189 research outputs found
Creating a self-induced dark spontaneous-force optical trap for neutral atoms
This communication describes the observation of a new type of dark
spontaneous-force optical trap (dark SPOT) obtained without the use of a mask
blocking the central part of the repumper laser beam. We observe that loading a
magneto-optical trap (MOT) from a continuous and intense flux of slowed atoms
and by appropriately tuning the frequency of the repumper laser is possible to
achieve basically the same effect of the dark SPOT, using a simpler apparatus.
This work characterizes the new system through measurements of absorption and
fluorescence imaging of the atomic cloud and presents a very simple model to
explain the main features of our observations. We believe that this new
approach may simplify the current experiments to produce quantum degenerated
gases.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to Optics Communications (30/10/2003),
accepted for publication (Feb/2004
Dynamics of rotating Bose-Einstein condensates probed by Bragg scattering
Gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) have become an important test bed
for studying the dynamics of quantized vortices. In this work we use two-photon
Doppler sensitive Bragg scattering to study the rotation of sodium BECs. We
analyze the microscopic flow field and present laboratory measurements of the
coarse-grained velocity profile. Unlike time-of-flight imaging, Bragg
scattering is sensitive to the direction of rotation and therefore to the phase
of the condensate. In addition, we have non-destructively probed the vortex
flow field using a sequence of two Bragg pulses.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Invited paper submitted to a special issue on
"Nonlinear Waves" of the (Elsevier) journal 'Math. Comput. Simul.', for
participants in the 4th IMACS International Conference on Nonlinear Evolution
Equations and Wave Phenomena (2005). Visit our website at
http://www.physics.gatech.edu/chandra for additional informatio
Generation of vortices and observation of Quantum Turbulence in an oscillating Bose-Einstein Condensate
We report on the experimental observation of vortex formation and production
of tangled vortex distribution in an atomic BEC of Rb-87 atoms submitted to an
external oscillatory perturbation. The oscillatory perturbations start by
exciting quadrupolar and scissors modes of the condensate. Then regular
vortices are observed finally evolving to a vortex tangle configuration. The
vortex tangle is a signature of the presence of a turbulent regime in the
cloud. We also show that this turbulent cloud has suppression of the aspect
ratio inversion typically observed in quantum degenerate bosonic gases during
free expansion.Comment: to appear in JLTP - QFS 200
Self-similar expansion of the density profile in a turbulent Bose-Einstein condensate
In a recent study we demonstrated the emergence of turbulence in a trapped
Bose-Einstein condensate of Rb-87 atoms. An intriguing observation in such a
system is the behavior of the turbulent cloud during free expansion.The aspect
ratio of the cloud size does not change in the way one would expect for an
ordinary non-rotating (vortex-free) condensate. Here we show that the anomalous
expansion can be understood, at least qualitatively, in terms of the presence
of vorticity distributed throughout the cloud, effectively counteracting the
usual reversal of the aspect ratio seen in free time-of-flight expansion of
non-rotating condensates.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Underlying Model
A pedagogical derivation is presented of the ``fireball'' model of gamma-ray
bursts, according to which the observable effects are due to the dissipation of
the kinetic energy of a relativistically expanding wind, a ``fireball.'' The
main open questions are emphasized, and key afterglow observations, that
provide support for this model, are briefly discussed. The relativistic outflow
is, most likely, driven by the accretion of a fraction of a solar mass onto a
newly born (few) solar mass black hole. The observed radiation is produced once
the plasma has expanded to a scale much larger than that of the underlying
``engine,'' and is therefore largely independent of the details of the
progenitor, whose gravitational collapse leads to fireball formation. Several
progenitor scenarios, and the prospects for discrimination among them using
future observations, are discussed. The production in gamma- ray burst
fireballs of high energy protons and neutrinos, and the implications of burst
neutrino detection by kilometer-scale telescopes under construction, are
briefly discussed.Comment: In "Supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursters", ed. K. W. Weiler, Lecture
Notes in Physics, Springer-Verlag (in press); 26 pages, 2 figure
Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset
corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected
during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.
The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the
couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and
right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary
mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b,
leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing
transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W'
boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to
the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for
masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC
data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed
coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant
improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe
Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The
analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC
from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an
integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross
section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected
exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the
standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The
analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model
Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The
largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is
observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance
of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local
significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is
estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of
this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
Measurement of the Lambda(b) cross section and the anti-Lambda(b) to Lambda(b) ratio with Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda decays in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
The Lambda(b) differential production cross section and the cross section
ratio anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) are measured as functions of transverse momentum
pt(Lambda(b)) and rapidity abs(y(Lambda(b))) in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7
TeV using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measurements are
based on Lambda(b) decays reconstructed in the exclusive final state J/Psi
Lambda, with the subsequent decays J/Psi to an opposite-sign muon pair and
Lambda to proton pion, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 1.9 inverse femtobarns. The product of the cross section times
the branching ratio for Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda versus pt(Lambda(b)) falls
faster than that of b mesons. The measured value of the cross section times the
branching ratio for pt(Lambda(b)) > 10 GeV and abs(y(Lambda(b))) < 2.0 is 1.06
+/- 0.06 +/- 0.12 nb, and the integrated cross section ratio for
anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) is 1.02 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.09, where the uncertainties are
statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters
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