D-brane Instantons as Gauge Instantons in Orientifolds of Chiral Quiver Theories

Systems of D3-branes at orientifold singularities can receive non-perturbative D-brane instanton corrections, inducing field theory operators in the 4d effective theory. In certain non-chiral examples, these systems have been realized as the infrared endpoint of a Seiberg duality cascade, in which the D-brane instanton effects arise from strong gauge theory dynamics. We present the first UV duality cascade completion of chiral D3-brane theories, in which the D-brane instantons arise from gauge theory dynamics. Chiral examples are interesting because the instanton fermion zero mode sector is topologically protected, and therefore lead to more robust setups. As an application of our results, we provide a UV completion of certain D-brane orientifold systems recently claimed to produce conformal field theories with conformal invariance broken only by D-brane instantons.Comment: 50 pages, 32 figures. v2: version published in JHEP with references adde

A Note on Dimer Models and D-brane Gauge Theories

The connection between quiver gauge theories and dimer models has been well studied. It is known that the matter fields of the quiver gauge theories can be represented using the perfect matchings of the corresponding dimer model.We conjecture that a subset of perfect matchings associated with an internal point in the toric diagram is sufficient to give information about the charge matrix of the quiver gauge theory. Further, we perform explicit computations on some aspects of partial resolutions of toric singularities using dimer models. We analyse these with graph theory techniques, using the perfect matchings of orbifolds of the form \BC^3/\Gamma, where the orbifolding group $\Gamma$ may be noncyclic. Using these, we study the construction of the superpotential of gauge theories living on D-branes which probe these singularities, including the case where one or more adjoint fields are present upon partial resolution. Applying a combination of open and closed string techniques to dimer models, we also study some aspects of their symmetries.Comment: Discussions expanded, clarifications added, typos fixed. 1+49 page

Nonuniform Self-Organized Dynamical States in Superconductors with Periodic Pinning

We consider magnetic flux moving in superconductors with periodic pinning arrays. We show that sample heating by moving vortices produces negative differential resistivity (NDR) of both N and S type (i.e., N- and S-shaped) in the voltage-current characteristic (VI curve). The uniform flux flow state is unstable in the NDR region of the VI curve. Domain structures appear during the NDR part of the VI curve of an N type, while a filamentary instability is observed for the NDR of an S type. The simultaneous existence of the NDR of both types gives rise to the appearance of striking self-organized (both stationary and non-stationary) two-dimensional dynamical structures.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Wigner Crystal State for the Edge Electrons in the Quantum Hall Effect at Filling ν=2\nu = 2

The electronic excitations at the edges of a Hall bar not much wider than a few magnetic lengths are studied theoretically at filling $\nu = 2$. Both mean-field theory and Luttinger liquid theory techniques are employed for the case of a null Zeeman energy splitting. The first calculation yields a stable spin-density wave state along the bar, while the second one predicts dominant Wigner-crystal correlations along the edges of the bar. We propose an antiferromagnetic Wigner-crystal groundstate for the edge electrons that reconciles the two results. A net Zeeman splitting is found to produce canting of the antiferromagnetic order.Comment: 22 pgs. of PLAIN TeX, 1 fig. in postscript, published versio

Omission of postoperative radiation after breast conserving surgery: A progressive paradigm shift towards precision medicine

Radiation therapy is a standard therapeutic option in the post-operative setting for early breast cancer patients after breast conserving surgery, providing a substantial benefit in reducing the risk of local relapse with a consequent survival gain. Nevertheless, the reduction in the burden related to treatment is becoming crucial in modern oncology for both local and systemic therapies and investigational efforts are being put forward by radiations oncologists to identify a subset of women at very low risk to be potentially omitted from post-operative irradiation after breast conservation. Clinical factors, classical pathological parameters and new predictive scores derived from gene expression and next generation sequencing techniques are being integrated in the quest toward a reliable low-risk profile for breast cancer patients. We herein provide a comprehensive overview on the topic

Toric AdS4/CFT3 duals and M-theory Crystals

We study the recently proposed crystal model for three dimensional superconformal field theories arising from M2-branes probing toric Calabi-Yau four-fold singularities. We explain the algorithms mapping a toric Calabi-Yau to a crystal and vice versa, and show how the spectrum of BPS meson states fits into the crystal model.Comment: 24 pages, 24 figure

Counting BPS Operators in Gauge Theories: Quivers, Syzygies and Plethystics

We develop a systematic and efficient method of counting single-trace and multi-trace BPS operators with two supercharges, for world-volume gauge theories of $N$ D-brane probes for both $N \to \infty$ and finite $N$. The techniques are applicable to generic singularities, orbifold, toric, non-toric, complete intersections, et cetera, even to geometries whose precise field theory duals are not yet known. The so-called ``Plethystic Exponential'' provides a simple bridge between (1) the defining equation of the Calabi-Yau, (2) the generating function of single-trace BPS operators and (3) the generating function of multi-trace operators. Mathematically, fascinating and intricate inter-relations between gauge theory, algebraic geometry, combinatorics and number theory exhibit themselves in the form of plethystics and syzygies.Comment: 59+1 pages, 7 Figure

The Physical Basis for Long-lived Electronic Coherence in Photosynthetic Light Harvesting Systems

The physical basis for observed long-lived electronic coherence in photosynthetic light-harvesting systems is identified using an analytically soluble model. Three physical features are found to be responsible for their long coherence lifetimes: i) the small energy gap between excitonic states, ii) the small ratio of the energy gap to the coupling between excitonic states, and iii) the fact that the molecular characteristics place the system in an effective low temperature regime, even at ambient conditions. Using this approach, we obtain decoherence times for a dimer model with FMO parameters of $\approx$ 160 fs at 77 K and $\approx$ 80 fs at 277 K. As such, significant oscillations are found to persist for 600 fs and 300 fs, respectively, in accord with the experiment and with previous computations. Similar good agreement is found for PC645 at room temperature, with oscillations persisting for 400 fs. The analytic expressions obtained provide direct insight into the parameter dependence of the decoherence time scales.Comment: 5 figures; J. Phys. Chem. Lett. (2011

Atomic and molecular interstellar absorption lines toward the high galactic latitude stars HD~141569 and HD~157841 at ultra-high resolution

We present ultra-high resolution (0.32 km/s) spectra obtained with the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and Ultra-High-Resolution Facility (UHRF), of interstellar NaI D1, D2, Ca II K, K I and CH absorption toward two high galactic latitude stars HD141569 and HD157841. We have compared our data with 21-cm observations obtained from the Leiden/Dwingeloo HI survey. We derive the velocity structure, column densities of the clouds represented by the various components and identify the clouds with ISM structures seen in the region at other wavelengths. We further derive abundances, linear depletions and H2 fractional abundances for these clouds, wherever possible. Toward HD141569, we detect two components in our UHRF spectra : a weak, broad component at - 15 km/s, seen only in CaII K absorption and another component at 0 km/s, seen in NaI D1, D2, Ca II K, KI and CH absorption. In the case of the HD157841 sightline, a total of 6 components are seen on our UHRF spectra in NaI D1, D2 Ca II K, K I and CH absorption. 2 of these 6 components are seen only in a single species.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, 4 figures, ps files Astrophysical Journal (in press

Aspects of the methodology validation for light filth in fruit pulp

Methodology validation is an important tool to support the activities of metrology in the quantification analysis. Extraneous materials may be present in the pulps due to the conditions or the practices of production, storage and distribution. Since there is no specific methodology for fruit pulp light filth quantification a research has been carried out to test two methods for isolation of light filth in mango, strawberry, tomato and guava pulps. For guava, mango and tomato pulps the AOAC Official Method 964.23 was used, and for strawberry pulp AOAC Official Method 950.89, with adaptations. The micro-analytic standard for insect fragment and rodent hair was prepared in the laboratory. The study has been conducted on 63 samples of 100 g of pulp analyzed in duplicate after contamination with 5, 15, 30 insect fragments (IF) per 100 g and 5, 10, 15 rodent hair (RH) per 100 g, with blank samples as a control. The validation parameters used were precision and accuracy. Recovery of insect fragment was considered stisfactory in mango, tomato, guava pulps, and the average recovery ranged from 87 to 96%. For strawberry pulp, the recovery rate ranged from 68 to 80%. For rodent hairs, the best recovery rate was observed in mango pulp ranging from 73 to 81%, followed by guava pulp ranging from 65 to 76%, tomato pulp ranging from 50 to 67%, and strawberry pulp ranging from 33 to 35%. It was concluded that the methodologies used to detect light filth in guava, mango, tomato and strawberry pulps can be adopted in the monitoring routine of fruit pulp extraneous material contamination even though they were found not very efficient for rodent hairs. Keywords: Insect fragment, Rodent hair, AOAC determination method, Recovery rate, Fruit pulp