Non-Archimedean superfields

The component representation of superfields over non-Archimedean (and, in particular, p-adic) superalgebras with an infinite number of anticommuting generators is investigated. It is shown that supersmooth fields, nonpolynomial in anticommuting variables, exist in the non-Archimedean case (as opposed to the real or complex case). The superfield representation for the algebra of non-Archimedean supersymmetries is analyzed in the p-adic case (p 3 mod 4). New solutions of equations on a chiral superfield and other superfield equations are discovered in non-Archimedean theory.This work has been supported by the CNR Fund (Italy) and an Advanced Study of p-Adic Mathematical Physics Grant.Institute of Electronic Engineering, Moscow. Genova University, Italy. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 35–38, November, 1993.     

The Impact of pH on Catalytically Critical Protein Conformational Changes: The Case of the Urease,a Nickel Enzyme

Urease uses a cluster of two Ni^II ions to activate a water molecule for urea hydrolysis. The key to this unsurpassed enzyme is a change in the conformation of a flexible structural motif, the mobile flap, which must be able to move from an open to a closed conformation to stabilize the chelating interaction of urea with the Ni^II cluster. This conformational change brings the imidazole side chain functionality of a critical histidine residue, αHis323, in close proximity to the site that holds the transition state structure of the reaction, facilitating its evolution to the products. Herein, we describe the influence of the solution pH in modulating the conformation of the mobile flap. High-resolution crystal structures of urease inhibited in the presence of N-(n-butyl)phosphoric triamide (NBPTO) at pH 6.5 and pH 7.5 are described and compared to the analogous structure obtained at pH 7.0. The kinetics of urease in the absence and presence of NBPTO are investigated by a calorimetric assay in the pH 6.0–8.0 range. The results indicate that pH modulates the protonation state of αHis323, which was revealed to have pK_a=6.6, and consequently the conformation of the mobile flap. Two additional residues (αAsp224 and αArg339) are shown to be key factors for the conformational change. The role of pH in modulating the catalysis of urea hydrolysis is clarified through the molecular and structural details of the interplay between protein conformation and solution acidity in the paradigmatic case of a metalloenzyme.     

Testing metric-affine f(R)-gravity by relic scalar gravitational waves

We discuss the emergence of scalar gravitational waves in metric-affine f(R)-gravity. Such a component allows to discriminate between metric and metric-affine theories The intrinsic meaning of this result is that the geodesic structure of the theory can be discriminated. We extend the formalism of cross-correlation analysis, including the additional polarization mode, and calculate the detectable energy density of the spectrum for cosmological relic gravitons. The possible detection of the signal is discussed against the sensitivities of the VIRGO, LIGO and LISA interferometers.     

Synchrotron and neutron techniques in biological crystallography

Synchrotron radiation (SR) techniques are continuously pushing the frontiers of wavelength range usage, smaller crystal sample size, larger protein molecular weight and complexity, as well as better diffraction resolution. The new research specialism of probing functional states directly in crystals, via time-resolved Laue and freeze trapping structural studies, has been developed, with a range of examples, based on research stretching over some 20 years. Overall, SR X-ray biological crystallography is complemented by neutron protein crystallographic studies aimed at cases where much more complete hydrogen details are needed involving synergistic developments between SR and neutron Laue methods. A big new potential exists in harnessing genome databases for targeting of new proteins for structural study. Structural examples in this tutorial review illustrate new chemistry learnt from biological macromolecules.     

Canp-adic numbers be useful to regularize divergent expectation values of quantum observables?

We show howp-adic analysis can be used in some cases to treat divergent series in quantum mechanics. We consider examples in which the usual theory of the Schrödinger equation would give rise to an infinite expectation value of the energy operator. By usingp-adic analysis, we are able to get a convergent expansion and obtain a finite rational value for the energy. We present also the main ideas to interpret a quantum mechanical state by means ofp-adic statistics.     

Nonlinear evolution equations with (1,1)-supersymmetric time

A generalization of the Cauchy-Kowalewsky theorem is obtained for nonlinear evolution equations with (1,1)-supersymmetric time. This theorem ensures the existence and uniqueness of a solution for a large class of superanalytic functions. A generalization of Cartan's technique to the supersymmetric case is also obtained, and by means of it the problem of integrating a system of partial differential equations is transformed into the problem of finding a sequence of integral supermanifolds of lower dimension by means of a succession of integrations based on the Cauchy-Kowalewsky theorem. Evolution equations with (1, 1) time are important for applications to supersymmetric quantum mechanics and field theory, namely, square roots of the Schrödinger and heat-conduction equations. We consider nonlinear generalizations of such equations.Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology; University of Genoa. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 97, No. 2, pp. 238–246, November, 1993.     

Observation of dynamic localization in periodically curved waveguide arrays

We report on a direct experimental observation of dynamic localization (DL) of light in sinusoidally-curved lithium-niobate waveguide arrays which provides the optical analog of DL for electrons in periodic potentials subjected to ac electric fields as originally proposed by Dunlap and Kenkre [Phys. Rev. B 34, 3625 (1986)10.1103/PhysRevB.34.3625]. The theoretical condition for DL in a sinusoidal field is experimentally demonstrated.     

Representation of a quantum field Hamiltonian inp-adic Hilbert space

Gaussian measures on infinite-dimensional p-adic spaces are defined and the corresponding L₂-spaces of p-adic-valued square integrable functions are constructed. Representations of the infinite-dimensional Weyl group are realized in such spaces and the formal analogy with the usual Segal representation is discussed. It is found that the parameters of the p-adic infinite-dimensional Weyl group are defined only on some balls. In p-adic Hilbert space, representations of quantum Hamiltonians for systems with an infinite number of degrees of freedom are constructed. The Hamiltonians with singular potentials are realized as bounded symmetric operators in L₂-space with respect to a p-adic Gaussian measure. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika. Vol. 112, No. 3, pp. 355–374, September. 1997.     

Differential equations with supersymmetric time

Partial differential equations with supersymmetric (1, 1) time are investigated by means of superspace Cauchy-Kowalewsky and Cartan-Kähler techniques. Theorems for the existence and uniqueness of solutions are found for a particular class of superanalytic functions. The (1, 1) time evolution equations are very important in applications to supersymmetric quantum mechanics and quantum field theory: the square roots of Schrödinger and heat equations. We considered nonlinear analogs of these equations which can be interpreted as square roots of Maslov's nonlinear Schrödinger and heat equations.