Local order and magnetic field effects on the electronic properties of disordered binary alloys in the Quantum Site Percolation limit

Electronic properties of disordered binary alloys are studied via the calculation of the average Density of States (DOS) in two and three dimensions. We propose a new approximate scheme that allows for the inclusion of local order effects in finite geometries and extrapolates the behavior of infinite systems following `finite-size scaling' ideas. We particularly investigate the limit of the Quantum Site Percolation regime described by a tight-binding Hamiltonian. This limit was chosen to probe the role of short range order (SRO) properties under extreme conditions. The method is numerically highly efficient and asymptotically exact in important limits, predicting the correct DOS structure as a function of the SRO parameters. Magnetic field effects can also be included in our model to study the interplay of local order and the shifted quantum interference driven by the field. The average DOS is highly sensitive to changes in the SRO properties, and striking effects are observed when a magnetic field is applied near the segregated regime. The new effects observed are twofold: there is a reduction of the band width and the formation of a gap in the middle of the band, both as a consequence of destructive interference of electronic paths and the loss of coherence for particular values of the magnetic field. The above phenomena are periodic in the magnetic flux. For other limits that imply strong localization, the magnetic field produces minor changes in the structure of the average DOS.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 31 references, RevTex preprint, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Vacuum polarization by topological defects in de Sitter spacetime

In this paper we investigate the vacuum polarization effects associated with a massive quantum scalar field in de Sitter spacetime in the presence of gravitational topological defects. Specifically we calculate the vacuum expectation value of the field square, $$. Because this investigation has been developed in a pure de Sitter space, here we are mainly interested on the effects induced by the presence of the defects.Comment: Talk presented at the 1st. Mediterranean Conference on Classical and Quantum Gravity (MCCQG

Copper and Barium Abundances in the Ursa Major Moving Group

We present Cu and Ba abundances for 7 G-K dwarf stars, members of the solar-metallicity, 0.3 Gyr old Ursa Major Moving Group. All analyzed member stars show [Ba/Fe] excesses of +0.3-plus, associated with [Cu/Fe] deficiencies of up to -0.23 dex. The present results suggest that there is an anti-correlation between the abundances of Cu and the heavy elements produced by the main component of the neutron capture s-process. Other possible anomalies are Na and C deficiencies with respect to normal solar-metallicity stars. The new data do not confirm the recent claim that the group member HR6094 is a Ba dwarf star.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted to MNRA

A photometric and spectroscopic survey of solar twin stars within 50 parsecs of the Sun: I. Atmospheric parameters and color similarity to the Sun

Solar twins and analogs are fundamental in the characterization of the Sun's place in the context of stellar measurements, as they are in understanding how typical the solar properties are in its neighborhood. They are also important for representing sunlight observable in the night sky for diverse photometric and spectroscopic tasks, besides being natural candidates for harboring planetary systems similar to ours and possibly even life-bearing environments. We report a photometric and spectroscopic survey of solar twin stars within 50 pc of the Sun. Hipparcos absolute magnitudes and (B-V)_Tycho colors were used to define a 2 sigma box around the solar values, where 133 stars were considered. Additional stars resembling the solar UBV colors in a broad sense, plus stars present in the lists of Hardorp, were also selected. All objects were ranked by a color-similarity index with respect to the Sun, defined by uvby and BV photometry. Moderately high-resolution, high-S/N spectra were used for a subsample of equatorial-southern stars to derive Teff, log g, and [Fe/H] with average internal errors better than 50 K, 0.20 dex, and 0.08 dex, respectively. Ages and masses were estimated from theoretical HR diagrams. The color-similarity index proved very successful. We identify and rank new excellent solar analogs, which are fit to represent the Sun in the night sky. Some of them are faint enough to be of interest for moderately large telescopes. We also identify two stars with near-UV spectra indistinguishable from the Sun's. We present five new "probable" solar twin stars, besides five new "possible" twins. Masses and ages for the best solar twin candidates lie very close to the solar values, but chromospheric activity levels range somewhat. We propose that the solar twins be emphasized in the ongoing searches for extra-solar planets and SETI searches.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, 14 table

A Link Between the Semi-Major Axis of Extrasolar Gas Giant Planets and Stellar Metallicity

The fact that most extrasolar planets found to date are orbiting metal-rich stars lends credence to the core accretion mechanism of gas giant planet formation over its competitor, the disc instability mechanism. However, the core accretion mechanism is not refined to the point of explaining orbital parameters such as their unexpected semi-major axes and eccentricities. We propose a model, which correlates the metallicity of the host star with the original semi-major axis of its most massive planet, prior to migration, considering that the core accretion scenario governs giant gas planet formation. The model predicts that the optimum regions for planetary formation shift inward as stellar metallicity decreases, providing an explanation for the observed absence of long period planets in metal-poor stars. We compare our predictions with the available data on extrasolar planets for stars with masses similar to the mass of the Sun. A fitting procedure produces an estimate of what we define as the Zero Age Planetary Orbit (ZAPO) curve as a function of the metallicity of the star. The model also hints that the lack of planets circling metal-poor stars may be partly caused by an enhanced destruction probability during the migration process, since the planets lie initially closer to the central stars.Comment: Nature of the replacement: According to recent simulations, the temperature profile, T, is more adequately reproduced by beta = 1 rather than beta = 2. We have introduced a distance scale factor that solves the very fast drop of T for low metallicity and introduces naturally the inferior distance limit of our ZAPO. Under this modification all the fitting process was altere

Classical integrability of chiral QCD2QCD_{2} and classical curves

In this letter, classical chiral $QCD_{2}$ is studied in the lightcone gauge $A_{-}=0$. The once integrated equation of motion for the current is shown to be of the Lax form, which demonstrates an infinite number of conserved quantities. Specializing to gauge group SU(2), we show that solutions to the classical equations of motion can be identified with a very large class of curves. We demonstrate this correspondence explicitly for two solutions. The classical fermionic fields associated with these currents are then obtained.Comment: Final version to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett. A. A reference and two footnotes added. 6 pages revte