Spin-3/2 random quantum antiferromagnetic chains

We use a modified perturbative renormalization group approach to study the random quantum antiferromagnetic spin-3/2 chain. We find that in the case of rectangular distributions there is a quantum Griffiths phase and we obtain the dynamical critical exponent $Z$ as a function of disorder. Only in the case of extreme disorder, characterized by a power law distribution of exchange couplings, we find evidence that a random singlet phase could be reached. We discuss the differences between our results and those obtained by other approaches.Comment: 4 page

The Random-bond Potts model in the large-q limit

We study the critical behavior of the q-state Potts model with random ferromagnetic couplings. Working with the cluster representation the partition sum of the model in the large-q limit is dominated by a single graph, the fractal properties of which are related to the critical singularities of the random Potts model. The optimization problem of finding the dominant graph, is studied on the square lattice by simulated annealing and by a combinatorial algorithm. Critical exponents of the magnetization and the correlation length are estimated and conformal predictions are compared with numerical results.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Suppression of the structural phase transition and lattice softening in slightly underdoped Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 with electronic phase separation

We present x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and neutron diffraction measurements on the slightly underdoped iron pnictide superconductor Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2, Tc = 32K. Below the magnetic transition temperature Tm = 70K, both techniques show an additional broadening of the nuclear Bragg peaks, suggesting a weak structural phase transition. However, macroscopically the system does not break its tetragonal symmetry down to 15 K. Instead, XRPD patterns at low temperature reveal an increase of the anisotropic microstrain proportionally in all directions. We associate this effect with the electronic phase separation, previously observed in the same material, and with the effect of lattice softening below the magnetic phase transition. We employ density functional theory to evaluate the distribution of atomic positions in the presence of dopant atoms both in the normal and magnetic states, and to quantify the lattice softening, showing that it can account for a major part of the observed increase of the microstrain.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Development of a model-based clinical sepsis biomarker for critically ill patients

Invited. online 15 May 2010.Sepsis occurs frequently in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is a leading cause of admission, mortality, and cost. Treatment guidelines recommend early intervention, however positive blood culture results may take up to 48 h. Insulin sensitivity (SI) is known to decrease with worsening condition and could thus be used to aid diagnosis. Some glycemic control protocols are able to accurately identify insulin sensitivity in real-time. Hourly model-based insulin sensitivity SI values were calculated from glycemic control data of 36 patients with sepsis. The hourly SI is compared to the hourly sepsis score (ss) for these patients (ss = 0–4 for increasing severity). A multivariate clinical biomarker was also developed to maximize the discrimination between different ss groups. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for severe sepsis (ss=2) are created for both SI and the multivariate clinical biomarker. Insulin sensitivity as a sepsis biomarker for diagnosis of severe sepsis achieves a 50% sensitivity, 76% specificity, 4.8% positive predictive value (PPV), and 98.3% negative predictive value (NPV) at an SI cut-off value of 0.00013 L/mU/min. Multivariate clinical biomarker combining SI, temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and their respective hourly rates of change achieves 73% sensitivity, 80% specificity, 8.4% PPV, and 99.2% NPV. Thus, themultivariate clinical biomarker provides an effective real-time negative predictive diagnostic for severe sepsis. Examination of both inter- and intra-patient statistical distribution of this biomarker and sepsis score shows potential avenues to improve the positive predictive value

Dephasing of Electrons in Mesoscopic Metal Wires

We have extracted the phase coherence time $\tau_{\phi}$ of electronic quasiparticles from the low field magnetoresistance of weakly disordered wires made of silver, copper and gold. In samples fabricated using our purest silver and gold sources, $\tau_{\phi}$ increases as $T^{-2/3}$ when the temperature $T$ is reduced, as predicted by the theory of electron-electron interactions in diffusive wires. In contrast, samples made of a silver source material of lesser purity or of copper exhibit an apparent saturation of $\tau_{\phi}$ starting between 0.1 and 1 K down to our base temperature of 40 mK. By implanting manganese impurities in silver wires, we show that even a minute concentration of magnetic impurities having a small Kondo temperature can lead to a quasi saturation of $\tau_{\phi}$ over a broad temperature range, while the resistance increase expected from the Kondo effect remains hidden by a large background. We also measured the conductance of Aharonov-Bohm rings fabricated using a very pure copper source and found that the amplitude of the $h/e$ conductance oscillations increases strongly with magnetic field. This set of experiments suggests that the frequently observed ``saturation'' of $\tau_{\phi}$ in weakly disordered metallic thin films can be attributed to spin-flip scattering from extremely dilute magnetic impurities, at a level undetectable by other means.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, to be published in Physical Review

Origin of Life

The evolution of life has been a big enigma despite rapid advancements in the fields of biochemistry, astrobiology, and astrophysics in recent years. The answer to this puzzle has been as mind-boggling as the riddle relating to evolution of Universe itself. Despite the fact that panspermia has gained considerable support as a viable explanation for origin of life on the Earth and elsewhere in the Universe, the issue remains far from a tangible solution. This paper examines the various prevailing hypotheses regarding origin of life like abiogenesis, RNA World, Iron-sulphur World, and panspermia; and concludes that delivery of life-bearing organic molecules by the comets in the early epoch of the Earth alone possibly was not responsible for kick-starting the process of evolution of life on our planet.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figures,invited review article, minor additio

Quantum-mechanical model for particles carrying electric charge and magnetic flux in two dimensions

We propose a simple quantum mechanical equation for $n$ particles in two dimensions, each particle carrying electric charge and magnetic flux. Such particles appear in (2+1)-dimensional Chern-Simons field theories as charged vortex soliton solutions, where the ratio of charge to flux is a constant independent of the specific solution. As an approximation, the charge-flux interaction is described here by the Aharonov-Bohm potential, and the charge-charge interaction by the Coulomb one. The equation for two particles, one with charge and flux ($q, \Phi/Z$) and the other with ($-Zq, -\Phi$) where $Z$ is a pure number is studied in detail. The bound state problem is solved exactly for arbitrary $q$ and $\Phi$ when $Z>0$. The scattering problem is exactly solved in parabolic coordinates in special cases when $q\Phi/2\pi\hbar c$ takes integers or half integers. In both cases the cross sections obtained are rather different from that for pure Coulomb scattering.Comment: 12 pages, REVTeX, no figur

Exact renormalization of the random transverse-field Ising spin chain in the strongly ordered and strongly disordered Griffiths phases

The real-space renormalization group (RG) treatment of random transverse-field Ising spin chains by Fisher ({\it Phys. Rev. B{\bf 51}, 6411 (1995)}) has been extended into the strongly ordered and strongly disordered Griffiths phases and asymptotically exact results are obtained. In the non-critical region the asymmetry of the renormalization of the couplings and the transverse fields is related to a non-linear quantum control parameter, $\Delta$, which is a natural measure of the distance from the quantum critical point. $\Delta$, which is found to stay invariant along the RG trajectories and has been expressed by the initial disorder distributions, stands in the singularity exponents of different physical quantities (magnetization, susceptibility, specific heat, etc), which are exactly calculated. In this way we have observed a weak-universality scenario: the Griffiths-McCoy singularities does not depend on the form of the disorder, provided the non-linear quantum control parameter has the same value. The exact scaling function of the magnetization with a small applied magnetic field is calculated and the critical point magnetization singularity is determined in a simple, direct way.Comment: 11 page

Observational Constraints on the Modified Gravity Model (MOG) Proposed by Moffat: Using the Magellanic System

A simple model for the dynamics of the Magellanic Stream (MS), in the framework of modified gravity models is investigated. We assume that the galaxy is made up of baryonic matter out of context of dark matter scenario. The model we used here is named Modified Gravity (MOG) proposed by Moffat (2005). In order to examine the compatibility of the overall properties of the MS under the MOG theory, the observational radial velocity profile of the MS is compared with the numerical results using the $\chi^2$ fit method. In order to obtain the best model parameters, a maximum likelihood analysis is performed. We also compare the results of this model with the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) halo model and the other alternative gravity model that proposed by Bekenstein (2004), so called TeVeS. We show that by selecting the appropriate values for the free parameters, the MOG theory seems to be plausible to explain the dynamics of the MS as well as the CDM and the TeVeS models.Comment: 14 pages, 3 Figures, accepted in Int. J. Theor. Phy

Properties of the Bose glass phase in irradiated superconductors near the matching field

Structural and transport properties of interacting localized flux lines in the Bose glass phase of irradiated superconductors are studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations near the matching field B_Phi, where the densities of vortices and columnar defects are equal. For a completely random columnar pin distribution in the xy-plane transverse to the magnetic field, our results show that the repulsive vortex interactions destroy the Mott insulator phase which was predicted to occur at B = B_Phi. On the other hand, for ratios of the penetration depth to average defect distance lambda/d <= 1, characteristic remnants of the Mott insulator singularities remain visible in experimentally accessible quantities as the magnetization, the bulk modulus, and the magnetization relaxation, when B is varied near B_Phi. For spatially more regular disorder, e.g., a nearly triangular defect distribution, we find that the Mott insulator phase can survive up to considerably large interaction range \lambda/d, and may thus be observable in experiments.Comment: RevTex, 17 pages, eps files for 12 figures include