Quantum theory of non-abelian differential forms and link polynomials

A topological quantum field theory of non-abelian differential forms is investigated from the point of view of its possible applications to description of polynomial invariants of higher-dimensional two-component links. A path-integral representation of the partition function of the theory, which is a highly on-shell reducible system, is obtained in the framework of the antibracket-antifield formalism of Batalin and Vilkovisky. The quasi-monodromy matrix, giving rise to corresponding skein relations, is formally derived in a manifestly covariant non-perturbative manner.Comment: 18 pages, REVISED: minor improvement

SU(2) and the Kauffman bracket

A direct relationship between the (non-quantum) group SU(2) and the Kauffman bracket in the framework of Chern-Simons theory is explicitly shown.Comment: 5 page

Spin-selective localization due to intrinsic spin-orbit coupling

We study spin-dependent diffusive transport in the presence of a tunable spin-orbit (SO) interaction in a two-dimensional electron system. The spin precession of an electron in the SO coupling field is expressed in terms of a covariant curvature, affecting the quantum interference between different electronic trajectories. Controlling this curvature field by modulating the SO coupling strength and its gradients by, e.g., electric or elastic means, opens intriguing possibilities for exploring spin-selective localization physics. In particular, applying a weak magnetic field allows the control of the electron localization independently for two spin directions, with the spin-quantization axis that could be "engineered" by appropriate SO interaction gradients.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

"Microscopic" approach to the Ricci dark energy

A derivation of the Ricci dark energy from quantum field theory of fluctuating "matter" fields in a classical gravitational background is presented. The coupling to the dark energy, the parameter 'a', is estimated in the framework of our formalism, and qualitatively it appears to be within observational expectations.Comment: 7 page

Descriptions of WHOI sediment cores, volume 8

This report supplements Volumes 1 - 7 of the core descriptions published previously in this sequence (Johnson and Driscoll, 1975; 1977; Broda, Franks, and Keith, 1981; Broda and Andrew, 1985). It contains visual descriptions and smear slide analyses for several suites of cores received in the geological samples collection of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution between mid-1984 and late 1989. Approximately 220 sample localities from the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific Oceans are represented. Charts of ships tracks for cruises included in this report and updated computer listings of all cores in the W.H.O.I. col1ection are also presented.Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation under Contract Nos. OCE88-00693 and OCE 1901734

Gauge-Invariant Formulation of Spin-Current-Density Functional Theory

Spin-currents and non-abelian gauge potentials in electronic systems can be treated by spin-current-density functional theory, whose main input is the exchange-correlation (xc) energy expressed as a functional of spin-currents. Constructing a functional of spin currents that is invariant under U(1)$\times$SU(2) transformations is a long-standing challenge. We solve the problem by expressing the energy as a functional of a new variable we call "invariant vorticity". As an illustration we construct the xc energy functional for a two-dimensional electron gas with linear spin-orbit coupling and show that it is proportional to the fourth power of the spin current.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, submitte

Cross-shell excitation in two-proton knockout: Structure of 52^{52}Ca

The two-proton knockout reaction $^9$Be($^{54}$Ti,$^{52}$Ca$+ \gamma$) has been studied at 72 MeV/nucleon. Besides the strong feeding of the $^{52}$Ca ground state, the only other sizeable cross section proceeds to a 3$^-$ level at 3.9 MeV. There is no measurable direct yield to the first excited 2$^+$ state at 2.6 MeV. The results illustrate the potential of such direct reactions for exploring cross-shell proton excitations in neutron-rich nuclei and confirms the doubly-magic nature of $^{52}$Ca