3,344 research outputs found
Equilibration of Quantum Gases
Finding equilibration times is a major unsolved problem in physics with few
analytical results. Here we look at equilibration times for quantum gases of
bosons and fermions in the regime of negligibly weak interactions, a setting
which not only includes paradigmatic systems such as gases confined to boxes,
but also Luttinger liquids and the free superfluid Hubbard model. To do this,
we focus on two classes of measurements: (i) coarse-grained observables, such
as the number of particles in a region of space, and (ii) few-mode
measurements, such as phase correlators and correlation functions. We show
that, in this setting, equilibration occurs quite generally despite the fact
that the particles are not interacting. Furthermore, for coarse-grained
measurements the timescale is generally at most polynomial in the number of
particles N, which is much faster than previous general upper bounds, which
were exponential in N. For local measurements on lattice systems, the timescale
is typically linear in the number of lattice sites. In fact, for one
dimensional lattices, the scaling is generally linear in the length of the
lattice, which is optimal. Additionally, we look at a few specific examples,
one of which consists of N fermions initially confined on one side of a
partition in a box. The partition is removed and the fermions equilibrate
extremely quickly in time O(1/N).Comment: 9 + 10 pages, 5 figures; v2 is expanded to include extended results
involving local equilibration on lattice systems, together with new examples
and minor improvement
Imagining 'environment' in sustainable development
The paper presents an argument for a broader and more complex definition of environment than that currently offered in sustainable development discourse and practice. Sustainable development is rooted in dominant western rational and instrumental scientific representations of human-environment relationships. As such, it has been criticised as misrepresentative and meaningless for many of those for whom it is intended. Recent contributions by social scientists have emphasized the need to move beyond the narrow construction of the human-environment dichotomy found in western scientific rhetoric. These emerging ânew ecologiesâ advocate a re-imagining of human-environment relationships as holistic, connective, and relational, and as a product of direct perception and active engagement in the world. The BoumÄ National Heritage Park, Fiji, a community-based ecotourism initiative is presented as a case study to identify discrepancies between indigenous perceptions of the environment and those of formally educated western development practitioners, as well as the potential for ongoing convergence
Production of trans-Neptunian binaries through chaos-assisted capture
The recent discovery of binary objects in the Kuiper-belt opens an invaluable
window into past and present conditions in the trans-Neptunian part of the
Solar System. For example, knowledge of how these objects formed can be used to
impose constraints on planetary formation theories. We have recently proposed a
binary-object formation model based on the notion of chaos-assisted capture.
Here we present a more detailed analysis with calculations performed in the
spatial (three-dimensional) three- and four-body Hill approximations. It is
assumed that the potential binary partners are initially following heliocentric
Keplerian orbits and that their relative motion becomes perturbed as these
objects undergo close encounters. First, the mass, velocity, and orbital
element distribu- tions which favour binary formation are identified in the
circular and elliptical Hill limits. We then consider intruder scattering in
the circular Hill four-body problem and find that the chaos-assisted capture
mechanism is consistent with observed, apparently randomly distributed, binary
mutual orbit inclinations. It also predicts asymmetric distributions of
retrograde versus prograde orbits. The time-delay induced by chaos on particle
transport through the Hill sphere is analogous to the formation of a resonance
in a chemical reaction. Implications for binary formation rates are considered
and the 'fine-tuning' problem recently identified by Noll et al. (2007) is also
addressed.Comment: submitted to MNRA
An Ethnography of Entanglements: Mercuryâs Presence and Absence in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold-mining in Antioquia, Colombia
This paper describes a âfollow the thingâ methodology as applied to an ethnography of entanglements. This methodology allowed for a materially and politically nuanced understanding of Antioquia, Colombiaâs response to mercury pollution. This pollution primarily originates from the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) industry where mercury is employed in the gold extraction process. In following the mercury, the authors experiment with an ethnography of entanglements. The paper discusses how they address the current lacunae in mining ethnographies by focussing on mining as âpracticeâ, going past the provision of technical descriptions of mining and ethnographic descriptions of miners to an ethnography of mining. This ethnographic approach considers the politics of materiality and addresses a lack of attention to the impacts of the presence and absence of materials on social life. Various mining practices in Antioquia illuminate how entanglements between miners and mercury have been co-constitutive of particular modes of ASGM. The paper will also provide examples of ânegative mercury entanglementsâ where efforts have been made to extricate mercury from mining practices. Rather than creating a vacuum, these mercury absences have been generative of new contested symbolic and material arrangements including entrepreneurial and âresponsibleâ mining, debates over minersâ rights, and the creation of new political relationships between ASGM and large-scale mining companies.fals
A Collaborative Approach: Two Perspectives
This article is a story of collaboration between a principal, Baek Chong, and the mathematics coach, Megan Farrelly. This article shows both perspectives: Baek\u27s thoughts are written in regular typeface, whereas Megan\u27s perspective is italicized. Both educators work at Mark Twain Middle School in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia which has nearly 900 seventh- and eighth-grade students. Twain Middle School serves a diverse population, of which about 35% of the students arc on free or reduced lunch, 15% receive special education services, 14% receive English language services, and 40% of the students are in the advanced academics program
- âŠ