A consideration of the normalization that is typically included in correlation-based models of binaural detection

An analysis of binaural detection and new data that elucidate the nature and precision of normalization that must be assumed if binaural detection is accomplished via mechanisms that effectively compute the coefficient of cross correlation is presented. Based on that analysis, it is argued that the precision of normalization required to remove deleterious effects resulting from variations in the levels of the stimuli is so great that it is highly unlikely that normalization, per se, actually occurs as part of binarual processing. Instead, it appears more likely that binaural processing is accomplished via "subtractive" mechanisms, such as the one originally described by Durlach [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 35, 1206-1218 (1963)]. Within that framework, deleterious effects that could result from variations in the levels of the stimuli simply do not arise.     

Physics of size selectivity

We demonstrate that two mechanisms used by biological ion channels to select particles by size are driven by entropy. With uncharged particles in an infinite cylinder, we show that a channel that attracts particles is small-particle selective and that a channel that repels water from the wall is large-particle selective. Comparing against the extensive density-functional theory calculations of our model, we find that the main physics can be understood with surprisingly simple bulk models that neglect the confining geometry of the channel completely.     

Light harvesting with metasurfaces: applications to sensors and energy generation

Metasurfaces have been receiving increasing interest due to the complex array of radiation controlling properties that are possible with single-layer films. This talk and work will focus on metasurfaces that can provide light filtering according to wavelength, polarization, and other properties of an incident beam, and applied to a variety of sensors. Also, metasurfaces that exhibit light trapping and localization that can be used for energy generation will be described. One last group of metasurfaces will be discussed that display complex dispersion curves that exhibit fast- and slow-light properties that can be used to study the complex electromagnetic phenomena.     

Thought experiments at superluminal relative velocities

It is imagined that our world is being examined from a similar world which is moving relative to us with a velocity greater than that of light. The two worlds are supposed to be similar in that the particles in each appear to any observer in that world to have real measurable properties. However, the enormous relative velocity so distorts the observations that each world makes on the other that the squares of certain real quantities appear to the other observer to be negative. Neglect of this fact has led to the erroneous belief that a free charged tachyon would emit Cerenkov radiation and that the existence of tachyons would lead to logical paradoxes.     

Nonlinear polarization bistability in optical nanowires

Using the full vectorial nonlinear Schr?dinger equations that describe nonlinear processes in isotropic optical nanowires, we show that there exist structural anisotropic nonlinearities that lead to unstable polarization states that exhibit periodic bistable behavior. We analyze and solve the nonlinear equations for continuous waves by means of a Lagrangian formulation and show that the system has bistable states and also kink solitons that are limiting forms of the bistable states.     

Giant magnetic anisotropy in tetragonal FeCo alloys

In order to further increase the recording density in hard disk drives, new media materials are required. Two essential parameters of future recording media are a large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) K(u) and a large saturation magnetization M(s). Based on first-principles theory, we predict that very specific structural distortions of FeCo alloys possess these desired properties. The discovered alloy has a saturation magnetization that is about 50% larger than that of FePt--a compound that has received considerable attention lately-with a uniaxial MAE that can easily be tailored reaching a maximum value that is 50% larger than that of FePt.     

Semantic realism versus EPR-Like paradoxes: The Furry,Bohm-Aharonov,and Bell paradoxes

We prove that the general scheme for physical theories that we have called semantic realism(SR) in some previous papers copes successfully with a number of EPR-like paradoxes when applied to quantum physics (QP). In particular, we consider the old arguments by Furry and Bohm- Aharonov and show that they are not valid within a SR framework. Moreover, we consider the Bell-Kochen-Specker und the Bell theorems that should prove that QP is inherently contextual and nonlocal, respectively, and show that they can be invalidated in the SR approach. This removes the seeming contradiction between the basic assumptions of SR and QP, and proves that some problematic features that are usually attributed to QP, us contextuality and nonlocality, occur because of the adoption of a verificationist position, from one side, and from an insufficient adherence to the operational principles that have inspired QP itself, from the other side.     

Quantum Locality?

Robert Griffiths has recently addressed, within the framework of a ‘consistent quantum theory’ that he has developed, the issue of whether, as is often claimed, quantum mechanics entails a need for faster-than-light transfers of information over long distances. He argues that the putative proofs of this property that involve hidden variables include in their premises some essentially classical-physics-type assumptions that are not entailed by the precepts of quantum mechanics. Thus whatever is proved is not a feature of quantum mechanics, but is a property of a theory that tries to combine quantum theory with quasi-classical features that go beyond what is entailed by quantum theory itself. One cannot logically prove properties of a system by establishing, instead, properties of a system modified by adding properties alien to the original system. Hence Griffiths’ rejection of hidden-variable-based proofs is logically warranted. Griffiths mentions the existence of a certain alternative proof that does not involve hidden variables, and that uses only macroscopically described observable properties. He notes that he had examined in his book proofs of this general kind, and concluded that they provide no evidence for nonlocal influences. But he did not examine the particular proof that he cites. An examination of that particular proof by the method specified by his ‘consistent quantum theory’ shows that the cited proof is valid within that restrictive version of quantum theory. An added section responds to Griffiths’ reply, which cites general possibilities of ambiguities that might make what is to be proved ill-defined, and hence render the pertinent ‘consistent framework’ ill defined. But the vagaries that he cites do not upset the proof in question, which, both by its physical formulation and by explicit identification, specify the framework to be used. Griffiths confirms the validity of the proof insofar as that pertinent framework is used. The section also shows, in response to Griffiths’ challenge, why a putative proof of locality that he has described is flawed.     

Bogolubov transformations and completeness

It is well-known that two complete, orthonormal sets of solutions of the Klein-Gordon equation are related by invertible Bogolubov transformations and that the Bogolubov coefficients therefore satisfy certain identities. We show that the converse is false, namely, that the fact that the Bogolubov coefficients defined by two sets of solutions satisfy these identities doesnot imply that either set can be expanded in terms of the other. Several simple counterexamples are given.     

On a possible difference between the barycentric velocity and the velocity that gives translational momentum in fluids

This paper explores the rather controversial proposal by Howard Brenner that the velocities that follow from the mass flux and from the translational momentum in a fluid, are not equal. We show that standard non-equilibrium thermodynamics can be formulated such that it is in full agreement with this proposal. We argue that the merits of the proposal must be based on the physics of the problem. It cannot be dismissed as being in contradiction with non-equilibrium thermodynamics. We show that Brenners proposal gives a separation in a binary mixture beyond that of the Soret equilibrium, due to a gradient in the pressure divided by the temperature. Possible experiments to verify this are discussed.     

The Geometric and Thermodynamic Properties of Grain Boundary Junctions

We provide an overview of the properties of triple junctions and quadruple points. It is shown that these junctions may exhibit distinct behaviors that imply that they have and thermodynamically distinct properties in the same way that grain boundaries can be considered as thermodynamically distinct phases, separate from the material that they inhabit. It is shown that the treatment of triple junctions as thermodynamically distinct defects is a natural extension of the treatment of grain boundaries, and that it can be further extended to other junctions such as quadruple nodes. Equilibrium dihedral angles under conditions of anisotropic interfacial energy are explored, and it is found that the dihedral angles may be variable under a range of different conditions.     

Can an Attractive Potential Increase the Pressure of an Ideal Electron Gas?

We examine the intuitive, classical idea that an interactive system involving commonly used attractive potentials should always have a pressure which is less than that of an ideal Fermi gas. We find that quantum effects are of crucial importance and that, while this idea is normally correct, under certain circumstances, the pressure can exceed that of the ideal Fermi gas.     

Detection of weak electric fields by sharks,rays, and skates

The elasmobranchs-sharks, rays, and skates-can detect very weak electric fields in their aqueous environment through a complex sensory system, the ampullae of Lorenzini. The ampullae are conducting tubes that connect the surface of the animal to its interior. In the presence of an electric field, the potential of the surface of the animal will differ from that of the interior and that potential is applied across the apical membrane of the special sensory cells that line the ampullae. The firing rate of the afferent neurons that transmit signals from the ampullae has been shown to vary with that potential. We show that those firing rates can be described quantitatively in terms of synchronous firing of the sensory cells that feed the neurons. We demonstrate that such synchronism follows naturally from a hypothetical weak cell-to-cell interaction that results in a self-organization of the sensory cells. Moreover, the pulse rates of those cells-and the neurons that service the cells-can be expected to vary with the imposed electric fields in accord with measured values through actions of voltage gated transmembrane proteins in the apical sector of the cell membranes that admit Ca(++) ions. We also present a more conjectural model of signal processing at the neuron level that could exploit small differences in firing rates of nerve fibers servicing different ampullae to send an unambiguous signal to the central nervous system of the animal. (c) 1998 American Institute of Physics.     

Is there a universal scale of time?

The assumption that the same universal scale of time applies for different physical laws depends uponthe hypothesis that there is a unique universal scale of time in the universe. Intrinsic to that hypothesis is the assumption that if extraneous factors that affect physical clocks and processes that run on different physical principles could be removed, all clocks are synchronizable with one another. The consequences of that hypothesis not being true are considered. It was found thatclock asynchrony implies that: (1) a mass variation theory is probable; (2) there is a need for multiple clocks; and (3) t in the equations of physics is referring to clocks rather than time such that the properties of time are reduced to its direction (as characterized by thermodynamics and cosmology).     

Power-Law Relaxation and Cumulative Information

We associate the cumulative information of a system relaxing towards equilibrium with a divergent integral when a power-law relaxation holds. We discuss and illustrate numerically how this implies that a system that relaxes to equilibrium through a power-law has a cumulative information content that progressively diverges from that of its equilibrium realization to which it is relaxing. Our findings shed light on some aspects of weak ergodicity breaking and suggest that power-laws imply a form of complexity that does not require dissipation or built-in disorder.     

工业用蒸发式和水冷式冷凝器的循环水量和能耗研究

通过计算与现场测试,分析比较了蒸发式与水冷式冷凝器的循环水量和能耗。参照美国的经验数据,蒸发式冷凝器的循环水量约为立式水冷式的19%、约为卧式水冷式38%。现场测试发现,三种典型品牌蒸发式冷凝器的实际平均循环水量约为立式水冷式的51%、约为卧式水冷式的76%。三种典型品牌蒸发式冷凝器的单位排热量水泵能耗差异近一倍。它们的水泵平均能耗约为立式水冷式的46%、约为卧式水冷式的42%。实际运行中,蒸发式冷凝器的风机能耗占主导。     

Evolution of mixed particles interacting with classical sources

Systems of scalar and spinor particles that underwent mixing and which originated from external classical sources were investigated. Particle wave functions that take exactly into account external sources were obtained on the basis of solving Lorentz-invariant wave equations in four-dimensional space. Sources localized in space that emit harmonic radiation were considered. It was found that, owing to the presence of vacuum mixing, the scalar and spinor fields in question might oscillate—that is, go over to one another. It was shown that this phenomenon was analogous to neutrino flavor oscillations in a vacuum, since the calculated transition probabilities were coincidentwith their counterparts for neutrino oscillations. The situation of an arbitrarymassmatrix (that is, that which involved bothDirac andMajoranamass terms) was studied for the case of spinor-field evolution. The possibility of the appearance of antiparticles in a beam that originally involved only particles was analyzed. The question of whether the use of this method in describing neutrino flavor oscillations is legitimate was studied.     

Black holes in the Brans-Dicke

It is shown that a stationary space containing a black hole is a solution of the Brans-Dicke field equations if and only if it is a solution of the Einstein field equations. This implies that when the star collapses to form a black hole, it loses that fraction (about 7%) of its measured gravitational mass that arises from the scalar interaction. This mass loss is in addition to that caused by emission of scalar or tensor gravitational radiation. Another consequence is that there will not be any scalar gravitational radiation emitted when two black holes collide.     

A Higher Dimensional Stationary Rotating Black Hole Must be Axisymmetric

A key result in the proof of black hole uniqueness in 4-dimensions is that a stationary black hole that is “rotating”—i.e., is such that the stationary Killing field is not everywhere normal to the horizon—must be axisymmetric. The proof of this result in 4-dimensions relies on the fact that the orbits of the stationary Killing field on the horizon have the property that they must return to the same null geodesic generator of the horizon after a certain period, P. This latter property follows, in turn, from the fact that the cross-sections of the horizon are two-dimensional spheres. However, in spacetimes of dimension greater than 4, it is no longer true that the orbits of the stationary Killing field on the horizon must return to the same null geodesic generator. In this paper, we prove that, nevertheless, a higher dimensional stationary black hole that is rotating must be axisymmetric. No assumptions are made concerning the topology of the horizon cross-sections other than that they are compact. However, we assume that the horizon is non-degenerate and, as in the 4-dimensional proof, that the spacetime is analytic.     

Leptonic flavor and CP violation

Recent neutrino oscillation data teach us that the neutrinos have masses and that they mix. We discuss two ways that can be used to probe other non-standard leptonic physics. We show that non-standard neutrino interaction can be probed in neutrino oscillation experiments and discuss sneutrino-antisneutrino mixing.