Extended Superconformal Algebras from Classical and Quantum Hamiltonian Reduction

We consider the extended superconformal algebras of the Knizhnik-Bershadsky type with $W$-algebra like composite operators occurring in the commutation relations, but with generators of conformal dimension 1,$\frac{3}{2}$ and 2, only. These have recently been neatly classified by several groups, and we emphasize the classification based on hamiltonian reduction of affine Lie superalgebras with even subalgebras $G\oplus sl(2)$. We reveiw the situation and improve on previous formulations by presenting generic and very compact expressions valid for all algebras, classical and quantum. Similarly generic and compact free field realizations are presented as are corresponding screening charges. Based on these a discussion of singular vectors is presented. (Based on talk by J.L. Petersen at the Int. Workshop on "String Theory, Quantum Gravity and the Unification of the Fundamental Interactions", Rome Sep. 21-26, 1992)Comment: 30 pages, NBI-HE-92-8

Reconfiguration on sparse graphs

A vertex-subset graph problem Q defines which subsets of the vertices of an input graph are feasible solutions. A reconfiguration variant of a vertex-subset problem asks, given two feasible solutions S and T of size k, whether it is possible to transform S into T by a sequence of vertex additions and deletions such that each intermediate set is also a feasible solution of size bounded by k. We study reconfiguration variants of two classical vertex-subset problems, namely Independent Set and Dominating Set. We denote the former by ISR and the latter by DSR. Both ISR and DSR are PSPACE-complete on graphs of bounded bandwidth and W[1]-hard parameterized by k on general graphs. We show that ISR is fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by k when the input graph is of bounded degeneracy or nowhere-dense. As a corollary, we answer positively an open question concerning the parameterized complexity of the problem on graphs of bounded treewidth. Moreover, our techniques generalize recent results showing that ISR is fixed-parameter tractable on planar graphs and graphs of bounded degree. For DSR, we show the problem fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by k when the input graph does not contain large bicliques, a class of graphs which includes graphs of bounded degeneracy and nowhere-dense graphs

Age and origin of enigmatic megaherbs from the subantarctic islands

Biogeographic relationships in the southern hemisphere have puzzled biologists for the last two centuries. Once joined to form the supercontinent Gondwana, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and South America are widely separated by the Pacific and Indian oceans. Sir Joseph Hooker was the first to suggest that Antarctica served as a corridor for plant migration not unlike the land-bridges in the northern hemisphere. While the Antarctic flora was largely erased by glaciation during the Pleistocene, at least some of these Antarctic plant communities found refuge on the subantarctic islands. Here we provide support for the hypothesis that giant herbs persisted in the subantactic islands prior to the onset of Pleistocene glaciation, then dispersed northward in response to glacial advance. Our findings provide further evidence that Antarctica has played a pivotal role in shaping southern hemisphere biogeography

The structure and possible origins of stacking faults in gamma-yttrium disilicate

Parallel stacking faults on (010) planes are frequently observed in hot-pressed Y2Si2O7. A combination of conventional dark-field imaging and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the structure of these faults and it was found that they consist of the repeat of one layer of the two layer γ-Y2Si2O7 structure with an associated in-plane rigid body displacement. The resulting structure was confirmed by image simulation of high-resolution images from two perpendicular projections. A model for the formation of the stacking faults is proposed as a consequence of a transformation from β-Y2Si2O7 to γ-Y2Si2O7 in the hot pressing

On the Magnetic Excitation Spectra of High Tc Cu Oxides up to the Energies far above the Resonance Energy

Magnetic excitation spectra c"(q,w) of YBa2Cu3Oy and La214 systems have been studied. For La1.88Sr0.12CuO4, c"(q,w) have been measured up to ~30 meV and existing data have been analyzed up to the energy w~150 meV by using the phenomenological expression of the generalized magnetic susceptibility c(q,w)=c0(q,w)/{1+J(q)c0(q,w)}, where c0(q,w) is the susceptibility of the electrons without the exchange coupling J(q) among them. In the relatively low energy region up to slightly above the resonance energy Er, it has been reported by the authors' group that the expression can explain characteristics of the q- and w-dependence of the spectra of YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO or YBCOy). Here, it is also pointed out that the expression can reproduce the rotation of four incommensurate peaks of c"(q,w) within the a*-b* plane about (p/a, p/a) {or so-called (p, p)} point by 45 degree, which occurs as w goes to the energy region far above Er from E below Er. For La2-xSrxCuO4 and La2-xBaxCuO4, agreements between the observed results and the calculations are less satisfactory than for YBCO, indicating that we have to take account of the existence of the "stripes" to consistently explain the observed c"(q,w) of La214 system especially near x=1/8.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Multispin Coding Technique for Nonequilibrium Reweighting

We present the multispin coding for the nonequlibrium reweighting method of the Monte Carlo simulation, that was developed by the present authors. As an illustration, we treat the driven diffusive lattice gas model. We use the multispin coding technique both for the spin update and for the calculation of the histogram of incremental weights, which is needed in the calculation of nonequlibrium reweighting. All the operations are executed by the bitwise logical commands.Comment: accepted for publication in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Radion effective theory in the detuned Randall-Sundrum model

We compute the two-derivative low-energy effective action for the radion in the (supersymmetric) Randall-Sundrum scenario with detuned brane tensions. At the classical level, a potential automatically stabilizes the distance between the branes. In the supersymmetric case, supersymmetry can be broken spontaneously by a vacuum expectation value for the fifth component of the graviphoton.Comment: 17 pages. JHEP class. New Appendix. Published versio