Planck scale effects on some low energy quantum phenomena

Almost all theories of Quantum Gravity predict modifications of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle near the Planck scale to a so-called Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP). Recently it was shown that the GUP gives rise to corrections to the Schrodinger and Dirac equations, which in turn affect all non-relativistic and relativistic quantum Hamiltonians. In this paper, we apply it to superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect and compute Planck scale corrections. We also show that Planck scale effects may account for a (small) part of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We obtain (weak) empirical bounds on the undetermined GUP parameter from present-day experiments.Comment: 5 pages. To appear in Physics Letters

A mechanism for lean and sustainability : the case of infrastructure projects in South Africa

Published ArticleStakeholders in the construction sector are placing a much stronger emphasis on the importance of attaining sustainability within the industry. While much efforts has been deployed towards attaining sustainable development through infrastructural projects, the methods used by most stakeholders for projects procurement hinders the attainment of criteria for sustainability. The proposed research will thus explore how to evolve a mechanism for promoting lean sustainable construction with infrastructure projects in South Africa. The study is primarily to assess the components of the framework required for the integrative implementation of lean and sustainability concepts in an infrastructure project. The study is qualitative in nature, based on interpretative theoretical framework that is grounded in literatures in the field of built-environment. Emergent findings indicate that a case study approach and specifically, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) research approach provide answers to the research questions, which are domiciled in a complex socio-technical environment. The evolution of the mechanism shall focus on lean construction and sustainability methods / tools that support the elimination of wastes in work processes, work methods, work culture and materials issues, thereby promoting energy and resource efficiency. It is expected that the framework that will leads to continuous improvement in the areas of energy and resource efficiency, minimization of emission (Co2) from the built environment, improvement in stakeholders working relationships and social benefits to the community, among others

Thermodynamics of a Kerr Newman de Sitter Black Hole

We compute the conserved quantities of the four-dimensional Kerr-Newman-dS (KNdS) black hole through the use of the counterterm renormalization method, and obtain a generalized Smarr formula for the mass as a function of the entropy, the angular momentum and the electric charge. The first law of thermodynamics associated to the cosmological horizon of KNdS is also investigated. Using the minimal number of intrinsic boundary counterterms, we consider the quasilocal thermodynamics of asymptotic de Sitter Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, and find that the temperature is equal to the product of the surface gravity (divided by $2\pi$) and the Tolman redshift factor. We also perform a quasilocal stability analysis by computing the determinant of Hessian matrix of the energy with respect to its thermodynamic variables in both the canonical and the grand-canonical ensembles and obtain a complete set of phase diagrams. We then turn to the quasilocal thermodynamics of four-dimensional Kerr-Newman-de Sitter black hole for virtually all possible values of the mass, the rotation and the charge parameters that leave the quasilocal boundary inside the cosmological event horizon, and perform a quasilocal stability analysis of KNdS black hole.Comment: REVTEX4, 12 pages, 12 figures, references added and some points in Sec II have been clarified, version to appear in Can. J. Phy

Low Temperature Neutron Diffraction Study of MnTe

Investigation of transport and magnetic properties of MnTe at low temperatures sInvestigation of transport and magnetic properties of MnTe at low temperatures showed anomalies like negative coefficient of resistance below 100K and a sharp rise in susceptibility at around 83K similar to a ferromagnetic transition. Low temperature powder neutron diffraction experiments were therefore carried out to understand the underlying phenomena responsible for such anomalous behavior. Our study indicates that the rise in susceptibility at low temperatures is due to strengthening of ferromagnetic interaction within the plane over the inter plane antiferromagnetic interactions.Comment: Appearing in J. Magn. Magn. Mate

Vertical Confinement and Evolution of Reentrant Insulating Transition in the Fractional Quantum Hall Regime

We have observed an anomalous shift of the high field reentrant insulating phases in a two-dimensional electron system (2DES) tightly confined within a narrow GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well. Instead of the well-known transitions into the high field insulating states centered around $\nu = 1/5$, the 2DES confined within an 80\AA-wide quantum well exhibits the transition at $\nu = 1/3$. Comparably large quantum lifetime of the 2DES in narrow well discounts the effect of disorder and points to confinement as the primary driving force behind the evolution of the reentrant transition.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Thermodynamics of Relativistic Fermions with Chern-Simons Coupling

We study the thermodynamics of the relativistic Quantum Field Theory of massive fermions in three space-time dimensions coupled to an Abelian Maxwell-Chern-Simons gauge field. We evaluate the specific heat at finite temperature and density and find that the variation with the statistical angle is consistent with the non-relativistic ideas on generalized statistics.Comment: 12 pages, REVTe

Algebraic approach to quantum black holes: logarithmic corrections to black hole entropy

The algebraic approach to black hole quantization requires the horizon area eigenvalues to be equally spaced. As shown previously, for a neutral non-rotating black hole, such eigenvalues must be $2^{n}$-fold degenerate if one constructs the black hole stationary states by means of a pair of creation operators subject to a specific algebra. We show that the algebra of these two building blocks exhibits $U(2)\equiv U(1)\times SU(2)$ symmetry, where the area operator generates the U(1) symmetry. The three generators of the SU(2) symmetry represent a {\it global} quantum number (hyperspin) of the black hole, and we show that this hyperspin must be zero. As a result, the degeneracy of the $n$-th area eigenvalue is reduced to $2^{n}/n^{3/2}$ for large $n$, and therefore, the logarithmic correction term $-3/2\log A$ should be added to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. We also provide a heuristic approach explaining this result, and an evidence for the existence of {\it two} building blocks.Comment: 15 pages, Revtex, to appear in Phys. Rev.

High resolution infrared absorption spectra, crystal field, and relaxation processes in CsCdBr_3:Pr^3+

High resolution low-temperature absorption spectra of 0.2% Pr^3+ doped CsCdBr_3 were measured in the spectral region 2000--7000 cm-1. Positions and widths of the crystal field levels within the 3H5, 3H4, 3F2, and 3F3 multiplets of the Pr^3+ main center have been determined. Hyperfine structure of several spectral lines has been found. Crystal field calculations were carried out in the framework of the semiphenomenological exchange charge model (ECM). Parameters of the ECM were determined by fitting to the measured total splittings of the 3H4 and 3H6 multiplets and to the observed in this work hyperfine splittings of the crystal field levels. One- and two-phonon relaxation rates were calculated using the phonon Green's functions of the perfect (CsCdBr_3) and locally perturbed (impurity dimer centers in CsCdBr_3:Pr^3+) crystal lattice. Comparison with the measured linewidths confirmed an essential redistribution of the phonon density of states in CsCdBr_3 crystals doped with rare-earth ions.Comment: 16 pages, 5 tables, 3 figure

Horizonless Rotating Solutions in (n+1)(n+1)-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell Gravity

We introduce two classes of rotating solutions of Einstein-Maxwell gravity in $n+1$ dimensions which are asymptotically anti-de Sitter type. They have no curvature singularity and no horizons. The first class of solutions, which has a conic singularity yields a spacetime with a longitudinal magnetic field and $k$ rotation parameters. We show that when one or more of the rotation parameters are non zero, the spinning brane has a net electric charge that is proportional to the magnitude of the rotation parameters. The second class of solutions yields a spacetime with an angular magnetic field and $$ boost parameters. We find that the net electric charge of these traveling branes with one or more nonzero boost parameters is proportional to the magnitude of the velocity of the brane. We also use the counterterm method inspired by AdS/CFT correspondence and calculate the conserved quantities of the solutions. We show that the logarithmic divergencies associated to the Weyl anomalies and matter field are zero, and the $r$ divergence of the action can be removed by the counterterm method.Comment: 14 pages, references added, Sec. II amended, an appendix added. The version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Momentum--dependent nuclear mean fields and collective flow in heavy ion collisions

We use the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck model to simulate the dynamical evolution of heavy ion collisions and to compare the effects of two parametrizations of the momentum--dependent nuclear mean field that have identical properties in cold nuclear matter. We compare with recent data on nuclear flow, as characterized by transverse momentum distributions and flow ($F$) variables for symmetric and asymmetric systems. We find that the precise functional dependence of the nuclear mean field on the particle momentum is important. With our approach, we also confirm that the difference between symmetric and asymmetric systems can be used to pin down the density and momentum dependence of the nuclear self consistent one--body potential, independently. All the data can be reproduced very well with a momentum--dependent interaction with compressibility K = 210 MeV.Comment: 15 pages in ReVTeX 3.0; 12 postscript figures uuencoded; McGill/94-1