Long-range multipartite entanglement close to a first-order quantum phase transition

We provide insight into the quantum correlations structure present in strongly correlated systems beyond the standard framework of bipartite entanglement. To this aim we first exploit rotationally invariant states as a test bed to detect genuine tripartite entanglement beyond the nearest neighbor in spin-1/2 models. Then we construct in a closed analytical form a family of entanglement witnesses which provides a sufficient condition to determine if a state of a many-body system formed by an arbitrary number of spin-1/2 particles possesses genuine tripartite entanglement, independently of the details of the model. We illustrate our method by analyzing in detail the anisotropic XXZ spin chain close to its phase transitions, where we demonstrate the presence of long-range multipartite entanglement near the critical point and the breaking of the symmetries associated with the quantum phase transition.

First-Order Reversal Curve Probing of Spatially Resolved Polarization Switching Dynamics in Ferroelectric Nanocapacitors

Spatially resolved polarization switching In ferroelectric nanocapacitors was studied on the sub-25 nm scale using the first-order reversal curve (FORC) method. The chosen capacitor geometry allows both high-veracity observation of the domain structure and mapping of polarization switching in a uniform field, synergistically combining microstructural observations and probing of uniform-field polarization responses as relevant to device operation. A classical Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model has been adapted to the voltage domain, and the individual switching dynamics of the FORC response curves are well approximated by the adapted model. The comparison with microstructures suggests a strong spatial variability of the switching dynamics inside the nanocapacitors.

The Irish High Court Issues its First Order on a Commitment Agreement between the NCA and an Undertaking (Fitflop)

The Irish Competition (Amendment) Act 2012 introduced court-endorsed commitment agreements to Irish competition law. The new section 14B of the principal Competition Act 2002 provides for making commitment agreements between the Irish Competition and undertakings an order of the Irish High Court. This piece, first, investigates the prior Irish practice regarding commitment or settlement agreements and its legal basis. It looks then into the newly introduced rules on court-endorsed commitment agreements. Finally, before concluding, it points to the first instance of their application — to an order issued by the High Court in the FitFlop case in December 2012, which came into effect in February 2013.

First-order characteristics of the person-to-vehicle channel at 5.8 GHz

In this paper we investigate the first order characteristics of the radio channel between a moving vehicle and a stationary person positioned by the side of a road at 5.8 GHz. The experiments considered a transmitter positioned at different locations on both the body and receivers positioned on the vehicle. The transmitter was alternated between positions on the central chest region, back and the wrist (facing the roadside) of the body, with the receivers placed on the outside roof, the outside rear window and the inside dashboard of the vehicle. The Rice fading model was applied to the measurement data to assess its suitability for characterizing this emerging type of wireless channel. The Ricean K factors calculated from the data suggest that a significant dominant component existed in the majority of the channels considered in this study.

Enhancement Factor for Gas Absorption in a Finite Liquid Layer. Part 2: First- and Second-Order Reactions in a Liquid in Plug Flow

Gas absorption accompanied by an irreversible chemical reaction of first-order or second-order in a liquid layer of finite thickness in plug flow has been investigated. The analytical solution to the enhancement factor has been derived for the case of a first-order reaction, and the exact solution to the enhancement factor has been obtained via numerical simulation for the case of a second-order reaction. The enhancement factor in both cases is presented as a function of the Fourier number and tends to deviate from the prediction of the existing enhancement factor expressions based on the penetration theory at Fourier numbers above 0.1 due to the absence of a well-mixed bulk region in the liquid layer. Approximate enhancement factor expressions that describe the analytical and exact solutions with an accuracy of 5?% and 9?%, respectively, have been proposed.

Evaluating Asymmetric Multicore Systems-on-Chip using Iso-Metrics

The end of Dennard scaling has pushed power consumption into a first order concern for current systems, on par with performance. As a result, near-threshold voltage computing (NTVC) has been proposed as a potential means to tackle the limited cooling capacity of CMOS technology. Hardware operating in NTV consumes significantly less power, at the cost of lower frequency, and thus reduced performance, as well as increased error rates. In this paper, we investigate if a low-power systems-on-chip, consisting of ARM's asymmetric big.LITTLE technology, can be an alternative to conventional high performance multicore processors in terms of power/energy in an unreliable scenario. For our study, we use the Conjugate Gradient solver, an algorithm representative of the computations performed by a large range of scientific and engineering codes.

Second-order distorted wave calculation for electron impact ionization of hydrogen

The triple differential cross sections for ionization of atomic hydrogen by electron impact are analysed in the case of coplanar, asymmetric geometry within the framework of second- order distorted wave theory. Detailed calculations are performed without making any approximations (other than numerical) in the evaluation of the second-order amplitude. The present results are compared with experimental measurements and other theoretical calculations for incident energies of 250, 150 and 54.4 eV. It is found that the second-order calculations represent a marked improvement over the results obtained from first-order theories for impact energies of 150 eV and higher. The close agreement between the present second-order plane wave calculation and those of Byron et al calculated using the closure approximation at an incident energy of 250 eV implies that the closure approximation is valid for this energy. The large difference between the present second-order distorted wave calculations and experiment at an incident energy of 54.4 eV suggests that higher order effects are important for incident energies less than 100 eV.

Size Effects on Thin Film Ferroelectrics: Experiments on Isolated Single Crystal Sheets

Thin lamellae were cut from bulk single crystal BaTiO3 using a Focused Ion Beam Microscope. They were then removed and transferred onto single crystal MgO substrates, so that their functional properties could be measured independent of the original host bulk ferroelectric. The temperature dependence of the capacitance of these isolated single crystal films was found to be strongly bulk-like, demonstrating a sharp Curie anomaly, as well as Curie-Weiss behaviour. In addition, the sudden change in the remanent polarisation as a function of temperature at TC was characteristic of a first order phase change. The work represents a dramatic improvement on that previously published by M. M. Saad, P. Baxter, R. M. Bowman, J. M. Gregg, F. D. Morrison & J. F. Scott, J. Phys: Cond. Matt., 16 L451-L456 (2004), as critical shortcomings in the original specimen geometry, involving potential signal contributions from bulk BaTiO3, have now been obviated. That the functional properties of single crystal thin film lamellae are comparable to bulk, and not like those of conventionally deposited heteroegenous thin film systems, has therefore been confirmed.

Dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose and cellulosic bio-waste using a microwave reactor system

The dilute acid hydrolysis of grass and cellulose with phosphoric acid was undertaken in a microwave reactor system. The experimental data and reaction kinetic analysis indicate that this is a potential process for cellulose and hemi-cellulose hydrolysis, due to a rapid hydrolysis reaction at moderate temperatures. The optimum conditions for grass hydrolysis were found to be 2.5% phosphoric acid at a temperature of 175 degrees C. It was found that sugar degradation occurred at acid concentrations greater than 2.5% (v/v) and temperatures greater than 175 degrees C. In a further series of experiments, the kinetics of dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose was investigated varying phosphoric acid concentration and reaction temperatures. The experimental data indicate that the use of microwave technology can successfully facilitate dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulose allowing high yields of glucose in short reaction times. The optimum conditions gave a yield of 90% glucose. A pseudo-homogeneous consecutive first order reaction was assumed and the reaction rate constants were calculated as: k(1) = 0.0813 s(-1); k(2) = 0.0075 s(-1), which compare favourably with reaction rate constants found in conventional non-microwave reaction systems. The kinetic analysis would indicate that the primary advantages of employing microwave heating were to: achieve a high rate constant at moderate temperatures: and to prevent 'hot spot' formation within the reactor, which would have cause localised degradation of glucose.

Biodegradation and biosorption of acid anthraquinone dye

The acid anthraquinone dye Tectilon Blue (TB4R) is a major coloured component from the aqueous effluent of a carpet printing plant in Northern Ireland. The aerobic biodegradation of TB4R has been investigated experimentally in batch systems, using three strains of bacteria, namely, Bacillus gordonae (NCIMB 12553), Bacillus benzeovorans (NCIMB 12555) and Pseudomonas putida (NCIMB 9776). All three strains successfully decolourised the dye, and results were correlated using Michaelis-Menten kinetic theory. A recalculation of the reaction rate constants, to account for biosorption, gave an accurate simulation of the colour removal over a 24-h period. Up to 19% of the decolorisation was found to be caused by biosorption of the dye onto the biomass, with the majority of the decolorisation caused by utilisation of the dye by the bacteria. The reaction rate was found to be intermediate between zero and first order at dye concentrations of 200-1000 mg/l. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optic variables used to judge future ball arrival position in expert and novice soccer players

Although many studies have looked at the perceptual-cognitive strategies used to make anticipatory judgments in sport, few have examined the informational invariants that our visual system may be attuned to. Using immersive interactive virtual reality to simulate the aerodynamics of the trajectory of a ball with and without sidespin, the present study examined the ability of expert and novice soccer players to make judgments about the ball's future arrival position. An analysis of their judgment responses showed how participants were strongly influenced by the ball's trajectory. The changes in trajectory caused by sidespin led to erroneous predictions about the ball's future arrival position. An analysis of potential informational variables that could explain these results points to the use of a first-order compound variable combining optical expansion and optical displacement.

Second-order NMR spectra at high field of common organic functional groups

The proton NMR spectra of aryl n-propyl sulfides gave rise to what may appear to be first-order proton NMR spectra. Upon oxidation to the corresponding sulfone, the spectra changed appearance dramatically and were clearly second-order. A detailed analysis of these second-order spectra, in the sulfone series, provided vicinal coupling constants which indicated that these compounds had a moderate preference for the anti-conformer, reflecting the much greater size of the sulfone over the sulfide. It also emerged, from this study, that the criterion for observing large second-order effects in the proton NMR spectra of 1,2-disubstituted ethanes was that the difference in vicinal coupling constants must be large and the difference in geminal coupling constants must be small. n-Propyl triphenylphosphonium bromide and 2-trimethylsilylethanesulfonyl chloride, and derivatives thereof, also exhibited second-order spectra, again due to the bulky substituents. Since these spectra are second-order due to magnetic nonequivalence of the nuclei in question, not chemical shifts, the proton spectra are perpetually second-order and can never be rendered first-order by using higher field NMR spectrometers.