16,201 research outputs found
Superconductivity in striped and multi-Fermi-surface Hubbard models: From the cuprates to the pnictides
Single- and multi-band Hubbard models have been found to describe many of the
complex phenomena that are observed in the cuprate and iron-based
high-temperature superconductors. Simulations of these models therefore provide
an ideal framework to study and understand the superconducting properties of
these systems and the mechanisms responsible for them. Here we review recent
dynamic cluster quantum Monte Carlo simulations of these models, which provide
an unbiased view of the leading correlations in the system. In particular, we
discuss what these simulations tell us about superconductivity in the
homogeneous 2D single-orbital Hubbard model, and how charge stripes affect this
behavior. We then describe recent simulations of a bilayer Hubbard model, which
provides a simple model to study the type and nature of pairing in systems with
multiple Fermi surfaces such as the iron-based superconductors.Comment: Published as part of Superstripes 2011 (Rome) conference proceeding
Biaxial order parameter in the homologous series of orthogonal bent-core smectic liquid crystals
The fundamental parameter of the uniaxial liquid crystalline state that governs nearly all of its physical properties is the primary orientational order parameter (S) for the long axes of molecules with respect to the director. The biaxial liquid crystals (LCs) possess biaxial order parameters depending on the phase symmetry of the system. In this paper we show that in the first approximation a biaxial orthogonal smectic phase can be described by two primary order parameters: S for the long axes and C for the ordering of the short axes of molecules. The temperature dependencies of S and C are obtained by the Haller's extrapolation technique through measurements of the optical birefringence and biaxiality on a nontilted polar antiferroelectric (Sm-APA) phase of a homologous series of LCs built from the bent-core achiral molecules. For such a biaxial smectic phase both S and C, particularly the temperature dependency of the latter, are being experimentally determined. Results show that S in the orthogonal smectic phase composed of bent cores is higher than in Sm-A calamatic LCs and C is also significantly large
Precise Charm- and Bottom-Quark Masses: Theoretical and Experimental Uncertainties
Recent theoretical and experimental improvements in the determination of
charm and bottom quark masses are discussed. A new and improved evaluation of
the contribution from the gluon condensate to the
charm mass determination and a detailed study of potential uncertainties in the
continuum cross section for production is presented, together with a
study of the parametric uncertainty from the -dependence of our
results. The final results, MeV and
MeV, represent, together with a closely related lattice
determination MeV, the presently most precise
determinations of these two fundamental Standard Model parameters. A critical
analysis of the theoretical and experimental uncertainties is presented.Comment: 12 pages, presented at Quarks~2010, 16th International Seminar of
High Energy Physics, Kolomna, Russia, June 6-12, 2010; v2: references adde
Probably Safe or Live
This paper presents a formal characterisation of safety and liveness
properties \`a la Alpern and Schneider for fully probabilistic systems. As for
the classical setting, it is established that any (probabilistic tree) property
is equivalent to a conjunction of a safety and liveness property. A simple
algorithm is provided to obtain such property decomposition for flat
probabilistic CTL (PCTL). A safe fragment of PCTL is identified that provides a
sound and complete characterisation of safety properties. For liveness
properties, we provide two PCTL fragments, a sound and a complete one. We show
that safety properties only have finite counterexamples, whereas liveness
properties have none. We compare our characterisation for qualitative
properties with the one for branching time properties by Manolios and Trefler,
and present sound and complete PCTL fragments for characterising the notions of
strong safety and absolute liveness coined by Sistla
On the ratio of consecutive gaps between primes
In the present work we prove a common generalization of Maynard-Tao's recent
result about consecutive bounded gaps between primes and on the
Erd\H{o}s-Rankin bound about large gaps between consecutive primes. The work
answers in a strong form a 60 years old problem of Erd\"os, which asked whether
the ratio of two consecutive primegaps can be infinitely often arbitrarily
small, and arbitrarily large, respectively
Role of the dielectric constant of ferroelectric ceramic in enhancing the ionic conductivity of a polymer electrolyte composite
The dispersal of high dielectric constant ferroelectric ceramic material
Ba(0.7)Sr(0.3)TiO(3) (Tc~30 C) and Ba(0.88)Sr(0.12)TiO(3) (Tc~90 C) in an ion
conducting polymer electrolyte (PEO:NH4I) is reported to result in an increase
in the room temperature ionic conductivity by two orders of magnitude. The
conductivity enhancememt "peaks" as we approach the dielectric phase transition
of the dispersed ferroelectric material where the dielectric constant changes
from ~ 2000 to 4000. This establishes the role of dielectric constant of the
dispersoid in enhancing the ionic conductivity of the polymeric composites.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Intercalation-enhanced electric polarization and chain formation of nano-layered particles
Microscopy observations show that suspensions of synthetic and natural
nano-layered smectite clay particles submitted to a strong external electric
field undergo a fast and extended structuring. This structuring results from
the interaction between induced electric dipoles, and is only possible for
particles with suitable polarization properties. Smectite clay colloids are
observed to be particularly suitable, in contrast to similar suspensions of a
non-swelling clay. Synchrotron X-ray scattering experiments provide the
orientation distributions for the particles. These distributions are understood
in terms of competing (i) homogenizing entropy and (ii) interaction between the
particles and the local electric field; they show that clay particles polarize
along their silica sheet. Furthermore, a change in the platelet separation
inside nano-layered particles occurs under application of the electric field,
indicating that intercalated ions and water molecules play a role in their
electric polarization. The resulting induced dipole is structurally attached to
the particle, and this causes particles to reorient and interact, resulting in
the observed macroscopic structuring. The macroscopic properties of these
electro-rheological smectite suspensions may be tuned by controlling the nature
and quantity of the intercalated species, at the nanoscale.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
On polynomial solutions of Heun equation
By making use of a recently developed method to solve linear differential
equations of arbitrary order, we find a wide class of polynomial solutions to
the Heun equation. We construct the series solution to the Heun equation before
identifying the polynomial solutions. The Heun equation extended by the
addition of a term, - \s/x, is also amenable for polynomial solutions.Comment: 4 pages, No figur
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