Static, non-SUSY pp-branes in diverse dimensions

We give explicit constructions of static, non-supersymmetric $p$-brane (for $p \leq d-4$, where $d$ is the space-time dimensionality and including $p=-1$ or D-instanton) solutions of type II supergravities in diverse dimensions. A subclass of these are the static counterpart of the time dependent solutions obtained in [hep-th/0309202]. Depending on the forms of the non-extremality function $G(r)$ defined in the text, we discuss various possible solutions and their region of validity. We show how one class of these solutions interpolate between the $p$-brane--anti $p$-brane solutions and the usual BPS $p$-brane solutions in $d=10$, while the other class, although have BPS limits, do not have such an interpretation. We point out how the time dependent solutions mentioned above can be obtained by a Wick rotation of one class of these static solutions. We also discuss another type of solutions which might seem non-supersymmetric, but we show by a coordinate transformation that they are nothing but the near horizon limits of the various BPS $p$-branes already known.Comment: 29 pages, typos corrected, references adde

Electronic Structure of Superconducting Ba6c60

We report the results of first-principles electronic-structure calculations for superconducting Ba6C60. Unlike the A3C60 superconductors, this new compound shows strong Ba-C hybridization in the valence and conduction regions, mixed covalent/ionic bonding character, partial charge transfer, and insulating zero-gap band structure.Comment: 11 pages + 4 figures (1 appended, others on request), LaTeX with REVTE

Novel organic photovoltaic polymer blends: A rapid, 3-dimensional morphology analysis using backscattered electron imaging in the scanning electron microscope

Finding the optimal morphology of novel organic photovoltaic (OPV) polymer blends is a major obstacle slowing the development of more efficient OPV devices. With a focus on accelerating the systematic morphology optimisation process, we demonstrate a technique offering rapid high-resolution, 3-dimensional blend morphology analysis in the scanning electron microscope. This backscattered electron imaging technique is used to investigate the morphological features and lengthscales defining the promising PffBT4T-2OD:PC70BM blend system and show how its photovoltaic performance is related to the nature of its phase separation. Low-voltage backscattered electron imaging can be used to probe for structure and domain stacking through the thickness of the film, as well as imaging surface morphology with highly competitive spatial resolution. For reference, we compare our results with equivalent images of the widely studied P3HT:PC60BM blend system. Our results also demonstrate that backscattered electron imaging offers significant advantages over conventional cross-sectional imaging techniques, and show that it enables a fast, systematic approach to control 3-dimensional active layer morphology in polymer:fullerene blends

Measuring Black Hole Spin using X-ray Reflection Spectroscopy

I review the current status of X-ray reflection (a.k.a. broad iron line) based black hole spin measurements. This is a powerful technique that allows us to measure robust black hole spins across the mass range, from the stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries to the supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. After describing the basic assumptions of this approach, I lay out the detailed methodology focusing on "best practices" that have been found necessary to obtain robust results. Reflecting my own biases, this review is slanted towards a discussion of supermassive black hole (SMBH) spin in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Pulling together all of the available XMM-Newton and Suzaku results from the literature that satisfy objective quality control criteria, it is clear that a large fraction of SMBHs are rapidly-spinning, although there are tentative hints of a more slowly spinning population at high (M>5*10^7Msun) and low (M<2*10^6Msun) mass. I also engage in a brief review of the spins of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries. In general, reflection-based and continuum-fitting based spin measures are in agreement, although there remain two objects (GROJ1655-40 and 4U1543-475) for which that is not true. I end this review by discussing the exciting frontier of relativistic reverberation, particularly the discovery of broad iron line reverberation in XMM-Newton data for the Seyfert galaxies NGC4151, NGC7314 and MCG-5-23-16. As well as confirming the basic paradigm of relativistic disk reflection, this detection of reverberation demonstrates that future large-area X-ray observatories such as LOFT will make tremendous progress in studies of strong gravity using relativistic reverberation in AGN.Comment: 19 pages. To appear in proceedings of the ISSI-Bern workshop on "The Physics of Accretion onto Black Holes" (8-12 Oct 2012). Revised version adds a missing source to Table 1 and Fig.6 (IRAS13224-3809) and corrects the referencing of the discovery of soft lags in 1H0707-495 (which were in fact first reported in Fabian et al. 2009

Density functional theory of spin-polarized disordered quantum dots

Using density functional theory, we investigate fluctuations of the ground state energy of spin-polarized, disordered quantum dots in the metallic regime. To compare to experiment, we evaluate the distribution of addition energies and find a convolution of the Wigner-Dyson distribution, expected for noniteracting electrons, with a narrower Gaussian distribution due to interactions. The tird moment of the total distribution is independent of interactions, and so is predicted to decrease by a factor of 0.405 upon application of a magnetic field which transforms from the Gaussian orthogonal to the Gaussian unitary ensemble.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Super Calabi-Yau's and Special Lagrangians

We apply mirror symmetry to the super Calabi-Yau manifold CP^{(n|n+1)} and show that the mirror can be recast in a form which depends only on the superdimension and which is reminiscent of a generalized conifold. We discuss its geometrical properties in comparison to the familiar conifold geometry. In the second part of the paper examples of special-Lagrangian submanifolds are constructed for a class of super Calabi-Yau's. We finally comment on their infinitesimal deformations.Comment: 20 pages, no figures, latex; v2: references added; v3: minor clarifications added, version published in JHE

Chirality Change in String Theory

It is known that string theory compactifications leading to low energy effective theories with different chiral matter content ({\it e.g.} different numbers of standard model generations) are connected through phase transitions, described by non-trivial quantum fixed point theories. We point out that such compactifications are also connected on a purely classical level, through transitions that can be described using standard effective field theory. We illustrate this with examples, including some in which the transition proceeds entirely through supersymmetric configurations.Comment: 50 pages, 2 figure

Structure and properties of a novel fulleride Sm6C60

A novel fulleride Sm6C60 has been synthesized using high temperature solid state reaction. The Rietveld refinement on high resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data shows that Sm6C60 is isostructural with body-centered cubic A6C60 (A=K, Ba). Raman spectrum of Sm6C60 is similar to that of Ba6C60, and the frequencies of two Ag modes in Sm6C60 are nearly the same as that of Ba6C60, suggesting that Sm is divalent and hybridization between C60 molecules and the Sm atom could exist in Sm6C60. Resistivity measurement shows a weak T-linear behavior above 180 K, the transport at low temperature is mainly dominated by granular-metal theory.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B (March 12, 1999