Magnetothermodynamics: Measuring equations of state in a relaxed magnetohydrodynamic plasma

We report the first measurements of equations of state of a fully relaxed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) laboratory plasma. Parcels of magnetized plasma, called Taylor states, are formed in a coaxial magnetized plasma gun, and are allowed to relax and drift into a closed flux conserving volume. Density, ion temperature, and magnetic field are measured as a function of time as the Taylor states compress and heat. The theoretically predicted MHD and double adiabatic equations of state are compared to experimental measurements. We find that the MHD equation of state is inconsistent with our data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Measuring The Equations Of State In A Relaxed Magnetohydrodynamic Plasma

We report measurements of the equations of state of a fully relaxed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) laboratory plasma. Parcels of magnetized plasma, called Taylor states, are formed in a coaxial magnetized plasma gun, and are allowed to relax and drift into a closed flux conserving volume. Density, ion temperature, and magnetic field are measured as a function of time as the Taylor states compress and heat. The theoretically predicted MHD and double adiabatic equations of state are compared to experimental measurements. We find that the MHD equation of state is inconsistent with our data

Magnetothermodynamics: Measurements Of The Thermodynamic Properties In A Relaxed Magnetohydrodynamic Plasma

We have explored the thermodynamics of compressed magnetized plasmas in laboratory experiments and we call these studies ‘magnetothermodynamics’. The experiments are carried out in the Swarthmore Spheromak eXperiment device. In this device, a magnetized plasma source is located at one end and at the other end, a closed conducting can is installed. We generate parcels of magnetized plasma and observe their compression against the end wall of the conducting cylinder. The plasma parameters such as plasma density, temperature and magnetic field are measured during compression using HeNe laser interferometry, ion Doppler spectroscopy and a linear dot{B} probe array, respectively. To identify the instances of ion heating during compression, a PV diagram is constructed using measured density, temperature and a proxy for the volume of the magnetized plasma. Different equations of state are analysed to evaluate the adiabatic nature of the compressed plasma. A three-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic code (NIMROD) is employed to simulate the twisted Taylor states and shows stagnation against the end wall of the closed conducting can. The simulation results are consistent to what we observe in our experiments

Degeneracy of Multi-Component Quantum Hall States Satisfying Periodic Boundary Conditions

In systems subject to periodic boundary conditions, Haldane has shown that states at arbitrary filling fraction possess a degeneracy with respect to center of mass translations. An analysis is carried out for multi-component electron systems and extra degeneracies are shown to exist. Their application to numerical studies is discussed.Comment: 16 pages, REVTEX v3.0, revised manuscrip

Magnetic-Field-Induced Hybridization of Electron Subbands in a Coupled Double Quantum Well

We employ a magnetocapacitance technique to study the spectrum of the soft two-subband (or double-layer) electron system in a parabolic quantum well with a narrow tunnel barrier in the centre. In this system unbalanced by gate depletion, at temperatures T\agt 30 mK we observe two sets of quantum oscillations: one originates from the upper electron subband in the closer-to-the-gate part of the well and the other indicates the existence of common gaps in the spectrum at integer fillings. For the lowest filling factors $\nu=1$ and $\nu=2$, both the common gap presence down to the point of one- to two-subband transition and their non-trivial magnetic field dependences point to magnetic-field-induced hybridization of electron subbands.Comment: Major changes, added one more figure, the latest version to be published in JETP Let

Half-Integral Spin-Singlet Quantum Hall Effect

We provide numerical evidence that the ground state of a short range interaction model at $\nu=1/2$ is incompressible and spin-singlet for a wide range of repulsive interactions. Furthermore it is accurately described by a trial wave function studied earlier. For the Coulomb interaction we find that this wave function provides a good description of the lowest lying spin-singlet state, and propose that fractional quantum Hall effect would occur at $\nu=1/2$ if this state became the global ground state.Comment: Latex 13 pages, 3 figures upon reques

Topological Phase Transition in the ν=2/3\nu=2/3 Quantum Hall Effect

The double layer $\nu=2/3$ fractional quantum Hall system is studied using the edge state formalism and finite-size diagonalization subject to periodic boundary conditions. Transitions between three different ground states are observed as the separation as well as the tunneling between the two layers is varied. Experimental consequences are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, REVTEX v3.0, 7 figure

Extrinsic Curvature Embedding Diagrams

Embedding diagrams have been used extensively to visualize the properties of curved space in Relativity. We introduce a new kind of embedding diagram based on the {\it extrinsic} curvature (instead of the intrinsic curvature). Such an extrinsic curvature embedding diagram, when used together with the usual kind of intrinsic curvature embedding diagram, carries the information of how a surface is {\it embedded} in the higher dimensional curved space. Simple examples are given to illustrate the idea.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

Quantum Hall effect in single wide quantum wells

We study the quantum Hall states in the lowest Landau level for a single wide quantum well. Due to a separation of charges to opposite sides of the well, a single wide well can be modelled as an effective two level system. We provide numerical evidence of the existence of a phase transition from an incompressible to a compressible state as the electron density is increased for specific well width. Our numerical results show a critical electron density which depends on well width, beyond which a transition incompressible double layer quantum Hall state to a mono-layer compressible state occurs. We also calculate the related phase boundary corresponding to destruction of the collective mode energy gap. We show that the effective tunneling term and the interlayer separation are both renormalised by the strong magnetic field. We also exploite the local density functional techniques in the presence of strong magnetic field at $\nu=1$ to calculate renormalized $\Delta_{SAS}$. The numerical results shows good agreement between many-body calculations and local density functional techniques in the presence of a strong magnetic field at $\nu=1$. we also discuss implications of this work on the $\nu=1/2$ incompressible state observed in SWQW.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures (figures are not included