Middle-school students’ concept images of geometric translations

This study explored sixth grade students’ concept images of geometric translations and the possible sources of their conceptions in a non-technological environment. The data were gathered through a written instrument, student and teacher interviews and document analyses. Analyses of student responses revealed two major concept images of geometric translations: (a) translation as translational motion, and (b) translation as both translational and rotational motion. Students who held these conceptions showed various levels of understanding, such as conceiving translations as undefined motion, partially-defined motion, and defined-motion of a single geometric figure on the plane. The findings of the study suggested, in general, consistencies between students’ concept images and their concept definitions. However, most of the students’ concept definitions were inconsistent with the formal concept definition of geometric translations.Data analyses also revealed five interpretations of a translation vector: (a) vector as a reference line, (b) vector as a symmetry line, (c) vector as a direction indicator, (d) vector as a parameter, and (e) vector as an abstract tool. Furthermore, classroom instruction, mathematics and science textbooks, real-life examples and everyday language were the major sources of students’ concept images of geometric translations.     

ASE Noise-Reduced Optical Receiver Based on MZI Diversity Scheme

A novel method is proposed that reduces the bit error rate (BER) in an optically amplified system by using a Mach–Zender interferometer coherence manipulation at the receiver. Exact analysis is presented, which shows that the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved by 3 dB. Resulting BER improvements are presented.     

Effects of colored noise and noise delay on a calcium oscillation system

As a calcium oscillations system is in steady state, the effects of colored noise and noise delay on the system is investigated using stochastic simulation methods. The results indicate that: (1) the colored noise can induce coherence bi-resonance phenomenon. (2) there exist three peaks in the R–_τ0$R\text{–}{\tau }_0$ (R$R$ is the reciprocal coefficient of variance, and _τ0${\tau }_0$ is the self-correlation time of the colored noise) curves. For the same noise intensity Q=1$Q=1$, the Gaussian colored noise can induce calcium spikes but the white noise cannot do this. (3) the delay time can improve noise induced spikes regularity as _τ0${\tau }_0$ is small, and R$R$ has a significant minimum with increasing τ$\tau$ as _τ0${\tau }_0$ is large. (4) large values of ζ$\zeta$ reduce noise induced spikes regularity.     

Stokes beams formed by superposition of a completely unpolarized and a completely polarized Gaussian Schell-model beam

Analytic expressions and computed examples are given to elucidate the coherence and polarization properties of Stokes beams, i.e. beams formed by superposition of a completely unpolarized and a completely polarized electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam. We found that superposition of such two beams cannot form a Stokes beam with a constant state of polarization on propagation. An additional constraint on the source plane parameters of the two Gaussian Schell-model beams is proposed. The resultant Stokes beam with a constant state of polarization on propagation is found to be a Gaussian Schell-model beam with the same variances as the two constituent Gaussian Schell-model beams. However, the modulus of the Gaussian intensity distributions across the source planes of these beams may be different.     

Allometry and growth: A unified view

Allometry is crucial in biology; scaling relations are implied in laws of growth of living systems. The self similarity of Gompertzian growths of biological organisms plays a key role, in this regard, in biological similitude. The origin of allometric relationships and values of the scaling exponents is a source of debate, as well as the origin of the range of biological scales. But, besides biology, scaling and growth characterize many different complex systems. Encompassing these aspects in a unified view is an interesting target. In this paper we propose a coarse but significant model that is applied to astrophysical structures and biological organisms. The inclusion of such different systems suggests applications to fields where allometry is emerging, such as economics, urban planning and the social sciences.     

Can stochastic resonance and coherence resonance describe CDW dynamics in quasi-one dimensional conductors?

Stochastic resonance (SR) in nonlinear systems is a counterintuitive concept in which a weak periodic signal and noise cooperate and give rise to a maximum in the signal-to-noise ratio at the output of the system when the noise is tuned to a certain value. In the coherence resonance phenomenon (CR), there is no deterministic signal to be enhanced. Intrinsic oscillations are present as transients. Adding an optimum noise turns transients into coherent ones. We discuss the possible application of SR and CR concepts to CDW dynamics in quasi-one dimensional conductors. We show in a preliminary experiment that addition of white noise can modify the behavior of the CDW in the quasi-one dimensional conductor K_0.30MoO₃.     

La0.7-xDyxSr0.3MnO3中的相分离和输运行为

通过测量样品的M-T曲线、 M-H曲线、 ESR曲线、ρ-T曲线和MR-T曲线, 研究了Dy掺杂(0.0≤x≤0.30)对La0.7Sr0.3MnO3磁电性质的影响. 实验结果表明 在TC处所有样品都经历了顺磁到铁磁的转变; 当T＜TC时, 掺杂样品进入自旋团簇玻璃态, 低温时显示出反铁磁性; x=0.20时, 样品在TC以上温区发生相分离; Dy掺杂引起的磁结构变化将导致CMR效应.     

Quantum and classical phenomenological universalities

The quantum Q2 class of phenomenological universalities (PU) is extended to include exact solutions and minimum uncertainty coherent states of Hulthen, Kratzer–Fues, Tipping and generalized Kratzer–Fues–Tipping oscillators. In the dissociation (quasi-quantum) limit the solutions obtained generate the extended U2 class of PU including West–Brown–Enquist universal growth curve and temporal (spatial) fractal functions widely used in the field of life sciences and physics. It will be shown that the PU concept seems to be a valuable methodology for deriving the new forms of potential energy functions with possible applications in theoretical analysis of molecular spectra.     

Preservation of coherence for a two-level atom tunneling through a squeezed vacuum with finite bandwidth

Tunneling of a two-state particle through a squeezed vacuum is considered. It has been shown that repetitive measurement or interaction with the external field can preserve the coherence. Moreover, the coherence time in terms of the squeezing parameters has been calculated. A specific condition is derived, under which the coherence is sustainable.     

Ghost telescope and ghost Fourier telescope with thermal light

As important observation tools, telescopes are very useful in remote observations. We report a proof-of-principle experimental demonstration of ghost telescope scheme and show that, by measuring the intensity correlation of two light fields and only changing the position of the detector in the reference path, ghost telescope and ghost Fourier telescope can be obtained even if a single-pixel detector is fixed in Fresnel region of the object. Differences between conventional telescope and ghost telescope are also discussed.