Equilibrium relationships for non-equilibrium chemical dependencies

In contrast to common opinion, it is shown that equilibrium constants determine the time-dependent behavior of particular ratios of concentrations for any system of reversible first-order reactions. Indeed, some special ratios actually coincide with the equilibrium constant at any moment in time. This is established for batch reactors, and similar relations hold for steady-state plug-flow reactors, replacing astronomic time by residence time. Such relationships can be termed time invariants of chemical kinetics

Incoherent quantum feedback control of collective light scattering by Bose-Einstein condensates

It is well known that in the presence of a ring cavity the light scattering from a uniform atomic ensemble can become unstable resulting in the collective atomic recoil lasing. This is the result of a positive feedback due to the cavity. We propose to add an additional electronic feedback loop based on the photodetection of the scattered light. The advantage is a great flexibility in choosing the feedback algorithm, since manipulations with electric signals are very well developed. In this paper we address the application of such a feedback to atoms in the Bose-Einstein condensed state and explore the quantum noise due to the incoherent feedback action. We show that although the feedback based on the photodetection does not change the local stability of the initial uniform distribution with respect to small disturbances, it reduces the region of attraction of the uniform equilibrium. The feedback-induced nonlinearity enables quantum fluctuations to bring the system out of the stability region and cause an exponential growth even if the uniform state is globally stable without the feedback. Using numerical solution of the feedback master equation we show that there is no feedback-induced noise in the quadratures of the excited atomic and light modes. The feedback loop, however, introduces additional noise into the number of quanta of these modes. Importantly, the feedback opens an opportunity to position the modulated BEC inside a cavity as well as tune the phase of scattered light. This can find applications in precision measurements and quantum simulations.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Applicability of Rydberg atoms to quantum computers

Applicability of Rydberg atoms to quantum computers is examined from experimental point of view. In many theoretical proposals appeared recently, excitation of atoms into highly excited Rydberg states was considered as a way to achieve quantum entanglement in cold atomic ensembles via dipole-dipole interaction that could be strong for Rydberg atoms. Appropriate conditions to realize a conditional quantum phase gate have been analyzed. We also present the results of modeling experiments on microwave spectroscopy of single- and multi-atom excitations at the one-photon 37S-37P and two-photon 37S-38S transitions in an ensemble of a few sodium Rydberg atoms. The microwave spectra were investigated for various final states of the ensemble initially prepared in its ground state. The quantum NOT operation with single atoms was found to be affected by the Doppler effect and fluctuations of the microwave field. The spectrum of full excitation of several Rydberg atoms was much narrower than that of a single atom. This effect might be useful for the high-resolution spectroscopy. The results may be also applied to the studies on collective laser excitation of ground-state atoms aiming to realize quantum gates.Comment: 12 pages, 8 EPS figures, Revtex4. Old references corrected, new adde

Evaluation of different sources of uncertainty in climate change impact research using a hydro-climatic model ensemble

The international research project QBic3 (Quebec-Bavarian Collaboration on Climate Change) aims at investigating the potential impacts of climate change on the hydrology of regional scale catchments in Southern Quebec (Canada) and Bavaria (Germany). Yet, the actual change in river runoff characteristics during the next 70 years is highly uncertain due to a multitude of uncertainty sources. The so-called hydro-climatic ensemble that is constructed to describe the uncertainties of this complex model chain consists of four different global climate models, downscaled by three different regional climate models, an exchangeable bias correction algorithm, a separate method to scale RCM outputs to the hydrological model scale and several hydrological models of differing complexity to assess the impact of different hydro model concepts. This choice of models and scenarios allows for the inter-comparison of the uncertainty ranges of climate and hydrological models, of the natural variability of the climate system as well as of the impact of scaling and correction of climate data on mean, high and low flow conditions. A methodology to display the relative importance of each source of uncertainty is proposed and results for past runoff and potential future changes are presented

Discrete Choices under Social Influence: Generic Properties

We consider a model of socially interacting individuals that make a binary choice in a context of positive additive endogenous externalities. It encompasses as particular cases several models from the sociology and economics literature. We extend previous results to the case of a general distribution of idiosyncratic preferences, called here Idiosyncratic Willingnesses to Pay (IWP). Positive additive externalities yield a family of inverse demand curves that include the classical downward sloping ones but also new ones with non constant convexity. When j, the ratio of the social influence strength to the standard deviation of the IWP distribution, is small enough, the inverse demand is a classical monotonic (decreasing) function of the adoption rate. Even if the IWP distribution is mono-modal, there is a critical value of j above which the inverse demand is non monotonic, decreasing for small and high adoption rates, but increasing within some intermediate range. Depending on the price there are thus either one or two equilibria. Beyond this first result, we exhibit the generic properties of the boundaries limiting the regions where the system presents different types of equilibria (unique or multiple). These properties are shown to depend only on qualitative features of the IWP distribution: modality (number of maxima), smoothness and type of support (compact or infinite). The main results are summarized as phase diagrams in the space of the model parameters, on which the regions of multiple equilibria are precisely delimited.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figure

Outsourcing the development of specific application software using the ESA software engineering standards: the SPS software Interlock System

CERN is considering outsourcing as a solution to the reduction of staff. To need to re-engineer the SPS Software Interlock System provided an opportunity to explore the applicability of outsourcing to our specific controls environment and the ESA PSS-05 standards were selected for the requirements specification, the development, the control and monitoring and the project management. The software produced by the contractor is now fully operational. After outlining the scope and the complexity of the project, a discussion on the ESA PSS-05 will be presented: the choice, the way these standards improve the outsourcing process, the quality induced but also the need to adapt them and their limitation in the definition of the customer-supplier relationship. The success factors and the difficulties of development under contract will also be discussed. The maintenance aspect and the impact on in-house developments will finally be addressed

Le déclin de l’Empire américain et l’avenir des francophonies en périphérie : le cas de la Saskatchewan

La survie et l’épanouissement de la langue française au Canada aujourd’hui sont influencés par des tendances opposées : l’épanouissement et l’étiolement linguistiques. Ces tendances contradictoires sont autant mondiales que nationales. Ainsi dans certaines régions du Canada, et dans quelques parties du monde, le nombre de personnes parlant le français augmente. Au Canada, les droits des francophones s’accroissent sans cesse depuis les années 1960. Mais plusieurs régions à l’extérieur du Québec subissent des tendances démographiques inquiétantes qui conduisent à l’affaiblissement général des communautés et à la perte de la langue française. L’étude de cas type d’une région menacée, comme la Saskatchewan, devrait tenir compte de facteurs extérieurs qui influent sur les tendances internes de cette communauté. En particulier, ces facteurs doivent tenir compte des tendances mondiales concernant la langue française et de l’insertion de la Saskatchewan dans les contradictions du capitalisme avancé sous l’hégémonie américaine.The survival and vitality of the French language in Canada today are influenced by opposing trends towards linguistic épanouissement on the one hand and linguistic attenuation on the other. These contradictory trends are global as well as national. In certain regions of Canada and some parts of the world, the number of Francophones is increasing. In Canada, Francophone linguistic rights have been expanding since the 60s. But several regions outside Quebec are showing disturbing demographic trends that are leading to a general weakening of Francophone communities and a loss of the French language. A case study of one of these threatened regions, such as Saskatchewan, should take into account the external factors that influence this community’s internal trends. In particular, these external factors must factor in world trends in the use of French and where Saskatchewan sits within the contradictions of advanced capitalism under the American hegemony

Debt Financing and Financial Flexibility Evidence from Pro-active Leverage Increases

Firms that intentionally increase leverage through substantial debt issuances do so primarily as a response to operating needs rather than a desire to make a large equity payout. Subsequent debt reductions are neither rapid, nor the result of pro-active attempts to rebalance the firm’s capital structure towards a long-run target. Instead, the evolution of the firm’s leverage ratio depends primarily on whether or not the firm produces a financial surplus. In fact, firms that generate subsequent deficits tend to cover these deficits predominantly with more debt even though they exhibit leverage ratios that are well above estimated target levels. While many of our findings are difficult to reconcile with traditional capital structure models, they are broadly consistent with a capital structure theory in which financial flexibility, in the form of unused debt capacity, plays an important role in capital structure choices.