The width of Θ+\Theta^{+} for large NcN_{c} in chiral quark soliton model

In the chiral quark soliton model the smallness of $\Theta^+$ width is due to the cancellation of the coupling constants which are of different order in $N_c$. We show that taking properly into account the flavor structure of relevant SU(3) representations for arbitrary number of colors enahnces the nonleading term by an additional factor of $N_c$, making the cancellation consistent with the $N_c$ counting. Moreover, we show that, for the same reason, $\Theta^+$ width is suppressed by a group-theoretical factor ${\cal O}(1/N_c)$ with respect to $\Delta$ and discuss the $N_c$ dependence of the phase space factors for these two decays.Comment: 9 pages, 3 eps figures, in v2 reference added, minor typos correcte

Hyperon Beta-Decay and Axial Charges of the Lambda in view of Strongly Distorted Baryon Wave-Functions

Within the collective coordinate approach to chiral soliton models we suggest that breaking of SU(3) flavor symmetry mainly resides in the baryon wave-functions while the charge operators maintain a symmetric structure. Sizable symmetry breaking in the wave-functions is required to reproduce the observed spacing in the spectrum of the (1/2)^+ baryons. The matrix elements of the flavor symmetric charge operators nevertheless yield g_A/g_V ratios for hyperon beta-decay which agree with the empirical data approximately as well as the successful F&D parameterization of the Cabibbo scheme. Demanding the strangeness component in the nucleon to vanish in the two flavor limit of the model, determines the structure of the singlet axial charge operator and yields the various quark flavor components of the axial charge of the \Lambda-hyperon. The suggested picture gains support from calculations in a realistic model using pion and vector meson degrees of freedom to build up the soliton.Comment: 14 pages, minor revisions, paper accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.

Parton distributions in the chiral quark model: a continuum computation

We compute the parton distributions for the chiral quark model. We present a new technique for performing such computations based on Green functions. This approach avoids a discretization of the spectrum. It therefore does not need any smoothing procedures. The results are similar to those of other groups, however the distributions peak at smaller $x$.Comment: 19 pages, 8 Figures, LaTeX, some typos corrected, some additional comments in the conclusion

Faddeev approach to the octet and decuplet baryons

A relativistic Faddeev model for the baryon octet is extended to treat the baryon decuplet. We find that after determining the model parameters in the mesonic sector the masses of both nucleon and delta deviate by less than 5\% from the experimental data and show only a very weak dependence on the constituent quark mass.Comment: 9 page

Magnetic Moments of the SU(3) Octet Baryons in the semibosonized SU(3) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Model

We investigate the magnetic moments of the SU(3) octet baryons in the framework of the $SU(3)$ semibosonized Nambu--Jona--Lasinio model. The rotational $1/N_c$ corrections and strange quark mass in linear order are taken into account. We derive general relations between magnetic moments of the SU(3) octet baryons, based on the symmetry of our model. These relations indicate that higher order corrections such as $O(m_s/N_c)$ and $O(m^{2}_{s})$ are relatively small. The magnetic moments of the octet baryons predicted by our model are quantitatively in a good agreement with experimental results within about 15$\%$.Comment: 17 pages, RevTex, 1 postscript figur

Performance potential for simulating spin models on GPU

Graphics processing units (GPUs) are recently being used to an increasing degree for general computational purposes. This development is motivated by their theoretical peak performance, which significantly exceeds that of broadly available CPUs. For practical purposes, however, it is far from clear how much of this theoretical performance can be realized in actual scientific applications. As is discussed here for the case of studying classical spin models of statistical mechanics by Monte Carlo simulations, only an explicit tailoring of the involved algorithms to the specific architecture under consideration allows to harvest the computational power of GPU systems. A number of examples, ranging from Metropolis simulations of ferromagnetic Ising models, over continuous Heisenberg and disordered spin-glass systems to parallel-tempering simulations are discussed. Significant speed-ups by factors of up to 1000 compared to serial CPU code as well as previous GPU implementations are observed.Comment: 28 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables, version as publishe

Advances in Hyaluronan Biology: Signaling, Regulation, and Disease Mechanisms

Hyaluronan is an extracellular glycosaminoglycan polymer consisting of linear disaccharide units containing alternating glucuronate and N-acetylglucosamine.Many cell types make hyaluronan, which unlike most other macromolecules is assembled at the plasmamembrane and concurrently translocated through the hyaluronan synthase enzyme. The normal function of large hyaluronan polymers (\u3e1MDa) in tissue cushioning, hydration, and lubrication is well established. The aberrant accumulation and degradation of hyaluronan and the receptor-mediated signaling of smaller hyaluronan fragments have also been extensively implicated in a variety of pathological states including inflammation and cancer. More recently, the discovery that hyaluronan can either be a structural matrix component or appear as smaller processed polymers and oligomers that differentially engage a diverse range of signaling receptors has created an exciting paradigm shift and reenergized hyaluronan research in a broad range of fields. In this special issue, eight review articles focus on summarizing the latest contributions to understanding hyaluronan synthesis and catabolism and the regulation of hyaluronan functions. Seven novel primary research articles also investigate multiple roles of hyaluronan in disease progression and targeting

Binary tree summation Monte Carlo simulation for Potts models

In this talk, we briefly comment on Sweeny and Gliozzi methods, cluster Monte Carlo method, and recent transition matrix Monte Carlo for Potts models. We mostly concentrate on a new algorithm known as "binary tree summation". Some of the most interesting features of this method will be highlighted - such as simulating fractional number of Potts states, as well as offering the partition function and thermodynamic quantities as functions of temperature in a single run.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, for StatPhys-Taiwan 2002 conferenc

The evolution in the stellar mass of Brightest Cluster Galaxies over the past 10 billion years

Using a sample of 98 galaxy clusters recently imaged in the near infra-red with the ESO NTT, WIYN and WHT telescopes, supplemented with 33 clusters from the ESO archive, we measure how the stellar mass of the most massive galaxies in the universe, namely Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCG), increases with time. Most of the BCGs in this new sample lie in the redshift range $0.2<z<0.6$, which has been noted in recent works to mark an epoch over which the growth in the stellar mass of BCGs stalls. From this sample of 132 clusters, we create a subsample of 102 systems that includes only those clusters that have estimates of the cluster mass. We combine the BCGs in this subsample with BCGs from the literature, and find that the growth in stellar mass of BCGs from 10 billion years ago to the present epoch is broadly consistent with recent semi-analytic and semi-empirical models. As in other recent studies, tentative evidence indicates that the stellar mass growth rate of BCGs may be slowing in the past 3.5 billion years. Further work in collecting larger samples, and in better comparing observations with theory using mock images is required if a more detailed comparison between the models and the data is to be made.Comment: 15 pages, 8 tables, 7 figures - Accepted for publication in MNRA

Phase transition in the transverse Ising model using the extended coupled-cluster method

The phase transition present in the linear-chain and square-lattice cases of the transverse Ising model is examined. The extended coupled cluster method (ECCM) can describe both sides of the phase transition with a unified approach. The correlation length and the excitation energy are determined. We demonstrate the ability of the ECCM to use both the weak- and the strong-coupling starting state in a unified approach for the study of critical behavior.Comment: 10 pages, 7 eps-figure