818 research outputs found
Metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons integrates homeostatic state with dopamine signalling in the striatum
Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons increase motivation for food, however, whether metabolic sensing of homeostatic state in AgRP neurons potentiates motivation by interacting with dopamine reward systems is unexplored. As a model of impaired metabolic-sensing, we used the AgRP-specific deletion of carnitine acetyltransferase
Traffic jams induced by rare switching events in two-lane transport
We investigate a model for driven exclusion processes where internal states are assigned to the particles. The latter account for diverse situations, ranging from spin states in spintronics to parallel lanes in intracellular or vehicular traffic. Introducing a coupling between the internal states by allowing particles to switch from one to another induces an intriguing polarization phenomenon. In a mesoscopic scaling, a rich stationary regime for the density profiles is discovered, with localized domain walls in the density profile of one of the internal states being feasible. We derive the shape of the density profiles as well as resulting phase diagrams analytically by a mean-field approximation and a continuum limit. Continuous as well as discontinuous lines of phase transition emerge, their intersections induce multi-critical behaviour
Vienna Circle and Logical Analysis of Relativity Theory
In this paper we present some of our school's results in the area of building
up relativity theory (RT) as a hierarchy of theories in the sense of logic. We
use plain first-order logic (FOL) as in the foundation of mathematics (FOM) and
we build on experience gained in FOM.
The main aims of our school are the following: We want to base the theory on
simple, unambiguous axioms with clear meanings. It should be absolutely
understandable for any reader what the axioms say and the reader can decide
about each axiom whether he likes it. The theory should be built up from these
axioms in a straightforward, logical manner. We want to provide an analysis of
the logical structure of the theory. We investigate which axioms are needed for
which predictions of RT. We want to make RT more transparent logically, easier
to understand, easier to change, modular, and easier to teach. We want to
obtain deeper understanding of RT.
Our work can be considered as a case-study showing that the Vienna Circle's
(VC) approach to doing science is workable and fruitful when performed with
using the insights and tools of mathematical logic acquired since its formation
years at the very time of the VC activity. We think that logical positivism was
based on the insight and anticipation of what mathematical logic is capable
when elaborated to some depth. Logical positivism, in great part represented by
VC, influenced and took part in the birth of modern mathematical logic. The
members of VC were brave forerunners and pioneers.Comment: 25 pages, 1 firgure
Constraints, gauge symmetries, and noncommutative gravity in two dimensions
After an introduction into the subject we show how one constructs a canonical
formalism in space-time noncommutative theories which allows to define the
notion of first-class constraints and to analyse gauge symmetries. We use this
formalism to perform a noncommutative deformation of two-dimensional string
gravity (also known as Witten black hole).Comment: Based on lectures given at IFSAP-2004 (St.Petersburg), to be
submitted to Theor. Math. Phys., dedicated to Yu.V.Novozhilov on the occasion
of his 80th birthda
Generalized quantum tomographic maps
Some non-linear generalizations of classical Radon tomography were recently
introduced by M. Asorey et al [Phys. Rev. A 77, 042115 (2008), where the
straight lines of the standard Radon map are replaced by quadratic curves
(ellipses, hyperbolas, circles) or quadratic surfaces (ellipsoids,
hyperboloids, spheres). We consider here the quantum version of this novel
non-linear approach and obtain, by systematic use of the Weyl map, a
tomographic encoding approach to quantum states. Non-linear quantum tomograms
admit a simple formulation within the framework of the star-product
quantization scheme and the reconstruction formulae of the density operators
are explicitly given in a closed form, with an explicit construction of
quantizers and dequantizers. The role of symmetry groups behind the generalized
tomographic maps is analyzed in some detail. We also introduce new
generalizations of the standard singular dequantizers of the symplectic
tomographic schemes, where the Dirac delta-distributions of operator-valued
arguments are replaced by smooth window functions, giving rise to the new
concept of "thick" quantum tomography. Applications for quantum state
measurements of photons and matter waves are discussed.Comment: 8 page
Influence of local carrying capacity restrictions on stochastic predator-prey models
We study a stochastic lattice predator-prey system by means of Monte Carlo
simulations that do not impose any restrictions on the number of particles per
site, and discuss the similarities and differences of our results with those
obtained for site-restricted model variants. In accord with the classic
Lotka-Volterra mean-field description, both species always coexist in two
dimensions. Yet competing activity fronts generate complex, correlated
spatio-temporal structures. As a consequence, finite systems display transient
erratic population oscillations with characteristic frequencies that are
renormalized by fluctuations. For large reaction rates, when the processes are
rendered more local, these oscillations are suppressed. In contrast with
site-restricted predator-prey model, we observe species coexistence also in one
dimension. In addition, we report results on the steady-state prey age
distribution.Comment: Latex, IOP style, 17 pages, 9 figures included, related movies
available at http://www.phys.vt.edu/~tauber/PredatorPrey/movies
Spontaneous symmetry breaking in a two-lane model for bidirectional overtaking traffic
First we consider a unidirectional flux \omega_bar of vehicles each of which
is characterized by its `natural' velocity v drawn from a distribution P(v).
The traffic flow is modeled as a collection of straight `world lines' in the
time-space plane, with overtaking events represented by a fixed queuing time
tau imposed on the overtaking vehicle. This geometrical model exhibits platoon
formation and allows, among many other things, for the calculation of the
effective average velocity w=\phi(v) of a vehicle of natural velocity v.
Secondly, we extend the model to two opposite lanes, A and B. We argue that the
queuing time \tau in one lane is determined by the traffic density in the
opposite lane. On the basis of reasonable additional assumptions we establish a
set of equations that couple the two lanes and can be solved numerically. It
appears that above a critical value \omega_bar_c of the control parameter
\omega_bar the symmetry between the lanes is spontaneously broken: there is a
slow lane where long platoons form behind the slowest vehicles, and a fast lane
where overtaking is easy due to the wide spacing between the platoons in the
opposite direction. A variant of the model is studied in which the spatial
vehicle density \rho_bar rather than the flux \omega_bar is the control
parameter. Unequal fluxes \omega_bar_A and \omega_bar_B in the two lanes are
also considered. The symmetry breaking phenomenon exhibited by this model, even
though no doubt hard to observe in pure form in real-life traffic, nevertheless
indicates a tendency of such traffic.Comment: 50 pages, 16 figures; extra references adde
Phase diagram of two-lane driven diffusive systems
We consider a large class of two-lane driven diffusive systems in contact
with reservoirs at their boundaries and develop a stability analysis as a
method to derive the phase diagrams of such systems. We illustrate the method
by deriving phase diagrams for the asymmetric exclusion process coupled to
various second lanes: a diffusive lane; an asymmetric exclusion process with
advection in the same direction as the first lane, and an asymmetric exclusion
process with advection in the opposite direction. The competing currents on the
two lanes naturally lead to a very rich phenomenology and we find a variety of
phase diagrams. It is shown that the stability analysis is equivalent to an
`extremal current principle' for the total current in the two lanes. We also
point to classes of models where both the stability analysis and the extremal
current principle fail
Coexistence versus extinction in the stochastic cyclic Lotka-Volterra model
Cyclic dominance of species has been identified as a potential mechanism to
maintain biodiversity, see e.g. B. Kerr, M. A. Riley, M. W. Feldman and B. J.
M. Bohannan [Nature {\bf 418}, 171 (2002)] and B. Kirkup and M. A. Riley
[Nature {\bf 428}, 412 (2004)]. Through analytical methods supported by
numerical simulations, we address this issue by studying the properties of a
paradigmatic non-spatial three-species stochastic system, namely the
`rock-paper-scissors' or cyclic Lotka-Volterra model. While the deterministic
approach (rate equations) predicts the coexistence of the species resulting in
regular (yet neutrally stable) oscillations of the population densities, we
demonstrate that fluctuations arising in the system with a \emph{finite number
of agents} drastically alter this picture and are responsible for extinction:
After long enough time, two of the three species die out. As main findings we
provide analytic estimates and numerical computation of the extinction
probability at a given time. We also discuss the implications of our results
for a broad class of competing population systems.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, minor correction
Pauli problem for a spin of arbitrary length: A simple method to determine its wave function
The problem of determining a pure state vector from measurements is investigated for a quantum spin of arbitrary length. Generically, only a finite number of wave functions is compatible with the intensities of the spin components in two different spatial directions, measured by a Stern-Gerlach apparatus. The remaining ambiguity can be resolved by one additional well-defined measurement. This method combines efficiency with simplicity: only a small number of quantities have to be measured and the experimental setup is elementary. Other approaches to determine state vectors from measurements, also known as the ââPauli problem,ââ are reviewed for both spin and particle systems
- âŠ