Lasers without photons — or should it be lasers with too many photons?

Expanding the fields of a laser cavity in a set of orthonormal modes is a standard technique in laser theory. Expansion in a normal mode set is also the basis of the concept of photons. A substantial number of practical lasers do not, however, support any kind of normal or orthogonal cavity modes, and thus, their fields cannot be represented (at least not easily) in terms of normal modes, or photons. This leads to a number of unusual results, including situations in which the lowest-order mode of a cavity can contain substantially more energy than the total energy in the cavity, as well as enhanced quantum spontaneous emission far stronger than the single extra photon level characteristic of an ordinary laser oscillator. We review the theoretical origins of these unusual effects and present experimental confirmation of greatly enhanced Schawlow-Townes fluctuations in an unstable-resonator laser with a Petermann-noise enhancement factor of several hundred times.Dedicated to H. Walther on the occasion on his 60th birthday     

Neutron-mirror-neutron oscillations: how fast might they be?

We discuss the phenomenological implications of the neutron (n) oscillation into the mirror neutron (n'), a hypothetical particle exactly degenerate in mass with the neutron but sterile to normal matter. We show that the present experimental data allow a maximal n-n' oscillation in vacuum with a characteristic time tau much shorter than the neutron lifetime, in fact as small as 1 sec. This phenomenon may manifest in neutron disappearance and regeneration experiments perfectly accessible to present experimental capabilities and may also have interesting astrophysical consequences, in particular, for the propagation of ultra high energy cosmic rays.     

What should be the spectrum of galactic cosmic rays?

Numerous experimental data on cosmic rays sensitive to the spectrum of primary cosmic rays were analyzed in the energy range E>1 TeV. They proved to be incompatible with the pure power-law spectrum of primary particles. The spectral index of the proton spectrum is derived from the data considered. It was found to be 0.4±0.1 greater than for the nuclei with Z≥2. Therefore, the flux of galactic cosmic rays consisting of protons and nuclei with Z≥2 cannot be described by a unified power law in the energy range 0.1–10³ TeV.     

Stability of carbon nanotubes: how small can they be?

Experimental evidence has been found for the existence of small single wall carbon nanotubes with diameters of 0.5 and 0.33 nm by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and their mechanical stability was investigated using tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that, while the carbon tubes with diameters smaller than 0.4 nm are energetically less favorable than a graphene sheet, some of them are indeed mechanically stable at temperatures as high as 1100 degrees C. The 0.33 nm carbon tube observed is likely a (4, 0) tube and is indeed part of a compound nanotube system that forms perhaps the smallest metal-semiconductor-metal tubular junction yet synthesized.     

How many parameters can be identified by adaptive synchronization in chaotic systems?

Five interesting experiments have been done for a class of chaos synchronization systems with unknown parameters and unknown control directions. And three important conclusions about parameters identification have been made. First, a necessary and sufficient condition for parameters identification is obtained. Second, a Nussbaum method is proposed to solve the problem of unknown control direction. Third, the adaptive method is not infinitely effective considered for our current ability of computation and simulation algorithm.     

A look at the generalized Darboux transformations for the quasinormal spectra in Schwarzschild black hole perturbation theory: Just how general should it be?

In this article we take a close look at three types of transformations usable in the Schwarzschild black hole perturbation theory: a standard (DT), a binary (BDT) and a generalized (GDT) Darboux transformations. In particular, we discuss the absolutely crucial property of isospectrality of the aforementioned transformations which guarantees that the quasinormal mode (QNM) spectra of potentials, related via the transformation, completely coincide. We demonstrate that, while the first two types of the Darboux transformations (DT and BDT) are indeed isospectral, the situation is wildly different for the GDT: it violates the isospectrality requirement and is therefore only valid for the solutions with just one fixed frequency. Furthermore, it is shown that although in this case the GDT does provide a relationship between two arbitrary potentials (a short-ranged and a long-ranged potentials relationship being just a trivial example), this relationship ends up being completely formal. Finally, we consider frequency-dependent potentials. A new generalization of the Darboux transformation is constructed for them and it is proven (on a concrete example) that such transformations are also not isospectral. In short, we demonstrate how a little, almost incorporeal flaw may become a major problem for an otherwise perfectly admirable goal of mathematical generalization.     

What kind of optical model potentials should be used for deuteron stripping reactions?

This paper presents the results of a study that compares CTOM, a microscopic optical model potential(OMP), which is an optical model co-created by the China Nuclear Data Center & Tuebingen University, to CH89, which is a typical phenomenological OMP.The respective OMPs were tested by applying them to the modelling of nucleon elastic scattering and(d,p) transfer reactions involving14C,36S, and58Ni targets at both low and relatively high energies. The results demonstrated that although both potentials successfully accounted for the angular distributions of both the elastic scattering and transfer cross sections, the absolute values of the transfer cross sections calculated using CTOM were approximately 25% larger than those calculated using CH89. This increased transfer cross sections allowed CTOM to produce single particle strength reduction factors for the three reactions that were consistent with those extracted from(e,e′p) reactions as well as with more recent(p,2p) and(p,pn) reactions. Notch tests suggested that nucleon elastic scattering and transfer reactions are sensitive to different regions of the OMP;accordingly,phenomenological OMPs, which are constrained only by elastic scattering cross sections, may not be sufficient for nucleon transfer reactions. Therefore, we suggest that microscopic OMPs, which reflect more theoretical considerations, should be preferred over phenomenological ones in calculations of direct nuclear reactions.     

Defining the sampling space in multidimensional NMR experiments: What should the maximum sampling time be?

Efficient sampling of signals is a key issue for multiple-dimensional NMR experiments to establish the best ratio between experiment time and spectral quality. Focussing on the most widely used sampling strategy using standard rectangular sampling and data analysis by Fourier transformation, a central question is concerned with determining the optimal maximum sampling time in the individual dimensions. The spectral resolution depends directly on this choice, as do the overall experiment times when addressing the indirect dimensions. We present a theoretical, numerical, and experimental analysis of the sampling space problem and propose approaches to efficient sampling for typical cases.     

Beyond the operator algebra—To be nonlocal realism of quantum mechanics

正In 1905,Albert Einstein presented his milestone theory of photons in his paper titled On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Lightbased on Max Planck’s black-body radiation theory.The groundbreaking theory successfully solved the paradox between Maxwell’s wave theory of light and the experimental finding     

To what extent of ion neutralization can multivalent ion distributions around RNA-like macroions be described by Poisson-Boltzmann theory?

Nucleic acids are negatively charged biomolecules, and metal ions in solutions are important to their folding structures and thermodynamics, especially multivalent ions. However, it has been suggested that the binding of multivalent ions to nucleic acids cannot be quantitatively described by the well-established Poisson-Boltzmann(PB) theory. In this work, we made extensive calculations of ion distributions around various RNA-like macroions in divalent and trivalent salt solutions by PB theory and Monte Carlo(MC) simulations. Our calculations show that PB theory appears to underestimate multivalent ion distributions around RNA-like macroions while can reliably predict monovalent ion distributions. Our extensive comparisons between PB theory and MC simulations indicate that when an RNA-like macroion gets ion neutralization beyond a "critical" value, the multivalent ion distribution around that macroion can be approximately described by PB theory.Furthermore, an empirical formula was obtained to approximately quantify the critical ion neutralization for various RNAlike macroions in multivalent salt solutions, and this empirical formula was shown to work well for various real nucleic acids including RNAs and DNAs.     

Collisional depolarization of rotational angular momentum: what are the observables and how can they be measured?

The destruction and transfer of polarization of the rotational angular momentum of small molecules in an isotropic collisional environment is reviewed. Several recent independent treatments are drawn together, including unpublished details from the authors' own work, of the formal kinetics in terms of moments of the density matrix. The final results are shown to be equivalent and directly amenable to comparison with results of exact quantum scattering calculations. In passing, some differences in nomenclature are noted and a self-consistent version is presented that might usefully be adopted. The existing experimental approaches are surveyed, within the common theme of laser-based creation of the initial rotational anisotropy of relatively low rank, K, combined with a spectroscopic probe, also sensitive to restricted K. Those formally defined quantities that may be measured are identified, either individually or in some combination, with each method. In particular, an attempt is made to distinguish between measurements of individual tensor moments of the density matrix, or ‘bulk polarizations’, and alignment moments, which are normalized to the population. Some cases are noted where experimental procedures have compromised the results, or where the analysis has been similarly approximate or carried out on a less rigorous empirical basis.     

How should we measure spatial distances?

The use of time-like geodesics to measure temporal distances is better justified than the use of space-like geodesics for a measurement of spatial distances. We give examples where a spatial distance cannot be appropriately determined by the length of a space-like geodesic.     

Phonon concentrating: How many catastrophes do occur?

New types of catastrophes in phonon concentrating (in so-called “phonon focusing”) are described. The conditions for existence of new caustics in crystals are obtained.