5,445 research outputs found
Spatial fluctuations in an optical parametric oscillator below threshold with an intracavity photonic crystal
We show how to control spatial quantum correlations in a multimode degenerate
optical parametric oscillator type I below threshold by introducing a spatially
inhomogeneous medium, such as a photonic crystal, in the plane perpendicular to
light propagation. We obtain the analytical expressions for all the
correlations in terms of the relevant parameters of the problem and study the
number of photons, entanglement, squeezing, and twin beams. Considering
different regimes and configurations we show the possibility to tune the
instability thresholds as well as the quantumness of correlations by breaking
the translational invariance of the system through a photonic crystal
modulation.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
Analytic theory of correlation energy and spin polarization in the 2D electron gas
We present an analytic theory of the pair distribution function and the
ground-state energy in a two-dimensional (2D) electron gas with an arbitrary
degree of spin polarization. Our approach involves the solution of a
zero-energy scattering Schr\"odinger equation with an effective potential which
includes a Fermi term from exchange and kinetic energy and a Bose-like term
from Jastrow-Feenberg correlations. The form of the latter is assessed from an
analysis of data on a 2D gas of charged bosons. We obtain excellent agreement
with data from quantum Monte Carlo studies of the 2D electron gas. In
particular, our results for the correlation energy show a quantum phase
transition occurring at coupling strength from the paramagnetic
to the fully spin-polarized fluid.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
The permeation mechanism of organic cations through a CNG mimic channel
Several channels, ranging from TRP receptors to Gap junctions, allow the exchange of small organic solute across cell membrane. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanism of their permeation. Cyclic Nucleotide Gated (CNG) channels, despite their homology with K+channels and in contrast with them, allow the passage of larger methylated and ethylated ammonium ions like dimethylammonium (DMA) and ethylammonium (EA). We combined electrophysiology and molecular dynamics simulations to examine how DMA interacts with the pore and permeates through it. Due to the presence of hydrophobic groups, DMA enters easily in the channel and, unlike the alkali cations, does not need to cross any barrier. We also show that while the crystal structure is consistent with the presence of a single DMA ion at full occupancy, the channel is able to conduct a sizable current of DMA ions only when two ions are present inside the channel. Moreover, the second DMA ion dramatically changes the free energy landscape, destabilizing the crystallographic binding site and lowering by almost 25 kJ/mol the binding affinity between DMA and the channel. Based on the results of the simulation the experimental electron density maps can be re-interpreted with the presence of a second ion at lower occupancy. In this mechanism the flexibility of the channel plays a key role, extending the classical multi-ion permeation paradigm in which conductance is enhanced by the plain interaction between the ions
Semiclassical theory for spatial density oscillations in fermionic systems
We investigate the particle and kinetic-energy densities for a system of
fermions bound in a local (mean-field) potential V(\bfr). We generalize a
recently developed semiclassical theory [J. Roccia and M. Brack, Phys. Rev.\
Lett. {\bf 100}, 200408 (2008)], in which the densities are calculated in terms
of the closed orbits of the corresponding classical system, to
dimensions. We regularize the semiclassical results for the U(1) symmetry
breaking occurring for spherical systems at and near the classical
turning points where the Friedel oscillations are predominant and well
reproduced by the shortest orbit going from to the closest turning point
and back. For systems with spherical symmetry, we show that there exist two
types of oscillations which can be attributed to radial and non-radial orbits,
respectively. The semiclassical theory is tested against exact
quantum-mechanical calculations for a variety of model potentials. We find a
very good overall numerical agreement between semiclassical and exact numerical
densities even for moderate particle numbers . Using a "local virial
theorem", shown to be valid (except for a small region around the classical
turning points) for arbitrary local potentials, we can prove that the
Thomas-Fermi functional reproduces the oscillations in
the quantum-mechanical densities to first order in the oscillating parts.Comment: LaTeX, 22pp, 15 figs, 1 table, to be published in Phys. Rev.
C-Terminal Domain of the Human Zinc Transporter hZnT8 Is Structurally Indistinguishable from Its Disease Risk Variant (R325W)
The human zinc transporter 8 (hZnT8) plays important roles in the storage of insulin in the secretory vesicles of pancreatic β cells. hZnT8 consists of a transmembrane domain, with its N- and C-termini protruding into the cytoplasm. Interestingly, the exchange of arginine to tryptophan at position 325 in the C-terminal domain (CTD) increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). In the present study, the CTDs of hZnT8 (the wild-type (WT) and its disease risk variant (R325W)) were expressed, purified, and characterized in their native forms by biophysical techniques. The data reveal that the CTDs form tetramers which are stabilized by zinc binding, and exhibit negligible differences in their secondary structure content and zinc-binding affinities in solution. These findings provide the basis for conducting further structural studies aimed at unravelling the molecular mechanism underlying the increased susceptibility to develop T2D, which is modulated by the disease risk variant
Dynamics of supercooled liquids: density fluctuations and Mode Coupling Theory
We write equations of motion for density variables that are equivalent to
Newtons equations. We then propose a set of trial equations parameterised by
two unknown functions to describe the exact equations. These are chosen to best
fit the exact Newtonian equations. Following established ideas, we choose to
separate these trial functions into a set representing integrable motions of
density waves, and a set containing all effects of non-integrability. It
transpires that the static structure factor is fixed by this minimum condition
to be the solution of the Yvon-Born-Green (YBG) equation. The residual
interactions between density waves are explicitly isolated in their Newtonian
representation and expanded by choosing the dominant objects in the phase space
of the system, that can be represented by a dissipative term with memory and a
random noise. This provides a mapping between deterministic and stochastic
dynamics. Imposing the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem (FDT) allows us to
calculate the memory kernel. We write exactly the expression for it, following
two different routes, i.e. using explicitly Newtons equations, or instead,
their implicit form, that must be projected onto density pairs, as in the
development of the well-established Mode Coupling Theory (MCT). We compare
these two ways of proceeding, showing the necessity to enforce a new equation
of constraint for the two schemes to be consistent. Thus, while in the first
`Newtonian' representation a simple gaussian approximation for the random
process leads easily to the Mean Spherical Approximation (MSA) for the statics
and to MCT for the dynamics of the system, in the second case higher levels of
approximation are required to have a fully consistent theory
Unisolvency for Multivariate Polynomial Interpolation in Coatmèlec Configurations of Nodes
A new and straightforward proof of the unisolvability of the problem of multivariate polynomial interpolation based on Coatmèlec configurations of nodes, a class of properly posed set of nodes defined by hyperplanes, is presented. The proof generalizes a previous one for the bivariate case and is based on a recursive reduction of the problem to simpler ones following the so-called Radon–Bézout process.The authors thank to Drs. Mariano Gasca and Juan I. Ramos for pointing us some references and for their useful comments which have greatly improved the presentation. The authors also thank a reviewer for pointing out a mistake in the original Proof of Lemma 5. The research reported in this paper was partially supported by Project MTM2010-19969 from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion of Spain and Grant PAID-06-09-2734 from the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia. M. A. G. M. acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education (MEC), Fulbright Commission, and FECYT.García March, MÁ.; Gimenez Palomares, F.; Villatoro, FR.; Pérez Quiles, MJ.; Fernández De Córdoba Castellá, PJ. (2011). Unisolvency for Multivariate Polynomial Interpolation in Coatmèlec Configurations of Nodes. Applied Mathematics and Computation. 217(18):7427-7431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2011.02.034S742774312171
Hidden sector effects on double higgs production near threshold at the LHC
In this letter we study a novel effect of a hidden sector coupling to the
standard model Higgs boson: an enhancement of the Higgs pair production cross
section near threshold due to bound state effects. After summing the ladder
contributions of the hidden sector to the effective coupling, we find
the amplitude for gluon-gluon scattering via a Higgs loop. We relate this
amplitude to the double Higgs production cross section via the optical theorem.
We find that enhancements of the order of 100 for the partonic cross section
near the threshold region can be obtained for a hidden sector strongly coupled
to the Higgs boson. The corresponding cross section at the LHC can be as large
as a factor of 10 times the SM result for extreme values of the coupling. The
detection of such an effect could in principle lead to important information
about the hidden sector.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Matches published versio
Closing in on Asymmetric Dark Matter I: Model independent limits for interactions with quarks
It is argued that experimental constraints on theories of asymmetric dark
matter (ADM) almost certainly require that the DM be part of a richer hidden
sector of interacting states of comparable mass or lighter. A general requisite
of models of ADM is that the vast majority of the symmetric component of the DM
number density must be removed in order to explain the observed relationship
via the DM asymmetry. Demanding the efficient
annihilation of the symmetric component leads to a tension with experimental
limits if the annihilation is directly to Standard Model (SM) degrees of
freedom. A comprehensive effective operator analysis of the model independent
constraints on ADM from direct detection experiments and LHC monojet searches
is presented. Notably, the limits obtained essentially exclude models of ADM
with mass 1GeV 100GeV annihilating to SM quarks via
heavy mediator states. This motivates the study of portal interactions between
the dark and SM sectors mediated by light states. Resonances and threshold
effects involving the new light states are shown to be important for
determining the exclusion limits.Comment: 18+6 pages, 18 figures. v2: version accepted for publicatio
Determining ‘Age at Death’ for Forensic Purposes using Human Bone by a Laboratory-based Analytical Method
Determination of age-at-death (AAD) is an important and frequent requirement in contemporary forensic science and in the reconstruction of past populations and societies from their remains. Its estimation is relatively straightforward and accurate (±3 years) for immature skeletons by using morphological features and reference tables within the context of forensic anthropology. However, after skeletal maturity (>35 yrs) estimates become inaccurate, particularly in the legal context. In line with the general migration of all the forensic sciences from reliance upon empirical criteria to those which are more evidence-based, AAD determination should rely more-and-more upon more quantitative methods. We explore here whether well-known changes in the biomechanical properties of bone and the properties of bone matrix, which have been seen to change with age even after skeletal maturity in a traceable manner, can be used to provide a reliable estimate of AAD. This method charts a combination of physical characteristics some of which are measured at a macroscopic level (wet & dry apparent density, porosity, organic/mineral/water fractions, collagen thermal degradation properties, ash content) and others at the microscopic level (Ca/P ratios, osteonal and matrix microhardness, image analysis of sections). This method produced successful age estimates on a cohort of 12 donors of age 53–85 yr (7 male, 5 female), where the age of the individual could be approximated within less than ±1 yr. This represents a vastly improved level of accuracy than currently extant age estimation techniques. It also presents: (1) a greater level of reliability and objectivity as the results are not dependent on the experience and expertise of the observer, as is so often the case in forensic skeletal age estimation methods; (2) it is purely laboratory-based analytical technique which can be carried out by someone with technical skills and not the specialised forensic anthropology experience; (3) it can be applied worldwide following stringent laboratory protocols. As such, this technique contributes significantly to improving age estimation and therefore identification methods for forensic and other purposes
- …