Two-point function for the Maxwell field in flat Robertson-Walker spacetimes

We obtain an explicit two-point function for the Maxwell field in flat Roberson-Walker spaces, thanks to a new gauge condition which takes the scale factor into account and assume a simple form. The two-point function is found to have the short distance Hadamard behavior.Comment: 4 pages, Revte

Massive scalar field on (A)dS space from a massless conformal field in R6\mathbb{R}^6

We show how the equations for the scalar field (including the massive, massless, minimally and conformally coupled cases) on de Sitter and Anti-de Sitter spaces can be obtained from both the SO$(2,4)$-invariant equation $\square \phi = 0$ in $\mathbb{R}^6$ and two geometrical constraints defining the (A)dS space. Apart from the equation in $\mathbb{R}^6$, the results only follow from the geometry.Comment: Revtex 4.1, 6 pages. In v3: New material added (references, relation with mass ladder operator), accepted in JM

An improvement on codebook search for vector quantization

Presents a simple but effective algorithm to speed up the codebook search in a vector quantization scheme when a MSE criterion is used. A considerable reduction in the number of operations is achieved. This algorithm was originally designed for image vector quantization in which the samples of the image signal (pixels) are positive, although it can be used with any positive-negative signal with only minor modifications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Saturation properties of nuclear matter in a relativistic mean field model constrained by quark dynamics

We have built an effective Walecka-type hadronic Lagrangian in which the hadron masses and the density dependence of the coupling constants are deduced from the quark dynamics using a Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. The parameters of this Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model have been determined using the meson properties in the vacuum but also in the medium through the omega meson mass in nuclei measured by the TAPS collaboration. Realistic properties of nuclear matter have been obtained.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of "Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum VII

A toy model of a fake inflation

Discontinuities in non linear field theories propagate through null geodesics in an effective metric that depends on its dynamics and on the background geometry. Once information of the geometry of the universe comes mostly from photons, one should carefully analyze the effects of possible nonlinearities on Electrodynamics in the cosmic geometry. Such phenomenon of induced metric is rather general and may occurs for any nonlinear theory independently of its spin properties. We limit our analysis here to the simplest case of non linear scalar field. We show that a class of theories that have been analyzed in the literature, having regular configuration in the Minkowski space-time background is such that the field propagates like free waves in an effective deSitter geometry. The observation of these waves would led us to infer, erroneously, that we live in a deSitter universe

Conformally covariant quantization of Maxwell field in de Sitter space

In this article, we quantize the Maxwell ("massless spin one") de Sitter field in a conformally invariant gauge. This quantization is invariant under the SO$_0(2,4)$ group and consequently under the de Sitter group. We obtain a new de Sitter invariant two-points function which is very simple. Our method relies on the one hand on a geometrical point of view which uses the realization of Minkowski, de Sitter and anti-de Sitter spaces as intersections of the null cone in \setR^6 and a moving plane, and on the other hand on a canonical quantization scheme of the Gupta-Bleuler type.Comment: v2 is is the definitive (improved compare to v1) versio

Statistical properties of metastable intermediates in DNA unzipping

We unzip DNA molecules using optical tweezers and determine the sizes of the cooperatively unzipping and zipping regions separating consecutive metastable intermediates along the unzipping pathway. Sizes are found to be distributed following a power law, ranging from one base pair up to more than a hundred base pairs. We find that a large fraction of unzipping regions smaller than 10 bp are seldom detected because of the high compliance of the released single stranded DNA. We show how the compliance of a single nucleotide sets a limit value around 0.1 N/m for the stiffness of any local force probe aiming to discriminate one base pair at a time in DNA unzipping experiments.Comment: Main text: 4 pages, 3 figures. Supplementary Information: 18 pages, 15 figure

Work distributions in the T=0 Random Field Ising Model

We perform a numerical study of the three-dimensional Random Field Ising Model at T=0. We compare work distributions along metastable trajectories obtained with the single-spin flip dynamics with the distribution of the internal energy change along equilibrium trajectories. The goal is to investigate the possibility of extending the Crooks fluctuation theorem to zero temperature when, instead of the standard ensemble statistics, one considers the ensemble generated by the quenched disorder. We show that a simple extension of Crooks fails close to the disordered induced equilibrium phase transition due to the fact that work and internal energy distributions are very asymmetric