Self-Averaging in the Three Dimensional Site Diluted Heisenberg Model at the critical point

We study the self-averaging properties of the three dimensional site diluted Heisenberg model. The Harris criterion \cite{critharris} states that disorder is irrelevant since the specific heat critical exponent of the pure model is negative. According with some analytical approaches \cite{harris}, this implies that the susceptibility should be self-averaging at the critical temperature ($R_\chi=0$). We have checked this theoretical prediction for a large range of dilution (including strong dilution) at critically and we have found that the introduction of scaling corrections is crucial in order to obtain self-averageness in this model. Finally we have computed critical exponents and cumulants which compare very well with those of the pure model supporting the Universality predicted by the Harris criterion.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, 14 tables. New analysis (scaling corrections in the g2=0 scenario) and new numerical simulations. Title and conclusions chang

Critical renormalized coupling constants in the symmetric phase of the Ising models

Using a novel finite size scaling Monte Carlo method, we calculate the four, six and eight point renormalized coupling constants defined at zero momentum in the symmetric phase of the three dimensional Ising system. The results of the 2D Ising system that were directly measured are also reported. Our values of the six and eight point coupling constants are significantly different from those obtained from other methods.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Quantum Dynamics of the Slow Rollover Transition in the Linear Delta Expansion

We apply the linear delta expansion to the quantum mechanical version of the slow rollover transition which is an important feature of inflationary models of the early universe. The method, which goes beyond the Gaussian approximation, gives results which stay close to the exact solution for longer than previous methods. It provides a promising basis for extension to a full field theoretic treatment.Comment: 12 pages, including 4 figure

New Optimization Methods for Converging Perturbative Series with a Field Cutoff

We take advantage of the fact that in lambda phi ^4 problems a large field cutoff phi_max makes perturbative series converge toward values exponentially close to the exact values, to make optimal choices of phi_max. For perturbative series terminated at even order, it is in principle possible to adjust phi_max in order to obtain the exact result. For perturbative series terminated at odd order, the error can only be minimized. It is however possible to introduce a mass shift in order to obtain the exact result. We discuss weak and strong coupling methods to determine the unknown parameters. The numerical calculations in this article have been performed with a simple integral with one variable. We give arguments indicating that the qualitative features observed should extend to quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. We found that optimization at even order is more efficient that at odd order. We compare our methods with the linear delta-expansion (LDE) (combined with the principle of minimal sensitivity) which provides an upper envelope of for the accuracy curves of various Pade and Pade-Borel approximants. Our optimization method performs better than the LDE at strong and intermediate coupling, but not at weak coupling where it appears less robust and subject to further improvements. We also show that it is possible to fix the arbitrary parameter appearing in the LDE using the strong coupling expansion, in order to get accuracies comparable to ours.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figures, uses revtex; minor typos corrected, refs. adde

Effective average action in statistical physics and quantum field theory

An exact renormalization group equation describes the dependence of the free energy on an infrared cutoff for the quantum or thermal fluctuations. It interpolates between the microphysical laws and the complex macroscopic phenomena. We present a simple unified description of critical phenomena for O(N)-symmetric scalar models in two, three or four dimensions, including essential scaling for the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition.Comment: 34 pages,5 figures,LaTe

Postoperative acute kidney injury defined by RIFLE criteria predicts early health outcome and long-term survival in patients undergoing redo coronary artery bypass graft surgery

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the impact of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) on early health outcome and on long-term survival in patients undergoing redo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).MethodsWe performed a Cox analysis with 398 consecutive patients undergoing redo CABG over a median follow-up of 7 years (interquartile range, 4-12.2 years). Renal function was assessed using baseline and peak postoperative levels of serum creatinine. AKI was defined according to the risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage (RIFLE) criteria. Health outcome measures included the rate of in-hospital AKI and all-cause 30-day and long-term mortality, using data from the United Kingdom's Office of National Statistics. Propensity score matching, as well as logistic regression analyses, were used. The impact of postoperative AKI at different time points was related to survival.ResultsIn patients with redo CABG, the occurrence of postoperative AKI was associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 3.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.3 to 10.5; P < .01], high Euroscore (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07-1.52; P < .01), use of IABP (OR, 6.9; 95% CI, 2.24-20.3; P < .01), and reduced long-term survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.42; 95% CI, 1.63-3.6; P = .01). Overall survival at 5 and 10 years was lower in AKI patients with AKI compared with those without AKI (64% vs 85% at 5 years; 51% vs 68% at 10 years). On 1:1 propensity score matching analysis, postoperative AKI was independently associated with reduced long term survival (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.15-6.7).ConclusionsIn patients undergoing redo CABG, the occurrence of postoperative AKI is associated with increased 30-day mortality and major complications and with reduced long-term survival

Scaling properties of the critical behavior in the dilute antiferromagnet Fe(0.93)Zn(0.07)F2

Critical scattering analyses for dilute antiferromagnets are made difficult by the lack of predicted theoretical line shapes beyond mean-field models. Nevertheless, with the use of some general scaling assumptions we have developed a procedure by which we can analyze the equilibrium critical scattering in these systems for H=0, the random-exchange Ising model, and, more importantly, for H>0, the random-field Ising model. Our new fitting approach, as opposed to the more conventional techniques, allows us to obtain the universal critical behavior exponents and amplitude ratios as well as the critical line shapes. We discuss the technique as applied to Fe(0.93)Zn(0.07)F2. The general technique, however, should be applicable to other problems where the scattering line shapes are not well understood but scaling is expected to hold.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Critical thermodynamics of three-dimensional MN-component field model with cubic anisotropy from higher-loop \epsilon expansion

The critical thermodynamics of an $MN$-component field model with cubic anisotropy relevant to the phase transitions in certain crystals with complicated ordering is studied within the four-loop \ve expansion using the minimal subtraction scheme. Investigation of the global structure of RG flows for the physically significant cases M=2, N=2 and M=2, N=3 shows that the model has an anisotropic stable fixed point with new critical exponents. The critical dimensionality of the order parameter is proved to be equal to $N_c^C=1.445(20)$, that is exactly half its counterpart in the real hypercubic model.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, no figures. Published versio

Testing the Gaussian expansion method in exactly solvable matrix models

The Gaussian expansion has been developed since early 80s as a powerful analytical method, which enables nonperturbative studies of various systems using `perturbative' calculations. Recently the method has been used to suggest that 4d space-time is generated dynamically in a matrix model formulation of superstring theory. Here we clarify the nature of the method by applying it to exactly solvable one-matrix models with various kinds of potential including the ones unbounded from below and of the double-well type. We also formulate a prescription to include a linear term in the Gaussian action in a way consistent with the loop expansion, and test it in some concrete examples. We discuss a case where we obtain two distinct plateaus in the parameter space of the Gaussian action, corresponding to different large-N solutions. This clarifies the situation encountered in the dynamical determination of the space-time dimensionality in the previous works.Comment: 30 pages, 15 figures, LaTeX; added references for section

A new class of short distance universal amplitude ratios

We propose a new class of universal amplitude ratios which involve the first terms of the short distance expansion of the correlators of a statistical model in the vicinity of a critical point. We will describe the critical system with a conformal field theory (UV fixed point) perturbed by an appropriate relevant operator. In two dimensions the exact knowledge of the UV fixed point allows for accurate predictions of the ratios and in many nontrivial integrable perturbations they can even be evaluated exactly. In three dimensional O(N) scalar systems feasible extensions of some existing results should allow to obtain perturbative expansions for the ratios. By construction these universal ratios are a perfect tool to explore the short distance properties of the underlying quantum field theory even in regimes where the correlation length and one point functions are not accessible in experiments or simulations.Comment: 8 pages, revised version, references adde