339,240 research outputs found
Excessive demand slowing?
Economic conditions - United States ; Monetary policy - United States
Is cosmic acceleration slowing down?
We investigate the course of cosmic expansion in its `recent past' using the
Constitution SN Ia sample (which includes CfA data at low redshifts), jointly
with signatures of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the galaxy
distribution and fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Earlier
SN Ia data sets could not address this issue because of a paucity of data at
low redshifts. Allowing the equation of state of dark energy (DE) to vary, we
find that a coasting model of the universe (q_0=0) fits the data about as well
as LCDM. This effect, which is most clearly seen using the recently introduced
`Om' diagnostic, corresponds to an increase of Om(z) and q(z) at redshifts z
\lleq 0.3. In geometrical terms, this suggests that cosmic acceleration may
have already peaked and that we are currently witnessing its slowing down. The
case for evolving DE strengthens if a subsample of the Constitution set
consisting of SNLS+ESSENCE+CfA SN Ia data is analysed in combination with
BAO+CMB using the same statistical methods. The effect we observe could
correspond to DE decaying into dark matter (or something else). A toy model
which mimics this process agrees well with the combined SN Ia+BAO+CMB data.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, presentation expanded, results for a new
subsample of the Constitution set are added, new BAO data are accounted for,
main results unchange
Slowing and cooling molecules and neutral atoms by time-varying electric field gradients
A method of slowing, accelerating, cooling, and bunching molecules and
neutral atoms using time-varying electric field gradients is demonstrated with
cesium atoms in a fountain. The effects are measured and found to be in
agreement with calculation. Time-varying electric field gradient slowing and
cooling is applicable to atoms that have large dipole polarizabilities,
including atoms that are not amenable to laser slowing and cooling, to Rydberg
atoms, and to molecules, especially polar molecules with large electric dipole
moments. The possible applications of this method include slowing and cooling
thermal beams of atoms and molecules, launching cold atoms from a trap into a
fountain, and measuring atomic dipole polarizabilities.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. Scheduled for publication in Nov. 1 Phys. Rev.
Bichromatic Slowing of Metastable Helium
We examine two approaches for significantly extending the velocity range of
the optical bichromatic force (BCF), to make it useful for laser deceleration
of atomic and molecular beams. First, we present experimental results and
calculations for BCF deceleration of metastable helium using very large BCF
detunings, and discuss the limitations of this approach. We consider in detail
the constraints, both inherent and practical, that set the usable upper limit
of the BCF. We then show that a more promising approach is to utilize a BCF
profile with a relatively small velocity range in conjunction with chirped
Doppler shifts, to keep the force resonant with the atoms as they are slowed.
In an initial experimental test of this chirped BCF method, helium atoms are
slowed by m/s using a BCF profile with a velocity width of m/s. Straightforward scaling of the present results indicates that a
decelerator for He* capable of loading a magneto-optical trap (MOT) can yield a
brightness comparable to a much larger Zeeman slower.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Published in Phys. Rev.
Critical slowing down of topological modes
We investigate the critical slowing down of the topological modes using local
updating algorithms in lattice 2-d CP^(N-1) models. We show that the
topological modes experience a critical slowing down that is much more severe
than the one of the quasi-Gaussian modes relevant to the magnetic
susceptibility, which is characterized by with
. We argue that this may be a general feature of Monte Carlo
simulations of lattice theories with non-trivial topological properties, such
as QCD, as also suggested by recent Monte Carlo simulations of 4-d SU(N)
lattice gauge theories.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure
Fast and Slow Speech Rate: a Characterisation for French
This paper is concerned with the evaluation of speech rate in French. Usually, this dynamic parameter is described as a unidimensional quantitative dimension. It is shown that the slowing down of speech has also major qualitative effects that must be taken into account. The theory on slowing down speech is thus revised
- …