmetric object, and
WISE J1814+3412 shows a 5.1-kpc double structure, reminiscent of hot spots in a
medium-sized symmetric object. Our observations support that AGN residing in
hot DOGs may be genuine young radio sources where starburst and AGN activities
coexist.Comment: 8 pages, 4 tables, 1 figure; accepted for publication in the Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ
Two in one? A possible dual radio-emitting nucleus in the quasar SDSS J1425+3231
The radio-emitting quasar SDSS J1425+3231 (z=0.478) was recently found to
have double-peaked narrow [O III] optical emission lines. Based on the analysis
of the optical spectrum, Peng et al. (2011) suggested that this object harbours
a dual active galactic nucleus (AGN) system, with two supermassive black holes
(SMBHs) separated on the kpc scale. SMBH pairs should be ubiquitous according
to hierarchical galaxy formation scenarios in which the host galaxies and their
central black holes grow together via interactions and eventual mergers. Yet
the number of presently-confirmed dual SMBHs on kpc or smaller scales remains
small. A possible way to obtain direct observational evidence for duality is to
conduct high-resolution radio interferometric measurements, provided that both
AGN are in an evolutionary phase when some activity is going on in the radio.
We used the technique of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to image SDSS
J1425+3231. Observations made with the European VLBI Network (EVN) at 1.7 GHz
and 5 GHz frequencies in 2011 revealed compact radio emission at sub-mJy flux
density levels from two components with a projected linear separation of
\sim2.6 kpc. These two components support the possibility of a dual AGN system.
The weaker component remained undetected at 5 GHz, due to its steep radio
spectrum. Further study will be necessary to securely rule out a jet--shock
interpretation of the less dominant compact radio source. Assuming the dual AGN
interpretation, we discuss black hole masses, luminosities, and accretion rates
of the two components, using available X-ray, optical, and radio data. While
high-resolution radio interferometric imaging is not an efficient technique to
search blindly for dual AGN, it is an invaluable tool to confirm the existence
of selected candidates.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Societ
Ultrafast control of inelastic tunneling in a double semiconductor quantum
In a semiconductor-based double quantum well (QW) coupled to a degree of
freedom with an internal dynamics, we demonstrate that the electronic motion is
controllable within femtoseconds by applying appropriately shaped
electromagnetic pulses. In particular, we consider a pulse-driven AlxGa1-xAs
based symmetric double QW coupled to uniformly distributed or localized
vibrational modes and present analytical results for the lowest two levels.
These predictions are assessed and generalized by full-fledged numerical
simulations showing that localization and time-stabilization of the driven
electron dynamics is indeed possible under the conditions identified here, even
with a simultaneous excitations of vibrational modes.Comment: to be published in Appl.Phys.Let
Characterization of a microwave frequency resonator via a nearby quantum dot
We present measurements of a hybrid system consisting of a microwave
transmission-line resonator and a lateral quantum dot defined on a GaAs
heterostructure. The two subsystems are separately characterized and their
interaction is studied by monitoring the electrical conductance through the
quantum dot. The presence of a strong microwave field in the resonator is found
to reduce the resonant conductance through the quantum dot, and is attributed
to electron heating and modulation of the dot potential. We use this
interaction to demonstrate a measurement of the resonator transmission spectrum
using the quantum dot.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure
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