"Sub-Hertz" Dielectric Spectroscopy

Dielectric spectroscopy measurements below 1 Hz are often dominated by “conduction-like” effects. For this reason, they often appear to be dismissed as being of little interest. In this paper two “sub-hertz” responses are considered that give insights into the insulating sys-tems concerned. The first system is that of cross-linked polyethylene, taken from a power cable system. Measurements at temperatures between 60°C and close to melting at 100°C show a change in characteristic from a percolation process to a “true” DC conduction at close to the melting point. Using DC conductivities, it appears to be possible to show whether the cable has been subjected to thermo-electric ageing. This might give insights into where the conduction and hence the ageing in the XLPE is occurring. The second system is an epoxy composite. By considering the sub-hertz response, it is possible to demonstrate the effect of the interface between the filler and the epoxy matrix. In this system, ageing, resulting in delamination between the glass fiber filler and the epoxy, is clearly detected by sub-hertz dielectric spectroscopy. This process is likely to be facilitated by the presence of water, which is known to lead to mechanical failure in such systems, and which can also be detected by "sub-hertz" dielectric spectroscopy. The implications for nano-dielectrics are then briefly considered

Some Aspects of Classical and Quantum Phases

We study classical and quantum phases in the adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer context. These include a classical astronomical case, the general dual description of the phases, a new "Paradox" connected to scattering Berry phase and its resolution and various elaboration of topological/geometrical/non-abelian phases.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Quantum Hall effect anomaly and collective modes in the magnetic-field-induced spin-density-wave phases of quasi-one-dimensional conductors

We study the collective modes in the magnetic-field-induced spin-density-wave (FISDW) phases experimentally observed in organic conductors of the Bechgaard salts family. In phases that exhibit a sign reversal of the quantum Hall effect (Ribault anomaly), the coexistence of two spin-density waves gives rise to additional collective modes besides the Goldstone modes due to spontaneous translation and rotation symmetry breaking. These modes strongly affect the charge and spin response functions. We discuss some experimental consequences for the Bechgaard salts.Comment: Final version (LaTex, 8 pages, no figure), to be published in Europhys. Let

The stability of the O(N) invariant fixed point in three dimensions

We study the stability of the O(N) fixed point in three dimensions under perturbations of the cubic type. We address this problem in the three cases $N=2,3,4$ by using finite size scaling techniques and high precision Monte Carlo simulations. It is well know that there is a critical value $2<N_c<4$ below which the O(N) fixed point is stable and above which the cubic fixed point becomes the stable one. While we cannot exclude that $N_c<3$, as recently claimed by Kleinert and collaborators, our analysis strongly suggests that $N_c$ coincides with 3.Comment: latex file of 18 pages plus three ps figure

Improving the Efficiency of an Ideal Heat Engine: The Quantum Afterburner

By using a laser and maser in tandem, it is possible to obtain laser action in the hot exhaust gases involved in heat engine operation. Such a "quantum afterburner" involves the internal quantum states of working gas atoms or molecules as well as the techniques of cavity quantum electrodynamics and is therefore in the domain of quantum thermodynamics. As an example, it is shown that Otto cycle engine performance can be improved beyond that of the "ideal" Otto heat engine.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Possible Detection of Causality Violation in a Non-local Scalar Model

We consider the possibility that there may be causality violation detectable at higher energies. We take a scalar nonlocal theory containing a mass scale $\Lambda$ as a model example and make a preliminary study of how the causality violation can be observed. We show how to formulate an observable whose detection would signal causality violation. We study the range of energies (relative to $\Lambda$) and couplings to which the observable can be used.Comment: Latex, 30 page

Cognition-Enhancing Drugs: Can We Say No?

Normative analysis of cognition-enhancing drugs frequently weighs the liberty interests of drug users against egalitarian commitments to a level playing field. Yet those who would refuse to engage in neuroenhancement may well find their liberty to do so limited in a society where such drugs are widespread. To the extent that unvarnished emotional responses are world-disclosive, neurocosmetic practices also threaten to provide a form of faulty data to their users. This essay examines underappreciated liberty-based and epistemic rationales for regulating cognition-enhancing drugs

Network synchronization: Optimal and Pessimal Scale-Free Topologies

By employing a recently introduced optimization algorithm we explicitely design optimally synchronizable (unweighted) networks for any given scale-free degree distribution. We explore how the optimization process affects degree-degree correlations and observe a generic tendency towards disassortativity. Still, we show that there is not a one-to-one correspondence between synchronizability and disassortativity. On the other hand, we study the nature of optimally un-synchronizable networks, that is, networks whose topology minimizes the range of stability of the synchronous state. The resulting ``pessimal networks'' turn out to have a highly assortative string-like structure. We also derive a rigorous lower bound for the Laplacian eigenvalue ratio controlling synchronizability, which helps understanding the impact of degree correlations on network synchronizability.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figs, submitted to J. Phys. A (proceedings of Complex Networks 2007

Diffeomorphism on Horizon as an Asymptotic Isometry of Schwarzschild Black Hole

It is argued that the diffeomorphism on the horizontal sphere can be regarded as a nontrivial asymptotic isometry of the Schwarzschild black hole. We propose a new boundary condition of asymptotic metrics near the horizon and show that the condition admits the local time-shift and diffeomorphism on the horizon as the asymptotic symmetry.Comment: 18 pages, no figures, corrected some typo