Antisymmetric tensor propagator with spontaneous Lorentz violation

In this work, we study the spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking due to an antisymmetric 2-tensor field in Minkowski spacetime. For a smooth quadratic potential, the spectrum of the theory exhibits massless and massive excitations. We show that the equations of motion for the free field obey some constraints which lead to the massive mode be non-propagating at leading order. Besides, there exists a massless mode in the theory which can be identified with the usual Kalb-Ramond field, carrying only one on-shell degree of freedom. The same conclusion holds when one analyses the pole structure of its Feynman propagator. A new complete set of spin-type operators is found, which was the requirement to evaluate the propagator of the Kalb-Ramond field modified by the presence of a nonzero vacuum expectation value responsible for the Lorentz violation.Comment: 13 pages. Some modifications to match published version in EuroPhysics Letter

Irreversibility line and low-field grain-boundary pinning in electron-doped superconducting thin films

AC magnetic susceptibilities of electron-doped Pr_{1.85}Ce_{0.15}CuO_4 (PCCO) and Sm_{1.85}Ce_{0.15}CuO_4 (SCCO) granular thin films have been measured as a function of temperature and magnetic-field strength. Depending on the level of homogeneity of our films, two different types of the irreversibility line (IL) defined as the intergrain-loss peak temperature in the imaginary part of susceptibility have been found. The obtained results are described via the critical-state model taking into account the low-field grain-boundary pinning. The extracted pinning-force densities in more granular SCCO films turn out to be four times larger than their counterparts in less granular PCCO films

Dynamical demixing of a binary mixture under sedimentation

We investigate the sedimentation dynamics of a binary mixture, the species of which differ by their Stokes coefficients but are identical otherwise. We analyze the sedimentation dynamics and the morphology of the final deposits using Brownian dynamics simulations for mixtures with a range of sedimentation velocities of both species. We found a threshold in the sedimentation velocities difference above which the species in the final deposit are segregated. The degree of segregation increases with the difference in the Stokes coefficients or the sedimentation velocities above the threshold. We propose a simple mean-field model that captures the main features of the simulated deposits

Optimization of an integrated lot sizing and cutting stock problem in the paper industry

CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOTwo important optimization problems occur in the planning and production scheduling inpaper industries: the lot sizing problem and the cutting stock problem. The lot sizing problem must determine the quantity of jumbos of different types of paper to be produced in each machine over a finite planning horizon. These jumbos are then cut in order to meet the demand of items for each period. In this paper, we deal with the integration of these two problems, aiming to minimize costs of production and inventory of jumbos, as well as the trim loss of paper generated during the cutting process. Two mathematical models for the integrated problem are considered, and these models are solved both heuristically and using an optimization package. Attempting to get lower bounds for the problem, relaxed versions of the models also have been solved. Finally, computational experiments are presented and discussed.Two important optimization problems occur in the planning and production scheduling inpaper industries: the lot sizing problem and the cutting stock problem. The lot sizing problem must determine the quantity of jumbos of different types of paper to be produced in each machine over a finite planning horizon. These jumbos are then cut in order to meet the demand of items for each period. In this paper, we deal with the integration of these two problems, aiming to minimize costs of production and inventory of jumbos, as well as the trim loss of paper generated during the cutting process. Two mathematical models for the integrated problem are considered, and these models are solved both heuristically and using an optimization package. Attempting to get lower bounds for the problem, relaxed versions of the models also have been solved. Finally, computational experiments are presented and discussed.173305320CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO2010/10133-02013/07375-

Dynamical Symmetry Breaking With a Fourth Generation

Adding a fourth generation to the Standard Model and assuming it to be valid up to some cutoff \Lambda, we show that electroweak symmetry is broken by radiative corrections due to the fourth generation. The effects of the fourth generation are isolated using a Lagrangian with a genuine scalar without self-interactions at the classical level. For masses of the fourth generation consistent with electroweak precision data (including the B \rightarrow K \pi\ CP asymmetries) we obtain a Higgs mass of the order of a few hundreds GeV and a cutoff \Lambda\ around 1-2 TeV. We study the reliability of the perturbative treatment used to obtain these results taking into account the running of the Yukawa couplings of the fourth quark generation with the aid of the Renormalization Group (RG) equations, finding similar allowed values for the Higgs mass but a slightly lower cut-off due to the breaking of the perturbative regime. Such low cut-off means that the effects of new physics needed to describe electroweak interactions at energy above \Lambda\ should be measurable at the LHC. We use the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model with four generations as an explicit example of models realizing the dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking by radiative corrections and containing new physics. Here, the cutoff is replaced by the masses of the squarks and electroweak symmetry breaking by radiative corrections requires the squark masses to be of the order of 1 TeV.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. New section adde