Effective theory for low-energy nuclear energy density functionals

We introduce a new class of effective interactions to be used within the energy-density-functional approaches. They are based on regularized zero-range interactions and constitute a consistent application of the effective-theory methodology to low-energy phenomena in nuclei. They allow for defining the order of expansion in terms of the order of derivatives acting on the finite-range potential. Numerical calculations show a rapid convergence of the expansion and independence of results of the regularization scale.Comment: 5 RevTex pages, 5 figures, misprints corrected, extended version, see also http://iopscience.iop.org/0954-3899/labtalk-article/5109

Spin thermoelectrics in a disordered Fermi gas

We study the connection between the spin-heat and spin-charge response in a disordered Fermi gas with spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the ratio between the above responses can be expressed as the thermopower $S=-(\pi k_B)^2T\sigma'/3e\sigma$ times a number $R_s$ which depends on the strength and type of the spin-orbit couplings considered. The general results are illustrated by examining different two-dimensional electron or hole systems with different and competing spin-orbit mechanisms, and we conclude that a metallic system could prove much more efficient as a heat-to-spin than as a heat-to-charge converter.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur

Effective pseudopotential for energy density functionals with higher order derivatives

We derive a zero-range pseudopotential that includes all possible terms up to sixth order in derivatives. Within the Hartree-Fock approximation, it gives the average energy that corresponds to a quasi-local nuclear Energy Density Functional (EDF) built of derivatives of the one-body density matrix up to sixth order. The direct reference of the EDF to the pseudopotential acts as a constraint that divides the number of independent coupling constants of the EDF by two. This allows, e.g., for expressing the isovector part of the functional in terms of the isoscalar part, or vice versa. We also derive the analogous set of constraints for the coupling constants of the EDF that is restricted by spherical, space-inversion, and time-reversal symmetries.Comment: 18 LaTeX pages, 2 EPS Figures, 27 Tables, and 18 files of the supplemental material (LaTeX, Mathematica, and Fortran), introduction rewritten, table XXVII and figure 2 corrected, in press in Physical Review

Spin Hall and Edelstein effects in metallic films: from 2D to 3D

A normal metallic film sandwiched between two insulators may have strong spin-orbit coupling near the metal-insulator interfaces, even if spin-orbit coupling is negligible in the bulk of the film. In this paper we study two technologically important and deeply interconnected effects that arise from interfacial spin-orbit coupling in metallic films. The first is the spin Hall effect, whereby a charge current in the plane of the film is partially converted into an orthogonal spin current in the same plane. The second is the Edelstein effect, in which a charge current produces an in-plane, transverse spin polarization. At variance with strictly two-dimensional Rashba systems, we find that the spin Hall conductivity has a finite value even if spin-orbit interaction with impurities is neglected and "vertex corrections" are properly taken into account. Even more remarkably, such finite value becomes "universal" in a certain configuration. This is a direct consequence of the spatial dependence of spin-orbit coupling on the third dimension, perpendicular to the film plane. The non-vanishing spin Hall conductivity has a profound influence on the Edelstein effect, which we show to consist of two terms, the first with the standard form valid in a strictly two-dimensional Rashba system, and a second arising from the presence of the third dimension. Whereas the standard term is proportional to the momentum relaxation time, the new one scales with the spin relaxation time. Our results, although derived in a specific model, should be valid rather generally, whenever a spatially dependent Rashba spin-orbit coupling is present and the electron motion is not strictly two-dimensional.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figure

Efficient online monitoring of web-service SLAs

If an organization depends on the service quality provided by another organization it often enters into a bilateral service level agreement (SLA), which mitigates outsourcing risks by associating penalty payments with poor service quality. Once these agreements are entered into, it becomes necessary to monitor their conditions, which will commonly relate to timeliness, reliability and request throughput, at runtime. We show how these conditions can be translated into timed automata. Acceptance of a timed word by a timed automaton can be decided in quadratic time and because the timed automata can operate while messages are exchanged at runtime there is effectively only a linear run-time overhead. We present an implementation to derive on-line monitors for web services automatically from SLAs using an Eclipse plugin. We evaluate the efficiency and scalability of this approach using a large-scale case study in a service-oriented computational grid

Minimizing transitive trust threats in software management systems

We consider security threats in software installation processes, posed by transitively trusted dependencies between packages from distinct repositories. To analyse them, we present SecureNDC, a Coq implemented calculus using an explicit trust function to bridge repository access and software package installation rights. Thereby, we resolve a version of the minimum install problem under trust conditions on repositorie

Service-level agreements for electronic services

The potential of communication networks and middleware to enable the composition of services across organizational boundaries remains incompletely realized. In this paper, we argue that this is in part due to outsourcing risks and describe the possible contribution of Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) to mitigating these risks. For SLAs to be effective, it should be difficult to disregard their original provisions in the event of a dispute between the parties. Properties of understandability, precision, and monitorability ensure that the original intent of an SLA can be recovered and compared to trustworthy accounts of service behavior to resolve disputes fairly and without ambiguity. We describe the design and evaluation of a domain-specific language for SLAs that tend to exhibit these properties and discuss the impact of monitorability requirements on service-provision practices

Inverse Spin Hall Effect and Anomalous Hall Effect in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

We study the coupled dynamics of spin and charge currents in a two-dimensional electron gas in the transport diffusive regime. For systems with inversion symmetry there are established relations between the spin Hall effect, the anomalous Hall effect and the inverse spin Hall effect. However, in two-dimensional electron gases of semiconductors like GaAs, inversion symmetry is broken so that the standard arguments do not apply. We demonstrate that in the presence of a Rashba type of spin-orbit coupling (broken structural inversion symmetry) the anomalous Hall effect, the spin Hall and inverse spin Hall effect are substantially different effects. Furthermore we discuss the inverse spin Hall effect for a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling; our results agree with a recent experiment.Comment: 5 page

Major shifts at the range edge of marine forests: the combined effects of climate changes and limited dispersal

Global climate change is likely to constrain low latitude range edges across many taxa and habitats. Such is the case for NE Atlantic marine macroalgal forests, important ecosystems whose main structuring species is the annual kelp Saccorhiza polyschides. We coupled ecological niche modelling with simulations of potential dispersal and delayed development stages to infer the major forces shaping range edges and to predict their dynamics. Models indicated that the southern limit is set by high winter temperatures above the physiological tolerance of overwintering microscopic stages and reduced upwelling during recruitment. The best range predictions were achieved assuming low spatial dispersal (5 km) and delayed stages up to two years (temporal dispersal). Reconstructing distributions through time indicated losses of similar to 30% from 1986 to 2014, restricting S. polyschides to upwelling regions at the southern edge. Future predictions further restrict populations to a unique refugium in northwestern Iberia. Losses were dependent on the emissions scenario, with the most drastic one shifting similar to 38% of the current distribution by 2100. Such distributional changes might not be rescued by dispersal in space or time (as shown for the recent past) and are expected to drive major biodiversity loss and changes in ecosystem functioning.Electricity of Portugal (Fundo EDP para a Biodiversidade); FCT - Portuguese Science Foundation [PTDC/MAR-EST/6053/2014, EXTANT-EXCL/AAG-GLO/0661/2012, SFRH/BPD/111003/2015

Contradictory information flow in networks with trust and distrust

We offer a proof system and a NetLogo simulation for trust and distrust in networks where contradictory information is shared by ranked lazy and sceptic agents. Trust and its negative are defined as properties of edges: the former is required when a message is passed bottom-up in the hierarchy or received by a sceptic agent; the latter is attributed to channels that require contradiction resolution, or whose terminal is a lazy agent. These procedures are associated with epistemic costs, respectively for confirmation and refutation. We describe the logic, illustrate the algorithms implemented in the model and then focus on experimental results concerning the analysis of epistemic costs, the role of the agents’ epistemic attitude on distrust distribution and the influence of (dis)trust in reaching consensus