Finite temperature effects on spin polarization of neutron matter in a strong magnetic field

Spin polarization of neutron matter at finite temperatures and strong magnetic fields up to $10^{18}$ G is studied in the model with the Skyrme effective interaction. It is shown that, together with the thermodynamically stable branch of solutions for the spin polarization parameter corresponding to the case when the majority of neutron spins are oriented opposite to the direction of the magnetic field (negative spin polarization), the self-consistent equations, beginning from some threshold density, have also two other branches of solutions corresponding to positive spin polarization. The influence of finite temperatures on spin polarization remains moderate in the Skyrme model up to temperatures relevant for protoneutron stars, and, in particular, the scenario with the metastable state characterized by positive spin polarization, considered at zero temperature in Phys. Rev. C {\bf 80}, 065801 (2009), is preserved at finite temperatures as well. It is shown that above certain density the entropy for various branches of spin polarization in neutron matter with the Skyrme interaction in a strong magnetic field demonstrates the unusual behavior being larger than that of the nonpolarized state. By providing the corresponding low-temperature analysis, it is clarified that this unexpected behavior should be addressed to the dependence of the entropy of a spin polarized state on the effective masses of neutrons with spin up and spin down, and to a certain constraint on them which is violated in the respective density range.Comment: Prepared with RevTeX4, 6pp., 4 figs; v2: accepted in JKA

Solitary Waves Bifurcated from Bloch Band Edges in Two-dimensional Periodic Media

Solitary waves bifurcated from edges of Bloch bands in two-dimensional periodic media are determined both analytically and numerically in the context of a two-dimensional nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation with a periodic potential. Using multi-scale perturbation methods, envelope equations of solitary waves near Bloch bands are analytically derived. These envelope equations reveal that solitary waves can bifurcate from edges of Bloch bands under either focusing or defocusing nonlinearity, depending on the signs of second-order dispersion coefficients at the edge points. Interestingly, at edge points with two linearly independent Bloch modes, the envelope equations lead to a host of solitary wave structures including reduced-symmetry solitons, dipole-array solitons, vortex-cell solitons, and so on -- many of which have never been reported before. It is also shown analytically that the centers of envelope solutions can only be positioned at four possible locations at or between potential peaks. Numerically, families of these solitary waves are directly computed both near and far away from band edges. Near the band edges, the numerical solutions spread over many lattice sites, and they fully agree with the analytical solutions obtained from envelope equations. Far away from the band edges, solitary waves are strongly localized with intensity and phase profiles characteristic of individual families.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Antiferromagnetic spin phase transition in nuclear matter with effective Gogny interaction

The possibility of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phase transitions in symmetric nuclear matter is analyzed within the framework of a Fermi liquid theory with the effective Gogny interaction. It is shown that at some critical density nuclear matter with D1S effective force undergoes a phase transition to the antiferromagnetic spin state (the opposite direction of neutron and proton spins). The self--consistent equations of spin polarized nuclear matter with D1S force have no solutions, corresponding to the ferromagnetic spin ordering (the same direction of neutron and proton spins) and, hence, the ferromagnetic transition does not appear. The dependence of antiferromagnetic spin polarization parameter as a function of density is found at zero temperature.Comment: Report at the workshop "Hot points in astrophysics and cosmology", Dubna, August, 2-13, 2004. REVTeX4, 9 pages, 3 figure

Laser-actuated mechanical device

Actuator is portable and can be used in high-temperature (over 500 C) environments by incorporating tungsten metal film and quartz window. Actuator can be triggered when it is not directly in laser beam path by utilizing fiber optics. It is advantageous for remotely switching ultra-high voltage systems

Optically actuated two position mechanical mover

An optically actuated mechanical mover adapted to be moved from an ambient position to an active position, is disclosed. The mechanical mover essentially comprises a piston/cylinder arrangement including a piston that is contained within an internal cylindrical chamber of a housing. The cylindrical chamber is configured to permit the piston to be moved for the length of the chamber as a work stroke. A lock pin extending through the piston, and diametrically opposed walls of the chamber housing, retain the piston in the ambient position at one end of the chamber. An actuator for producing a pressure or shock wave that drives the piston is positioned at the end of the chamber corresponding to the piston ambient position

Asymmetric vortex solitons in nonlinear periodic lattices

We reveal the existence of asymmetric vortex solitons in ideally symmetric periodic lattices, and show how such nonlinear localized structures describing elementary circular flows can be analyzed systematically using the energy-balance relations. We present the examples of rhomboid, rectangular, and triangular vortex solitons on a square lattice, and also describe novel coherent states where the populations of clockwise and anti-clockwise vortex modes change periodically due to a nonlinearity-induced momentum exchange through the lattice. Asymmetric vortex solitons are expected to exist in different nonlinear lattice systems including optically-induced photonic lattices, nonlinear photonic crystals, and Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Spin polarized states in neutron matter at a strong magnetic field

Spin polarized states in neutron matter at a strong magnetic field are considered in the model with the Skyrme effective interaction (SLy4, SLy7 parametrizations). Analyzing the self-consistent equations at zero temperature, it is shown that a thermodynamically stable branch of solutions for the spin polarization parameter as a function of density corresponds to the negative spin polarization when the majority of neutron spins are oriented oppositely to the direction of the magnetic field. Besides, beginning from some threshold density being dependent on the magnetic field strength the self-consistent equations have also two other branches (upper and lower) of solutions for the spin polarization parameter with the positive spin polarization. The free energy corresponding to the upper branch turns out to be very close to the free energy corresponding to the thermodynamically preferable branch with the negative spin polarization. As a consequence, at a strong magnetic field, the state with the positive spin polarization can be realized as a metastable state at the high density region in neutron matter which under decreasing density at some threshold density changes into a thermodynamically stable state with the negative spin polarization. The calculations of the neutron spin polarization parameter and energy per neutron as functions of the magnetic field strength show that the influence of the magnetic field remains small at the field strengths up to $10^{17}$ G.Comment: Prepared with RevTeX4, 8pp., 5 figs; v.2: matches published versio