Phase transition and critical end point driven by an external magnetic field in asymmetric quark matter

The location of the critical end point (CEP) in the QCD phase diagram is determined under different scenarios. The effect of strangeness, isospin/charge asymmetry and an external magnetic field is investigated. The discussion is performed within the 2+1 flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model with Polyakov loop. It is shown that isospin asymmetry shifts the CEP to larger baryonic chemical potentials and smaller temperatures. At large asymmetries the CEP disappears. However, a strong enough magnetic field drives the system into a first order phase transition.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures; PRD versio

The QCD critical end point driven by an external magnetic field in asymmetric quark matter

The effect of the isospin/charge asymmetry and an external magnetic field in the location of the critical end point (CEP) in the QCD phase diagram is investigated. By using the 2+1 flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model with Polyakov loop (PNJL), it is shown that the isospin asymmetry shifts the CEP to larger baryonic chemical potentials and smaller temperatures, and in the presence of a large enough isospin asymmetry the CEP disappears. Nevertheless, a sufficiently high external magnetic field can drive the system into a first order phase transition again.Comment: Contribution to the "20th Particles and Nuclei International Conference" (PANIC 14), Hamburg, Germany, 25-29 August 201

Less and more:Conceptualising degrowth transformations

Publisher Copyright: © 2022While the notion of degrowth has gained traction in recent times, scholarship on degrowth transformations has yet to provide a conceptualisation that captures key attributes of what such transformations entail: (1) the reduction of some items and the expansion of others and (2) profound changes in various dimensions of social being, including in how humans interact with nature, non-humans, and one another, changes in social structures and changes in how we are as human beings. The present paper develops a comprehensive and non-reductionist conceptualisation of degrowth, understanding it to involve deep transformations on four interrelated planes of social being: material transactions with nature, social interactions between persons, social structure, and people's inner being. On each plane, these transformations consist in reducing, and ultimately absenting, some currently existing items while expanding others. The paper considers the implications of the conceptualisation for degrowth practice and theorising,focusing on top-down eco-social policies, bottom-up initiatives and self-transformation. It is found that degrowth would benefit from considering more seriously the effects of policies and initiatives across all four planes and from acknowledging diversity on each plane. Moreover, it is concluded that more attention should be paid to the plane of peoples' inner being.Peer reviewe

Den europæiske kartelregulerings politiske økonomi

Over hele Europa blev karteller i mange år opfattet som en naturlig og legitim måde at organisere markeder på. I de seneste par årtier er der imidlertid sket et paradigmeskift i myndighedernes tilgang til karteller, både på nationalt plan og på EU-niveau. Det kommer blandt andet til udtryk ved, at karteller til stadighed straffes hårdere. Med afsæt i et kritisk politisk økonomiperspektiv anlægger artiklen et helikopterperspektiv på den europæiske kartelregulering og inddeler dens udvikling i to faser. En første fase hvor den var en del af en ”reguleret” form for kapitalisme, og en anden fase hvor den indgår som et element i en neoliberal kapitalismeform. Paradigmeskiftet kortlægges med eksempler fra EF/EU, Danmark og andre europæiske lande og forklares med henvisning til magtforskydninger samt ændringer i sociale akkumulationsstrukturer og fremherskende idéer. Afslutningsvis rejser artiklen spørgsmålet, hvorvidt der er tegn på, at den økonomiske krise, der fulgte i kølvandet på finanskrisen i 2008, vil føre til et nyt skift i måden, hvorpå karteller reguleres i Europa

A critical political economy perspective

The focus of this thesis is one "component” of EC competition regulation, namely that of merger control

Cómo Evitar el Colapso Ecosocial: el Proyecto del Decrecimiento

In response to the looming eco-social collapse, a growing number of scholars and activists in Europe and beyond call for 'degrowth'. They advocate democratic transitions towards post-capitalist societies that can function within ecological boundaries while being socially equitable. The present paper takes stock of what degrowth entails and addresses where it stands, both as an academic and a political project. It suggests that whereas the academic project is currently flourishing, the political project remains marginalised. Against this background, the question of what it would take for the political project of degrowth to gain momentum is addressed. Reception date: February 22, 2020 Acceptance date: May 20, 2020Un número cada vez más importante de académicas/os y activistas de Europa y más allá promueven el “decrecimiento” como reacción ante un inminente colapso ecosocial. Abogan por transiciones democráticas hacia sociedades postcapitalistas que puedan funcionar dentro de las fronteras ecológicas y, a la vez, ser socialmente equitativas. Este artículo examina qué implica el decrecimiento y realiza un balance de su situación actual como proyecto académico y político. Se sugiere que, mientras que el proyecto académico está floreciendo, el proyecto político continúa siendo marginal. Ante este panorama, se aborda el interrogante de qué sería necesario para que el proyecto político del decrecimiento cobre impulso. Fecha de recepción: 22 de Febrero de 2020Fecha de aceptación: 20 de Mayo de 202

Phase diagram and critical properties within an effective model of QCD: the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model coupled to the Polyakov loop

We investigate the phase diagram of the so-called Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and non-zero chemical potential with three quark flavors. Chiral and deconfinement phase transitions are discussed and the relevant order-like parameters are analyzed. The results are compared with simple thermodynamic expectations and lattice data. We present the phase diagram in the ($T,\,\mu_B)$ plane, paying special attention to the critical end point: as the strength of the flavor-mixing interaction becomes weaker, the critical end point moves to low temperatures and can even disappear.Comment: 46 pages, 11 figures, 3 table

Faraday rotation spectra of bismuth-substituted ferrite garnet films with in-plane magnetization

Single crystalline films of bismuth-substituted ferrite garnets have been synthesized by the liquid phase epitaxy method where GGG substrates are dipped into the flux. The growth parameters are controlled to obtain films with in-plane magnetization and virtually no domain activity, which makes them excellently suited for magnetooptic imaging. The Faraday rotation spectra were measured across the visible range of wavelengths. To interprete the spectra we present a simple model based on the existence of two optical transitions of diamagnetic character, one tetrahedral and one octahedral. We find excellent agreement between the model and our experimental results for photon energies between 1.77 and 2.53 eV, corresponding to wavelengths between 700 and 490 nm. It is shown that the Faraday rotation changes significantly with the amount of substituted gallium and bismuth. Furthermore, the experimental results suggest that the magnetooptic response changes linearly with the bismuth substitution.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, published in Phys. Rev.