Symmetric intersections of Rauzy fractals

In this article we study symmetric subsets of Rauzy fractals of unimodular irreducible Pisot substitutions. The symmetry considered is reflection through the origin. Given an unimodular irreducible Pisot substitution, we consider the intersection of its Rauzy fractal with the Rauzy fractal of the reverse substitution. This set is symmetric and it is obtained by the balanced pair algorithm associated with both substitutions

Casimir force calculations near the insulator-conductor transition in gold thin films

We present theoretical calculations of the Casimir force for Au thin films near the insulator-conductor transition that has been observed experimentally. The dielectric function of the Au thin films is described by the Drude-Smith model. The parameters needed to model the dielectric function such as the relaxation time, plasma frequency and the backscattering constant depend on the thickness of the film. The Casimir force decreases as the film thickness decreases until it reaches a minimum after which the force increases again. The minimum of the force coincides with the critical film thickness where a percolation conductor-insulator occurs.Comment: 5 figures, 1 tabl