Solving the Boltzmann Equation on GPU

We show how to accelerate the direct solution of the Boltzmann equation using Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). In order to fully exploit the computational power of the GPU, we choose a method of solution which combines a finite difference discretization of the free-streaming term with a Monte Carlo evaluation of the collision integral. The efficiency of the code is demonstrated by solving the two-dimensional driven cavity flow. Computational results show that it is possible to cut down the computing time of the sequential code of two order of magnitudes. This makes the proposed method of solution a viable alternative to particle simulations for studying unsteady low Mach number flows.Comment: 18 pages, 3 pseudo-codes, 6 figures, 1 tabl

Exotic Heavy Fermion State in the Filled Skutterudite PrFe4_4P12_{12} Uncovered by the de Haas-van Alphen Effect

We report the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) experiment on the filled skutterudite PrFe$_4$P$_{12}$ exhibiting apparent Kondo-like behaviors in the transport and thermal properties. We have found enormously enhanced cyclotron effective mass $m^{\rm \ast}_{\rm c}=81 m_{\rm 0}$ in the high field phase (HFP), which indicates that PrFe$_4$P$_{12}$ is the first Pr-compound in which really heavy mass has been unambiguously confirmed. Also in the low field non-magnetic ordered phase (LOP), we observed the dHvA branch with $m^{\rm \ast}_{\rm c}=10 m_{0}$ that is quite heavy taking into account its small Fermi surface volume (0.15% of the Brillouin zone size). The insensitivity of mass in LOP against the magnetic field suggests that the quadrupolar interaction plays a main role both in the mass renormalization and the LOP formation.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Phys. Rev. B (01 October 2002) in pres

Evolution of the infrared luminosity density and star formation history up to z~1: preliminary results from MIPS

Using deep observations of the Chandra Deep Field South obtained with MIPS at 24mic, we present our preliminary estimates on the evolution of the infrared (IR) luminosity density of the Universe from z=0 to z~1. We find that a pure density evolution of the IR luminosity function is clearly excluded by the data. The characteristic luminosity L_IR* evolves at least by (1+z)^3.5 with lookback time, but our monochromatic approach does not allow us to break the degeneracy between a pure evolution in luminosity or an evolution in both density and luminosity. Our results imply that IR luminous systems (L_IR > 10^11 L_sol) become the dominant population contributing to the comoving IR energy density beyond z~0.5-0.6. The uncertainties affecting our measurements are largely dominated by the poor constraints on the spectral energy distributions that are used to translate the observed 24mic flux into luminosities.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To be published in "Starbursts: From 30 Doradus to Lyman Break Galaxies", held in Cambridge, 6-10 September 2004, Ed. R. de Grijs & R. M. Gonzalez Delgad

Environment-Induced Decoherence and the Transition From Quantum to Classical

We study dynamics of quantum open systems, paying special attention to those aspects of their evolution which are relevant to the transition from quantum to classical. We begin with a discussion of the conditional dynamics of simple systems. The resulting models are straightforward but suffice to illustrate basic physical ideas behind quantum measurements and decoherence. To discuss decoherence and environment-induced superselection einselection in a more general setting, we sketch perturbative as well as exact derivations of several master equations valid for various systems. Using these equations we study einselection employing the general strategy of the predictability sieve. Assumptions that are usually made in the discussion of decoherence are critically reexamined along with the ``standard lore'' to which they lead. Restoration of quantum-classical correspondence in systems that are classically chaotic is discussed. The dynamical second law -it is shown- can be traced to the same phenomena that allow for the restoration of the correspondence principle in decohering chaotic systems (where it is otherwise lost on a very short time-scale). Quantum error correction is discussed as an example of an anti-decoherence strategy. Implications of decoherence and einselection for the interpretation of quantum theory are briefly pointed out.Comment: 80 pages, 7 figures included, Lectures given by both authors at the 72nd Les Houches Summer School on "Coherent Matter Waves", July-August 199

Deconfining Phase Transition as a Matrix Model of Renormalized Polyakov Loops

We discuss how to extract renormalized from bare Polyakov loops in SU(N) lattice gauge theories at nonzero temperature in four spacetime dimensions. Single loops in an irreducible representation are multiplicatively renormalized without mixing, through a renormalization constant which depends upon both representation and temperature. The values of renormalized loops in the four lowest representations of SU(3) were measured numerically on small, coarse lattices. We find that in magnitude, condensates for the sextet and octet loops are approximately the square of the triplet loop. This agrees with a large $N$ expansion, where factorization implies that the expectation values of loops in adjoint and higher representations are just powers of fundamental and anti-fundamental loops. For three colors, numerically the corrections to the large $N$ relations are greatest for the sextet loop, $\leq 25$; these represent corrections of $\sim 1/N$ for N=3. The values of the renormalized triplet loop can be described by an SU(3) matrix model, with an effective action dominated by the triplet loop. In several ways, the deconfining phase transition for N=3 appears to be like that in the $N=\infty$ matrix model of Gross and Witten.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures; v2, 27 pages, 12 figures, extended discussion for clarity, results unchange

Young and Intermediate-age Distance Indicators

Distance measurements beyond geometrical and semi-geometrical methods, rely mainly on standard candles. As the name suggests, these objects have known luminosities by virtue of their intrinsic proprieties and play a major role in our understanding of modern cosmology. The main caveats associated with standard candles are their absolute calibration, contamination of the sample from other sources and systematic uncertainties. The absolute calibration mainly depends on their chemical composition and age. To understand the impact of these effects on the distance scale, it is essential to develop methods based on different sample of standard candles. Here we review the fundamental properties of young and intermediate-age distance indicators such as Cepheids, Mira variables and Red Clump stars and the recent developments in their application as distance indicators.Comment: Review article, 63 pages (28 figures), Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews (Chapter 3 of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photon cross-section in pp collisions at sqrt(s)= 7 TeV using 35 pb-1 of ATLAS data

A measurement of the differential cross-section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The measurement covers the pseudorapidity ranges |eta|<1.37 and 1.52<=|eta|<2.37 in the transverse energy range 45<=E_T<400GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 35 pb-1, collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The yields of the signal photons are measured using a data-driven technique, based on the observed distribution of the hadronic energy in a narrow cone around the photon candidate and the photon selection criteria. The results are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and found to be in good agreement over four orders of magnitude in cross-section.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 4 tables, final version published in Physics Letters