An Architecture of an Intelligent Tutoring System to Support Distance Learning

This paper outlines a design framework of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). ITS focuses on a newer and more comprehensive distance learning (DL) process as compared to the established traditional DL programs practiced today. The DL model presented in this paper (CHARLIE) is a high level software based tutorial that has the ability to encompass a wide variety of current DL technologies in a single DL session. CHARLIE's architecture has four components: Control Component (responsible for the interaction between software agents and the operating system); Instructional Component (concerned with the instructional aspects of an ITS session); Text Analysis Component (analyzes the partial syntax and partial semantics of the text in the session); Student Modeling Component (analyzes a student's progress and determines the best model for learning during a session). Each component is serviced by a set of software agents to accomplish its mission. Three additional entities in CHARLIE are two separate databases and an explanation facility. Six agents have been implemented in CHARLIE to create a DL course in C++ programming. Much of CHARLIE remains to be completed which opens many areas for research

Temporally resolved second-order photon correlations of exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate formation

Second-order time correlation measurements with a temporal resolution better than 3 ps were performed on a CdTe microcavity where spontaneous Bose-Einstein condensation is observed. After the laser pulse, the nonresonantly excited thermal polariton population relaxes into a coherent polariton condensate. Photon statistics of the light emitted by the microcavity evidences a clear phase transition from the thermal state to a coherent state, which occurs within 3.2 ps after the onset of stimulated scattering. Following this very fast transition, we show that the emission possesses a very high coherence that persists for more than 100 ps after the build-up of the condensate.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Periodic squeezing in a polariton Josephson junction

The use of a Kerr nonlinearity to generate squeezed light is a well-known way to surpass the quantum noise limit along a given field quadrature. Nevertheless, in the most common regime of weak nonlinearity, a single Kerr resonator is unable to provide the proper interrelation between the field amplitude and squeezing required to induce a sizable deviation from Poissonian statistics. We demonstrate experimentally that weakly coupled bosonic modes allow exploration of the interplay between squeezing and displacement, which can give rise to strong deviations from the Poissonian statistics. In particular, we report on the periodic bunching in a Josephson junction formed by two coupled exciton-polariton modes. Quantum modeling traces the bunching back to the presence of quadrature squeezing. Our results, linking the light statistics to squeezing, are a precursor to the study of nonclassical features in semiconductor microcavities and other weakly nonlinear bosonic systems.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Anderson localisation in steady states of microcavity polaritons

We present an experimental signature of the Anderson localisation of microcavity polaritons, and provide a systematic study of the dependence on disorder strength. We reveal a controllable degree of localisation, as characterised by the inverse-participation ratio, by tuning the positional disorder of arrays of interacting mesas. This constitutes the realisation of disorder-induced localisation in a driven-dissipative system. In addition to being an ideal candidate for investigating localisation in this regime, microcavity polaritons hold promise for low-power, ultra-small devices and their localisation could be used as a resource in quantum memory and quantum information processing.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Dephasing effects on coherent exciton-polaritons and the breakdown of the strong coupling regime

International audienceUsing femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, we identify excitation-induced dephasing as a major mechanism responsible for the breakdown of the strong coupling between excitons and photons in a semiconductor microcavity. The effects of dephasing are observed on the transmitted probe-pulse spectrum as a density-dependent broadening of the exciton-polariton resonances and the emergence of a third resonance at high excitation density. A striking asymmetry in the energy shift between the upper and the lower polaritons is also evidenced. Using the excitonic Bloch equations, we quantify the respective contributions to the energy shift of many-body effects associated with Coulomb fermion exchange and photon assisted exchange processes and the contribution to collisional broadening

Transverse momentum and centrality dependence of dihadron correlations in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=200 GeV: Jet-quenching and the response of partonic matter

Azimuthal angle \Delta\phi correlations are presented for charged hadrons from dijets for 0.4 < p_T < 10 GeV/c in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. With increasing p_T, the away-side distribution evolves from a broad to a concave shape, then to a convex shape. Comparisons to p+p data suggest that the away-side can be divided into a partially suppressed "head" region centered at Delta\phi ~ \pi, and an enhanced "shoulder" region centered at Delta\phi ~ \pi +/- 1.1. The p_T spectrum for the "head" region softens toward central collisions, consistent with the onset of jet quenching. The spectral slope for the "shoulder" region is independent of centrality and trigger p_T, which offers constraints on energy transport mechanisms and suggests that the "shoulder" region contains the medium response to energetic jets.Comment: 420 authors from 58 institutions, 6 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letters. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

Transverse momentum dependence of J/psi polarization at midrapidity in p+p collisions at sqrt(s)=200 GeV

We report the measurement of the transverse momentum dependence of inclusive J/psi polarization in p+p collisions at sqrt(s)=200 GeV performed by the PHENIX Experiment at RHIC. The polarization is studied in the helicity, Gottfried-Jackson, and Collins-Soper frames for p_T < 5 GeV/c and |y| < 0.35. The J/psi polarization in the helicity and Gottfried-Jackson frames is consistent with zero for all transverse momenta, with a slight (1.8 sigma) trend towards longitudinal polarization for transverse momenta above 2 GeV/c. No conclusion is allowed due to the limited acceptance in the Collins-Soper frame and the uncertainties of the current data. The results are compared to observations for other collision systems and center of mass energies and to different quarkonia production models.Comment: 384 authors from 62 institutions, 11 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. v2 is expanded version submitted to Physical Review D. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures are available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

Azimuthal anisotropy of neutral pion production in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV: Path-length dependence of jet quenching and the role of initial geometry

We have measured the azimuthal anisotropy of pi0's for 1 < pT < 18 GeV/c for Au+Au collisions at sqrt s_NN = 200 GeV. The observed anisotropy shows a gradual decrease in 3 < pT < 7 - 10 GeV/c, but remains positive beyond 10 GeV/c. The magnitude of this anisotropy is under-predicted, up to at least 10 GeV/c, by current perturbative QCD (pQCD) energy-loss model calculations. An estimate of the increase in anisotropy expected from initial-geometry modification due to gluon saturation effects and initial-geometry fluctuations is insufficient to account for this discrepancy. Calculations which implement a path length dependence steeper than what is implied by current pQCD energy-loss models, show reasonable agreement with the data.Comment: 384 authors, 6 pages text, 3 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

Particle-species dependent modification of jet-induced correlations in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV

We report PHENIX measurements of the correlation of a trigger hadron at intermediate transverse momentum (2.5<p_{T,trig}<4 GeV/c), with associated mesons or baryons at lower p_{T,assoc}, in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV. The jet correlations for both baryons and mesons show similar shape alterations as a function of centrality, characteristic of strong modification of the away-side jet. The ratio of jet-associated baryons to mesons for this jet increases with centrality and p_{T,assoc} and, in the most central collisions, reaches a value similar to that for inclusive measurements. This trend is incompatible with in-vacuum fragmentation, but could be due to jet-like contributions from correlated soft partons which recombine upon hadronization.Comment: 344 authors, 4 pages text, RevTeX, 4 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letters. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

High p_T Direct Photon and pi^0 Triggered Azimuthal Jet Correlations in sqrt(s)=200 GeV p+p Collisions

Correlations of charged hadrons of 1 < pT < 10 GeV/c with high pT direct photons and pi^ 0 mesons in the range 5 <pT < 15 GeV/c are used to study jet fragmentation in the photon+jet and di-jet channels, respectively. The magnitude of the partonic transverse momentum, kT, is obtained by comparing to a model incorporating a Gaussian kT smearing. The sensitivity of the associated charged hadron spectra to the underlying fragmentation function is tested and the data are compared to calculations using recent global fit results. The shape of the direct photon-associated hadron spectrum as well as its charge asymmetry are found to be consistent with a sample dominated by quark-gluon Compton scattering. No significant evidence of fragmentation photon correlated production is observed within experimental uncertainties.Comment: 431 authors, 18 pages, 18 figures, 4 tables, RevTeX-4. Submitted to Physical Review D. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm