A morphological study of cluster dynamics between critical points

We study the geometric properties of a system initially in equilibrium at a critical point that is suddenly quenched to another critical point and subsequently evolves towards the new equilibrium state. We focus on the bidimensional Ising model and we use numerical methods to characterize the morphological and statistical properties of spin and Fortuin-Kasteleyn clusters during the critical evolution. The analysis of the dynamics of an out of equilibrium interface is also performed. We show that the small scale properties, smaller than the target critical growing length $\xi(t) \sim t^{1/z}$ with $z$ the dynamic exponent, are characterized by equilibrium at the working critical point, while the large scale properties, larger than the critical growing length, are those of the initial critical point. These features are similar to what was found for sub-critical quenches. We argue that quenches between critical points could be amenable to a more detailed analytical description.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figure

Persistence in the two dimensional ferromagnetic Ising model

We present very accurate numerical estimates of the time and size dependence of the zero-temperature local persistence in the $2d$ ferromagnetic Ising model. We show that the effective exponent decays algebraically to an asymptotic value $\theta$ that depends upon the initial condition. More precisely, we find that $\theta$ takes one universal value $0.199(2)$ for initial conditions with short-range spatial correlations as in a paramagnetic state, and the value $0.033(1)$ for initial conditions with the long-range spatial correlations of the critical Ising state. We checked universality by working with a square and a triangular lattice, and by imposing free and periodic boundary conditions. We found that the effective exponent suffers from stronger finite size effects in the former case.Comment: v2: minor corrections and typos correcte

Single-cycle THz pulses with amplitudes exceeding 1 MV/cm generated by optical rectification in LiNbO3

Using the tilted-pulse-intensity-front scheme, we generate single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses by optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses in LiNbO3. In the THz generation setup, the condition that the image of the grating coincides with the tilted-optical-pulse front is fulfilled to obtain optimal THz beam characteristics and pump-to-THz conversion efficiency. The designed focusing geometry enables tight focus of the collimated THz beam with a spot size close to the diffraction limit, and the maximum THz electric field of 1.2 MV/cm is obtained

Regional Evolutions

macroeconomics, regional evolutions

Are the stratospheric dust particles meteor ablation debris or interplanetary dust?

Natural and laboratory created fusion crusts and debris from artificial meteor samples were used to develop criteria for recognizing meteor ablation debris in a collection of 5 to 50 micron particles from the stratosphere. These laboratory studies indicate that meteor ablation debris from nickel-iron meteoroids produce spherules containing taenite, wuestite, magnetite, and hematite. These same studies also indicate that ablation debris from chondritic meteoroids produce spheres and fragmentary debris. The spheres may be either silicate rich, containing zoned olivine, magnetite, and glass, or sulfide rich, containing iron oxides (e.g., magnetite, wuestite) and iron sulfides (e.g., pyrrhotite, pentlandite). The fragmentary debris may be either fine-grained aggregates of olivine, magnetite, pyroxene, and occasionally pyrrhotite (derived from the meteorite matrix) or individual olivine and pyroxene grains (derived from meteorite inclusions)

Human activity modeling and Barabasi's queueing systems

It has been shown by A.-L. Barabasi that the priority based scheduling rules in single stage queuing systems (QS) generates fat tail behavior for the tasks waiting time distributions (WTD). Such fat tails are due to the waiting times of very low priority tasks which stay unserved almost forever as the task priority indices (PI) are "frozen in time" (i.e. a task priority is assigned once for all to each incoming task). Relaxing the "frozen in time" assumption, this paper studies the new dynamic behavior expected when the priority of each incoming tasks is time-dependent (i.e. "aging mechanisms" are allowed). For two class of models, namely 1) a population type model with an age structure and 2) a QS with deadlines assigned to the incoming tasks which is operated under the "earliest-deadline-first" policy, we are able to analytically extract some relevant characteristics of the the tasks waiting time distribution. As the aging mechanism ultimately assign high priority to any long waiting tasks, fat tails in the WTD cannot find their origin in the scheduling rule alone thus showing a fundamental difference between the present and the A.-L. Barabasi's class of models.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

How soon after a zero-temperature quench is the fate of the Ising model sealed?

We study the transient between a fully disordered initial condition and a percolating structure in the low-temperature non-conserved order parameter dynamics of the bi-dimensional Ising model. We show that a stable structure of spanning clusters establishes at a time $t_p \simeq L^{\alpha_p}$. Our numerical results yield $\alpha_p=0.50(2)$ for the square and kagome, $\alpha_p=0.33(2)$ for the triangular and $\alpha_p=0.38(5)$ for the bowtie-a lattices.We generalise the dynamic scaling hypothesis to take into account this new time-scale. We discuss the implications of these results for other non-equilibrium processes.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures + supplemental material (2 pages, 1 figure), version 2: new co-author, extended manuscrip

Critical percolation in the dynamics of the 2d ferromagnetic Ising model

We study the early time dynamics of the 2d ferromagnetic Ising model instantaneously quenched from the disordered to the ordered, low temperature, phase. We evolve the system with kinetic Monte Carlo rules that do not conserve the order parameter. We confirm the rapid approach to random critical percolation in a time-scale that diverges with the system size but is much shorter than the equilibration time. We study the scaling properties of the evolution towards critical percolation and we identify an associated growing length, different from the curvature driven one. By working with the model defined on square, triangular and honeycomb microscopic geometries we establish the dependence of this growing length on the lattice coordination. We discuss the interplay with the usual coarsening mechanism and the eventual fall into and escape from metastability.Comment: 67 pages, 33 figure

Cytoskeletal turnover and Myosin contractility drive cell autonomous oscillations in a model of Drosophila Dorsal Closure

Oscillatory behaviour in force-generating systems is a pervasive phenomenon in cell biology. In this work, we investigate how oscillations in the actomyosin cytoskeleton drive cell shape changes during the process of Dorsal Closure, a morphogenetic event in Drosophila embryo development whereby epidermal continuity is generated through the pulsatile apical area reduction of cells constituting the amnioserosa (AS) tissue. We present a theoretical model of AS cell dynamics by which the oscillatory behaviour arises due to a coupling between active Myosin-driven forces, actin turnover and cell deformation. Oscillations in our model are cell-autonomous and are modulated by neighbour coupling, and our model accurately reproduces the oscillatory dynamics of AS cells and their amplitude and frequency evolution. A key prediction arising from our model is that the rate of actin turnover and Myosin contractile force must increase during DC in order to reproduce the decrease in amplitude and period of cell area oscillations observed in vivo. This prediction opens up new ways to think about the molecular underpinnings of AS cell oscillations and their link to net tissue contraction and suggests the form of future experimental measurements.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures; added references, modified and corrected Figs. 1 and 3, corrected typos, expanded discussio

Tests with three-dimensional adjustments in the rectangular working section of the French T2 wind tunnel with an AS 07-type swept-back wing model

The results obtained on the AS 07 wing and the working section walls for three types of configurations are reported. The first, called non-adapted, corresponds to the divergent upper and lower rectilinear walls which compensate for limit layer thickening. It can serve as a basis for complete flow calculations. The second configuration corresponds to wall shapes determined from calculations which tend to minimize interference at the level of the fuselage. Finally, the third configuration, called two-dimensional adaptation, uses the standard method for T2 profile tests. This case was tested to determine the influence of wall shape and error magnitude. These results are not sufficient to validate the three-dimensional adaptation; they must be coordinated with calculations or with unlimited atmosphere tests