Correct path-integral formulation of quantum thermal field theory in coherent-state representation

The path-integral quantization of thermal scalar, vector and spinor fields is performed newly in the coherent-state representation. In doing this, we choose the thermal electrodynamics and $\phi ^4$ theory as examples. By this quantization, correct expressions of the partition functions and the generating functionals for the quantum thermal electrodynamics and $\phi ^4$ theory are obtained in the coherent-state representation. These expressions allow us to perform analytical calculations of the partition functions and generating functionals and therefore are useful in practical applications. Especially, the perturbative expansions of the generating functionals are derived specifically by virtue of the stationary-phase method. The generating functionals formulated in the position space are re-derived from the ones given in the coherent-state representation

Two Energy Release Processes for CMEs: MHD Catastrophe and Magnetic Reconnection

It remains an open question how magnetic energy is rapidly released in the solar corona so as to create solar explosions such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Recent studies have confirmed that a system consisting of a flux rope embedded in a background field exhibits a catastrophic behavior, and the energy threshold at the catastrophic point may exceed the associated open field energy. The accumulated free energy in the corona is abruptly released when the catastrophe takes place, and it probably serves as the main means of energy release for CMEs at least in the initial phase. Such a release proceeds via an ideal MHD process in contrast with nonideal ones such as magnetic reconnection. The catastrophe results in a sudden formation of electric current sheets, which naturally provide proper sites for fast magnetic reconnection. The reconnection may be identified with a solar flare associated with the CME on one hand, and produces a further acceleration of the CME on the other. On this basis, several preliminary suggestions are made for future observational investigations, especially with the proposed KuaFu satellites, on the roles of the MHD catastrophe and magnetic reconnection in the magnetic energy release associated with CMEs and flares.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Adv. Spa. Res., in press

Kraus representation for density operator of arbitrary open qubit system

We show that the time evolution of density operator of open qubit system can always be described in terms of the Kraus representation. A general scheme on how to construct the Kraus operators for an open qubit system is proposed, which can be generalized to open higher dimensional quantum systems.Comment: 5 pages, no figures. Some words are rephrase

Uniformly Accelerated Charge in a Quantum Field: From Radiation Reaction to Unruh Effect

We present a stochastic theory for the nonequilibrium dynamics of charges moving in a quantum scalar field based on the worldline influence functional and the close-time-path (CTP or in-in) coarse-grained effective action method. We summarize (1) the steps leading to a derivation of a modified Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac equation whose solutions describe a causal semiclassical theory free of runaway solutions and without pre-acceleration patholigies, and (2) the transformation to a stochastic effective action which generates Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac-Langevin equations depicting the fluctuations of a particle's worldline around its semiclassical trajectory. We point out the misconceptions in trying to directly relate radiation reaction to vacuum fluctuations, and discuss how, in the framework that we have developed, an array of phenomena, from classical radiation and radiation reaction to the Unruh effect, are interrelated to each other as manifestations at the classical, stochastic and quantum levels. Using this method we give a derivation of the Unruh effect for the spacetime worldline coordinates of an accelerating charge. Our stochastic particle-field model, which was inspired by earlier work in cosmological backreaction, can be used as an analog to the black hole backreaction problem describing the stochastic dynamics of a black hole event horizon.Comment: Invited talk given by BLH at the International Assembly on Relativistic Dynamics (IARD), June 2004, Saas Fee, Switzerland. 19 pages, 1 figur

Resonant thermal transport in semiconductor barrier structures

I report that thermal single-barrier (TSB) and thermal double-barrier (TDB) structures (formed, for example, by inserting one or two regions of a few Ge monolayers in Si) provide both a suppression of the phonon transport as well as a resonant-thermal-transport effect. I show that high-frequency phonons can experience a traditional double-barrier resonant tunneling in the TDB structures while the formation of Fabry-Perot resonances (at lower frequencies) causes quantum oscillations in the temperature variation of both the TSB and TDB thermal conductances $\sigma_{\text{TSB}}$ and $\sigma_{\text{TDB}}$.Comment: 4 pages. 4 figure.

On String S-matrix, Bound States and TBA

The study of finite J effects for the light-cone AdS superstring by means of the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz requires an understanding of a companion 2d theory which we call the mirror model. It is obtained from the original string model by the double Wick rotation. The S-matrices describing the scattering of physical excitations in the string and mirror models are related to each other by an analytic continuation. We show that the unitarity requirement for the mirror S-matrix fixes the S-matrices of both theories essentially uniquely. The resulting string S-matrix S(z_1,z_2) satisfies the generalized unitarity condition and, up to a scalar factor, is a meromorphic function on the elliptic curve associated to each variable z. The double Wick rotation is then accomplished by shifting the variables z by quarter of the imaginary period of the torus. We discuss the apparent bound states of the string and mirror models, and show that depending on a choice of the physical region there are one, two or 2^{M-1} solutions of the M-particle bound state equations sharing the same conserved charges. For very large but finite values of J, most of these solutions, however, exhibit various signs of pathological behavior. In particular, they might receive a finite J correction to their energy which is complex, or the energy correction might exceed corrections arising due to finite J modifications of the Bethe equations thus making the asymptotic Bethe ansatz inapplicable.Comment: 77 pages, 6 figures, v2: the statement about the periodicity condition for mirror fermions corrected; typos corrected; references added, v3: misprints correcte

Large spin limits of AdS/CFT and generalized Landau-Lifshitz equations

We consider AdS_5 x S^5 string states with several large angular momenta along AdS_5 and S^5 directions which are dual to single-trace Super-Yang-Mills (SYM) operators built out of chiral combinations of scalars and covariant derivatives. In particular, we focus on the SU(3) sector (with three spins in S^5) and the SL(2) sector (with one spin in AdS_5 and one in S^5), generalizing recent work hep-th/0311203 and hep-th/0403120 on the SU(2) sector with two spins in S^5. We show that, in the large spin limit and at the leading order in the effective coupling expansion, the string sigma model equations of motion reduce to matrix Landau-Lifshitz equations. We then demonstrate that the coherent-state expectation value of the one-loop SYM dilatation operator restricted to the corresponding sector of single trace operators is also effectively described by the same equations. This implies a universal leading order equivalence between string energies and SYM anomalous dimensions, as well as a matching of integrable structures. We also discuss the more general 5-spin sector and comment on SO(6) states dual to non-chiral scalar operators

The Zamolodchikov-Faddeev algebra for open strings attached to giant gravitons

We extend the Zamolodchikov-Faddeev algebra for the superstring sigma model on $AdS_{5}\times S^{5}$, which was formulated by Arutyunov, Frolov and Zamaklar, to the case of open strings attached to maximal giant gravitons, which was recently considered by Hofman and Maldacena. We obtain boundary $S$-matrices which satisfy the standard boundary Yang-Baxter equation.Comment: 22 pages, no figure; added a referenc

Streamer Wave Events Observed in Solar Cycle 23

In this paper we conduct a data survey searching for well-defined streamer wave events observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on-board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) throughout Solar Cycle 23. As a result, 8 candidate events are found and presented here. We compare different events and find that in most of them the driving CMEs ejecta are characterized by a high speed and a wide angular span, and the CME-streamer interactions occur generally along the flank of the streamer structure at an altitude no higher than the bottom of the field of view of LASCO C2. In addition, all front-side CMEs have accompanying flares. These common observational features shed light on the excitation conditions of streamer wave events. We also conduct a further analysis on one specific streamer wave event on 5 June 2003. The heliocentric distances of 4 wave troughs/crests at various exposure times are determined; they are then used to deduce the wave properties like period, wavelength, and phase speeds. It is found that both the period and wavelength increase gradually with the wave propagation along the streamer plasma sheet, and the phase speed of the preceding wave is generally faster than that of the trailing ones. The associated coronal seismological study yields the radial profiles of the Alfv\'en speed and magnetic field strength in the region surrounding the streamer plasma sheet. Both quantities show a general declining trend with time. This is interpreted as an observational manifestation of the recovering process of the CME-disturbed corona. It is also found that the Alfv\'enic critical point is at about 10 R$_\odot$ where the flow speed, which equals the Alfv\'en speed, is $\sim$ 200 km s$^{-1}$

Dyonic Giant Magnons

We study the classical spectrum of string theory on AdS_5 X S^5 in the Hofman-Maldacena limit. We find a family of classical solutions corresponding to Giant Magnons with two independent angular momenta on S^5. These solutions are related via Pohlmeyer's reduction procedure to the charged solitons of the Complex sine-Gordon equation. The corresponding string states are dual to BPS boundstates of many magnons in the spin-chain description of planar N=4 SUSY Yang-Mills. The exact dispersion relation for these states is obtained from a purely classical calculation in string theory.Comment: LaTeX file, 16 pages. One figure. Corrected reference