64 research outputs found
Two-component plasma in a gravitational field: Thermodynamics
We revisit the model of the two-component plasma in a gravitational field,
which mimics charged colloidal suspensions. We concentrate on the computation
of the grand potential of the system. Also, a special sum rule for this model
is presented.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX2
Quantum charged fields in Rindler space
We study, using Rindler coordinates, the quantization of a charged scalar
field interacting with a constant, external, electric field. First we establish
the expression of the Schwinger vacuum decay rate, using the operator
formalism. Then we rederive it in the framework of the Feynman path integral
method. Our analysis reinforces the conjecture which identifies the zero
winding sector of the Minkowski propagator with the Rindler propagator.
Moreover we compute the expression of the Unruh's modes that allow to make
connection between Minkowskian and Rindlerian quantization scheme by purely
algebraic relations. We use these modes to study the physics of a charged two
level detector moving in an electric field whose transitions are due to the
exchange of charged quanta. In the limit where the Schwinger pair production
mechanism of the exchanged quanta becomes negligible we recover the Boltzman
equilibrium ratio for the population of the levels of the detector. Finally we
explicitly show how the detector can be taken as the large mass and charge
limit of an interacting fields system.Comment: 1 Tex file + 5 eps figure
Drones and Butterflies : A Low-Cost UAV System for Rapid Detection and Identification of Unconventional Minefields
Aerially-deployed plastic landmines in post-conflict nations present unique detection and disposal challenges. Their small size, randomized distribution during deployment, and low-metal content make these mines more difficult to identify using traditional methods of electromagnetic mine detection. Perhaps the most notorious of these mines is the Sovietera PFM-1 “butterfly mine,” widely used during the decade-long Soviet-Afghan conflict between 1979 and 1989. Predominantly used by the Soviet forces to block otherwise inaccessible mountain passages, many PFM-1 minefields remain in place due to the high associated costs of access and demining. While the total number of deployed PFM-1 mines in Afghanistan is poorly documented, PFM-1 landmines make up a considerable percentage of the estimated 10 million landmines remaining in place across Afghanistan. Their detection and disposal presents a unique logistical challenge for largely the same reasons that their deployment was rationalized in inaccessible and sparsely populated areas of the country
A Micromagnetic Study of Magnetization Reversal in Ferromagnetic Nanorings
We present results of micromagnetic simulations of thin ferromagnetic rings
undergoing magnetization reversal. This geometry is one of few examples in
micromagnetics in which the transition states have been found analytically in a
1D model. According to this model, at low fields and large ring sizes, the
energetically preferred transition state is a localized magnetization
fluctuation (instanton saddle). At high fields and small ring size, the
preferred saddle state is a uniformly rotated magnetization (constant saddle).
In the first part of this paper, we use numerical micromagnetic simulations to
test these predictions of the 1D analytical model for more realistic
situations, including a variety of ring radii, annular widths and magnetic
fields. The predicted activation energies for magnetization reversal are found
to be in close agreement with numerical results, even for rings with a large
annular width where the 1D approximation would be expected to break down. We
find that this approximation breaks down only when the ring's annular width
exceeds its radius. In the second part, we present new metastable states found
in the large radius limit and discuss how they provide a more complete
understanding of the energy landscape of magnetic nanorings.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figures. Bibtex file for references, correct author
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Asymptotics of Selberg-like integrals: The unitary case and Newton's interpolation formula
We investigate the asymptotic behavior of the Selberg-like integral ,
as for different scalings of the parameters and with .
Integrals of this type arise in the random matrix theory of electronic
scattering in chaotic cavities supporting channels in the two attached
leads. Making use of Newton's interpolation formula, we show that an asymptotic
limit exists and we compute it explicitly
Two-dimensional one-component plasma on a Flamm's paraboloid
We study the classical non-relativistic two-dimensional one-component plasma
at Coulomb coupling Gamma=2 on the Riemannian surface known as Flamm's
paraboloid which is obtained from the spatial part of the Schwarzschild metric.
At this special value of the coupling constant, the statistical mechanics of
the system are exactly solvable analytically. The Helmholtz free energy
asymptotic expansion for the large system has been found. The density of the
plasma, in the thermodynamic limit, has been carefully studied in various
situations
Challenges and opportunities in land surface modelling of savanna ecosystems
The savanna complex is a highly diverse global biome that occurs within the seasonally dry tropical to sub-tropical equatorial latitudes and are structurally and functionally distinct from grasslands and forests. Savannas are open-canopy environments that encompass a broad demographic continuum, often characterised by a changing dominance between C3-tree and C4-grass vegetation, where frequent environmental disturbances such as fire modulates the balance between ephemeral and perennial life forms. Climate change is projected to result in significant changes to the savanna floristic structure, with increases to woody biomass expected through CO2 fertilisation in mesic savannas and increased tree mortality expected through increased rainfall interannual variability in xeric savannas. The complex interaction between vegetation and climate that occurs in savannas has traditionally challenged terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs), which aim to simulate the interaction between the atmosphere and the land surface to predict responses of vegetation to changing in environmental forcing. In this review, we examine whether TBMs are able to adequately represent savanna fluxes and what implications potential deficiencies may have for climate change projection scenarios that rely on these models. We start by highlighting the defining characteristic traits and behaviours of savannas, how these differ across continents and how this information is (or is not) represented in the structural framework of many TBMs. We highlight three dynamic processes that we believe directly affect the water use and productivity of the savanna system: phenology, root-water access and fire dynamics. Following this, we discuss how these processes are represented in many current-generation TBMs and whether they are suitable for simulating savanna fluxes.Finally, we give an overview of how eddy-covariance observations in combination with other data sources can be used in model benchmarking and intercomparison frameworks to diagnose the performance of TBMs in this environment and formulate road maps for future development. Our investigation reveals that many TBMs systematically misrepresent phenology, the effects of fire and root-water access (if they are considered at all) and that these should be critical areas for future development. Furthermore, such processes must not be static (i.e. prescribed behaviour) but be capable of responding to the changing environmental conditions in order to emulate the dynamic behaviour of savannas. Without such developments, however, TBMs will have limited predictive capability in making the critical projections needed to understand how savannas will respond to future global change
Involvement of NMDA receptor complex in the anxiolytic-like effects of chlordiazepoxide in mice
In the present study, we demonstrated that low, ineffective doses of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonists [competitive NMDA antagonist, CGP 37849, at 0.312 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.), antagonist of the glycineB sites, L-701,324, at 2 mg/kg i.p., partial agonist of glycineB sites, d-cycloserine, at 2.5 mg/kg i.p.] administered jointly with an ineffective dose of the benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (CDP, 2.5 mg/kg i.p.), significantly increased the percentage of time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze (index of anxiolytic effect). Furthermore, CDP-induced anxiolytic-like activity (5 mg/kg i.p.) was antagonized by NMDA (75 mg/kg i.p.) and by an agonist of glycineB sites of the NMDA receptor complex, d-serine [100 nmol/mouse intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.)]. The present study showed a positive interaction between γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate neurotransmission in the anxiolytic-like activity in the elevated plus-maze test in mice and this activity seems to particularly involve the NMDA receptors
2016 International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMB) Workshop Report
As earth system models (ESMs) become increasingly complex, there is a growing need for comprehensive and multi-faceted evaluation of model projections. To advance understanding of terrestrial biogeochemical processes and their interactions with hydrology and climate under conditions of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, new analysis methods are required that use observations to constrain model predictions, inform model development, and identify needed measurements and field experiments. Better representations of biogeochemistryclimate feedbacks and ecosystem processes in these models are essential for reducing the acknowledged substantial uncertainties in 21st century climate change projections
Elliptic integral evaluations of Bessel moments
We record what is known about the closed forms for various Bessel function
moments arising in quantum field theory, condensed matter theory and other
parts of mathematical physics. More generally, we develop formulae for
integrals of products of six or fewer Bessel functions. In consequence, we are
able to discover and prove closed forms for with integers and , obtaining new results
for the even moments and . We also derive new closed forms
for the odd moments with and for with , relating the latter to Green functions on
hexagonal, diamond and cubic lattices. We conjecture the values of
, make substantial progress on the evaluation of ,
and and report more limited progress regarding
, and . In the process, we obtain 8
conjectural evaluations, each of which has been checked to 1200 decimal places.
One of these lies deep in 4- dimensional quantum field theory and two are
probably provable by delicate combinatorics. There remains a hard core of five
conjectures whose proofs would be most instructive, to mathematicians and
physicists alike.Comment: 51 pages, 1 Postscript figure, uses amsmath.sty, added reference
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