8,107 research outputs found
The Razumov-Stroganov conjecture: Stochastic processes, loops and combinatorics
A fascinating conjectural connection between statistical mechanics and
combinatorics has in the past five years led to the publication of a number of
papers in various areas, including stochastic processes, solvable lattice
models and supersymmetry. This connection, known as the Razumov-Stroganov
conjecture, expresses eigenstates of physical systems in terms of objects known
from combinatorics, which is the mathematical theory of counting. This note
intends to explain this connection in light of the recent papers by Zinn-Justin
and Di Francesco.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, JSTAT News & Perspective
Why haven't loose globular clusters collapsed yet?
We report on the discovery of a surprising observed correlation between the
slope of the low-mass stellar global mass function (GMF) of globular clusters
(GCs) and their central concentration parameter c=log(r_t/r_c), i.e. the
logarithmic ratio of tidal and core radii. This result is based on the analysis
of a sample of twenty Galactic GCs with solid GMF measurements from deep HST or
VLT data. All the high-concentration clusters in the sample have a steep GMF,
most likely reflecting their initial mass function. Conversely,
low-concentration clusters tend to have a flatter GMF implying that they have
lost many stars via evaporation or tidal stripping. No GCs are found with a
flat GMF and high central concentration. This finding appears
counter-intuitive, since the same two-body relaxation mechanism that causes
stars to evaporate and the cluster to eventually dissolve should also lead to
higher central density and possibly core-collapse. Therefore, more concentrated
clusters should have lost proportionately more stars and have a shallower GMF
than low concentration clusters, contrary to what is observed. It is possible
that severely depleted GCs have also undergone core collapse and have already
recovered a normal radial density profile. It is, however, more likely that GCs
with a flat GMF have a much denser and smaller core than suggested by their
surface brightness profile and may well be undergoing collapse at present. In
either case, we may have so far seriously underestimated the number of post
core-collapse clusters and many may be lurking in the Milky Way.Comment: Four pages, one figure, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Inhomogeneous loop models with open boundaries
We consider the crossing and non-crossing O(1) dense loop models on a
semi-infinite strip, with inhomogeneities (spectral parameters) that preserve
the integrability. We compute the components of the ground state vector and
obtain a closed expression for their sum, in the form of Pfaffian and
determinantal formulas.Comment: 42 pages, 31 figures, minor corrections, references correcte
Open boundary Quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation and the weighted enumeration of Plane Partitions with symmetries
We propose new conjectures relating sum rules for the polynomial solution of
the qKZ equation with open (reflecting) boundaries as a function of the quantum
parameter and the -enumeration of Plane Partitions with specific
symmetries, with . We also find a conjectural relation \`a la
Razumov-Stroganov between the limit of the qKZ solution and refined
numbers of Totally Symmetric Self Complementary Plane Partitions.Comment: 27 pages, uses lanlmac, epsf and hyperbasics, minor revision
Normal metal tunnel junction-based superconducting quantum interference proximity transistor: the N-SQUIPT
We report the fabrication and characterization of an alternative design for a
superconducting quantum interference proximity transistor (SQUIPT) based on a
normal metal (N) probe. The absence of direct Josephson coupling between the
proximized metal nanowire and the N probe allows us to observe the full
modulation of the wire density of states around zero voltage and current
\textit{via} the application of an external magnetic field. This results into a
drastic suppression of power dissipation which can be as low as a few W. In this context the interferometer allows an improvement of up to
four orders of magnitude with respect to earlier SQUIPT designs, and makes it
ideal for extra-low power cryogenic applications. In addition, the N-SQUIPT has
been recently predicted to be the enabling candidate for the implementation of
coherent caloritronic devices based on proximity effect.Comment: 5 pages, 4 color figure
Quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation: reflecting boundary conditions and combinatorics
We consider the level 1 solution of quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation
with reflecting boundary conditions which is relevant to the Temperley--Lieb
model of loops on a strip. By use of integral formulae we prove conjectures
relating it to the weighted enumeration of Cyclically Symmetric Transpose
Complement Plane Partitions and related combinatorial objects
Sum rules for the ground states of the O(1) loop model on a cylinder and the XXZ spin chain
The sums of components of the ground states of the O(1) loop model on a
cylinder or of the XXZ quantum spin chain at Delta=-1/2 (of size L) are
expressed in terms of combinatorial numbers. The methods include the
introduction of spectral parameters and the use of integrability, a mapping
from size L to L+1, and knot-theoretic skein relations.Comment: final version to be publishe
Dynamical and photometric imprints of feedback processes on the early evolution of E/S0 galaxies
We show that the observed Velocity Dispersion Function of E/S0 galaxies
matches strikingly well the distribution function of virial velocities of
massive halos virializing at z > 1.5, as predicted by the standard hierarchical
clustering scenario in a \LambdaCDM cosmology, for a constant ratio sigma/V_vir
= 0.55 \pm 0.05, close to the value expected at virialization if it typically
occurred at z > 3. This strongly suggests that dissipative processes and later
merging events had little impact on the matter density profile. Adopting the
above sigma/V_vir ratio, the observed relationships between photometric and
dynamical properties which define the fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies,
such as the luminosity-sigma (Faber-Jackson) and the luminosity-effective
radius relations, as well as the M_BH-sigma relation, are nicely reproduced.
Their shapes turn out to be determined by the mutual feedback of star-formation
(and supernova explosions)and nuclear activity, along the lines discussed by
Granato et al. (2004). To our knowledge, this is the first semi-analytic model
for which simultaneous fits of the fundamental plane relations and of the
epoch-dependent luminosity function of spheroidal galaxies have been presented.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Ap
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