title:
Cut-wire pairs and plate pairs as magnetic atoms for optical
  metamaterials

abstract:
  We study the optical properties of metamaterials made from cut-wire pairs or
plate pairs. We obtain a more pronounced optical response for arrays of plate
pairs -- a geometry which also eliminates the undesired polarization anisotropy
of the cut-wire pairs. The measured optical spectra agree with simulations,
revealing negative magnetic permeability in the range of telecommunications
wavelengths. Thus, nanoscopic plate pairs might serve as an alternative to the
established split-ring resonator design.


title:
UTA versus line emission for EUVL: Studies on xenon emission at the NIST
  EBIT

abstract:
  Spectra from xenon ions have been recorded at the NIST EBIT and the emission
into a 2% bandwidth at 13.5 nm arising from 4d-5p transitions compared with
that from 4d-4f and 4p-4d transitions in Xe XI and also with that obtained from
the unresolved transition array (UTA) observed to peak just below 11 nm. It was
found that an improvement of a factor of five could be gained in photon yield
using the UTA rather than the 4d-5p emission. The results are compared with
atomic structure calculations and imply that a significant gain in efficiency
should be obtained using tin, in which the emission at 13.5 nm comes from a
similar UTA, rather than xenon as an EUVL source material.


title:
Experimental demonstration of an analytic method for image
  reconstruction in optical tomography with large data sets

abstract:
  We report the first experimental test of an analytic image reconstruction
algorithm for optical tomography with large data sets. Using a continuous-wave
optical tomography system with 10^8 source-detector pairs, we demonstrate the
reconstruction of an absorption image of a phantom consisting of a
highly-scattering medium with absorbing inhomogeneities.


title: The Outer Tracker Detector of the HERA-B Experiment Part I: Detector

abstract:
  The HERA-B Outer Tracker is a large system of planar drift chambers with
about 113000 read-out channels. Its inner part has been designed to be exposed
to a particle flux of up to 2.10^5 cm^-2 s^-1, thus coping with conditions
similar to those expected for future hadron collider experiments. 13
superlayers, each consisting of two individual chambers, have been assembled
and installed in the experiment. The stereo layers inside each chamber are
composed of honeycomb drift tube modules with 5 and 10 mm diameter cells.
Chamber aging is prevented by coating the cathode foils with thin layers of
copper and gold, together with a proper drift gas choice. Longitudinal wire
segmentation is used to limit the occupancy in the most irradiated detector
regions to about 20 %. The production of 978 modules was distributed among six
different laboratories and took 15 months. For all materials in the fiducial
region of the detector good compromises of stability versus thickness were
found. A closed-loop gas system supplies the Ar/CF4/CO2 gas mixture to all
chambers. The successful operation of the HERA-B Outer Tracker shows that a
large tracker can be efficiently built and safely operated under huge radiation
load at a hadron collider.


title:
Superresolution and Corrections to the Diffusion Approximation in
  Optical Tomography

abstract:
  We demonstrate that the spatial resolution of images in optical tomography is
not limited to the fundamental length scale of one transport mean free path.
This result is facilitated by the introduction of novel corrections to the
standard integral equations of scattering theory within the diffusion
approximation to the radiative transport equation.


title:
Heat transport by turbulent Rayleigh-Benard Convection in cylindrical
  samples with aspect ratio one and larger

abstract:
  We present high-precision measurements of the Nusselt number N as a function
of the Rayleigh number R for cylindrical samples of water (Prandtl number sigma
= 4.38) with diameters D = 49.7, 24.8, and 9.2 cm, all with aspect ratio Gamma
= D/L = 1 (L is the sample height). In addition, we present data for D = 49.7
and Gamma = 1.5, 2, 3, and 6. For each sample the data cover a range of a
little over a decade of R. For Gamma = 1 they jointly span the range 10^7 < R <
10^11. Where needed, the data were corrected for the influence of the finite
conductivity of the top and bottom plates and of the side walls on the heat
transport in the fluid to obtain estimates of N_infinity for plates with
infinite conductivity and sidewalls of zero conductivity. For Gamma = 1 the
effective exponent gamma_eff of N_infinity = N_0 R^gamma_eff ranges from 0.28
near R = 10^8 to 0.333 near R = 7 times10^10. For R < 10^10 the results are
consistent with the Grossmann-Lohse model. For larger R, where the data
indicate that N_infinity(R) = R^1/3, the theory has a smaller gamma_eff than
1/3 and falls below the data. The data for Gamma > 1 are only a few percent
smaller than the Gamma = 1 results.


title:
Reynolds numbers of the large-scale flow in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard
  Convection

abstract:
  We measured Reynolds numbers R_e of turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection over
the Rayleigh-number range 2 times 10^8 < R < 10^11 and Prandtl-number range 3.3
< sigma < 29 for cylindrical samples of aspect ratio Gamma = 1. For R < R_c = 3
times 10^9 we found R_e ~ R^beta_eff with beta_eff = 0.46 < 1/2. Here both the
sigma- and R-dependences are quantitatively consistent with the Grossmann-Lohse
(GL) prediction. For R > R_c we found R_e = 0.106 sigma^-3/4 R^1/2, which
differs from the GL prediction. The relatively sharp transition at R_c to the
large-R regime suggests a qualitative and sudden change that renders the GL
prediction inapplicable.


title: Equilibrium spherically curved 2D Lennard-Jones systems

abstract:
  To learn about basic aspects of nano-scale spherical molecular shells during
their formation, spherically curved two-dimensional N-particle Lennard-Jones
systems are simulated, studying curvature evolution paths at zero-temperature.
For many N-values (N<800) equilibrium configurations are traced as a function
of the curvature radius R. Sharp jumps for tiny changes in R between
trajectories with major differences in topological structure correspond to
avalanche-like transitions. For a typical case, N=25, equilibrium
configurations fall on smooth trajectories in state space which can be traced
in the E-R plane. The trajectories show-up with local energy minima, from which
growth in N at steady curvature can develop.

categories: physics.atm-clus cond-mat.soft physics.chem-ph physics.comp-ph


title:
Heat transport in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection: Effect of finite
  top- and bottom-plate conductivity

abstract:
  We describe three apparatus, known as the large, medium, and small apparatus,
used for high-precision measurements of the Nusselt number N as a function of
the Rayleigh number R for cylindrical samples of fluid and present results
illustrating the influence of the finite conductivity of the top and bottom
plates on the heat transport in the fluid. We used water samples at a mean
temperature of 40 degrees C (Prandtl number sigma = 4.4). The samples in the
large apparatus had a diameter D of 49.69 cm and heights L = 116.33, 74.42,
50.61, and 16.52 cm. For the medium apparatus we had D = 24.81 cm, and L =
90.20 and 24.76 cm. The small apparatus contained a sample with D = 9.21 cm,
and L = 9.52 cm. For each aspect ratio Gamma = D/L the data covered a range of
a little over a decade of R. The maximum R = 10^12 with Nusselt numbers N = 600
was reached for Gamma = 0.43. Measurements were made with both Aluminum and
Copper top and bottom plates of nominally identical size and shape. For the
large and medium apparatus the results with Aluminum plates fall below those
obtained with Copper plates, thus confirming qualitatively the prediction by
Verzicco that plates of finite conductivity diminish the heat transport in the
fluid. The Nusselt number N_infinity for plates with infinite conductivity was
estimated by fitting simultaneously Aluminum- and Copper-plate data sets to an
effective powerlaw for N_infinity multiplied by a correction factor f(X) = 1 -
exp[-(aX)^b] that depends on the ratio X of the thermal resistance of the fluid
to that of the plates as suggested by Verzicco. Within their uncertainties the
parameters a and b were independent of Gamma for the large apparatus and showed
a small Gamma-dependence for the medium apparatus. The correction was larger
for the large, smaller for the medium, and negligible for the small apparatus.


title: Scaling and data collapse for the mean exit time of asset prices

abstract:
  We study theoretical and empirical aspects of the mean exit time of financial
time series. The theoretical modeling is done within the framework of
continuous time random walk. We empirically verify that the mean exit time
follows a quadratic scaling law and it has associated a pre-factor which is
specific to the analyzed stock. We perform a series of statistical tests to
determine which kind of correlation are responsible for this specificity. The
main contribution is associated with the autocorrelation property of stock
returns. We introduce and solve analytically both a two-state and a three-state
Markov chain models. The analytical results obtained with the two-state Markov
chain model allows us to obtain a data collapse of the 20 measured MET profiles
in a single master curve.


title: Introduction to thermodynamics of spin models in the Hamiltonian limit

abstract:
  A didactic description of the thermodynamic properties of classical spin
systems is given in terms of their quantum counterpart in the Hamiltonian
limit. Emphasis is on the construction of the relevant Hamiltonian, and the
calculation of thermal averages is explicitly done in the case of small systems
described, in Hamiltonian field theory, by small matrices.


title: Facilitated diffusion of DNA-binding proteins

abstract:
  The diffusion-controlled limit of reaction times for site-specific
DNA-binding proteins is derived from first principles. We follow the generally
accepted concept that a protein propagates via two competitive modes, a
three-dimensional diffusion in space and a one-dimensional sliding along the
DNA. However, our theoretical treatment of the problem is new. The accuracy of
our analytical model is verified by numerical simulations. The results confirm
that the unspecific binding of protein to DNA, combined with sliding, is
capable to reduce the reaction times significantly.


title:
Numerical integration of the discrete-ordinate radiative transfer
  equation in strongly non homogeneous media

abstract:
  We consider the radiation transfer problem in the discrete-ordinate,
plane-parallel approach. We introduce two benchmark problems with exact known
solutions and show that for strongly non-homogeneous media the homogeneous
layers approximation can lead to errors of 10% in the estimation of the
intensity. We propose and validate a general purpose numerical method that
transforming the two-boundary problem into an initial boundary problem, using
an adaptative step integration and an interpolation of the local optical
properties, can improve the accuracy of the solution up to two orders of
magnitude. This is furthermore of interest for practical applications, such as
atmospheric radiation transfer, where the scattering and absorbing properties
of the media vary strongly with height and are only known, based on
measurements or models, at certain discrete points.


title:
The role of primary point defects in the degradation of silicon
  detectors due to hadron and lepton irradiation

abstract:
  The principal obstacle to long-time operation of silicon detectors at the
highest energies in the next generation of experiments arises from bulk
displacement damage which causes significant degradation of their macroscopic
properties. The analysis of the behaviour of silicon detectors after
irradiation conduces to a good or reasonable agreement between theoretical
calculations and experimental data for the time evolution of the leakage
current and effective carrier concentration after lepton and gamma irradiation
and large discrepancies after hadron irradiation and this in conditions where a
reasonable agreement is obtained between experimental and calculated
concentrations of complex defects. In this contribution, we argue that the main
discrepancies could be solved naturally considering as primary defects the
self-interstitials, classical vacancies and the new predicted fourfold
coordinated silicon pseudo-vacancy defects. This new defect is supposed to be
introduced uniformly in the bulk during irradiation, has deep energy level(s)
in the gap and it is stable in time. Considering the mechanisms of production
of defects and their kinetics, it was possible to determine indirectly the
characteristics of the SiFFCD defect: energy level in the band gap and cross
section for minority carrier capture. In the frame of the model, the effects of
primary defects on the degradation of silicon detectors are important in
conditions of continuous long time irradiation and /or high fluences.


title: A modelling approach towards Epidermal homoeostasis control

abstract:
  In order to grasp the features arising from cellular discreteness and
individuality, in large parts of cell tissue modelling agent-based models are
favoured. The subclass of off-lattice models allows for a physical motivation
of the intercellular interaction rules. We apply an improved version of a
previously introduced off-lattice agent-based model to the steady-state flow
equilibrium of skin. The dynamics of cells is determined by conservative and
drag forces,supplemented with delta-correlated random forces. Cellular
adjacency is detected by a weighted Delaunay triangulation. The cell cycle time
of keratinocytes is controlled by a diffusible substance provided by the
dermis. Its concentration is calculated from a diffusion equation with
time-dependent boundary conditions and varying diffusion coefficients. The
dynamics of a nutrient is also taken into account by a reaction-diffusion
equation. It turns out that the analysed control mechanism suffices to explain
several characteristics of epidermal homoeostasis formation. In addition, we
examine the question of how {\em in silico} melanoma with decreased basal
adhesion manage to persist within the steady-state flow-equilibrium of the
skin.Interestingly, even for melanocyte cell cycle times being substantially
shorter than for keratinocytes, tiny stochastic effects can lead to completely
different outcomes. The results demonstrate that the understanding of initial
states of tumour growth can profit significantly from the application of
off-lattice agent-based models in computer simulations.


title: Influence of optical aberrations in an atomic gyroscope

abstract:
  In atom interferometry based on light-induced diffraction, the optical
aberrations of the laser beam splitters are a dominant source of noise and
systematic effect. In an atomic gyroscope, this effect is dramatically reduced
by the use of two atomic sources. But it remains critical while coupled to
fluctuations of atomic trajectories, and appears as a main source of noise to
the long term stability. Therefore we measure these contributions in our setup,
using cold Cesium atoms and stimulated Raman transitions.


title:
Quantum control of optical four-wave mixing with femtosecond w-3w laser
  pulses: coherent ac Stark nonlinear spectroscopy

abstract:
  The four-wave mixing produced with two ultrashort phase-locked w-3w laser
pulses propagating coherently in a two-level system in the infrared spectral
region is shown to depend on the pulses relative phase. The Maxwell-Bloch
equations are solved beyond the rotating-wave approximation to account for
field frequencies which are largely detuned from the atomic resonance. The
relative phase dominating the efficiency of the coupling to the 5w anti-Stokes
Raman component is determined by sign of the total ac Stark shift induced in
the system, in such a way that the phase influence disappears precisely where
the ac Stark effect due to both pulses is compensated. This fundamental quantum
interference effect can be the basis for nonlinear ultrafast optical
spectroscopy techniques.


title: Improved calculation of relativistic shift and isotope shift in Mg I

abstract:
  We present an ab initio method of calculation of isotope shift and
relativistic shift in atoms with a few valence electrons. It is based on an
energy calculation involving combination of the configuration interaction
method and many-body perturbation theory. This work is motivated by analyses of
quasar absorption spectra that suggest that the fine structure constant, alpha,
was smaller at an early epoch. Relativistic shifts are needed to measure this
variation of alpha, while isotope shifts are needed to resolve systematic
effects in this study. The isotope shifts can also be used to measure isotopic
abundances in gas clouds in the early universe, which are needed to study
nuclear reactions in stars and supernovae and test models of chemical
evolution. This paper shows that isotope shift in magnesium can be calculated
to very high precision using our new method.


title: The 2mrad horizontal crossing angle IR layout for a TeV ILC

abstract:
  The current status of the 2mrad crossing angle layout for the ILC is
reviewed. The scheme developed in the UK and France is described and the
performance discussed for a TeV machine. Secondly, the scheme developed at SLAC
and BNL is then studied and modified for a TeV machine. We find that both
schemes can handle the higher energy beam with modifications, and share many
common features.


title:
Conceptual and Epistemological discussions on Quantum Mechanics in a
  Virtual Laboratory

abstract:
  We argue here for a more conceptual or qualitative approach in the
introductory teaching of Quantum Physics which is built on the basis of
epistemological and ontological discussions and as such is a valuable tool
mainly in the initial and continued formation of school teachers. We illustrate
our point with the analysis of undulatory and corpuscular phenomena of a single
photon in a virtual Mach-Zehnder Interferometer - an experimental setup similar
to double slits device but simpler - using key ideas of the most known
interpretations of quantum formalism, including the many worlds interpretation.


title: Nanotechnology and Society: A discussion-based undergraduate course

abstract:
  Nanotechnology has emerged as a broad, exciting, yet ill-defined field of
scientific research and technological innovation. There are important questions
about the technology's potential economic, social, and environmental
implications. We discuss an undergraduate course on nanoscience and
nanotechnology for students from a wide range of disciplines, including the
natural and social sciences, the humanities, and engineering. The course
explores these questions and the broader place of technology in contemporary
societies. The course is built around active learning methods and seeks to
develop the students' critical thinking skills, written and verbal
communication abilities, and general knowledge of nanoscience and
nanoengineering concepts. Continuous assessment was used to gain information
about the effectiveness of class discussions and enhancement of student
understanding of the interaction between nanotechnology and society.


title:
Turbulent Friction in Rough Pipes and the Energy Spectrum of the
  Phenomenological Theory

abstract:
  The classical experiments on turbulent friction in rough pipes were performed
by J. Nikuradse in the 1930's. Seventy years later, they continue to defy
theory. Here we model Nikuradse's experiments using the phenomenological theory
of Kolmog\'orov, a theory that is widely thought to be applicable only to
highly idealized flows. Our results include both the empirical scalings of
Blasius and Strickler, and are otherwise in minute qualitative agreement with
the experiments; they suggest that the phenomenological theory may be relevant
to other flows of practical interest; and they unveil the existence of close
ties between two milestones of experimental and theoretical turbulence.


title:
The radiative potential method for calculations of QED radiative
  corrections to energy levels and electromagnetic amplitudes in many-electron
  atoms

abstract:
  We derive an approximate expression for a "radiative potential" which can be
used to calculate QED strong Coulomb field radiative corrections to energies
and electric dipole (E1) transition amplitudes in many-electron atoms with an
accuracy of a few percent. The expectation value of the radiative potential
gives radiative corrections to the energies. Radiative corrections to E1
amplitudes can be expressed in terms of the radiative potential and its energy
derivative (the low-energy theorem): the relative magnitude of the radiative
potential contribution is ~alpha^3 Z^2 ln(1/(alpha^2 Z^2)), while the sum of
other QED contributions is ~alpha^3 (Z_i+1)^2, where Z_i is the ion charge;
that is, for neutral atoms (Z_i=0) the radiative potential contribution exceeds
other contributions ~Z^2 times. The advantage of the radiative potential method
is that it is very simple and can be easily incorporated into many-body theory
approaches: relativistic Hartree-Fock, configuration interaction, many-body
perturbation theory, etc. As an application we have calculated the radiative
corrections to the energy levels and E1 amplitudes as well as their
contributions (-0.33% and 0.42%, respectively) to the parity non-conserving
(PNC) 6s-7s amplitude in neutral cesium (Z=55). Combining these results with
the QED correction to the weak matrix elements (-0.41%) we obtain the total QED
correction to the PNC 6s-7s amplitude, (-0.32 +/- 0.03)%. The cesium weak
charge Q_W=-72.66(29)_{exp}(36)_{theor} agrees with the Standard Model value
Q_W^{SM}=-73.19(13), the difference is 0.53(48).


title: Three dimensional super-resolution in metamaterial slab lenses

abstract:
  This letter presents a theoretical and experimental study on the viability of
obtaining three dimensional super-resolution (i.e. resolution overcoming the
diffraction limit for all directions in space) by means of metamaterial slab
lenses. Although the source field cannot be actually reproduced at the back
side of the lens with super-resolution in all space directions, the matching
capabilities of metamaterial slabs does make it possible the detection of
images with three-dimensional super-resolution. This imaging takes place
because of the coupling between the evanescent space harmonic components of the
field generated at both the source and the detector.


title: Extracellular polymeric bacterial coverages as minimal area surfaces

abstract:
  Surfaces formed by extracellular polymeric substances enclosing individual
and some small communities of {\it Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans} on plates of
hydrophobic silicon and hydrophilic mica are analyzed by means of atomic force
microscopy imaging. Accurate nanoscale descriptions of such coverage surfaces
are obtained. The good agreement with the predictions of a rather simple but
realistic theoretical model allows us to conclude that they correspond, indeed,
to minimal area surfaces enclosing a given volume associated with the encased
bacteria. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first shape
characterization of the coverage formed by these biomolecules, with potential
applications to the study of biofilms.


title:
Stochastic resonance in the growth of a tumor induced by correlated
  noises

abstract:
  Multiplicative noise is found to divide the growth law of tumors into two
parts in a logistic model, which is driven by additive and multiplicative
noises simultaneously. The Fokker-Planck equation was also derived to explain
the fact that the influence of the intensity of multiplicative noise on the
growth of tumor cells has a stochastic resonance-like characteristic. An
appropriate intensity of multiplicative noise is benefit to the growth of the
tumor cells. The correlation between two sorts of noises weakens the stochastic
resonance-like characteristic. Homologous noises promote the growth of the
tumor cells.


title: Separable unsteady nonparallel flow stability problems

abstract:
  The so-called 'direct' approach to separation of variables in linear PDEs is
applied to the hydrodynamic stability problem. Calculations are made for the
complete linear stability equations in cylindrical coordinates. Several classes
of the exact solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations describing spatially
developing and unsteady flows, for which the linear stability problems can be
rigorously reduced to eigenvalue problems of ordinary differential equations,
are defined. Those exactly solvable nonparallel and unsteady flow stability
problems can be used for testing approximate approaches and the methods based
on direct numerical simulations of the (linearized) Navier-Stokes equations.
The exact solutions of the viscous incompressible Navier-Stokes equations
determined as the basic states, for which the linear stability problem is
exactly separable, may be themselves of interest from theoretical and
engineering points of view.


title: On the origin of the gravitational quantization: The Titius--Bode Law

abstract:
  Action at distance in Newtonian physics is replaced by finite propagation
speeds in classical post--Newtonian physics. As a result, the differential
equations of motion in Newtonian physics are replaced by functional
differential equations, where the delay associated with the finite propagation
speed is taken into account. Newtonian equations of motion, with
post--Newtonian corrections, are often used to approximate the functional
differential equations. In ``On the origin of quantum mechanics'', preprint,
physics/0505181, May 2005, a simple atomic model based on a functional
differential equation which reproduces the quantized Bohr atomic model was
presented. The unique assumption was that the electrodynamic interaction has
finite propagation speed. Are the finite propagation speeds also the origin of
the gravitational quantization? In this work a simple gravitational model based
on a functional differential equation gives an explanation of the modified
Titius--Bode law.


title:
On a multi-timescale statistical feedback model for volatility
  fluctuations

abstract:
  We study, both analytically and numerically, an ARCH-like, multiscale model
of volatility, which assumes that the volatility is governed by the observed
past price changes on different time scales. With a power-law distribution of
time horizons, we obtain a model that captures most stylized facts of financial
time series: Student-like distribution of returns with a power-law tail,
long-memory of the volatility, slow convergence of the distribution of returns
towards the Gaussian distribution, multifractality and anomalous volatility
relaxation after shocks. At variance with recent multifractal models that are
strictly time reversal invariant, the model also reproduces the time assymmetry
of financial time series: past large scale volatility influence future small
scale volatility. In order to quantitatively reproduce all empirical
observations, the parameters must be chosen such that our model is close to an
instability, meaning that (a) the feedback effect is important and
substantially increases the volatility, and (b) that the model is intrinsically
difficult to calibrate because of the very long range nature of the
correlations. By imposing the consistency of the model predictions with a large
set of different empirical observations, a reasonable range of the parameters
value can be determined. The model can easily be generalized to account for
jumps, skewness and multiasset correlations.

categories: physics.soc-ph cond-mat.stat-mech physics.data-an q-fin.ST


title: A Note on Singularities and Polynomial Zeros

abstract:
  The analysis of solutions to algebraic equations is further simplified. A
couple of functions and their analytic continuation or root findings are
required.


title: Thermo-physical description of elastic solids

abstract:
  Experiments show that all the derivatives of the thermo-physical variables
are nearly constant. The constant value of the derivatives indicates linear
relationship between the variables. Neither the volume coefficient of thermal
expansion nor the bulk modulus are constant and show pressure and temperature
dependence. Besides the derivatives the only other quantity in the definition
of the volume coefficient of thermal expansion and the bulk modulus is the
volume. It is suggested that the pressure and temperature dependence of these
parameters is resulted from the improper identification of the volume. In solid
phase the actual volume is not an independent variable but rather comprises
from three more fundamental volume components, initial, thermal, and elastic
volumes. The pressure correlates to the elastic volume and the temperature to
the thermal volume. New definitions for the volume coefficient of thermal
expansion and the bulk modulus are proposed by identifying the fundamental
volume parts specifically. The complete separation of the thermal and elastic
volumes is consistent with theory since the vibrational and static energies are
completely independent of each other. Based on the independence of the thermal
and elastic deformations it is suggested that thermo elastic coupling should
not exist in solid phase in the elastic domain with the exception of constant
volume. It is also suggested that the thermo-elastic coupling is irreversible
and exist only in the temperature-pressure direction.


title: Self-consistent Monte-Carlo simulation of the positive column in Argon

abstract:
  A high accurate self-consistent Monte-Carlo method including charged and
neutral particle motion and resonance photon transport is developed and applied
to simulation of positive column discharge in Argon. The distribution of power
loss across the tube is investigated. It is shown that negative slope of
current-voltage gradient curve can not be explained by only one factor.
Diffusion of metastable atoms to the tube wall in the case of low current
($0.2-3$mA) responds for the most part of negative slope. For the high currents
the variation of radiation power loss makes a main contribution to the
amplitude of negative slope.


title:
Suppression of inelastic collisions of polar $^1 \Sigma$ state molecules
  in an electrostatic field

abstract:
  Collisions of polar $^{1}\Sigma$ state molecules at ultralow energies are
considered, within a model that accounts for long-range dipole-dipole
interactions, plus rotation of the molecules. We predict a substantial
suppression of dipole-driven inelastic collisions at high values of the applied
electric field, namely, field values of several times $B_e/\mu$. Here $B_e$ is
the rotational constant, and $\mu$ is the electric dipole moment of molecules.
  The sudden large drop in the inelastic cross section is attributed to the
onset of degeneracy between molecular rotational levels, which dramatically
alters the scattering Hamiltonian. As a result of the large ratio of elastic to
inelastic collision rates, we predict that evaporative cooling may be feasible
for $^{1}\Sigma$ state molecules in weak-field-seeking states, provided a large
bias electric field is present.


title: Design study of an optical cavity for a future photon-collider at ILC

abstract:
  Hard photons well above 100 GeV have to be generated in a future
photon-collider which essentially will be based on the infrastructure of the
planned International Linear Collider (ILC). The energy of near-infrared laser
photons will be boosted by Compton backscattering against a high energy
relativistic electron beam. For high effectiveness, a very powerful lasersystem
is required that exceeds todays state-of-the-art capabilities. In this paper a
design of an auxiliary passive cavity is discussed that resonantly enhances the
peak-power of the laser. The properties and prospects of such a cavity are
addressed on the basis of the specifications for the European TeV Energy
Superconducting Linear Accelerator (TESLA) proposal. Those of the ILC are
expected to be similar.


title: Performance of the CMS Pixel Detector at an upgraded LHC

abstract:
  The CMS experiment will include a pixel detector for pattern recognition and
vertexing. It will consist of three barrel layers and two endcaps on each side,
providing three space-points up to a pseudoraditity of 2.1. Taking into account
the expected limitations of its performance in the LHC environment an 8-9 layer
pixel detector for an upgraded LHC is discussed.


title: Tests of a Roman Pot Prototype for the TOTEM Experiment

abstract:
  The TOTEM collaboration has developed and tested the first prototype of its
Roman Pots to be operated in the LHC. TOTEM Roman Pots contain stacks of 10
silicon detectors with strips oriented in two orthogonal directions. To measure
proton scattering angles of a few microradians, the detectors will approach the
beam centre to a distance of 10 sigma + 0.5 mm (= 1.3 mm). Dead space near the
detector edge is minimised by using two novel "edgeless" detector technologies.
The silicon detectors are used both for precise track reconstruction and for
triggering. The first full-sized prototypes of both detector technologies as
well as their read-out electronics have been developed, built and operated. The
tests took place first in a fixed-target muon beam at CERN's SPS, and then in
the proton beam-line of the SPS accelerator ring. We present the test beam
results demonstrating the successful functionality of the system despite slight
technical shortcomings to be improved in the near future.


title: Aperiodic lattices for tunable photonic bandgaps and localization

abstract:
  Photonic bandgap engineering using aperiodic lattices (ALs) is systematically
studied. Up to now ALs have tended to be defined by specific formulae (e.g.
Fibonacci, Cantor), and theories have neglected other useful ALs along with the
vast majority of non-useful (random) ALs. Here we present a practical and
efficient Fourier space-based general theory, to identify all those ALs having
useful band properties, which are characterized by well-defined Fourier (i.e.
lattice momentum) components. Direct real-space optimization of ALs tends to be
computationally demanding, and is also difficult to generalise beyond 1D.
However, via our Fourier space-based inverse optimization algorithm, we
efficiently tailor the relative strength of the AL Fourier components for
precise control of photonic band and localization properties.


title: Earthquake recurrence as a record breaking process

abstract:
  Extending the central concept of recurrence times for a point process to
recurrent events in space-time allows us to characterize seismicity as a record
breaking process using only spatiotemporal relations among events. Linking
record breaking events with edges between nodes in a graph generates a complex
dynamical network isolated from any length, time or magnitude scales set by the
observer. For Southern California, the network of recurrences reveals new
statistical features of seismicity with robust scaling laws. The rupture length
and its scaling with magnitude emerges as a generic measure for distance
between recurrent events. Further, the relative separations for subsequent
records in space (or time) form a hierarchy with unexpected scaling properties.

categories: physics.geo-ph cond-mat.stat-mech math.PR physics.data-an


title: Performance of three-photon PET imaging: Monte Carlo simulations

abstract:
  We have recently introduced the idea of making use of three-photon positron
annihilations in positron emission tomography. In this paper the basic
characteristics of the three-gamma imaging in PET are studied by means of Monte
Carlo simulations and analytical computations. Two typical configurations of
human and small animal scanners are considered. Three-photon imaging requires
high energy resolution detectors. Parameters currently attainable by CdZnTe
semiconductor detectors, the technology of choice for the future development of
radiation imaging, are assumed. Spatial resolution is calculated as a function
of detector energy resolution and size, position in the field of view, scanner
size, and the energies of the three gamma annihilation photons. Possible ways
to improve the spatial resolution obtained for nominal parameters: 1.5 cm and
3.2 mm FWHM for human and small animal scanners, respectively, are indicated.
Counting rates of true and random three-photon events for typical human and
small animal scanning configurations are assessed. A simple formula for minimum
size of lesions detectable in the three-gamma based images is derived.
Depending on the contrast and total number of registered counts, lesions of a
few mm size for human and sub mm for small animal scanners can be detected.


title: Dynamical methods of investigation in application to the Dirac particle

abstract:
  The Dirac particle S_D is investigated by means of dynamic methods, i.e.
without a use of the principles of quantum mechanics. It is shown that the
Pauli particle S_P and the nonrelativistic approximation S_{nD} of the Dirac
particle S_D are different dynamic systems. S_{nD} contains the high frequency
degrees of freedom, which are absent in the dynamic system S_P. It means that
the nonrelativistic Dirac particle S_{nD} is composite (i.e. it has internal
degrees of freedom), whereas the Pauli particle S_P is a pointlike particle
with the spin. In the absence of the electromagnetic field the world line of
the classical Pauli particle S_{Pcl} is a timelike straight, whereas that of
the classical nonrelativistic Dirac particle S_{nDcl} is a helix. The
characteristic frequency $\Omega =2mc^{2}/\hbar $ of this helix is the
threshold frequency of the pair production. Using dynamic methods, one shows
freely that the Copenhagen interpretation, when the wave function is a specific
quantum object describing the state of individual particle, is incompatible
with the quantum mechanics formalism. Besides, it is shown that the momentum
distribution in quantum mechanics is in reality the mean momentum distribution.
Effectiveness of different investigation strategies is discussed and compared.


title:
Dynamics under radiation damping from ab-initio formalism -nonlocal
  restraint on acceleration runaway in electrodynamics

abstract:
  Classically encountered problem of acceleration runaway in radiative motion
of a charged-particle is addressed by considering the criterion of minimum
radiation loss under optimum displacement in variationally referred dynamic
course in between a pair of arbitrarily selected space-like surfaces having
time-like separation. Using the criterion, analysis made by involving a family
of infinitesimally differed paths reveals that for attaining stationary action
of the dynamic course it is necessary to involve orchestrated displacement of
the path family. Dynamics that generally follows from such analysis involves
nonlocally mediated interaction besides the conventional ones. Amidst external
field perturbation it is shown that ubiquitous nonlocal mediation incessantly
attempts optimizing displacement in accomplishing minimum radiation loss. The
mediation involves virtual exchange of quantized energy and momentum of the
interacting field and particle, which in conformity with quantum mechanical
prescription is describable by unitary evolution. Under increasingly high
perturbation, the mediation can boost its defensive effort but up to a critical
limit with stress release predominantly as Larmor radiation relaxation.
Observable acceleration and jerk, and relaxations thereof in the nonstationary
evolution are indeed markers of the defense failure. Recoil from the Larmor
relaxation impedes kinetic energy growth and also imparts shear stress to the
spherically polarized vacuum field of point charge; the transverse stress
release having similitude of Hawking-Unruh radiation. Defending nonlocal field
restrains acceleration runaway and loss of causality. The classically based
ab-initio analysis on nonlocal realisms further proves its versatility in
revealing nonlocally mediated geodesics structure of quantized 4-space with
useful revelations.


title:
Orientation dynamics of weakly Brownian particles in periodic viscous
  flows

abstract:
  Evolution equations for the orientation distribution of axisymmetric
particles in periodic flows are derived in the regime of small but non-zero
Brownian rotations. The equations are based on a multiple time scale approach
that allows fast computation of the relaxation processes leading to statistical
equilibrium. The approach has been applied to the calculation of the effective
viscosity of a thin disk suspension in gravity waves.


title:
Hydrodynamic Model for the System of Self Propelling Particles with
  Conservative Kinematic Constraints; Two dimensional stationary solutions

abstract:
  We consider a continuum model for the dynamics of systems of self propelling
particles with kinematic constraints on the velocities. The model aims to be
analogous to a discrete algorithm used in works by T. Vicsek et al. In this
paper we prove that the only types of the stationary planar solutions in the
model are either of translational or axial symmetry of the flow. Within the
proposed model we differentiate between finite and infinite flocking behavior
by the finiteness of the kinetic energy functional.


title: Teaching About Nature's Nuclear Reactors

abstract:
  Naturally occurring nuclear reactors existed in uranium deposits on Earth
long before Enrico Fermi built the first man-made nuclear reactor beneath
Staggs Field in 1942. In the story of their discovery, there are important
lessons to be learned about scientific inquiry and scientific discovery. Now,
there is evidence to suggest that the Earth's magnetic field and Jupiter's
atmospheric turbulence are driven by planetary-scale nuclear reactors. The
subject of planetocentric nuclear fission reactors can be a jumping off point
for stimulating classroom discussions about the nature and implications of
planetary energy sources and about the geomagnetic field. But more importantly,
the subject can help to bring into focus the importance of discussing,
debating, and challenging current thinking in a variety of areas.


title: QPROP: A Schroedinger-solver for intense laser-atom interaction

abstract:
  The Qprop package is presented. Qprop has been developed to study laser-atom
interaction in the nonperturbative regime where nonlinear phenomena such as
above-threshold ionization, high order harmonic generation, and dynamic
stabilization are known to occur. In the nonrelativistic regime and within the
single active electron approximation, these phenomena can be studied with Qprop
in the most rigorous way by solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation
in three spatial dimensions. Because Qprop is optimized for the study of
quantum systems that are spherically symmetric in their initial, unperturbed
configuration, all wavefunctions are expanded in spherical harmonics.
Time-propagation of the wavefunctions is performed using a split-operator
approach. Photoelectron spectra are calculated employing a window-operator
technique. Besides the solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation in
single active electron approximation, Qprop allows to study many-electron
systems via the solution of the time-dependent Kohn-Sham equations.


title: Inferior Bounds for Phase Synchronization

abstract:
  An approach is presented for coupled chaotic systems, estimating an inferior
bound value for the absolute phase difference, in order to say that phase
synchronization is present. This approach shows that synchronicity in phase
implies synchronicity in the time of events. This is used to derive an equation
to detect phase synchronization, based on the absolute difference between the
time of these events. A phase based on the vector field is also introduced. It
can be used to calculate the frequency of attractors with non-coherent phase
dynamics.


title:
Neutrons from fragmentation of light nuclei in tissue-like media: a
  study with GEANT4 toolkit

abstract:
  We study energy deposition by light nuclei in tissue-like media taking into
account nuclear fragmentation reactions, in particular, production of secondary
neutrons. The calculations are carried out within a Monte Carlo model for
Heavy-Ion Therapy (MCHIT) based on the GEANT4 toolkit. Experimental data on
depth-dose distributions for 135A-400A MeV C-12 and O-18 beams are described
very well without any adjustment of the model parameters. This gives confidence
in successful use of the GEANT4 toolkit for MC simulations of cancer therapy
with beams of light nuclei. The energy deposition due to secondary neutrons
produced by C-12 and Ne-20 beams in a (40-50 cm)^3 water phantom is estimated
to 1-2% of the total dose, that is only slightly above the neutron contribution
(~1%) induced by a 200 MeV proton beam.


title: Science,technology and society

abstract:
  We shall discuss some aspects of science and technology, their increasing
role in the society, the fast advances in modern science, the apparent decrease
of interest of the young generation in basic sciences, the importance of proper
science popularization for better public education and awareness in scientific
fields.


title:
The distribution of wealth in the presence of altruism for simple
  economic models

abstract:
  We study the effect of altruism in two simple asset exchange models: the yard
sale model (winner gets a random fraction of the poorer player's wealth) and
the theft and fraud model (winner gets a random fraction of the loser's
wealth). We also introduce in these models the concept of bargaining
efficiency, which makes the poorer trader more aggressive in getting a
favorable deal thus augmenting his winning probabilities. The altruistic
behavior is controlled by varying the number of traders that behave
altruistically and by the degree of altruism that they show. The resulting
wealth distribution is characterized using the Gini index. We compare the
resulting values of the Gini index at different levels of altruism in both
models. It is found that altruistic behavior does lead to a more equitable
wealth distribution but only for unreasonable high values of altruism that are
difficult to expect in a real economic system.


title:
Criterion for traffic phases in single vehicle data and empirical test
  of a microscopic three-phase traffic theory

abstract:
  A microscopic criterion for distinguishing synchronized flow and wide moving
jam phases in single vehicle data measured at a single freeway location is
presented. Empirical local congested traffic states in single vehicle data
measured on different days are classified into synchronized flow states and
states consisting of synchronized flow and wide moving jam(s). Then empirical
microscopic characteristics for these different local congested traffic states
are studied. Using these characteristics and empirical spatiotemporal
macroscopic traffic phenomena, an empirical test of a microscopic three-phase
traffic flow theory is performed. Simulations show that the microscopic
criterion and macroscopic spatiotemporal objective criteria lead to the same
identification of the synchronized flow and wide moving jam phases in congested
traffic. It is found that microscopic three-phase traffic models can explain
both microscopic and macroscopic empirical congested pattern features. It is
obtained that microscopic distributions for vehicle speed difference as well as
fundamental diagrams and speed correlation functions can depend on the spatial
co-ordinate considerably. It turns out that microscopic optimal velocity (OV)
functions and time headway distributions are not necessarily qualitatively
different, even if local congested traffic states are qualitatively different.
The reason for this is that important spatiotemporal features of congested
traffic patterns are it lost in these as well as in many other macroscopic and
microscopic traffic characteristics, which are widely used as the empirical
basis for a test of traffic flow models, specifically, cellular automata
traffic flow models.


title:
eRHIC Detector Design Studies - Implications and Constraints on the ep
  (A) Interaction-Region Design

abstract:
  An electron-proton/ion collider facility (eRHIC) is under consideration at
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Such a new facility will require the
design and construction of a new optimized detector profiting from the world's
first ep collider facility HERA at DESY. The detailed design is closely coupled
to the design of the interaction region and thus to the machine development
work in general. Implications and constraints on the ep(A) interaction-region
design will be discussed.


title:
Numerical Study of Structural Phase Transitions in a Vertically Confined
  Plasma Crystal

abstract:
  Dusty plasmas consists of an ionized gas containing small (usually negatively
charged) particles. Dusty plasmas are of interest in both astrophysics and
space physics as well as in research in plasma processing and nanofabrication.
In this work, the formation of plasma crystals confined in an external
one-dimensional parabolic potential well is simulated for a normal experimental
environment employing a computer code called BOX_TREE. Such crystals are
layered systems, with each layer a two dimensional lattice composed of grain
particles. The number of layers is dependent upon the external potential
parameter. For constant layer number, the intralayer structure transits from a
square lattice to a hexagonal (triangular) lattice as the confining potential
decreases. For hexagonal lattices, both hcp and fcc characteristics were found
but hcp structures dominate. The relative thickness of the system was also
examined. The results were compared with previous experimental and theoretical
results and found to agree.


title: Photographing a time interval

abstract:
  A method of measuring time intervals by a single observer proposed by Crowell
is extended to the more general case when the events separated by the time
interval take place at two points characterized by the same y=y' space
coordinates. We show that time dilation and time contraction can take place or
even an inversion in the time succession can be detected


title: Ab initio yield curve dynamics

abstract:
  We derive an equation of motion for interest-rate yield curves by applying a
minimum Fisher information variational approach to the implied probability
density. By construction, solutions to the equation of motion recover observed
bond prices. More significantly, the form of the resulting equation explains
the success of the Nelson Siegel approach to fitting static yield curves and
the empirically observed modal structure of yield curves. A practical numerical
implementation of this equation of motion is found by using the Karhunen-Loeve
expansion and Galerkin's method to formulate a reduced-order model of yield
curve dynamics.


title: Relativistic force transformation

abstract:
  Formulae relating one and the same force in two inertial frames of reference
are derived directly from the Lorentz transformation of space and time
coordinates and relativistic equation for the dynamic law of motion in three
dimensions. We obtain firstly relativistic transformation for the velocity and
acceleration of a particle. Then we substitute them in the relativistic dynamic
equation and perform tedious algebraic manipulations. No recourse were made to
"general rules for the transformation of 4-tensors". Formulae obtained were
verified in electrodynamics.


title:
Theory of the Laser Wake-Field Accelerator Revisited: Wake Overtaking,
  Localized Spectrum and Ponderomotive Acceleration

abstract:
  The electron and positron acceleration in the first cycle of a laser-driven
wakefield is investigated. Separatrices between different types of the particle
motion (confined, reflected by the wakefield or ponderomotive potential and
transient) are demonstrated. The ponderomotive acceleration is negligible for
electrons but is substantial for positrons. An electron bunch, injected as
quasi-monoenergetic, acquires a localized energy spectrum with a cut-off at the
maximum energy.


title: Production networks and failure avalanches

abstract:
  Although standard economics textbooks are seldom interested in production
networks, modern economies are more and more based upon suppliers/customers
interactions. One can consider entire sectors of the economy as generalised
supply chains. We will take this view in the present paper and study under
which conditions local failures to produce or simply to deliver can result in
avalanches of shortage and bankruptcies across the network. We will show that a
large class of models exhibit scale free distributions of production and wealth
among firms and that metastable regions of high production are highly
localised.


title: Geometric Drive of the Universe's Expansion

abstract:
  What if physics is just the way we perceive geometry? That is, what if
geometry and physics will one day become one and the same discipline? I believe
that will mean we will at last really understand physics, without postulates
other than those defining the particular space where the physics play is
performed. In this paper I use 5-dimensional spacetime as a point of departure
and make a very peculiar assignment between coordinates and physical distances
and time. I assume there is an hyperspherical symmetry which is made apparent
by assigning the hypersphere radius to proper time and distances on the
hypersphere to usual 3-dimensional distances. Time, or Compton time to
distinguish from cosmic time is the 0th coordinate and I am able to project
everything into 4-dimensions by imposing a null displacement condition.
Surprisingly nothing else is needed to explain Hubble's expansion law without
any appeal to dark matter; an empty Universe will expand naturally at a flat
rate in this way. I then discuss the perturbative effects of a small mass
density in the expansion rate in a qualitative way; quantitative results call
for the solution of equations that sometimes have not even been clearly
formulated and so are deferred to later work. A brief outlook of the
consequences an hyperspherical symmetry has for galaxy dynamics allows the
derivation of constant rotation velocity curves, again without appealing to
dark matter. An appendix explains how electromagnetism is made consistent with
this geometric approach and justifies the fact that photons must travel on
hypersphere circles, to be normal to proper time.


title: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance with the Distant Dipolar Field

abstract:
  Distant dipolar field (DDF)-based nuclear magnetic resonance is an active
research area with many fundamental properties still not well understood.
Already several intriguing applications have developed, like HOMOGENIZED and
IDEAL spectroscopy, that allow high resolution spectra to be obtained in
inhomogeneous fields, such as in-vivo. The theoretical and experimental
research in this thesis concentrates on the fundamental signal properties of
DDF-based sequences in the presence of relaxation (T1 and T2) and diffusion. A
general introduction to magnetic resonance phenomenon is followed by a more in
depth introduction to the DDF and its effects. A novel analytical signal
equation has been developed to describe the effects of T2 relaxation and
diffusing spatially modulated longitudinal spins during the signal build period
of an HOMOGENIZED cross peak. Diffusion of the longitudinal spins results in a
lengthening of the effective dipolar demagnetization time, delaying the
re-phasing of coupled anti-phase states in the quantum picture. In the
classical picture the unwinding rate of spatially twisted magnetization is no
longer constant, but decays exponentially with time. The expression is
experimentally verified for the HOMOGENIZED spectrum of 100mM TSP in H2O at
4.7T. Equations have also been developed for the case of multiple repetition
steady state 1d and 2d spectroscopic sequences with incomplete magnetization
recovery, leading to spatially varying longitudinal magnetization. Experimental
verification has been accomplished by imaging the profile. The equations should
be found generally applicable for those interested in DDF-based spectroscopy
and imaging.


title:
Active control of sound inside a sphere via control of the acoustic
  pressure at the boundary surface

abstract:
  Here we investigate the practical feasibility of performing soundfield
reproduction throughout a three-dimensional area by controlling the acoustic
pressure measured at the boundary surface of the volume in question. The main
aim is to obtain quantitative data showing what performances a practical
implementation of this strategy is likely to yield. In particular, the
influence of two main limitations is studied, namely the spatial aliasing and
the resonance problems occurring at the eigenfrequencies associated with the
internal Dirichlet problem. The strategy studied is first approached by
performing numerical simulations, and then in experiments involving active
noise cancellation inside a sphere in an anechoic environment. The results show
that noise can be efficiently cancelled everywhere inside the sphere in a wide
frequency range, in the case of both pure tones and broadband noise, including
cases where the wavelength is similar to the diameter of the sphere. Excellent
agreement was observed between the results of the simulations and the
measurements. This method can be expected to yield similar performances when it
is used to reproduce soundfields.


title: Lancret helices

abstract:
  Helical configurations of inhomogeneous symmetric rods with non-constant
bending and twisting stiffness are studied within the framework of the
Kirchhoff rod model. From the static Kirchhoff equations, we obtain a set of
differential equations for the curvature and torsion of the centerline of the
rod and the Lancret's theorem is used to find helical solutions. We obtain a
free standing helical solution for an inhomogeneous rod whose curvature and
torsion depend on the form of variation of the bending coefficient along the
rod. These results are obtained for inhomogeneous rods without intrinsic
curvature, and for a particular case of intrinsic curvature.


title: The structure of Inter-Urban traffic: A weighted network analysis

abstract:
  We study the structure of the network representing the interurban commuting
traffic of the Sardinia region, Italy, which amounts to 375 municipalities and
1,600,000 inhabitants. We use a weighted network representation where vertices
correspond to towns and the edges to the actual commuting flows among those. We
characterize quantitatively both the topological and weighted properties of the
resulting network. Interestingly, the statistical properties of commuting
traffic exhibit complex features and non-trivial relations with the underlying
topology. We characterize quantitatively the traffic backbone among large
cities and we give evidences for a very high heterogeneity of the commuter
flows around large cities. We also discuss the interplay between the
topological and dynamical properties of the network as well as their relation
with socio-demographic variables such as population and monthly income. This
analysis may be useful at various stages in environmental planning and provides
analytical tools for a wide spectrum of applications ranging from impact
evaluation to decision-making and planning support.


title: Einstein's impact on the physics of the twentieth century

abstract:
  Starting with Einstein's famous papers of 1905, we review some of the ensuing
developments and their impact on present-day physics. We attempt to cover
topics that are of interest to historians and philosophers of science as well
as to physicists. This paper will appear in ``2005: The Centenary of Einstein's
Annus Mirabilis'', the special March 2006 issue of Studies in History and
Philosophy of Modern Physics.


title: Non-transitive maps in phase synchronization

abstract:
  Concepts from the Ergodic Theory are used to describe the existence of
non-transitive maps in attractors of phase synchronous chaotic systems. It is
shown that for a class of phase-coherent systems, e.g. the sinusoidally forced
Chua's circuit and two coupled R{\"o}ssler oscillators, phase synchronization
implies that such maps exist. These ideas are also extended to other coupled
chaotic systems. In addition, a phase for a chaotic attractor is defined from
the tangent vector of the flow. Finally, it is discussed how these maps can be
used to real time detection of phase synchronization in experimental systems.


title: Beaming effect from increased-index photonic crystal waveguides

abstract:
  We study the beaming effect of light for the case of increased-index photonic
crystal (PhC) waveguides, formed through the omission of low-dielectric media
in the waveguide region. We employ the finite-difference time-domain numerical
method for characterizing the beaming effect and determining the mechanisms of
loss and the overall efficiency of the directional emission. We find that,
while this type of PhC waveguides is capable of producing a highly collimated
emission as was demonstrated experimentally, the inherent characteristics of
the structure result in a restrictively low efficiency in the coupling of light
into the collimated beam of light.


title: Misconceptions on Relativity Gravitation and Cosmology

abstract:
  Fifteen misconceptions involving Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology are
exposed, along with corrections


title: Financial Applications of Random Matrix Theory: Old Laces and New Pieces

abstract:
  This contribution to the proceedings of the Cracow meeting on `Applications
of Random Matrix Theory' summarizes a series of studies, some old and others
more recent on financial applications of Random Matrix Theory (RMT). We first
review some early results in that field, with particular emphasis on the
applications of correlation cleaning to portfolio optimisation, and discuss the
extension of the Marcenko-Pastur (MP) distribution to a non trivial `true'
underlying correlation matrix. We then present new results concerning different
problems that arise in a financial context: (a) the generalisation of the MP
result to the case of an empirical correlation matrix (ECM) constructed using
exponential moving averages, for which we give a new elegant derivation (b) the
specific dynamics of the `market' eigenvalue and its associated eigenvector,
which defines an interesting Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process on the unit sphere and
(c) the problem of the dependence of ECM's on the observation frequency of the
returns and its interpretation in terms of lagged cross-influences.


title:
Spectroscopic determination of the s-wave scattering lengths of 86Sr and
  88Sr

abstract:
  We report the use of photoassociative spectroscopy to determine the ground
state s-wave scattering lengths for the main bosonic isotopes of strontium,
86Sr and 88Sr. Photoassociative transitions are driven with a laser red-detuned
by up to 1400 GHz from the 1S0-1P1 atomic resonance at 461 nm. A minimum in the
transition amplitude for 86Sr at -494+/-5 GHz allows us to determine the
scattering lengths 610a0 < a86 < 2300a0 for 86Sr and a much smaller value of
-1a0 < a88 < 13a0 for 88Sr.


title: Phase resonances in obliquely illuminated compound gratings

abstract:
  The existence of phase resonances in obliquely illuminated, perfectly
conducting compound gratings is investigated. The diffraction problem of a
p-polarized plane wave impinging on the structure is solved using the modal
approach. The results show that even under oblique illumination, where no
symmetry is imposed by the incident field, there are resonant wavelengths that
are clearly associated with a certain degree of symmetry in the phase
distribution of the magnetic field inside the cavities. New configurations of
this phase distribution take place, that were not allowed under normal
incidence conditions. It was found that the interior field is intensified in
the resonances, and the specularly reflected efficiency is maximized. In
particular, this efficiency is optimized for Littrow mount.


title: The physics of antimatter induced fusion and thermonuclear explosions

abstract:
  The possibility of using antihydrogen for igniting inertial confinement
fusion pellets or triggering large-scale thermonuclear explosions is
investigated. The number of antiproton annihilations required to start a
thermonuclear burn wave in either DT or Li_2DT is found to be about
10^{21}/k^2, where k is the compression factor of the fuel to be ignited. We
conclude that the financial and energy investments needed to produce such
amounts of antiprotons would confine applications of antimatter triggered
thermonuclear devices to the military domain.


title:
Evaluating the Root-Mean-Squared of a Sinusoidal Signal Without Using
  Calculus

abstract:
  The frequently mentioned root-mean-squared value of an alternating voltage is
derived without using calculus.


title: Thermal Expansion Puzzles

abstract:
  The standard formula that describes the thermal expansion of a solid creates
several puzzles for discerning students. Three puzzles are reviewed, and their
common resolution discussed both conceptually and quantitatively.


title: Black Hole Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism

abstract:
  We show a strong parallel between the Hawking, Beckenstein black hole
Thermodynamics and electromagnetism: When the gravitational coupling constant
transform into the electromagnetic coupling constant, the Schwarzchild radius,
the Beckenstein temperature, the Beckenstein decay time and the Planck mass
transform to respectively the Compton wavelength, the Hagedorn temperature, the
Compton time and a typical elementary particle mass. The reasons underlying
this parallalism are then discussed in detail.


title: Light Quanta and Molecules: A Contribution to the Annus Mirabilis

abstract:
  Einstein's contributions to statistical mechanics and quantum theory are
reviewed. We also provide a detailed discussion of his thesis on suspensions
that led to a good value of the Avogadro number.


title: Classical and quantum kinetics of the Zakharov system

abstract:
  A kinetic theory for quantum Langmuir waves interacting nonlinearly with
quantum ion-acoustic waves is derived. The formulation allows for a statistical
analysis of the quantum correction to the Zakharov system. The influence of a
background random phase on the modulational instability is given. In the
coherent case, the effect of the quantum correction is to reduce the growth
rate. Moreover, in the classical limit, a bifurcation develops in the
dispersion curves due to the presence of partial coherence. However, the
combined effect of partial coherence and a quantum correction may give rise to
an increased modulational instability growth rate, as compared to the classical
case. The results may be of significance in dense astrophysical plasmas and
laboratory laser-plasma systems.


title: Deterministic approach to microscopic three-phase traffic theory

abstract:
  Two different deterministic microscopic traffic flow models, which are in the
context of the Kerner's there-phase traffic theory, are introduced. In an
acceleration time delay model (ATD-model), different time delays in driver
acceleration associated with driver behaviour in various local driving
situations are explicitly incorporated into the model. Vehicle acceleration
depends on local traffic situation, i.e., whether a driver is within the free
flow, or synchronized flow, or else wide moving jam traffic phase. In a speed
adaptation model (SA-model), vehicle speed adaptation occurs in synchronized
flow depending on driving conditions. It is found that the ATD- and SA-models
show spatiotemporal congested traffic patterns that are adequate with empirical
results. In the ATD- and SA-models, the onset of congestion in free flow at a
freeway bottleneck is associated with a first-order phase transition from free
flow to synchronized flow; moving jams emerge spontaneously in synchronized
flow only. Differences between the ATD- and SA-models are studied. A comparison
of the ATD- and SA-models with stochastic models in the context of three phase
traffic theory is made. A critical discussion of earlier traffic flow theories
and models based on the fundamental diagram approach is presented.


title:
Dipolar radiation from spinning dust grains coupled to an
  electromagnetic wave

abstract:
  In this letter we investigate how the complex rotation and quivering motion
of an elongated polarized dust grain in the presence of a monochromatic
electromagnetic wave can originate dipolar emission with two distinct spectral
components. We present a model for the emission of radiation by elongated
polarized dust grains under the influence of both an external electromagnetic
wave and a constant background magnetic field. The dust, exhibiting rotational
motion at the external electromagnetic field frequency w0 as well as quivering
motion at frequency W0, proportional to the em field amplitude, will radiate
with frequencies that will depend on the external field wavelength and
amplitude. The radiated spectra exibits a frequency around w0, and sidebands at
w0+-W0 and w0+-2W0. Since the amplitude and the frequency of the background
electromagnetic field are independent parameters, this model establishes a
correlation between different spectral components of galactic dipolar emission,
which may help to explain the correlation between a component of the Galactic
microwave emission and the 100micons thermal emission from interstellar dust,
that has been recently measured.


title: Metastable Congested States in Multisegment Traffic Cellular Automaton

abstract:
  We investigate a simple multisegment cellular automaton model of traffic
flow. With the introduction of segment-dependent deceleration probability,
metastable congested states in the intermediate density region emerge, and the
initial state dependence of the flow is observed. The essential feature of
three-phased structure empirically found in real-world traffic flow is
reproduced without elaborate assumptions.


title:
Low-frequency measurements of electro-optic coefficients of Na:KTP, and
  RTA

abstract:
  We report the measurement of the r23 and r33 electro-optic coefficients and
of the z-axis electrical conductivity of the nonlinear optical crystals Na:KTP
and RTA. We observed a marked decrease of the electro-optic effect in the
Na:KTP crystals for frequencies below 100 Hz. This effect is absent in RTA.


title: A Note On Stability of Steady Motion of a Rolling Disk

abstract:
  This note adds some critical remarks on the discussion presented in the
McDonald's paper ([1]) on stability of steady motion of the well known problem
of a disk rolling on a rough horizontal plane.


title: Antimatter induced fusion and thermonuclear explosions

abstract:
  The feasibility of using antihydrogen for igniting inertial confinement
fusion pellets or triggering large scale thermonuclear explosions is
investigated. The number of antiproton annihilations required to start a
thermonuclear burn wave in either DT or Li_2DT is found to be about
10^{21}/k^2, where k is the compression factor of the fuel to be ignited. In
the second part, the technologies for producing antiprotons with high energy
accelerator systems and the means for manipulating and storing microgram
amounts of antihydrogen are examined. While there seems to be no theoretical
obstacles to the production of 10^{18} antiprotons per day (the amount required
for triggering one thermonuclear bomb), the construction of such a plant
involves several techniques which are between 3 and 4 orders of magnitude away
from present day technology.


title: Traffic Flow Theory

abstract:
  The scientific field of traffic engineering encompasses a rich set of
mathematical techniques, as well as researchers with entirely different
backgrounds. This paper provides an overview of what is currently the
state-of-the-art with respect to traffic flow theory. Starting with a brief
history, we introduce the microscopic and macroscopic characteristics of
vehicular traffic flows. Moving on, we review some performance indicators that
allow us to assess the quality of traffic operations. A final part of this
paper discusses some of the relations between traffic flow characteristics,
i.e., the fundamental diagrams, and sheds some light on the different points of
view adopted by the traffic engineering community.


title: Transportation Planning and Traffic Flow Models

abstract:
  In this paper, we focus on the different traffic flow models that exist in
literature. Due to our frequently encountered confusion among traffic engineers
and policy makers, this paper goes into more detail about transportation
planning models on the one hand, and traffic flow models on the other hand. The
former deal with households that make certain decisions which lead to
transportation and the use of infrastructure, as opposed to the latter which
explicitly describe the physical propagation of traffic flows in a road
network. Our goal is not to give a full account (as that would be a
dissertation of its own, given the broadness of the field), but rather to
impose upon the reader a thorough feeling for the differences between
transportation planning and traffic flow models. Because of the high course of
progress over the last decade (or even during the last five years), this paper
tries to chronicle both past models, as well as some of the latest developments
in this area.


title:
Low energy electron scattering from DNA and RNA bases: shape resonances
  and radiation damage

abstract:
  Calculations are carried out to determine elastic scattering cross sections
and resonance energies for low energy electron impact on uracil and on each of
the DNA bases (thymine, cytosine, adenine, guanine), for isolated molecules in
their equilibrium geometry. Our calculations are compared with available theory
and experiment. We also attempt to correlate this information with experimental
dissociation patterns through an analysis of the temporary anion structures
that are formed by electron capture in shape resonances.


title: Track fitting in slightly inhomogeneous magnetic fields

abstract:
  A fitting method to reconstruct the momentum and direction of charged
particles in slightly inhomogeneous magnetic fields is presented in detail. For
magnetic fields of the order of 1 T and inhomogeneity gradients as large as 1
T/m the typical momentum bias due to the proposed approximations is of the
order of few MeV, to be compared with scattering components of the order of 20
MeV or even larger. This method is currently being employed in the
reconstruction programs of the AMS experiment.


title: Crystal simulations: the road from the SPS to the LHC

abstract:
  The understanding of the crystal collimation and extraction experiments
performed in the recent decade at CERN SPS, FNAL Tevatron, IHEP U-70 and RHIC
is reviewed from the standpoint of Monte Carlo simulations. The expectations
for the LHC - the crystal efficiency and the requirements to a crystal - are
outlined basing on the same computer model verified in the above experiments.
Finally, we discuss key issues for the future experiments at CERN SPS and
Tevatron aiming to reach the most efficient channeling and to bring these tests
to the future LHC as close as possible.


title:
Quantization of conductivity of nanotechnological point contact. Simple
  derivation of the Landauer formula

abstract:
  A simple methodical derivation for Landauer quantization of the conductivity
is derived as a simple consequence of the Bohr quantization laws. The level of
explanation corresponds to high-school level of Physics education and can be
used as popular lecture for students. The purpose of the work is to introduce
students in an achievement of nano-technology which is relevant to the future
electronics. Using only the fundamental laws of quantization students can
understand a contemporary experimental research and to follow future
development in the field.


title:
Antimatter weapons (1946-1986): From Fermi and Teller's speculations to
  the first open scientific publications

abstract:
  We recall the early theoretical speculations on the possible explosive uses
of antimatter, from 1946 to the first production of antiprotons, at Berkeley in
1955, and until the first capture of cold antiprotons, at CERN on July 17-18,
1986, as well as the circumstances of the first presentation at a scientific
conference of the correct physical processes leading to the ignition of a large
scale thermonuclear explosion using less than a few micrograms of antimatter as
trigger, at Madrid on June 30th - July 4th, 1986.


title:
LC sine-wave oscillators using general-purpose voltage
  operational-amplifiers

abstract:
  It has been found that some text-books show LC-oscillators that may not work
as assumed. Thus, the typical example showing a LC-oscillator driven by a
voltage operational-amplifier is simply wrong. The difficulty stems from the
fact that such oscillators are normally built to work with transconductance-
not with voltage-amplifiers. Such a difficulty however, can be readily solved
by connecting a resistor in series with the so-called frequency-determining
network.


title: Crossing angle at the photon collider

abstract:
  For removal of disrupted beams at the ILC linear e+e- collider it is
desirable to collide beams at some crossing angle. An especially large crossing
angle, of about 25 mrad, is necessary for the photon collider, where disrupted
beams are softer and wider than in the e+e- case. Some complications arise due
to the solenoidal magnetic field of the detector. Radiation of particles in
this field can increase the vertical beam size, leading to a loss of the
luminosity. In addition, in the presence of a detector magnetic field the beam
trajectories are not flat. Moreover, in the case of e-e- beams, the vertical
collision angle is non-zero and larger than the beam diagonal angle
sigma_y/sigma_z, and this should be corrected in some way. In this paper,
possible solutions of these problems are considered. It is shown that at the
ILC one can have the interaction region compatible both with e+e- and
gamma-gamma, gamma-e modes of operation without loss of luminosity.


title: Force Plate Monitoring of Human Hemodynamics

abstract:
  We show that the recoils of the body caused by cardiac motion and blood
circulation provide a noninvasive method capable to display the motions of the
heart muscle and the propagation of the pulse wave along aorta and its
branches. The results are compared with the data obtained invasively during a
heart catheterization. We show that the described noninvasive method is able to
determine the moment of a particular heart movement or the time when the pulse
wave reaches certain morphological structure.


title: Ideal-Gas Like Markets: Effect of Savings

abstract:
  We discuss the ideal gas like models of a trading market. The effect of
savings on the distribution have been thoroughly reviewed. The market with
fixed saving factors leads to a Gamma-like distribution. In a market with
quenched random saving factors for its agents we show that the steady state
income ($m$) distribution $P(m)$ in the model has a power law tail with Pareto
index $\nu$ equal to unity. We also discuss the detailed numerical results on
this model. We analyze the distribution of mutual money difference and also
develop a master equation for the time development of $P(m)$. Precise solutions
are then obtained in some special cases.


title:
Correlation measurements of Atmospheric Pressure variations and
  Seismicity during Hurricane Dennis

abstract:
  During the passage of hurricane Dennis, two functionally different
instruments made continuous recordings from their location in Macon, Georgia.
These were (i) a non-conventional vertical seismometer, and (ii) a low-level
differential pressure sensor. Data were collected for 72 hours, beginning when
the eye of the storm was located in the vicinity of Key West, Florida. Over the
ensuing three-day period, fluctuations in the outputs from the two instruments
were found to be highly correlated, with the exception of one eight hour
interval.


title:
UV Light Shower Simulator for Fluorescence and Cerenkov Radiation
  Studies

abstract:
  All experiments observing showers light use telescopes equipped with
pixellised photodetectors. Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations of the apparatus
operation in various situations (background light, shower energy, proximity of
tracks...) are mandatory, but never enter into detector details like pulse
shape, dead-time, or charge space effects which are finally responsible for the
data quality. An apparatus where each pixel receives light from individual 370
nm UV LEDs through silica fibers is being built. The LEDs receive voltage
through DACs, which get their input (which pixel, at what time, which
amplitude) from a shower plus noise generator code. The typical time constant
of a shower being one $/mu$s (300 m for light), the pulses are one $/mu$s wide.
This is rather long compared to the intrinsic time constant (around 10 ns) of
the light detectors, hence, these see "constant light" changing every $/mu$s.
This is where important loading effects which are not included in MC code can
be observed. The fibers illuminate the pixels through a diffuser, and each
fiber illuminates only one pixel. The number of equipped pixels is such that it
englobes a full shower (much less than the full focal surface). Finally, this
equipment can be used also to calibrate the pixels.


title: Antimatter underestimated

abstract:
  We warn of the potential nuclear proliferation's consequences of military
applications of nano- or microgram amounts of antimatter, such as triggering of
high-yield thermonuclear explosions, laser pumping, compact sources of energy,
directed-energy beams, and portable sources of muons.


title:
What can we learn about the lipid vesicle structure from the small-angle
  neutron scattering experiment? (Investigation DMPC vesicle structure by small
  angle neutron scattering)

abstract:
  Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) on the unilamellar vesicle populations
(diameter 500 and 1000 angstrom) was used to characterize lipid vesicles from
dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) at three phases (gel, ripple, and
liquid). Parameters of vesicle populations and internal structure of the DMPC
bilayer were characterized on the basis of the Separated Form Factor (SFF)
model. Parameters of the internal bilayer structure (thickness of the membrane
and the hydrophobic core, hydration, and surface area of lipid molecule) were
determined on the basis of the Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic (HH) approximation of
neutron scattering length density across the bilayer r(x) and of the Step
Function (SF) approximation of r(x). It was demonstrated in frame of HH
approximation that DMPC membrane thickness in liquid phase (T=30 degrees)
depends on the membrane curvature. The dependence of the DMPC membrane
thickness on temperature was restored from the SANS experiment.


title: Anomalous frequency shifts in the solar system

abstract:
  The improvements of the observations of the solar system allowed by the use
of probes and big instruments let appear several problems: The frequencies of
the radio signals received from the probes sent over 5 UA from the Sun are too
high; the explanation by spicules or siphon-flows of the frequency shifts of UV
emissions observed on the surface of the sun by SOHO is not satisfactory; the
anisotropy of the CMB seems bound to the ecliptic.
  This problems are solved using a coherent optical effect, deduced from
standard spectroscopy and easily observed with lasers. In a gas containing
atomic hydrogen in states 2S and (or) 2P, transfers of energy between light
beams, allowed by thermodynamics, produce the required frequency shifts or
amplifications.


title: Hidden Time at Work: Simple Interference, Delayed Choice, Entanglement

abstract:
  Previously we presented general formulation of hidden time concept as a basis
for building a dynamical picture underlying quantum mechanics. Here, we present
detailed explanation of how hidden time works for basic quantum optical
experiments, to make hidden time concept visually concievable and open for
criticism.


title:
StatPatternRecognition: A C++ Package for Statistical Analysis of High
  Energy Physics Data

abstract:
  Modern analysis of high energy physics (HEP) data needs advanced statistical
tools to separate signal from background. A C++ package has been implemented to
provide such tools for the HEP community. The package includes linear and
quadratic discriminant analysis, decision trees, bump hunting (PRIM), boosting
(AdaBoost), bagging and random forest algorithms, and interfaces to the
standard backpropagation neural net and radial basis function neural net
implemented in the Stuttgart Neural Network Simulator. Supplemental tools such
as bootstrap, estimation of data moments, and a test of zero correlation
between two variables with a joint elliptical distribution are also provided.
The package offers a convenient set of tools for imposing requirements on input
data and displaying output. Integrated in the BaBar computing environment, the
package maintains a minimal set of external dependencies and therefore can be
easily adapted to any other environment. It has been tested on many idealistic
and realistic examples.


title: The imprint of large-scale flows on turbulence

abstract:
  We investigate the locality of interactions in hydrodynamic turbulence using
data from a direct numerical simulation on a grid of 1024^3 points; the flow is
forced with the Taylor-Green vortex. An inertial range for the energy is
obtained in which the flux is constant and the spectrum follows an approximate
Kolmogorov law. Nonlinear triadic interactions are dominated by their non-local
components, involving widely separated scales. The resulting nonlinear transfer
itself is local at each scale but the step in the energy cascade is independent
of that scale and directly related to the integral scale of the flow.
Interactions with large scales represent 20% of the total energy flux. Possible
explanations for the deviation from self-similar models, the link between these
findings and intermittency, and their consequences for modeling of turbulent
flows are briefly discussed.


title: On the Statistical Significance

abstract:
  A definition for the statistical significance by constructing a correlation
between the normal distribution integral probability and the p-value observed
in an experiment is proposed, which is suitable for both counting experiment
and continuous test statistics.


title:
Density functional theoretical (DFT) study for the prediction of
  spectroscopic parameters of ClCCCN

abstract:
  DFT(B3LYP, B3PW91) level calculations in conjunction with three different of
basis sets have been used to investigate the variations in the bond lengths,
dipole moment and rotational constants, IR frequencies, IR intensities and
rotational invariants of ClCCCN. The nuclear quadrupole constants of chlorine
and nitrogen of ClCCCN have been calculated on the experimental r$_{s}$
structure as well as on the B3PW91/6-311++g(d,p) optimized geometry and are
found to be within the scale length of the experimental uncertainty. The slopes
and intercepts obtained from the regression analysis between the
B3LYP/6-311++g(d,p) level calculated and experimental B$_{o}$ values of ClCCCN
were used to calculate the reasonable values of rotational constants of all the
rare isotopic species of ClCCCN having standard deviation $\pm$0.048 MHz. All
the spectroscopic parameters obtained from DFT calculation shows satisfactory
agreement with the available experimental data.


title: The Circulation of Money and Holding Time Distribution

abstract:
  We have studied the statistical mechanics of money circulation in a closed
economic system. An explicit statistical formulation of the circulation
velocity of money is presented for the first time by introducing the concept of
holding time of money. The result indicates that the velocity is governed by
behavior patterns of economic agents. Computer simulations have been carried
out in order to demonstrate the shape of the holding time distribution. We find
that, money circulation is a Poisson process in which the holding time
probability distribution follows a type of Gamma distribution, and the velocity
of money depends on the share for exchange and the number of agents.


title:
Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging of Individual Metallic Nanoparticles:
  Theory versus Experiments

abstract:
  We present the theoretical and detailed experimental characterizations of
Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging. An analytical expression of the photothermal
heterodyne signal is derived using the theory of light scattering from a
fluctuating medium. The amplitudes of the signals detected in the backward and
forward configurations are compared and their frequency dependences are
studied. The application of the Photothermal Heterodyne detection technique to
the absorption spectroscopy of individual gold nanoparticles is discussed and
the detection of small individual silver nanoparticles is demonstrated.


title: Effects of Saving and Spending Patterns on Holding Time Distribution

abstract:
  The effects of saving and spending patterns on holding time distribution of
money are investigated based on the ideal gas-like models. We show the
steady-state distribution obeys an exponential law when the saving factor is
set uniformly, and a power law when the saving factor is set diversely. The
power distribution can also be obtained by proposing a new model where the
preferential spending behavior is considered. The association of the
distribution with the probability of money to be exchanged has also been
discussed.


title:
Forces between electric charges in motion: Rutherford scattering,
  circular Keplerian orbits, action-at-a-distance and Newton's third law in
  relativistic classical electrodynamics

abstract:
  Standard formulae of classical electromagnetism for the forces between
electric charges in motion derived from retarded potentials are compared with
those obtained from a recently developed relativistic classical electrodynamic
theory with an instantaneous inter-charge force. Problems discussed include
small angle Rutherford scattering, Jackson's recent `torque paradox' and
circular Keplerian orbits. Results consistent with special relativity are
obtained only with an instantaneous interaction. The impossiblity of stable
circular motion with retarded fields in either classical electromagnetism or
Newtonian gravitation is demonstrated.


title:
Power-Law Distributions in Circulating Money: Effect of Preferential
  Behavior

abstract:
  We introduce preferential behavior into the study on statistical mechanics of
money circulation. The computer simulation results show that the preferential
behavior can lead to power laws on distributions over both holding time and
amount of money held by agents. However, some constraints are needed in
generation mechanism to ensure the robustness of power-law distributions.


title: A pixel-based approach to massive lesion detection in X-ray mammography

abstract:
  A system for the automated detection of massive lesions in mammograms is
presented. The approach we adopted is a pixel-based and multi-level one. Each
pixel in a mammogram is flagged with the appropriate class membership, e.g.
massive lesions or normal breast tissue.


title: Pre-processing methods for nodule detection in lung CT

abstract:
  The use of automatic systems in the analysis of medical images has proven to
be very useful to radiologists, especially in the framework of screening
programs, in which radiologists make their first diagnosis on the basis of
images only, most of those corresponding to healthy patients, and have to
distinguish pathological findings from non-pathological ones at an early stage.
In particular, we are developing preprocessing methods to be applied for
pulmonary nodule Computer Aided Detection in low-dose lung Multi Slice CT
(Computed Tomography) images.


title: N-body decomposition of bipartite networks

abstract:
  In this paper, we present a method to project co-authorship networks, that
accounts in detail for the geometrical structure of scientists collaborations.
By restricting the scope to 3-body interactions, we focus on the number of
triangles in the system, and show the importance of multi-scientists (more than
2) collaborations in the social network. This motivates the introduction of
generalized networks, where basic connections are not binary, but involve
arbitrary number of components. We focus on the 3-body case, and study
numerically the percolation transition.


title: Transparent photonic band in metallodielectric nanostructures

abstract:
  Under certain conditions, a transparent photonic band can be designed into a
one-dimensional metallodielectric nanofilm structure. Unlike conventional pass
bands in photonic crystals, where the finite thickness of the structure affects
the transmission of electromagnetic fields having frequency within the pass
band, the properties of the transparent band are almost unaffected by the
finite thickness of the structure. In other words, an incident field at a
frequency within the transparent band exhibits 100% transmission independent of
the number of periods of the structure. The transparent photonic band
corresponds to excitation of pure eigenstate modes across the entire Bloch band
in structures possessing mirror symmetry. The conditions to create these modes
and thereby to lead to a totally transparent band phenomenon are discussed.


title: General Recipe for Designing Photonic Crystal Cavities

abstract:
  We describe a general recipe for designing high-quality factor (Q) photonic
crystal cavities with small mode volumes. We first derive a simple expression
for out-of-plane losses in terms of the k-space distribution of the cavity
mode. Using this, we select a field that will result in a high Q. We then
derive an analytical relation between the cavity field and the dielectric
constant along a high symmetry direction, and use it to confine our desired
mode. By employing this inverse problem approach, we are able to design
photonic crystal cavities with Q > 4*10^6 and mode volumes V ~ (\lambda/n)^3.
Our approach completely eliminates parameter space searches in photonic crystal
cavity design, and allows rapid optimization of a large range of photonic
crystal cavities. Finally, we study the limit of the out-of-plane cavity Q and
mode volume ratio.


title: Optimization of Signal Significance by Bagging Decision Trees

abstract:
  An algorithm for optimization of signal significance or any other
classification figure of merit suited for analysis of high energy physics (HEP)
data is described. This algorithm trains decision trees on many bootstrap
replicas of training data with each tree required to optimize the signal
significance or any other chosen figure of merit. New data are then classified
by a simple majority vote of the built trees. The performance of this algorithm
has been studied using a search for the radiative leptonic decay B->gamma l nu
at BaBar and shown to be superior to that of all other attempted classifiers
including such powerful methods as boosted decision trees. In the B->gamma e nu
channel, the described algorithm increases the expected signal significance
from 2.4 sigma obtained by an original method designed for the B->gamma l nu
analysis to 3.0 sigma.


title: The Economic Mobility in Money Transfer

abstract:
  In this paper, we investigate the economic mobility in some money transfer
models which have been applied into the research on wealth distribution. We
demonstrate the mobility by recording the time series of agents' ranks and
observing their volatility. We also compare the mobility quantitatively by
employing an index, "the per capita aggregate change in log-income", raised by
economists. Like the shape of distribution, the character of mobility is also
decided by the trading rule in these transfer models. It is worth noting that
even though different models have the same type of distribution, their mobility
characters may be quite different.


title: The Velocity of Money in a Life-Cycle Model

abstract:
  The determinants of the velocity of money have been examined based on
life-cycle hypothesis. The velocity of money can be expressed by reciprocal of
the average value of holding time which is defined as interval between
participating exchanges for one unit of money. This expression indicates that
the velocity is governed by behavior patterns of economic agents and open a way
to constructing micro-foundation of it. It is found that time pattern of income
and expense for a representative individual can be obtained from a simple
version of life-cycle model, and average holding time of money resulted from
the individual's optimal choice depends on the expected length of relevant
planning periods.


title: How Required Reserve Ratio Affects Distribution and Velocity of Money

abstract:
  In this paper the dependence of wealth distribution and the velocity of money
on the required reserve ratio is examined based on a random transfer model of
money and computer simulations. A fractional reserve banking system is
introduced to the model where money creation can be achieved by bank loans and
the monetary aggregate is determined by the monetary base and the required
reserve ratio. It is shown that monetary wealth follows asymmetric Laplace
distribution and latency time of money follows exponential distribution. The
expression of monetary wealth distribution and that of the velocity of money in
terms of the required reserve ratio are presented in a good agreement with
simulation results.