Exact hydrodynamics of a trapped dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate

We derive the exact density profile of a harmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) which has dipole-dipole interactions as well as the usual s-wave contact interaction, in the Thomas-Fermi limit. Remarkably, despite the non-local anisotropic nature of the dipolar interaction, the density turns out to be an inverted parabola, just as in the pure s-wave case, but with a modified aspect ratio. The ``scaling'' solution approach of Kagan, Surkov, and Shlyapnikov [Phys. Rev. A 54, 1753 (1996)] and Castin and Dum [Phys. Rev. Lett. 77}, 5315 (1996)] for a BEC in a time-dependent trap can therefore be applied to a dipolar BEC, and we use it to obtain the exact monopole and quadrupole shape oscillation frequencies.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Exact Casimir-Polder potentials: interaction of an atom with a conductor-patched dielectric surface

We study the interaction between a neutral atom or molecule and a conductor-patched dielectric surface. We model this system by a perfectly reflecting disc lying atop of a non-dispersive dielectric half-space, both interacting with the neutral atom or molecule. We assume the interaction to be non-retarded and at zero temperature. We find an exact solution to this problem. In addition we generate a number of other useful results. For the case of no substrate we obtain the exact formula for the van der Waals interaction energy of an atom near a perfectly conducting disc. We show that the Casimir-Polder force acting on an atom that is polarized in the direction normal to the surface of the disc displays intricate behaviour. This part of our results is directly relevant to recent matter-wave experiments in which cold molecules are scattered by a radially symmetric object in order to study diffraction patterns and the so-called Poisson spot. Furthermore, we give an exact expression for the non-retarded limit of the Casimir-Polder interaction between an atom and a perfectly-conducting bowl.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Analysis of Fourier transform valuation formulas and applications

The aim of this article is to provide a systematic analysis of the conditions such that Fourier transform valuation formulas are valid in a general framework; i.e. when the option has an arbitrary payoff function and depends on the path of the asset price process. An interplay between the conditions on the payoff function and the process arises naturally. We also extend these results to the multi-dimensional case, and discuss the calculation of Greeks by Fourier transform methods. As an application, we price options on the minimum of two assets in L\'evy and stochastic volatility models.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Appl. Math. Financ

Vortex in a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate with dipole-dipole interactions

We calculate the critical rotation frequency at which a vortex state becomes energetically favorable over the vortex-free ground state in a harmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate whose atoms have dipole-dipole interactions as well as the usual s-wave contact interactions. In the Thomas-Fermi (hydrodynamic) regime, dipolar condensates in oblate cylindrical traps (with the dipoles aligned along the axis of symmetry of the trap) tend to have lower critical rotation frequencies than their purely s-wave contact interaction counterparts. The converse is true for dipolar condensates in prolate traps. Quadrupole excitations and centre of mass motion are also briefly discussed as possible competing mechanisms to a vortex as means by which superfluids with partially attractive interactions might carry angular momentumComment: 12 pages, 12 figure

Sonoluminescence as Quantum Vaccum Radiation

We argue that the available experimental data is not compatible with models of sonoluminescence which invoke dynamical properties of the interface without regard to the compositional properties of the trapped gas inside the bubble.Comment: 2 pages,Revtex,No figures,Submitted to PRL(comments

Sonoluminescence as a QED vacuum effect: Probing Schwinger's proposal

Several years ago Schwinger proposed a physical mechanism for sonoluminescence in terms of photon production due to changes in the properties of the quantum-electrodynamic (QED) vacuum arising from a collapsing dielectric bubble. This mechanism can be re-phrased in terms of the Casimir effect and has recently been the subject of considerable controversy. The present paper probes Schwinger's suggestion in detail: Using the sudden approximation we calculate Bogolubov coefficients relating the QED vacuum in the presence of the expanded bubble to that in the presence of the collapsed bubble. In this way we derive an estimate for the spectrum and total energy emitted. We verify that in the sudden approximation there is an efficient production of photons, and further that the main contribution to this dynamic Casimir effect comes from a volume term, as per Schwinger's original calculation. However, we also demonstrate that the timescales required to implement Schwinger's original suggestion are not physically relevant to sonoluminescence. Although Schwinger was correct in his assertion that changes in the zero-point energy lead to photon production, nevertheless his original model is not appropriate for sonoluminescence. In other works (see quant-ph/9805023, quant-ph/9904013, quant-ph/9904018, quant-ph/9905034) we have developed a variant of Schwinger's model that is compatible with the physically required timescales.Comment: 18 pages, ReV_TeX 3.2, 9 figures. Major revisions: This document is now limited to providing a probe of Schwinger's original suggestion for sonoluminescence. For details on our own variant of Schwinger's ideas see quant-ph/9805023, quant-ph/9904013, quant-ph/9904018, quant-ph/990503

Gauge Theories with Cayley-Klein SO(2;j)SO(2;j) and SO(3;j)SO(3;j) Gauge Groups

Gauge theories with the orthogonal Cayley-Klein gauge groups $SO(2;j)$ and $SO(3;{\bf j})$ are regarded. For nilpotent values of the contraction parameters ${\bf j}$ these groups are isomorphic to the non-semisimple Euclid, Newton, Galilei groups and corresponding matter spaces are fiber spaces with degenerate metrics. It is shown that the contracted gauge field theories describe the same set of fields and particle mass as $SO(2), SO(3)$ gauge theories, if Lagrangians in the base and in the fibers all are taken into account. Such theories based on non-semisimple contracted group provide more simple field interactions as compared with the initial ones.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

On an exact solution of the Thomas-Fermi equation for a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate with dipole-dipole interactions

We derive an exact solution to the Thomas-Fermi equation for a Bose-Einstein condensate which has dipole-dipole interactions as well as the usual s-wave contact interaction, in a harmonic trap. Remarkably, despite the non-local anisotropic nature of the dipolar interaction the solution is an inverted parabola, as in the pure s-wave case, but with a different aspect ratio. Various properties such as electrostriction and stability are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Stochastic Spacetime and Brownian Motion of Test Particles

The operational meaning of spacetime fluctuations is discussed. Classical spacetime geometry can be viewed as encoding the relations between the motions of test particles in the geometry. By analogy, quantum fluctuations of spacetime geometry can be interpreted in terms of the fluctuations of these motions. Thus one can give meaning to spacetime fluctuations in terms of observables which describe the Brownian motion of test particles. We will first discuss some electromagnetic analogies, where quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field induce Brownian motion of test particles. We next discuss several explicit examples of Brownian motion caused by a fluctuating gravitational field. These examples include lightcone fluctuations, variations in the flight times of photons through the fluctuating geometry, and fluctuations in the expansion parameter given by a Langevin version of the Raychaudhuri equation. The fluctuations in this parameter lead to variations in the luminosity of sources. Other phenomena which can be linked to spacetime fluctuations are spectral line broadening and angular blurring of distant sources.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. Talk given at the 9th Peyresq workshop, June 200

Entropy of semiclassical measures for nonpositively curved surfaces

We study the asymptotic properties of eigenfunctions of the Laplacian in the case of a compact Riemannian surface of nonpositive sectional curvature. We show that the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy of a semiclassical measure for the geodesic flow is bounded from below by half of the Ruelle upper bound. We follow the same main strategy as in the Anosov case (arXiv:0809.0230). We focus on the main differences and refer the reader to (arXiv:0809.0230) for the details of analogous lemmas.Comment: 20 pages. This note provides a detailed proof of a result announced in appendix A of a previous work (arXiv:0809.0230, version 2