Lubricated friction between incommensurate substrates

This paper is part of a study of the frictional dynamics of a confined solid lubricant film - modelled as a one-dimensional chain of interacting particles confined between two ideally incommensurate substrates, one of which is driven relative to the other through an attached spring moving at constant velocity. This model system is characterized by three inherent length scales; depending on the precise choice of incommensurability among them it displays a strikingly different tribological behavior. Contrary to two length-scale systems such as the standard Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) model, for large chain stiffness one finds that here the most favorable (lowest friction) sliding regime is achieved by chain-substrate incommensurabilities belonging to the class of non-quadratic irrational numbers (e.g., the spiral mean). The well-known golden mean (quadratic) incommensurability which slides best in the standard FK model shows instead higher kinetic-friction values. The underlying reason lies in the pinning properties of the lattice of solitons formed by the chain with the substrate having the closest periodicity, with the other slider.Comment: 14 pagine latex - elsart, including 4 figures, submitted to Tribology Internationa

Inhomogeneous phases in one-dimensional mass- and spin-imbalanced Fermi gases

We compute the phase diagram of strongly interacting fermions in one dimension at finite temperature, with mass and spin imbalance. By including the possibility of the existence of a spatially inhomogeneous ground state, we find regions where spatially varying superfluid phases are favored over homogeneous phases. We obtain estimates for critical values of the temperature, mass and spin imbalance, above which these phases disappear. Finally, we show that an intriguing relation exists between the general structure of the phase diagram and the binding energies of the underlying two-body bound-state problem.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

The 24-Cell and Calabi-Yau Threefolds with Hodge Numbers (1,1)

Calabi-Yau threefolds with h^11(X)=h^21(X)=1 are constructed as free quotients of a hypersurface in the ambient toric variety defined by the 24-cell. Their fundamental groups are SL(2,3), a semidirect product of Z_3 and Z_8, and Z_3 x Q_8.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures, 3 table

Effect of velocity slip at a porous boundary on the performance of an incompressible porous bearing

Effect of velocity slip at porous boundary on performance of incompressible porous bearin

Equation of state of non-relativistic matter from automated perturbation theory and complex Langevin

We calculate the pressure and density of polarized non-relativistic systems of two-component fermions coupled via a contact interaction at finite temperature. For the unpolarized one-dimensional system with an attractive interaction, we perform a third-order lattice perturbation theory calculation and assess its convergence by comparing with hybrid Monte Carlo. In that regime, we also demonstrate agreement with real Langevin. For the repulsive unpolarized one-dimensional system, where there is a so-called complex phase problem, we present lattice perturbation theory as well as complex Langevin calculations. For our studies, we employ a Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation to decouple the interaction and automate the application of Wick's theorem for perturbative calculations, which generates the diagrammatic expansion at any order. We find excellent agreement between the results from our perturbative calculations and stochastic studies in the weakly interacting regime. In addition, we show predictions for the strong coupling regime as well as for the polarized one-dimensional system. Finally, we show a first estimate for the equation of state in three dimensions where we focus on the polarized unitary Fermi gas.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of Lattice2017, Granada, Spai

A simpel and versatile cold-atom simulator of non-Abelian gauge potentials

We show how a single, harmonically trapped atom in a tailored magnetic field can be used for simulating the effects of a broad class of non-abelian gauge potentials. We demonstrate how to implement Rashba or Linear-Dresselhaus couplings, or observe {\em Zitterbewegung} of a Dirac particle.Comment: 5 page

Entrepreneurial Human Capital, Complementary Assets, and Takeover Probability

Gaining access to technologies, competencies, and knowledge is observed as one of the major motives for corporate mergers and acquisitions. In this paper we show that a knowledge-based firm’s probability of being a takeover target is influenced by whether relevant specific human capital aimed for in acquisitions is directly accumulated within a specific firm or is bound to its founder or manager owner. We analyze the incentive effects of different arrangements of ownership in a firm’s assets in the spirit of the Grossman-Hart-Moore incomplete contracts theory of the firm. This approach highlights the organizational significance of ownership of complementary assets. In a small theoretical model we assume that the entrepreneur’s specific human capital, as measured by the patents they own, and the physical assets of their firm are productive only when used together. Our results show that it is not worthwhile for an acquirer to purchase the alienable assets of this firm due to weakened incentives for the initial owner. Regression analysis using a hand collected dataset of all German IPOs in the period from 1997 to 2006 subsequently provides empirical support for this prediction. This paper adds to previous research in that it puts empirical evidence to the Grossman-Hart-Moore framework of incomplete contracts or property rights respectively. Secondly, we show that relevant specific human capital that is accumulated by a firm’s founder or manager owner significantly decreases that firm’s probability of being a takeover target.ownership structure, property rights, mergers & acquisitions

Constraining the Kahler Moduli in the Heterotic Standard Model

Phenomenological implications of the volume of the Calabi-Yau threefolds on the hidden and observable M-theory boundaries, together with slope stability of their corresponding vector bundles, constrain the set of Kaehler moduli which give rise to realistic compactifications of the strongly coupled heterotic string. When vector bundles are constructed using extensions, we provide simple rules to determine lower and upper bounds to the region of the Kaehler moduli space where such compactifications can exist. We show how small these regions can be, working out in full detail the case of the recently proposed Heterotic Standard Model. More explicitely, we exhibit Kaehler classes in these regions for which the visible vector bundle is stable. On the other hand, there is no polarization for which the hidden bundle is stable.Comment: 28 pages, harvmac. Exposition improved, references and one figure added, minor correction