23,486 research outputs found
Reentrance of disorder in the anisotropic shuriken Ising model
For a material to order upon cooling is common sense. What is more seldom is
for disorder to reappear at lower temperature, which is known as reentrant
behavior. Such resurgence of disorder has been observed in a variety of
systems, ranging from Rochelle salts to nematic phases in liquid crystals.
Frustration is often a key ingredient for reentrance mechanisms. Here we shall
study a frustrated model, namely the anisotropic shuriken lattice, which offers
a natural setting to explore an extension of the notion of reentrance between
magnetic disordered phases. By tuning the anisotropy of the lattice, we open a
window in the phase diagram where magnetic disorder prevails down to zero
temperature. In this region, the competition between multiple disordered ground
states gives rise to a double crossover where both the low- and
high-temperature regimes are less correlated than the intervening classical
spin liquid. This reentrance of disorder is characterized by an entropy
plateau, a multi-step Curie law crossover and a rather complex diffuse
scattering in the static structure factor. Those results are confirmed by
complementary numerical and analytical methods: Monte Carlo simulations,
Husimi-tree calculations and an exact decoration-iteration transformation.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figure
A Magnetically-Switched, Rotating Black Hole Model For the Production of Extragalactic Radio Jets and the Fanaroff and Riley Class Division
A model is presented in which both Fanaroff and Riley class I and II
extragalactic jets are produced by magnetized accretion disk coronae in the
ergospheres of rotating black holes. While the jets are produced in the
accretion disk itself, the output power still is an increasing function of the
black hole angular momentum. For high enough spin, the black hole triggers the
magnetic switch, producing highly-relativistic, kinetic-energy-dominated jets
instead of Poynting-flux-dominated ones for lower spin. The coronal mass
densities needed to trigger the switch at the observed FR break power are quite
small (), implying that the source of the jet material
may be either a pair plasma or very tenuous electron-proton corona, not the
main accretion disk itself.
The model explains the differences in morphology and Mach number between FR I
and II sources and the observed trend for massive galaxies to undergo the FR
I/II transition at higher radio power. It also is consistent with the energy
content of extended radio lobes and explains why, because of black hole
spindown, the space density of FR II sources should evolve more rapidly than
that of FR I sources.
If the present model is correct, then the ensemble average speed of
parsec-scale jets in sources distinguished by their FR I morphology (not
luminosity) should be distinctly slower than that for sources with FR II
morphology. The model also suggests the existence of a population of
high-redshift, sub-mJy FR I and II radio sources associated with spiral or
pre-spiral galaxies that flared once when their black holes were formed but
were never again re-kindled by mergers.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, final version to appear in Sept Ap
AN EXPERIMENTAL ECONOMICS APPROACH TO ANALYZING PRICE DISCOVERY IN FORWARD AND SPOT MARKETS
Laboratory experiments are used to generate data that facilitate investigation of pricing behavior in forward and spot markets. Results suggest a tendency for prices in a spot market to converge to levels higher than those in a forward market. The difference in these market environments is the supply schedule. Buyers in a spot market are aware that supply is inelastic and become relatively aggressive bidders. Forward markets have a relatively elastic supply schedule and buyers fare better. This may motivate firms to promote forward markets and/or vertically integrate in the procurement of inputs.Experimental economics, Forward market, Price discovery, Spot market, Marketing,
Efficient, designable, and broad-bandwidth optical extinction via aspect-ratio-tailored silver nanodisks
Subwavelength resonators, ranging from single atoms to metallic
nanoparticles, typically exhibit a narrow-bandwidth response to optical
excitations. We computationally design and experimentally synthesize tailored
distributions of silver nanodisks to extinguish light over broad and varied
frequency windows. We show that metallic nanodisks are two-to-ten-times more
efficient in absorbing and scattering light than common structures, and can
approach fundamental limits to broadband scattering for subwavelength
particles. We measure broadband extinction per volume that closely approaches
theoretical predictions over three representative visible-range wavelength
windows, confirming the high efficiency of nanodisks and demonstrating the
collective power of computational design and experimental precision for
developing new photonics technologies
Parallel-propagating Fluctuations at Proton-kinetic Scales in the Solar Wind are Dominated by Kinetic Instabilities
We use magnetic helicity to characterise solar wind fluctuations at
proton-kinetic scales from Wind observations. For the first time, we separate
the contributions to helicity from fluctuations propagating at angles
quasi-parallel and oblique to the local mean magnetic field, . We
find that the helicity of quasi-parallel fluctuations is consistent with
Alfv\'en-ion cyclotron and fast magnetosonic-whistler modes driven by proton
temperature anisotropy instabilities and the presence of a relative drift
between -particles and protons. We also find that the helicity of
oblique fluctuations has little dependence on proton temperature anisotropy and
is consistent with fluctuations from the anisotropic turbulent cascade. Our
results show that parallel-propagating fluctuations at proton-kinetic scales in
the solar wind are dominated by proton temperature anisotropy instabilities and
not the turbulent cascade. We also provide evidence that the behaviour of
fluctuations at these scales is independent of the origin and macroscopic
properties of the solar wind.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL. 6 Pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Deuterium on Venus: Observations from Earth
In view of the importance of the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in understanding the evolutionary scenario of planetary atmospheres and its relationship to understanding the evolution of our own Earth, we undertook a series of observations designed to resolve previous observational conflicts. We observed the dark side of Venus in the 2.3 micron spectral region in search of both H2O and HDO, which would provide us with the D/H ratio in Venus' atmosphere. We identified a large number of molecular lines in the region, belonging to both molecules, and, using synthetic spectral techniques, obtained mixing ratios of 34 plus or minus 10 ppm and 1.3 plus or minus 0.2 ppm for H2O and HDO, respectively. These mixing ratios yield a D/H ratio for Venus of D/H equals 1.9 plus or minus 0.6 times 10 (exp 12) and 120 plus or minus 40 times the telluric ratio. Although the detailed interpretation is difficult, our observations confirm that the Pioneer Venus Orbiter results and establish that indeed Venus had a period in its early history in which it was very wet, perhaps not unlike the early wet period that seems to have been present on Mars, and that, in contrast to Earth, lost much of its water over geologic time
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