Thermalization and Return to Equilibrium on Finite Quantum Lattice Systems

Thermal states are the bedrock of statistical physics. Nevertheless, when and how they actually arise in closed quantum systems is not fully understood. We consider this question for systems with local Hamiltonians on finite quantum lattices. In a first step, we show that states with exponentially decaying correlations equilibrate after a quantum quench. Then we show that the equilibrium state is locally equivalent to a thermal state, provided that the free energy of the equilibrium state is sufficiently small and the thermal state has exponentially decaying correlations. As an application, we look at a related important question: When are thermal states stable against noise? In other words, if we locally disturb a closed quantum system in a thermal state, will it return to thermal equilibrium? We rigorously show that this occurs when the correlations in the thermal state are exponentially decaying. All our results come with finite-size bounds, which are crucial for the growing field of quantum thermodynamics and other physical applications.Comment: 8 pages (5 for main text and 3 for appendices); v2 is essentially the published versio

Payload Operations Control Center (POCC)

The Spacelab payload operations control center (POCC) timeline analysis program which is used to provide POCC activity and resource information as a function of mission time is described. This program is fully automated and interactive, and is equipped with tutorial displays. The tutorial displays are sufficiently detailed for use by a program analyst having no computer experience. The POCC timeline analysis program is designed to operate on the VAX/VMS version V2.1 computer system

A Process for Preparing 1,3-Diamino-5-Pentafluorosulfanylbenzene and Polymers Therefrom

Diamines have shown their utility in the formation of many polymers. Examples of these polymers include polyimides, polyamides, and epoxies. The properties of these polymers are often dependent on the diamine which is used to make the polymer. By the present invention, a process was developed to make a diamine containing pentafluorosulfanylbenzene moiety. This process involves two steps: the preparation of a dinitro precursor and the reduction of the dinitro compound to form the diamine. This diamine was then reacted with various dianhydrides, diacidchlorides, and epoxy resins to yield the corresponding polyimide, polyamide, and epoxy polymers. These polymers were then used to make films, a wire coating enamel, and a semi-permeable membrane. The novelty of this invention resides in the process to make the diamine. Traditionally, dinitro compounds are reduced with hydrazine or a catalyst such as palladium on charcoal. The catalyst which is used in this invention is platinum oxide. When this catalyst is used, it makes it possible to form a polymer-grade diamine

Strongly aligned and oriented molecular samples at a kHz repetition rate

We demonstrate strong adiabatic laser alignment and mixed-field orientation at kHz repetition rates. We observe degrees of alignment as large as cos\Theta=0.94 at 1 kHz operation for iodobenzene. The experimental setup consist of a kHz laser system simultaneously producing pulses of 30 fs (1.3 mJ) and 450 ps (9 mJ). A cold 1 K state-selected molecular beam is produced at the same rate by appropriate operation of an Even-Lavie valve. Quantum state selection has been obtained using an electrostatic deflector. A camera and data acquisition system records and analyzes the images on a single-shot basis. The system is capable of producing, controlling (translation and rotation) and analyzing cold molecular beams at kHz repetition rates and is, therefore, ideally suited for the recording of ultrafast dynamics in so-called "molecular movies".Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, in press in Mol. Phys., accepted in February 2013, in final production (galley proofs done) since March 8, 2013, v3 only adds publication dat

Axial Multicentric Osteosarcoma in an English Cocker Spaniel

No abstract available

Johnson Space Center's regenerative life support systems test bed

The Regenerative Life Support System (RLSS) Test Bed at NASA's Johnson Space Center is an atmospherically closed, controlled environment facility for the evaluation of regenerative life support systems using higher plants in conjunction with physicochemical life support systems. When completed, the facility will be comprised of two large scale plant growth chambers, each with approximately 10 m(exp 2) growing area. One of the two chambers, the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC), will be capable of operating at lower atmospheric pressures to evaluate a range of environments that may be used in Lunar or Martian habitats; the other chamber, the Ambient Pressure Growth Chamber (APGC) will operate at ambient atmospheric pressure. The root zone in each chamber will be configurable for hydroponic or solid state media systems. Research will focus on: (1) in situ resource utilization for CELSS systems, in which simulated lunar soils will be used in selected crop growth studies; (2) integration of biological and physicochemical air and water revitalization systems; (3) effect of atmospheric pressure on system performance; and (4) monitoring and control strategies

Birthday Booktalks: Fostering Emergent Literacy and Self-esteem in Young Children

The celebration of birthdays provides teachers the opportunity to recognize and honor each child, thereby nurturing feelings of self-esteem. When combined with birthday celebrations, booktalks on literature selections related to birthdays are recommended to promote emergent literacy as well as self-esteem. Examples that demonstrate different booktalk formats are given in this article. At the end of the article are additional suggested titles on which teachers may do birthday booktalks

The Biology of the Soricidae

The papers published in this volume were originally presented in a symposium entitled The Biology of the Soricidae at the 67th annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, held in June 1987 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. When we organized the symposium, we had two goals in mind. First, we wished to assemble speakers currently studying diverse aspects of soricid biology to enable us to survey the breadth of ongoing research on this relatively little-studied group of small mammals. Second, we hoped to stimulate further research on soricids by highlighting problems and raising questions that can and should be addressed in the future. The papers in this volume deal with current research on the ecology, behavior, physiology, biogeography, and systematics of shrews. Williams examines the distribution of soricids along an altitudinal transect on the western slope of California\\u27s Sierra Nevada, where five species of Sorex occur. He found that in each major vegetational zone, one species dominated the soricid community. This contrasted with the situation on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and in other forest communities in North America, where soricid communities may consist of up to five species. Kirkland examines this phenomenon further, seeking to explain the high species richness of many soricid communities. He concludes that, although the small size of shrews may facilitate coexistence by permitting shrews to exploit resources in a more coarse-grained fashion, environmental moisture is the factor that determines resource availability and ultimately the potential richness of soricid communities. Churchfield confirms this observation with a fine-grained analysis of soricid communities consisting of species with varying foraging techniques. Her data also suggest that in more diverse communities dietary generalists may outnumber dietary specialists. McNab contrasts metabolic rates in crocidurine and soricine shrews, demonstrating that soricines are capable of far more precise body temperature regulation than crocidurines. He suggests that this is a direct reflection of the respective distributions of these largely allopatric subfamilies. The predominantly tropical and warm-temperate crocidurines face considerably less environmental stress than soricine shrews, which are largely temperate and sub-boreal in distribution. Merritt and Adamerovich explore the winter physiology of a soricine shrew, Blarina brevicauda, and confirm that this species does not employ torpor or communal nesting to deal with cold winter temperature; however, winter survival is facilitated by prey-caching behavior and the construction of elaborate networks of tunnels at depths that insulate these shrews from cold temperatures. The systematic works examine morphologic variability in two species complexes of Sorex. In an analysis of populations of Sorex cinereus from North America and eastern Siberia, van Zyll de Jong divides the species into three subgroups. The biogeographic history of this species corresponds well to vicariance models of the Pleistocene history of North America and Beringia. George and Smith examine cranial variability in two commonly confused species, Sorex vagrans and S. monticolus, in the Pacific Northwest of North America. They quantify cranial variability within and among populations of each species, documenting an increase in cranial size in populations of S. vagrans on the Gulf and San Juan Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Shrews occupy a broad spectrum of habitats throughout the Holarctic and much of the Old World tropics. They commonly coexist in multispecies communities, despite the fact that (to us) they appear to vary little in size, overall morphology, and ecological strategy. Compared to many other small mammals, shrews are difficult to catch, maintain, and manipulate. As a consequence, relatively little research has been conducted to answer basic questions regarding their ecology, physiology, and systematics. The seven papers included in this volume attempt to explore a few of these questions. We hope that these papers will stimulate the reader to undertake further research in these areas as well as on aspects of soricid biology not addressed in this volume