Mesoscopic non-equilibrium thermodynamics and selected applications

Treballs Finals de Grau de Física, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2018, Tutor: Agustín Pérez MadridMesoscopic Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics (MNET) is a theory characterized by the inclusion of a probability density as a thermodynamic variable in the description of a system far from equilibrium. This theory applies to time and length scales which are neither microscopic nor macroscopic. Thus, in these intermediated scales a wide variety of systems (non-aged systems) are properly described. MNET is based on the Gibbs-entropy functional postulate and the conservation of probability. This fact enables us to describe the dynamics of the system in terms of Fokker-Planck equations. As an application, the negative viscosity effect in ferrofluids is analyze

Computational Scattering Models for Elastic and Electromagnetic Waves in Particulate Media

Numerical models were developed to simulate the propagation of elastic and electromagnetic waves in an arbitrary, dense dispersion of spherical particles. The scattering interactions were modeled with vector multipole fields using pure-orbital vector spherical harmonics, and solved using the full vector form of the boundary conditions. Multiple scattering was simulated by translating the scattered wave fields from one particle to another with the use of translational addition theorems, summing the multiple-scattering contributions, and recalculating the scattering in an iterative fashion to a convergent solution. The addition theorems were rederived in this work using an integral method, and were shown to be numerically equivalent to previously published theorems. Both ordered and disordered collections of up to 5,000 spherical particles were used to demonstrate the ability of the scattering models to predict the spatial and frequency distributions of the transmitted waves. The results of the models show they are qualitatively correct for many particle configurations and material properties, displaying predictable phenomena such as refractive focusing, mode conversion, and photonic band gaps. However, the elastic wave models failed to converge for specific frequency regions, possibly due to resonance effects. Additionally, comparison of the multiple-scattering simulations with those using only single-particle scattering showed the multiple-scattering computations are quantitatively inaccurate. The inaccuracies arise from nonconvergence of the translational addition theorems, introducing errors into the translated fields, which minimize the multiple-scattering contributions and bias the field amplitudes towards single-scattering contributions. The addition theorems are shown to converge very slowly, and to exhibit plateaus in convergence behavior that can lead to false indications of convergence. The theory and algorithms developed for the models are broad-based, and can accommodate a variety of structures, compositions, and wave modes. The generality of the approach also lends itself to the modeling of static fields and currents. Suggestions are presented for improving and implementing the models, including extension to nonspherical particles, efficiency improvements for the algorithms, and specific applications in a variety of fields

The Nonsymmetric Kaluza-Klein(Jordan-Thiry) Theory.A path to a Unified Field Theory

In the paper we consider the Nonsymmetric Kaluza-Klein(Jordan-Thiry) Theory and hierarchy of a symmetry breaking within Grand Unified Theories.In this way we try to construct Unified Field Theory.We conside alsoa quintessence and skewon fields as possible Dark Matter particles.Both particles are massive with zero and one spin.It means with scalar and pseudovector particles.They are interacting only gravitationally..They are really apart of gravity.In this way they are geometrized.We find anatural to get a cosmological constant(Dark Energy) and the fith force. We consider also an effective gravitational" constant" Geff and a test particles movement in the theory.We consider also a tower of scalar (massive) fields as additional Dark Matter derived in the paper.Comment: TeX, 146 pages ,no figures,some corrections and extension

Making near-extremal wormholes traversable

We construct a traversable wormhole from a charged AdS black hole by adding a coupling between the two boundary theories. We investigate how the effect of this deformation behaves in the extremal limit of the black hole. The black holes have finite entropy but an infinitely long throat in the extremal limit. We argue that it is still possible to make the throat traversable even in the extremal limit, but this requires either tuning the field for which we add a boundary coupling close to an instability threshold or scaling the strength of the coupling inversely with the temperature. In the latter case we show that the amount of information that can be sent through the wormhole scales with the entropy

Dilatonic Black Holes with Gauss-Bonnet Term

We discuss black holes in an effective theory derived from a superstring model, which includes a dilaton field, a gauge field and the Gauss-Bonnet term. Assuming U(1) or SU(2) symmetry for the gauge field, we find four types of spherically symmetric solutions, i.e., a neutral, an electrically charged, a magnetically charged and a ``colored'' black hole, and discuss their thermodynamical properties and fate via the Hawking evaporation process. For neutral and electrically charged black holes, we find critical point and a singular end point. Below the mass corresponding to the critical point, nosolution exists, while the curvature on the horizon diverges and anaked singularity appears at the singular point. A cusp structure in the mass-entropy diagram is found at the critical point and black holes on the branch between the critical and singular points become unstable. For magnetically charged and ``colored" black holes, the solution becomes singular just at the end point with a finite mass. Because the black hole temperature is always finite even at the critical point or the singular point, we may conclude that the evaporation process will not be stopped even at the critical point or the singular point, and the black hole will move to a dynamical evaporation phase or a naked singularity will appear.Comment: 31pages, 11figures, LaTex styl

Solutions to the cosmological constant problems

We critically review several recent approaches to solving the two cosmological constant problems. The "old" problem is the discrepancy between the observed value of $\Lambda$ and the large values suggested by particle physics models. The second problem is the "time coincidence" between the epoch of galaxy formation $t_G$ and the epoch of $\Lambda$-domination t_\L. It is conceivable that the "old" problem can be resolved by fundamental physics alone, but we argue that in order to explain the "time coincidence" we must account for anthropic selection effects. Our main focus here is on the discrete-$\Lambda$ models in which $\Lambda$ can change through nucleation of branes. We consider the cosmology of this type of models in the context of inflation and discuss the observational constraints on the model parameters. The issue of multiple brane nucleation raised by Feng {\it et. al.} is discussed in some detail. We also review continuous-\L models in which the role of the cosmological constant is played by a slowly varying potential of a scalar field. We find that both continuous and discrete models can in principle solve both cosmological constant problems, although the required values of the parameters do not appear very natural. M-theory-motivated brane models, in which the brane tension is determined by the brane coupling to the four-form field, do not seem to be viable, except perhaps in a very tight corner of the parameter space. Finally, we point out that the time coincidence can also be explained in models where $\Lambda$ is fixed, but the primordial density contrast $Q=\delta\rho/\rho$ is treated as a random variable.Comment: 30 pages, 3 figures, two notes adde

First-principles calculations of piezoelectricity and polarization rotation in lead zirconate titanate

Recent experimental and theoretical work indicates that polarization rotation via a monoclinic phase at the morphotropic phase boundary in PZT is responsible for its large piezoelectric response. We performed Linearized augmented plane wave with the local orbital extension (LAPW+LO) method within local density approximation (LDA) on B-site [001]1:1 ordered Pb(Zr 0.5Ti0.5)O3 (PZT 50/50). We use a tetragonal super-cell and constrain it with monoclinic Cm space group. Atomic forces following the formulation of Yu et al. are calculated, and the conjugate gradient method is implemented to optimize the internal coordinates. Both the tetragonal (P4mm) and monoclinic (Cm) phases are reproduced, when we strain the system while keeping the volume fixed at experimental value. Bulk spontaneous polarization, Born effective charges (Z*) and piezoelectric coefficients are computed from the Berry\u27s phase approach. The polarization rotates between the pseudo-cubic [001] and [nunu1] directions, where nu = 1.27 in the (110) mirror plane. The piezoelectric coefficients are enhanced when polarization rotation is permitted, namely e33 = 12.6 C/m2, e15 = 10.9 C/m 2, and giant absolute values of e13 = -33 C/m 2 and e\u2711 = 36 C/m2, where e\u2711, is defined as 0.5 (e11 + e12). It gives an explanation to the big piezoelectric response measured in ceramic PZT 50/50. Furthermore, the calculated internal coordinates of monoclinic phase of PZT 50/50 at experimental value of c/a are in good agreement with the experimental data of Pb(Zr0.52Ti 0.48)O3