28,946 research outputs found
Nematic liquid crystal dynamics under applied electric fields
In this paper we investigate the dynamics of liquid crystal textures in a
two-dimensional nematic under applied electric fields, using numerical
simulations performed using a publicly available LIquid CRystal Algorithm
(LICRA) developed by the authors. We consider both positive and negative
dielectric anisotropies and two different possibilities for the orientation of
the electric field (parallel and perpendicular to the two-dimensional lattice).
We determine the effect of an applied electric field pulse on the evolution of
the characteristic length scale and other properties of the liquid crystal
texture network. In particular, we show that different types of defects are
produced after the electric field is switched on, depending on the orientation
of the electric field and the sign of the dielectric anisotropy.Comment: 7 pages, 12 figure
An Early Universe Model with Stiff Matter and a Cosmological Constant
In the present work, we study the quantum cosmology description of a
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model in the presence of a stiff matter perfect
fluid and a negative cosmological constant. We work in the Schutz's variational
formalism and the spatial sections have constant negative curvature. We
quantize the model and obtain the appropriate Wheeler-DeWitt equation. In this
model the states are bounded therefore we compute the discrete energy spectrum
and the corresponding eigenfunctions. In the present work, we consider only the
negative eigenvalues and their corresponding eigenfunctions. This choice
implies that the energy density of the perfect fluid is negative. A stiff
matter perfect fluid with this property produces a model with a bouncing
solution, at the classical level, free from an initial singularity. After that,
we use the eigenfunctions in order to construct wave packets and evaluate the
time-dependent expectation value of the scale factor. We find that it
oscillates between maximum and minimum values. Since the expectation value of
the scale factor never vanishes, we confirm that this model is free from an
initial singularity, also, at the quantum level.Comment: 12 Pages, 4 Figures. Final version. Accepted for publication in the
Proceedings of the 8th Friedmann Seminar, Rio de Janeiro, 2011. We restricted
our attention to treat the case where the stiff matter has negative energy
eigenvalues, following the referee's suggestio
The low dimensional dynamical system approach in General Relativity: an example
In this paper we explore one of the most important features of the Galerkin
method, which is to achieve high accuracy with a relatively modest
computational effort, in the dynamics of Robinson-Trautman spacetimes.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Self-Similar Collapse of Scalar Field in Higher Dimensions
This paper constructs continuously self-similar solution of a spherically
symmetric gravitational collapse of a scalar field in n dimensions. The
qualitative behavior of these solutions is explained, and closed-form answers
are provided where possible. Equivalence of scalar field couplings is used to
show a way to generalize minimally coupled scalar field solutions to the model
with general coupling.Comment: RevTex 3.1, 15 pages, 3 figures; references adde
FINITE SIZE SCALING FOR FIRST ORDER TRANSITIONS: POTTS MODEL
The finite-size scaling algorithm based on bulk and surface renormalization
of de Oliveira (1992) is tested on q-state Potts models in dimensions D = 2 and
3. Our Monte Carlo data clearly distinguish between first- and second-order
phase transitions. Continuous-q analytic calculations performed for small
lattices show a clear tendency of the magnetic exponent Y = D - beta/nu to
reach a plateau for increasing values of q, which is consistent with the
first-order transition value Y = D. Monte Carlo data confirm this trend.Comment: 5 pages, plain tex, 5 EPS figures, in file POTTS.UU (uufiles
Suppression of Anderson localization of light and Brewster anomalies in disordered superlattices containing a dispersive metamaterial
Light propagation through 1D disordered structures composed of alternating
layers, with random thicknesses, of air and a dispersive metamaterial is
theoretically investigated. Both normal and oblique incidences are considered.
By means of numerical simulations and an analytical theory, we have established
that Anderson localization of light may be suppressed: (i) in the long
wavelength limit, for a finite angle of incidence which depends on the
parameters of the dispersive metamaterial; (ii) for isolated frequencies and
for specific angles of incidence, corresponding to Brewster anomalies in both
positive- and negative-refraction regimes of the dispersive metamaterial. These
results suggest that Anderson localization of light could be explored to
control and tune light propagation in disordered metamaterials.Comment: 4 two-column pages, 3 figure
Study of the Fully Frustrated Clock Model using the Wang-Landau Algorithm
Monte Carlo simulations using the newly proposed Wang-Landau algorithm
together with the broad histogram relation are performed to study the
antiferromagnetic six-state clock model on the triangular lattice, which is
fully frustrated. We confirm the existence of the magnetic ordering belonging
to the Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) type phase transition followed by the chiral
ordering which occurs at slightly higher temperature. We also observe the lower
temperature phase transition of KT type due to the discrete symmetry of the
clock model. By using finite-size scaling analysis, the higher KT temperature
and the chiral critical temperature are respectively estimated as
and . The results are in favor of the double
transition scenario. The lower KT temperature is estimated as .
Two decay exponents of KT transitions corresponding to higher and lower
temperatures are respectively estimated as and
, which suggests that the exponents associated with the KT
transitions are universal even for the frustrated model.Comment: 7 pages including 9 eps figures, RevTeX, to appear in J. Phys.
Universal features and tail analysis of the order-parameter distribution of the two-dimensional Ising model: An entropic sampling Monte Carlo study
We present a numerical study of the order-parameter probability density
function (PDF) of the square Ising model for lattices with linear sizes
. A recent efficient entropic sampling scheme, combining the
Wang-Landau and broad histogram methods and based on the high-levels of the
Wang-Landau process in dominant energy subspaces is employed. We find that for
large lattices there exists a stable window of the scaled order-parameter in
which the full ansatz including the pre-exponential factor for the tail regime
of the universal PDF is well obeyed. This window is used to estimate the
equation of state exponent and to observe the behavior of the universal
constants implicit in the functional form of the universal PDF. The probability
densities are used to estimate the universal Privman-Fisher coefficient and to
investigate whether one could obtain reliable estimates of the universal
constants controlling the asymptotic behavior of the tail regime.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure
Performance of inoculated common bean in response to different cover crops and desiccation times.
The common bean requires high levels of nitrogen (N) to achieve high productivity, which can be supplied, at least partially, by the biological nitrogen fixation (BFN). Two field experiments were carried out in the winter season of 2015 aiming to evaluate the effects of different cover crops, desiccation times and the agronomic performance of the common bean inoculated with rhizobia. The experiments were assembled in a randomized block design with four replications, in a factorial split-plot arrangement with two additional treatments (5x4x2+2). The factors were composed of five cover crops, four desiccation times, two seed inoculation treatments and two additional controls (TN = 90 Kg N ha-1 and T0 = without N and without inoculation). The variables analyzed in the cover crops were dry mass (DM) and total nitrogen (Total-N). With the common bean, the chlorophyll content (CC), the number of nodules (NN), the nodule dry weight (NDW), the shoot dry weight (SDW), the root dry weight (RDW) and the grain yield (GY) were evaluated. The results showed that the agronomic performance of the common bean was not affected by the desiccation times of the cover crops, although the amount of Total-N accumulated by cover crops was influenced by sowing times. Inoculation of the common bean promoted an increase in the NN, NDW, CC and SDW. Higher GY of the common bean was achieved with its cropping after Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria ruziziensis, millet and fallow
Magnetic properties and critical behavior of disordered Fe_{1-x}Ru_x alloys: a Monte Carlo approach
We study the critical behavior of a quenched random-exchange Ising model with
competing interactions on a bcc lattice. This model was introduced in the study
of the magnetic behavior of Fe_{1-x}Ru_x alloys for ruthenium concentrations
x=0%, x=4%, x=6%, and x=8%. Our study is carried out within a Monte Carlo
approach, with the aid of a re-weighting multiple histogram technique. By means
of a finite-size scaling analysis of several thermodynamic quantities, taking
into account up to the leading irrelevant scaling field term, we find estimates
of the critical exponents \alpha, \beta, \gamma, and \nu, and of the critical
temperatures of the model. Our results for x=0% are in excellent agreement with
those for the three-dimensional pure Ising model in the literature. We also
show that our critical exponent estimates for the disordered cases are
consistent with those reported for the transition line between paramagnetic and
ferromagnetic phases of both randomly dilute and Ising models. We
compare the behavior of the magnetization as a function of temperature with
that obtained by Paduani and Branco (2008), qualitatively confirming the
mean-field result. However, the comparison of the critical temperatures
obtained in this work with experimental measurements suggest that the model
(initially obtained in a mean-field approach) needs to be modified
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