Dynamical instabilities in density-dependent hadronic relativistic models

Unstable modes in asymmetric nuclear matter (ANM) at subsaturation densities are studied in the framework of relativistic mean-field density-dependent hadron models. The size of the instabilities that drive the system are calculated and a comparison with results obtained within the non-linear Walecka model is presented. The distillation and anti-distillation effects are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 8 Postscript figures. Submitted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Laser-light scattering approach to peptide–membrane interaction

© International University Line, 2010Membrane-active peptides are becoming widely used, mainly due to their high therapeutic potential. Although the therapeutic action is characterized, the mechanisms of interaction are often unclear or controversial. In biophysical studies, non-invasive techniques are overlooked when studying the effect of peptides on membranes. Light scattering techniques, such as dynamic light scattering and static light scattering, can be used as tools to determine whether promotion of membrane aggregation in the presence of peptides and of self-peptide aggregation in solution occurs. More recently, light scattering has been used for evaluating the alteration on membrane surface charge (ζ-potential) promoted by membrane–peptide interactions. The data obtained by these techniques (either by themselves or combined with complementary experimental approaches) therefore yield valuable elucidations of membrane-active peptides’ mechanisms of action at the molecular level.This work was partially supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. M.M.D. acknowledges the grant SFRH/BD/41750/2007 from FCT

Effects of extended impurity perturbation in d-wave superconductor

We describe the effects of electronic perturbation distributed on nearest neighbor sites to the impurity center in a planar \textit{d}-wave superconductor, in approximation of circular Fermi surface. Alike the behavior previously reported for point-like perturbation and square Fermi surface, the quasiparticle density of states $\rho (\epsilon)$ can display a resonance inside the gap (and very weak features from low symmetry representations of non-local perturbation) and asymptotically vanishes at $\epsilon \to 0$ as $\rho\sim\epsilon/\ln^2\epsilon$. The local suppression of SC order parameter in this model is found to be somewhat weaker than for an equivalent point-like (non-magnetic) perturbation and much weaker than for a spin-dependent (extended) perturbation.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, some minor typos and the curves in Fig. 5 correcte

Vector constants of motion for time-dependent Kepler and isotropic harmonic oscillator potentials

A method of obtaining vector constants of motion for time-independent as well as time-dependent central fields is discussed. Some well-established results are rederived in this alternative way and new ones obtained.Comment: 18 pages, no figures, regular Latex article forma

Quantum interference-induced stability of repulsively bound pairs of excitations

We study the dynamics of two types of pairs of excitations which are bound despite their strong repulsive interaction. One corresponds to doubly occupied sites in one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard systems, the so-called doublons. The other is pairs of neighboring excited spins in anisotropic Heisenberg spin-1/2 chains. We investigate the possibility of decay of the bound pairs due to resonant scattering by a defect or due to collisions of the pairs. We find that the amplitudes of the corresponding transitions are very small. This is a result of destructive quantum interference and explains the stability of the bound pairs.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure