Decoherence via the dynamical casimir effect

We derive a master equation for a mirror interacting with the vacuum field via radiation pressure. The dynamical Casimir effect leads to decoherence of a superposition state in a time scale that depends on the degree of "macroscopicity" of the state components, and which may be much shorter than the relaxation time scale. Coherent states are selected by the interaction as pointer states.     

Study of the 208Pb(n, γ0)209Pb reaction between 0.8 and 7.7 MeV

The reaction ²⁰⁸Pb(n, γ₀)²⁰⁹Pb was studied from 0.8 to 7.7 MeV to investigate relative contributions of the compound-nucleus and direct and semidirect processes in this energy range. Compound-nucleus reactions dominate below about 5 MeV and semidirect processes above 6 MeV. The direct-semidirect (DSD) model with a complex particle-vibration coupling describes the experimental data in the giant resonance region. A relatively large imaginary term is necessary to obtain a good fit to the data indicating either that the reactions proceed to a large extent in more complicated ways than the simple two-step semidirect reaction or that the model has a serious defect in its present formulation. A second objective was to search for a possible excitation of the isoscalar E2 and the M1 giant resonances by measuring asymmetries around 90° in the angular distribution of the γ-rays. The results indicate no (or very weak) asymmetry effects.     

Mathematical reasoning in teachers’ presentations

This paper presents a study of the opportunities presented to students that allow them to learn different types of mathematical reasoning during teachers’ ordinary task solving presentations. The characteristics of algorithmic and creative reasoning that are seen in the presentations are analyzed. We find that most task solutions are based on available algorithms, often without arguments that justify the reasoning, which may lead to rote learning. The students are given some opportunities to see aspects of creative reasoning, such as reflection and arguments that are anchored in the mathematical properties of the task components, but in relatively modest ways.     

Suppression of standing spin waves in low-dimensional ferromagnets

We examine the experimental absence of standing spin wave modes in thin magnetic films, by means of atomistic spin dynamics simulations. Using Co on Cu(001) as a model system, we demonstrate that by increasing the number of layers, the optical branches predicted from adiabatic first-principles calculations are strongly suppressed, in agreement with spin-polarized electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements reported in the literature. Our results suggest that a dynamical analysis of the Heisenberg model is sufficient in order to capture the strong damping of the standing modes.     

Types of reasoning required in university exams in mathematics

Empirical research shows that students often use reasoning founded on copying algorithms or recalling facts (imitative reasoning) when solving mathematical tasks. Research also indicate that a focus on this type of reasoning might weaken the students’ understanding of the underlying mathematical concepts. It is therefore important to study the types of reasoning students have to perform in order to solve exam tasks and pass exams. The purpose of this study is to examine what types of reasoning students taking introductory calculus courses are required to perform. Tasks from 16 exams produced at four different Swedish universities were analyzed and sorted into task classes. The analysis resulted in several examples of tasks demanding different types of mathematical reasoning. The results also show that about 70% of the tasks were solvable by imitative reasoning and that 15 of the exams could be passed using only imitative reasoning.     

Defect-induced magnetic structure in (Ga(1)-(x)Mn(x))As

We show that magnetic structures involving partial disorder of local magnetic moments on the Mn atoms in (Ga(1)-(x)Mn(x))As lower the total energy, compared to the case of perfect ferromagnetic ordering, when As defects on the Ga sublattice are present. Such magnetic structures are found to be stable for a range of concentrations of As antisites, and this result accounts for the observed magnetic moments and critical temperatures in (Ga(1)-(x)Mn(x))As. We propose an explanation for the stabilization of the partially disordered magnetic structures and conclude that the magnetization and critical temperatures should increase substantially by reducing the number of As antisite defects.     

Evidence for neutron capture through doorway states in29Si

Theγ-ray spectra following neutron capture in silicon have teen recorded in the neutron energy range 2.7–6.2 MeV and partial cross sections forγ-rays to the 2s_1/2 ground state and 1d_3/2 first excited states in²⁹Si determined. The results indicate considerable fluctuations with neutron energy with a prominent resonance peak at 4.6 MeV in the (n,γ _o) cross section. The existence of fluctuations is predicted in a recent theoretical calculation based on a model designed to include single-particle resonances in nuclear reaction processes.     

Isolation and purification of digalactosyldiacylglycerols

Summary A convenient method for the isolation of digalactosyldiacylglycerols from plant material has been developed using solid phase extraction. Commerical cartridges were utilized to prepare 100 mg fractions of galactolipids containing more than 97% of digalactosyldiacylglycerol. The purity of the fractions was monitored by an isocratic normal phase analytical HPLC procedure, which was optimized using factorial design. The optimized system was successfully scaled up to a semi-preparative HPLC system with a capacity of about 10 mg/injection which was used to further purify the digalactosyldiacylglycerol fraction.     

Spinor Factorizations of the Bel-Robinson Tensor

Recently Bonilla and Senovilla studied factorizations of the symmetric and tracefree rank four Bel-Robinson tensor T_abcd into two symmetric tracefree rank two tensors. While the Bel-Robinson tensor has the dimension of energy density squared, each of these factors has the dimension of energy density. When the two factors can be chosen to be equal they are called the square root of T_abcd. The approach used was purely tensorial. In this paper we use spinors and show that the factors can be found in a very simple way using the principal null directions of the Weyl tensor. We obtain a factorization of the Weyl spinor into two symmetric rank two spinors, which when multiplied by their complex conjugates give the tracefree and symmetric factors of T_abcd. The factorization is immediately seen to be non-unique in most cases and the number of essentially non-equivalent factorizations becomes clear. It also becomes obvious that the square root only can exist in spacetimes of Petrov types N, D and O, in which cases one can equally well speak about the square root of the Weyl spinor. Explicit formulas for the factors of the Weyl spinor are given for all Petrov types.