745 research outputs found
Transmission Phase Shift of a Quantum Dot with Kondo Correlations
We study the effects of Kondo correlations on the transmission phase shift of
a quantum dot in an Aharonov-Bohm ring. We predict in detail how the
development of a Kondo resonance should affect the dependence of the phase
shift on transport voltage, gate voltage and temperature. This system should
allow the first direct observation of the well-known scattering phase shift of
pi/2 expected (but not directly measurable in bulk systems) at zero temperature
for an electron scattering off a spin-1/2 impurity that is screened into a
singlet.Comment: 4 pages Revtex, 4 figures, final published versio
Observation of an Efimov spectrum in an atomic system
In 1970 V. Efimov predicted a puzzling quantum-mechanical effect that is
still of great interest today. He found that three particles subjected to a
resonant pairwise interaction can join into an infinite number of loosely bound
states even though each particle pair cannot bind. Interestingly, the
properties of these aggregates, such as the peculiar geometric scaling of their
energy spectrum, are universal, i.e. independent of the microscopic details of
their components. Despite an extensive search in many different physical
systems, including atoms, molecules and nuclei, the characteristic spectrum of
Efimov trimer states still eludes observation. Here we report on the discovery
of two bound trimer states of potassium atoms very close to the Efimov
scenario, which we reveal by studying three-particle collisions in an ultracold
gas. Our observation provides the first evidence of an Efimov spectrum and
allows a direct test of its scaling behaviour, shedding new light onto the
physics of few-body systems.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Solar Flares: new clues from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor
In the last four decades it has been observed that solar flares show
quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) from the lowest, i.e. radio, to the highest,
i.e. gamma-ray, part of the electromagnetic spectrum. To this day, it is still
unclear which mechanism creates such QPPs. In this paper, we analyze four
bright solar flares which show compelling signatures of quasi-periodic behavior
and were observed with the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (\gbm) onboard the Fermi
satellite. Because GBM covers over 3 decades in energy (8 keV to 40 MeV) it can
be a key instrument to understand the physical processes which drive solar
flares. We tested for periodicity in the time series of the solar flares
observed by GBM by applying a classical periodogram analysis. However, contrary
to previous authors, we did not detrend the raw light curve before creating the
power spectral density spectrum (PSD). To assess the significance of the
frequencies we made use of a method which is commonly applied for X-ray
binaries and Seyfert galaxies. This technique takes into account the underlying
continuum of the PSD which for all of these sources has a P(f) ~ f^{-\alpha}
dependence and is typically labeled red-noise. We checked the reliability of
this technique by applying it to a solar flare which was observed by the Reuven
Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) which contains, besides
any potential periodicity from the Sun, a 4 s rotational period due to the
rotation of the spacecraft around its axis. While we do not find an intrinsic
solar quasi-periodic pulsation we do reproduce the instrumental periodicity.
Moreover, with the method adopted here, we do not detect significant QPPs in
the four bright solar flares observed by GBM. We stress that for the purpose of
such kind of analyses it is of uttermost importance to appropriately account
for the red-noise component in the PSD of these astrophysical sources.Comment: accepted by A&
The compositional and evolutionary logic of metabolism
Metabolism displays striking and robust regularities in the forms of
modularity and hierarchy, whose composition may be compactly described. This
renders metabolic architecture comprehensible as a system, and suggests the
order in which layers of that system emerged. Metabolism also serves as the
foundation in other hierarchies, at least up to cellular integration including
bioenergetics and molecular replication, and trophic ecology. The
recapitulation of patterns first seen in metabolism, in these higher levels,
suggests metabolism as a source of causation or constraint on many forms of
organization in the biosphere.
We identify as modules widely reused subsets of chemicals, reactions, or
functions, each with a conserved internal structure. At the small molecule
substrate level, module boundaries are generally associated with the most
complex reaction mechanisms and the most conserved enzymes. Cofactors form a
structurally and functionally distinctive control layer over the small-molecule
substrate. Complex cofactors are often used at module boundaries of the
substrate level, while simpler ones participate in widely used reactions.
Cofactor functions thus act as "keys" that incorporate classes of organic
reactions within biochemistry.
The same modules that organize the compositional diversity of metabolism are
argued to have governed long-term evolution. Early evolution of core
metabolism, especially carbon-fixation, appears to have required few
innovations among a small number of conserved modules, to produce adaptations
to simple biogeochemical changes of environment. We demonstrate these features
of metabolism at several levels of hierarchy, beginning with the small-molecule
substrate and network architecture, continuing with cofactors and key conserved
reactions, and culminating in the aggregation of multiple diverse physical and
biochemical processes in cells.Comment: 56 pages, 28 figure
Ligand-Receptor Interactions
The formation and dissociation of specific noncovalent interactions between a
variety of macromolecules play a crucial role in the function of biological
systems. During the last few years, three main lines of research led to a
dramatic improvement of our understanding of these important phenomena. First,
combination of genetic engineering and X ray cristallography made available a
simultaneous knowledg of the precise structure and affinity of series or
related ligand-receptor systems differing by a few well-defined atoms. Second,
improvement of computer power and simulation techniques allowed extended
exploration of the interaction of realistic macromolecules. Third, simultaneous
development of a variety of techniques based on atomic force microscopy,
hydrodynamic flow, biomembrane probes, optical tweezers, magnetic fields or
flexible transducers yielded direct experimental information of the behavior of
single ligand receptor bonds. At the same time, investigation of well defined
cellular models raised the interest of biologists to the kinetic and mechanical
properties of cell membrane receptors. The aim of this review is to give a
description of these advances that benefitted from a largely multidisciplinar
approach
Theory and Applications of X-ray Standing Waves in Real Crystals
Theoretical aspects of x-ray standing wave method for investigation of the
real structure of crystals are considered in this review paper. Starting from
the general approach of the secondary radiation yield from deformed crystals
this theory is applied to different concreat cases. Various models of deformed
crystals like: bicrystal model, multilayer model, crystals with extended
deformation field are considered in detailes. Peculiarities of x-ray standing
wave behavior in different scattering geometries (Bragg, Laue) are analysed in
detailes. New possibilities to solve the phase problem with x-ray standing wave
method are discussed in the review. General theoretical approaches are
illustrated with a big number of experimental results.Comment: 101 pages, 43 figures, 3 table
The Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (LEGEND)
The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0)
would show that lepton number is violated, reveal that neutrinos are Majorana
particles, and provide information on neutrino mass. A discovery-capable
experiment covering the inverted ordering region, with effective Majorana
neutrino masses of 15 - 50 meV, will require a tonne-scale experiment with
excellent energy resolution and extremely low backgrounds, at the level of
0.1 count /(FWHMtyr) in the region of the signal. The
current generation Ge experiments GERDA and the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR
utilizing high purity Germanium detectors with an intrinsic energy resolution
of 0.12%, have achieved the lowest backgrounds by over an order of magnitude in
the 0 signal region of all 0
experiments. Building on this success, the LEGEND collaboration has been formed
to pursue a tonne-scale Ge experiment. The collaboration aims to develop
a phased 0 experimental program with discovery potential
at a half-life approaching or at years, using existing resources as
appropriate to expedite physics results.Comment: Proceedings of the MEDEX'17 meeting (Prague, May 29 - June 2, 2017
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