A non-perturbative estimate of the heavy quark momentum diffusion coefficient

We estimate the momentum diffusion coefficient of a heavy quark within a pure SU(3) plasma at a temperature of about 1.5Tc. Large-scale Monte Carlo simulations on a series of lattices extending up to 192^3*48 permit us to carry out a continuum extrapolation of the so-called colour-electric imaginary-time correlator. The extrapolated correlator is analyzed with the help of theoretically motivated models for the corresponding spectral function. Evidence for a non-zero transport coefficient is found and, incorporating systematic uncertainties reflecting model assumptions, we obtain kappa = (1.8 - 3.4)T^3. This implies that the "drag coefficient", characterizing the time scale at which heavy quarks adjust to hydrodynamic flow, is (1.8 - 3.4) (Tc/T)^2 (M/1.5GeV) fm/c, where M is the heavy quark kinetic mass. The results apply to bottom and, with somewhat larger systematic uncertainties, to charm quarks.Comment: 18 pages. v2: clarifications adde

Critical point and scale setting in SU(3) plasma: An update

We explore a method developed in statistical physics which has been argued to have exponentially small finite-volume effects, in order to determine the critical temperature Tc of pure SU(3) gauge theory close to the continuum limit. The method allows us to estimate the critical coupling betac of the Wilson action for temporal extents up to Nt ~ 20 with < 0.1% uncertainties. Making use of the scale setting parameters r0 and sqrt{t0} in the same range of beta-values, these results lead to the independent continuum extrapolations Tc r0 = 0.7457(45) and Tc sqrt{t0} = 0.2489(14), with the latter originating from a more convincing fit. Inserting a conversion of r0 from literature (unfortunately with much larger errors) yields Tc / LambdaMSbar = 1.24(10).Comment: 12 pages. v2: clarifications and references added, published versio

On the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity in hot quenched lattice QCD

Extending our recent work, we report on a calculation of the vector current correlation function for light valence quarks in the deconfined phase of quenched QCD in the temperature range 1.16Tc<T<2.98Tc. After performing a systematic analysis of the in fluence of cut-off effects on light quark meson correlators using clover improved Wilson fermions, we discuss resulting constraints on the electrical conductivity in a quark gluon plasma.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, contribution to the proceedings of the "International School of Nuclear Physics 33rd Course 'From Quarks and Gluons to Hadrons and Nuclei' Erice-Sicily, September 16-24, 2011

The QCD string tension curve, the ferromagnetic magnetization, and the quark-antiquark confining potential at finite Temperature

We study the string tension as a function of temperature, fitting the SU(3) lattice QCD finite temperature free energy potentials computed by the Bielefeld group. We compare the string tension points with order parameter curves of ferromagnets, superconductors or string models, all related to confinement. We also compare the SU(3) string tension with the one of SU(2) Lattice QCD. With the curve providing the best fit to the finite temperature string tensions, the spontaneous magnetization curve, we then show how to include finite temperature, in the state of the art confining and chiral invariant quark models.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure

Towards the continuum limit in transport coefficient computations

The analytic continuation needed for the extraction of transport coefficients necessitates in principle a continuous function of the Euclidean time variable. We report on progress towards achieving the continuum limit for 2-point correlator measurements in thermal SU(3) gauge theory, with specific attention paid to scale setting. In particular, we improve upon the determination of the critical lattice coupling and the critical temperature of pure SU(3) gauge theory, estimating r0*Tc ~ 0.7470(7) after a continuum extrapolation. As an application the determination of the heavy quark momentum diffusion coefficient from a correlator of colour-electric fields attached to a Polyakov loop is discussed.Comment: 7 pages. To appear in the Proceedings of the 31st International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, July 29 - August 3, 2013, Mainz, German

Eu3+ multicenter formation and luminescent properties of Ca3Sc2Si3O12:Eu and Ca2YScMgSiO12:Eu single crystalline films

The work is dedicated to the investigation of Eu3+ multicenter formation and luminescent properties of Ca3Sc2Si3O12:Eu (CSSG:Eu) and Ca2YScMgSiO12:Eu (CYMSSG:Eu) single crystalline film (SCF) phosphors, grown by liquid phase epitaxy method onto Gd3Ga2.5Al2.5O12 (GAGG) and Y3Al5O12 (YAG) substrates, respectively. We have found notable differences in the luminescent properties of CSSG:Eu and CYMSSG:Eu SCFs caused by the Eu3+ multicenter formation in both garnets due to the different local surrounding of Eu3+ ions in the dodecahedral positions by the non-isovalent Sc3+/Mg2+ and Si4+ cations in the octahedral and tetrahedral positions of garnet hosts, respectively. A feature of the Eu3+ center creation in CYMSSG:Eu garnet in comparison with CSSG:Eu counterpart is the possibility of localization of Eu3+ ions in dodecahedral sites of both Ca2+ and Y3+ cations. However, based on the obtained results, we have presupposed preferable localization of the Eu3+ ions mainly in the Y3+ positions of this garnet

The variability of peridotite composition across a mantle shear zone (Lanzo massif, Italy): interplay of melt focusing and deformation

In this paper we present new data on the spatial variability of peridotite composition across a kilometer-scale mantle shear zone within the Lanzo massif (Western Alps, Italy). The shear zone separates the central from the northern part of the massif. Plagioclase peridotite shows gradually increasing deformation towards the shear zone, from porphyroclastic to mylonitic textures in the central body, while the northern body is composed of porphyroclastic rocks. The peridotite displays a large range of compositions, from fertile peridotite to refractory harzburgite and dunite. Deformed peridotites (proto-mylonite and mylonites) tend to be compositionally more homogeneous and fertile than weakly deformed peridotites. The composition of most plagioclase peridotites show rather high and constant (Ce/Yb)N ratios, and YbN that cannot be explained by any simple melting model. Instead, refertilization modeling, consisting of melt increments from spinel peridotite sources, particularly with E-MORB melt, reasonably reproduces the plagioclase peridotite whole rock composition. Combined with constraints from Ce-Nb and Ce-Th systematics, we speculate that peridotites such as those from Lanzo record pervasive refertilization processes in the thermal boundary layer. In this scenario, mantle shear zones might act as important areas of melt focusing in the upper mantle that separates the thermal boundary layer from the conductively cooled mantl