Schwinger Functions in Noncommutative Quantum Field Theory

It is shown that the n-point functions of scalar massive free fields on the noncommutative Minkowski space are distributions which are boundary values of analytic functions. Contrary to what one might expect, this construction does not provide a connection to the popular traditional Euclidean approach to noncommutative field theory (unless the time variable is assumed to commute). Instead, one finds Schwinger functions with twistings involving only momenta that are on the mass-shell. This explains why renormalization in the traditional Euclidean noncommutative framework crudely differs from renormalization in the Minkowskian regime.     

Long-term characteristics of analogical processing in high-school students with high fluid intelligence: an fMRI study

Intelligence is known to predict scholastic achievement and enables high performance in cognitive tasks. Fluid intelligence is strongly related to analogical reasoning abilities, which are fundamental to mathematical thinking. Geometric analogical reasoning is a prototypical measure of fluid intelligence. However, the cerebral correlates of geometric analogical reasoning and their developmental modulation over time are still rarely investigated. We report a 1-year follow-up functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a geometric analogical reasoning task in high fluid intelligence high-school students. This study was designed to characterise the cerebral correlates of geometric analogical reasoning and to improve our knowledge about the impact of general cognitive development on behavioural performance and on cerebral mechanisms underlying geometric analogical reasoning in adolescents. Our data indicate that a fronto-parietal network comprising the left and right parietal lobes and the left middle frontal gyrus was equally modulated by task difficulty at both measuring time points. At the behavioural level, however, participants showed improvements in performance at the second measuring time point. The behavioural improvements point to a more efficient task processing. As this is not accompanied by differential recruitment of fronto-parietal brain regions, the data suggest an increase in neural efficiency for these brain regions.     

Optimal enough?

An alleged weakness of heuristic optimisation methods is the stochastic character of their solutions: instead of finding the truly optimal solution, they only provide a stochastic approximation of this optimum. In this paper we look into a particular application, portfolio optimisation. We demonstrate that the randomness of the ‘optimal’ solution obtained from the algorithm can be made so small that for all practical purposes it can be neglected. More importantly, we look at the relevance of the remaining uncertainty in the out-of-sample period. The relationship between in-sample fit and out-of-sample performance is not monotonous, but still, we observe that up to a point better solutions in-sample lead to better solutions out-of-sample. Beyond this point there is no more cause for improving the solution any further: any in-sample improvement leads out-of-sample only to financially meaningless improvements and unpredictable changes (noise) in performance.     

Redundancy in string cone inequalities and multiplicities in potential functions on cluster varieties

Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics - We study defining inequalities of string cones via a potential function on a reduced double Bruhat cell. We give a necessary criterion for the potential...     

Laser Based Techniques for Ultra Trace Isotope Production, Spectroscopy and Detection

A variety of research activities in the field of fundamental and applied nuclear physics has evolved in the last years using resonantly tuned radiation from powerful lasers. The technique of resonance ionization spectroscopy has delivered outstanding results and found broad acceptance in the last years as a particularly efficient and highly selective method for rare and exotic radioisotope studies. It is used for production, spectroscopy and detection of these species and provides complete isobaric, high isotopic and even some isomeric selection, which altogether is needed for on-line investigation of short lived species far off stability as well as for ultra trace determination. Good overall efficiency pushes the experimental limits of detection in elemental trace analysis down to below 10⁶ atoms per sample, and additionally isotopic selectivity as high as 3 × 10¹² has been demonstrated. The widespread potential of resonance ionization techniques is discussed, focusing on the experimental arrangements for applications in selective on-line isotope production, spectroscopy of rare radioisotopes and ultra trace determination of radiotoxic isotopes like ²³⁸Pu to ²⁴⁴Pu, ^135,137Cs, ^89,90Sr or ⁴¹Ca in environmental, technical and biomedical samples.     

Mapping out electron-electron interactions at surfaces

Using a high resolution coincidence technique, we measured for the first time the angular and energy correlation of an electron pair emitted from the valence band of a single crystal upon the impact of an electron with a specified momentum. We observe a hole in the measured two-particle correlation function when the two excited electrons have comparable momentum vectors, a fact traced back to exchange and repulsion among the electrons. We find the hole is not isotropic, has a finite extension, and is strongly suppressed when decoherence is operating.