155 research outputs found
Biased diffusion in a piecewise linear random potential
We study the biased diffusion of particles moving in one direction under the
action of a constant force in the presence of a piecewise linear random
potential. Using the overdamped equation of motion, we represent the first and
second moments of the particle position as inverse Laplace transforms. By
applying to these transforms the ordinary and the modified Tauberian theorem,
we determine the short- and long-time behavior of the mean-square displacement
of particles. Our results show that while at short times the biased diffusion
is always ballistic, at long times it can be either normal or anomalous. We
formulate the conditions for normal and anomalous behavior and derive the laws
of biased diffusion in both these cases.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Consistent perturbations in an imperfect fluid
We present a new prescription for analysing cosmological perturbations in a
more-general class of scalar-field dark-energy models where the energy-momentum
tensor has an imperfect-fluid form. This class includes Brans-Dicke models,
f(R) gravity, theories with kinetic gravity braiding and generalised galileons.
We employ the intuitive language of fluids, allowing us to explicitly maintain
a dependence on physical and potentially measurable properties. We demonstrate
that hydrodynamics is not always a valid description for describing
cosmological perturbations in general scalar-field theories and present a
consistent alternative that nonetheless utilises the fluid language. We apply
this approach explicitly to a worked example: k-essence non-minimally coupled
to gravity. This is the simplest case which captures the essential new features
of these imperfect-fluid models. We demonstrate the generic existence of a new
scale separating regimes where the fluid is perfect and imperfect. We obtain
the equations for the evolution of dark-energy density perturbations in both
these regimes. The model also features two other known scales: the Compton
scale related to the breaking of shift symmetry and the Jeans scale which we
show is determined by the speed of propagation of small scalar-field
perturbations, i.e. causality, as opposed to the frequently used definition of
the ratio of the pressure and energy-density perturbations.Comment: 40 pages plus appendices. v2 reflects version accepted for
publication in JCAP (new summary of notation, extra commentary on choice of
gauge and frame, extra references to literature
Magnetoluminescence
Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Blazars, Gamma Ray Bursts and Magnetars all contain
regions where the electromagnetic energy density greatly exceeds the plasma
energy density. These sources exhibit dramatic flaring activity where the
electromagnetic energy distributed over large volumes, appears to be converted
efficiently into high energy particles and gamma-rays. We call this general
process magnetoluminescence. Global requirements on the underlying, extreme
particle acceleration processes are described and the likely importance of
relativistic beaming in enhancing the observed radiation from a flare is
emphasized. Recent research on fluid descriptions of unstable electromagnetic
configurations are summarized and progress on the associated kinetic
simulations that are needed to account for the acceleration and radiation is
discussed. Future observational, simulation and experimental opportunities are
briefly summarized.Comment: To appear in "Jets and Winds in Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Gamma-ray Bursts
and Blazars: Physics of Extreme Energy Release" of the Space Science Reviews
serie
Nonperturbative renormalization group approach to frustrated magnets
This article is devoted to the study of the critical properties of classical
XY and Heisenberg frustrated magnets in three dimensions. We first analyze the
experimental and numerical situations. We show that the unusual behaviors
encountered in these systems, typically nonuniversal scaling, are hardly
compatible with the hypothesis of a second order phase transition. We then
review the various perturbative and early nonperturbative approaches used to
investigate these systems. We argue that none of them provides a completely
satisfactory description of the three-dimensional critical behavior. We then
recall the principles of the nonperturbative approach - the effective average
action method - that we have used to investigate the physics of frustrated
magnets. First, we recall the treatment of the unfrustrated - O(N) - case with
this method. This allows to introduce its technical aspects. Then, we show how
this method unables to clarify most of the problems encountered in the previous
theoretical descriptions of frustrated magnets. Firstly, we get an explanation
of the long-standing mismatch between different perturbative approaches which
consists in a nonperturbative mechanism of annihilation of fixed points between
two and three dimensions. Secondly, we get a coherent picture of the physics of
frustrated magnets in qualitative and (semi-) quantitative agreement with the
numerical and experimental results. The central feature that emerges from our
approach is the existence of scaling behaviors without fixed or pseudo-fixed
point and that relies on a slowing-down of the renormalization group flow in a
whole region in the coupling constants space. This phenomenon allows to explain
the occurence of generic weak first order behaviors and to understand the
absence of universality in the critical behavior of frustrated magnets.Comment: 58 pages, 15 PS figure
Demonstration of the temporal matter-wave Talbot effect for trapped matter waves
We demonstrate the temporal Talbot effect for trapped matter waves using
ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. We investigate the phase evolution of an
array of essentially non-interacting matter waves and observe matter-wave
collapse and revival in the form of a Talbot interference pattern. By using
long expansion times, we image momentum space with sub-recoil resolution,
allowing us to observe fractional Talbot fringes up to 10th order.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV
We present the first measurement of directed flow () at RHIC. is
found to be consistent with zero at pseudorapidities from -1.2 to 1.2,
then rises to the level of a couple of percent over the range . The latter observation is similar to data from NA49 if the SPS rapidities
are shifted by the difference in beam rapidity between RHIC and SPS.
Back-to-back jets emitted out-of-plane are found to be suppressed more if
compared to those emitted in-plane, which is consistent with {\it jet
quenching}. Using the scalar product method, we systematically compared
azimuthal correlations from p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions. Flow and non-flow
from these three different collision systems are discussed.Comment: Quark Matter 2004 proceeding, 4 pages, 3 figure
Azimuthal anisotropy: the higher harmonics
We report the first observations of the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the
azimuthal distribution of particles at RHIC. The measurement was done taking
advantage of the large elliptic flow generated at RHIC. The integrated v_4 is
about a factor of 10 smaller than v_2. For the sixth (v_6) and eighth (v_8)
harmonics upper limits on the magnitudes are reported.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, contribution to the Quark Matter 2004 proceeding
All-optical switching and strong coupling using tunable whispering-gallery-mode microresonators
We review our recent work on tunable, ultrahigh quality factor
whispering-gallery-mode bottle microresonators and highlight their applications
in nonlinear optics and in quantum optics experiments. Our resonators combine
ultra-high quality factors of up to Q = 3.6 \times 10^8, a small mode volume,
and near-lossless fiber coupling, with a simple and customizable mode structure
enabling full tunability. We study, theoretically and experimentally, nonlinear
all-optical switching via the Kerr effect when the resonator is operated in an
add-drop configuration. This allows us to optically route a single-wavelength
cw optical signal between two fiber ports with high efficiency. Finally, we
report on progress towards strong coupling of single rubidium atoms to an
ultra-high Q mode of an actively stabilized bottle microresonator.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figures. Accepted for publication in Applied Physics B.
Changes according to referee suggestions: minor corrections to some figures
and captions, clarification of some points in the text, added references,
added new paragraph with results on atom-resonator interactio
Strange Resonance Production in p+p and Au+Au Collisions at RHIC Energies
Resonance yields and spectra from elementary p+p and Au+Au collisions at
200 GeV from the STAR experiment at RHIC are presented
and discussed in terms of chemical and thermal freeze-out conditions. Thermal
models do not adequately describe the yields of the resonance production in
central Au+Au collisions. The approach to include elastic hadronic interactions
between chemical freeze-out and thermal freeze-out suggests a time of 5 fm/c.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, proceedings of the Quark Matter 2004, in Oakland,
California, to be published in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle
Physic
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