Coexistence of multi-photon processes and longitudinal couplings in superconducting flux qubits

In contrast to natural atoms, the potential energies for superconducting flux qubit (SFQ) circuits can be artificially controlled. When the inversion symmetry of the potential energy is broken, we find that the multi-photon processes can coexist in the multi-level SFQ circuits. Moreover, there are not only transverse but also longitudinal couplings between the external magnetic fields and the SFQs when the inversion symmetry of potential energy is broken. The longitudinal coupling would induce some new phenomena in the SFQs. Here we will show how the longitudinal coupling can result in the coexistence of multi-photon processes in a two-level system formed by a SFQ circuit. We also show that the SFQs can become transparent to the transverse coupling fields when the longitudinal coupling fields satisfy the certain conditions. We further show that the quantum Zeno effect can also be induced by the longitudinal coupling in the SFQs. Finally we clarify why the longitudinal coupling can induce coexistence and disappearance of single- and two-photon processes for a driven SFQ, which is coupled to a single-mode quantized field.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Proposal of a turbulent Prandtl number model for Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach on the modeling of turbulent heat transfer of low-Prandtl number liquid metal

Because of their high molecular heat conductivity, low-Prandtl number liquid metal is a promising candidate coolant for various designs of advanced nuclear systems such as liquid metal–cooled fast reactors and accelerator-driven sub-critical system (ADS). With the fast-growing computational capacity, more and more attention has been paid to applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods in thermal design and safety assessment of such systems for a detailed analysis of three-dimensional thermal–hydraulic behaviors. However, numerical modeling of turbulent heat transfer for low-Prandtl number liquid metal remains a challenging task. Numerical approaches such as wall-resolved large eddy simulation (LES) or direct numerical simulation (DNS), which can provide detailed insight into the physics of the liquid metal flow and the associated heat transfer, were widely applied to investigate the turbulent heat transfer phenomenon. However, these approaches suffer from the enormous computational consumption and are hence limited only to simple geometrical configurations with low to moderate Reynolds numbers. The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach associated with a turbulent Prandtl number Prt accounting for the turbulent heat flux based on Reynolds analogy is still, at least in the current state in most of the circumstances, the only feasible approach for practical engineering applications. However, the conventional choice of Prt in the order of 0.9∼unity in many commercial computational fluid dynamics codes is not valid for the low-Prandtl number liquid metal. In this study, LES/DNS simulation results of a simple forced turbulent channel flow up to a friction Reynolds number Reτ of 2000 at Pr of 0.01 and 0.025 were used as references, to which the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach with varying Prt was compared. It was found that the appropriate Prt for the RANS approach decreases with bulk Peclet number Peb and approaches a constant value of 1.5 when Peb becomes larger than 2000. Based on this calibrated relation with Peb, a new model for Prt used in the RANS approach was proposed. Validation of the proposed model was carried out with available LES/DNS results on the local temperature profile in the concentric annulus and bare rod bundle, as well as with experimental correlations on the Nusselt number in a circular tube and bare rod bundle

Testing and Data Reduction of the Chinese Small Telescope Array (CSTAR) for Dome A, Antarctica

The Chinese Small Telescope ARray (hereinafter CSTAR) is the first Chinese astronomical instrument on the Antarctic ice cap. The low temperature and low pressure testing of the data acquisition system was carried out in a laboratory refrigerator and on the 4500m Pamirs high plateau, respectively. The results from the final four nights of test observations demonstrated that CSTAR was ready for operation at Dome A, Antarctica. In this paper we present a description of CSTAR and the performance derived from the test observations.Comment: Accepted Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA) 1 Latex file and 20 figure

A novel hybrid energy system combined with solar-road and soil-regenerator: Dynamic model and operational performance

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version, made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License CC BY NC-ND 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Under embargo until 26 November 2018. The final, definitive version of this article is available online at doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.11.066.Solar roads are emergent and huge energy source in traffic domains. To improve the energy utilization efficiency of a solar road, a novel solar-road and soil-regenerator hybrid energy system in combination with conventional photovoltaic-thermal and soil heat storage technology was proposed. A mathematical model of the solar-road and soil-regenerator hybrid energy system was developed, validated, and applied to evaluate the thermal storage and power generation performance of the proposed system in cold regions. The results indicated that for critical thermal storage temperatures of 20, 30, and 40 °C, the proposed system decreased maximum photovoltaic cell temperatures by 24.09, 25.84, and 24.42 °C and increased electrical efficiencies by 6.85, 6.68, and 4.53%, respectively, compared with conventional solar roads. By storing heat in the soil and elevating soil temperatures, the proposed system also increased the average borehole wall temperatures by 2.93, 2.26, 1.87 °C. The proposed system produced overall energy efficiencies of 48.42, 55.47, and 66.58%, while conventional solar road efficiencies approximate 10.75%.Peer reviewe

Antiaging Effect of Pine Pollen in Human Diploid Fibroblasts and in a Mouse Model Induced by D-Galactose

The present paper was designed to investigate the effect of pine pollen against aging in human diploid fibroblast 2BS cells and in an accelerated aging model, which was established by subcutaneous injections with D-galactose daily for 8 weeks in C57BL/6J mice. Pine pollen (1 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL) is proved to delay the replicative senescence of 2BS cells as evidenced by enhanced cell proliferation, decreased SA-β-Gal activity, and reversed expression of senescence-associated molecular markers, such as p53, p21Waf1, p16INK4a, PTEN, and p27Kip1 in late PD cells. Besides, pine pollen reversed D-galactose-induced aging effects in neural activity and inflammatory cytokine levels, as indicated by improved memory latency time and reduced error rate in step-down test and decreased concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α in model mice. Similar to the role of AGEs (advanced glycation endproducts) formation inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG), pine pollen inhibited D-galactose-induced increment of AGEs levels thus reversed the aging phenotypes in model mice. Furthermore, the declined antioxidant activity was obviously reversed upon pine pollen treatment, which may account for its inhibitory effect on nonenzymatic glycation (NEG) in vivo. Our finding presents pine pollen as an attractive agent with potential to retard aging and attenuate age-related diseases in humans