Non-resonant kaon pair production and medium effects in proton-nucleus collisions

We study the non-resonant (non-$\phi$) production of $K^+K^-$ pairs by protons of 2.83 GeV kinetic energy on C, Cu, Ag, and Au targets within the collision model, based on the nuclear spectral function, for incoherent primary proton--nucleon and secondary pion--nucleon creation processes. The model takes into account the initial proton and final kaon absorption, target nucleon binding and Fermi motion as well as nuclear mean-field potential effects on these processes. We calculate the antikaon momentum dependences of the exclusive absolute and relative $K^+K^-$ pair yields in the acceptance window of the ANKE magnetic spectrometer, used in a recent experiment performed at COSY, within the different scenarios for the antikaon-nucleus optical potential. We demonstrate that the above observables are strongly sensitive to this potential. Therefore, they can be useful to help determine the $K^-$ optical potential from the direct comparison of the results of our calculations with the data from the respective ANKE-at-COSY experiment. We also show that the pion--nucleon production channels dominate in the low-momentum $K^-$, $K^+$ production in the considered kinematics and, hence, they have to be accounted for in the analysis of these data.Comment: 19 page

Medium effects in ΛK+{\Lambda}K^+ pair production by 2.83 GeV protons on nuclei

We study ${\Lambda}K^+$ pair production in the interaction of protons of 2.83 GeV kinetic energy with C, Cu, Ag, and Au target nuclei in the framework of the nuclear spectral function approach for incoherent primary proton--nucleon and secondary pion--nucleon production processes, and processes associated with the creation of intermediate ${\Sigma^0}K^+$ pairs. The approach accounts for the initial proton and final $\Lambda$ hyperon absorption, final $K^+$ meson distortion in nuclei, target nucleon binding, and Fermi motion, as well as nuclear mean-field potential effects on these processes. We calculate the $\Lambda$ momentum dependence of the absolute ${\Lambda}K^+$ yield from the target nuclei considered, in the kinematical conditions of the ANKE experiment, performed at COSY, within the different scenarios for the $\Lambda$-nucleus effective scalar potential. We show that the above observable is appreciably sensitive to this potential in the low-momentum region. Therefore, direct comparison of the results of our calculations with the data from the ANKE-at-COSY experiment can help to determine the above potential at finite momenta. We also demonstrate that the two-step pion--nucleon production channels dominate in the low-momentum ${\Lambda}K^+$ production in the chosen kinematics and, therefore, they have to be taken into account in the analysis of these data.Comment: 29 page

Comment on ``Spin and cyclotron energies of electrons in GaAs/GaAlAs quantum wells''

In a recent publication, Pfeffer and Zawadzki [cond-mat/0607150; Phys. Rev. B 74, 115309 (2006)] attempted a calculation of electron g factor in III-V heterostructures. The authors emphasize that their outcome is in strong discrepancy with our original result [Ivchenko and Kiselev, Sov. Phys. Semicond. 26, 827 (1992)] and readily conclude that ``the previous theory of the g factor in heterostructures is inadequate''. We show here that the entire discrepancy can be tracked down to an additional contribution missing in the incomplete elimination procedure of Pfeffer and Zawadzki. This mistake equally affects their ``exact'' and approximate results. When the overlooked terms stemming from the nondiagonal Zeeman interaction between light hole and spin-orbit-split valence states are taken into account in the effective electron dispersion, the results of the both approaches applied to the three-level kp model become identical.Comment: 5 pages, no figure

Direct photon production from hadronic sources in high-energy heavy-ion collisions

The low $p_T$ direct photon production from a variety of the hadronic sources is studied within the microscopic HSD transport approach for p+C, p+Pb and Pb+Pb collisions at 160 A GeV. The direct photon emission from elementary hadronic scatterings as well as meson-meson bremsstrahlung are incorporated. The influence of in-medium effects such as a collisional broadening of the vector-meson spectral functions on the photon emission rate is found to be hardly observable in the final spectra which are dominated by bremsstrahlung type processes. The uncertainties in the subtraction of the 'background' from the photon decay of hadronic resonances inside the hot and dense fireball is investigated, additionally. Our findings are relevant for the interpretation and extraction of experimental data on direct photon production at low $p_T$.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Polarized Electric Current in Semiclassical Transport with Spin-Orbit Interaction

Semiclassical solutions of two-dimensional Schrodinger equation with spin-orbit interaction and smooth potential are considered. In the leading order, spin polarization is in-plane and follows the evolution of the electron momentum for a given subband. Out-of-plane spin polarization appears as a quantum correction, for which an explicit expression is obtained. We demonstrate how spin-polarized currents can be achieved with the help of a barrier or quantum point contact open for transmission only in the lower subband.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure