696 research outputs found
Magnetic properties of the honeycomb oxide NaCoTeO
We have studied the magnetic properties of NaCoTeO, which
features a honeycomb lattice of magnetic Co ions, through macroscopic
characterization and neutron diffraction on a powder sample. We have shown that
this material orders in a zig-zag antiferromagnetic structure. In addition to
allowing a linear magnetoelectric coupling, this magnetic arrangement displays
very peculiar spatial magnetic correlations, larger in the honeycomb planes
than between the planes, which do not evolve with the temperature. We have
investigated this behavior by Monte Carlo calculations using the
-- model on a honeycomb lattice with a small interplane
interaction. Our model reproduces the experimental neutron structure factor,
although its absence of temperature evolution must be due to additional
ingredients, such as chemical disorder or quantum fluctuations enhanced by the
proximity to a phase boundary.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figure
Self-consistent solution for the polarized vacuum in a no-photon QED model
We study the Bogoliubov-Dirac-Fock model introduced by Chaix and Iracane
({\it J. Phys. B.}, 22, 3791--3814, 1989) which is a mean-field theory deduced
from no-photon QED. The associated functional is bounded from below. In the
presence of an external field, a minimizer, if it exists, is interpreted as the
polarized vacuum and it solves a self-consistent equation.
In a recent paper math-ph/0403005, we proved the convergence of the iterative
fixed-point scheme naturally associated with this equation to a global
minimizer of the BDF functional, under some restrictive conditions on the
external potential, the ultraviolet cut-off and the bare fine
structure constant . In the present work, we improve this result by
showing the existence of the minimizer by a variational method, for any cut-off
and without any constraint on the external field.
We also study the behaviour of the minimizer as goes to infinity
and show that the theory is "nullified" in that limit, as predicted first by
Landau: the vacuum totally kills the external potential. Therefore the limit
case of an infinite cut-off makes no sense both from a physical and
mathematical point of view.
Finally, we perform a charge and density renormalization scheme applying
simultaneously to all orders of the fine structure constant , on a
simplified model where the exchange term is neglected.Comment: Final version, to appear in J. Phys. A: Math. Ge
Non-perturbative embedding of local defects in crystalline materials
We present a new variational model for computing the electronic first-order
density matrix of a crystalline material in presence of a local defect. A
natural way to obtain variational discretizations of this model is to expand
the difference Q between the density matrix of the defective crystal and the
density matrix of the perfect crystal, in a basis of precomputed maximally
localized Wannier functions of the reference perfect crystal. This approach can
be used within any semi-empirical or Density Functional Theory framework.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Existence of global-in-time solutions to a generalized Dirac-Fock type evolution equation
We consider a generalized Dirac-Fock type evolution equation deduced from
no-photon Quantum Electrodynamics, which describes the self-consistent
time-evolution of relativistic electrons, the observable ones as well as those
filling up the Dirac sea. This equation has been originally introduced by Dirac
in 1934 in a simplified form. Since we work in a Hartree-Fock type
approximation, the elements describing the physical state of the electrons are
infinite rank projectors. Using the Bogoliubov-Dirac-Fock formalism, introduced
by Chaix-Iracane ({\it J. Phys. B.}, 22, 3791--3814, 1989), and recently
established by Hainzl-Lewin-Sere, we prove the existence of global-in-time
solutions of the considered evolution equation.Comment: 12 pages; more explanations added, some final (minor) corrections
include
A new approach to the modelling of local defects in crystals: the reduced Hartree-Fock case
This article is concerned with the derivation and the mathematical study of a
new mean-field model for the description of interacting electrons in crystals
with local defects. We work with a reduced Hartree-Fock model, obtained from
the usual Hartree-Fock model by neglecting the exchange term. First, we recall
the definition of the self-consistent Fermi sea of the perfect crystal, which
is obtained as a minimizer of some periodic problem, as was shown by Catto, Le
Bris and Lions. We also prove some of its properties which were not mentioned
before. Then, we define and study in details a nonlinear model for the
electrons of the crystal in the presence of a defect. We use formal analogies
between the Fermi sea of a perturbed crystal and the Dirac sea in Quantum
Electrodynamics in the presence of an external electrostatic field. The latter
was recently studied by Hainzl, Lewin, S\'er\'e and Solovej, based on ideas
from Chaix and Iracane. This enables us to define the ground state of the
self-consistent Fermi sea in the presence of a defect. We end the paper by
proving that our model is in fact the thermodynamic limit of the so-called
supercell model, widely used in numerical simulations.Comment: Final version, to appear in Comm. Math. Phy
Phase transition close to room temperature in BiFeO3 thin films
BiFeO3 (BFO) multiferroic oxide has a complex phase diagram that can be
mapped by appropriately substrate-induced strain in epitaxial films. By using
Raman spectroscopy, we conclusively show that films of the so-called
supertetragonal T-BFO phase, stabilized under compressive strain, displays a
reversible temperature-induced phase transition at about 100\circ, thus close
to room temperature.Comment: accepted in J. Phys.: Condens. Matter (Fast Track Communication
Construction of the Pauli-Villars-regulated Dirac vacuum in electromagnetic fields
Using the Pauli-Villars regularization and arguments from convex analysis, we
construct solutions to the classical time-independent Maxwell equations in
Dirac's vacuum, in the presence of small external electromagnetic sources. The
vacuum is not an empty space, but rather a quantum fluctuating medium which
behaves as a nonlinear polarizable material. Its behavior is described by a
Dirac equation involving infinitely many particles. The quantum corrections to
the usual Maxwell equations are nonlinear and nonlocal. Even if photons are
described by a purely classical electromagnetic field, the resulting vacuum
polarization coincides to first order with that of full Quantum
Electrodynamics.Comment: Final version to appear in Arch. Rat. Mech. Analysi
Have regional inequalities in life expectancy widened within the European Union between 1991 and 2008?
<b>BACKGROUND:</b> Health inequalities have widened within and between many European countries over recent decades, but Europe-wide sub-national trends have been largely overlooked. For regions across the European Union (EU), we assess how geographical inequalities (i.e., between regions) and sociospatial inequalities (i.e., between regions grouped by an area-level measure of average household income) in male and female life expectancy have changed between 1991 and 2008.<p></p>
<b>METHODS:</b> Household income, life expectancy at birth and population count data were obtained for 129 regions (level 2 Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units, 'NUTS') in 13 European countries with 1991-2008 data (2008 population = 272 million). We assessed temporal changes in the range of life expectancies, for all regions and for Western and Eastern European regions separately.<p></p>
<b>RESULTS:</b> Between 1991 and 2008, the geographical range of life expectancies found among European regions remained relatively constant, with the exception of life expectancy among male Eastern Europeans, for whom the range widened by 2.8 years. Sociospatial inequalities in life expectancy (1999-2008 data only) remained constant for all regions combined and for Western Europe, but more than doubled in size for male Eastern Europeans. For female Eastern Europeans, life expectancy was unrelated to regional household income.<p></p>
<b>CONCLUSIONS:</b>Regional life-expectancy inequalities in the EU have not narrowed over 2 decades, despite efforts to reduce them. Household income differences across European regions may partly explain these inequalities. As inequalities transcend national borders, reduction efforts may require EU-wide coordination in addition to national efforts.<p></p>
Renormalization and asymptotic expansion of Dirac's polarized vacuum
We perform rigorously the charge renormalization of the so-called reduced
Bogoliubov-Dirac-Fock (rBDF) model. This nonlinear theory, based on the Dirac
operator, describes atoms and molecules while taking into account vacuum
polarization effects. We consider the total physical density including both the
external density of a nucleus and the self-consistent polarization of the Dirac
sea, but no `real' electron. We show that it admits an asymptotic expansion to
any order in powers of the physical coupling constant \alphaph, provided that
the ultraviolet cut-off behaves as \Lambda\sim e^{3\pi(1-Z_3)/2\alphaph}\gg1.
The renormalization parameter $
Operationalising the 20-minute neighbourhood
BACKGROUND: Recent rapid growth in urban areas and the desire to create liveable neighbourhoods has brought about a renewed interest in planning for compact cities, with concepts like the 20-minute neighbourhood (20MN) becoming more popular. A 20MN broadly reflects a neighbourhood that allows residents to meet their daily (non-work) needs within a short, non-motorised, trip from home. The 20MN concept underpins the key planning strategy of Australiaâs second largest city, Melbourne, however the 20MN definition has not been operationalised. This study aimed to develop and operationalise a practical definition of the 20MN and apply this to two Australian state capital cities: Melbourne (Victoria) and Adelaide (South Australia). METHODS: Using the metropolitan boundaries for Melbourne and Adelaide, data were sourced for several layers related to five domains: 1) healthy food; 2) recreational resources; 3) community resources; 4) public open space; and 5) public transport. The number of layers and the access measures required for each domain differed. For example, the recreational resources domain only required a sport and fitness centre (gym) within a 1.5-km network path distance, whereas the public open space domain required a public open space within a 400-m distance along a pedestrian network and 8âha of public open space area within a 1-km radius. Locations that met the access requirements for each of the five domains were defined as 20MNs. RESULTS: In Melbourne 5.5% and in Adelaide 7.6% of the population were considered to reside in a 20MN. Within areas classified as residential, the median number of people per square kilometre with a 20MN in Melbourne was 6429 and the median number of dwellings per square kilometre was 3211. In Adelaideâs 20MNs, both population density (3062) and dwelling density (1440) were lower than in Melbourne. CONCLUSIONS: The challenge of operationalising a practical definition of the 20MN has been addressed by this study and applied to two Australian cities. The approach can be adapted to other contexts as a first step to assessing the presence of existing 20MNs and monitoring further implementation of this concept. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-021-01243-3
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