Atom-optics knife edge: Measuring narrow momentum distributions

Population analysis from adaptive optics narrow band spectral energy distributions

Context. The GC is the closest galactic nucleus, offering the unique possibility to study the population of a dense stellar cluster surrounding a SMBH. Aims. The goals of this work are to develop a new method to separate early and late type stellar components of a dense stellar cluster based on narrow band filters, to apply it to the central parsec of the GC, and to conduct a population analysi...

The Constrainedness Knife-Edge

A general rule of thumb is to tackle the hardest part of a search problem first. Many heuristics therefore try to branch on the most constrained variable. To test their effectiveness at this, we measure the constrainedness of a problem during search. We run experiments in several different domains, using both random and non-random problems. In each case, we observe a constrainedness "knlfe-edge...

Quantum and Atom Optics

The role of quasi-momentum in the resonant dynamics of the atom–optics kicked rotor

We examine the effect of the initial atomic momentum distribution on the dynamics of the atom–optical realisation of the quantum kicked rotor. The atoms are kicked by a pulsed optical lattice, the periodicity of which implies that quasi–momentum is conserved in the transport problem. We study and compare experimentally and theoretically two resonant limits of the kicked rotor: in the vicinity o...

Reflections on the Knife Edge

INTRODUCTION The accompanying article, written by John Murphy, a retired lawyer and lifelong outdoorsman from his beloved Colorado Rockies, draws the striking parallel between his experiences as a mountain climber and as a patient with metastatic melanoma facing the hope and uncertainty of experimental therapy. Both are life-threatening circumstances, demanding courage and hope, and challenging...