Bifurcation analysis and phase diagram of a spin-string model with buckled states

We analyze a one-dimensional spin-string model, in which string oscillators are linearly coupled to their two nearest neighbors and to Ising spins representing internal degrees of freedom. String-spin coupling induces a long-range ferromagnetic interaction among spins that competes with a spin-spin antiferromagnetic coupling. As a consequence, the complex phase diagram of the system exhibits different flat rippled and buckled states, with first or second order transition lines between states. The two-dimensional version of the model has a similar phase diagram, which has been recently used to explain the rippled to buckled transition observed in scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments with suspended graphene sheets. Here we describe in detail the phase diagram of the simpler one-dimensional model and phase stability using bifurcation theory. This gives additional insight into the physical mechanisms underlying the different phases and the behavior observed in experiments.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Calcium Triplet Synthesis

We present theoretical equivalent widths for the sum of the two strongest lines of the Calcium Triplet, CaT index, in the near-IR, using evolutionary techniques and the most recent models and observational data for this feature in individual stars. We compute the CaT index for Single Stellar Populations (instantaneous burst, standard Salpeter-type IMF) at four metallicities, Z=0.004, 0.008, 0.02 (solar) and 0.05, and ranging in age from very young bursts of star formation (few Myr) to old stellar populations, up to 17 gyr, representative of globular clusters, elliptical galaxies and bulges of spirals. The interpretation of the observed equivalent widths of CaT in different stellar systems is discussed. Composite-population models are also computed as a tool to interpret the CaT detections in star-forming regions, in order to disantangle between the component due to Red Supergiants stars, RSG, and the underlying, older, population. CaT is found to be an excellent metallicity-indicator for populations older than 1 Gyr, practically independent of the age. We discuss its application to remove the age- metallicity degeneracy, characteristic of all studies of galaxy evolution based on the usual integrated indices (both broad band colors and narrow band indices). The application of the models computed here to the analysis of a sample of elliptical galaxies will be discussed in a forthcoming paper (Gorgas et al. 1998).Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, to be published in A&

Quantum Decoherence of Photons in the Presence of Hidden U(1)s

Many extensions of the standard model predict the existence of hidden sectors that may contain unbroken abelian gauge groups. We argue that in the presence of quantum decoherence photons may convert into hidden photons on sufficiently long time scales and show that this effect is strongly constrained by CMB and supernova data. In particular, Planck-scale suppressed decoherence scales D ~ E^2/M_Pl (characteristic for non-critical string theories) are incompatible with the presence of even a single hidden U(1). The corresponding bounds on the decoherence scale are four orders of magnitude stronger than analogous bounds derived from solar and reactor neutrino data and complement other bounds derived from atmospheric neutrino data.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Arguments towards the construction of a matrix model groundstate

We discuss the existence and uniqueness of wavefunctions for inhomogenoeus boundary value problems associated to x^2y^2-type matrix model on a bounded domain of R^2. Both properties involve a combination of the Cauchy-Kovalewski Theorem and a explicit calculations.Comment: 3 pages, Latex Proceedings for the XIX Simposio Chileno de Fisica, SOCHIFI 2014 Conference, 26-28 November 2014, held at Concepcion U., Chil

Galaxy evolution across the optical emission-line diagnostic diagrams?

The discovery of the M-sigma relation, the local galaxy bimodality, and the link between black-hole and host-galaxy properties, have raised the question whether AGN play a role in galaxy evolution. Several theoretical models implement AGN feedback to explain the observed galaxy luminosity function, and possibly the color and morphological transformation of spiral galaxies into passive ellipticals. To understand the importance of AGN feedback, a study of the AGN populations in the radio-optical domain is crucial. A mass sequence linking star-forming galaxies and AGN has been already noted in previous works, and it is now investigated as possible evolutionary sequence. We observed a sample of 119 intermediate-redshift (0.04<z<0.4) SDSS-FIRST radio emitters with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope at 4.85 and 10.45 GHz and obtained spectral indices. We find indications of spectral index flattening in high-metallicity star-forming galaxies, composite galaxies, and Seyferts. This "flattening sequence" along the [NII]-based emission-line diagnostic diagram is consistent with the hardening of galaxy ionizing field, due to nuclear activity. After combining our data with FIRST measurements at 1.4 GHz, we find that the three-point radio spectra of Seyferts and LINERs show substantial differences, attributable to small radio core components and larger (arcsecond sized) jet/lobe components, respectively. A visual inspection of FIRST images seems to confirm this hypothesis. Galaxies along this sequence are hypothesized to be transitioning from the active star-forming galaxies (blue cloud) to the passive elliptical galaxies (red sequence). This supports the suggestion that AGN play a role in shutting down star-formation, and allow the transition from one galaxy class to the other.Comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The supermembrane with central charges:(2+1)-D NCSYM, confinement and phase transition

The spectrum of the bosonic sector of the D=11 supermembrane with central charges is shown to be discrete and with finite multiplicities, hence containing a mass gap. The result extends to the exact theory our previous proof of the similar property for the SU(N) regularised model and strongly suggest discreteness of the spectrum for the complete Hamiltonian of the supermembrane with central charges. This theory is a quantum equivalent to a symplectic non-commutative super-Yang-Mills in 2+1 dimensions, where the space-like sector is a Riemann surface of positive genus. In this context, it is argued how the theory in 4D exhibits confinement in the N=1 supermembrane with central charges phase and how the theory enters in the quark-gluon plasma phase through the spontaneous breaking of the centre. This phase is interpreted in terms of the compactified supermembrane without central charges.Comment: 33 pages, Latex. In this new version, several changes have been made and various typos were correcte

On the groundstate of octonionic matrix models in a ball

In this work we examine the existence and uniqueness of the groundstate of a SU(N)x G2 octonionic matrix model on a bounded domain of R^N. The existence and uniqueness argument of the groundstate wavefunction follows from the Lax-Milgram theorem. Uniqueness is shown by means of an explicit argument which is drafted in some detail.Comment: Latex, 6 page

Massless ground state for a compact SU(2) matrix model in 4D

We show the existence and uniqueness of a massless supersymmetric ground state wavefunction of a SU(2) matrix model in a bounded smooth domain with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This is a gauge system and we provide a new framework to analyze the quantum spectral properties of this class of supersymmetric matrix models subject to constraints which can be generalized for arbitrary number of colors.Comment: 12 pages, Latex. Somme clarifications. Minor changes. Version to appear at NP