QCD Analysis of Polarized Deep Inelastic Scattering Data

A QCD analysis of the world data on inclusive polarized deep inelastic scattering of leptons on nucleons is presented in leading and next-to-leading order. New parameterizations are derived for the quark and gluon distributions and the value of $\alpha_s(M_Z)$ is determined. Emphasis is put on the derivation of fully correlated error bands for these distributions which are directly applicable to determine experimental errors of other polarized observables. The impact of the variation of both the renormalization and factorization scales on the value of $\alpha_s$ is studied. Finally a factorization-scheme invariant QCD analysis based on the observables $g_1(x,Q^2)$ and $d g_1(x,Q^2)/d \log(Q^2)$ is performed in next-to-leading order, which is compared to the standard analysis.Comment: 6 pages LATEX, 4 aps style and other files, 3 eps-files, to appear in the Proceedings of `QCD at Work', Martina Franca, June 200

Targeted Recovery as an Effective Strategy against Epidemic Spreading

We propose a targeted intervention protocol where recovery is restricted to individuals that have the least number of infected neighbours. Our recovery strategy is highly efficient on any kind of network, since epidemic outbreaks are minimal when compared to the baseline scenario of spontaneous recovery. In the case of spatially embedded networks, we find that an epidemic stays strongly spatially confined with a characteristic length scale undergoing a random walk. We demonstrate numerically and analytically that this dynamics leads to an epidemic spot with a flat surface structure and a radius that grows linearly with the spreading rate.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Analysis of Accordion DNA Stretching Revealed by The Gold Cluster Ruler

A promising new method for measuring intramolecular distances in solution uses small-angle X-ray scattering interference between gold nanocrystal labels (Mathew-Fenn et al, Science, 322, 446 (2008)). When applied to double stranded DNA, it revealed that the DNA length fluctuations are strikingly strong and correlated over at least 80 base pair steps. In other words, the DNA behaves as accordion bellows, with distant fragments stretching and shrinking concertedly. This hypothesis, however, disagrees with earlier experimental and computational observations. This Letter shows that the discrepancy can be rationalized by taking into account the cluster exclusion volume and assuming a moderate long-range repulsion between them. The long-range interaction can originate from an ion exclusion effect and cluster polarization in close proximity to the DNA surface.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Polarized Parton Densities

In this talk we summarize main results of a recent determination of the polarized deeply inelastic parton distributions to NLO from the world data. In the analysis the LO and NLO parton densities and their $1\sigma$ statistical errors were derived and parameterized. The strong coupling constant $\alpha_s(M_Z^2)$ is determined $\alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.113 \pm 0.004 {\rm (stat.)} \pm~0.004 {\rm (fac.)} +0.008/-0.005 {\rm (ren.)}$ Comparisons of the low moments of the parton densities with recent lattice results are given. A detailed error-analysis of the gluon density is performed.Comment: 3 pages LATEX, 1 style file, 1 eps file, to appear in the Proceedings of PANIC '02, Osaka, Ocrober 200

Microphase separation in polyelectrolytic diblock copolymer melt : weak segregation limit

We present a generalized theory of microphase separation for charged-neutral diblock copolymer melt. Stability limit of the disordered phase for salt-free melt has been calculated using Random Phase Approximation (RPA) and self-consistent field theory (SCFT). Explicit analytical free energy expressions for different classical ordered microstructures (lamellar, cylinder and sphere) are presented. We demonstrate that chemical mismatch required for the onset of microphase separation ($\chi^{\star} N$) in charged-neutral diblock melt is higher and the period of ordered microstructures is lower than those for the corresponding neutral-neutral diblock system. Theoretical predictions on the period of ordered structures in terms of Coulomb electrostatic interaction strength, chain length, block length, and the chemical mismatch between blocks are presented. SCFT has been used to go beyond the stability limit, where electrostatic potential and charge distribution are calculated self-consistently. Stability limits calculated using RPA are in perfect agreement with the corresponding SCFT calculations. Limiting laws for stability limit and the period of ordered structures are presented and comparisons are made with an earlier theory. Also, transition boundaries between different morphologies have been investigated

Impact of embedding on predictability of failure-recovery dynamics in networks

Failure, damage spread and recovery crucially underlie many spatially embedded networked systems ranging from transportation structures to the human body. Here we study the interplay between spontaneous damage, induced failure and recovery in both embedded and non-embedded networks. In our model the network's components follow three realistic processes that capture these features: (i) spontaneous failure of a component independent of the neighborhood (internal failure), (ii) failure induced by failed neighboring nodes (external failure) and (iii) spontaneous recovery of a component.We identify a metastable domain in the global network phase diagram spanned by the model's control parameters where dramatic hysteresis effects and random switching between two coexisting states are observed. The loss of predictability due to these effects depend on the characteristic link length of the embedded system. For the Euclidean lattice in particular, hysteresis and switching only occur in an extremely narrow region of the parameter space compared to random networks. We develop a unifying theory which links the dynamics of our model to contact processes. Our unifying framework may help to better understand predictability and controllability in spatially embedded and random networks where spontaneous recovery of components can mitigate spontaneous failure and damage spread in the global network.Comment: 22 pages, 20 figure