24,705 research outputs found
Sharp asymptotics for metastability in the random field Curie-Weiss model
In this paper we study the metastable behavior of one of the simplest
disordered spin system, the random field Curie-Weiss model. We will show how
the potential theoretic approach can be used to prove sharp estimates on
capacities and metastable exit times also in the case when the distribution of
the random field is continuous. Previous work was restricted to the case when
the random field takes only finitely many values, which allowed the reduction
to a finite dimensional problem using lumping techniques. Here we produce the
first genuine sharp estimates in a context where entropy is important.Comment: 56 pages, 5 figure
A perturbative re-analysis of N=4 supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory
The finiteness properties of the N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory are
reanalyzed both in the component formulation and using N=1 superfields, in
order to discuss some subtleties that emerge in the computation of gauge
dependent quantities. The one-loop corrections to various Green functions of
elementary fields are calculated. In the component formulation it is shown that
the choice of the Wess-Zumino gauge, that is standard in supersymmetric gauge
theories, introduces ultraviolet divergences in the propagators at the one-loop
level. Such divergences are exactly cancelled when the contributions of the
fields that are put to zero in the Wess-Zumino gauge are taken into account. In
the description in terms of N=1 superfields infrared divergences are found for
every choice of gauge different from the supersymmetric generalization of the
Fermi-Feynman gauge. Two-, three- and four-point functions of N=1 superfields
are computed and some general features of the infrared problem are discussed.
We also examine the effect of the introduction of mass terms for the (anti)
chiral superfields in the theory, which break supersymmetry from N=4 to N=1. It
is shown that in the mass deformed model no ultraviolet divergences appear in
two-point functions. It argued that this result can be generalized to n-point
functions, supporting the proposal of a possible of use of this modified model
as a supersymmetry-preserving regularization scheme for N=1 theories.Comment: 41 pages, LaTeX2e, uses feynMP package to draw Feynman diagram
Galaxy Evolution in Local Group Analogs. I. A GALEX study of nearby groups
Understanding the astrophysical processes acting within galaxy groups and
their effects on the evolution of the galaxy population is one of the crucial
topic of modern cosmology, as almost 60% of galaxies in the Local Universe are
found in groups. We imaged in the far (FUV 1539 A) and near ultraviolet (NUV
2316 A) with GALEX three nearby groups, namely LGG93, LGG127 and LGG225. We
obtained the UV galaxy surface photometry and, for LGG225, the only group
covered by the SDSS, the photometry in u, g, r, i, z bands. We discuss galaxy
morphologies looking for interaction signatures and we analyze the SED of
galaxies to infer their luminosity-weighted ages. The UV and optical photometry
was also used to perform a kinematical and dynamical analysis of each group and
to evaluate the stellar mass. A few member galaxies in LGG225 show a distorted
UV morphology due to ongoing interactions. (FUV-NUV) colors suggest that
spirals in LGG93 and LGG225 host stellar populations in their outskirts younger
than that of M31 and M33 in the LG or with less extinction. The irregular
interacting galaxy NGC3447A has a significantly younger stellar population (few
Myr old) than the average of the other irregular galaxies in LGG225 suggesting
that the encounter triggered star formation. The early-type members of LGG225,
NGC3457 and NGC3522, have masses of the order of a few 10^9 Mo, comparable to
the Local Group ellipticals. For the most massive spiral in LGG225, we estimate
a stellar mass of ~4x10 Mo, comparable to M33 in the LG. Ages of stellar
populations range from a few to ~7 Gyr for the galaxies in LGG225. The
kinematical and dynamical analysis indicates that LGG127 and LGG225 are in a
pre-virial collapse phase, i.e. still undergoing dynamical relaxation, while
LGG93 is likely virialized. (Abridged)Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Single Spin Asymmetries in Semi-Inclusive Electroproduction: Access to Transversity
We discuss the quark transversity distribution function and a possible way to
access it through the measurement of single spin azimuthal asymmetry in
semi-inclusive single pion electroproduction on a transversely polarized
target.Comment: 5 pages, Latex using aipproc.sty (included), to appear in proceedings
of "Second Workshop on Physics with an Electron Polarized Light Ion
Collider", Sept. 14-16, 2000, MIT, Cambridge, US
Sewing Constraints and Non-Orientable Open Strings
We extend to non-orientable surfaces previous work on sewing constraints in
Conformal Field Theory. A new constraint, related to the real projective plane,
is described and is used to illustrate the correspondence with a previous
construction of open-string spectra.Comment: phyzzx, 11 pages and 4 figures, ROM2F-93/3
Using simple elastic bands to explain quantum mechanics: a conceptual review of two of Aert's machine-models
From the beginning of his research, the Belgian physicist Diederik Aerts has
shown great creativity in inventing a number of concrete machine-models that
have played an important role in the development of general mathematical and
conceptual formalisms for the description of the physical reality. These models
can also be used to demystify much of the strangeness in the behavior of
quantum entities, by allowing to have a peek at what's going on - in structural
terms - behind the "quantum scenes," during a measurement. In this author's
view, the importance of these machine-models, and of the approaches they have
originated, have been so far seriously underappreciated by the physics
community, despite their success in clarifying many challenges of quantum
physics. To fill this gap, and encourage a greater number of researchers to
take cognizance of the important work of so-called Geneva-Brussels school, we
describe and analyze in this paper two of Aerts' historical machine-models,
whose operations are based on simple breakable elastic bands. The first one,
called the spin quantum-machine, is able to replicate the quantum probabilities
associated with the spin measurement of a spin-1/2 entity. The second one,
called the \emph{connected vessels of water model} (of which we shall present
here an alternative version based on elastics) is able to violate Bell's
inequality, as coincidence measurements on entangled states can do.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Asymptotics of LQG fusion coefficients
The fusion coefficients from SO(3) to SO(4) play a key role in the definition
of spin foam models for the dynamics in Loop Quantum Gravity. In this paper we
give a simple analytic formula of the EPRL fusion coefficients. We study the
large spin asymptotics and show that they map SO(3) semiclassical intertwiners
into semiclassical intertwiners. This non-trivial
property opens the possibility for an analysis of the semiclassical behavior of
the model.Comment: 14 pages, minor change
On stable higher spin states in Heterotic String Theories
We study properties of 1/2 BPS Higher Spin states in heterotic
compactifications with extended supersymmetry. We also analyze non BPS Higher
Spin states and give explicit expressions for physical vertex operators of the
first two massive levels. We then study on-shell tri-linear couplings of these
Higher Spin states and confirm that BPS states with arbitrary spin cannot decay
into lower spin states in perturbation theory. Finally, we consider scattering
of vector bosons off higher spin BPS states and extract form factors and
polarization effects in various limits.Comment: 38 page
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