1,041 research outputs found
Resumming the large-N approximation for time evolving quantum systems
In this paper we discuss two methods of resumming the leading and next to
leading order in 1/N diagrams for the quartic O(N) model. These two approaches
have the property that they preserve both boundedness and positivity for
expectation values of operators in our numerical simulations. These
approximations can be understood either in terms of a truncation to the
infinitely coupled Schwinger-Dyson hierarchy of equations, or by choosing a
particular two-particle irreducible vacuum energy graph in the effective action
of the Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis formalism. We confine our discussion to the
case of quantum mechanics where the Lagrangian is . The
key to these approximations is to treat both the propagator and the
propagator on similar footing which leads to a theory whose graphs have the
same topology as QED with the propagator playing the role of the photon.
The bare vertex approximation is obtained by replacing the exact vertex
function by the bare one in the exact Schwinger-Dyson equations for the one and
two point functions. The second approximation, which we call the dynamic Debye
screening approximation, makes the further approximation of replacing the exact
propagator by its value at leading order in the 1/N expansion. These two
approximations are compared with exact numerical simulations for the quantum
roll problem. The bare vertex approximation captures the physics at large and
modest better than the dynamic Debye screening approximation.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures. The color version of a few figures are
separately liste
Unquenched large orbital magnetic moment in NiO
Magnetic properties of NiO are investigated by incorporating the spin-orbit
interaction in the LSDA+U scheme. It is found that the large part of orbital
moment remains unquenched in NiO. The orbital moment contributes about mu_L =
0.29 mu_B to the total magnetic moment of M = 1.93 mu_B, as leads to the
orbital-to-spin angular momentum ratio of L/S = 0.36. The theoretical values
are in good agreement with recent magnetic X-ray scattering measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
The effects of social service contact on teenagers in England
Objective: This study investigated outcomes of social service contact during teenage years.
Method: Secondary analysis was conducted of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (N = 15,770), using data on reported contact with social services resulting from teenagers’ behavior. Outcomes considered were educational achievement and aspiration, mental health, and locus of control. Inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment was used to estimate the effect of social service contact.
Results: There was no significant difference between those who received social service contact and those who did not for mental health outcome or aspiration to apply to university. Those with contact had lower odds of achieving good exam results or of being confident in university acceptance if sought. Results for locus of control were mixed.
Conclusions: Attention is needed to the role of social services in supporting the education of young people in difficulty. Further research is needed on the outcomes of social services contact
Exact and approximate dynamics of the quantum mechanical O(N) model
We study a quantum dynamical system of N, O(N) symmetric, nonlinear
oscillators as a toy model to investigate the systematics of a 1/N expansion.
The closed time path (CTP) formalism melded with an expansion in 1/N is used to
derive time evolution equations valid to order 1/N (next-to-leading order). The
effective potential is also obtained to this order and its properties
areelucidated. In order to compare theoretical predictions against numerical
solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation, we consider two initial
conditions consistent with O(N) symmetry, one of them a quantum roll, the other
a wave packet initially to one side of the potential minimum, whose center has
all coordinates equal. For the case of the quantum roll we map out the domain
of validity of the large-N expansion. We discuss unitarity violation in the 1/N
expansion; a well-known problem faced by moment truncation techniques. The 1/N
results, both static and dynamic, are also compared to those given by the
Hartree variational ansatz at given values of N. We conclude that late-time
behavior, where nonlinear effects are significant, is not well-described by
either approximation.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figrures, revte
The mobility of adsorbed species in zeolites: A molecular dynamics simulation of xenon in silicalite
Post conjunction detection of Pictoris b with VLT/SPHERE
With an orbital distance comparable to that of Saturn in the solar system,
\bpic b is the closest (semi-major axis \,9\,au) exoplanet that has
been imaged to orbit a star. Thus it offers unique opportunities for detailed
studies of its orbital, physical, and atmospheric properties, and of
disk-planet interactions. With the exception of the discovery observations in
2003 with NaCo at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), all following astrometric
measurements relative to \bpic have been obtained in the southwestern part of
the orbit, which severely limits the determination of the planet's orbital
parameters. We aimed at further constraining \bpic b orbital properties using
more data, and, in particular, data taken in the northeastern part of the
orbit.
We used SPHERE at the VLT to precisely monitor the orbital motion of beta
\bpic b since first light of the instrument in 2014. We were able to monitor
the planet until November 2016, when its angular separation became too small
(125 mas, i.e., 1.6\,au) and prevented further detection. We redetected \bpic b
on the northeast side of the disk at a separation of 139\,mas and a PA of
30 in September 2018. The planetary orbit is now well constrained.
With a semi-major axis (sma) of au (1 ), it
definitely excludes previously reported possible long orbital periods, and
excludes \bpic b as the origin of photometric variations that took place in
1981. We also refine the eccentricity and inclination of the planet. From an
instrumental point of view, these data demonstrate that it is possible to
detect, if they exist, young massive Jupiters that orbit at less than 2 au from
a star that is 20 pc away.Comment: accepted by A&
Spinodal Decomposition and Inflation: Dynamics and Metric Perturbations
We analyse the dynamics of spinodal decomposition in inflationary cosmology
using the closed time path formalism of out of equilibrium quantum field theory
combined with the non-perturbative Hartree approximation. In addition to a
general analysis, we compute the detailed evolution of two inflationary models
of particular importance: lambda Phi^4 new inflation and natural inflation. We
compute the metric fluctuations resulting from inflationary phase transitions
in the slow roll approximation, showing that there exists a regime for which
quantum fluctuations of the inflaton field result in a significant deviation in
the predictions of the spectrum of primordial density perturbations from
standard results. We provide case examples for which a blue tilt to the power
spectrum (i.e. n_s > 1) results from the evolution of a single inflaton field,
and demonstrate that field fluctuations may result in a scalar amplitude of
fluctuations significantly below standard predictions, resulting in a slight
alleviation of the inflationary fine tuning problem. We show explicitly that
the metric perturbation spectrum resulting from inflation depends upon the
state at the outset of the inflationary phase.Comment: 26 pages, 19 figure
Nonequilibrium Quantum Dynamics of Second Order Phase Transitions
We use the so-called Liouville-von Neumann (LvN) approach to study the
nonequilibrium quantum dynamics of time-dependent second order phase
transitions. The LvN approach is a canonical method that unifies the functional
Schr\"{o}dinger equation for the quantum evolution of pure states and the LvN
equation for the quantum description of mixed states of either equilibrium or
nonequilibrium. As nonequilibrium quantum mechanical systems we study a
time-dependent harmonic and an anharmonic oscillator and find the exact Fock
space and density operator for the harmonic oscillator and the nonperturbative
Gaussian Fock space and density operator for the anharmonic oscillator. The
density matrix and the coherent, thermal and coherent-thermal states are found
in terms of their classical solutions, for which the effective Hamiltonians and
equations of motion are derived. The LvN approach is further extended to
quantum fields undergoing time-dependent second order phase transitions. We
study an exactly solvable model with a finite smooth quench and find the
two-point correlation functions. Due to the spinodal instability of long
wavelength modes the two-point correlation functions lead to the
-scaling relation during the quench and the Cahn-Allen scaling
relation after the completion of quench. Further, after the finite
quench the domain formation shows a time-lag behavior at the cubic power of
quench period. Finally we study the time-dependent phase transition of a
self-interacting scalar field.Comment: discussion on back-reaction added, typos corrected, references added,
final version for PR
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