Star formation and AGN feedback in the local universe: combining radio continuum and integral field spectroscopy

Galaxie

An Apparatus to Control and Monitor the Para-D2 Concentration in a Solid Deuterium, Superthermal Source of Ultra-cold Neutrons

Controlling and measuring the concentration of para-D2 is an essential step toward realizing solid deuterium as an intense ultra-cold neutron (UCN) source. To this end, we implemented an experimental technique to convert para- to ortho-deuterium molecules by flowing D2 gas through a cryogenic cell filled with paramagnetic hydrous ferric oxide granules. This process efficiently reduced the para-D2 concentration from 33.3% to 1.5%. Rotational Raman spectroscopy was applied to measure the residual para-D2 contamination to better than 2 parts in 10^3, and the hydrogen contamination to 1 part in 10^3. We also contrast our optical technique to conventional thermal conductivity measurements of the para-D2 concentration, reporting some of the relevant strengths and weaknesses of our implementation of each technique.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM

Dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate soliton on a two-dimensional optical lattice

Using a three-dimensional mean-field model we study one-dimensional dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) solitons on a weak two-dimensional (2D) square and triangular optical lattice (OL) potentials placed perpendicular to the polarization direction. The stabilization against collapse and expansion of these solitons for a fixed dipolar interaction and a fixed number of atoms is possible for short-range atomic interaction lying between two critical limits. The solitons collapse below the lower limit and escapes to infinity above the upper limit. One can also stabilize identical tiny BEC solitons arranged on the 2D square OL sites forming a stable 2D array of interacting droplets when the OL sites are filled with a filling factor of 1/2 or less. Such an array is unstable when the filling factor is made more than 1/2 by occupying two adjacent sites of OL. These stable 2D arrays of dipolar superfluid BEC solitons are quite similar to the recently studied dipolar Mott insulator states on 2D lattice in the Bose-Hubbard model by Capogrosso-Sansone et al. [B. Capogrosso-Sansone, C. Trefzger, M. Lewenstein, P. Zoller, G. Pupillo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 (2010) 125301].Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures and 2 table

Dust extinction and X-ray emission from the star burst galaxy NGC 1482

We present the results based on multiwavelength imaging observations of the prominent dust lane starburst galaxy NGC 1482 aimed to investigate the extinction properties of dust existing in the extreme environment. (B-V) colour-index map derived for the starburst galaxy NGC 1482 confirms two prominent dust lanes running along its optical major axis and are found to extend up to \sim 11 kpc. In addition to the main lanes, several filamentary structures of dust originating from the central starburst are also evident. Though, the dust is surrounded by exotic environment, the average extinction curve derived for this target galaxy is compatible with the Galactic curve, with RV =3.05, and imply that the dust grains responsible for the optical extinction in the target galaxy are not really different than the canonical grains in the Milky Way. Our estimate of total dust content of NGC 1482 assuming screening effect of dust is \sim 2.7 \times 10^5 Msun, and provide lower limit due to the fact that our method is not sensitive to the intermix component of dust. Comparison of the observed dust in the galaxy with that supplied by the SNe to the ISM, imply that this supply is not sufficient to account for the observed dust and hence point towards the origin of dust in this galaxy through a merger like event. Our multiband imaging analysis reveals a qualitative physical correspondence between the morphologies of the dust and H{\alpha} emission lines as well as diffuse X-ray emission in this galaxy. continue.... for more detail please see in pdf file.Comment: 22 pages, 11 Figures. Accepted for publication in New Astronom

Percolation in random environment

We consider bond percolation on the square lattice with perfectly correlated random probabilities. According to scaling considerations, mapping to a random walk problem and the results of Monte Carlo simulations the critical behavior of the system with varying degree of disorder is governed by new, random fixed points with anisotropic scaling properties. For weaker disorder both the magnetization and the anisotropy exponents are non-universal, whereas for strong enough disorder the system scales into an {\it infinite randomness fixed point} in which the critical exponents are exactly known.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Measuring geometric phases of scattering states in nanoscale electronic devices

We show how a new quantum property, a geometric phase, associated with scattering states can be exhibited in nanoscale electronic devices. We propose an experiment to use interference to directly measure the effect of the new geometric phase. The setup involves a double path interferometer, adapted from that used to measure the phase evolution of electrons as they traverse a quantum dot (QD). Gate voltages on the QD could be varied cyclically and adiabatically, in a manner similar to that used to observe quantum adiabatic charge pumping. The interference due to the geometric phase results in oscillations in the current collected in the drain when a small bias across the device is applied. We illustrate the effect with examples of geometric phases resulting from both Abelian and non-Abelian gauge potentials.Comment: Six pages two figure

On non-local variational problems with lack of compactness related to non-linear optics

We give a simple proof of existence of solutions of the dispersion manage- ment and diffraction management equations for zero average dispersion, respectively diffraction. These solutions are found as maximizers of non-linear and non-local vari- ational problems which are invariant under a large non-compact group. Our proof of existence of maximizer is rather direct and avoids the use of Lions' concentration compactness argument or Ekeland's variational principle.Comment: 30 page

Leucine-rich repeat containing 8A (LRRC8A) is essential for T lymphocyte development and function

Lrrc8a is a ubiquitously expressed gene that encodes a leucine-rich repeat (LRR)–containing protein detected at higher levels on the surface of thymocytes than on other immune cells. We generated Lrrc8a−/− mice to investigate the role of LRRC8A in lymphocyte development and function. Lrrc8a−/− mice had increased prenatal and postnatal mortality, growth retardation, and multiple tissue abnormalities. Lrrc8a−/− mice displayed a modest block in B cell development but intact intrinsic B cell function. In contrast, both Lrrc8a−/− mice and Lrrc8a−/−→Rag2−/− bone marrow chimeras exhibited a severe cell-intrinsic block in early thymic development, with decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of thymocytes, and impaired peripheral T cell function. Thymic epithelial cells expressed an LRRC8A ligand that was critical for double-negative to double-positive thymocyte differentiation and survival in vitro. LRRC8A constitutively associated with the GRB2–GAB2 complex and lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) in thymocytes. LRRC8A ligation activated AKT via the LCK–ZAP–70–GAB2–PI3K pathway, and AKT phosphorylation was markedly reduced in the thymus of Lrrc8a−/− mice. These findings reveal an essential role for LRRC8A in T cell development, survival, and function

Smeared phase transition in a three-dimensional Ising model with planar defects: Monte-Carlo simulations

We present results of large-scale Monte Carlo simulations for a three-dimensional Ising model with short range interactions and planar defects, i.e., disorder perfectly correlated in two dimensions. We show that the phase transition in this system is smeared, i.e., there is no single critical temperature, but different parts of the system order at different temperatures. This is caused by effects similar to but stronger than Griffiths phenomena. In an infinite-size sample there is an exponentially small but finite probability to find an arbitrary large region devoid of impurities. Such a rare region can develop true long-range order while the bulk system is still in the disordered phase. We compute the thermodynamic magnetization and its finite-size effects, the local magnetization, and the probability distribution of the ordering temperatures for different samples. Our Monte-Carlo results are in good agreement with a recent theory based on extremal statistics.Comment: 9 pages, 6 eps figures, final version as publishe