Ensemble versus individual system in quantum optics

Modern techniques allow experiments on a single atom or system, with new phenomena and new challenges for the theoretician. We discuss what quantum mechanics has to say about a single system. The quantum jump approach as well as the role of quantum trajectories are outlined and a rather sophisticated example is given.Comment: Fundamental problems in quantum theory workshop, invited lecture. 11 pages Latex + 7 figures. To appear in Fortschr. d. Physi

Electrical conduction of ion tracks in tetrahedral amorphous carbon: temperature, field and doping dependence and comparison with matrix data

This paper gives an extended overview of the electrical properties of ion tracks in hydrogen-free tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) with a sp(3) bond fraction of about 80%. The films were grown by mass selected ion beam deposition of 100 eV C-12(+) ions. The ion tracks are generated by irradiation of ta-C films with uranium ions of 1 GeV kinetic energy. Along the ion path a conversion from diamondlike (sp(3)) carbon to graphite-like (sp(2)) carbon takes place. Topography and current measurements of individual ion tracks were performed by atomic force microscopy at ambient temperature. The temperature dependence of the electric conductivity was studied between 15 and 390 K by means of 0.28 mm(2) large contact pads averaging over about 10 7 tracks. For each sample and at each temperature the conductivity as a function of the applied electrical field (non-ohmic behaviour) was measured separately and the data were extrapolated to field zero. In this way, the zero-field conductivity was determined independent from the field dependence. In spite of large differences in the absolute values, the temperature dependence of the zero-field conductivities is found to be very similar in shape for all samples. The conductivities follow a T-1/4 law up to temperatures slightly below room temperature. At higher temperatures a transport mechanism based on over-barrier hopping dominates with an activation energy of about 220 meV for tracks and 260 meV for the ta-C matrix. The field dependence measurements show that the deviation of the I-V characteristics from ohmic behaviour decreases with increasing zero-field conductivity. We also tested Cu-doped ta-C samples and found that they conduct significantly better than pure ta-C. However, the doping also increases the zero-field conductivity resulting in a weaker contrast between the track and matrix. The data are interpreted within the so-called 'barrier model' where the electrons are assumed to move fairly freely in well-conducting sp(2) regions but encounter barriers in track sections consisting of more sp(3)-like bonds

Proposals for a practical calibration method for mechanical torque measurement on the wind turbine drive train under test on a test bench

The mechanical torque input into the wind turbine drive train is a very useful measurement for tests performed on a test bench. To ensure the accuracy and the reliability, an accurate calibration of the torque measurement must be carried out and repeated within a certain period of time. However, owing to the high torque level and large structure size, such a calibration is both expensive and time consuming. To overcome this challenge, a new calibration method is proposed here. The method is based on the electrical power measurement, where a high level of accuracy is much easier to achieve. With the help of a special test process, a relationship between the torque-measuring signal and the electrical power can be established. The process comprises two tests with the drive train running in different operating modes. The calibration is possible by carrying out the same test process on several different torque levels. Detailed uncertainty analysis of the method is presented, whereby the uncertainty can be calculated by means of matrix operation and also numerically. As a demonstration, the implementation of the method on a test bench drive train that contains two 5-MW motors in tandem with the motors operating in a back-to-back configuration is also presented. Finally, some variations on the method and possible ways of achieving better accuracy are discussed. © 2020 The Authors. Wind Energy published by John Wiley & Sons Lt

A Granulysin-Derived Peptide with Potent Activity against Intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Granulysin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expressed by human T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Despite a remarkably broad antimicrobial spectrum, its implementation into clinical practice has been hampered by its large size and off-target effects. To circumvent these limitations, we synthesized a 29 amino acid fragment within the putative cytolytic site of Granulysin (termed “Gran1”). We evaluated the antimicrobial activity of Gran1 against the major human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and a panel of clinically relevant non-tuberculous mycobacteria which are notoriously difficult to treat. Gran1 efficiently inhibited the mycobacterial proliferation in the low micro molar range. Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy indicated that Gran1 interacts with the surface of Mtb, causing lethal distortions of the cell wall. Importantly, Gran1 showed no off-target effects (cytokine release, chemotaxis, cell death) in primary human cells or zebrafish embryos (cytotoxicity, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity). Gran1 was selectively internalized by macrophages, the major host cell of Mtb, and restricted the proliferation of the pathogen. Our results demonstrate that the hypothesis-driven design of AMPs is a powerful approach for the identification of small bioactive compounds with specific antimicrobial activity. Gran1 is a promising component for the design of AMP-containing nanoparticles with selective activity and favorable pharmacokinetics to be pushed forward into experimental in vivo models of infectious diseases, most notably tuberculosis

Deer reduce habitat quality for a woodland songbird: evidence from settlement patterns, demographic parameters, and body condition.

Understanding avian responses to ungulate-induced habitat modification is important because deer populations are increasing across much of temperate Europe and North America. Our experimental study examined whether habitat quality for Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) in young woodland in eastern England was affected by deer, by comparing Blackcap behavior, abundance, and condition between paired plots (half of each pair protected from deer). The vegetation in each pair of plots was the same age. The Blackcap is an ideal model species for testing effects of deer on avian habitat quality because it is dependent on dense understory vegetation and is abundant throughout much of Europe. We compared timing of settlement, abundance, age structure (second-year vs. after-second-year), and phenotypic quality (measured as a body condition index, body mass divided by tarsus length) between experimental and control plots. We used point counts to examine Blackcap distribution, and standardized mist netting to collect demographic and biometric data. Incidence of singing Blackcaps was higher in nonbrowsed than in browsed plots, and singing males were recorded in nonbrowsed plots earlier in the season, indicating earlier and preferential territory establishment. Most Blackcaps, both males and females, were captured in vegetation prior to canopy closure (2–4 years of regrowth). Body condition was superior for male Blackcaps captured in nonbrowsed plots; for second-year males this was most marked in vegetation prior to canopy closure. We conclude that deer browsing in young woodland can alter habitat quality for understory-dependent species, with potential consequences for individual fitness and population productivity beyond the more obvious effects on population density

The gene coding for PGC-1α modifies age at onset in Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is one of the most common autosomal dominant inherited, neurodegenerative disorders. It is characterized by progressive motor, emotional and cognitive dysfunction. In addition metabolic abnormalities such as wasting and altered energy expenditure are increasingly recognized as clinical hallmarks of the disease. HD is caused by an unstable CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene (HTT), localized on chromosome 4p16.3. The number of CAG repeats in the HD gene is the main predictor of disease-onset, but the remaining variation is strongly heritable. Transcriptional dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and enhanced oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis. Recent studies suggest that PGC-1α, a transcriptional master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism, is defective in HD. A genome wide search for modifier genes of HD age-of-onset had suggested linkage at chromosomal region 4p16-4p15, near the locus of PPARGC1A, the gene coding for PGC-1α. We now present data of 2-loci PPARGC1A block 2 haplotypes, showing an effect upon age-at-onset in 447 unrelated HD patients after statistical consideration of CAG repeat lengths in both HTT alleles. Block 1 haplotypes were not associated with the age-at-onset. Homozygosity for the 'protective' block 2 haplotype was associated with a significant delay in disease onset. To our knowledge this is the first study to show clinically relevant effects of the PGC-1α system on the course of Huntington's disease in humans

Solvable model of a strongly-driven micromaser

We study the dynamics of a micromaser where the pumping atoms are strongly driven by a resonant classical field during their transit through the cavity mode. We derive a master equation for this strongly-driven micromaser, involving the contributions of the unitary atom-field interactions and the dissipative effects of a thermal bath. We find analytical solutions for the temporal evolution and the steady-state of this system by means of phase-space techniques, providing an unusual solvable model of an open quantum system, including pumping and decoherence. We derive closed expressions for all relevant expectation values, describing the statistics of the cavity field and the detected atomic levels. The transient regime shows the build-up of mixtures of mesoscopic fields evolving towards a superpoissonian steady-state field that, nevertheless, yields atomic correlations that exhibit stronger nonclassical features than the conventional micromaser.Comment: 9 pages, 16 figures. Submitted for publicatio

Dark States and Interferences in Cascade Transitions of Ultra-Cold Atoms in a Cavity

We examine the competition among one- and two-photon processes in an ultra-cold, three-level atom undergoing cascade transitions as a result of its interaction with a bimodal cavity. We show parameter domains where two-photon transitions are dominant and also study the effect of two-photon emission on the mazer action in the cavity. The two-photon emission leads to the loss of detailed balance and therefore we obtain the photon statistics of the cavity field by the numerical integration of the master equation. The photon distribution in each cavity mode exhibits sub- and super- Poissonian behaviors depending on the strength of atom-field coupling. The photon distribution becomes identical to a Poisson distribution when the atom-field coupling strengths of the modes are equal.Comment: 15 pages including 7 figures in Revtex, submitted to PR