A gauge-covariant derivation of the strong-field approximation

A brief discussion of gauge invariance in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is presented. The strong-field approximation for ionization of an atom by a laser field is rederived in such a way that the resulting ionization amplitude comes out identical in any gauge. This result agrees with the usual length-gauge form.     

Scaled boundary finite element analysis of stress singularities in piezoelectric multi-material systems

The scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) in an extension for piezoelectric materials is used to analyze twoand three-dimensional stress singularities in piezoelectric multi-material systems. It is found to be an efficient tool for the analysis of singularity orders of such situations, that turn out to be rather complex. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

How cold is cold dark matter? Small-scales constraints from the flux power spectrum of the high-redshift lyman-alpha forest

We present constraints on the mass of warm dark matter (WDM) particles derived from the Lyman-alpha flux power spectrum of 55 high-resolution HIRES spectra at 2.0 or approximately 1.2 keV (2sigma) if the WDM consists of early decoupled thermal relics and m(WDM) > or approximately 5.6 keV (2sigma) for sterile neutrinos. Adding the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Lyman-alpha flux power spectrum, we get m(WDM) > or approximately 4 keV and m(WDM) > or approximately 28 keV (2sigma) for thermal relics and sterile neutrinos. These results improve previous constraints by a factor of 2.     

Reduction of the linewidths of deep luminescence centers in 28Si reveals fingerprints of the isotope constituents

Dramatic reductions of the linewidths of well-known deep centers in 28Si reveal "isotopic fingerprints" of the constituents. The approximately 1014 meV Cu center, thought to be either a Cu pair or an isolated Cu, is shown to contain four Cu atoms, and the approximately 780 meV Ag center is shown to contain four Ag. The approximately 944 meV ;{*}Cu center, thought to be a different configuration of a Cu pair, in fact contains three Cu and one Ag, and a new two-Cu two-Ag center is found. The approximately 735 meV center, previously assigned to Fe, actually contains Au and three Cu. This suggests a family of four-atom (Cu, Ag, Au) centers.     

Measurement of neutrino oscillations with the MINOS detectors in the NuMI beam

This Letter reports new results from the MINOS experiment based on a two-year exposure to muon neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI beam. Our data are consistent with quantum-mechanical oscillations of neutrino flavor with mass splitting |Deltam2| = (2.43+/-0.13) x 10(-3) eV2 (68% C.L.) and mixing angle sin2(2theta) > 0.90 (90% C.L.). Our data disfavor two alternative explanations for the disappearance of neutrinos in flight: namely, neutrino decays into lighter particles and quantum decoherence of neutrinos, at the 3.7 and 5.7 standard-deviation levels, respectively.     

Preservice Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Fraction Operations: A Comparative Study of the United States and Taiwan

This study examined (a) the differences in preservice teachers’ procedural knowledge in four areas of fraction operations in Taiwan and the United States, (b) the differences in preservice teachers’ conceptual knowledge in four areas of fraction operations in Taiwan and the United States, and (c) correlation in preservice teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge of fractions in Taiwan and the United States. Participants were preservice teachers (N = 49) in a teacher education program in the United States and comparable Chinese preservice teachers (N = 47). Results indicated that Chinese preservice teachers performed better in procedural knowledge on fraction operations than American preservice teachers. No significant differences were found for conceptual knowledge on fraction division. Further, the correlation in this study showed that for Chinese and American preservice teachers, the relationship between conceptual and procedural knowledge of fraction operations was weak.     

Impulse and mass transport in a cartilage bioreactor using the lattice Boltzmann method

Mass and Impulse transport of oxygen enriched water in cartilage cell breeding reactor are simulated using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The solver is attached with a shear stress and pressure calculator to quantify the load distribution on the cells. The solver was validated using the backward-facing step flow, which is a classical benchmark of similar discrete geometry for the bioreactor. This is achieved by comparing the qualitative and quantitative results obtained by LBM with the traditional solution and experimental approach for such a problem. The D2Q9 lattice model is used to carry out the calculations for the flow field, with a first order bounce-back boundary condition. Oxygen consumption efficiency levels in the bioreactor were reported.     

螺旋波激发甲烷等离子体光谱诊断

利用螺旋波激发等离子体化学气相沉积(LPP-CVD)技术,以甲烷和氦气为反应气体产生等离子体.通过采集到甲烷的可见光到紫外发射光谱,对甲烷等离子体进行原位诊断,发现存在CH、Ha及Hβ等碎片粒子的光辐射,同时,分析了不同入射功率、气压下CH粒子以及Hβ、Hγ的相对强度变化情况.结果表明:CH粒子的相对强度随着射频功率是先增大而后减小,随工作气压的增大而逐渐减小;随气压及功率的增加,Hβ、Hγ相对强度变化的总体趋势都是先增加而后减小的.