Neutrino-nucleon scattering rate in proto neutron star matter

We present a calculation of the neutrino-nucleon scattering cross section which takes into account the nuclear correlations in the relativistic random phase approximation. Our approach is based on a quantum hadrodynamics model with exchange of $\sigma$, $\omega$, $\pi$, $\rho$ and $\delta$ mesons. In view of applications to neutrino transport in the final stages of supernova explosion and protoneutron star cooling, we study the evolution of the neutrino mean free path as a function of density, proton-neutron asymmetry and temperature. Special attention was paid to the issues of renormalization of the Dirac sea, residual interactions in the tensor channel and meson mixing. It is found that RPA corrections, with respect to the mean field approximation, amount to only 10% to 15% at high density.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, subm. to EPJ

Relativistic approach to positronium levels in a strong magnetic field

We have investigated the bound states of an electron and positron in superstrong magnetic fields typical for neutron stars. The complete relativistic problem of positronium in a strong magnetic field has not been succesfully solved up to now. In particular, we have studied the positronium when it moves relativistically across the magnetic field. A number of problems which deal with the pulsar magnetosphere, as well as the evolution of protoneutron stars, could be considered as a field for application

Bar pattern speed evolution over the last 7 Gyr

The tumbling pattern of a bar is the main parameter characterising its dynamics. From numerical simulations, its evolution since bar formation is tightly linked to the dark halo in which the bar is formed through dynamical friction and angular momentum exchange. Observational measurements of the bar pattern speed with redshift can restrict models of galaxy formation and bar evolution. We aim to determine, for the first time, the bar pattern speed evolution with redshift based on morphological measurements. We have selected a sample of 44 low inclination ringed galaxies from the SDSS and COSMOS surveys covering the redshift range 0 <z< 0.8 to investigate the evolution of the bar pattern speed. We have derived morphological ratios between the deprojected outer ring radius (R_{ring}) and the bar size (R_{bar}). This quantity is related to the parameter {\cal R}=R_{CR}/R_{bar} used for classifiying bars in slow and fast rotators, and allow us to investigate possible differences with redshift. We obtain a similar distribution of $R$ at all redshifts. We do not find any systematic effect that could be forcing this result. The results obtained here are compatible with both, the bulk of the bar population (~70%) being fast-rotators and no evolution of the pattern speed with redshift. We argue that if bars are long-lasting structures, the results presented here imply that there has not been a substantial angular momentum exchange between the bar and halo, as predicted by numerical simulations. In consequence, this might imply that the discs of these high surface-brightness galaxies are maximal.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Quantum computational tensor network on string-net condensate

The string-net condensate is a new class of materials which exhibits the quantum topological order. In order to answer the important question, "how useful is the string-net condensate in quantum information processing?", we consider the most basic example of the string-net condensate, namely the $Z_2$ gauge string-net condensate on the two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, and show that the universal measurement-based quantum computation (in the sense of the quantum computational webs) is possible on it by using the framework of the quantum computational tensor network. This result implies that even the most basic example of the string-net condensate is equipped with the correlation space that has the capacity for the universal quantum computation.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure