Interaction of coupled higher order nonlinear Schrödinger equation solitons

The novel inelastic collision properties of two-soliton interaction for an n-component coupled higher order nonlinear Schr?dinger equation are studied. Some interesting features of three soliton interactions, related to the integrability of the n-component coupled higher order nonlinear Schr?dinger equation are also discussed. Received 17 April 2002 Published online 2 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: abhijit@iitg.ernet.in RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: sasanka@iitg.ernet.in RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: sudipta@iitg.ernet.in     

Slow nucleic acid unzipping kinetics from sequence-defined barriers

Recent experiments on unzipping of RNA helix-loop structures by force have shown that ≈40-base molecules can undergo kinetic transitions between two well-defined “open” and “closed” states, on a timescale ≈1 sec [Liphardt et al., Science 297, 733-737 (2001)]. Using a simple dynamical model, we show that these phenomena result from the slow kinetics of crossing large free energy barriers which separate the open and closed conformations. The dependence of barriers on sequence along the helix, and on the size of the loop(s) is analyzed. Some DNA and RNA sequences that could show dynamics on different time scales, or three(or more)-state unzipping, are proposed. Our dynamical model is also applied to the unzipping of long (kilo-basepair) DNA molecules at constant force. Received 29 July 2002 / Received in final form 5 February 2003 Published online: 16 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: cocco@ldfc.u-strasbg.fr RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: jmarko@uic.edu RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: monasson@lpt.ens.fr     

Elasticity and plasticity of two-dimensional amorphous solid layers of β-lactoglobulin

We investigate the mechanical properties of a two-dimensional amorphous solid. It is formed spontaneously by the adsorption of a protein (the β-lactoglobulin) at the surface of water. We measure its mechanical response in both elastic and plastic regimes by applying a point-like force (using a glass fiber). We compare our results with previous measurements of shear moduli using a floating torsion device. Received: 10 February 2003 / Accepted: 23 April 2003 / Published online: 27 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Present address: Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK; e-mail: sc374@phy.cam.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: graner@ujf-grenoble.fr     

The $-game

We propose a payoff function extending Minority Games (MG) that captures the competition between agents to make money. In contrast with previous MG, the best strategies are not always targeting the minority but are shifting opportunistically between the minority and the majority. The emergent properties of the price dynamics and of the wealth of agents are strikingly different from those found in MG. As the memory of agents is increased, we find a phase transition between a self-sustained speculative phase in which a “stubborn majority” of agents effectively collaborate to arbitrage a market-maker for their mutual benefit and a phase where the market-maker always arbitrages the agents. A subset of agents exhibit a sustained non-equilibrium risk-return profile. Received 5 June 2002 / Received in final form 21 November 2002 Published online 27 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: sornette@unice.fr RID="b" ID="b"CNRS UMR7536 RID="c" ID="c"CNRS UMR6622     

High-spin states in the <Superscript>97</Superscript>Tc nucleus

High-spin states in the ⁹⁷Tc nucleus have been studied by in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the reaction ⁸²Se(¹⁹F,4nγ) at 68 MeV incident energy. Excited states have been observed up to about 8 MeV excitation and spin 43/2. The observed level scheme is compared with results of shell model calculations. Received: 22 November 2002 / Accepted: 23 December 2002 / Published online: 18 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: bucurescu@tandem.nipne.ro RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="b" ID="b"Present address: INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Explicit model realizing parton-hadron duality

An explicit model realizing parton-hadron duality and fitting the data is suggested. Complex nonlinear Regge trajectories are important ingredients of the model. The inclusion of Δ and N^* trajectories should account for all resonances in the direct channel. The exotic trajectory is responsible for the smooth background. Received: 7 June 2002 / Accepted: 3 July 2002 / Published online: 10 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: fiore@cs.infn.it RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: flachi@ifae.es RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: jenk@gluk.org RID="d" ID="d"e-mail: sasha@len.uzhgorod.ua RID="e" ID="e"e-mail: vladimir@cfif.ist.utl.pt Communicated by V.V. Anisovich     

Isomeric states in proton-unbound 187, 189Bi isotopes

Prompt and delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy of very neutron-deficient bismuth isotopes ^{187, 189}Bi has been performed using the Recoil Decay Tagging (RTD) method. The isomeric i _13/2 states have been identified and their lifetimes have been measured. The systematics of these long-lived M2 isomers has been extended to the proton-unbound isotopes. The general behaviour of single-proton states is discussed within the systematics and interpreted within the shell-model framework. Received: 2 May 2002 / Accepted: 3 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: wkorten@cea.fr RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 14, FIN-00881 Helsinki. Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Line shape analysis of two-colour photoassociation spectra on the example of the Cs ground state

Two-photon photoassociation spectra in a Λ-type excitation scheme are analysed under the systematically varied experimental conditions of frequency detunings and laser intensities. Line shape fits are presented as well as the investigation of intensity and detuning dependent line shifts. From both we determine the attained spectroscopic precision, that is corrected for a systematic line shift due to the thermal distribution of atoms in the trap. An energy correction for this effect is given. Information about the feasibility of generating translationally cold molecules in a well defined rotational and vibrational level by the photoassociation process is derived from the analysis. Received 21 May 2002 Published online 15 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"Current address e-mail: christian.lisdat@ptb.de RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: pierre.pillet@lac.u-psud.fr     

Genetic Algorithms as a tool in the study of aperiodic order,with application to the case of X-Ray diffraction spectra of GaAs-AlAs multilayer heterostructures

We present the first application of Genetic Algorithms to the analysis of data from an aperiodically ordered system, high resolution X-Ray diffraction spectra from multilayer heterostructures arranged according to a deterministic or random scheme. This method paves the way to the solution of the “inverse problem”, that is the retrieval of the generating disorder from the investigation of the spectra of an unknown sample having non crystallographic, non quasi-crystallographic order. Received 18 March 2002 / Received in final form 3 July 2002 Published online 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: Evelyne.Lutton@inria.fr RID="b" ID="b"CNRS UMR 8502     

NMR study of the dissolution of laser-polarized xenon

NMR of laser-polarized xenon is used to probe the dissolution behaviour of the noble gas in different liquids. The dissolution and self-relaxation rates are extracted via a macroscopic model, and comparison of the decay rate of the xenon magnetization in deuterated and non-deuterated solvent pairs allows the determination of the pure dipole-dipole contribution to relaxation. A transient convective effect, tentatively assigned to the xenon concentration gradient, is observed and characterized by diffusion encoding MRI experiments. The flow of xenon penetrates inside the solvent near the walls of the NMR tube, the longitudinal images showing a “” shape, the transverse ones a “O” shape. This convection effect has implications for delivery conditions of laser-polarized xenon in continuous flow experiments and magnetic resonance imaging. Received 29 April 2002 / Received in final form 26 July 2002 Published online 22 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: hdesvaux@cea.fr RID="b" ID="b"URA CNRS/CEA 331     

Antideuteron production in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions

The experimental data of the antideuteron production in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions are analyzed within a simple model based on the diagrammatic approach to the coalescence model. This model is shown to be able to reproduce most of the existing data without any additional parameter. Received: 18 April 2002 / Accepted: 30 August 2002 / Published online: 17 January 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: duperray@isn.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: protasov@isn.in2p3.fr RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: avoronin@aha.ru Communicated by A. Molinari     

Laser cooling of molecules via single spontaneous emission

A general scheme for reducing the center-of-mass entropy is proposed. It is based on the repetition of a cycle, composed of three concepts: velocity selection, deceleration and irreversible accumulation. Well-known laser techniques are used to represent these concepts: Raman π-pulse for velocity selection, STIRAP for deceleration, and a single spontaneous emission for irreversible accumulation. No closed pumping cycle nor repeated spontaneous emissions are required, so the scheme is applicable to cool a molecular gas. The quantum dynamics are analytically modelled using the density matrix. It is shown that during the coherent processes the gas is translationally cooled. The internal states serve as an entropy sink, in addition to spontaneous emission. This scheme provides new possibilities to translationally laser-cool molecules for high precision molecular spectroscopy and interferometry. Received 25 June 2002 / Received in final form 28 September 2002 Published online 12 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: ooi@spock.physik.uni-konstanz.de RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: Peter.Marzlin@uni-konstanz.de RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: Juergen.Audretsch@uni-konstanz.de     

Strange attractor simulated on a quantum computer

We show that dissipative classical dynamics converging to a strange attractor can be simulated on a quantum computer. Such quantum computations allow to investigate efficiently the small scale structure of strange attractors, yielding new information inaccessible to classical computers. This opens new possibilities for quantum simulations of various dissipative processes in nature. Received 10 August 2002 Published online 29 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: dima@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr RID="b" ID="b"UMR 5626 du CNRS     

In-beam spectroscopy of 253, 254No

In-beam conversion electron spectroscopy experiments have been performed on the transfermium nuclei ^{253, 254}No using the conversion electron spectrometer SACRED in nearly collinear geometry in conjunction with the gas-filled separator RITU at the University of Jyv?skyl?. The experimental setup is discussed and the spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The implications for the ground-state configuration of ²⁵³No are discussed. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: rdh@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, F-14021 Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Permanent address: IReS Strasbourg, IN2P3-CNRS, F-67037-Strasbourg, France. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: CEA/DIF DCRE/SDE/LDN F-91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel. RID="e" ID="e"Present address: Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK. RID="f" ID="f"Permanent address: IPN Lyon, IN2P3-CNRS, F-69037 Lyon, France.     

Polymers grafted to a fluid and flexible membrane: Extreme sensitivity to the grafting density

Equilibrium phase coexistence between two chemical species implies the equality of the chemical potentials and of the osmotic pressures. We study this problem on a deformable membrane when one type of the molecules serves as anchor for polymeric chains immersed in the surrounding medium (considered as a good solvent). We derive the general conditions for phase coexistence when both the curvature of the membrane and the density field of the anchor molecule are free to adjust themselves. We show that curvature favors phase segregation. Our model predicts that membranes decorated with polymeric chains exhibit new shape bifurcations without equivalent in fixed density systems. Received: 26 November 2002 / Accepted: 2 April 2003 / Published online: 12 May 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: nicolas@drfmc.ceng.cea.fr RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: bfourcade@cea.fr     

Candidates for chiral doublet bands in 136Nd

The even-even nucleus ¹³⁶Nd was studied via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy using the ¹⁶O + ¹²⁵Te reaction at 100 MeV and the EUROBALL array. One new dipole band was observed. Together with a previously identified dipole band, whose position in the level scheme is revised, the new band forms a doublet structure similar to the recently observed chiral bands in the odd-odd neighboring nuclei. This would be the first case of a chiral doublet in an even-even nucleus. Received: 23 May 2002 / Accepted: 30 September 2002 / Published online: 27 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: costel.petrache@unicam.it RID="b" ID="b"Present address: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung D-64291 Darmstadt, Germany. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Bounded rational driver models

This paper introduces a car following model where the driving scheme takes into account the deficiencies of human decision making in a general way. Additionally, it improves certain shortcomings of most of the models currently in use: it is stochastic but has a continuous acceleration. This is achieved at the cost of formulating the model in terms of the time derivative of the acceleration, making it non-Newtonian. However, the recipe for construction of bounded rational driver models proposed in this paper seems to be very general and can be applied to most, if not all of the traditional car-following models. Received 18 November 2002 / Received in final form 6 February 2003 Published online 1st April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: ialub@fpl.gpi.ru RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: peter.wagner@dlr.de RID="c" ID="c"e-mail: reinhard.mahnke@physik.uni-rostock.de     

Folding of lattice protein chains with modified Gō potential

We propose a modified Gō model in which the pairwise interaction energies vary as local environment changes. The stability difference between the surface and the core is also well considered in this model. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies suggest that this model has improved folding cooperativity and foldability in contrast with the Gō model. The free energy landscape of this model has broad barriers and narrow denatured states, which is consistent with that of the two-state folding proteins and is lacked for the Gō model. The role of non-native interactions in protein folding is also studied. We find that appropriate consideration of the contribution of the non-native interactions may increase the folding rate around the transition temperature. Our results show that conformation-dependent interaction between the residues is a realistic representation of potential functions in protein folding. Received 10 April 2002 / Received in final form 20 August 2002 Published online 19 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: wangwei@nju.edu.cn     

High-spin structure of the neutron-rich odd-odd 106, 108 45Rh and 110, 112 47Ag isotopes

The ^{106, 108}Rh and ^{110, 112}Ag nuclei have been produced as fission fragments following the fusion reaction ²⁸Si + ¹⁷⁶Yb at 145 MeV bombarding energy and studied with the Eurogam2 array. The yrast high-spin states of these four odd-odd nuclei, which are observed for the first time, consist of rotational bands in which the odd proton occupies the πg _9/2 subshell and the odd neutron the νh _11/2 subshell. Their behaviour as a function of spin values does not vary with the number of neutrons: as observed in the odd-N neighbouring nuclei, the motion of the odd neutron remains decoupled from the motion of the core, from N = 61 to N = 65. Moreover, the staggering observed in the yrast bands of odd-odd isotopes is strongly reduced as compared to the large values displayed by the rotational bands built on the πg _9/2 subshell in the odd-A Rh and Ag isotopes. The results of particle-rotor calculations indicate that this reduction is related to a change of the core deformation. Received: 1 June 2001 / Accepted: 23 July 2002 / Published online: 10 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: porquet@csnsm.in2p3.fr RID="b" ID="b"Present address: CSNSM IN2P3-CNRS and Université Paris-Sud 91405 Orsay, France. RID="c" ID="c"Present address: NAC, Faure, ZA 7131, South Africa. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: Department of Nuclear Physics, ANU, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. Communicated by D. Schwalm