94 research outputs found
Probability distribution of arrival times in quantum mechanics
In a previous paper [V. Delgado and J. G. Muga, Phys. Rev. A 56, 3425 (1997)]
we introduced a self-adjoint operator whose eigenstates
can be used to define consistently a probability distribution of the time of
arrival at a given spatial point. In the present work we show that the
probability distribution previously proposed can be well understood on
classical grounds in the sense that it is given by the expectation value of a
certain positive definite operator which is nothing but a
straightforward quantum version of the modulus of the classical current. For
quantum states highly localized in momentum space about a certain momentum , the expectation value of becomes indistinguishable
from the quantum probability current. This fact may provide a justification for
the common practice of using the latter quantity as a probability distribution
of arrival times.Comment: 21 pages, LaTeX, no figures; A Note added; To be published in Phys.
Rev.
Partial Densities of States, Scattering Matrices, and Green's Functions
The response of an arbitrary scattering problem to quasi-static perturbations
in the scattering potential is naturally expressed in terms of a set of local
partial densities of states and a set of sensitivities each associated with one
element of the scattering matrix. We define the local partial densities of
states and the sensitivities in terms of functional derivatives of the
scattering matrix and discuss their relation to the Green's function. Certain
combinations of the local partial densities of states represent the injectivity
of a scattering channel into the system and the emissivity into a scattering
channel. It is shown that the injectivities and emissivities are simply related
to the absolute square of the scattering wave-function. We discuss also the
connection of the partial densities of states and the sensitivities to
characteristic times. We apply these concepts to a delta-barrier and to the
local Larmor clock.Comment: 13 pages (revtex), 4 figure
Transmission time of wave packets through tunneling barriers
The transmission of wave packets through tunneling barriers is studied in
detail by the method of quantum molecular dynamics. The distribution function
of the times describing the arrival of a tunneling packet in front of and
behind a barrier and the momentum distribution function of the packet are
calculated. The behavior of the average coordinate of a packet, the average
momentum, and their variances is investigated. It is found that under the
barrier a part of the packet is reflected and a Gaussian barrier increases the
average momentum of the transmitted packet and its variance in momentum space.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure
Quantum probability distribution of arrival times and probability current density
This paper compares the proposal made in previous papers for a quantum
probability distribution of the time of arrival at a certain point with the
corresponding proposal based on the probability current density. Quantitative
differences between the two formulations are examined analytically and
numerically with the aim of establishing conditions under which the proposals
might be tested by experiment. It is found that quantum regime conditions
produce the biggest differences between the formulations which are otherwise
near indistinguishable. These results indicate that in order to discriminate
conclusively among the different alternatives, the corresponding experimental
test should be performed in the quantum regime and with sufficiently high
resolution so as to resolve small quantum efects.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, LaTeX; Revised version to appear in Phys. Rev. A
(many small changes
Charge densities and charge noise in mesoscopic conductors
We introduce a hierarchy of density of states to characterize the charge
distribution in a mesoscopic conductor. At the bottom of this hierarchy are the
partial density of states which represent the contribution to the local density
of states if both the incident and the out-going scattering channel is
prescribed. The partial density of states play a prominent role in measurements
with a scanning tunneling microscope on multiprobe conductors in the presence
of current flow. The partial density of states determine the degree of
dephasing generated by a weakly coupled voltage probe. In addition the partial
density of states determine the frequency-dependent response of mesoscopic
conductors in the presence of slowly oscillating voltages applied to the
contacts of the sample. The partial density of states permit the formulation of
a Friedel sum rule which can be applied locally. We introduce the off-diagonal
elements of the partial density of states matrix to describe charge fluctuation
processes. This generalization leads to a local Wigner-Smith life-time matrix.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
How much time does a tunneling particle spend in the barrier region?
The question in the title may be answered by considering the outcome of a
``weak measurement'' in the sense of Aharonov et al. Various properties of the
resulting time are discussed, including its close relation to the Larmor times.
It is a universal description of a broad class of measurement interactions, and
its physical implications are unambiguous.Comment: 5 pages; no figure
The International Cancer Expert Corps: A Unique Approach for Sustainable Cancer Care in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries
The growing burden of non-communicable diseases including cancer in low- and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) and in geographic-access limited settings within resource-rich countries requires effective and sustainable solutions. The International Cancer Expert Corps (ICEC) is pioneering a novel global mentorship–partnership model to address workforce capability and capacity within cancer disparities regions built on the requirement for local investment in personnel and infrastructure. Radiation oncology will be a key component given its efficacy for cure even for the advanced stages of disease often encountered and for palliation. The goal for an ICEC Center within these health disparities settings is to develop and retain a high-quality sustainable workforce who can provide the best possible cancer care, conduct research, and become a regional center of excellence. The ICEC Center can also serve as a focal point for economic, social, and healthcare system improvement. ICEC is establishing teams of Experts with expertise to mentor in the broad range of subjects required to establish and sustain cancer care programs. The Hubs are cancer centers or other groups and professional societies in resource-rich settings that will comprise the global infrastructure coordinated by ICEC Central. A transformational tenet of ICEC is that altruistic, human-service activity should be an integral part of a healthcare career. To achieve a critical mass of mentors ICEC is working with three groups: academia, private practice, and senior mentors/retirees. While in-kind support will be important, ICEC seeks support for the career time dedicated to this activity through grants, government support, industry, and philanthropy. Providing care for people with cancer in LMICs has been a recalcitrant problem. The alarming increase in the global burden of cancer in LMICs underscores the urgency and makes this an opportune time fornovel and sustainable solutions to transform cancer care globally
Pac13 is a small, monomeric dehydratase that mediates the formation of the 3′-deoxy nucleoside of pacidamycins
This work was supported by the EPSRC council (Grant number 1398501), Wellcome Trust (Investigator Award) and GlaxoSmithKline.The uridyl peptide antibiotics (UPAs), of which pacidamycin is a member, have a clinically unexploited mode of action and an unusual assembly. Perhaps the most striking feature of these molecules is the biosynthetically unique 3′-deoxyuridine that they share. This moiety is generated by an unusual, small and monomeric dehydratase, Pac13, which catalyses the dehydration of uridine-5’-aldehyde. Here we report the structural characterisation of Pac13 with a series of ligands, and gain insight into the enzyme’s mechanism demonstrating that H42 is critical to the enzyme’s activity and that the reaction is likely to proceed via an E1cB mechanism. The resemblance of the 3′-deoxy pacidamycin moiety with the synthetic anti-retrovirals, presents a potential opportunity for the utilisation of Pac13 in the biocatalytic generation of antiviral compounds.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
The mismeasure of ape social cognition
In his classic analysis, The Mismeasure of Man, Gould (1981) demolished the idea that intelligence was an inherent, genetic trait of different human groups by emphasizing, among other things, (a) its sensitivity to environmental input, (b) the incommensurate pre-test preparation of different human groups, and (c) the inadequacy of the testing contexts, in many cases. According to Gould, the root cause of these oversights was confirmation bias by psychometricians, an unwarranted commitment to the idea that intelligence was a fixed, immutable quality of people. By virtue of a similar, systemic interpretive bias, in the last two decades, numerous contemporary researchers in comparative psychology have claimed human superiority over apes in social intelligence, based on two-group comparisons between postindustrial, Western Europeans and captive apes, where the apes have been isolated from European styles of social interaction, and tested with radically different procedures. Moreover, direct comparisons of humans with apes suffer from pervasive lapses in argumentation: Research designs in wide contemporary use are inherently mute about the underlying psychological causes of overt behavior. Here we analyze these problems and offer a more fruitful approach to the comparative study of social intelligence, which focuses on specific individual learning histories in specific ecological circumstances
Negative group delay for Dirac particles traveling through a potential well
The properties of group delay for Dirac particles traveling through a
potential well are investigated. A necessary condition is put forward for the
group delay to be negative. It is shown that this negative group delay is
closely related to its anomalous dependence on the width of the potential well.
In order to demonstrate the validity of stationary-phase approach, numerical
simulations are made for Gaussian-shaped temporal wave packets. A restriction
to the potential-well's width is obtained that is necessary for the wave packet
to remain distortionless in the travelling. Numerical comparison shows that the
relativistic group delay is larger than its corresponding non-relativistic one.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
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