4,886 research outputs found
A Variational Principle for the Asymptotic Speed of Fronts of the Density Dependent Diffusion--Reaction Equation
We show that the minimal speed for the existence of monotonic fronts of the
equation with , and in
derives from a variational principle. The variational principle allows
to calculate, in principle, the exact speed for arbitrary . The case
when is included as an extension of the results.Comment: Latex, postcript figure availabl
Neutron diffraction in a model itinerant metal near a quantum critical point
Neutron diffraction measurements on single crystals of Cr1-xVx (x=0, 0.02,
0.037) show that the ordering moment and the Neel temperature are continuously
suppressed as x approaches 0.037, a proposed Quantum Critical Point (QCP). The
wave vector Q of the spin density wave (SDW) becomes more incommensurate as x
increases in accordance with the two band model. At xc=0.037 we have found
temperature dependent, resolution limited elastic scattering at 4
incommensurate wave vectors Q=(1+/-delta_1,2, 0, 0)*2pi/a, which correspond to
2 SDWs with Neel temperatures of 19 K and 300 K. Our neutron diffraction
measurements indicate that the electronic structure of Cr is robust, and that
tuning Cr to its QCP results not in the suppression of antiferromagnetism, but
instead enables new spin ordering due to novel nesting of the Fermi surface of
Cr.Comment: Submitted as a part of proceedings of LT25 (Amsterdam 2008
Transport properties in antiferromagnetic quantum Griffiths phases
We study the electrical resistivity in the quantum Griffiths phase associated
with the antiferromagnetic quantum phase transition in a metal. The resistivity
is calculated by means of the semi-classical Boltzmann equation. We show that
the scattering of electrons by locally ordered rare regions leads to a singular
temperature dependence. The rare-region contribution to the resistivity varies
as with temperature where the is the usual Griffiths
exponent which takes the value zero at the critical point and increases with
distance from criticality. We find similar singular contributions to other
transport properties such as thermal resistivity, thermopower and the Peltier
coefficient. We also compare our results with existing experimental data and
suggest new experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Contest based on a directed polymer in a random medium
We introduce a simple one-parameter game derived from a model describing the
properties of a directed polymer in a random medium. At his turn, each of the
two players picks a move among two alternatives in order to maximize his final
score, and minimize opponent's return. For a game of length , we find that
the probability distribution of the final score develops a traveling wave
form, , with the wave profile unusually
decaying as a double exponential for large positive and negative . In
addition, as the only parameter in the game is varied, we find a transition
where one player is able to get his maximum theoretical score. By extending
this model, we suggest that the front velocity is selected by the nonlinear
marginal stability mechanism arising in some traveling wave problems for which
the profile decays exponentially, and for which standard traveling wave theory
applies
Erosion waves: transverse instabilities and fingering
Two laboratory scale experiments of dry and under-water avalanches of
non-cohesive granular materials are investigated. We trigger solitary waves and
study the conditions under which the front is transversally stable. We show the
existence of a linear instability followed by a coarsening dynamics and finally
the onset of a fingering pattern. Due to the different operating conditions,
both experiments strongly differ by the spatial and time scales involved.
Nevertheless, the quantitative agreement between the stability diagram, the
wavelengths selected and the avalanche morphology reveals a common scenario for
an erosion/deposition process.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PR
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