A New Model for the Hard Time Lags in Black Hole X-Ray Binaries

The time-dependent Comptonized output of a cool soft X-ray source drifting inward through an inhomogeneous hot inner disk or corona is numerically simulated. We propose that this scenario can explain from first principles the observed trends in the hard time lags and power spectra of the rapid aperiodic variability of the X-ray emission of Galactic black-hole candidates.Comment: 10 pages, including 2 figures; uses epsf.sty, rotate.sty; accepted for ApJ Letter

Quantum Phase Interference for Quantum Tunneling in Spin Systems

The point-particle-like Hamiltonian of a biaxial spin particle with external magnetic field along the hard axis is obtained in terms of the potential field description of spin systems with exact spin-coordinate correspondence. The Zeeman energy term turns out to be an effective gauge potential which leads to a nonintegrable pha se of the Euclidean Feynman propagator. The phase interference between clockwise and anticlockwise under barrier propagations is recognized explicitly as the Aharonov-Bohm effect. An additional phase which is significant for quantum phase interference is discovered with the quantum theory of spin systems besides the known phase obtained with the semiclassical treatment of spin. We also show the energ y dependence of the effect and obtain the tunneling splitting at excited states with the help of periodic instantons.Comment: 19 pages, no figure, to appear in PR

Phase structure of lattice QCD with two flavors of Wilson quarks at finite temperature and chemical potential

We present results for phase structure of lattice QCD with two degenerate flavors ($N_f=2$) of Wilson quarks at finite temperature $T$ and small baryon chemical potential $\mu_B$. Using the imaginary chemical potential for which the fermion determinant is positive, we perform simulations at points where the ratios of pseudo-scalar meson mass to the vector meson mass $m_\pi/m_\rho$ are between $0.943(3)$ and $0.899(4)$ as well as in the quenched limit. By analytic continuation to real quark chemical potential $\mu$, we obtain the transition temperature as a function of small $\mu_B$. We attempt to determine the nature of transition at imaginary chemical potential by histogram, MC history, and finite size scaling. In the infinite heavy quark limit, the transition is of first order. At intermediate values of quark mass $m_q$ corresponding to the ratio of $m_\pi/m_\rho$ in the range from $0.943(3)$ to $0.899(4)$ at $a\mu_I=0.24$, the MC simulations show absence of phase transition.Comment: 10 pages, 17 figures;16 figures;9 pages,10 figures;10 pages,11 figure

Spin transfer and polarization of antihyperons in lepton induced reactions

We study the polarization of antihyperon in lepton induced reactions such as $e^+e^-\to\bar H+X$ and $l+p\to l'+\bar H+X$ with polarized beams using different models for spin transfer in high energy fragmentation processes. We compare the results with the available data and those for hyperons. We make predictions for future experiments.Comment: 31 pages, 6 figures. submitted to Phys. Rev. D. content changed, references adde

Constraining ΩM\Omega_M and Dark Energy with Gamma-Ray Bursts

An $E_{\gamma,{\rm jet}}\propto {E'_p}^{1.5}$ relationship with a small scatter for current $\gamma$-ray burst (GRB) data was recently reported, where $E_{\gamma,{\rm jet}}$ is the beaming-corrected $\gamma$-ray energy and $E'_p$ is the $\nu F_\nu$ peak energy in the local observer frame. By considering this relationship for a sample of 12 GRBs with known redshift, peak energy, and break time of afterglow light curves, we constrain the mass density of the universe and the nature of dark energy. We find that the mass density $\Omega_M=0.35\pm^{0.15}_{0.15}$ (at the $1\sigma$ confident level) for a flat universe with a cosmological constant, and the $w$ parameter of an assumed static dark-energy equation of state $w=-0.84\pm^{0.57}_{0.83}$ ($1\sigma$). Our results are consistent with those from type Ia supernovae. A larger sample established by the upcoming {\em Swift} satellite is expected to provide further constraints.Comment: 8 pages including 4 figures, to appear in ApJ Letters, typos correcte

Scaling of geometric phases close to quantum phase transition in the XY chain

We show that geometric phase of the ground state in the XY model obeys scaling behavior in the vicinity of a quantum phase transition. In particular we find that geometric phase is non-analytical and its derivative with respect to the field strength diverges at the critical magnetic field. Furthermore, universality in the critical properties of the geometric phase in a family of models is verified. In addition, since quantum phase transition occurs at a level crossing or avoided level crossing and these level structures can be captured by Berry curvature, the established relation between geometric phase and quantum phase transitions is not a specific property of the XY model, but a very general result of many-body systems.Comment: 4 page