761 research outputs found
Quasi-stationary chaotic states in multi-dimensional Hamiltonian systems
We study numerically statistical distributions of sums of chaotic orbit
coordinates, viewed as independent random variables, in weakly chaotic regimes
of three multi-dimensional Hamiltonian systems: Two Fermi-Pasta-Ulam
(FPU-) oscillator chains with different boundary conditions and numbers
of particles and a microplasma of identical ions confined in a Penning trap and
repelled by mutual Coulomb interactions. For the FPU systems we show that, when
chaos is limited within "small size" phase space regions, statistical
distributions of sums of chaotic variables are well approximated for
surprisingly long times (typically up to ) by a -Gaussian
() distribution and tend to a Gaussian () for longer times, as the
orbits eventually enter into "large size" chaotic domains. However, in
agreement with other studies, we find in certain cases that the -Gaussian is
not the only possible distribution that can fit the data, as our sums may be
better approximated by a different so-called "crossover" function attributed to
finite-size effects. In the case of the microplasma Hamiltonian, we make use of
these -Gaussian distributions to identify two energy regimes of "weak
chaos"-one where the system melts and one where it transforms from liquid to a
gas state-by observing where the -index of the distribution increases
significantly above the value of strong chaos.Comment: 32 pages, 13 figures, Submitted for publication to Physica
Are parents identifying positive aspects to parenting their child with an intellectual disability or are they just coping? A qualitative exploration
Although acknowledging the stress of raising their child with intellectual disabilities, parents also report that their child has brought about many positive changes in themselves and family. This study reports what parents perceive to be a positive aspect of parenting their child, as currently what constitutes a ‘positive’ is unclear. Seven key themes were identified; an increased sense of personal strength and confidence, changed priorities, greater appreciation of life, pleasure in the child’s accomplishments, increased faith/spirituality, more meaningful relationships and the positive effect that the child has on the wider community. Interpretive examination of the themes reveals that the positive aspects identified consist mostly of meaning-focused coping strategies. These enable parents to adapt successfully to the stressful experiences of raising their child and therefore could be amenable to meaning-focused therapeutic interventions for parents with newly diagnosed children or for those unable to identify any positive aspects of parenting their child
Search for a Scalar Bottom Quark with Mass 3.5-4.5 GeV/
We report on a search for a supersymmetric meson with mass
between 3.5 and 4.5 GeV/ using 4.52 of integrated
luminosity produced at GeV, just below the threshold, and collected with the CLEO detector. We find no evidence
for a light scalar bottom quark.Comment: 10 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN
Observation of the Dynamic Beta Effect at CESR with CLEO
Using the silicon strip detector of the CLEO experiment operating at the
Cornell Electron-positron Storage Ring (CESR), we have observed that the
horizontal size of the luminous region decreases in the presence of the
beam-beam interaction from what is expected without the beam-beam interaction.
The dependence on the bunch current agrees with the prediction of the dynamic
beta effect. This is the first direct observation of the effect.Comment: 9 page uuencoded postscript file, postscritp file also available
through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Generalized Toric Codes Coupled to Thermal Baths
We have studied the dynamics of a generalized toric code based on qudits at
finite temperature by finding the master equation coupling the code's degrees
of freedom to a thermal bath. As a consequence, we find that for qutrits new
types of anyons and thermal processes appear that are forbidden for qubits.
These include creation, annihilation and diffusion throughout the system code.
It is possible to solve the master equation in a short-time regime and find
expressions for the decay rates as a function of the dimension of the
qudits. Although we provide an explicit proof that the system relax to the
Gibbs state for arbitrary qudits, we also prove that above a certain crossing
temperature, qutrits initial decay rate is smaller than the original case for
qubits. Surprisingly this behavior only happens with qutrits and not with other
qudits with .Comment: Revtex4 file, color figures. New Journal of Physics' versio
A genome-wide scan for common alleles affecting risk for autism
Although autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have a substantial genetic basis, most of the known genetic risk has been traced to rare variants, principally copy number variants (CNVs). To identify common risk variation, the Autism Genome Project (AGP) Consortium genotyped 1558 rigorously defined ASD families for 1 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and analyzed these SNP genotypes for association with ASD. In one of four primary association analyses, the association signal for marker rs4141463, located within MACROD2, crossed the genome-wide association significance threshold of P < 5 × 10−8. When a smaller replication sample was analyzed, the risk allele at rs4141463 was again over-transmitted; yet, consistent with the winner's curse, its effect size in the replication sample was much smaller; and, for the combined samples, the association signal barely fell below the P < 5 × 10−8 threshold. Exploratory analyses of phenotypic subtypes yielded no significant associations after correction for multiple testing. They did, however, yield strong signals within several genes, KIAA0564, PLD5, POU6F2, ST8SIA2 and TAF1C
The radial extinction profiles of late-type galaxies
We have used UV (FOCA) and FIR (IRAS) images of six nearby late type galaxies
to study the radial variation of the UV extinction (deduced from the FIR/UV
ratio). We compare the UV extinction gradient with other extinction indicators
(Balmer decrement) and search for a relation between the extinction, the
metallicity and the gas surface density among our galaxies. We detect in our
small sample a clear relation between extinction and metallicity. These
observed relations are used to calibrate an empirical recipe useful for
extinction correction in the UV, visible and near-infrared images of late type
galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures (higher resolution images available on request).
Accepted in A&A (in press
Recommended from our members
A low mortality, high morbidity Reduced Intensity Status Epilepticus (RISE) model of epilepsy and epileptogenesis in the rat
Animal models of acquired epilepsies aim to provide researchers with tools for use in understanding the processes underlying the acquisition, development and establishment of the disorder. Typically, following a systemic or local insult, vulnerable brain regions undergo a process leading to the development, over time, of spontaneous recurrent seizures. Many such models make use of a period of intense seizure activity or status epilepticus, and this may be associated with high mortality and/or global damage to large areas of the brain. These undesirable elements have driven improvements in the design of chronic epilepsy models, for example the lithium-pilocarpine epileptogenesis model. Here, we present an optimised model of chronic epilepsy that reduces mortality to 1% whilst retaining features of high epileptogenicity and development of spontaneous seizures. Using local field potential recordings from hippocampus in vitro as a probe, we show that the model does not result in significant loss of neuronal network function in area CA3 and, instead, subtle alterations in network dynamics appear during a process of epileptogenesis, which eventually leads to a chronic seizure state. The model’s features of very low mortality and high morbidity in the absence of global neuronal damage offer the chance to explore the processes underlying epileptogenesis in detail, in a population of animals not defined by their resistance to seizures, whilst acknowledging and being driven by the 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of animal use in scientific procedures) principles
The TESS-Keck Survey. XV. Precise Properties of 108 TESS Planets and Their Host Stars
We present the stellar and planetary properties for 85 TESS Objects of
Interest (TOIs) hosting 108 planet candidates which comprise the TESS-Keck
Survey (TKS) sample. We combine photometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, and
Gaia parallaxes to measure precise and accurate stellar properties. We then use
these parameters as inputs to a lightcurve processing pipeline to recover
planetary signals and homogeneously fit their transit properties. Among these
transit fits, we detect significant transit-timing variations among at least
three multi-planet systems (TOI-1136, TOI-1246, TOI-1339) and at least one
single-planet system (TOI-1279). We also reduce the uncertainties on
planet-to-star radius ratios across our sample, from a median
fractional uncertainty of 8.8 among the original TOI Catalog values to
3.0 among our updated results. With this improvement, we are able to
recover the Radius Gap among small TKS planets and find that the topology of
the Radius Gap among our sample is broadly consistent with that measured among
Kepler planets. The stellar and planetary properties presented here will
facilitate follow-up investigations of both individual TOIs and broader trends
in planet properties, system dynamics, and the evolution of planetary systems.Comment: Accepted at The Astronomical Journal; 21 pages, 9 figure
The TESS-Keck Survey. XII. A Dense 1.8 R ⊕ Ultra-short-period Planet Possibly Clinging to a High-mean-molecular-weight Atmosphere after the First Gigayear
The extreme environments of ultra-short-period planets (USPs) make excellent laboratories to study how exoplanets obtain, lose, retain, and/or regain gaseous atmospheres. We present the confirmation and characterization of the USP TOI-1347 b, a 1.8±0.1 R⊕ planet on a 0.85 day orbit that was detected with photometry from the TESS mission. We measured radial velocities of the TOI-1347 system using Keck/HIRES and HARPS-N and found the USP to be unusually massive at 11.1±1.2 M⊕. The measured mass and radius of TOI-1347 b imply an Earth-like bulk composition. A thin H/He envelope (>0.01% by mass) can be ruled out at high confidence. The system is between 1 and 1.8 Gyr old; therefore, intensive photoevaporation should have concluded. We detected a tentative phase curve variation (3σ) and a secondary eclipse (2σ) in TESS photometry, which if confirmed could indicate the presence of a high-mean-molecular-weight atmosphere. We recommend additional optical and infrared observations to confirm the presence of an atmosphere and investigate its composition
- …