Vortex motion in a finite-size easy-plane ferromagnet and application to a nanodot

We study the motion of a non-planar vortex in a circular easy-plane ferromagnet, which imitates a magnetic nanodot. Analysis was done using numerical simulations and a new collective variable theory which includes the coupling of Goldstone-like mode with the vortex center. Without magnetic field the vortex follows a spiral orbit which we calculate. When a rotating in-plane magnetic field is included, the vortex tends to a stable limit cycle which exists in a significant range of field amplitude B and frequency $\omega$ for a given system size L. For a fixed $\omega$, the radius R of the orbital motion is proportional to L while the orbital frequency $\Omega$ varies as 1/L and is significantly smaller than $\omega$. Since the limit cycle is caused by the interplay between the magnetization and the vortex motion, the internal mode is essential in the collective variable theory which then gives the correct estimate and dependency for the orbit radius $R\sim B L/\omega$. Using this simple theory we indicate how an ac magnetic field can be used to control vortices observed in real magnetic nanodots.Comment: 15 pages (RevTeX), 14 figures (eps

Vortices in the presence of a nonmagnetic atom impurity in 2D XY ferromagnets

Using a model of nonmagnetic impurity potential, we have examined the behavior of planar vortex solutions in the classical two-dimensional XY ferromagnets in the presence of a spin vacancy localized out of the vortex core. Our results show that a spinless atom impurity gives rise to an effective potential that repels the vortex structure.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, RevTex

Alfalfa: Crop for the Future

Alfalfa use by dairy cattle has decreased in recent years because of excessive nonprotein nitrogen and low fiber digestibility. Ideal attributes for plant modification of alfalfa may include those that increase milk potential per acre and/or per ton, enhance digestible NDF, improve protein content and amino acid balance, improve agronomic traits for insect protection (safer forage supply), herbicide tolerance, virus resistance, drought tolerance, cold tolerance, improved mineral availability and enhanced yield. Progress in attaining these attributes will accelerate with the use of biotechnology. Livestock and hay enterprises will benefit from alfalfa that is less prone to contain mycotoxins or toxic weeds, or to induce bloat; have improved nutrient utilization for milk and meat production; and produce less animal wastes resulting in improved efficiency, profitability, and a better environment. Value-added traits of alfalfa are needed to provide farmers new high value profitable products. Processing alfalfa to obtain value added products includes three different fractionation methods: 1) wet fractionation; separation into juice fraction and a fiber fraction, 2) dry fractionation; separation into leaves and stems, and 3) fractionation by passage of the whole herbage through the digestive systems of ruminant animals, leaving a high fiber residue. Phytase from transgenic alfalfa has been tested in poultry and swine rations. Alfalfa hay can be fractionated to yield stems and leaf meal. Alfalfa leaf meal has been shown to be acceptable supplement to replace a portion of alfalfa hay and soybean meal in diets of lactating dairy cattle, replace protein supplement in beef cow diets, finishing steer diets and diets of growing turkeys. The fiber portion of alfalfa can produce lactic acid, ethanol or a bioadhesives for use in plywood

Optimal combinations of imperfect objects

We address the question of how to make best use of imperfect objects, such as defective analog and digital components. We show that perfect, or near-perfect, devices can be constructed by taking combinations of such defects. Any remaining objects can be recycled efficiently. In addition to its practical applications, our `defect combination problem' provides a novel generalization of classical optimization problems.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, minor change

On the ground states of the Bernasconi model

The ground states of the Bernasconi model are binary +1/-1 sequences of length N with low autocorrelations. We introduce the notion of perfect sequences, binary sequences with one-valued off-peak correlations of minimum amount. If they exist, they are ground states. Using results from the mathematical theory of cyclic difference sets, we specify all values of N for which perfect sequences do exist and how to construct them. For other values of N, we investigate almost perfect sequences, i.e. sequences with two-valued off-peak correlations of minimum amount. Numerical and analytical results support the conjecture that almost perfect sequences do exist for all values of N, but that they are not always ground states. We present a construction for low-energy configurations that works if N is the product of two odd primes.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX2e; extended content, added references; submitted to J.Phys.

Random Costs in Combinatorial Optimization

The random cost problem is the problem of finding the minimum in an exponentially long list of random numbers. By definition, this problem cannot be solved faster than by exhaustive search. It is shown that a classical NP-hard optimization problem, number partitioning, is essentially equivalent to the random cost problem. This explains the bad performance of heuristic approaches to the number partitioning problem and allows us to calculate the probability distributions of the optimum and sub-optimum costs.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, 2 figures (eps), submitted to PR

Nonlinear Schr\"odinger Equation with Spatio-Temporal Perturbations

We investigate the dynamics of solitons of the cubic Nonlinear Schr\"odinger Equation (NLSE) with the following perturbations: non-parametric spatio-temporal driving of the form $f(x,t) = a \exp[i K(t) x]$, damping, and a linear term which serves to stabilize the driven soliton. Using the time evolution of norm, momentum and energy, or, alternatively, a Lagrangian approach, we develop a Collective-Coordinate-Theory which yields a set of ODEs for our four collective coordinates. These ODEs are solved analytically and numerically for the case of a constant, spatially periodic force $f(x)$. The soliton position exhibits oscillations around a mean trajectory with constant velocity. This means that the soliton performs, on the average, a unidirectional motion although the spatial average of the force vanishes. The amplitude of the oscillations is much smaller than the period of $f(x)$. In order to find out for which regions the above solutions are stable, we calculate the time evolution of the soliton momentum $P(t)$ and soliton velocity $V(t)$: This is a parameter representation of a curve $P(V)$ which is visited by the soliton while time evolves. Our conjecture is that the soliton becomes unstable, if this curve has a branch with negative slope. This conjecture is fully confirmed by our simulations for the perturbed NLSE. Moreover, this curve also yields a good estimate for the soliton lifetime: the soliton lives longer, the shorter the branch with negative slope is.Comment: 21 figure