Phase transitions in open quantum systems

We consider the behaviour of open quantum systems in dependence on the coupling to one decay channel by introducing the coupling parameter $\alpha$ being proportional to the average degree of overlapping. Under critical conditions, a reorganization of the spectrum takes place which creates a bifurcation of the time scales with respect to the lifetimes of the resonance states. We derive analytically the conditions under which the reorganization process can be understood as a second-order phase transition and illustrate our results by numerical investigations. The conditions are fulfilled e.g. for a picket fence with equal coupling of the states to the continuum. Energy dependencies within the system are included. We consider also the generic case of an unfolded Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. In all these cases, the reorganization of the spectrum occurs at the critical value $\alpha_{crit}$ of the control parameter globally over the whole energy range of the spectrum. All states act cooperatively.Comment: 28 pages, 22 Postscript figure

Interfering Doorway States and Giant Resonances. I: Resonance Spectrum and Multipole Strengths

A phenomenological schematic model of multipole giant resonances (GR) is considered which treats the external interaction via common decay channels on the same footing as the coherent part of the internal residual interaction. The damping due to the coupling to the sea of complicated states is neglected. As a result, the formation of GR is governed by the interplay and competition of two kinds of collectivity, the internal and the external one. The mixing of the doorway components of a GR due to the external interaction influences significantly their multipole strengths, widths and positions in energy. In particular, a narrow resonance state with an appreciable multipole strength is formed when the doorway components strongly overlap.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, 3 ps-figures, to appear in PRC (July 1997

Resonance trapping and saturation of decay widths

Resonance trapping appears in open many-particle quantum systems at high level density when the coupling to the continuum of decay channels reaches a critical strength. Here a reorganization of the system takes place and a separation of different time scales appears. We investigate it under the influence of additional weakly coupled channels as well as by taking into account the real part of the coupling term between system and continuum. We observe a saturation of the mean width of the trapped states. Also the decay rates saturate as a function of the coupling strength. The mechanism of the saturation is studied in detail. In any case, the critical region of reorganization is enlarged. When the transmission coefficients for the different channels are different, the width distribution is broadened as compared to a chi_K^2 distribution where K is the number of channels. Resonance trapping takes place before the broad state overlaps regions beyond the extension of the spectrum of the closed system.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.

Eco-friendly one-pot synthesis of Prussian blue-embedded magnetic hydrogel beads for the removal of cesium from water

A simple one-step approach to fabricating Prussian blue-embedded magnetic hydrogel beads (PBMHBs) was fabricated for the effective magnetic removal of radioactive cesium (Cs-137) from water. Through the simple dropwise addition of a mixed aqueous solution of iron salts, commercial PB and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to an ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) solution, the formation of hydrogel beads and the encapsulation of PB in beads were achieved in one pot through the gelation of PVA with in situ-formed iron oxide nanoparticles as the cross-linker. The obtained PB-MHBs, with 43.77 weight %of PB, were stable without releasing PB for up to 2 weeks and could be effectively separated from aqueous solutions by an external magnetic field, which is convenient for the large-scale treatment of Cs-contaminated water. Detailed Cs adsorption studies revealed that the adsorption isotherms and kinetics could be effectively described by the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order model, respectively. Most importantly, the PB-MHBs exhibited excellent selectivity for Cs-137 in (137)Cscontaminated simulated groundwater (55 Bq/g) with a high removal efficiency (>99.5%), and the effective removal of Cs-137 from real seawater by these PB-MHBs demonstrated the excellent potential of this material for practical application in the decontamination of Cs-137-contaminated seawate