Double-Mode Stellar Pulsations

The status of the hydrodynamical modelling of nonlinear multi-mode stellar pulsations is discussed. The hydrodynamical modelling of steady double-mode (DM) pulsations has been a long-standing quest that is finally being concluded. Recent progress has been made thanks to the introduction of turbulent convection in the numerical hydrodynamical codes which provide detailed results for individual models. An overview of the modal selection problem in the HR diagram can be obtained in the form of bifurcation diagrams with the help of simple nonresonant amplitude equations that capture the DM phenomenon.Comment: 34 pages, to appear as a chapter in Nonlinear Stellar Pulsation in the Astrophysics and Space Science Library (ASSL), Editors: M. Takeuti & D. Sasselov (prints double column with pstops '2:[email protected](22.0cm,-2cm)[email protected](22.0cm,11.0cm)' in.ps out.ps

Feedback cooling of a cantilever's fundamental mode below 5 mK

We cool the fundamental mechanical mode of an ultrasoft silicon cantilever from a base temperature of 2.2 K to 2.9 +/- 0.3 mK using active optomechanical feedback. The lowest observed mode temperature is consistent with limits determined by the properties of the cantilever and by the measurement noise. For high feedback gain, the driven cantilever motion is found to suppress or "squash" the optical interferometer intensity noise below the shot noise level.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Electromagnetically induced transparency and four-wave mixing in a cold atomic ensemble with large optical depth

We report on the delay of optical pulses using electromagnetically induced transparency in an ensemble of cold atoms with an optical depth exceeding 500. To identify the regimes in which four-wave mixing impacts on EIT behaviour, we conduct the experiment in both rubidium 85 and rubidium 87. Comparison with theory shows excellent agreement in both isotopes. In rubidium 87, negligible four-wave mixing was observed and we obtained one pulse-width of delay with 50% efficiency. In rubidium 85, four-wave-mixing contributes to the output. In this regime we achieve a delay-bandwidth product of 3.7 at 50% efficiency, allowing temporally multimode delay, which we demonstrate by compressing two pulses into the memory medium.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Uncovering hidden modes in RR Lyrae stars

The Kepler space telescope revealed new, unexpected phenomena in RR Lyrae stars: period doubling and the possible presence of additional modes. Identifying these modes is complicated because they blend in the rich features of the Fourier-spectrum. Our hydrodynamic calculations uncovered that a 'hidden' mode, the 9th overtone is involved in the period doubling phenomenon. The period of the overtone changes by up to 10 per cent compared to the linear value, indicating a very significant nonlinear period shift caused by its resonance with the fundamental mode. The observations also revealed weak peaks that may correspond to the first or second overtones. These additional modes are often coupled with period doubling. We investigated the possibilities and occurrences of mutual resonances between the fundamental mode and multiple overtones in our models. These theoretical findings can help interpreting the origin and nature of the 'hidden' modes may be found in the high quality light curves of space observatories.Comment: In proceedings of "20th Stellar Pulsation Conference Series: Impact of new instrumentation & new insights in stellar pulsations", 5-9 September 2011, Granada, Spai

Squashed States of Light: Theory and Applications to Quantum Spectroscopy

Using a feedback loop it is possible to reduce the fluctuations in one quadrature of an in-loop field without increasing the fluctuations in the other. This effect has been known for a long time, and has recently been called ``squashing'' [B.C. Buchler et al., Optics Letters {\bf 24}, 259 (1999)], as opposed to the ``squeezing'' of a free field in which the conjugate fluctuations are increased. In this paper I present a general theory of squashing, including simultaneous squashing of both quadratures and simultaneous squeezing and squashing. I show that a two-level atom coupled to the in-loop light feels the effect of the fluctuations as calculated by the theory. In the ideal limit of light squeezed in one quadrature and squashed in the other, the atomic decay can be completely suppressed.Comment: 8 pages plus one figure. Submitted to JEOS-B for Dan Walls Special Issu

Nuclei beyond the drip line

In a Thomas-Fermi model, calculations are presented for nuclei beyond the nuclear drip line at zero temperature. These nuclei are in equilibrium by the presence of an external gas, as may be envisaged in the astrophysical scenario. We find that there is a limiting asymmetry beyond which these nuclei can no longer be made stable.Comment: Physical Review C (in press), 1 ReVteX file for text, 4 PS-files for figure

Chaotic Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Cosmology

We show that the dynamics of a spatially closed Friedmann - Robertson - Walker Universe conformally coupled to a real, free, massive scalar field, is chaotic, for large enough field amplitudes. We do so by proving that this system is integrable under the adiabatic approximation, but that the corresponding KAM tori break up when non adiabatic terms are considered. This finding is confirmed by numerical evaluation of the Lyapunov exponents associated with the system, among other criteria. Chaos sets strong limitations to our ability to predict the value of the field at the Big Crunch, from its given value at the Big Bang. (Figures available on request)Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure

Multi-Modal Properties and Dynamics of the Gradient Echo Quantum Memory

We investigate the properties of a recently proposed Gradient Echo Memory (GEM) scheme for information mapping between optical and atomic systems. We show that GEM can be described by the dynamic formation of polaritons in k-space. This picture highlights the flexibility and robustness with regards to the external control of the storage process. Our results also show that, as GEM is a frequency-encoding memory, it can accurately preserve the shape of signals that have large time-bandwidth products, even at moderate optical depths. At higher optical depths, we show that GEM is a high fidelity multi-mode quantum memory.Comment: 4 pages 3 figure

Experimental demonstration of a squeezing enhanced power recycled Michelson interferometer for gravitational wave detection

Interferometric gravitational wave detectors are expected to be limited by shot noise at some frequencies. We experimentally demonstrate that a power recycled Michelson with squeezed light injected into the dark port can overcome this limit. An improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of 2.3dB is measured and locked stably for long periods of time. The configuration, control and signal readout of our experiment are compatible with current gravitational wave detector designs. We consider the application of our system to long baseline interferometer designs such as LIGO.Comment: 4 pages 4 figure