Two-channel Kondo physics due to As vacancies in the layered compound ZrAs1.58Se0.39

We address the origin of the magnetic-field independent -|A| T^{1/2} term observed in the low-temperature resistivity of several As-based metallic systems of the PbFCl structure type. For the layered compound ZrAs_{1.58}Se_{0.39}, we show that vacancies in the square nets of As give rise to the low-temperature transport anomaly over a wide temperature regime of almost two decades in temperature. This low-temperature behavior is in line with the non-magnetic version of the two-channel Kondo effect, whose origin we ascribe to a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect operating at the vacancy-carrying As layer with a C_4 symmetry. The pair-breaking nature of the dynamical defects in the square nets of As explains the low superconducting transition temperature T_{\rm{c}}\approx 0.14 K of ZrAs_{1.58}Se_{0.39}, as compared to the free-of-vacancies homologue ZrP_{1.54}S_{0.46} (T_{\rm{c}}\approx 3.7 K). Our findings should be relevant to a wide class of metals with disordered pnictogen layers.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures; submitte

Charge-Doping driven Evolution of Magnetism and non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior in the Filled Skutterudite CePt4Ge12-xSbx

The filled-skutterudite compound CePt4Ge12 is situated close to the border between intermediate-valence of Ce and heavy-fermion behavior. Substitution of Ge by Sb drives the system into a strongly correlated and ultimately upon further increasing the Sb concentration into an antiferromagnetically ordered state. Our experiments evidence a delicate interplay of emerging Kondo physics and the formation of a local 4f moment. An extended non-Fermi-liquid region, which can be understood in the framework of a Kondo-disorder model, is observed. Band-structure calculations support the conclusion that the physical properties are governed by the interplay of electron supply via Sb substitution and the concomitant volume effects.Comment: 5 pages, 3 Figur

The supersymmetric Ward identities on the lattice

Supersymmetric (SUSY) Ward identities are considered for the N=1 SU(2) SUSY Yang Mills theory discretized on the lattice with Wilson fermions (gluinos). They are used in order to compute non-perturbatively a subtracted gluino mass and the mixing coefficient of the SUSY current. The computations were performed at gauge coupling $\beta$=2.3 and hopping parameter $\kappa$=0.1925, 0.194, 0.1955 using the two-step multi-bosonic dynamical-fermion algorithm. Our results are consistent with a scenario where the Ward identities are satisfied up to O(a) effects. The vanishing of the gluino mass occurs at a value of the hopping parameter which is not fully consistent with the estimate based on the chiral phase transition. This suggests that, although SUSY restoration appears to occur close to the continuum limit of the lattice theory, the results are still affected by significant systematic effects.Comment: 34 pages, 7 figures. Typo corrected, last sentence reformulated, reference added. To appear in Eur. Phys. J.

Measurement of the Blackbody Radiation Shift of the 133Cs Hyperfine Transition in an Atomic Fountain

We used a Cs atomic fountain frequency standard to measure the Stark shift on the ground state hyperfine transiton frequency in cesium (9.2 GHz) due to the electric field generated by the blackbody radiation. The measures relative shift at 300 K is -1.43(11)e-14 and agrees with our theoretical evaluation -1.49(07)e-14. This value differs from the currently accepted one -1.69(04)e-14. The difference has a significant implication on the accuracy of frequency standards, in clocks comparison, and in a variety of high precision physics tests such as the time stability of fundamental constants.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 2 table

Mutations of the ret protooncogene in German multiple endocrine neoplasia families: Relation between genotype and phenotype.

It has been suggested that not only the position but also the nature of the mutations of the ret protooncogene strongly correlate with the clinical manifestation of the multiple endocrine neoplasm type 2 (MEN 2) syndrome. In particular, individuals with a Cys634-Arg substitution should have a greater risk of developing parathyroid disease. We, therefore, analyzed 94 unrelated families from Germany with inherited medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) for mutation of the ret protooncogene. In all but 1 of 59 families with MEN 2A, germline mutations in the extracellular domain of the ret protein were found. Some 81% of the MEN 2A mutations affected codon 634. Phenotype-genotype correlations suggested that the prevalence of pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism is significantly higher in families with codon 634 mutations, but there was no correlation with the nature of the mutation. In all but 1 of 27 familial MTC (FMTC) families, mutations were detected in 1 of 4 cysteines in the extracellular domain of the ret protooncogene. Half of the FMTC mutations affected codon 634. Mutations outside of codon 634 occurred more often in FMTC families than in MEN 2A families. In all but 1 of 8 MEN 2B patients, de novo mutations in codon 918 were found. These data confirm the preferential localization of MEN 2-associated mutations and the correlation between disease phenotype and the position of the ret mutation, but there was no correlation between the occurrence of hyperparathyroidism or pheochromocytoma and the nature of the mutation

WMAP data and the curvature of space

Inter alia, the high precision WMAP data on Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation marginally indicate that the universe has positively curved (and hence spherical) spatial sections. In this paper, we take this data seriously and consider some of the consequences for the background dynamics. In particular, we show that this implies a limit to the number of e-foldings that could have taken place in the inflationary epoch; however this limit is consistent with some inflationary models that solve all the usual cosmological problems and are consistent with standard structure formation theory.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on the lattice

Recent development in numerical simulations of supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theories on the lattice is reviewed.Comment: 37 pages, 10 figure

Role of Elastic Projectile-Electron Scattering in Double Ionization of Helium by Fast Proton Impact

We present a systematic study of atomic four-body fragmentation dynamics. To this end we have measured a variety of multiple differential double ionization cross sections for 6 MeV p+He collisions. The data are compared to a first-order calculation with correlated electrons and to a simulation representing a second-order process, with some experimental results seemingly in favor of the first, others in agreement with the second approach. This apparent conflict can be resolved by accounting for elastic scattering between the projectile and one electron already promoted to the continuum through electron-electron correlation in the first-order process