33,965 research outputs found
Quantized vortices in two dimensional solid 4He
Diagonal and off-diagonal properties of 2D solid 4He systems doped with a
quantized vortex have been investigated via the Shadow Path Integral Ground
State method using the fixed-phase approach. The chosen approximate phase
induces the standard Onsager-Feynman flow field. In this approximation the
vortex acts as a static external potential and the resulting Hamiltonian can be
treated exactly with Quantum Monte Carlo methods. The vortex core is found to
sit in an interstitial site and a very weak relaxation of the lattice positions
away from the vortex core position has been observed. Also other properties
like Bragg peaks in the static structure factor or the behavior of vacancies
are very little affected by the presence of the vortex. We have computed also
the one-body density matrix in perfect and defected 4He crystals finding that
the vortex has no sensible effect on the off-diagonal long range tail of the
density matrix. Within the assumed Onsager Feynman phase, we find that a
quantized vortex cannot auto-sustain itself unless a condensate is already
present like when dislocations are present. It remains to be investigated if
backflow can change this conclusion.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, LT26 proceedings, accepted for publication in
Journal of Physics: Conference Serie
Strong coupling expansion of chiral models
A general precedure is outlined for an algorithmic implementation of the
strong coupling expansion of lattice chiral models on arbitrary lattices. A
symbolic character expansion in terms of connected values of group integrals on
skeleton diagrams may be obtained by a fully computerized approach.Comment: 2 pages, PostScript file, contribution to conference LATTICE '9
Can Modus Vivendi Save Liberalism from Moralism? A Critical Assessment of John Gray’s Political Realism
This chapter assesses John Gray’s modus vivendi-based justification for liberalism. I argue that his approach is preferable to the more orthodox deontological or teleological justificatory strategies, at least because of the way it can deal with the problem of diversity. But then I show how that is not good news for liberalism, for grounding liberal political authority in a modus vivendi undermines liberalism’s aspiration to occupy a privileged normative position vis-à -vis other kinds of regimes. So modus vivendi can save liberalism from moralism, but at cost many liberals will not be prepared to pay
Coherent phenomena in semiconductors
A review of coherent phenomena in photoexcited semiconductors is presented.
In particular, two classes of phenomena are considered: On the one hand the
role played by optically-induced phase coherence in the ultrafast spectroscopy
of semiconductors; On the other hand the Coulomb-induced effects on the
coherent optical response of low-dimensional structures.
All the phenomena discussed in the paper are analyzed in terms of a
theoretical framework based on the density-matrix formalism. Due to its
generality, this quantum-kinetic approach allows a realistic description of
coherent as well as incoherent, i.e. phase-breaking, processes, thus providing
quantitative information on the coupled ---coherent vs. incoherent--- carrier
dynamics in photoexcited semiconductors.
The primary goal of the paper is to discuss the concept of quantum-mechanical
phase coherence as well as its relevance and implications on semiconductor
physics and technology. In particular, we will discuss the dominant role played
by optically induced phase coherence on the process of carrier photogeneration
and relaxation in bulk systems. We will then review typical field-induced
coherent phenomena in semiconductor superlattices such as Bloch oscillations
and Wannier-Stark localization. Finally, we will discuss the dominant role
played by Coulomb correlation on the linear and non-linear optical spectra of
realistic quantum-wire structures.Comment: Topical review in Semiconductor Science and Technology (in press)
(Some of the figures are not available in electronic form
Large-N phase transition in lattice 2-d principal chiral models
We investigate the large-N critical behavior of 2-d lattice chiral models by
Monte Carlo simulations of U(N) and SU(N) groups at large N. Numerical results
confirm strong coupling analyses, i.e. the existence of a large-N second order
phase transition at a finite .Comment: 12 pages, Revtex, 8 uuencoded postscript figure
A rate-independent gradient system in damage coupled with plasticity via structured strains
This contribution deals with a class of models combining isotropic damage with plasticity. It has been inspired by a work by Freddi and Royer-Carfagni [FRC10], including the case where the inelastic part of the strain only evolves in regions where the material is damaged. The evolution both of the damage and of the plastic variable is assumed to be rate-independent. Existence of solutions is established in the abstract energetic framework elaborated by Mielke and coworkers (cf., e.g., [Mie05, Mie11b])
The redshift distribution of SWIFT Gamma-Ray Bursts: evidence for evolution
We predict the redshift distribution of long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) with
Monte Carlo simulations. Our improved analysis constrains free parameters with
three kinds of observation: (i) the log(N)-log(P) diagram of BATSE bursts; (ii)
the peak energy distribution of bright BATSE bursts; (iii) the HETE2 fraction
of X-ray rich GRBs and X-ray flashes. The statistical analysis of the Monte
Carlo simulation results allow us to carefully study the impact of the
uncertainties in the GRB intrinsic properties on the redshift distribution. The
comparison with SWIFT data then leads to the following conclusions. The Amati
relation should be intrinsic, if observationally confirmed by SWIFT. The
progenitor and/or the GRB properties have to evolve to reproduce the high mean
redshift of SWIFT bursts. Our results favor an evolution of the efficiency of
GRB production by massive stars, that would be ~6-7 times higher at z~7 than at
z~2. We finally predict around 10 GRBs detected by SWIFT at redshift z>6 for a
three year mission. These may be sufficient to open a new observational window
over the high redshift Universe.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures. To appear in MNRA
The Long Term Optical Variability of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714: Evidence for a Precessing Jet
We present the historic light curve of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714,
spanning the time interval from 1953 to 2003, built using Asiago archive plates
and our recent CCD observations, together with literature data. The source
shows an evident long term variability, over which well known short term
variations are superposed. In particular, in the period from 1961 to 1983 the
mean brightness of S5 0716+714 remained significantly fainter than that
observed after 1994. Assuming a constant variation rate of the mean magnitude
we can estimate a value of about 0.11 magnitude/year. The simultaneous
occurrence of decreasing ejection velocities of superluminal moving components
in the jet reported by Bach et al. (2005) suggests that both phenomena are
related to the change of the direction of the jet to the line of sight from
about 5 to 0.7 degrees for an approximately constant bulk Lorentz factor of
about 12. A simple explanation is that of a precessing relativistic jet, which
should presently be close to the smallest orientation angle. One can therefore
expect in the next ten years a decrease of the mean brightness of about 1
magnitude.Comment: to appear on The Astronomical Journal, 17 pages, 7 figures. Fig.2 is
given as a separated jpg fil
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