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At least 649 records · Page 36

Modulation of diode laser radiation for the formation of a distance-independent backscattered signal

We propose a probing regime, in which the backscattered signal energy is independent of the distance from the surface of a scattering object. This regime is implemented using a part of the laser radiation power. With respect to the efficiency of using the laser during one measurement, the proposed regime is close to the pseudorandom noise continuous wave lidar regime. Using diode lasers, the regime of the degenerate energy response function and the lidar regime can be implemented in a single device. The relations between the geometric parameters of the probing scheme and the modulation parameters of laser radiation are obtained. The dependence of the linearity range of the diode laser on the relation between the length of the receiving channel near-field zone and the length of the probed trace is substantiated. (control of laser radiation parameters)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Selection of a two-dimensional image edge using polarisation-independent acousto-optic diffraction

A method for filtering two-dimensional distributions of light-wave spatial frequencies, based on the use of polarisation-independent acousto-optic (AO) Bragg diffraction, is proposed. This method provides a maximally possible transmission bandwidth of spatial frequencies and a minimum size of the resolved AO element. A selection of a two-dimensional edge in the zero Bragg order is demonstrated. The main theoretical conclusions are experimentally confirmed using a paratellurite AO filter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Salicylic acid-independent role of NPR1 is required for protection from proteotoxic stress in the plant endoplasmic reticulum

Significance The biosynthetic ability of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is essential to eukaryotic life. Disruption of such ability ignites ER stress, a potentially lethal condition. Known sensors perceive and respond to ER stress, but how their signaling is modulated is largely unknown, especially in plants. We demonstrate that the transcriptional cofactor NPR1, previously involved in salicylic acid (SA)-mediated immune defense, is translocated to the nucleus upon ER stress-induced reduction of the cytosolic redox potential, which is generally induced by SA. We also show that NPR1 interacts with the unfolded protein response (UPR) regulators bZIP28 and bZIP60 and suppresses the UPR independently from SA. This work identifies NPR1 as a critical modulator of the plant UPR and demonstrates convergence of signal decoding in ER stress and SA-mediated defense.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Density-independent plasmons for terahertz-stable topological metamaterials

Significance Plasmons, collective electron density oscillations in metals or doped semiconductors, provide an efficient way to couple light and matter at subwavelength scales. Usually, plasmons are carrier density ( n ) dependent, which may cause unstable functionalities of plasmons, especially for cutting-edge terahertz technology. Here, we reveal a unified mechanism for generating unusual n -independent plasmons (DIPs), where terahertz DIPs can be excited in some low-dimensional topological semimetals. Stable terahertz spectroscopy from narrowband to broadband and even a quantization can be achieved in topological metamaterials. Our study not only broadens the concept of plasmons by combining with exotic topological states but also paves a way to designing a compact device for stable terahertz applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Gauss’s law analysis of redox active adsorbates on semiconductor electrodes: The charging and faradaic currents are not independent

A detailed framework for modeling and interpreting the data in totality from a cyclic voltammetric measurement of adsorbed redox monolayers on semiconductor electrodes has been developed. A three-layer model consisting of the semiconductor space-charge layer, a surface layer, and an electrolyte layer is presented that articulates the interplay between electrostatic, thermodynamic, and kinetic factors in the electrochemistry of a redox adsorbate on a semiconductor. Expressions are derived that describe the charging and faradaic current densities individually, and an algorithm is demonstrated that allows for the calculation of the total current density in a cyclic voltammetry measurement as a function of changes in the physical properties of the system (e.g., surface recombination, dielectric property of the surface layer, and electrolyte concentration). The most profound point from this analysis is that the faradaic and charging current densities can be coupled. That is, the common assumption that these contributions to the total current are always independent is not accurate. Their interrelation can influence the interpretation of the charge-transfer kinetics under certain experimental conditions. More generally, this work not only fills a long-standing knowledge gap in electrochemistry but also aids practitioners advancing energy conversion/storage strategies based on redox adsorbates on semiconductor electrodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Solving independent set problems with photonic quantum circuits

An independent set (IS) is a set of vertices in a graph such that no edge connects any two vertices. In adiabatic quantum computation [E. Farhi, et al ., Science 292, 472–475 (2001); A. Das, B. K. Chakrabarti, Rev. Mod. Phys. 80, 1061–1081 (2008)], a given graph G ( V , E ) can be naturally mapped onto a many-body Hamiltonian H IS G ( V , E ) , with edges E being the two-body interactions between adjacent vertices V . Thus, solving the IS problem is equivalent to finding all the computational basis ground states of H IS G ( V , E ) . Very recently, non-Abelian adiabatic mixing (NAAM) has been proposed to address this task, exploiting an emergent non-Abelian gauge symmetry of H IS G ( V , E ) [B. Wu, H. Yu, F. Wilczek, Phys. Rev. A 101, 012318 (2020)]. Here, we solve a representative IS problem G ( 8 , 7 ) by simulating the NAAM digitally using a linear optical quantum network, consisting of three C-Phase gates, four deterministic two-qubit gate arrays (DGA), and ten single rotation gates. The maximum IS has been successfully identified with sufficient Trotterization steps and a carefully chosen evolution path. Remarkably, we find IS with a total probability of 0.875(16), among which the nontrivial ones have a considerable weight of about 31.4%. Our experiment demonstrates the potential advantage of NAAM for solving IS-equivalent problems.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

235 U(n, f) Independent fission product yield and isomeric ratio calculated with the statistical Hauser–Feshbach theory

In this work, we have developed a Hauser–Feshbach fission fragment decay model, HF 3 D, which can be applied to the statistical decay of more than 500 primary fission fragment pairs (1,000 nuclides) produced by the neutron induced fission of 235 U. The HF 3 D model numerically integrates fission fragment yield and their initial excitation energy, spin and parity distributions for these 1,000 nuclides. The fission fragment yield Y ( A ) and the total kinetic energy are model inputs, and we estimate them from available experimental data for the 235 U(n th ,f) system. The model parameters in the statistical decay calculation are adjusted to reproduce some fission observables, such as the neutron emission multiplicity v - , its distribution P ( ν ), and the mass dependence v - ( A ). The calculated fission product yield (FPY) and isomeric ratio (IR) are compared with experimental data. The calculated independent FPY Y I ( A ) at the thermal energy reproduces the experimental data well, while the calculated IRs tend to be lower than the Madland–England model prediction. The HF 3 D model is extended to higher incident neutron energies up to the second-chance fission threshold. We demonstrate for the first time that most of the IRs stay constant, although the production of isomeric state changes as the incident energy increases.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Observation of discrete oscillations in a model-independent plot of cosmological scale factor versus lookback time and scalar field model

We have observed damped longitudinal cosmological-scale oscillations in a unique model-independent plot of scale factor against lookback time for Type Ia supernovae data. We found several first-derivative relative maxima/minima spanning the range of reported transition redshifts. These extrema comprise two full cycles with a period of approximately 0.15 Hubble times (H{sub 0}=68 km s{sup −1} Mpc{sup −1}). This period corresponds to a fundamental frequency of approximately seven cycles over the Hubble time. Transition-z values quoted in the literature generally fall near these minima and may explain the reported wide spread up to the predicted ΛCDM value of approximately z = 0.77. We also observe second and third harmonics of the fundamental. The scale factor data is analyzed several different ways, including smoothing, Fourier transform, and autocorrelation. We propose a cosmological scalar field harmonic oscillator model for the observation. On this timescale, for a quantum scalar field, the scalar field mass is extraordinarily small at 3 × 10{sup −32} eV. Our scalar field density parameter precisely replaces the ΛCDM dark matter density parameter in the Friedmann equations, resulting in essentially identical data fits, and its present value matches the Planck value. Thus the wave is fundamentally a dark matter wave. We therefore posit that this scalar field manifests itself as the dark matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A DENSITY-INDEPENDENT FORMULATION OF SMOOTHED PARTICLE HYDRODYNAMICS

The standard formulation of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) assumes that the local density distribution is differentiable. This assumption is used to derive the spatial derivatives of other quantities. However, this assumption breaks down at the contact discontinuity. At the contact discontinuity, the density of the low-density side is overestimated while that of the high-density side is underestimated. As a result, the pressure of the low-density (high-density) side is overestimated (underestimated). Thus, unphysical repulsive force appears at the contact discontinuity, resulting in the effective surface tension. This tension suppresses fluid instabilities. In this paper, we present a new formulation of SPH, which does not require the differentiability of density. Instead of the mass density, we adopt the internal energy density (pressure) and its arbitrary function, which are smoothed quantities at the contact discontinuity, as the volume element used for the kernel integration. We call this new formulation density-independent SPH (DISPH). It handles the contact discontinuity without numerical problems. The results of standard tests such as the shock tube, Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, point-like explosion, and blob tests are all very favorable to DISPH. We conclude that DISPH solved most of the known difficulties of the standard SPH, without introducing additional numerical diffusion or breaking the exact force symmetry or energy conservation. Our new SPH includes the formulation proposed by Ritchie and Thomas as a special case. Our formulation can be extended to handle a non-ideal gas easily.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A GAS GIANT CIRCUMBINARY PLANET TRANSITING THE F STAR PRIMARY OF THE ECLIPSING BINARY STAR KIC 4862625 AND THE INDEPENDENT DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TWO TRANSITING PLANETS IN THE KEPLER-47 SYSTEM

We report the discovery of a transiting, gas giant circumbinary planet orbiting the eclipsing binary KIC 4862625 and describe our independent discovery of the two transiting planets orbiting Kepler-47. We describe a simple and semi-automated procedure for identifying individual transits in light curves and present our follow-up measurements of the two circumbinary systems. For the KIC 4862625 system, the 0.52 {+-} 0.018 R{sub Jupiter} radius planet revolves every {approx}138 days and occults the 1.47 {+-} 0.08 M{sub Sun }, 1.7 {+-} 0.06 R{sub Sun} F8 IV primary star producing aperiodic transits of variable durations commensurate with the configuration of the eclipsing binary star. Our best-fit model indicates the orbit has a semi-major axis of 0.64 AU and is slightly eccentric, e = 0.1. For the Kepler-47 system, we confirm the results of Orosz et al. Modulations in the radial velocity of KIC 4862625A are measured both spectroscopically and photometrically, i.e., via Doppler boosting, and produce similar results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

AN INDEPENDENT MEASUREMENT OF THE INCIDENCE OF Mg II ABSORBERS ALONG GAMMA-RAY BURST SIGHT LINES: THE END OF THE MYSTERY?

In 2006, Prochter et al. reported a statistically significant enhancement of very strong Mg II absorption systems intervening the sight lines to gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) relative to the incidence of such absorption along quasar sight lines. This counterintuitive result has inspired a diverse set of astrophysical explanations (e.g., dust, gravitational lensing) but none of these has obviously resolved the puzzle. Using the largest set of GRB afterglow spectra available, we reexamine the purported enhancement. In an independent sample of GRB spectra with a survey path three times larger than Prochter et al., we measure the incidence per unit redshift of {>=}1 A rest-frame equivalent width Mg II absorbers at z Almost-Equal-To 1 to be l(z) = 0.18 {+-} 0.06. This is fully consistent with current estimates for the incidence of such absorbers along quasar sight lines. Therefore, we do not confirm the original enhancement and suggest those results suffered from a statistical fluke. Signatures of the original result do remain in our full sample (l(z) shows an Almost-Equal-To 1.5 enhancement over l(z){sub QSO}), but the statistical significance now lies at Almost-Equal-To 90% c.l. Restricting our analysis to the subset of high-resolution spectra of GRB afterglows (which overlaps substantially with Prochter et al.), we still reproduce a statistically significant enhancement of Mg II absorption. The reason for this excess, if real, is still unclear since there is no connection between the rapid afterglow follow-up process with echelle (or echellette) spectrographs and the detectability of strong Mg II doublets. Only a larger sample of such high-resolution data will shed some light on this matter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

INTERPRETING THE GLOBAL 21 cm SIGNAL FROM HIGH REDSHIFTS. I. MODEL-INDEPENDENT CONSTRAINTS

The sky-averaged (global) 21 cm signal is a powerful probe of the intergalactic medium (IGM) prior to the completion of reionization. However, so far it has been unclear whether it will provide more than crude estimates of when the universe's first stars and black holes formed, even in the best case scenario in which the signal is accurately extracted from the foregrounds. In contrast to previous work, which has focused on predicting the 21 cm signatures of the first luminous objects, we investigate an arbitrary realization of the signal and attempt to translate its features to the physical properties of the IGM. Within a simplified global framework, the 21 cm signal yields quantitative constraints on the Lyα background intensity, net heat deposition, ionized fraction, and their time derivatives without invoking models for the astrophysical sources themselves. The 21 cm absorption signal is most easily interpreted, setting strong limits on the heating rate density of the universe with a measurement of its redshift alone, independent of the ionization history or details of the Lyα background evolution. In a companion paper, we extend these results, focusing on the confidence with which one can infer source emissivities from IGM properties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The accretion rate independence of horizontal branch oscillation in XTE J1701-462

We study the temporal and energy spectral properties of the unique neutron star low-mass X-ray binary XTE J1701-462. Assuming the horizontal branch/normal branch (HB/NB) vertex as a reference position of the accretion rate, the horizontal branch oscillation (HBO) of the HB/NB vertex is roughly 50 Hz. It indicates that the HBO is independent of the accretion rate or the source intensity. The spectral analysis shows R{sub in}∝ M-dot {sub Disk}{sup 2.9±0.09} in the HB/NB vertex and R{sub in}∝ M-dot {sub Disk}{sup 1.7±0.06} in the NB/flaring branch (FB) vertex, which implies that different accretion rates may be produced in the HB/NB and NB/FB vertex. The Comptonization component could be fitted by a constrained broken power law or nthComp. Unlike GX 17+2, the frequencies of HBO positively correlate with the inner disk radius, which contradict with the prediction of the Lense-Thirring precession model. XTE J1701-462, both in the Cyg-like phase and in the Sco-like phase, follows a positive correlation between the break frequency of broadband noise and the characteristic frequency of HBO, which is called the W-K relation. An anticorrelation between the frequency of HBO and photon energy is observed. Moreover, the rms of HBO increases with photon energy until ∼10 keV. We discuss the possible origin of HBO from the corona in XTE J1701-462.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Regularity underlying complexity: a redshift-independent description of the continuous variation of galaxy-scale molecular gas properties in the mass-star formation rate plane

Star-forming galaxies (SFGs) display a continuous specific star formation rate (sSFR) distribution, which can be approximated by two log-normal functions: one encompassing the galaxy main sequence (MS), and the other a rarer, starbursting population. Starburst (SB) sSFRs can be regarded as the outcome of a physical process (plausibly merging) taking the mathematical form of a log-normal boosting kernel that enhances star formation activity. We explore the utility of splitting the star-forming population into MS and SB galaxies—an approach we term the '2-Star Formation Mode' framework—for understanding their molecular gas properties. Star formation efficiency (SFE) and gas fraction variations among SFGs take a simple redshift-independent form, once these quantities are normalized to the corresponding values for average MS galaxies. SFE enhancements during SB episodes scale supra-linearly with the SFR increase, as expected for mergers. Consequently, galaxies separate more clearly into loci for SBs and normal galaxies in the Schmidt-Kennicutt plane than in (s)SFR versus M {sub *} space. SBs with large deviations (>10 fold) from the MS, e.g., local ULIRGs, are not average SBs, but are much rarer events whose progenitors had larger gas fractions than typical MS galaxies. Statistically, gas fractions in SBs are reduced two- to threefold compared to their direct MS progenitors, as expected for short-lived SFR boosts where internal gas reservoirs are depleted more quickly than gas is re-accreted from the cosmic web. We predict variations of the conversion factor α{sub CO} in the SFR-M {sub *} plane and we show that the higher sSFR of distant galaxies is directly related to their larger gas fractions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE BROWN DWARF ATMOSPHERE MONITORING (BAM) DATA: LARGE-AMPLITUDE VARIABILITY IS RARE OUTSIDE THE L/T TRANSITION

Observations of variability can provide valuable information about the processes of cloud formation and dissipation in brown dwarf atmospheres. Here we report the results of an independent analysis of archival data from the Brown dwarf Atmosphere Monitoring (BAM) program. Time series data for 14 L and T dwarfs reported to be significantly variable over timescales of hours were analyzed. We confirm large-amplitude variability (amplitudes >2%) for 4 out of 13 targets and place upper limits of 0.7%-1.6% on variability in the remaining sample. For two targets we find evidence of weak variability at amplitudes of 1.3% and 1.6%. Based on our revised classification of variable objects in the BAM study, we find strong variability outside the L/T transition to be rare at near infrared wavelengths. From a combined sample of 81 L0-T9 dwarfs from the revised BAM sample and the variability survey of Radigan et al., we infer an overall observed frequency for large-amplitude variability outside the L/T transition of 3.2{sub −1.8}{sup +2.8}%, in contrast to 24{sub −9}{sup +11}% for L9-T3.5 spectral types. We conclude that while strong variability is not limited to the L/T transition, it occurs more frequently in this spectral type range, indicative of larger or more highly contrasting cloud features at these spectral types.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Evolution of finite viscous disks with time-independent viscosity

We find Green functions for the accretion disk with fixed outer radius and time-independent viscosity. With the Green functions, a viscous evolution of the disk with any initial conditions can be described. Two types of inner boundary conditions are considered: the zero stress tensor and the zero accretion rate. The variable mass inflow at the outer radius can also be included. The well-known exponential decline of the accretion rate is a part of the solution with the inner zero stress tensor. The solution with the zero central accretion rate is applicable to disks around stars whose magnetosphere's boundary exceeds the corotation radius. Using the solution, the viscous evolution of disks in some binary systems can be studied. We apply the solution with zero inner stress tensor to outbursts of short-period X-ray transients during the time around the peak. It is found that for the Kramers’ regime of opacity and the initial surface density proportional to the radius, the rise time to the peak is t{sub rise}≈0.15 r{sub out}{sup 2}/ν{sub out} and the e-folding time of the decay is t{sub exp}≈0.45 r{sub out}{sup 2}/ν{sub out}. Comparison to non-stationary α-disks shows that both models with the same value of viscosity at the outer radius produce similar behavior on the viscous time-scale. For six bursts in X-ray novae, which exhibit fast-rise–exponential-decay and are fitted by the model, we find a way to restrict the turbulent parameter α.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Model-independent constraints on the cosmic opacity

We use current measurements of the expansion rate H(z) and cosmic background radiation bounds on the spatial curvature of the Universe to impose cosmological model-independent constraints on cosmic opacity. To perform our analyses, we compare opacity-free distance modulus from H(z) data with those from two type Ia supernovae compilations, namely, the Union2.1 plus the most distant spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia (SCP-0401 at z = 1.713) and two Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) subsamples. We find that a completely transparent universe is in full agreement with the Union 2.1 + SNe Ia SCP-0401 sample. For the SDSS compilations, such universe is compatible with observations at < 1.5σ level regardless the SNe Ia light-curve fitting used.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

On the importance of loop-induced spin-independent interactions for dark matter direct detection

The latest results from LHC searches for jets in association with missing transverse energy place strong bounds on the scattering cross section of dark matter. For the case of spin-dependent or momentum suppressed interactions these limits seem to be superior to the bounds from direct detection experiments. In this article, we show that loop contributions can significantly alter this conclusion and boost direct detection bounds, whenever they induce spin-independent interactions. This effect is most striking for tensor and pseudotensor interactions, which induce magnetic and electric dipole moments at loop level. For axialvector and anapole interactions a relevant contribution to direct detection signals arises from loop-induced Yukawa-like couplings between dark matter and quarks. We furthermore compare the resulting bounds to additional constraints on these effective operators arising from indirect searches and relic density requirements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗