34 research outputs found
Biology and conservation of the unique and diverse halophilic macroinvertebrates of Australian salt lakes
This study synthesises information on the biology of the unique and diverse halophilic macroinvertebrates of Australian salt lakes, focusing on gastropods and crustaceans. This information is needed to evaluate and manage the threats posed to these invertebrates by increased periods of drought and secondary salinisation. Most of these species are endemic to Australian salt lakes, and some have adapted to extreme conditions (e.g. salinities >100 g Lâ1 and pH <5). This study identifies key general findings regarding the taxonomy, ecology and life histories of these invertebrates, such as that many ânewâ species have been uncovered in the past 20 years, with more likely to come. The study also identifies critical knowledge gaps, such as the need to elucidate the abiotic and biological drivers of the field distributions of species, including why some species are widespread and common whereas other congeneric species are rare or have narrow distributions. Those species that are either restricted to low salinity environments or survive dry periods as aestivating adults (as opposed to desiccation-resistant eggs) are probably the most vulnerable to increasing salinisation and drought. Future work should prioritise the development of a sound taxonomy for all groups, because this is needed to underpin all other biological research
Scaling critical behavior of superconductors at zero magnetic field
We consider the scaling behavior in the critical domain of superconductors at
zero external magnetic field. The first part of the paper is concerned with the
Ginzburg-Landau model in the zero magnetic field Meissner phase. We discuss the
scaling behavior of the superfluid density and we give an alternative proof of
Josephson's relation for a charged superfluid. This proof is obtained as a
consequence of an exact renormalization group equation for the photon mass. We
obtain Josephson's relation directly in the form , that
is, we do not need to assume that the hyperscaling relation holds. Next, we
give an interpretation of a recent experiment performed in thin films of
. We argue that the measured mean field like
behavior of the penetration depth exponent is possibly associated with a
non-trivial critical behavior and we predict the exponents and
for the correlation lenght and specific heat, respectively. In the
second part of the paper we discuss the scaling behavior in the continuum dual
Ginzburg-Landau model. After reviewing lattice duality in the Ginzburg-Landau
model, we discuss the continuum dual version by considering a family of
scalings characterized by a parameter introduced such that
, where is the bare mass of the magnetic
induction field. We discuss the difficulties in identifying the renormalized
magnetic induction mass with the photon mass. We show that the only way to have
a critical regime with is having , that
is, with having the scaling behavior of the renormalized photon mass.Comment: RevTex, 15 pages, no figures; the subsection III-C has been removed
due to a mistak
Observation of the 0+ 2 and Îł bands in 98Ru, and shape coexistence in the Ru isotopes
Excited states in 98Ru were investigated using Îł-ray spectroscopy following the ÎČ-decay of 98Rh, and via the 100Ru(p,t) reaction. Combining the results from the two experiments, two states were revised to have spin-parity of 4+ and subsequently assigned to the 02+ and âÎłâ bands, respectively. The observed structures in 98Ru are suggested to be deformed and rotational, rather than spherical and vibrational, and fit well into the systematics of these excitations in the Ru isotopes. The 02+ excitation is suggested as a shape coexisting configuration. This observation eliminates some of the last remaining candidates for nearly harmonic vibrational nuclei in the Zâ50 region. Beyond-mean-field calculations are presented that support shape coexistence throughout the Ru isotopes with N=52â62, and suggest a smooth evolution of the shape
Scalar perturbation spectra from warm inflation
We present a numerical integration of the cosmological scalar perturbation
equations in warm inflation. The initial conditions are provided by a
discussion of the thermal fluctuations of an inflaton field and thermal
radiation using a combination of thermal field theory and thermodynamics. The
perturbation equations include the effects of a damping coefficient
and a thermodynamic potential . We give an analytic expression for the
spectral index of scalar fluctuations in terms of a new slow-roll parameter
constructed from . A series of toy models, inspired by spontaneous
symmetry breaking and a known form of the damping coefficient, lead to a
spectrum with on large scales and on small scales.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, RevTeX 4, revised with extra figure
Nonperturbative renormalization group approach to frustrated magnets
This article is devoted to the study of the critical properties of classical
XY and Heisenberg frustrated magnets in three dimensions. We first analyze the
experimental and numerical situations. We show that the unusual behaviors
encountered in these systems, typically nonuniversal scaling, are hardly
compatible with the hypothesis of a second order phase transition. We then
review the various perturbative and early nonperturbative approaches used to
investigate these systems. We argue that none of them provides a completely
satisfactory description of the three-dimensional critical behavior. We then
recall the principles of the nonperturbative approach - the effective average
action method - that we have used to investigate the physics of frustrated
magnets. First, we recall the treatment of the unfrustrated - O(N) - case with
this method. This allows to introduce its technical aspects. Then, we show how
this method unables to clarify most of the problems encountered in the previous
theoretical descriptions of frustrated magnets. Firstly, we get an explanation
of the long-standing mismatch between different perturbative approaches which
consists in a nonperturbative mechanism of annihilation of fixed points between
two and three dimensions. Secondly, we get a coherent picture of the physics of
frustrated magnets in qualitative and (semi-) quantitative agreement with the
numerical and experimental results. The central feature that emerges from our
approach is the existence of scaling behaviors without fixed or pseudo-fixed
point and that relies on a slowing-down of the renormalization group flow in a
whole region in the coupling constants space. This phenomenon allows to explain
the occurence of generic weak first order behaviors and to understand the
absence of universality in the critical behavior of frustrated magnets.Comment: 58 pages, 15 PS figure
Critical exponents and equation of state of the three-dimensional Heisenberg universality class
We improve the theoretical estimates of the critical exponents for the
three-dimensional Heisenberg universality class. We find gamma=1.3960(9),
nu=0.7112(5), eta=0.0375(5), alpha=-0.1336(15), beta=0.3689(3), and
delta=4.783(3). We consider an improved lattice phi^4 Hamiltonian with
suppressed leading scaling corrections. Our results are obtained by combining
Monte Carlo simulations based on finite-size scaling methods and
high-temperature expansions. The critical exponents are computed from
high-temperature expansions specialized to the phi^4 improved model. By the
same technique we determine the coefficients of the small-magnetization
expansion of the equation of state. This expansion is extended analytically by
means of approximate parametric representations, obtaining the equation of
state in the whole critical region. We also determine a number of universal
amplitude ratios.Comment: 40 pages, final version. In publication in Phys. Rev.
DSAM lifetime measurements for the chiral pair in 194Tl
Most important for the identification of chiral symmetry in atomic nuclei is to establish a pair of bands that are near-degenerate in energy, but also in B(M1) and B(E2) transition probabilities. Dedicated lifetime measurements were performed for four bands of 194Tl, including the pair of four-quasiparticle chiral bands with close near-degeneracy, considered as a prime candidate for best chiral symmetry pair. The lifetime measurements confirm the excellent near-degeneracy in this pair and indicate that a third band may be involved in the chiral symmetry scenario