Soliton form factors from lattice simulations

The form factor provides a convenient way to describe properties of topological solitons in the full quantum theory, when semiclassical concepts are not applicable. It is demonstrated that the form factor can be calculated numerically using lattice Monte Carlo simulations. The approach is very general and can be applied to essentially any type of soliton. The technique is illustrated by calculating the kink form factor near the critical point in 1+1-dimensional scalar field theory. As expected from universality arguments, the result agrees with the exactly calculable scaling form factor of the two-dimensional Ising model.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; v2: discussion extended, references added, version accepted for publication in PR

Spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation in periodic dielectric media

The nontrivial dispersion relation of a periodic medium affects both the spectral and the spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation. We present a theory of the spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation in the far-field zone inside arbitrary three- and two-dimensional dielectric media. Simple analytical expressions for the far-field are obtained in terms of the Bloch mode expansion. Numerical examples of the Cherenkov radiation in a two-dimensional photonic crystal is presented. The developed analytical theory demonstrates good agreement with numerically rigorous finite-difference time-domain calculations.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, Journal of Optics A (in press

Finite temperature Cherenkov radiation in the presence of a magnetodielectric medium

A canonical approach to Cherenkov radiation in the presence of a magnetodielectric medium is presented in classical, nonrelativistic and relativistic quantum regimes. The equations of motion for the canonical variables are solved explicitly for both positive and negative times. Maxwell and related constitute equations are obtained. In the large-time limit, the vector potential operator is found and expressed in terms of the medium operators. The energy loss of a charged particle, emitted in the form of radiation, in finite temperature is calculated. A Dirac equation concerning the relativistic motion of the particle in presence of the magnetodielectric medium is derived and the relativistic Cherenkov radiation at zero and finite temperature is investigated. Finally, it is shown that the Cherenkov radiation in nonrelativistic and relativistic quantum regimes, unlike its classical counterpart, introduces automatically a cutoff for higher frequencies beyond which the power of radiation emission is zero.Comment: To be appear in PR

Observation of Resonant Diffusive Radiation in Random Multilayered Systems

Diffusive Radiation is a new type of radiation predicted to occur in randomly inhomogeneous media due to the multiple scattering of pseudophotons. This theoretical effect is now observed experimentally. The radiation is generated by the passage of electrons of energy 200KeV-2.2MeV through a random stack of films in the visible light region. The radiation intensity increases resonantly provided the Cherenkov condition is satisfied for the average dielectric constant of the medium. The observed angular dependence and electron resonance energy are in agreement with the theoretical predictions. These observations open a road to application of diffusive radiation in particle detection, astrophysics, soft X-ray generation and etc.. `Comment: 4pages, 4figure

Effect of Disorder on Ultrafast Exciton Dynamics Probed by Single Molecule Spectroscopy

We present a single-molecule study unraveling the effect of static disorder on the vibrational-assisted ultrafast exciton dynamics in multichromophoric systems. For every single complex, we probe the initial exciton relaxation process by an ultrafast pump-probe approach and the coupling to vibrational modes by emission spectra, while fluorescence lifetime analysis measures the amount of static disorder. Exploiting the wide range of disorder found from complex to complex, we demonstrate that static disorder accelerates the dephasing and energy relaxation rate of the exciton

Features of Muon Arrival Time Distributions of High Energy EAS at Large Distances From the Shower Axis

In view of the current efforts to extend the KASCADE experiment (KASCADE-Grande) for observations of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) of primary energies up to 1 EeV, the features of muon arrival time distributions and their correlations with other observable EAS quantities have been scrutinised on basis of high-energy EAS, simulated with the Monte Carlo code CORSIKA and using in general the QGSJET model as generator. Methodically various correlations of adequately defined arrival time parameters with other EAS parameters have been investigated by invoking non-parametric methods for the analysis of multivariate distributions, studying the classification and misclassification probabilities of various observable sets. It turns out that adding the arrival time information and the multiplicity of muons spanning the observed time distributions has distinct effects improving the mass discrimination. A further outcome of the studies is the feature that for the considered ranges of primary energies and of distances from the shower axis the discrimination power of global arrival time distributions referring to the arrival time of the shower core is only marginally enhanced as compared to local distributions referring to the arrival of the locally first muon.Comment: 24 pages, Journal Physics G accepte

Theory of Cherenkov radiation in periodic dielectric media: Emission spectrum

The Cherenkov radiation is substantially modified in the presence of a medium with a nontrivial dispersion relation. We consider Cherenkov emission spectra of a point charge moving in general three- (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals. Exact analytical expressions for the spectral distribution of the radiated power are obtained in terms of the Bloch mode expansion. The resulting expression reduces to a simple contour integral (3D case) or a one-dimensional sum (2D case) over a small fraction of the reciprocal space, which is defined by the generalized Cherenkov condition. We apply our method to a specific case of an electron moving with different velocities in a 2D square-lattice photonic crystal. Our method demonstrates an excellent agreement with numerically rigorous finite-difference time-domain calculations while being less demanding on computational resources.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev.

The MIDAS telescope for microwave detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays

We present the design, implementation and data taking performance of the MIcrowave Detection of Air Showers (MIDAS) experiment, a large field of view imaging telescope designed to detect microwave radiation from extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This novel technique may bring a tenfold increase in detector duty cycle when compared to the standard fluorescence technique based on detection of ultraviolet photons. The MIDAS telescope consists of a 4.5 m diameter dish with a 53-pixel receiver camera, instrumented with feed horns operating in the commercial extended C-Band (3.4 -- 4.2 GHz). A self-trigger capability is implemented in the digital electronics. The main objectives of this first prototype of the MIDAS telescope - to validate the telescope design, and to demonstrate a large detector duty cycle - were successfully accomplished in a dedicated data taking run at the University of Chicago campus prior to installation at the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figure

The Cerenkov effect revisited: from swimming ducks to zero modes in gravitational analogs

We present an interdisciplinary review of the generalized Cerenkov emission of radiation from uniformly moving sources in the different contexts of classical electromagnetism, superfluid hydrodynamics, and classical hydrodynamics. The details of each specific physical systems enter our theory via the dispersion law of the excitations. A geometrical recipe to obtain the emission patterns in both real and wavevector space from the geometrical shape of the dispersion law is discussed and applied to a number of cases of current experimental interest. Some consequences of these emission processes onto the stability of condensed-matter analogs of gravitational systems are finally illustrated.Comment: Lecture Notes at the IX SIGRAV School on "Analogue Gravity" in Como, Italy from May 16th-21th, 201

Low-Multiplicity Burst Search At The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Results are reported from a search for low-multiplicity neutrino bursts in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. Such bursts could indicate the detection of a nearby core-collapse supernova explosion. The data were taken from Phase I (1999 November-2001 May), when the detector was filled with heavy water, and Phase II (2001 July-2003 August), when NaCl was added to the target. The search was a blind analysis in which the potential backgrounds were estimated and analysis cuts were developed to eliminate such backgrounds with 90% confidence before the data were examined. The search maintained a greater than 50% detection probability for standard supernovae occurring at a distance of up to 60 kpc for Phase I and up to 70 kpc for Phase II. No low-multiplicity bursts were observed during the data-taking period.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, CanadaIndustry Canada, CanadaNational Research Council, CanadaNorthern Ontario Heritage Fund, CanadaAtomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., CanadaOntario Power Generation, CanadaHigh Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory, CanadaCanada Foundation for Innovation, CanadaCanada Research Chairs, CanadaDepartment of Energy, USNational Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, USAlfred P. Sloan Foundation, USScience and Technology Facilities Council, UKFundacao para a Ciencia e a Technologia, PortugalAstronom