109,698 research outputs found
Quark Condensates: Flavour Dependence
We determine the q-bar q condensate for quark masses from zero up to that of
the strange quark within a phenomenologically successful modelling of continuum
QCD by solving the quark Schwinger-Dyson equation. The existence of multiple
solutions to this equation is the key to an accurate and reliable extraction of
this condensate using the operator product expansion. We explain why
alternative definitions fail to give the physical condensate.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, uses appolb.cls, LaTeX. Talk presented by R.
Williams at the EURIDICE Final Meeting, August 24-27th, 2006, Kazimierz,
Polan
First evidence for molecular interfaces between outflows and ambient clouds in high-mass star-forming regions?
We present new observations of the Cep A East region of massive star formation and describe an extended and dynamically distinct feature not previously recognized. This feature is present in emission from H2CS, OCS, CH3OH, and HDO at −5.5 km s−1 but is not traced by the conventional tracers of star-forming regions, H2S, SO2, SO, and CS. The feature is extended up to at least 0.1 pc. We show that the feature is neither a hot core nor a shocked outflow. However, the chemistry of the feature is consistent with predictions from a model of an eroding interface between a fast wind and a dense core; mixing between the two media occurs in the interface on a timescale of 10–50 yr. If these observations are confirmed by detailed maps and by detections in species also predicted to be abundant (e.g., HCO+, H2CO, and NH3), this feature would be the first detection of such an interface in regions of massive star formation. An important implication of the model is that a significant reservoir of sulfur in grain mantles is required to be in the form of OCS
Observation of vortex nucleation in a rotating two-dimensional lattice of Bose-Einstein condensates
We report the observation of vortex nucleation in a rotating optical lattice.
A 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate was loaded into a static two-dimensional
lattice and the rotation frequency of the lattice was then increased from zero.
We studied how vortex nucleation depended on optical lattice depth and rotation
frequency. For deep lattices above the chemical potential of the condensate we
observed a linear dependence of the number of vortices created with the
rotation frequency,even below the thermodynamic critical frequency required for
vortex nucleation. At these lattice depths the system formed an array of
Josephson-coupled condensates. The effective magnetic field produced by
rotation introduced characteristic relative phases between neighbouring
condensates, such that vortices were observed upon ramping down the lattice
depth and recombining the condensates.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Ultracold atoms in an optical lattice with dynamically variable periodicity
The use of a dynamic "accordion" lattice with ultracold atoms is
demonstrated. Ultracold atoms of Rb are trapped in a two-dimensional
optical lattice, and the spacing of the lattice is then increased in both
directions from 2.2 to 5.5 microns. Atoms remain bound for expansion times as
short as a few milliseconds, and the experimentally measured minimum ramp time
is found to agree well with numerical calculations. This technique allows an
experiment such as quantum simulations to be performed with a lattice spacing
smaller than the resolution limit of the imaging system, while allowing imaging
of the atoms at individual lattice sites by subsequent expansion of the optical
lattice.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Minor changes made and references update
Environmental concentrations of anti-androgenic pharmaceuticals do not impact sexual disruption in fish alone or in combination with steroid oestrogens
This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Sexual disruption in wild fish has been linked to the contamination of river systems with steroid oestrogens, including the pharmaceutical 17α-ethinylestradiol, originating from domestic wastewaters. As analytical chemistry has advanced, more compounds derived from the human usage of pharmaceuticals have been identified in the environment and questions have arisen as to whether these additional pharmaceuticals may also impact sexual disruption in fish. Indeed, pharmaceutical anti-androgens have been shown to induce such effects under laboratory conditions. These are of particular interest since anti-androgenic biological activity has been identified in the aquatic environment and is potentially implicated in sexual disruption alone and in combination with steroid oestrogens. Consequently, predictive modelling was employed to determine the concentrations of two anti-androgenic human pharmaceuticals, bicalutamide and cyproterone acetate, in UK sewage effluents and river catchments and their combined impacts on sexual disruption were then assessed in two fish models. Crucially, fish were also exposed to the anti-androgens in combination with steroid oestrogens to determine whether they had any additional impact on oestrogen induced feminisation. Modelling predicted that the anti-androgenic pharmaceuticals were likely to be widespread in UK river catchments. However, their concentrations were not sufficient to induce significant responses in plasma vitellogenin concentrations, secondary sexual characteristics or gross indices in male fathead minnow or intersex in Japanese medaka alone or in combination with steroid oestrogens. However, environmentally relevant mixtures of oestrone, 17β-oestradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol did induce vitellogenin and intersex, supporting their role in sexual disruption in wild fish populations. Unexpectedly, a male dominated sex ratio (100% in controls) was induced in medaka and the potential cause and implications are briefly discussed, highlighting the potential of non-chemical modes of action on this endpoint
XMM-Newton observations of SDSS J143030.22001115.1: an unusually flat spectrum AGN
We present XMM observations of the AGN SDSS 1430-0011. The low S/N spectrum
of this source obtained in a snap shot Chandra observation showed an unusually
flat continuum. With the follow up XMM observations we find that the source
spectrum is complex; it either has an ionized absorber or a partially covering
absorber. The underlying power-law is in the normal range observed for AGNs.
The low luminosity of the source during Chandra observations can be understood
in terms of variations in the absorber properties. The X-ray and optical
properties of this source are such that it cannot be securely classified as
either a narrow line Seyfert 1 or a broad line Seyfert 1 galaxy.Comment: Submitted to A
Wave propagation in anisotropic medium due to an oscillatory point source with application to unidirectional composites
The far-field displacements in an infinite transversely isotropic elastic medium subjected to an oscillatory concentrated force are derived. The concepts of velocity surface, slowness surface and wave surface are used to describe the geometry of the wave propagation process. It is shown that the decay of the wave amplitudes depends not only on the distance from the source (as in isotropic media) but also depends on the direction of the point of interest from the source. As an example, the displacement field is computed for a laboratory fabricated unidirectional fiberglass epoxy composite. The solution for the displacements is expressed as an amplitude distribution and is presented in polar diagrams. This analysis has potential usefulness in the acoustic emission (AE) and ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of composite materials. For example, the transient localized disturbances which are generally associated with AE sources can be modeled via this analysis. In which case, knowledge of the displacement field which arrives at a receiving transducer allows inferences regarding the strength and orientation of the source, and consequently perhaps the degree of damage within the composite
Molecular dynamics simulations of oxide memristors: crystal field effects
We present molecular-dynamic simulations of memory resistors (memristors)
including the crystal field effects on mobile ionic species such as oxygen
vacancies appearing during operation of the device. Vacancy distributions show
different patterns depending on the ratio of a spatial period of the crystal
field to a characteristic radius of the vacancy-vacancy interaction. There are
signatures of the orientational order and of spatial voids in the vacancy
distributions for some crystal field potentials. The crystal field stabilizes
the patterns after they are formed, resulting in a non-volatile switching of
the simulated devices.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure
Ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP): synthesis and properties of polyesters and polycarbonates
Controlled routes to prepare polyesters and polycarbonates are of interest due to the widespread application of these materials and the opportunities provided to prepare new copolymers. Furthermore, ring-opening copolymerization may enable new poly(ester–carbonate) materials to be prepared which are inaccessible using alternative polymerizations. This review highlights recent advances in the ring-opening copolymerization catalysis, using epoxides coupled with anhydrides or CO2, to produce polyesters and polycarbonates. In particular, the structures and performances of various homogeneous catalysts are presented for the epoxide–anhydride copolymerization. The properties of the resultant polyesters and polycarbonates are presented and future opportunities highlighted for developments of both the materials and catalysts
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