On the number of metastable states in spin glasses

In this letter, we show that the formulae of Bray and Moore for the average logarithm of the number of metastable states in spin glasses can be obtained by calculating the partition function with $m$ coupled replicas with the symmetry among these explicitly broken according to a generalization of the `two-group' ansatz. This equivalence allows us to find solutions of the BM equations where the lower `band-edge' free energy equals the standard static free energy. We present these results for the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model, but we expect them to apply to all mean-field spin glasses.Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX, no figures. Postscript directly available http://chimera.roma1.infn.it/index_papers_complex.htm

Dynamics of swimming bacteria at complex interfaces

Flagellated bacteria exploiting helical propulsion are known to swim along circular trajectories near surfaces. Fluid dynamics predicts this circular motion to be clockwise (CW) above a rigid surface (when viewed from inside the fluid) and counter-clockwise (CCW) below a free surface. Recent experimental investigations showed that complex physicochemical processes at the nearby surface could lead to a change in the direction of rotation, both at solid surfaces absorbing slip-inducing polymers and interfaces covered with surfactants. Motivated by these results, we use a far-field hydrodynamic model to predict the kinematics of swimming near three types of interfaces: clean fluid-fluid interface, slipping rigid wall, and a fluid interface covered by incompressible surfactants. Representing the helical swimmer by a superposition of hydrodynamic singularities, we first show that in all cases the surfaces reorient the swimmer parallel to the surface and attract it, both of which are a consequence of the Stokes dipole component of the swimmer flow field. We then show that circular motion is induced by a higher-order singularity, namely a rotlet dipole, and that its rotation direction (CW vs. CCW) is strongly affected by the boundary conditions at the interface and the bacteria shape. Our results suggest thus that the hydrodynamics of complex interfaces provide a mechanism to selectively stir bacteria

Phase Ordering Dynamics of the O(n) Model - Exact Predictions and Numerical Results

We consider the pair correlation functions of both the order parameter field and its square for phase ordering in the $O(n)$ model with nonconserved order parameter, in spatial dimension $2\le d\le 3$ and spin dimension $1\le n\le d$. We calculate, in the scaling limit, the exact short-distance singularities of these correlation functions and compare these predictions to numerical simulations. Our results suggest that the scaling hypothesis does not hold for the $d=2$ $O(2)$ model. Figures (23) are available on request - email [email protected]: 23 pages, Plain LaTeX, M/C.TH.93/2

Spin-resolved electron-impact ionization of lithium

Electron-impact ionization of lithium is studied using the convergent close-coupling (CCC) method at 25.4 and 54.4 eV. Particular attention is paid to the spin-dependence of the ionization cross sections. Convergence is found to be more rapid for the spin asymmetries, which are in good agreement with experiment, than for the underlying cross sections. Comparison with the recent measured and DS3C-calculated data of Streun et al (1999) is most intriguing. Excellent agreement is found with the measured and calculated spin asymmetries, yet the discrepancy between the CCC and DS3C cross sections is very large

Global Persistence Exponent for Critical Dynamics

A `persistence exponent' $\theta$ is defined for nonequilibrium critical phenomena. It describes the probability, $p(t) \sim t^{-\theta}$, that the global order parameter has not changed sign in the time interval $t$ following a quench to the critical point from a disordered state. This exponent is calculated in mean-field theory, in the $n=\infty$ limit of the $O(n)$ model, to first order in $\epsilon = 4-d$, and for the 1-d Ising model. Numerical results are obtained for the 2-d Ising model. We argue that $\theta$ is a new independent exponent.Comment: 4 pages, revtex, one figur

Corrections to Scaling in Phase-Ordering Kinetics

The leading correction to scaling associated with departures of the initial condition from the scaling morphology is determined for some soluble models of phase-ordering kinetics. The result for the pair correlation function has the form C(r,t) = f_0(r/L) + L^{-\omega} f_1(r/L) + ..., where L is a characteristic length scale extracted from the energy. The correction-to-scaling exponent \omega has the value \omega=4 for the d=1 Glauber model, the n-vector model with n=\infty, and the approximate theory of Ohta, Jasnow and Kawasaki. For the approximate Mazenko theory, however, \omega has a non-trivial value: omega = 3.8836... for d=2, and \omega = 3.9030... for d=3. The correction-to-scaling functions f_1(x) are also calculated.Comment: REVTEX, 7 pages, two figures, needs epsf.sty and multicol.st

The effect of shear on persistence in coarsening systems

We analytically study the effect of a uniform shear flow on the persistence properties of coarsening systems. The study is carried out within the anisotropic Ohta-Jasnow-Kawasaki (OJK) approximation for a system with nonconserved scalar order parameter. We find that the persistence exponent theta has a non-trivial value: theta = 0.5034... in space dimension d=3, and theta = 0.2406... for d=2, the latter being exactly twice the value found for the unsheared system in d=1. We also find that the autocorrelation exponent lambda is affected by shear in d=3 but not in d=2.Comment: 6 page

Persistence of Manifolds in Nonequilibrium Critical Dynamics

We study the persistence P(t) of the magnetization of a d' dimensional manifold (i.e., the probability that the manifold magnetization does not flip up to time t, starting from a random initial condition) in a d-dimensional spin system at its critical point. We show analytically that there are three distinct late time decay forms for P(t) : exponential, stretched exponential and power law, depending on a single parameter \zeta=(D-2+\eta)/z where D=d-d' and \eta, z are standard critical exponents. In particular, our theory predicts that the persistence of a line magnetization decays as a power law in the d=2 Ising model at its critical point. For the d=3 critical Ising model, the persistence of the plane magnetization decays as a power law, while that of a line magnetization decays as a stretched exponential. Numerical results are consistent with these analytical predictions.Comment: 4 pages revtex, 1 eps figure include

Evidence for existence of many pure ground states in 3d ±J\pm J Spin Glasses

Ground states of 3d EA Ising spin glasses are calculated for sizes up to $14^3$ using a combination of genetic algorithms and cluster-exact approximation . The distribution $P(|q|)$ of overlaps is calculated. For increasing size the width of $P(|q|)$ converges to a nonzero value, indicating that many pure ground states exist for short range Ising spin glasses.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, 16 reference

Corrections to Scaling in the Phase-Ordering Dynamics of a Vector Order Parameter

Corrections to scaling, associated with deviations of the order parameter from the scaling morphology in the initial state, are studied for systems with O(n) symmetry at zero temperature in phase-ordering kinetics. Including corrections to scaling, the equal-time pair correlation function has the form C(r,t) = f_0(r/L) + L^{-omega} f_1(r/L) + ..., where L is the coarsening length scale. The correction-to-scaling exponent, omega, and the correction-to-scaling function, f_1(x), are calculated for both nonconserved and conserved order parameter systems using the approximate Gaussian closure theory of Mazenko. In general, omega is a non-trivial exponent which depends on both the dimensionality, d, of the system and the number of components, n, of the order parameter. Corrections to scaling are also calculated for the nonconserved 1-d XY model, where an exact solution is possible.Comment: REVTeX, 20 pages, 2 figure