347 research outputs found
Aging effects in the quantum dynamics of a dissipative free particle: non-ohmic case
We report new results related to the two-time dynamics of the coordinate of a
quantum free particle, damped through its interaction with a fractal thermal
bath (non-ohmic coupling with or
. When the particle is localized, its position does not age. When
it undergoes anomalous diffusion, only its displacement may be defined. It is
shown to be an aging variable. The finite temperature aging regime is
self-similar. It is described by a scaling function of the ratio
of the waiting time to the observation time, as characterized by an exponent
directly linked to .Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR
Scaling of loop-erased walks in 2 to 4 dimensions
We simulate loop-erased random walks on simple (hyper-)cubic lattices of
dimensions 2,3, and 4. These simulations were mainly motivated to test recent
two loop renormalization group predictions for logarithmic corrections in
, simulations in lower dimensions were done for completeness and in order
to test the algorithm. In , we verify with high precision the prediction
, where the number of steps after erasure scales with the number
of steps before erasure as . In we again find a power law,
but with an exponent different from the one found in the most precise previous
simulations: . Finally, we see clear deviations from the
naive scaling in . While they agree only qualitatively with the
leading logarithmic corrections predicted by several authors, their agreement
with the two-loop prediction is nearly perfect.Comment: 3 pages, including 3 figure
Structure of the Coulomb and unitarity corrections to the cross section of pair production in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions
We analyze the structure of the Coulomb and unitarity corrections to the
single pair production as well as the cross section for the multiple pair
production. In the external field approximation we consider the probability of
pair production at fixed impact parameter between colliding
ultra-relativistic heavy nuclei. We obtain the analytical result for this
probability at large as compared to the electron Compton wavelength. We
estimate also the unitary corrections to the total cross section of the
process.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX, references correcte
Coulomb Effects on Electromagnetic Pair Production in Ultrarelativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions
We discuss the implications of the eikonal amplitude on the pair production
probability in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion transits. In this context the
Weizs\"acker-Williams method is shown to be exact in the ultrarelativistic
limit, irrespective of the produced particles' mass. A new equivalent
single-photon distribution is derived which correctly accounts for the Coulomb
distortions. As an immediate application, consequences for unitarity violation
in photo-dissociation processes in peripheral heavy-ion encounters are
discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 4 .eps figure
Exact sampling of self-avoiding paths via discrete Schramm-Loewner evolution
We present an algorithm, based on the iteration of conformal maps, that
produces independent samples of self-avoiding paths in the plane. It is a
discrete process approximating radial Schramm-Loewner evolution growing to
infinity. We focus on the problem of reproducing the parametrization
corresponding to that of lattice models, namely self-avoiding walks on the
lattice, and we propose a strategy that gives rise to discrete paths where
consecutive points lie an approximately constant distance apart from each
other. This new method allows us to tackle two non-trivial features of
self-avoiding walks that critically depend on the parametrization: the
asphericity of a portion of chain and the correction-to-scaling exponent.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. Some sections rewritten (including title and
abstract), numerical results added, references added. Accepted for
publication in J. Stat. Phy
Normal transport properties for a classical particle coupled to a non-Ohmic bath
We study the Hamiltonian motion of an ensemble of unconfined classical
particles driven by an external field F through a translationally-invariant,
thermal array of monochromatic Einstein oscillators. The system does not
sustain a stationary state, because the oscillators cannot effectively absorb
the energy of high speed particles. We nonetheless show that the system has at
all positive temperatures a well-defined low-field mobility over macroscopic
time scales of order exp(-c/F). The mobility is independent of F at low fields,
and related to the zero-field diffusion constant D through the Einstein
relation. The system therefore exhibits normal transport even though the bath
obviously has a discrete frequency spectrum (it is simply monochromatic) and is
therefore highly non-Ohmic. Such features are usually associated with anomalous
transport properties
Comparison of the Oxidation State of Fe in Comet 81P/Wild 2 and Chondritic-Porous Interplanetary Dust Particles
The fragile structure of chondritic-porous interplanetary dust particles (CP-
IDPs) and their minimal parent-body alteration have led researchers to believe
these particles originate in comets rather than asteroids where aqueous and
thermal alteration have occurred. The solar elemental abundances and
atmospheric entry speed of CP-IDPs also suggest a cometary origin. With the
return of the Stardust samples from Jupiter-family comet 81P/Wild 2, this
hypothesis can be tested. We have measured the Fe oxidation state of 15 CP-IDPs
and 194 Stardust fragments using a synchrotron-based x-ray microprobe. We
analyzed ~300 nanograms of Wild 2 material - three orders of magnitude more
material than other analyses comparing Wild 2 and CP-IDPs. The Fe oxidation
state of these two samples of material are >2{\sigma} different: the CP-IDPs
are more oxidized than the Wild 2 grains. We conclude that comet Wild 2
contains material that formed at a lower oxygen fugacity than the parent body,
or parent bodies, of CP-IDPs. If all Jupiter-family comets are similar, they do
not appear to be consistent with the origin of CP-IDPs. However, comets that
formed from a different mix of nebular material and are more oxidized than Wild
2 could be the source of CP-IDPs.Comment: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, in pres
The Uncertainty in Newton's Constant and Precision Predictions of the Primordial Helium Abundance
The current uncertainty in Newton's constant, G_N, is of the order of 0.15%.
For values of the baryon to photon ratio consistent with both cosmic microwave
background observations and the primordial deuterium abundance, this
uncertainty in G_N corresponds to an uncertainty in the primordial 4He mass
fraction, Y_P, of +-1.3 x 10^{-4}. This uncertainty in Y_P is comparable to the
effect from the current uncertainty in the neutron lifetime, which is often
treated as the dominant uncertainty in calculations of Y_P. Recent measurements
of G_N seem to be converging within a smaller range; a reduction in the
estimated error on G_N by a factor of 10 would essentially eliminate it as a
source of uncertainty in the calculation of the primordial 4He abundance.Comment: 3 pages, no figures, fixed typos, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Universality and the magnetic catalysis of chiral symmetry breaking
The hypothesis that the magnetic catalysis of chiral symmetry breaking is due
to interactions of massless fermions in their lowest Landau level is examined
in the context of chirally symmetric models with short ranged interactions. It
is argued that, when the magnetic field is sufficiently large, even an
infinitesimal attractive interaction in the appropriate channel will break
chiral symmetry.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, REVTeX. The final version with minor
corrections. To appear in Phys Rev D60 (1999
The Effect of Proprioceptive Feedback on the Distribution of Sensory Information in a Model of an Undulatory Organism
In an animal, a crucial factor concerning the arrival of information at the sensors and subsequent transmission to the effectors, is how it is distributed. At the same time, higher animals also employ proprioceptive feedback so that their respective neural circuits have information regarding the state of the animal body. In order to disseminate what this practically means for the distribution of sensory information, we have modeled a segmented swimming organism (animat) coevolving its nervous system and body plan morphology. In a simulated aquatic environment, we find that animats artificially endowed with proprioceptive feedback are able to evolve completely decoupled central pattern generators (CPGs) meaning that they emerge without any connections made to neural circuits in adjacent body segments. Without such feedback however, we also find that the distribution of sensory information from the head of the animat becomes far more important, with adjacent CPG circuits becoming interconnected. Crucially, this demonstrates that where proprioceptive mechanisms are lacking, more effective delivery of sensory input is essential
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