Search results for "Fluctuations"

Resistive state of quasi-one-dimensional superconductors: Fluctuations vs. sample inhomogeneity

2007

The shape of experimentally observed R(T) transition of thin superconducting wires is analyzed. Broadening of the transition in quasi-1-dimensional superconducting channels is typically associated with phase slip mechanism provided by thermal or quantum fluctuations. It is shown that consideration of inevitable geometrical inhomogeneity and finite dimensions of real samples studied in experiments is of primary importance for interpretation of results. The analysis is based on experimental fact that for many superconducting materials the critical temperature is a function of characteristic dimension of a low-dimensional system: film thickness or wire cross section

Low-energy couplings of QCD from current correlators near the chiral limit

2004

We investigate a new numerical procedure to compute fermionic correlation functions at very small quark masses. Large statistical fluctuations, due to the presence of local ``bumps'' in the wave functions associated with the low-lying eigenmodes of the Dirac operator, are reduced by an exact low-mode averaging. To demonstrate the feasibility of the technique, we compute the two-point correlator of the left-handed vector current with Neuberger fermions in the quenched approximation, for lattices with a linear extent of L~1.5 fm, a lattice spacing a~0.09 fm, and quark masses down to the epsilon-regime. By matching the results with the corresponding (quenched) chiral perturbation theory expres…

Time Series Analysis of Climatic Vegetation Data in the Oreto Watershed in Sicily

2008

Evidence for the Existence of an Effective Interfacial Tension between Miscible Fluids: Isobutyric Acid-Water and 1-Butanol-Water in a Spinning-Drop …

2006

We report definitive evidence for an effective interfacial tension between two types of miscible fluids using spinning-drop tensiometry (SDT). Isobutyric acid (IBA) and water have an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) of 26.3 degrees C. We created a drop of the IBA-rich phase in the water-rich phase below the UCST and then increased the temperature above it. Long after the fluids have reached thermal equilibrium, the drop persists. By plotting the inverse of the drop radius cubed (r(-)(3)) vs the rotation rate squared (omega(2)), we confirmed that an interfacial tension exists and estimated its value. The transition between the miscible fluids remained sharp instead of becoming more…

Paesaggio culturale dei sistemi tradizionali: l'olivo in Italia

2005

We used a new sedimentary record to reconstruct the Holocene vegetation and fire history of Gorgo Basso, a coastal lake in south-western Sicily (Italy). Pollen and charcoal data suggest a fire-prone open grassland near the site until ca 10,000 cal yr BP (8050 cal BC), when Pistacia shrubland expanded and fire activity declined, probably in response to increased moisture availability. Evergreen Olea europaea woods expanded ca 8400 to decline abruptly at 8200 cal yr BP, when climatic conditions became drier at other sites in the Mediterranean region. Around 7000 cal yr BP evergreen broadleaved forests (Quercus ilex, Quercus suber and O. europaeo) expanded at the cost of open communities. The …

Phytoplankton dynamics and structure: a comparative analysis in natural and man-made water bodies of different trophic state

2000

Previous investigations on Sicilian man made lakes suggested that physical factors, along with the specific morphology and hydrology of the water body, are important in selecting phytoplankton species. In particular, the variations of the zmix/zeu ratio due to the operational procedure to which reservoirs are generally subject were recognised as a trigger allowing the assemblage shift. To investigate if these variations may be considered analogous to those occurring in natural lakes as trophic state and phytoplankton biomass increase, causing a transparency decrease and a contraction of the euphotic depth, phytoplankton were collected in two natural water bodies, one mesotrophic (Lake Bivie…

Generation of travelling sine-Gordon breathers in noisy long Josephson junctions

2022

The generation of travelling sine-Gordon breathers is achieved through the nonlinear supratransmission effect in a magnetically driven long Josephson junction, in the presence of losses, a current bias, and a thermal noise source. We demonstrate how to exclusively induce breather modes by means of controlled magnetic pulses. A nonmonotonic behavior of the breather-only generation probability is observed as a function of the noise intensity. An experimental protocol providing evidence of the Josephson breather's existence is proposed.

Rateless Codes Performance Analysis in Correlated Channel Model for GEO Free Space Optics Downlinks

2012

Reliable signal processing using parallel arrays of non-identical nanostructures and stochastic resonance

2010

In the stochastic resonance (SR) phenomena, the response of a non-linear system to a weak periodic input signal is optimised by the presence of a particular level of noise which enhances signal detection. We explore, theoretically, the influence of thermal noise in arrays of metal nanoparticles functionalised with organic ligands acting as tunnelling junctions, with emphasis on the interplay between the SR phenomena and the nanostructure variability. In this system, the transference of a reduced number of electrons may suffice to implement a variety of electronic functions. However, because nanostructures are expected to show a significant variability in their physical characteristics, it i…

Using random networks to study the dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the Spanish region of Valencia

2011

[EN] Seasonal fluctuations in the incidence of several respiratory infections are a feature of epidemiological surveys all around the world. This phenomenon is characteristic of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus pandemics. However, the explanation of the seasonal outbreaks of these diseases remains poorly understood. Many statistical studies have been carried out in order to provide a correlation of the outbreaks with climatic or social factors without achieving a definitive conclusion. Here we show that, in a random social network, self-sustained seasonal epidemics emerge as a process modulated by the infection probability and the immunity period after recovering from the infection…