Spin-Current Relaxation Time in Spin-Polarized Heisenberg Paramagnets

We study the spatial Fourier transform of the spin correlation function G_q(t) in paramagnetic quantum crystals by direct simulation of a 1d lattice of atoms interacting via a nearest-neighbor Heisenberg exchange Hamiltonian. Since it is not practical to diagonalize the s=1/2 exchange Hamiltonian for a lattice which is of sufficient size to study long-wavelength (hydrodynamic) fluctuations, we instead study the s -> infinity limit and treat each spin as a vector with a classical equation of motion. The simulations give a detailed picture of the correlation function G_q(t) and its time derivatives. At high polarization, there seems to be a hierarchy of frequency scales: the local exchange frequency, a wavelength-independent relaxation rate 1/tau that vanishes at large polarization P ->1, and a wavelength-dependent spin-wave frequency proportional to q^2. This suggests a form for the correlation function which modifies the spin diffusion coefficients obtained in a moments calculation by Cowan and Mullin, who used a standard Gaussian ansatz for the second derivative of the correlation function.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Composite Fermions and quantum Hall systems: Role of the Coulomb pseudopotential

The mean field composite Fermion (CF) picture successfully predicts angular momenta of multiplets forming the lowest energy band in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) systems. This success cannot be attributed to a cancellation between Coulomb and Chern-Simons interactions beyond the mean field, because these interactions have totally different energy scales. Rather, it results from the behavior of the Coulomb pseudopotential V(L) (pair energy as a function of pair angular momentum) in the lowest Landau level (LL). The class of short range repulsive pseudopotentials is defined that lead to short range Laughlin like correlations in many body systems and to which the CF model can be applied. These Laughlin correlations are described quantitatively using the formalism of fractional parentage. The discussion is illustrated with an analysis of the energy spectra obtained in numerical diagonalization of up to eleven electrons in the lowest and excited LL's. The qualitative difference in the behavior of V(L) is shown to sometimes invalidate the mean field CF picture when applied to higher LL's. For example, the nu=7/3 state is not a Laughlin nu=1/3 state in the first excited LL. The analysis of the involved pseudopotentials also explains the success or failure of the CF picture when applied to other systems of charged Fermions with Coulomb repulsion, such as the Laughlin quasiparticles in the FQH hierarchy or charged excitons in an electron-hole plasma.Comment: 27 pages, 23 figures, revised version (significant changes in text and figures), submitted to Phil. Mag.

Clusters under strong VUV pulses: A quantum-classical hybrid-description incorporating plasma effects

The quantum-classical hybrid-description of rare-gas clusters interacting with intense light pulses which we have developed is described in detail. Much emphasis is put on the treatment of screening electrons in the cluster which set the time scale for the evolution of the system and form the link between electrons strongly bound to ions and quasi-free plasma electrons in the cluster. As an example we discuss the dynamics of an Ar147 cluster exposed to a short VUV laser pulse of 20eV photon energy.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Temperature-dependent Fermi surface evolution in heavy fermion CeIrIn5

In Cerium-based heavy electron materials, the 4f electron's magnetic moments bind to the itinerant quasiparticles to form composite heavy quasiparticles at low temperature. The volume of the Fermi surfacein the Brillouin zone incorporates the moments to produce a "large FS" due to the Luttinger theorem. When the 4f electrons are localized free moments, a "small FS" is induced since it contains only broad bands of conduction spd electrons. We have addressed theoretically the evolution of the heavy fermion FS as a function of temperature, using a first principles dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) approach combined with density functional theory (DFT+DMFT). We focus on the archetypical heavy electrons in CeIrIn5, which is believed to be near a quantum critical point. Upon cooling, both the quantum oscillation frequencies and cyclotron masses show logarithmic scaling behavior (~ ln(T_0/T)) with different characteristic temperatures T_0 = 130 and 50 K, respectively. The resistivity coherence peak observed at T ~ 50 K is the result of the competition between the binding of incoherent 4f electrons to the spd conduction electrons at Fermi level and the formation of coherent 4f electrons.Comment: 5 pages main article,3 figures for the main article, 2 page Supplementary information, 2 figures for the Supplementary information. Supplementary movie 1 and 2 are provided on the webpage(http://www-ph.postech.ac.kr/~win/supple.html

Systematic computation of crystal field multiplets for X-ray core spectroscopies

We present a new approach to computing multiplets for core spectroscopies, whereby the crystal field is constructed explicitly from the positions and charges of surrounding atoms. The simplicity of the input allows the consideration of crystal fields of any symmetry, and in particular facilitates the study of spectroscopic effects arising from low symmetry environments. The interplay between polarization directions and crystal field can also be conveniently investigated. The determination of the multiplets proceeds from a Dirac density functional atomic calculation, followed by the exact diagonalization of the Coulomb, spin-orbit and crystal field interactions for the electrons in the open shells. The eigenstates are then used to simulate X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering spectra. In examples ranging from high symmetry down to low symmetry environment, comparisons with experiments are done with unadjusted model parameters as well as with semi-empirically optimized ones. Furthermore, predictions for the RIXS of low-temperature MnO and for Dy in a molecular complex are proposed.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Augmented collisional ionization via excited states in XUV cluster interactions

The impact of atomic excited states is investigated via a detailed model of laser-cluster interactions, which is applied to rare gas clusters in intense femtosecond pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV). This demonstrates the potential for a two-step ionization process in laser-cluster interactions, with the resulting intermediate excited states allowing for the creation of high charge states and the rapid dissemination of laser pulse energy. The consequences of this excitation mechanism are demonstrated through simulations of recent experiments in argon clusters interacting with XUV radiation, in which this two-step process is shown to play a primary role; this is consistent with our hypothesis that XUV-cluster interactions provide a unique window into the role of excited atomic states due to the relative lack of photoionization and laser field-driven phenomena. Our analysis suggests that atomic excited states may play an important role in interactions of intense radiation with materials in a variety of wavelength regimes, including potential implications for proposed studies of single molecule imaging with intense X-rays.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

The Environment of Galaxies at Low Redshift

We compare environmental effects in two analogous samples of galaxies, one from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the other from a semi-analytic model (SAM) based on the Millennium Simulation (MS), to test to what extent current SAMs of galaxy formation are reproducing environmental effects. We estimate the large-scale environment of each galaxy using a Bayesian density estimator based on distances to all ten nearest neighbors and compare broad-band photometric properties of the two samples as a function of environment. The feedbacks implemented in the semi-analytic model produce a qualitatively correct galaxy population with similar environmental dependence as that seen in SDSS galaxies. In detail, however, the colors of MS galaxies exhibit an exaggerated dependence on environment: the field contains too many blue galaxies while clusters contain too many red galaxies, compared to the SDSS sample. We also find that the MS contains a population of highly clustered, relatively faint red galaxies with velocity dispersions comparable to their Hubble flow. Such high-density galaxies, if they exist, would be overlooked in any low-redshift survey since their membership to a cluster cannot be determined due to the "Fingers of God" effect.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, ApJL accepted, fixed author listing

Empirically Derived Integrated Stellar Yields of Fe-Peak Elements

We present here the initial results of a new study of massive star yields of Fe-peak elements. We have compiled from the literature a database of carefully determined solar neighborhood stellar abundances of seven iron-peak elements, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni and then plotted [X/Fe] versus [Fe/H] to study the trends as functions of metallicity. Chemical evolution models were then employed to force a fit to the observed trends by adjusting the input massive star metallicity-sensitive yields of Kobayashi et al. Our results suggest that yields of Ti, V, and Co are generally larger as well as anticorrelated with metallicity, in contrast to the Kobayashi et al. predictions. We also find the yields of Cr and Mn to be generally smaller and directly correlated with metallicity compared to the theoretical results. Our results for Ni are consistent with theory, although our model suggests that all Ni yields should be scaled up slightly. The outcome of this exercise is the computation of a set of integrated yields, i.e., stellar yields weighted by a slightly flattened time-independent Salpeter initial mass function and integrated over stellar mass, for each of the above elements at several metallicity points spanned by the broad range of observations. These results are designed to be used as empirical constraints on future iron-peak yield predictions by stellar evolution modelers. Special attention is paid to the interesting behavior of [Cr/Co] with metallicity -- these two elements have opposite slopes -- as well as the indirect correlation of [Ti/Fe] with [Fe/H]. These particular trends, as well as those exhibited by the inferred integrated yields of all iron-peak elements with metallicity, are discussed in terms of both supernova nucleosynthesis and atomic physics.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures; Accepted for Publication in the Astrophysical Journa