The spin-isospin decomposition of the nuclear symmetry energy from low to high density

The energy per particle BA in nuclear matter is calculated up to high baryon density in the whole isospin asymmetry range from symmetric matter to pure neutron matter.The results,obtained in the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation with two-and three-body forces,confirm the well-known parabolic dependence on the asymmetry parameterβ=(N?Z)/A(β^2 law)that is valid in a wide density range.To investigate the extent to which this behavior can be traced back to the properties of the underlying interaction,aside from the mean field approximation,the spin-isospin decomposition of BA is performed.Theoretical indications suggest that theβ^2 law could be violated at higher densities as a consequence of the three-body forces.This raises the problem that the symmetry energy,calculated according to theβ^2 law as a difference between BA in pure neutron matter and symmetric nuclear matter,cannot be applied to neutron stars.One should return to the proper definition of the nuclear symmetry energy as a response of the nuclear system to small isospin imbalance from the Z=N nuclei and pure neutron matter.     

A Large Deviation Perspective on Ratio Observables in Reset Processes: Robustness of Rate Functions

Journal of Statistical Physics - We study large deviations of a ratio observable in discrete-time reset processes. The ratio takes the form of a current divided by the number of reset steps and as...     

Approximate Entropy of Brain Network in the Study of Hemispheric Differences

Human brain, a dynamic complex system, can be studied with different approaches, including linear and nonlinear ones. One of the nonlinear approaches widely used in electroencephalographic (EEG) analyses is the entropy, the measurement of disorder in a system. The present study investigates brain networks applying approximate entropy (ApEn) measure for assessing the hemispheric EEG differences; reproducibility and stability of ApEn data across separate recording sessions were evaluated. Twenty healthy adult volunteers were submitted to eyes-closed resting EEG recordings, for 80 recordings. Significant differences in the occipital region, with higher values of entropy in the left hemisphere than in the right one, show that the hemispheres become active with different intensities according to the performed function. Besides, the present methodology proved to be reproducible and stable, when carried out on relatively brief EEG epochs but also at a 1-week distance in a group of 36 subjects. Nonlinear approaches represent an interesting probe to study the dynamics of brain networks. ApEn technique might provide more insight into the pathophysiological processes underlying age-related brain disconnection as well as for monitoring the impact of pharmacological and rehabilitation treatments.     

The projection operator approach to the Fokker-Planck equation. II. Dichotomic and nonlinear Gaussian noise

Two models for the Freedericksz transition in a fluctuating magnetic field are considered: one is based on a dichotomic and the other on a nonlinear Gaussian noise. Both noises are characterized by a finite correlation time. It is shown that the linear response assumption leading to the best Fokker-Planck approximation in the dichotomic and nonlinear Gaussian cases can be trusted only up to the order ¹ and ⁰, respectively. The role of the corrections to the linear response approximation is discussed and it is shown how to replace the non-Fokker-Planck terms stemming from these corrections with equivalent terms of standard type. This technique is shown to produce perfect agreement with the exact analytical results (dichotomic noise) and to satisfactorily fit the results of analog simulation (nonlinear Gaussian noise).     

The projection approach to the Fokker-Planck equation. I. Colored Gaussian noise

It is shown that the Fokker-Planck operator can be derived via a projection-perturbation approach, using the repartition of a more detailed operator into a perturbation ₁ and an unperturbed part ₀. The standard Fokker-Planck structure is recovered at the second order in ₁, whereas the perturbation terms of higher order are shown to provoke the breakdown of this structure. To get rid of these higher order terms, a key approximation, local linearization (LL), is made. In general, to evaluate at the second order in ₁ the exact expression of the diffusion coefficient which simulates the influence of a Gaussian noise with a finite correlation time, a resummation up to infinite order in must be carried out, leading to what other authors call the best Fokker-Planck approximation (BFPA). It is shown that, due to the role of terms of higher order in ₁, the BFPA leads to predictions on the equilibrium distributions that are reliable only up to the first order in t. The LL, on the contrary, in addition to making the influence of terms of higher order in ₁ vanish, results in a simple analytical expression for the term of second order that is formally coincident with the complete resummation over all the orders in t provided by the Fox theory. The corresponding diffusion coefficient in turn is shown to lead in the limiting case to exact results for the steady-state distributions. Therefore, over the whole range 0 the LL turns out to be an approximation much more accurate than the global linearization proposed by other authors for the same purpose of making the terms of higher order in ₁ vanish. In the short- region the LL leads to results virtually coincident with those of the BFPA. In the large- region the LL is a more accurate approximation than the BFPA itself. These theoretical arguments are supported by the results of both analog and digital simulation.     

Shakedown analysis of limited-ductility structures

Summary The paper deals with the shakedown analysis problem of discrete elastoplastic structures, subjected to variable and repeated quasi-static loads, account being given to the limited structural ductility by imposing a-priori limit values to some relevant parameters of plastic deformation. The key-concept of limited-ductility load amplifier is assessed and the problem is given a unified formulation as a nonlinear mathematical programming problem, where ductility constraints — of generalized character — are obtained by using a so-called perturbation method which leads to a-priori upper bounds of the relevant plastic deformation measures. Lower bounds to the load amplifier are so obtained and three different computationals stratagies are herein outlined: the linear parametric programming one is applied to three case-study structures.

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Sommario La memoria affronta lo studio del problema di adattamento elastoplastico di strutture discrete, sottoposte a carichi comunque variabili in modo quasi-statico, tenendo conto di un comportamento a limitata duttilità della struttura, il quale richiede che uno o più parametri della deformazione plastica risultino non superiori di assegnati valori. Del problema di analisi posto, utilizzando il concetto di moltiplicatore dei carichi per l'adattamento con limitata duttilità, viene data una formulazione unitaria come problema di programmazione matematica non lineare, i cui vincoli di duttilità sono ottenuti con tecniche perturbative di maggiorazione a-priori delle deformazioni plastiche. Il metodo conduce a limiti inferiori del moltiplicatore dei carichi dipendenti dal livello assegnato alla deformazione plastica. Tre differenti strategie computazionali vengono delineate per la soluzione del problema, una delle quali di tipo programmazione lineare parametrica viene applicata a tre esempi.

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Ricerca finanziata dal CNR e dal MPI.     

Infrared and microwave spectra, molecular conformation and electric dipole moment of methyl thiolformate

The microwave spectrum (41-10 GHz) and the infrared spectrum (4000-50 cm⁻¹) of methyl thiolformate have been obtained and analyzed. The spectra are consistent with a single molecular conformation having a planar array of heavy atoms and with the alkyl group cis to the carbonyl group. The measured rotational constants are: A, 11042.22 MHz; B, 5118.27 MHz; C, 3562.03 MHz (κ = −0.5839). No internal rotation doublets were observed in the microwave spectrum for the ground vibrational state, which implies that the barrier hindering internal rotation of the methyl group is either much larger or much smaller than the corresponding value for methyl formate. If the former is true then a lower limit of 10.5 kJ mol⁻¹ may be placed on the barrier height.The dipole moment of methyl thiolformate was measured using the Stark effect to be 1.58 ± 0.05 Debyes (μ_A = 1.52 D; μ_B = 0.43 D) for the vapor, and for dilute solutions in benzene at 295 K the value of 1.6 ± 0.1 D was found from capacitance measurements.SCF computations using minimal basis sets of STO/3G atomic orbitals and extended basis sets of STO/4.31G atomic orbitals have been carried out for methyl thiolformate and methyl formate. Energy differences between rotational isomers and estimates of barrier heights are given together with the calculated dipole moments.     

A Three-component Extension of the Camassa–Holm Hierarchy

We introduce a bi-Hamiltonian hierarchy on the loop-algebra of endowed with a suitable Poisson pair. It gives rise to the usual Camassa–Holm (CH) hierarchy by means of a bi-Hamiltonian reduction, and its first nontrivial flow provides a three-component extension of the CH equation.     

Reduction of Vaisman structures in complex and quaternionic geometry

We consider locally conformal Kähler geometry as an equivariant (homothetic) Kähler geometry: a locally conformal Kähler manifold is, up to equivalence, a pair $(K,\Gamma )$, where $K$ is a Kähler manifold and $\Gamma$ is a discrete Lie group of biholomorphic homotheties acting freely and properly discontinuously. We define a new invariant of a locally conformal Kähler manifold $(K,\Gamma )$ as the rank of a natural quotient of $\Gamma$, and prove its invariance under reduction. This equivariant point of view leads to a proof that locally conformal Kähler reduction of compact Vaisman manifolds produces Vaisman manifolds and is equivalent to a Sasakian reduction. Moreover, we define locally conformal hyperKähler reduction as an equivariant version of hyperKähler reduction and in the compact case we show its equivalence with 3-Sasakian reduction. Finally, we show that locally conformal hyperKähler reduction induces hyperKähler with torsion (HKT) reduction of the associated HKT structure and the two reductions are compatible, even though not every HKT reduction comes from a locally conformal hyperKähler reduction.     

Frequency-stabilized seed laser system for dial applications around 0.94 μm

Absolute frequency stabilization of an extended-cavity diode laser at 0.94 μm is reported. The diode laser was frequency locked against rovibrational absorption lines of water vapour by using the frequency modulation spectroscopy technique. The stabilized oscillator shows a short-term frequency stability level of 40 kHz for integration times of 1 s and a long-term frequency drift lower than 10 MHz for observation times longer than 10³ s. The frequency-stabilized oscillator system is mounted on a compact breadboard (75 cm×50 cm) and constitutes the seed laser system for the injection of a high-energy DIAL laser transmitter operating in the 0.94-μm spectral region.