The asymptotics of nonexpansive iterations

Let D be a closed subset of a Banach space X and T: D → D a nonexpansive mapping. Conditions are given (on the space X) for T to satisfy the following property of ergodic type: $\text{{T}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{x}\text{n}\text{}}$ converges (either weakly or strongly) to a vector v. Rather unexpectedly, D is not assumed to be convex, nor is I – T assumed to satisfy any range condition. In addition, it is shown that ?v is the unique point of least norm in the closure of R(I – T) if and only if I – T satisfies a certain range condition at infinity. Several interesting applications to accretive operator and nonlinear semigroup theory are also included.     

Dynamically assisted Schwinger mechanism

We study electron-positron pair creation from the Dirac vacuum induced by a strong and slowly varying electric field (Schwinger effect) which is superimposed by a weak and rapidly changing electromagnetic field (dynamical pair creation). In the subcritical regime where both mechanisms separately are strongly suppressed, their combined impact yields a pair creation rate which is dramatically enhanced. Intuitively speaking, the strong electric field lowers the threshold for dynamical particle creation--or, alternatively, the fast electromagnetic field generates additional seeds for the Schwinger mechanism. These findings could be relevant for planned ultrahigh intensity lasers.     

Active colloidal suspensions exhibit polar order under gravity

Recently, the steady sedimentation profile of a dilute suspension of chemically powered colloids was studied experimentally [J. Palacci et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 088304 (2010)]. It was found that the sedimentation length increases quadratically with the swimming speed of the active Brownian particles. Here we investigate theoretically the sedimentation of self-propelled particles undergoing translational and rotational diffusion. We find that the measured increase of the sedimentation length is coupled to a partial alignment of the suspension with the mean swimming direction oriented against the gravitational field. We suggest realistic parameter values to observe this polar order. Furthermore, we find that the dynamics of the active suspension can be derived from a generalized free energy functional.     

237Np separation from environmental matrices by extraction chromatography method

Aliquat-336 anchored on hydrophobized silica gel was used for effective separation of ²³⁷Np from soil matrices and from model solutions. Alpha spectrometry for ²³⁷Np determination was used. The interfering radionuclides present in environmental samples such as ²³⁴U, ²³²Th, ²³¹Pa and ^239+240Pu were removed by separation with nitric acid solutions containing formic acid and ferrous sulfamate as reducing agents. Spiking samples with ^238,234U, ²³²Th and ²³⁸Pu were used to check separation effectiveness. A separation yield of ²³⁷Np from soil matrices was checked by measuring of added known amount activity and was found to be about 15%. The yield of separation for model solutions was about 56%. Different parameters of eluant on recovery of ²³⁷Np from column were studied.     

Systematic event generator tuning for the LHC

In this article we describe Professor, a new program for tuning model parameters of Monte Carlo event generators to experimental data by parameterising the per-bin generator response to parameter variations and numerically optimising the parameterised behaviour. Simulated experimental analysis data is obtained using the Rivet analysis toolkit. This paper presents the Professor procedure and implementation, illustrated with the application of the method to tunes of the Pythia 6 event generator to data from the LEP/SLD and Tevatron experiments. These tunes are substantial improvements on existing standard choices, and are recommended as base tunes for LHC experiments, to be themselves systematically improved upon when early LHC data is available.     

The quadrupole moment of the neutron-halo nucleus11Li

The quadrupole moment ratio of⁹Li and¹¹Li was measured by a combination of in-beam laser induced nuclear polarization and Β-NMR in LiNbO₃. The result ¦Q(¹¹Li)/Q(⁹Li)¦=1.14(16) is consistent with cluster models describing¹¹Li as composed of a⁹Li core and a far extended halo of two loosely bound neutrons.     

Polarized light propagating in a magnetic field as a probe for millicharged fermions

Possible extensions of the standard model of particle physics suggest the existence of particles with small, unquantized electric charge. Photon-initiated pair production of millicharged fermions in a magnetic field would manifest itself as a vacuum magnetic (VM) dichroism. We show that laser polarization experiments searching for this effect yield, in the mass range below 0.1 eV, much stronger constraints on millicharged fermions than previous laboratory searches. VM birefringence due to virtual pair production gives a slightly better constraint for masses between 0.1 and a few eV. We comment on the possibility that the VM dichroism observed by PVLAS arises from pair production of such millicharged fermions rather than from single production of axionlike particles. Such a scenario can be confirmed or firmly excluded by a search for invisible decays of orthopositronium with a branching-fraction sensitivity of about 10(-9).