The three-dimensional random field Ising magnet: interfaces, scaling, and the nature of states

The nature of the zero temperature ordering transition in the 3D Gaussian random field Ising magnet is studied numerically, aided by scaling analyses. In the ferromagnetic phase the scaling of the roughness of the domain walls, $w\sim L^\zeta$, is consistent with the theoretical prediction $\zeta = 2/3$. As the randomness is increased through the transition, the probability distribution of the interfacial tension of domain walls scales as for a single second order transition. At the critical point, the fractal dimensions of domain walls and the fractal dimension of the outer surface of spin clusters are investigated: there are at least two distinct physically important fractal dimensions. These dimensions are argued to be related to combinations of the energy scaling exponent, $\theta$, which determines the violation of hyperscaling, the correlation length exponent $\nu$, and the magnetization exponent $\beta$. The value $\beta = 0.017\pm 0.005$ is derived from the magnetization: this estimate is supported by the study of the spin cluster size distribution at criticality. The variation of configurations in the interior of a sample with boundary conditions is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a single transition separating the disordered phase with one ground state from the ordered phase with two ground states. The array of results are shown to be consistent with a scaling picture and a geometric description of the influence of boundary conditions on the spins. The details of the algorithm used and its implementation are also described.Comment: 32 pp., 2 columns, 32 figure

The Interspersed Spin Boson Lattice Model

We describe a family of lattice models that support a new class of quantum magnetism characterized by correlated spin and bosonic ordering [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 180405 (2014)]. We explore the full phase diagram of the model using Matrix-Product-State methods. Guided by these numerical results, we describe a modified variational ansatz to improve our analytic description of the groundstate at low boson frequencies. Additionally, we introduce an experimental protocol capable of inferring the low-energy excitations of the system by means of Fano scattering spectroscopy. Finally, we discuss the implementation and characterization of this model with current circuit-QED technology.Comment: Submitted to EPJ ST issue on "Novel Quantum Phases and Mesoscopic Physics in Quantum Gases

Direct comparison of phase-space distributions of K- and K+ mesons in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies - evidence for in-medium modifications of kaons ?

The ratio of K- to K+ meson yields has been measured in the systems RuRu at 1.69 A GeV, Ru+Zr at 1.69 A GeV, and Ni+Ni at 1.93 A GeV incident beam kinetic energy. The yield ratio is observed to vary across the measured phase space. Relativistic transport-model calculations indicate that the data are best understood if in-medium modifications of the kaons are taken into account.Comment: 14 pages including 3 figure

Panspermia, Past and Present: Astrophysical and Biophysical Conditions for the Dissemination of Life in Space

Astronomically, there are viable mechanisms for distributing organic material throughout the Milky Way. Biologically, the destructive effects of ultraviolet light and cosmic rays means that the majority of organisms arrive broken and dead on a new world. The likelihood of conventional forms of panspermia must therefore be considered low. However, the information content of dam-aged biological molecules might serve to seed new life (necropanspermia).Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Review

Sideward flow of K+ mesons in Ru+Ru and Ni+Ni reactions near threshold

Experimental data on K+ meson and proton sideward flow measured with the FOPI detector at SIS/GSI in the reactions Ru+Ru at 1.69 AGeV and Ni+Ni at 1.93 AGeV are presented. The K+ sideward flow is found to be anti-correlated (correlated) with the one of protons at low (high) transverse momenta. When compared to the predictions of a transport model, the data favour the existence of an in-medium repulsive K+ nucleon potential.Comment: 16 pages Revtex, 3 ps-figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.

Fluorouracil leucovorin and oxaliplatin with and without cetuximab in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

Purpose This randomized study assessed whether the best overall response rate (ORR) of cetuximab combined with oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and fluorouracil (FOLFOX-4) was superior to that of FOLFOX-4 alone as first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. The influence of KRAS mutation status was investigated. Patients and Methods Patients received cetuximab (400 mg/m(2) initial dose followed by 250 mg/m(2)/wk thereafter) plus FOLFOX-4 (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) on day 1, plus leucovorin 200 mg/m(2) and fluorouracil as a 400 mg/m(2) bolus followed by a 600 mg/m(2) infusion during 22 hours on days 1 and 2; n = 169) or FOLFOX-4 alone (n = 168). Treatment was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. KRAS mutation status was assessed in the subset of patients with assessable tumor samples (n = 233). Results The confirmed ORR for cetuximab plus FOLFOX-4 was higher than with FOLFOX-4 alone (46% v 36%). A statistically significant increase in the odds for a response with the addition of cetuximab to FOLFOX-4 could not be established (odds ratio = 1.52; P = .064). In patients with KRAS wild-type tumors, the addition of cetuximab to FOLFOX-4 was associated with a clinically significant increased chance of response (ORR = 61% v 37%; odds ratio = 2.54; P = .011) and a lower risk of disease progression (hazard ratio = 0.57; P = .0163) compared with FOLFOX-4 alone. Cetuximab plus FOLFOX-4 was generally well tolerated. Conclusion KRAS mutational status was shown to be a highly predictive selection criterion in relation to the treatment decision regarding the addition of cetuximab to FOLFOX-4 for previously untreated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Observation of Scaling Violations in Scaled Momentum Distributions at HERA

Charged particle production has been measured in deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events over a large range of $x$ and $Q^2$ using the ZEUS detector. The evolution of the scaled momentum, $x_p$, with $Q^2,$ in the range 10 to 1280 $GeV^2$, has been investigated in the current fragmentation region of the Breit frame. The results show clear evidence, in a single experiment, for scaling violations in scaled momenta as a function of $Q^2$.Comment: 21 pages including 4 figures, to be published in Physics Letters B. Two references adde

D* Production in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

This paper presents measurements of D^{*\pm} production in deep inelastic scattering from collisions between 27.5 GeV positrons and 820 GeV protons. The data have been taken with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The decay channel $D^{*+}\to (D^0 \to K^- \pi^+) \pi^+$ (+ c.c.) has been used in the study. The $e^+p$ cross section for inclusive D^{*\pm} production with $5<Q^2<100 GeV^2$ and $y<0.7$ is 5.3 \pms 1.0 \pms 0.8 nb in the kinematic region {$1.3<p_T(D^{*\pm})<9.0$ GeV and $| \eta(D^{*\pm}) |<1.5$}. Differential cross sections as functions of p_T(D^{*\pm}), $\eta(D^{*\pm}), W$ and $Q^2$ are compared with next-to-leading order QCD calculations based on the photon-gluon fusion production mechanism. After an extrapolation of the cross section to the full kinematic region in p_T(D^{*\pm}) and $\eta$(D^{*\pm}), the charm contribution $F_2^{c\bar{c}}(x,Q^2)$ to the proton structure function is determined for Bjorken $x$ between 2 $\cdot$ 10$^{-4}$ and 5 $\cdot$ 10$^{-3}$.Comment: 17 pages including 4 figure

Quantum magnetism in two dimensions: From semi-classical N\'eel order to magnetic disorder

This is a review of ground-state features of the s=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on two-dimensional lattices. A central issue is the interplay of lattice topology (e.g. coordination number, non-equivalent nearest-neighbor bonds, geometric frustration) and quantum fluctuations and their impact on possible long-range order. This article presents a unified summary of all 11 two-dimensional uniform Archimedean lattices which include e.g. the square, triangular and kagome lattice. We find that the ground state of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet is likely to be semi-classically ordered in most cases. However, the interplay of geometric frustration and quantum fluctuations gives rise to a quantum paramagnetic ground state without semi-classical long-range order on two lattices which are precisely those among the 11 uniform Archimedean lattices with a highly degenerate ground state in the classical limit. The first one is the famous kagome lattice where many low-lying singlet excitations are known to arise in the spin gap. The second lattice is called star lattice and has a clear gap to all excitations. Modification of certain bonds leads to quantum phase transitions which are also discussed briefly. Furthermore, we discuss the magnetization process of the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the 11 Archimedean lattices, focusing on anomalies like plateaus and a magnetization jump just below the saturation field. As an illustration we discuss the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland model which is used to describe SrCu2(BO3)2.Comment: This is now the complete 72-page preprint version of the 2004 review article. This version corrects two further typographic errors (three total with respect to the published version), see page 2 for detail