332 research outputs found
Tree Amplitudes and Two-loop Counterterms in D=11 Supergravity
We compute the tree level 4-particle bosonic scattering amplitudes in D=11
supergravity. By construction, they are part of a linearized supersymmetry-,
coordinate- and 3-form gauge-invariant. While this on-shell invariant is
nonlocal, suitable SUSY-preserving differentiations turn it into a local one
with correct dimension to provide a natural lowest (two-loop) order counterterm
candidate. Its existence shows explicitly that no symmetries protect this
ultimate supergravity from the nonrenormalizability of its lower-dimensional
counterparts.Comment: 14 page
Gauge Invariance, Finite Temperature and Parity Anomaly in D=3
The effective gauge field actions generated by charged fermions in
and can be made invariant under both small and large gauge
transformations at any temperature by suitable regularization of the Dirac
operator determinant, at the price of parity anomalies. We resolve the paradox
that the perturbative expansion is not invariant, as manifested by the
temperature dependence of the induced Chern-Simons term, by showing that large
(unlike small) transformations and hence their Ward identities, are not
perturbative order-preserving. Our results are illustrated through concrete
examples of field configurations.Comment: 4 pages, RevTe
Effective QED Actions: Representations, Gauge Invariance, Anomalies and Mass Expansions
We analyze and give explicit representations for the effective abelian vector
gauge field actions generated by charged fermions with particular attention to
the thermal regime in odd dimensions, where spectral asymmetry can be present.
We show, through function regularization, that both small and large
gauge invariances are preserved at any temperature and for any number of
fermions at the usual price of anomalies: helicity/parity invariance will be
lost in even/odd dimensions, and in the latter even at zero mass. Gauge
invariance dictates a very general ``Fourier'' representation of the action in
terms of the holonomies that carry the novel, large gauge invariant,
information. We show that large (unlike small) transformations and hence their
Ward identities, are not perturbative order-preserving, and clarify the role of
(properly redefined) Chern-Simons terms in this context. From a powerful
representation of the action in terms of massless heat kernels, we are able to
obtain rigorous gauge invariant expansions, for both small and large fermion
masses, of its separate parity even and odd parts in arbitrary dimension. The
representation also displays both the nonperturbative origin of a finite
renormalization ambiguity, and its physical resolution by requiring decoupling
at infinite mass. Finally, we illustrate these general results by explicit
computation of the effective action for some physical examples of field
configurations in the three dimensional case, where our conclusions on finite
temperature effects may have physical relevance. Nonabelian results will be
presented separately.Comment: 36 pages, RevTeX, no figure
Temporal Modulation of Traveling Waves in the Flow Between Rotating Cylinders With Broken Azimuthal Symmetry
The effect of temporal modulation on traveling waves in the flows in two
distinct systems of rotating cylinders, both with broken azimuthal symmetry,
has been investigated. It is shown that by modulating the control parameter at
twice the critical frequency one can excite phase-locked standing waves and
standing-wave-like states which are not allowed when the system is rotationally
symmetric. We also show how previous theoretical results can be extended to
handle patterns such as these, that are periodic in two spatial direction.Comment: 17 pages in LaTeX, 22 figures available as postscript files from
http://www.esam.nwu.edu/riecke/lit/lit.htm
Unbalanced Holographic Superconductors and Spintronics
We present a minimal holographic model for s-wave superconductivity with
unbalanced Fermi mixtures, in 2+1 dimensions at strong coupling. The breaking
of a U(1)_A "charge" symmetry is driven by a non-trivial profile for a charged
scalar field in a charged asymptotically AdS_4 black hole. The chemical
potential imbalance is implemented by turning on the temporal component of a
U(1)_B "spin" field under which the scalar field is uncharged. We study the
phase diagram of the model and comment on the eventual (non) occurrence of
LOFF-like inhomogeneous superconducting phases. Moreover, we study "charge" and
"spin" transport, implementing a holographic realization (and a generalization
thereof to superconducting setups) of Mott's two-current model which provides
the theoretical basis of modern spintronics. Finally we comment on possible
string or M-theory embeddings of our model and its higher dimensional
generalizations, within consistent Kaluza-Klein truncations and brane-anti
brane setups.Comment: 45 pages, 15 figures; v2: two paragraphs below eq. (3.1) slightly
modified, figure 5 (left) replaced, references added; v3: typos corrected,
comments added, figure 12 replace
The generalized cusp in ABJ(M) N = 6 Super Chern-Simons theories
We construct a generalized cusped Wilson loop operator in N = 6 super
Chern-Simons-matter theories which is locally invariant under half of the
supercharges. It depends on two parameters and interpolates smoothly between
the 1/2 BPS line or circle and a pair of antiparallel lines, representing a
natural generalization of the quark-antiquark potential in ABJ(M) theories. For
particular choices of the parameters we obtain 1/6 BPS configurations that,
mapped on S^2 by a conformal transformation, realize a three-dimensional
analogue of the wedge DGRT Wilson loop of N = 4. The cusp couples, in addition
to the gauge and scalar fields of the theory, also to the fermions in the
bifundamental representation of the U(N)xU(M) gauge group and its expectation
value is expressed as the holonomy of a suitable superconnection. We discuss
the definition of these observables in terms of traces and the role of the
boundary conditions of fermions along the loop. We perform a complete two-loop
analysis, obtaining an explicit result for the generalized cusp at the second
non-trivial order, from which we read off the interaction potential between
heavy 1/2 BPS particles in the ABJ(M) model. Our results open the possibility
to explore in the three-dimensional case the connection between localization
properties and integrability, recently advocated in D = 4.Comment: 53 pages, 10 figures, added references, this is the version appeared
on JHE
Generalized cusp in AdS_4 x CP^3 and more one-loop results from semiclassical strings
We evaluate the exact one-loop partition function for fundamental strings
whose world-surface ends on a cusp at the boundary of AdS_4 and has a "jump" in
CP^3. This allows us to extract the stringy prediction for the ABJM generalized
cusp anomalous dimension Gamma_{cusp}^{ABJM} (phi,theta) up to NLO in
sigma-model perturbation theory. With a similar analysis, we present the exact
partition functions for folded closed string solutions moving in the AdS_3
parts of AdS_4 x CP^3 and AdS_3 x S^3 x S^3 x S^1 backgrounds. Results are
obtained applying to the string solutions relevant for the AdS_4/CFT_3 and
AdS_3/CFT_2 correspondence the tools previously developed for their AdS_5 x S^5
counterparts.Comment: 48 pages, 2 figures, version 3, corrected misprints in formulas 2.12,
B.86, C.33, added comment on verification of the light-like limi
Convective nature of planimetric instability in meandering river dynamics
The convective nature of the linear instability of meandering river dynamics is analytically demonstrated and the corresponding Green's function is derived. The wave packet due to impulsive disturbance migrates along a river either downstream or upstream, depending on the subresonant or superresonant conditions. The influence of the parameters that govern the meandering process is shown and the role of the fluid dynamic detail used to describe the morphodynamic problem is discussed. A numerical simulation of the river planimetry is also develope
Electrospinning piezoelectric fibers for biocompatible devices
The field of nanotechnology has been gaining great success due to its potential in developing new generations of nanoscale materials with unprecedented properties and enhanced biological responses. This is particularly exciting using nanofibers, as their mechanical and topographic characteristics can approach those found in naturally occurring biological materials. Electrospinning is a key technique to manufacture ultrafine fibers and fiber meshes with multifunctional features, such as piezoelectricity, to be available on a smaller length scale, thus comparable to subcellular scale, which makes their use increasingly appealing for biomedical applications. These include biocompatible fiber-based devices as smart scaffolds, biosensors, energy harvesters, and nanogenerators for the human body. This paper provides a comprehensive review of current studies focused on the fabrication of ultrafine polymeric and ceramic piezoelectric fibers specifically designed for, or with the potential to be translated toward, biomedical applications. It provides an applicative and technical overview of the biocompatible piezoelectric fibers, with actual and potential applications, an understanding of the electrospinning process, and the properties of nanostructured fibrous materials, including the available modeling approaches. Ultimately, this review aims at enabling a future vision on the impact of these nanomaterials as stimuli-responsive devices in the human body
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