Maturation of auditory temporal integration and inhibition assessed with event-related potentials (ERPs)

Background

We examined development of auditory temporal integration and inhibition by assessing electrophysiological responses to tone pairs separated by interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 ms in 28 children aged 7 to 9 years, and 15 adults.

Results

In adults a distinct neural response was elicited to tones presented at ISIs of 25 ms or longer, whereas in children this was only seen in response to tones presented at ISIs above 100 ms. In adults, late N1 amplitude was larger for the second tone of the tone pair when separated by ISIs as short as 100 ms, consistent with the perceptual integration of successive stimuli within the temporal window of integration. In contrast, children showed enhanced negativity only when tone pairs were separated by ISIs of 200 ms. In children, the amplitude of the P1 component was attenuated at ISIs below 200 ms, consistent with a refractory process.

Conclusions

These results indicate that adults integrate sequential auditory information into smaller temporal segments than children. These results suggest that there are marked maturational changes from childhood to adulthood in the perceptual processes underpinning the grouping of incoming auditory sensory information, and that electrophysiological measures provide a sensitive, non-invasive method allowing further examination of these changes.     

Generalized algebras of supersymmetric quantum mechanics

The structure of realizations of generalized algebras of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (GSQM algebras) with several commuting involutions is described. Quantum Hamiltonians possessing such generalized supersymmetry are constructed. The connection between GSQM algebras and the algebras of extended supersymmetry is considered.St Petersburg State University. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 94, No. 3, pp. 418–425, March, 1993.     

The Role of Intermixing in the Phase Determination of the Interlayer Exchange Coupling in Multilayers: Application to Fe-Cr Superlattices

The phase of the short-range interlayer exchange coupling oscillations in Fe n Cr m superlattices is expressed in terms of the intermixing at the Fe-Cr as well as at the Cr-Fe interfaces. The interdiffusion is modeled through stochastic algorithms, which presupposes floating of the atoms on the surface of the sample during the epitaxial growth. It automatically leads to the different chemical and magnetic structure of Fe on Cr and Cr on Fe interfaces. Self-consistent calculations of the magnetic moments are performed on the basis of the periodic Anderson model. Although short-range (2 monolayers (ML)) oscillations of exchange coupling were detected for all considered structures, its amplitude and phase strongly depend on the interface alloying. Introduction of the same intermixing at both interfaces does not change the phase as compared to the ideal superlattices with sharp interfaces. However different interdiffusion leads to the ~ -phase shift in accordance with experimental results for the Fe-Cr-Fe trilayers grown on an Fe whiskers. Distribution of magnetic moments on Fe atoms contains several distinct peaks but their position and relative area weakly depend on the alloying and interlayer exchange coupling in the superlattice. On the contrary, magnetic moments on Cr atoms are very sensitive to the intermixing and their behavior determines the strength and the phase of exchange coupling oscillations.     

Noncollinear magnetic ordering in a magnetic dimer supported on a metallic substrate

Self-consistent electronic structure calculations for a magnetic dimer supported on a metal surface are performed on the basis of the microscopic Hamiltonian for itinerant electrons. The possibility of a noncollinear ground state in the absence of spin-orbit interaction and magnetic frustration is shown. The effective exchange interaction of moments is determined by the number of quasi-localized d-electrons per atom and, in general, is not described by the Heisenberg model.     

Theory of self-focusing in photorefractive InP

We present a theory of self-focusing and solitons in photorefractive InP, including the previously unexplained intensity resonance and the resonant enhancement of the space-charge field.     

Kondo state for a compact Cr trimer on a metallic surface

The ground state of a Cr trimer supported on the Au(111) surface is investigated by means of a variational approach to the Coqblin-Schrieffer Hamiltonian. The temperature of Kondo-resonance formation (T(K)) for equilateral trimers increases drastically as compared to T(K) for a single Cr adatom. The Kondo state of a Cr trimer proves to be very sensitive to geometry and a small shift of any atom from the symmetrical position leads to a rapid decrease in T(K). These results are in good agreement with recent observations of the Kondo response of a single antiferromagnetic chromium trimer [T. Jamneala, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 256804 (2001)]].     

Magnetization reversal process at atomic scale in systems with itinerant electrons

The magnetic response of itinerant electrons systems to an external magnetic field is investigated on the basis of a microscopic Hamiltonian from which the spin-polarized electronic structure is determined. The magnetic moment and grand thermodynamic potential of the d-electronic subsystem on a particular atomic site in the presence of the external field are calculated as a function of the moment's orientation for fixed electron configuration of its local environment. Self-consistent magnetic solutions strongly depend on the d-electron number, determined by the position of the d level relative to the Fermi energy. For parameters corresponding to α-Fe, two branches of self-consistent solutions with high and low magnetic moments are found. For parameters corresponding to bulk Cr, a Fe impurity in the Cr matrix and a Cr impurity in the Fe matrix, there are only low-spin solutions. The theory is also applied for describing magnetization reversal processes in exchange spring magnets. A slab of Fe was considered as a soft magnetic layer. The influence of the hard magnet is modeled by the inclusion of an external magnetic field applied to the interface Fe layers. The dependence of the hysteresis loop on the thickness of the Fe slab and on the value of the interface field is investigated.     

Stability and Lifetimes of Magnetic States of Nano- and Microstructures (Brief Review)

JETP Letters - A statistical approach is presented to estimate the stability of magnetic states of nano- and microstructures to thermal fluctuations and random external actions. It implies the...     

Supersymmetry and acoustic problems

The oscillations of a compressible fluid within a region bounded by a flat plate on one side and an acoustically soft boundary on the other are studied. A supersymmetric structure of the resolvent is established. It is shown that, because of the presence of the supersymmetry, the solution has properties in common with the solution to the quantum-mechanical problem of an electron in a magnetic field. The connection between supersymmetry and the symmetry group of the problem is demonstrated.Leningrad State University. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 90, No. 3, pp. 407–411. March, 1992.