The specific entropy of elliptical galaxies: an explanation for profile-shape distance indicators?

Dynamical systems in equilibrium have a stationary entropy; we suggest that elliptical galaxies, as stellar systems in a stage of quasi-equilibrium, may have a unique specific entropy. This uniqueness, a priori unknown, should be reflected in correlations between the parameters describing the mass (light) distribution in galaxies. Following recent photometrical work (Caon et al. 1993; Graham & Colless 1997; Prugniel & Simien 1997), we use the Sersic law to describe the light profile of elliptical galaxies and an analytical approximation to its three dimensional deprojection. The specific entropy is calculated supposing that the galaxy behaves as a spherical, isotropic, one-component system in hydrostatic equilibrium, obeying the ideal gas state equations. We predict a relation between the 3 parameters of the Sersic, defining a surface in the parameter space, an `Entropic Plane', by analogy with the well-known Fundamental Plane. We have analysed elliptical galaxies in Coma and ABCG 85 clusters and a group of galaxies (associated with NGC 4839). We show that the galaxies in clusters follow closely a relation predicted by the constant specific entropy hypothesis with a one-sigma dispersion of 9.5% around the mean value of the specific entropy. Assuming that the specific entropy is also the same for galaxies of different clusters, we are able to derive relative distances between the studied clusters. If the errors are only due to the determination of the specific entropy (about 10%), then the error in the relative distance determination should be less than 20% for rich clusters. We suggest that the unique specific entropy may provide a physical explanation for the distance indicators based on the Sersic profile put forward by Young & Currie (1994, 1995) and discussed by Binggeli & Jerjen (1998).Comment: Submitted to MNRAS (05/05/99), 15 pages, 10 figure

Majority-vote on directed Small-World networks

On directed Small-World networks the Majority-vote model with noise is now studied through Monte Carlo simulations. In this model, the order-disorder phase transition of the order parameter is well defined in this system. We calculate the value of the critical noise parameter q_c for several values of rewiring probability p of the directed Small-World network. The critical exponentes beta/nu, gamma/nu and 1/nu were calculated for several values of p.Comment: 16 pages including 9 figures, for Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Reflection matrices for the Uq[sl(r∣2m)(2)]U_{q}[sl(r|2m)^{(2)}] vertex model

The graded reflection equation is investigated for the $U_{q}[sl(r|2m)^{(2)}]$ vertex model. We have found four classes of diagonal solutions and twelve classes of non-diagonal ones. The number of free parameters for some solutions depends on the number of bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom considered.Comment: 30 page

Critical behavior of the spin-3/2 Blume-Capel model on a random two-dimensional lattice

We investigate the critical properties of the spin-3/2 Blume-Capel model in two dimensions on a random lattice with quenched connectivity disorder. The disordered system is simulated by applying the cluster hybrid Monte Carlo update algorithm and re-weighting techniques. We calculate the critical temperature as well as the critical point exponents $\gamma/\nu$, $\beta/\nu$, $\alpha/\nu$, and $\nu$. We find that, contrary of what happens to the spin-1/2 case, this random system does not belong to the same universality class as the regular two-dimensional ferromagnetic model.Comment: 5 pages and 5 figure