Polarization-dependent discharge in fibers of semiconducting ladder-type polymer

We report results on polarization-dependent photoinduced discharge in oriented fibers and films of ladder-type, electron-transporting polymer poly (benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), BBL. The photocarrier generation efficiency in the fiber which is indicated by the rate of discharge, is found to be distinctly higher for light polarized parallel to the fiber axis as compared to the radially perpendicular direction . Similar results, with photocarrier generation efficiency anisotropy ~ 10 are obtained for oriented films. These observations are different from previously obtained results on polyparaphenylenevinylene (PPV). The results are compared with the polarization-dependent steady- state photoconductivity measurements. We interpret these results on the basis of molecular and macroscopic features of the material.Comment: This article has been accepted for publication in applied physics letters and tentatively to be published in March 12, 2001 issu

Self similar Barkhausen noise in magnetic domain wall motion

A model for domain wall motion in ferromagnets is analyzed. Long-range magnetic dipolar interactions are shown to give rise to self-similar dynamics when the external magnetic field is increased adiabatically. The power spectrum of the resultant Barkhausen noise is of the form $1/\omega^\alpha$, where $\alpha\approx 1.5$ can be estimated from the critical exponents for interface depinning in random media.Comment: 7 pages, RevTex. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Where are all the gravastars? Limits upon the gravastar model from accreting black holes

The gravastar model, which postulates a strongly correlated thin shell of anisotropic matter surrounding a region of anti-de Sitter space, has been proposed as an alternative to black holes. We discuss constraints that present-day observations of well-known black hole candidates place on this model. We focus upon two black hole candidates known to have extraordinarily low luminosities: the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center, Sagittarius A*, and the stellar-mass black hole, XTE J1118+480. We find that the length scale for modifications of the type discussed in Chapline et al. (2003) must be sub-Planckian.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Bypass to Turbulence in Hydrodynamic Accretion Disks: An Eigenvalue Approach

Cold accretion disks such as those in star-forming systems, quiescent cataclysmic variables, and some active galactic nuclei, are expected to have neutral gas which does not couple well to magnetic fields. The turbulent viscosity in such disks must be hydrodynamic in origin, not magnetohydrodynamic. We investigate the growth of hydrodynamic perturbations in a linear shear flow sandwiched between two parallel walls. The unperturbed flow is similar to plane Couette flow but with a Coriolis force included. Although there are no exponentially growing eigenmodes in this system, nevertheless, because of the non-normal nature of the eigenmodes, it is possible to have a large transient growth in the energy of perturbations. For a constant angular momentum disk, we find that the perturbation with maximum growth has a wave-vector in the vertical direction. The energy grows by more than a factor of 100 for a Reynolds number R=300 and more than a factor of 1000 for R=1000. Turbulence can be easily excited in such a disk, as found in previous numerical simulations. For a Keplerian disk, on the other hand, similar vertical perturbations grow by no more than a factor of 4, explaining why the same simulations did not find turbulence in this system. However, certain other two-dimensional perturbations with no vertical structure do exhibit modest growth. For the optimum two-dimensional perturbation, the energy grows by a factor of ~100 for R~10^4.5 and by a factor of 1000 for R~10^6. It is conceivable that these two-dimensional disturbances might lead to self-sustained turbulence. The Reynolds numbers of cold astrophysical disks are much larger even than 10^6, therefore, hydrodynamic turbulence may be possible in disks.Comment: 39 pages including 9 figures; Final version to appear in The Astrophysical Journa

Global monopoles and scalar fields as the electrogravity dual of Schwarzschild spacetime

We prove that both global monopole and minimally coupled static zero mass scalar field are electrogravity dual of the Schwarzschild solution or flat space and they share the same equation of state, $T^0_0 - T^i_i = 0$. This property was however known for the global monopole spacetime while it is for the first time being established for the scalar field. In particular, it turns out that the Xanthopoulos - Zannias scalar field solution is dual to flat space.Comment: 5 pages, RevTe

On the Energetics of Advection-Dominated Accretion Flows

Using mean field MHD, we discuss the energetics of optically thin, two temperature, advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs). If the magnetic field is tangled and roughly isotropic, flux freezing is insufficient to maintain the field in equipartition with the gas. In this case, we expect a fraction of the energy generated by shear in the flow to be used to build up the magnetic field strength as the gas flows in; the remaining energy heats the particles. We argue that strictly equipartition magnetic fields are incompatible with a priori reasonable levels of particle heating; instead, the plasma $\beta$ in ADAFs (defined to be the gas pressure divided by magnetic/turbulent pressure) is likely to be \gsim 5; correspondingly, the viscosity parameter $\alpha$ is likely to be \lsim 0.2Comment: 24 pages, ApJ submitte