On the Asymptotic Existence of Hadamard Matrices

It is conjectured that Hadamard matrices exist for all orders $4t$ ($t>0$). However, despite a sustained effort over more than five decades, the strongest overall existence results are asymptotic results of the form: for all odd natural numbers $k$, there is a Hadamard matrix of order $k2^{[a+b\log_2k]}$, where $a$ and $b$ are fixed non-negative constants. To prove the Hadamard Conjecture, it is sufficient to show that we may take $a=2$ and $b=0$. Since Seberry's ground-breaking result, which showed that we may take $a=0$ and $b=2$, there have been several improvements where $b$ has been by stages reduced to 3/8. In this paper, we show that for all $\epsilon>0$, the set of odd numbers $k$ for which there is a Hadamard matrix of order $k2^{2+[\epsilon\log_2k]}$ has positive density in the set of natural numbers. The proof adapts a number-theoretic argument of Erdos and Odlyzko to show that there are enough Paley Hadamard matrices to give the result.Comment: Keywords: Hadamard matrices, Asymptotic existence, Cocyclic Hadamard matrices, Relative difference sets, Riesel numbers, Extended Riemann hypothesis. (Received 2 August 2008, Available online 18 March 2009

Program in C for studying characteristic properties of two-body interactions in the framework of spectral distribution theory

We present a program in C that employs spectral distribution theory for studies of characteristic properties of a many-particle quantum-mechanical system and the underlying few-body interaction. In particular, the program focuses on two-body nuclear interactions given in a JT-coupled harmonic oscillator basis and calculates correlation coefficients, a measure of similarity of any two interactions, as well as Hilbert-Schmidt norms specifying interaction strengths. An important feature of the program is its ability to identify the monopole part (centroid) of a 2-body interaction, as well as its 'density-dependent' one-body and two-body part, thereby providing key information on the evolution of shell gaps and binding energies for larger nuclear systems. As additional features, we provide statistical measures for 'density-dependent' interactions, as well as a mechanism to express an interaction in terms of two other interactions. This, in turn, allows one to identify, e.g., established features of the nuclear interaction (such as pairing correlations) within a general Hamiltonian. The program handles the radial degeneracy for 'density-dependent' one-body interactions and together with an efficient linked list data structure, facilitates studies of nuclear interactions in large model spaces that go beyond valence-shell applications.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figure

Using Drawing Tasks to Communicate Ideas About Photosynthesis: A Conceptual Change Strategy for Use in the Elementary School Classroom.

It is difficult for a teacher to determine if a learner has acquired an accurate concept of the topic being taught. Most of the children in this study had sufficient language skills to communicate successfully with their teachers even though they held inappropriate concepts of photosynthesis. This study examined the use of drawing tasks to assess children\u27s ideas related to photosynthesis in an elementary-grade classroom. Two research questions guided the study to determine if this strategy was a valid improvement over traditional methods of classroom instruction. The first question asked if elementary-grade students receiving instruction about photosynthesis would acquire and retain more knowledge when facilitated by teacher-analysis of their drawing tasks than students who received didactic instruction. The second question sought to determine if a fifth-grade teacher guided by students\u27 drawing tasks depicting their concepts of photosynthesis could effect more appropriate conceptual change than a teacher using didactic instruction. Two fifth grade treatment groups were used in the study. The teacher in the traditional treatment used didactic methods to instruct and evaluate the learner\u27s concepts. The teacher in the experimental treatment used the learner\u27s drawing tasks to communicate and facilitated activities to challenge and change inaccurate concepts. The quantitative results of a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest were analyzed by ANCOVA with repeated measures to answer the first question. Clinical interviews, classroom observations, and student artifacts provided data for a qualitative analysis of the second question. These data were examined and analyzed in correspondence with children\u27s written test responses. Students in the experimental treatment were found to acquire a greater amount of content knowledge than those in the traditional treatment. However, retention of knowledge was not significantly different between the two groups. The teacher in the experimental treatment was determined to facilitate a change to an appropriate concept of photosynthesis in more students than the teacher in the traditional treatment. The experimental treatment was found to provide an accurate depiction of the children\u27s concepts while the traditional, didactic-style treatment seemed to influence children to conceal their inaccurate concepts of photosynthesis

Group theoretical approach to pairing and non-linear phenomena in atomic nuclei

The symplectic sp(4) algebra provides a natural framework for studying proton-neutron (pn) and like-nucleon pairing correlations as well as higher-J pn interactions in nuclei when protons and neutrons occupy the same shell. While these correlations manifest themselves most clearly in the binding energies of 0+ ground states, they also have a large effect on the spectra of excited isobaric analog 0+ states. With a view towards nuclear structure applications, a fermion realization of sp(4) is explored and its q-deformed extension, sp(4)q, is constructed for single and multiple shells. The su(2)(q) substructures that enter are associated with isospin symmetry and with identical-particle and pn pairing. We suggest a non-deformed as well as a q-deformed algebraic descriptions of pairing for even-A nuclei of the mass 32 \u3c A \u3c 164 region. A Hamiltonian with a symplectic dynamical symmetry is constructed and its eigenvalues are fit to the relevant Coulomb corrected experimental 0+ state energies in both the “classical” and “deformed” cases. While the non-deformed microscopic theory yields results that are comparable to other models for light nuclei, the present approach succeeds in providing a reasonable estimate for interaction strength parameters as well as a detailed investigation of isovector pairing, symmetry energy and symmetry breaking effects. It also reproduces the relevant ground and excited 0+ state energies and predicts some that are not yet measured. The model successfully interprets fine features driven by pairing correlations and higher-J nuclear interactions. In a classification scheme that is inherent to the sp(4) algebraic approach, a finite energy difference technique is used to investigate two-particle separation energies, irregularities found around the N = Z region, and like-particle and pn isovector pairing gaps. The analysis identifies a prominent staggering behavior between groups of even-even and odd-odd nuclides that is due to discontinuities in the pairing and symmetry terms. While the “classical” limit of the theory provides good overall results, the analysis also shows that q-deformation can be used to gain a better understanding of higher-order effects in the interaction within each individual nucleus

Hoyle state and rotational features in Carbon-12 within a no-core shell model framework

By using only a fraction of the model space extended beyond current no-core shell-model limits and a schematic effective many-nucleon interaction, we gain additional insight within a symmetry-guided shell-model framework, into the many-body dynamics that gives rise to the ground state rotational band together with phenomena tied to alpha-clustering substructures in the low-lying states in C-12, and in particular, the challenging Hoyle state and its first 2+ excitation. For these states, we offer a novel perspective emerging out of no-core shell-model considerations, including a discussion of associated nuclear shapes and matter radii. This, in turn, provides guidance for ab initio shell models by informing key features of nuclear structure and the interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Ab initio Translationally Invariant Nonlocal One-body Densities from No-core Shell-model Theory

[Background:] It is well known that effective nuclear interactions are in general nonlocal. Thus if nuclear densities obtained from {\it ab initio} no-core-shell-model (NCSM) calculations are to be used in reaction calculations, translationally invariant nonlocal densities must be available. [Purpose:] Though it is standard to extract translationally invariant one-body local densities from NCSM calculations to calculate local nuclear observables like radii and transition amplitudes, the corresponding nonlocal one-body densities have not been considered so far. A major reason for this is that the procedure for removing the center-of-mass component from NCSM wavefunctions up to now has only been developed for local densities. [Results:] A formulation for removing center-of-mass contributions from nonlocal one-body densities obtained from NCSM and symmetry-adapted NCSM (SA-NCSM) calculations is derived, and applied to the ground state densities of $^4$He, $^6$Li, $^{12}$C, and $^{16}$O. The nonlocality is studied as a function of angular momentum components in momentum as well as coordinate space [Conclusions:] We find that the nonlocality for the ground state densities of the nuclei under consideration increases as a function of the angular momentum. The relative magnitude of those contributions decreases with increasing angular momentum. In general, the nonlocal structure of the one-body density matrices we studied is given by the shell structure of the nucleus, and can not be described with simple functional forms.Comment: 13 pages, 11 Figure