116 research outputs found
Random walks and polymers in the presence of quenched disorder
After a general introduction to the field, we describe some recent results
concerning disorder effects on both `random walk models', where the random walk
is a dynamical process generated by local transition rules, and on `polymer
models', where each random walk trajectory representing the configuration of a
polymer chain is associated to a global Boltzmann weight. For random walk
models, we explain, on the specific examples of the Sinai model and of the trap
model, how disorder induces anomalous diffusion, aging behaviours and Golosov
localization, and how these properties can be understood via a strong disorder
renormalization approach. For polymer models, we discuss the critical
properties of various delocalization transitions involving random polymers. We
first summarize some recent progresses in the general theory of random critical
points : thermodynamic observables are not self-averaging at criticality
whenever disorder is relevant, and this lack of self-averaging is directly
related to the probability distribution of pseudo-critical temperatures
over the ensemble of samples of size . We describe the
results of this analysis for the bidimensional wetting and for the
Poland-Scheraga model of DNA denaturation.Comment: 17 pages, Conference Proceedings "Mathematics and Physics", I.H.E.S.,
France, November 200
Finite-size scaling properties of random transverse-field Ising chains : Comparison between canonical and microcanonical ensembles for the disorder
The Random Transverse Field Ising Chain is the simplest disordered model
presenting a quantum phase transition at T=0. We compare analytically its
finite-size scaling properties in two different ensembles for the disorder (i)
the canonical ensemble, where the disorder variables are independent (ii) the
microcanonical ensemble, where there exists a global constraint on the disorder
variables. The observables under study are the surface magnetization, the
correlation of the two surface magnetizations, the gap and the end-to-end
spin-spin correlation for a chain of length . At criticality, each
observable decays typically as in both ensembles, but the
probability distributions of the rescaled variable are different in the two
ensembles, in particular in their asymptotic behaviors. As a consequence, the
dependence in of averaged observables differ in the two ensembles. For
instance, the correlation decays algebraically as 1/L in the canonical
ensemble, but sub-exponentially as in the microcanonical
ensemble. Off criticality, probability distributions of rescaled variables are
governed by the critical exponent in both ensembles, but the following
observables are governed by the exponent in the microcanonical
ensemble, instead of the exponent in the canonical ensemble (a) in the
disordered phase : the averaged surface magnetization, the averaged correlation
of the two surface magnetizations and the averaged end-to-end spin-spin
correlation (b) in the ordered phase : the averaged gap. In conclusion, the
measure of the rare events that dominate various averaged observables can be
very sensitive to the microcanonical constraint.Comment: 24 page
Determinisitic Optical Fock State Generation
We present a scheme for the deterministic generation of N-photon Fock states
from N three-level atoms in a high-finesse optical cavity. The method applies
an external laser pulsethat generates an -photon output state while
adiabatically keeping the atom-cavity system within a subspace of optically
dark states. We present analytical estimates of the error due to amplitude
leakage from these dark states for general N, and compare it with explicit
results of numerical simulations for N \leq 5. The method is shown to provide a
robust source of N-photon states under a variety of experimental conditions and
is suitable for experimental implementation using a cloud of cold atoms
magnetically trapped in a cavity. The resulting N-photon states have potential
applications in fundamental studies of non-classical states and in quantum
information processing.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure
Radioimmunotherapy of B-cell lymphoma with radiolabelled anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies
CD20 has proven to be an excellent target for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma, first for the chimeric monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan™), and more recently for the radiolabelled antibodies Y-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin™) and I-131 tositumomab (Bexxar™). Radiation therapy effects are due to beta emissions with path lengths of 1–5 mm; gamma radiation emitted by I-131 is the only radiation safety issue for either product. Dose-limiting toxicity for both radiolabelled antibodies is reversible bone marrow suppression. They produce response rates of 70%–90% in low-grade and follicular lymphoma and 40%–50% in transformed low-grade or intermediate-grade lymphomas. Both products produce higher response rates than related unlabelled antibodies, and both are highly active in patients who are relatively resistant to rituximab-based therapy. Median duration of response to a single course of treatment is about 1 year with complete remission rates that last 2 years or longer in about 25% of patients. Clinical trials suggest that anti- CD20 radioimmunotherapy is superior to total body irradiation in patients undergoing stem cell supported therapy for B-cell lymphoma, and that it is a safe and efficacious modality when used as consolidation therapy following chemotherapy. Among cytotoxic treatment options, current evidence suggests that one course of anti-CD20 radioimmunotherapy is as efficacious as six to eight cycles of combination chemotherapy. A major question that persists is how effective these agents are in the setting of rituximab- refractory lymphoma. These products have been underutilised because of the complexity of treatment coordination and concerns regarding reimbursement
A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007
We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts
associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal
new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy,
particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the
underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the
period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first
science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed
for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with
the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place
limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave
emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of
merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at
http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access
area to figures, tables at
https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000
The XMM Cluster Survey: Exploring scaling relations and completeness of the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 redMaPPer cluster catalogue
We cross-match and compare characteristics of galaxy clusters identified in
observations from two sky surveys using two completely different techniques.
One sample is optically selected from the analysis of three years of Dark
Energy Survey observations using the redMaPPer cluster detection algorithm. The
second is X-ray selected from XMM observations analysed by the XMM Cluster
Survey. The samples comprise a total area of 57.4 deg, bounded by the area
of 4 contiguous XMM survey regions that overlap the DES footprint. We find that
the X-ray selected sample is fully matched with entries in the redMaPPer
catalogue, above 20 and within 0.10.9. Conversely, only 38\%
of the redMaPPer catalogue is matched to an X-ray extended source. Next, using
120 optically clusters and 184 X-ray selected clusters, we investigate the form
of the X-ray luminosity-temperature (), luminosity-richness
() and temperature-richness () scaling relations.
We find that the fitted forms of the relations are consistent
between the two selection methods and also with other studies in the
literature. However, we find tentative evidence for a steepening of the slope
of the relation for low richness systems in the X-ray selected sample. When
considering the scaling of richness with X-ray properties, we again find
consistency in the relations (i.e., and )
between the optical and X-ray selected samples. This is contrary to previous
similar works that find a significant increase in the scatter of the luminosity
scaling relation for X-ray selected samples compared to optically selected
samples.Comment: Accepted for publication to MNRA
Efeito da inclusão de diferentes fontes lipídicas em dietas para frangos de corte sobre o desempenho, rendimento e composição da carcaça
SN 2018bsz: a Type I superluminous supernova with aspherical circumstellar material
We present a spectroscopic analysis of the most nearby Type I superluminous supernova (SLSN-I), SN 2018bsz. The photometric evolution of SN 2018bsz has several surprising features, including an unusual pre-peak plateau and evidence for rapid formation of dust ≳200 d post-peak. We show here that the spectroscopic and polarimetric properties of SN 2018bsz are also unique. While its spectroscopic evolution closely resembles SLSNe-I, with early O II absorption and C II P Cygni profiles followed by Ca, Mg, Fe, and other O features, a multi-component Hα profile appearing at ∼30 d post-maximum is the most atypical. The Hα is at first characterised by two emission components, one at ∼+3000 km s−1 and a second at ∼ − 7500 km s−1, with a third, near-zero-velocity component appearing after a delay. The blue and central components can be described by Gaussian profiles of intermediate width (FWHM ∼ 2000–6000 km s−1), but the red component is significantly broader (FWHM ≳ 10 000 km s−1) and Lorentzian. The blue Hα component evolves towards a lower-velocity offset before abruptly fading at ∼ + 100 d post-maximum brightness, concurrently with a light curve break. Multi-component profiles are observed in other hydrogen lines, including Paβ, and in lines of Ca II and He I. Spectropolarimetry obtained before (10.2 d) and after (38.4 d) the appearance of the H lines shows a large shift on the Stokes Q – U plane consistent with SN 2018bsz undergoing radical changes in its projected geometry. Assuming the supernova is almost unpolarised at 10.2 d, the continuum polarisation at 38.4 d reaches P ∼ 1.8%, implying an aspherical configuration. We propose that the observed evolution of SN 2018bsz can be explained by highly aspherical, possibly disk-like, circumstellar material (CSM) with several emitting regions. After the supernova explosion, the CSM is quickly overtaken by the ejecta, but as the photosphere starts to recede, the different CSM regions re-emerge, producing the peculiar line profiles. Based on the first appearance of Hα, we can constrain the distance of the CSM to be less than ∼6.5 × 1015 cm (430 AU), or even lower (≲87 AU) if the pre-peak plateau is related to an eruption that created the CSM. The presence of CSM has been inferred previously for other SLSNe-I, both directly and indirectly. However, it is not clear whether the rare properties of SN 2018bsz can be generalised for SLSNe-I, for example in the context of pulsational pair instability, or whether they are the result of an uncommon evolutionary path, possibly involving a binary companion
Equivalence classes and local asymptotic normality in system identification for quantum Markov chains
We consider the problem of identifying and estimating dynamical parameters of an ergodic quantum Markov chain, when only the stationary output is accessible for measurements. The starting point of the analysis is the fact that the knowledge of the output state completely fixes the dynamics up to an equivalence class of ‘coordinate transformation’ consisting of a multiplication by a phase and a unitary conjugation of the Kraus operators.
Assuming that the dynamics depends on an unknown parameter, we show that the latter can be estimated at the ‘standard’ rate n−1/2, and give an explicit expression of the (asymptotic) quantum Fisher information of the output, which is proportional to the Markov variance of a certain ‘generator’. More generally, we show that the output is locally asymptotically normal, i.e., it can be approximated by a simple quantum Gaussian model consisting of a coherent state whose mean is related to the unknown parameter. As a consistency check, we prove that a parameter related to the ‘coordinate transformation’ unitaries has zero quantum Fisher information
Minutes-duration optical flares with supernova luminosities
In recent years, certain luminous extragalactic optical transients have been observed to last only a few days1. Their short observed duration implies a different powering mechanism from the most common luminous extragalactic transients (supernovae), whose timescale is weeks2. Some short-duration transients, most notably AT2018cow (ref. 3), show blue optical colours and bright radio and X-ray emission4. Several AT2018cow-like transients have shown hints of a long-lived embedded energy source5, such as X-ray variability6,7, prolonged ultraviolet emission8, a tentative X-ray quasiperiodic oscillation9,10 and large energies coupled to fast (but subrelativistic) radio-emitting ejecta11,12. Here we report observations of minutes-duration optical flares in the aftermath of an AT2018cow-like transient, AT2022tsd (the ‘Tasmanian Devil’). The flares occur over a period of months, are highly energetic and are probably nonthermal, implying that they arise from a near-relativistic outflow or jet. Our observations confirm that, in some AT2018cow-like transients, the embedded energy source is a compact object, either a magnetar or an accreting black hole
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