Towards a strong-coupling theory of QCD at finite density

We apply strong-coupling perturbation theory to the QCD lattice Hamiltonian. We begin with naive, nearest-neighbor fermions and subsequently break the doubling symmetry with next-nearest-neighbor terms. The effective Hamiltonian is that of an antiferromagnet with an added kinetic term for baryonic "impurities," reminiscent of the t-J model of high-T_c superconductivity. As a first step, we fix the locations of the baryons and make them static. Following analyses of the t-J model, we apply large-N methods to obtain a phase diagram in the (N_c,N_f) plane at zero temperature and baryon density. Next we study a simplified U(3) toy model, in which we add baryons to the vacuum. We use a coherent state formalism to write a path integral which we analyze with mean field theory, obtaining a phase diagram in the (n_B,T) plane.Comment: Lattice2002(nonzerot) - Parallel talk and poster presented at Lattice 2002, Cambridge, MA, USA, June 2002. 6 pages, 6 EPS figure

Dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy inferred from Seagliders: an application to the eastern Nordic Seas overflows

Turbulent mixing is an important process controlling the descent rate, water mass modification, and volume transport augmentation due to entrainment in the dense overflows across the Greenland–Scotland Ridge. These overflows, along with entrained Atlantic waters, form a major portion of the North Atlantic Deep Water, which pervades the abyssal ocean. Three years of Seaglider observations of the overflows across the eastern Greenland–Scotland Ridge are leveraged to map the distribution of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy on the Iceland–Faroe Ridge. A method has been applied using the finescale vertical velocity and density measurements from the glider to infer dissipation. The method, termed the large-eddy method (LEM), is compared with a microstructure survey of the Faroe Bank Channel (FBC). The LEM reproduces the patterns of dissipation observed in the microstructure survey, which vary over several orders of magnitude. Agreement between the inferred LEM and more direct microstructure measurements is within a factor of 2. Application to the 9432 dives that encountered overflow waters on the Iceland–Faroe Ridge reveals three regions of enhanced dissipation: one downstream of the primary FBC sill, another downstream of the secondary FBC sill, and a final region in a narrow jet of overflow along the Iceland shelf break.publishedVersio

Effect of substrate type and pellet age on the resuspension of Atlantic salmon faecal material

publishedVersio

Global patterns of diapycnal mixing from measurements of the turbulent dissipation rate

The authors present inferences of diapycnal diffusivity from a compilation of over 5200 microstructure profiles. As microstructure observations are sparse, these are supplemented with indirect measurements of mixing obtained from (i) Thorpe-scale overturns from moored profilers, a finescale parameterization applied to (ii) shipboard observations of upper-ocean shear, (iii) strain as measured by profiling floats, and (iv) shear and strain from full-depth lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers (LADCP) and CTD profiles. Vertical profiles of the turbulent dissipation rate are bottom enhanced over rough topography and abrupt, isolated ridges. The geography of depth-integrated dissipation rate shows spatial variability related to internal wave generation, suggesting one direct energy pathway to turbulence. The global-averaged diapycnal diffusivity below 1000-m depth is O(10?4) m2 s?1 and above 1000-m depth is O(10?5) m2 s?1. The compiled microstructure observations sample a wide range of internal wave power inputs and topographic roughness, providing a dataset with which to estimate a representative global-averaged dissipation rate and diffusivity. However, there is strong regional variability in the ratio between local internal wave generation and local dissipation. In some regions, the depth-integrated dissipation rate is comparable to the estimated power input into the local internal wave field. In a few cases, more internal wave power is dissipated than locally generated, suggesting remote internal wave sources. However, at most locations the total power lost through turbulent dissipation is less than the input into the local internal wave field. This suggests dissipation elsewhere, such as continental margins

Storms drive outgassing of CO2 in the subpolar Southern Ocean

The subpolar Southern Ocean is a critical region where CO2 outgassing influences the global mean air-sea CO2 flux (FCO2). However, the processes controlling the outgassing remain elusive. We show, using a multi-glider dataset combining FCO2 and ocean turbulence, that the air-sea gradient of CO2 (∆pCO2) is modulated by synoptic storm-driven ocean variability (20 µatm, 1–10 days) through two processes. Ekman transport explains 60% of the variability, and entrainment drives strong episodic CO2 outgassing events of 2–4 mol m−2 yr−1. Extrapolation across the subpolar Southern Ocean using a process model shows how ocean fronts spatially modulate synoptic variability in ∆pCO2 (6 µatm2 average) and how spatial variations in stratification influence synoptic entrainment of deeper carbon into the mixed layer (3.5 mol m−2 yr−1 average). These results not only constrain aliased-driven uncertainties in FCO2 but also the effects of synoptic variability on slower seasonal or longer ocean physics-carbon dynamics.publishedVersio

Advances in understanding and parameterization of small-scalephysical processes in the marine Arctic climate system: a review

The Arctic climate system includes numerous highly interactive small-scale physical processes in the atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean. During and since the International Polar Year 2007–2009, significant advances have been made in understanding these processes. Here, these recent advances are reviewed, synthesized, and discussed. In atmospheric physics, the primary advances have been in cloud physics, radiative transfer, mesoscale cyclones, coastal, and fjordic processes as well as in boundary layer processes and surface fluxes. In sea ice and its snow cover, advances have been made in understanding of the surface albedo and its relationships with snow properties, the internal structure of sea ice, the heat and salt transfer in ice, the formation of superimposed ice and snow ice, and the small-scale dynamics of sea ice. For the ocean, significant advances have been related to exchange processes at the ice–ocean interface, diapycnal mixing, double-diffusive convection, tidal currents and diurnal resonance. Despite this recent progress, some of these small-scale physical processes are still not sufficiently understood: these include wave–turbulence interactions in the atmosphere and ocean, the exchange of heat and salt at the ice–ocean interface, and the mechanical weakening of sea ice. Many other processes are reasonably well understood as stand-alone processes but the challenge is to understand their interactions with and impacts and feedbacks on other processes. Uncertainty in the parameterization of small-scale processes continues to be among the greatest challenges facing climate modelling, particularly in high latitudes. Further improvements in parameterization require new year-round field campaigns on the Arctic sea ice, closely combined with satellite remote sensing studies and numerical model experiments.publishedVersio

Weakening of cold halocline layer exposes sea ice to oceanic heat in the eastern Arctic Ocean

A 15-yr duration record of mooring observations from the eastern (>70°E) Eurasian Basin (EB) of the Arctic Ocean is used to show and quantify the recently increased oceanic heat flux from intermediate-depth (~150–900 m) warm Atlantic Water (AW) to the surface mixed layer and sea ice. The upward release of AW heat is regulated by the stability of the overlying halocline, which we show has weakened substantially in recent years. Shoaling of the AW has also contributed, with observations in winter 2017–18 showing AW at only 80 m depth, just below the wintertime surface mixed layer, the shallowest in our mooring records. The weakening of the halocline for several months at this time implies that AW heat was linked to winter convection associated with brine rejection during sea ice formation. This resulted in a substantial increase of upward oceanic heat flux during the winter season, from an average of 3–4 W m−2 in 2007–08 to >10 W m−2 in 2016–18. This seasonal AW heat loss in the eastern EB is equivalent to a more than a twofold reduction of winter ice growth. These changes imply a positive feedback as reduced sea ice cover permits increased mixing, augmenting the summer-dominated ice-albedo feedback

Hopf algebras in dynamical systems theory

The theory of exact and of approximate solutions for non-autonomous linear differential equations forms a wide field with strong ties to physics and applied problems. This paper is meant as a stepping stone for an exploration of this long-established theme, through the tinted glasses of a (Hopf and Rota-Baxter) algebraic point of view. By reviewing, reformulating and strengthening known results, we give evidence for the claim that the use of Hopf algebra allows for a refined analysis of differential equations. We revisit the renowned Campbell-Baker-Hausdorff-Dynkin formula by the modern approach involving Lie idempotents. Approximate solutions to differential equations involve, on the one hand, series of iterated integrals solving the corresponding integral equations; on the other hand, exponential solutions. Equating those solutions yields identities among products of iterated Riemann integrals. Now, the Riemann integral satisfies the integration-by-parts rule with the Leibniz rule for derivations as its partner; and skewderivations generalize derivations. Thus we seek an algebraic theory of integration, with the Rota-Baxter relation replacing the classical rule. The methods to deal with noncommutativity are especially highlighted. We find new identities, allowing for an extensive embedding of Dyson-Chen series of time- or path-ordered products (of generalized integration operators); of the corresponding Magnus expansion; and of their relations, into the unified algebraic setting of Rota-Baxter maps and their inverse skewderivations. This picture clarifies the approximate solutions to generalized integral equations corresponding to non-autonomous linear (skew)differential equations.Comment: International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics, in pres