Showing papers on "Amplitude published in 2015"

Observation of $J/\psi p$ Resonances Consistent with Pentaquark States in $\Lambda_b^0 \to J/\psi K^- p$ Decays

Abstract: Observations of exotic structures in the J/ψp channel, that we refer to as pentaquark-charmonium states, in Λ0b→J/ψK−p decays are presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3/fb acquired with the LHCb detector from 7 and 8 TeV pp collisions. An amplitude analysis is performed on the three-body final-state that reproduces the two-body mass and angular distributions. To obtain a satisfactory fit of the structures seen in the J/ψp mass spectrum, it is necessary to include two Breit-Wigner amplitudes that each describe a resonant state. The significance of each of these resonances is more than 9 standard deviations. One has a mass of 4380±8±29 MeV and a width of 205±18±86 MeV, while the second is narrower, with a mass of 4449.8±1.7±2.5 MeV and a width of 39±5±19 MeV. The preferred JP assignments are of opposite parity, with one state having spin 3/2 and the other 5/2.

Planck 2015 results. VIII. High Frequency Instrument data processing: Calibration and maps

Abstract: This paper describes the processing applied to the Planck High Frequency Instrument (HFI) cleaned, time-ordered information to produce photometrically calibrated maps in temperature and (for the first time) in polarization. The data from the entire 2.5 year HFI mission include almost five independent full-sky surveys. HFI observes the sky over a broad range of frequencies, from 100 to 857 GHz. To obtain the best accuracy on the calibration over such a large range, two different photometric calibration schemes have been used. The 545 and 857 GHz data are calibrated using models of planetary atmospheric emission. The lower frequencies (from 100 to 353 GHz) are calibrated using the time-variable cosmological microwave background dipole, which we call the "orbital dipole". This source of calibration only depends on the satellite velocity with respect to the solar system. Using a CMB temperature of 2.7255 +/- 0.0006 K, it permits an independent measurement of the amplitude of the CMB solar dipole (3364.3 +/- 1.5 \mu K) which is approximatively 1\sigma\ higher than the WMAP measurement with a direction that is consistent between both experiments. We describe the pipeline used to produce the maps of intensity and linear polarization from the HFI timelines, and the scheme used to set the zero level of the maps a posteriori. We also summarize the noise characteristics of the HFI maps in the 2015 Planck data release and present some null tests to assess their quality. Finally, we discuss the major systematic effects and in particular the leakage induced by flux mismatch between the detectors that leads to spurious polarization signal.

Amplitude/Higgs Modes in Condensed Matter Physics

Abstract: The order parameter and its variations in space and time in many different states in condensed matter physics at low temperatures are described by the complex function Ψ(r, t). These states include superfluids, superconductors, and a subclass of antiferromagnets and charge density waves. The collective fluctuations in the ordered state may then be categorized as oscillations of phase and amplitude of Ψ(r, t). The phase oscillations are the Goldstone modes of the broken continuous symmetry. The amplitude modes, even at long wavelengths, are well defined and are decoupled from the phase oscillations only near particle-hole symmetry, where the equations of motion have an effective Lorentz symmetry, as in particle physics and if there are no significant avenues for decay into other excitations. They bear close correspondence with the so-called Higgs modes in particle physics, whose prediction and discovery are very important for the standard model of particle physics. In this review, we discuss the theory and...

Effective Field Theories from Soft Limits of Scattering Amplitudes

Abstract: We derive scalar effective field theories—Lagrangians, symmetries, and all—from on-shell scattering amplitudes constructed purely from Lorentz invariance, factorization, a fixed power counting order in derivatives, and a fixed order at which amplitudes vanish in the soft limit. These constraints leave free parameters in the amplitude which are the coupling constants of well-known theories: Nambu-Goldstone bosons, Dirac-Born-Infeld scalars, and Galilean internal shift symmetries. Moreover, soft limits imply conditions on the Noether current which can then be inverted to derive Lagrangians for each theory. We propose a natural classification of all scalar effective field theories according to two numbers which encode the derivative power counting and soft behavior of the corresponding amplitudes. In those cases where there is no consistent amplitude, the corresponding theory does not exist.

Dwarf galaxy annihilation and decay emission profiles for dark matter experiments

Abstract: Gamma-ray searches for dark matter annihilation and decay in dwarf galaxies rely on an understanding of the dark matter density profiles of these systems. Conversely, uncertainties in these density profiles propagate into the derived particle physics limits as systematic errors. In this paper we quantify the expected dark matter signal from 20 Milky Way dwarfs using a uniform analysis of the most recent stellar-kinematic data available. Assuming that the observed stellar populations are equilibrium tracers of spherically symmetric gravitational potentials that are dominated by dark matter, we find that current stellar-kinematic data can predict the amplitudes of annihilation signals to within a factor of a few for the ultra-faint dwarfs of greatest interest. On the other hand, the expected signal from several classical dwarfs (with high-quality observations of large numbers of member stars) can be localized to the ~20% level. These results are important for designing maximally sensitive searches in current and future experiments using space and ground-based instruments.

The NANOGrav Nine-year Data Set: Limits on the Isotropic Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background

Abstract: We compute upper limits on the nanohertz-frequency isotropic stochastic gravitational wave background (GWB) using the 9-year data release from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) collaboration. We set upper limits for a GWB from supermassive black hole binaries under power law, broken power law, and free spectral coefficient GW spectrum models. We place a 95\% upper limit on the strain amplitude (at a frequency of yr$^{-1}$) in the power law model of $A_{\rm gw} < 1.5\times 10^{-15}$. For a broken power law model, we place priors on the strain amplitude derived from simulations of Sesana (2013) and McWilliams et al. (2014). We find that the data favor a broken power law to a pure power law with odds ratios of 22 and 2.2 to one for the McWilliams and Sesana prior models, respectively. The McWilliams model is essentially ruled out by the data, and the Sesana model is in tension with the data under the assumption of a pure power law. Using the broken power-law analysis we construct posterior distributions on environmental factors that drive the binary to the GW-driven regime including the stellar mass density for stellar-scattering, mass accretion rate for circumbinary disk interaction, and orbital eccentricity for eccentric binaries, marking the first time that the shape of the GWB spectrum has been used to make astrophysical inferences. We then place the most stringent limits so far on the energy density of relic GWs, $\Omega_\mathrm{gw}(f)\,h^2 < 4.2 \times 10^{-10}$, yielding a limit on the Hubble parameter during inflation of $H_*=1.6\times10^{-2}~m_{Pl}$, where $m_{Pl}$ is the Planck mass. Our limit on the cosmic string GWB, $\Omega_\mathrm{gw}(f)\, h^2 < 2.2 \times 10^{-10}$, translates to a conservative limit of $G\mu<3.3\times 10^{-8}$ - a factor of 4 better than the joint Planck and high-$l$ CMB data from other experiments.

Monolithic optical phased-array transceiver in a standard SOI CMOS process.

Abstract: Monolithic microwave phased arrays are turning mainstream in automotive radars and high-speed wireless communications fulfilling Gordon Moores 1965 prophecy to this effect. Optical phased arrays enable imaging, lidar, display, sensing, and holography. Advancements in fabrication technology has led to monolithic nanophotonic phased arrays, albeit without independent phase and amplitude control ability, integration with electronic circuitry, or including receive and transmit functions. We report the first monolithic optical phased array transceiver with independent control of amplitude and phase for each element using electronic circuitry that is tightly integrated with the nanophotonic components on one substrate using a commercial foundry CMOS SOI process. The 8 × 8 phased array chip includes thermo-optical tunable phase shifters and attenuators, nano-photonic antennas, and dedicated control electronics realized using CMOS transistors. The complex chip includes over 300 distinct optical components and over 74,000 distinct electrical components achieving the highest level of integration for any electronic-photonic system.

Properties of hypermassive neutron stars formed in mergers of spinning binaries

Abstract: We present numerical simulations of binary neutron star mergers, comparing irrotational binaries to binaries of NSs rotating aligned to the orbital angular momentum. For the first time, we study spinning BNSs employing nuclear physics equations of state, namely the ones of Lattimer and Swesty as well as Shen, Horowitz, and Teige. We study mainly equal mass systems leading to a hypermassive neutron star (HMNS), and analyze in detail its structure and dynamics. In order to exclude gauge artifacts, we introduce a novel coordinate system used for post-processing. The results for our equal mass models show that the strong radial oscillations of the HMNS modulate the instantaneous frequency of the gravitational wave (GW) signal to an extend that leads to separate peaks in the corresponding Fourier spectrum. In particular, the high frequency peaks which are often attributed to combination frequencies can also be caused by the modulation of the $m=2$ mode frequency in the merger phase. As a consequence for GW data analysis, the offset of the high frequency peak does not necessarily carry information about the radial oscillation frequency. Further, the low frequency peak in our simulations is dominated by the contribution of the plunge and the first 1--2 bounces. The amplitude of the radial oscillations depends on the initial NS spin, which therefore has a complicated influence on the spectrum. Another important result is that HMNSs can consist of a slowly rotating core with an extended, massive envelope rotating close to Keplerian velocity, contrary to the common notion that a rapidly rotating core is necessary to prevent a prompt collapse. Finally, our estimates on the amount of unbound matter show a dependency on the initial NS spin, explained by the influence of the latter on the amplitude of radial oscillations, which in turn cause shock waves.

Geometrical constraints on the origin of timing signals from black holes

Abstract: We present a systematic study of the orbital inclination effects on black-hole transients fast time-variability properties. We have considered all the black-hole binaries that have been densely monitored by the Rossi XTE satellite. We find that the amplitude of low-frequency quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs) depends on the orbital inclination. Type-C QPOs are stronger for nearly edge-on systems (high inclination), while type-B QPOs are stronger when the accretion disk is closer to face-on (low inclination). Our results also suggest that the noise associated with type-C QPOs is consistent with being stronger for low-inclination sources, while the noise associated to type-B QPOs seems inclination independent. These results are consistent with a geometric origin of the type-C QPOs - for instance arising from relativistic precession of the inner flow within a truncated disk - while the noise would correspond to intrinsic brightness variability from mass accretion rate fluctuations in the accretion flow. The opposite behavior of type-B QPOs - stronger in low inclinations sources - supports the hypothesis that type-B QPOs are related to the jet, the power of which is the most obvious measurable parameter expected to be stronger in nearly face-on sources.

Arbitrary manipulation of spatial amplitude and phase using phase-only spatial light modulators

Abstract: Spatial structure of a light beam is an important degree of freedom to be extensively explored. By designing simple configurations with phase-only spatial light modulators (SLMs), we show the ability to arbitrarily manipulate the spatial full field information (i.e. amplitude and phase) of a light beam. Using this approach to facilitating arbitrary and independent control of spatial amplitude and phase, one can flexibly generate different special kinds of light beams for different specific applications. Multiple collinear orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams, Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, and Bessel beams, having both spatial amplitude and phase distributions, are successfully generated in the experiments. Some arbitrary beams with odd-shaped intensity are also generated in the experiments.

High-precision abundances of elements in solar twin stars: Trends with stellar age and elemental condensation temperature

Abstract: HARPS spectra with S/N > 600 for 21 solar twin stars are used to determine very precise (sigma ~ 0.01 dex) differential abundances of C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Y in order to see how well [X/Fe] is correlated with elemental condensation temperature, Tc. In addition, precise (sigma < 0.8 Gyr) stellar ages are obtained by interpolating between Yonsei-Yale isochrones in the logg - Teff diagram. It is confirmed that the ratio between refractory and volatile elements is lower in the Sun than in most of the solar twins, but for many stars, the relation between [X/Fe] and Tc is not well defined. For several elements there is, instead, an astonishingly tight correlation between [X/Fe] and stellar age with amplitudes up to 0.2 dex over an age interval of 8 Gyr in contrast to the lack of correlation between [Fe/H] and age. While [Mg/Fe] increases with age, the s-process element yttrium shows the opposite behavior so that [Y/Mg] can be used as a sensitive chronometer for Galactic evolution. [Na/Fe] and [Ni/Fe] are not well correlated with stellar age, but define a tight Ni-Na relation similar to that previously found for more metal-poor stars. These results provide new constraints on supernovae yields and Galactic evolution. Furthermore, it is found that the C/O ratio evolves very little with time, which is of interest for discussions of the composition of exoplanets.

Emergence of coherence in the charge-density wave state of 2H-NbSe2.

Abstract: A charge-density wave (CDW) state has a broken symmetry described by a complex order parameter with an amplitude and a phase. The conventional view, based on clean, weak-coupling systems, is that a finite amplitude and long-range phase coherence set in simultaneously at the CDW transition temperature T(cdw). Here we investigate, using photoemission, X-ray scattering and scanning tunnelling microscopy, the canonical CDW compound 2H-NbSe2 intercalated with Mn and Co, and show that the conventional view is untenable. We find that, either at high temperature or at large intercalation, CDW order becomes short-ranged with a well-defined amplitude, which has impacts on the electronic dispersion, giving rise to an energy gap. The phase transition at T(cdw) marks the onset of long-range order with global phase coherence, leading to sharp electronic excitations. Our observations emphasize the importance of phase fluctuations in strongly coupled CDW systems and provide insights into the significance of phase incoherence in 'pseudogap' states.

Frequency combs and platicons in optical microresonators with normal GVD

Abstract: We predict the existence of a novel type of the flat-top dissipative solitonic pulses, "platicons", in microresonators with normal group velocity dispersion (GVD). We propose methods to generate these platicons from cw pump. Their duration may be altered significantly by tuning the pump frequency. The transformation of a discrete energy spectrum of dark solitons of the Lugiato-Lefever equation into a quasicontinuous spectrum of platicons is demonstrated. Generation of similar structures is also possible with bi-harmonic, phase/amplitude modulated pump or via laser injection locking.

Angular Displacement and Velocity Sensors Based on Coplanar Waveguides (CPWs) Loaded with S-Shaped Split Ring Resonators (S-SRR)

Abstract: In this paper, angular displacement and angular velocity sensors based on coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines and S-shaped split ring resonators (S-SRRs) are presented. The sensor consists of two parts, namely a CPW and an S-SRR, both lying on parallel planes. By this means, line-to-resonator magnetic coupling arises, the coupling level being dependent on the line-to-resonator relative angular orientation. The line-to-resonator coupling level is the key parameter responsible for modulating the amplitude of the frequency response seen between the CPW ports in the vicinity of the S-SRR fundamental resonance frequency. Specifically, an amplitude notch that can be visualized in the transmission coefficient is changed by the coupling strength, and it is characterized as the sensing variable. Thus, the relative angular orientation between the two parts is measured, when the S-SRR is attached to a rotating object. It follows that the rotation angle and speed can be inferred either by measuring the frequency response of the S-SRR-loaded line, or the response amplitude at a fixed frequency in the vicinity of resonance. It is in addition shown that the angular velocity can be accurately determined from the time-domain response of a carrier time-harmonic signal tuned at the S-SRR resonance frequency. The main advantage of the proposed device is its small size directly related to the small electrical size of the S-SRR, which allows for the design of compact angular displacement and velocity sensors at low frequencies. Despite the small size of the fabricated proof-of-concept prototype (electrically small structures do not usually reject signals efficiently), it exhibits good linearity (on a logarithmic scale), sensitivity and dynamic range.

A statistical study of decaying kink oscillations detected using SDO/AIA

Abstract: Despite intensive studies of kink oscillations of coronal loops in the last decade, a large scale statistically significant investigation of the oscillation parameters has not been made using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We carry out a statistical study of kink oscillations using Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) imaging data from a previously compiled catalogue. We analysed 58 kink oscillation events observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard SDO during its first four years of operation (2010-2014). Parameters of the oscillations, including the initial apparent amplitude, period, length of the oscillating loop, and damping are studied for 120 individual loop oscillations. Analysis of the initial loop displacement and oscillation amplitude leads to the conclusion that the initial loop displacement prescribes the initial amplitude of oscillation in general. The period is found to scale with the loop length, and a linear fit of the data cloud gives a kink speed of Ck =(1330+/-50) km s-1 . The main body of the data corresponds to kink speeds in the range Ck =(800-3300) km s-1. Measurements of 52 exponential damping times were made, and it was noted that at least 22 of the damping profiles may be better approximated by a combination of non-exponential and exponential profiles, rather than a purely exponential damping envelope. There are an additional 10 cases where the profile appears to be purely non-exponential, and no damping time was measured. A scaling of the exponential damping time with the period is found, following the previously established linear scaling between these two parameters.

Maximizing the efficiency of a flexible propulsor using experimental optimization

Abstract: Experimental gradient-based optimization is used to maximize the propulsive efficiency of a heaving and pitching flexible panel. Optimum and near-optimum conditions are studied via direct force measurements and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The net thrust and power scale predictably with the frequency and amplitude of the leading edge, but the efficiency shows a complex multimodal response. Optimum pitch and heave motions are found to produce nearly twice the efficiencies of optimum heave-only motions. Efficiency is globally optimized when (i) the Strouhal number is within an optimal range that varies weakly with amplitude and boundary conditions; (ii) the panel is actuated at a resonant frequency of the fluid–panel system; (iii) heave amplitude is tuned such that trailing-edge amplitude is maximized while the flow along the body remains attached; and (iv) the maximum pitch angle and phase lag are chosen so that the effective angle of attack is minimized. The multi-dimensionality and multi-modality of the efficiency response demonstrate that experimental optimization is well-suited for the design of flexible underwater propulsors.

Unified picture of the post-merger dynamics and gravitational wave emission in neutron star mergers

Abstract: We introduce a classification scheme of the postmerger dynamics and gravitational wave emission in binary neutron star mergers, after identifying a new mechanism by which a secondary peak in the gravitational wave spectrum is produced. It is caused by a spiral deformation, the pattern of which rotates slower with respect to the double-core structure in the center of the remnant. This secondary peak is typically well separated in frequency from the secondary peak produced by a nonlinear interaction between a quadrupole and a quasiradial oscillation. The new mechanism allows for an explanation of low-frequency modulations seen in a number of physical characteristics of the remnant, such as the central lapse function, the maximum density and the separation between the two cores, but also in the gravitational wave amplitude. We find empirical relations for both types of secondary peaks between their gravitational wave frequency and the compactness of nonrotating individual neutron stars, that exist for fixed total binary masses. These findings are derived for equal-mass binaries without intrinsic neutron star spin analyzing hydrodynamical simulations without magnetic field effects. Our classification scheme may form the basis for the construction of detailed gravitational wave templates of the postmerger phase. We find that the quasiradial oscillation frequency of the remnant decreases with the total binary mass. For a given merger event, our classification scheme may allow one to determine the proximity of the measured total binary mass to the threshold mass for prompt black hole formation, which can, in turn, yield an estimate of the maximum neutron star mass.

Primordial non-gaussianity from the bispectrum of 21-cm fluctuations in the dark ages

Abstract: A measurement of primordial non-gaussianity will be of paramount importance to distinguish between different models of inflation. Cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy observations have set unprecedented bounds on the non-gaussianity parameter f_NL but the interesting regime f_NL <~ 1 is beyond their reach. Brightness-temperature fluctuations in the 21-cm line during the dark ages (z ~ 30-100) are a promising successor to CMB studies, giving access to a much larger number of modes. They are, however, intrinsically non-linear, which results in secondary non-gaussianities orders of magnitude larger than the sought-after primordial signal. In this paper we carefully compute the primary and secondary bispectra of 21-cm fluctuations on small scales. We use the flat-sky formalism, which greatly simplifies the analysis, while still being very accurate on small angular scales. We show that the secondary bispectrum is highly degenerate with the primordial one, and argue that even percent-level uncertainties in the amplitude of the former lead to a bias of order Delta f_NL ~ 10. To tackle this problem we carry out a detailed Fisher analysis, marginalizing over the amplitudes of a few smooth redshift-dependent coefficients characterizing the secondary bispectrum. We find that the signal-to-noise ratio for a single redshift slice is reduced by a factor of ~5 in comparison to a case without secondary non-gaussianities. Setting aside foreground contamination, we forecast that a cosmic-variance-limited experiment observing 21-cm fluctuations over 30 < z < 100 with a 0.1-MHz bandwidth and 0.1-arcminute angular resolution could achieve a sensitivity of order f_NL[local] ~ 0.03, f_NL[equilateral] ~ 0.04, and f_NL[orthogonal] ~ 0.03.

Joint estimation of phase and phase diffusion for quantum metrology

Abstract: Phase estimation, at the heart of many quantum metrology and communication schemes, can be strongly affected by noise, whose amplitude may not be known, or might be subject to drift. Here we investigate the joint estimation of a phase shift and the amplitude of phase diffusion at the quantum limit. For several relevant instances, this multiparameter estimation problem can be effectively reshaped as a two-dimensional Hilbert space model, encompassing the description of an interferometer phase probed with relevant quantum states--split single-photons, coherent states or N00N states. For these cases, we obtain a trade-off bound on the statistical variances for the joint estimation of phase and phase diffusion, as well as optimum measurement schemes. We use this bound to quantify the effectiveness of an actual experimental set-up for joint parameter estimation for polarimetry. We conclude by discussing the form of the trade-off relations for more general states and measurements.

Large-amplitude electric fields associated with bursty bulk flow braking in the Earth's plasma sheet

Abstract: We report observations of large-amplitude (>50 mV/m) electric fields primarily associated with bursty bulk flow events. These electric fields reach ~500 mV/m, which are some of the largest electric fields (E) observed in the magnetotail. E not only has a larger than expected component perpendicular to the magnetic field but often has an intense parallel component. High time resolution waveforms reveal nonlinear structures such as electron phase-space holes and double layers, which suggest strong field-aligned currents or electron beams. Further examination shows that these large-amplitude electric fields are almost always accompanied by enhanced magnetic field fluctuations. The electric fields are enhanced both above and below the ion cyclotron frequency, whereas the magnetic field fluctuations (δB) are mostly below the ion cyclotron frequency. Analysis of the wave spectra and the Poynting flux suggest that shear Alfven waves are participating in these events. The Alfven waves are revealed through the |δE|/|δB| ratio and strong field-aligned Poynting flux, sometimes reaching nearly 1 mW/m2. This value, when mapped to the low-altitude auroral region, exceeds 1 W/m2, which is an extreme value for that region. This Alfvenic activity is accompanied by evidence of compressional modes. These observations support a hypothesis whereby intense currents or electron beams, generated by kinetic Alfvenic waves that result from a turbulent cascade in bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region, may be an energy source for large-amplitude electric fields. The large-amplitude electric fields may act as a dissipation mechanism and relax the highly tangled magnetic fields that result from the turbulence. Furthermore, these observations offer strong support that Alfvenic Poynting flux from the BBF braking region can be the energy source for Alfvenic aurora.

Pan-STARRS1 variability of XMM-COSMOS AGN. II. Physical correlations and power spectrum analysis

Abstract: [Abbreviated] We search for scaling relations between the fundamental AGN parameters and rest-frame UV/optical variability properties for a sample of $\sim$90 X-ray selected AGNs covering a wide redshift range from the XMM-COSMOS survey, with optical light curves in four bands provided by the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) Medium Deep Field 04 survey. To estimate the variability amplitude we utilize the normalized excess variance ($\sigma_{\mathrm{rms}}^{2}$) and probe variability on rest-frame timescales of several months and years by calculating $\sigma_{\mathrm{rms}}^{2}$ from different parts of our light curves. In addition, we derive the rest-frame optical PSD for our sources using continuous-time autoregressive moving average (CARMA) models. We observe that the excess variance and the PSD amplitude are strongly anti-correlated with wavelength, bolometric luminosity and Eddington ratio. There is no evidence for a dependency of the variability amplitude on black hole mass and redshift. These results suggest that the accretion rate is the fundamental physical quantity determining the rest-frame UV/optical variability amplitude of quasars on timescales of months and years. The optical PSD of all of our sources is consistent with a broken power law showing a characteristic bend at rest-frame timescales ranging between $\sim$100 and $\sim$300 days. The break timescale exhibits no significant correlation with any of the fundamental AGN parameters. The low frequency slope of the PSD is consistent with a value of $-1$ for most of our objects, whereas the high frequency slope is characterized by a broad distribution of values between $\sim-2$ and $\sim-4$. These findings unveil significant deviations from the simple "damped random walk" model, frequently used in previous optical variability studies. We find a weak tendency for AGNs with higher black hole mass having steeper high frequency PSD slopes.

Three-dimensional properties of mesoscale eddies in the South China Sea based on eddy-resolving model output

Abstract: Last decade has witnessed extensive studies on mesoscale oceanic eddies in the Southern China Sea (SCS), however most of these studies are focused on the surface eddies, and three-dimensional features of eddies are not well known except some individual eddies. We apply a three-dimensional eddy detection scheme to a 9-year (2000-2008) eddy-resolving numerical solution to acquire three-dimensional eddy data set in the SCS. The model solution is validated with observational data in terms of both seasonal and intra-seasonal scales. The statistical characteristics of eddies at the sea surface, such as eddy number, lifetime and radius, from the model are comparable with those derived from the satellite altimetry data. The vertical profiles of the physical features of eddies are exposed from the statistical analysis of the three-dimensional eddy data set. For examples, more cyclonic eddies (CEs) are generated than anticyclonic eddies (AEs) in the depth above about 350 m and an opposite trend is presented below 350 m. The lifetimes of CEs and AEs are statistically equal and no significant variation at different vertical levels. Eddies in the central SCS have the largest size than in other areas and their sizes decrease with the increase in water depth. The relative vorticity amplitude of eddies decreases with the increase in the depth. There are three different types of eddies: bowl-shaped with the largest size at the surface, lens-shaped with the largest size in the middle and cone-shaped with the largest size at the bottom. Most of eddies are bowl-shaped eddies. The three types of eddies have different effects on the temperature and salinity profiles. Eddy genesis mechanisms are discussed and categorized into three types in the SCS: surface wind curl input, current interaction with the bottom topography and Kuroshio intrusion. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Complete Two-Loop, Five-Gluon Helicity Amplitude in Yang-Mills Theory

Abstract: We compute the integrand of the full-colour, two-loop, five-gluon scattering amplitude in pure Yang-Mills theory with all helicities positive, using generalized unitarity cuts. Tree-level BCJ relations, satisfied by amplitudes appearing in the cuts, allow us to deduce all the necessary non-planar information for the full-colour amplitude from known planar data. We present our result in terms of irreducible numerators, with colour factors derived from the multi-peripheral colour decomposition. Finally, the leading soft divergences are checked to reproduce the expected infrared behaviour.

Experimentally generating any desired partially coherent Schell-model source using phase-only control

Abstract: A technique is presented to produce any desired partially coherent Schell-model source using a single phase-only liquid-crystal spatial light modulator (SLM). Existing methods use SLMs in combination with amplitude filters to manipulate the phase and amplitude of an initially coherent source. The technique presented here controls both the phase and amplitude using a single SLM, thereby making the amplitude filters unnecessary. This simplifies the optical setup and significantly increases the utility and flexibility of the resulting system. The analytical development of the technique is presented and discussed. To validate the proposed approach, experimental results of three partially coherent Schell-model sources are presented and analyzed. A brief discussion of possible applications is provided in closing.

Nanophotonic coherent imager.

Abstract: An integrated silicon nanophotonic coherent imager (NCI), with a 4 × 4 array of coherent pixels is reported. In the proposed NCI, on-chip optical processing determines the intensity and depth of each point on the imaged object based on the instantaneous phase and amplitude of the optical wave incident on each pixel. The NCI operates based on a modified time-domain frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) ranging scheme, where concurrent time-domain measurements of both period and the zero-crossing time of each electrical output of the nanophotonic chip allows the NCI to overcome the traditional resolution limits of frequency domain detection. The detection of both intensity and relative delay enables applications such as high-resolution 3D reflective and transmissive imaging as well as index contrast imaging. We demonstrate 3D imaging with 15μm depth resolution and 50μm lateral resolution (limited by the pixel spacing) at up to 0.5-meter range. The reported NCI is also capable of detecting a 1% equivalent refractive index contrast at 1mm thickness.