Decoherence at zero temperature

Most discussions of decoherence in the literature consider the high-temperature regime but it is also known that, in the presence of dissipation, decoherence can occur even at zero temperature. Whereas most previous investigations all assumed initial decoupling of the quantum system and bath, we consider that the system and environment are entangled at all times. Here, we discuss decoherence for a free particle in an initial Schr\"{o}dinger cat state. Memory effects are incorporated by use of the single relaxation time model (since the oft-used Ohmic model does not give physically correct results)

Feasibility of Hair Collection for Cortisol Measurement in Population Research on Adolescent Health

Background: Black–White disparities in adolescent health are widespread and thought to be explained, in part, by exposure to chronic stress. Cortisol assayed from hair is increasingly recognized as a valid and reliable measure for chronic physiological stress, but the feasibility of collecting hair among large probability samples of diverse adolescents is unknown. Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate participation in hair collection for cortisol analyses in a probability sample of racially and socioeconomically diverse adolescents, including the extent to which sociodemographic factors and adverse exposures were associated with participation. Methods: The study included a probability sample of 516 adolescents conducted in conjunction with a prospective cohort study on adolescent health. Data were collected over 1 week via in-home interviews, ecological momentary assessment, global positioning system methods, and in-home hair collection at the end of the week. Results: Of the 516 eligible youth, 471 (91.3%) participated in the hair collection. Of the 45 youth who did not provide hair samples, 18 had insufficient hair, 25 refused, and 2 did not participate for unknown reasons. Multivariable logistic regression results indicated that non-Hispanic Black youth were less likely than their non-Hispanic White peers to participate due to insufficient hair or refusal (OR = 0.24, 95% CI [0 .09, 0.60]). Despite lower rates of participation, the proportion of Black youth in the participating sample was representative of the study area. No significant differences in participation were found by other sociodemographic characteristics or adverse exposures. Conclusions: Hair collection for cortisol measurement is feasible among a probability sample of racially and socioeconomically diverse adolescents. Hair cortisol analyses may accelerate research progress to understand the biological and psychosocial bases of health disparities

Twin-spool turbopumps for ''low'' net positive suction pressure operations

Modified single-shaft turbopump incorporates inducer and main pump, each separately driven at different speeds through coaxial-shaft arrangement. Inducer operates at low speed for low net positive suction pressure, main pump operates at high speed to generate high pressure. This arrangement requires no external control for the inducer

Single camera 3D planar Doppler velocity measurements using imaging fibre bundles

Two frequency planar Doppler Velocimetry (2ν-PDV) is a modification of the Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) method that allows velocity measurements to be made, quickly and non intrusively, across a plane defined by a laser light sheet. In 2ν-PDV the flow is illuminated sequentially with two optical frequencies, separated by about 700MHz. A single CCD viewing through an iodine absorption cell is used to capture images under each illumination. The two images are used to find the normalised transmission through the cell, and the velocity information is encoded as a variation in the transmission Use of a single camera ensures registration of the reference and signal images and removes issues associated with the polarization sensitivity of the beam splitter, which are major problems in the conventional approach. A 2ν-PDV system has been constructed using a continuous-wave Argon ion laser combined with multiple imaging fibre bundles, to port multiple views of the measurement plane to a CCD camera, allowing the measurement of three velocity components.EPSR

Single camera 3D planar Doppler velocity measurements, using two frequency planar Doppler velocimetry (2v-PDV) and imaging fibre bundles

A modified Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) technique, two frequency PDV (2v-PDV), is described that allows measurements of the velocity field over a plane defined by a laser light sheet using sequential illumination of the flow with two closely separated (&IGHz) frequencies of laser light. This allows a common-path imaging head to be used containing a single CCD camera instead of the usual camera pair. The problem of image misalignment is now avoided and the polarisation sensitivity of the beam splitter used in two camera imaging heads is also removed. Cost efficiency is improved by the simplification of the system. This paper describes the development of a 2v-PDV system using a continuous wave argon ion laser capable of making time-averaged velocity measurements. Initially a single velocity component system was constructed using acousto-optic modulators to produce the two illumination frequencies required. The system was then expanded to make 3D velocity measurements using a single CCD camera and multiple coherent imaging fibre bundles. Measurements were made on the rotating disc, in order to assess error level in the measurements, and on a seeded axisymmetric air jet. A method of improving the sensitivity of the 2v-PDV system is demonstrated by using both the rising and falling slopes of the iodine absorption line. Reductions in the error levels of velocity measurements of approximately 40% can be achieved using this increased sensitivity method

Probing the parameter space of HD 49933: a comparison between global and local methods

We present two independent methods for studying the global stellar parameter space (mass M, age, initial chemical composition X_0, Z_0) of HD 49933 with seismic data. Using a local minimization and an MCMC algorithm, we obtain consistent results for the determination of the stellar properties: M = 1.1 - 1.2 M_solar, Age ~ 3.0 Gyr, Z_0 ~ 0.008. A description of the error ellipses can be defined using Singular Value Decomposition techniques, and this is validated by comparing the errors with those from the MCMC method.Comment: to be published in JPC

The origin of some Manganese oxide ores: with special reference to the deposits of Sinai

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Semi-inclusive charged-current neutrino-nucleus reactions

The general, universal formalism for semi-inclusive charged-current (anti)neutrino-nucleus reactions is given for studies of any hadronic system, namely, either nuclei or the nucleon itself. The detailed developments are presented with the former in mind and are further specialized to cases where the final-state charged lepton and an ejected nucleon are presumed to be detected. General kinematics for such processes are summarized and then explicit expressions are developed for the leptonic and hadronic tensors involved and for the corresponding responses according to the usual charge, longitudinal and transverse projections, keeping finite the masses of all particles involved. In the case of the hadronic responses, general symmetry principles are invoked to determine which contributions can occur. Finally, the general leptonic-hadronic tensor contraction is given as well as the cross section for the process

Coincidence charged-current neutrino-induced deuteron disintegration

Deuteron disintegration by charged-current neutrino (CC$\nu$) scattering offers the possibility to determine the energy of the incident neutrino by measuring in coincidence two of the three resulting particles: a charged lepton (usually a muon) and two protons, where we show that this channel can be isolated from all other, for instance, from those with a pion in the final state. We discuss the kinematics of the process for several detection scenarios, both in terms of kinematic variables that are natural from a theoretical point of view and others that are better matched to experimental situations. The deuteron structure is obtained from a relativistic model (involving an approximation to the Bethe-Salpeter equation) as an extension of a previous, well-tested model used in deuteron electrodisintegration. We provide inclusive and coincidence (semi-inclusive) cross sections for a variety of kinematic conditions, using the plane-wave impulse approximation, introducing final-state hadronic exchange terms (plane-wave Born approximation) and final-state hadronic interactions (distorted-wave Born approximation).Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure