2,042 research outputs found
Perturbative nonequilibrium dynamics of phase transitions in an expanding universe
A complete set of Feynman rules is derived, which permits a perturbative
description of the nonequilibrium dynamics of a symmetry-breaking phase
transition in theory in an expanding universe. In contrast to a
naive expansion in powers of the coupling constant, this approximation scheme
provides for (a) a description of the nonequilibrium state in terms of its own
finite-width quasiparticle excitations, thus correctly incorporating
dissipative effects in low-order calculations, and (b) the emergence from a
symmetric initial state of a final state exhibiting the properties of
spontaneous symmetry breaking, while maintaining the constraint . Earlier work on dissipative perturbation theory and spontaneous symmetry
breaking in Minkowski spacetime is reviewed. The central problem addressed is
the construction of a perturbative approximation scheme which treats the
initial symmetric state in terms of the field , while the state that
emerges at later times is treated in terms of a field , linearly related
to . The connection between early and late times involves an infinite
sequence of composite propagators. Explicit one-loop calculations are given of
the gap equations that determine quasiparticle masses and of the equation of
motion for and the renormalization of these equations is
described. The perturbation series needed to describe the symmetric and
broken-symmetry states are not equivalent, and this leads to ambiguities
intrinsic to any perturbative approach. These ambiguities are discussed in
detail and a systematic procedure for matching the two approximations is
described.Comment: 22 pages, using RevTeX. 6 figures. Submitted to Physical Review
Dissipation in equations of motion of scalar fields
The methods of non-equilibrium quantum field theory are used to investigate
the possibility of representing dissipation in the equation of motion for the
expectation value of a scalar field by a friction term, such as is commonly
included in phenomenological inflaton equations of motion. A sequence of
approximations is exhibited which reduces the non-equilibrium theory to a set
of local evolution equations. However, the adiabatic solution to these
evolution equations which is needed to obtain a local equation of motion for
the expectation value is not well defined; nor, therefore, is the friction
coefficient. Thus, a non-equilibrium treatment is essential, even for a system
that remains close to thermal equilibrium, and the formalism developed here
provides one means of achieving this numerically.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure
Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for complex scalar fields
Real-time perturbation theory is formulated for complex scalar fields away
from thermal equilibrium in such a way that dissipative effects arising from
the absorptive parts of loop diagrams are approximately resummed into the
unperturbed propagators. Low order calculations of physical quantities then
involve quasiparticle occupation numbers which evolve with the changing state
of the field system, in contrast to standard perturbation theory, where these
occupation numbers are frozen at their initial values. The evolution equation
of the occupation numbers can be cast approximately in the form of a Boltzmann
equation. Particular attention is given to the effects of a non-zero chemical
potential, and it is found that the thermal masses and decay widths of
quasiparticle modes are different for particles and antiparticles.Comment: 15 pages using RevTeX; 2 figures in 1 Postscript file; Submitted to
Phys. Rev.
Irradiated brown dwarfs
We have observed the post common envelope binary WD0137-349 in the near
infrared , and bands and have determined that the photometry varies
on the system period (116 min). The amplitude of the variability increases with
increasing wavelength, indicating that the brown dwarf in the system is likely
being irradiated by its 16500 K white dwarf companion. The effect of the
(primarily) UV irradiation on the brown dwarf atmosphere is unknown, but it is
possible that stratospheric hazes are formed. It is also possible that the
brown dwarf (an L-T transition object) itself is variable due to patchy cloud
cover. Both these scenarios are discussed, and suggestions for further study
are made.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Proceedings from "Brown dwarfs come of age"
meeting in Fuerteventura 201
Cemented versus cementless total knee arthroplasty of the same modern design: A prospective, randomized trial
Large-N transition temperature for superconducting films in a magnetic field
We consider the -component Ginzburg-Landau model in the large limit,
the system being embedded in an external constant magnetic field and confined
between two parallel planes a distance apart from one another. On physical
grounds, this corresponds to a material in the form of a film in the presence
of an external magnetic field. Using techniques from dimensional and
-function regularization, modified by the external field and the
confinement conditions, we investigate the behavior of the system as a function
of the film thickness . This behavior suggests the existence of a minimal
critical thickness below which superconductivity is suppressed.Comment: Revtex, two column, 4 pages, 2 figure
Field-dependent diamagnetic transition in magnetic superconductor
The magnetic penetration depth of single crystal
was measured down to 0.4 K in dc fields up
to 7 kOe. For insulating , Sm spins order at the
N\'{e}el temperature, K, independent of the applied field.
Superconducting ( K) shows a
sharp increase in diamagnetic screening below which varied from
4.0 K () to 0.5 K ( 7 kOe) for a field along the c-axis. If the
field was aligned parallel to the conducting planes, remained
unchanged. The unusual field dependence of indicates a spin freezing
transition that dramatically increases the superfluid density.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex
Nonequilibrium perturbation theory for spin-1/2 fields
A partial resummation of perturbation theory is described for field theories
containing spin-1/2 particles in states that may be far from thermal
equilibrium. This allows the nonequilibrium state to be characterized in terms
of quasiparticles that approximate its true elementary excitations. In
particular, the quasiparticles have dispersion relations that differ from those
of free particles, finite thermal widths and occupation numbers which, in
contrast to those of standard perturbation theory evolve with the changing
nonequilibrium environment. A description of this kind is essential for
estimating the evolution of the system over extended periods of time. In
contrast to the corresponding description of scalar particles, the structure of
nonequilibrium fermion propagators exhibits features which have no counterpart
in the equilibrium theory.Comment: 16 pages; no figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.
The Future of Gwydir: Community Engagement 2015-16
In mid-2015 Gwydir Shire Council engaged the Centre for Local Government at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:CLG) to conduct workshops with Council, a deliberative panel, and a community survey exploring the financial sustainability of Council and future service delivery in the local area
The parasitic worm-derived immunomodulator, ES-62 and its drug-like small molecule analogues exhibit therapeutic potential in a model of chronic asthma
Chronic asthma is associated with persistent lung inflammation and long-term remodelling of the airways that have proved refractory to conventional treatments such as steroids, despite their efficacy in controlling acute airway contraction and bronchial inflammation. As its recent dramatic increase in industrialised countries has not been mirrored in developing regions, it has been suggested that helminth infection may protect humans against developing asthma. Consistent with this, ES-62, an immunomodulator secreted by the parasitic worm Acanthocheilonema viteae, can prevent pathology associated with chronic asthma (cellular infiltration of the lungs, particularly neutrophils and mast cells, mucus hyper-production and airway thickening) in an experimental mouse model. Importantly, ES-62 can act even after airway remodelling has been established, arresting pathogenesis and ameliorating the inflammatory flares resulting from repeated exposure to allergen that are a debilitating feature of severe chronic asthma. Moreover, two chemical analogues of ES-62, 11a and 12b mimic its therapeutic actions in restoring levels of regulatory B cells and suppressing neutrophil and mast cell responses. These studies therefore provide a platform for developing ES-62-based drugs, with compounds 11a and 12b representing the first step in the development of a novel class of drugs to combat the hitherto intractable disorder of chronic asthma
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