7,508 research outputs found
Metastable Quantum Phase Transitions in a Periodic One-dimensional Bose Gas: Mean-Field and Bogoliubov Analyses
We generalize the concept of quantum phase transitions, which is
conventionally defined for a ground state and usually applied in the
thermodynamic limit, to one for \emph{metastable states} in \emph{finite size
systems}. In particular, we treat the one-dimensional Bose gas on a ring in the
presence of both interactions and rotation. To support our study, we bring to
bear mean-field theory, i.e., the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation, and linear
perturbation or Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. Both methods give a consistent
result in the weakly interacting regime: there exist \emph{two topologically
distinct quantum phases}. The first is the typical picture of superfluidity in
a Bose-Einstein condensate on a ring: average angular momentum is quantized and
the superflow is uniform. The second is new: one or more dark solitons appear
as stationary states, breaking the symmetry, the average angular momentum
becomes a continuous quantity, and the phase of the condensate can be
continuously wound and unwound
Nonlinear Modes of Liquid Drops as Solitary Waves
The nolinear hydrodynamic equations of the surface of a liquid drop are shown
to be directly connected to Korteweg de Vries (KdV, MKdV) systems, giving
traveling solutions that are cnoidal waves. They generate multiscale patterns
ranging from small harmonic oscillations (linearized model), to nonlinear
oscillations, up through solitary waves. These non-axis-symmetric localized
shapes are also described by a KdV Hamiltonian system. Recently such ``rotons''
were observed experimentally when the shape oscillations of a droplet became
nonlinear. The results apply to drop-like systems from cluster formation to
stellar models, including hyperdeformed nuclei and fission.Comment: 11 pages RevTex, 1 figure p
Tidal evolution of close-in exoplanets in co-orbital configurations
In this paper, we study the behavior of a pair of co-orbital planets, both
orbiting a central star on the same plane and undergoing tidal interactions.
Our goal is to investigate final orbital configurations of the planets,
initially involved in the 1/1 mean-motion resonance (MMR), after long-lasting
tidal evolution. The study is done in the form of purely numerical simulations
of the exact equations of motions accounting for gravitational and tidal
forces. The results obtained show that, at least for equal mass planets, the
combined effects of the resonant and tidal interactions provoke the orbital
instability of the system, often resulting in collision between the planets. We
first discuss the case of two hot-super-Earth planets, whose orbital dynamics
can be easily understood in the frame of our semi-analytical model of the 1/1
MMR. Systems consisting of two hot-Saturn planets are also briefly discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Celestial Mechanics
and Dynamical Astronom
Spin chains and string theory
Recently, an impressive agreement was found between anomalous dimensions of
certain operators in N=4 SYM and rotating strings with two angular momenta in
the bulk of AdS5xS5. A one-loop field theory computation, which involves
solving a Heisenberg chain by means of the Bethe ansatz agrees with the large
angular momentum limit of a rotating string. We point out that the Heisenberg
chain can be equally well solved by using a sigma model approach. Moreover we
also show that a certain limit, akin to the BMN limit, leads exactly to the
same sigma model for a string rotating with large angular momentum. The
agreement is then at the level of the action. As an upshot we propose that the
rotating string should be identified with a coherent, semi-classical state
built out of the eigenstates of the spin chain. The agreement is then complete.
For example we show that the mean value of the spin gives, precisely, the
position of the string in the bulk. This suggests a more precise formulation of
the AdS/CFT correspondence in the large-N limit and also indicates a way to
obtain string theory duals of other gauge theories.Comment: 16 pages. LaTeX. v2: References and some comments added. v3:
References to more recent work adde
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