The charm quark mass with dynamical fermions

We compute the charm quark mass in lattice QCD and compare different formulations of the heavy quark, and quenched data to that with dynamical sea quarks. We take the continuum limit of the quenched data by extrapolating from three different lattice spacings, and compare to data with two flavours of dynamical sea quarks with a mass around the strange at the coarsest lattice spacing. Both the FNAL and ALPHA formalism are used. We find the different heavy quark formulations have the same continuum limit in the quenched approximation, and limited evidence that this approximation overestimates the charm quark mass.Comment: Lattice2004(heavy) 3 pages, 2 figure

Exploratory spectrum calculations using overlap valence quarks on a staggered sea

We present exploratory results for the hadron mass spectrum and pseudoscalar meson decay constants using mixed actions. We use improved staggered sea quarks and HYP-smeared overlap valence quarks. We obtain good signals on 10 configurations at one lattice spacing and two different sets of sea quark masses.Comment: Lattice2004(spectrum), 3pages, 4 figure

An Investigation of the Soft Pion Relation in Quenched Lattice QCD

A lattice determination of the form factor and decay constants for the semileptonic decay of heavy pseudoscalar (PS) mesons at zero recoil is presented from which the soft pion relation is satisfied. Chiral extrapolation of the form factor is performed at constant $q^2$. Pole dominance is used to extrapolate the form factor in heavy quark mass. At the B mass, the form factor at zero recoil lies somewhat below the ratio of decay constants; the relation remains satisfied within error.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure

Excited nucleon spectrum using a non-perturbatively improved clover fermion action

We discuss the extraction of negative-parity baryon masses from lattice QCD calculations. The mass of the lowest-lying negative-parity $J = 1/2^{-}$ state is computed in quenched lattice QCD using an ${\cal O}(a)$-improved clover fermion action, and a splitting found with the nucleon mass. The calculation is performed on two lattice volumes, and three lattice spacings enabling a study of both finite-volume and finite-lattice-spacing uncertainties. A measurement of the first excited radial excitation of the nucleon finds a mass considerably larger than that of the negative-parity ground state, in accord with other lattice determinations but in disagreement with experiment. Results are also presented for the lightest negative-parity $I=3/2$ state.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, uses espcrc2. Talk presented at Workshop on Lattice Hadron Physics, Colonial Club Resort, Cairns, Australia, July 9-18, 2001. Corrected error in determination of mass of excited, positive-parity nucleon resonanc

Semi-leptonic decays of heavy mesons and the Isgur-Wise function in quenched lattice QCD

The form factors for the semi-leptonic B->D and B->D* decays are evaluated in quenched lattice QCD at two different values of the coupling, beta=6.0 and 6.2. The action and the operators are fully O(a) non-perturbatively improved. The slope of the Isgur-Wise function is evaluated, and found to be rho^2=0.83^{+15+24}_{-11-1} (quoted errors are statistical and systematic respectively). Ratios of form factors are evaluated and compared to experimental determinations.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Water wave propagation and scattering over topographical bottoms

Here I present a general formulation of water wave propagation and scattering over topographical bottoms. A simple equation is found and is compared with existing theories. As an application, the theory is extended to the case of water waves in a column with many cylindrical steps

Punctuated equilibria and 1/f noise in a biological coevolution model with individual-based dynamics

We present a study by linear stability analysis and large-scale Monte Carlo simulations of a simple model of biological coevolution. Selection is provided through a reproduction probability that contains quenched, random interspecies interactions, while genetic variation is provided through a low mutation rate. Both selection and mutation act on individual organisms. Consistent with some current theories of macroevolutionary dynamics, the model displays intermittent, statistically self-similar behavior with punctuated equilibria. The probability density for the lifetimes of ecological communities is well approximated by a power law with exponent near -2, and the corresponding power spectral densities show 1/f noise (flicker noise) over several decades. The long-lived communities (quasi-steady states) consist of a relatively small number of mutualistically interacting species, and they are surrounded by a ``protection zone'' of closely related genotypes that have a very low probability of invading the resident community. The extent of the protection zone affects the stability of the community in a way analogous to the height of the free-energy barrier surrounding a metastable state in a physical system. Measures of biological diversity are on average stationary with no discernible trends, even over our very long simulation runs of approximately 3.4x10^7 generations.Comment: 20 pages RevTex. Minor revisions consistent with published versio

Diffusive and localization behavior of electromagnetic waves in a two-dimensional random medium

In this paper, we discuss the transport phenomena of electromagnetic waves in a two-dimensional random system which is composed of arrays of electrical dipoles, following the model presented earlier by Erdogan, et al. (J. Opt. Soc. Am. B {\bf 10}, 391 (1993)). A set of self-consistent equations is presented, accounting for the multiple scattering in the system, and is then solved numerically. A strong localization regime is discovered in the frequency domain. The transport properties within, near the edge of and nearly outside the localization regime are investigated for different parameters such as filling factor and system size. The results show that within the localization regime, waves are trapped near the transmitting source. Meanwhile, the diffusive waves follow an intuitive but expected picture. That is, they increase with travelling path as more and more random scattering incurs, followed by a saturation, then start to decay exponentially when the travelling path is large enough, signifying the localization effect. For the cases that the frequencies are near the boundary of or outside the localization regime, the results of diffusive waves are compared with the diffusion approximation, showing less encouraging agreement as in other systems (Asatryan, et al., Phys. Rev. E {\bf 67}, 036605 (2003).)Comment: 8 pages 9 figure

The pion's electromagnetic form factor at small momentum transfer in full lattice QCD

We compute the electromagnetic form factor of a "pion" with mass m_pi=330MeV at low values of Q^2\equiv -q^2, where q is the momentum transfer. The computations are performed in a lattice simulation using an ensemble of the RBC/UKQCD collaboration's gauge configurations with Domain Wall Fermions and the Iwasaki gauge action with an inverse lattice spacing of 1.73(3)GeV. In order to be able to reach low momentum transfers we use partially twisted boundary conditions using the techniques we have developed and tested earlier. For the pion of mass 330MeV we find a charge radius given by _{330MeV}=0.354(31)fm^2 which, using NLO SU(2) chiral perturbation theory, extrapolates to a value of =0.418(31)fm^2 for a physical pion, in agreement with the experimentally determined result. We confirm that there is a significant reduction in computational cost when using propagators computed from a single time-slice stochastic source compared to using those with a point source; for m_pi=330MeV and volume (2.74fm)^3 we find the reduction is approximately a factor of 12.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure

Size Doesn't Matter: Towards a More Inclusive Philosophy of Biology

notes: As the primary author, O’Malley drafted the paper, and gathered and analysed data (scientific papers and talks). Conceptual analysis was conducted by both authors.publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticlePhilosophers of biology, along with everyone else, generally perceive life to fall into two broad categories, the microbes and macrobes, and then pay most of their attention to the latter. ‘Macrobe’ is the word we propose for larger life forms, and we use it as part of an argument for microbial equality. We suggest that taking more notice of microbes – the dominant life form on the planet, both now and throughout evolutionary history – will transform some of the philosophy of biology’s standard ideas on ontology, evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity. We set out a number of recent developments in microbiology – including biofilm formation, chemotaxis, quorum sensing and gene transfer – that highlight microbial capacities for cooperation and communication and break down conventional thinking that microbes are solely or primarily single-celled organisms. These insights also bring new perspectives to the levels of selection debate, as well as to discussions of the evolution and nature of multicellularity, and to neo-Darwinian understandings of evolutionary mechanisms. We show how these revisions lead to further complications for microbial classification and the philosophies of systematics and biodiversity. Incorporating microbial insights into the philosophy of biology will challenge many of its assumptions, but also give greater scope and depth to its investigations