Compressibility of the Two-Dimensional infinite-U Hubbard Model

We study the interactions between the coherent quasiparticles and the incoherent Mott-Hubbard excitations and their effects on the low energy properties in the $U=\infty$ Hubbard model. Within the framework of a systematic large-N expansion, these effects first occur in the next to leading order in 1/N. We calculate the scattering phase shift and the free energy, and determine the quasiparticle weight Z, mass renormalization, and the compressibility. It is found that the compressibility is strongly renormalized and diverges at a critical doping $\delta_c=0.07\pm0.01$. We discuss the nature of this zero-temperature phase transition and its connection to phase separation and superconductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures, final version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Quantum Lifshitz point in the infinite dimensional Hubbard model

We show that the Gutzwiller variational wave function is surprisingly accurate for the computation of magnetic phase boundaries in the infinite dimensional Hubbard model. This allows us to substantially extend known phase diagrams. For both the half-hypercubic and the hypercubic lattice a large part of the phase diagram is occupied by an incommensurate phase, intermediate between the ferromagnetic and the paramagnetic phase. In case of the hypercubic lattice the three phases join at a new quantum Lifshitz point at which the order parameter is critical and the stiffness vanishes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

A planar extrapolation of the correlation problem that permits pairing

It was observed previously that an SU(N) extension of the Hubbard model is dominated, at large N, by planar diagrams in the sense of 't Hooft, but the possibility of superconducting pairing got lost in this extrapolation. To allow for this possibility, we replace SU(N) by U(N,q), the unitary group in a vector space of quaternions. At the level of the free energy, the difference between the SU(N)and U(N,q) extrapolations appears only to first nonleading order in N.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Screened Interaction and Self-Energy in an Infinitesimally Polarized Electron Gas via the Kukkonen-Overhauser Method

The screened electron-electron interaction $W_{\sigma, \sigma'}$ and the electron self-energy in an infinitesimally polarized electron gas are derived by extending the approach of Kukkonen and Overhauser. Various quantities in the expression for $W_{\sigma, \sigma'}$ are identified in terms of the relevant response functions of the electron gas. The self-energy is obtained from $W_{\sigma, \sigma'}$ by making use of the GW method which in this case represents a consistent approximation. Contact with previous calculations is made.Comment: 7 page

Ferromagnetism in the Periodic Anderson Model - a Modified Alloy Analogy

We introduce a new aproximation scheme for the periodic Anderson model (PAM). The modified alloy approximation represents an optimum alloy approximation for the strong coupling limit, which can be solved within the CPA-formalism. Zero-temperature and finite-temperature phase diagrams are presented for the PAM in the intermediate-valence regime. The diversity of magnetic properties accessible by variation of the system parameters can be studied by means of quasiparticle densities of states: The conduction band couples either ferro- or antiferromagneticaly to the f-levels. A finite hybridization is a necessary precondition for ferromagnetism. However, too strong hybridization generally suppresses ferromagnetism, but can for certain system parameters also lead to a semi-metallic state with unusual magnetic properties. By comparing with the spectral density approximation, the influence of quasiparticle damping can be examined.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figure

Viking on Mars: The carbon assimilation experiments

A fixation of atmospheric carbon, presumably into organic form, occurs in Martian surface material under conditions approximating the actual Martian ones. The reaction showed the following characteristics: The amount of carbon fixed is small by terrestrial standards; highest yields were observed in the light, but some dark activity was also detected; and heating the surface material to 90°C for nearly 2 hours had no effect on the reaction, but heating to 175°C for 3 hours reduced it by nearly 90%. New data from Mars do not support an earlier suggestion that the reaction is inhibited by traces of water. There is evidence of considerable heterogeneity among different samples, but different aliquots from the same sample are remarkably uniform in their carbon-fixing capacity. In view of its thermostability it is unlikely that the reaction is biological

Researching ‘bogus’ asylum seekers, ‘illegal’ migrants and ‘crimmigrants’

Both immigration and criminal laws are, at their core, systems of inclusion and exclusion. They are designed to determine whether and how to include individuals as members of society or exclude them from it, thereby, creating insiders and outsiders (Stumpf 2006). Both are designed to create distinct categories of people — innocent versus guilty, admitted versus excluded or, as majority would say, ‘legal’ versus ‘illegal’ (Stumpf 2006). Viewed in that light, perhaps it is not surprising that these two areas of law have become inextrica- bly connected in the official discourses. When politicians and policy makers (and also law enforcement authorities and tabloid press) seek to raise the barriers for non-citizens to attain membership in society, it is unremarkable that they turn their attention to an area of the law that similarly func- tions to exclude the ‘other’ — transforming immigrants into ‘crimmigrants’.1 As a criminological researcher one then has to rise up to the challenges of disentangling these so-called officially constructed (pseudo) realities, and breaking free from a continued dominance of authoritative discourses, and developing an alternative understanding of ‘crimmigration’ by connecting the processes of criminal is ation and ‘other ing’ with poverty, xe no-racism and other forms of social exclusion (see Institute of Race Relations 1987; Richmond 1994; Fekete 2001; Bowling and Phillips 2002; Sivanandan 2002; Weber and Bowling 2004)

Atmosphere, Interior, and Evolution of the Metal-Rich Transiting Planet HD 149026b

We investigate the atmosphere and interior of the new transiting planet HD 149026b, which appears to be very rich in heavy elements. We first compute model atmospheres at metallicities ranging from solar to ten times solar, and show how for cases with high metallicity or inefficient redistribution of energy from the day side, the planet may develop a hot stratosphere due to absorption of stellar flux by TiO and VO. The spectra predicted by these models are very different than cooler atmosphere models without stratospheres. The spectral effects are potentially detectable with the Spitzer Space Telescope. In addition the models with hot stratospheres lead to a large limb brightening, rather than darkening. We compare the atmosphere of HD 149026b to other well-known transiting planets, including the recently discovered HD 189733b, which we show have planet-to-star flux ratios twice that of HD 209458 and TrES-1. The methane abundance in the atmosphere of HD 189733b is a sensitive indicator of atmospheric temperature and metallicity and can be constrained with Spitzer IRAC observations. We then turn to interior studies of HD 149026b and use a grid of self-consistent model atmospheres and high-pressure equations of state for all components to compute thermal evolution models of the planet. We estimate that the mass of heavy elements within the planet is in the range of 60 to 93 M_earth. Finally, we discuss trends in the radii of transiting planets with metallicity in light of this new member of the class.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal. 18 pages, including 10 figures. New section on the atmosphere of planet HD 189733b. Enhanced discussion of atmospheric Ti chemistry and core mass for HD 149026

Strong-coupling expansions for the anharmonic Holstein model and for the Holstein-Hubbard model

A strong-coupling expansion is applied to the anharmonic Holstein model and to the Holstein-Hubbard model through fourth order in the hopping matrix element. Mean-field theory is then employed to determine transition temperatures of the effective (pseudospin) Hamiltonian. We find that anharmonic effects are not easily mimicked by an on-site Coulomb repulsion, and that anharmonicity strongly favors superconductivity relative to charge-density-wave order. Surprisingly, the phase diagram is strongly modified by relatively small values of the anharmonicity.Comment: 34 pages, typeset in ReVTeX, 11 encapsulated postscript files include