The Ising spin glass in finite dimensions: a perturbative study of the free energy

Replica field theory is used to study the n-dependent free energy of the Ising spin glass in a first order perturbative treatment. Large sample-to-sample deviations of the free energy from its quenched average prove to be Gaussian, independently of the special structure of the order parameter. The free energy difference between the replica symmetric and (infinite level) replica symmetry broken phases is studied in details: the line n(T) where it is zero coincides with the Almeida-Thouless line for d>8. The dimensional domain 6<d<8 is more complicated, and several scenarios are possible.Comment: 23 page

The Glassy Potts Model

We introduce a Potts model with quenched, frustrated disorder, that enjoys of a gauge symmetry that forbids spontaneous magnetization, and allows the glassy phase to extend from $T_c$ down to T=0. We study numerical the 4 dimensional model with $q=4$ states. We show the existence of a glassy phase, and we characterize it by studying the probability distributions of an order parameter, the binder cumulant and the divergence of the overlap susceptibility. We show that the dynamical behavior of the system is characterized by aging.Comment: 4 pages including 4 (color) ps figures (all on page 4

1-loop contribution to the dynamical exponents in spin glasses

We evaluate the corrections to the mean field values of the $x$ and the $z$ exponents at the first order in the $\epsilon$-expansion, for $T=T_c$. We find that both $x$ and $z$ are decreasing when the space dimension decreases.Comment: 12 pages 3 Postscript figure

Dynamical critical exponents for the mean-field Potts glass

In this paper we study the critical behaviour of the fully-connected p-colours Potts model at the dynamical transition. In the framework of Mode Coupling Theory (MCT), the time autocorrelation function displays a two step relaxation, with two exponents governing the approach to the plateau and the exit from it. Exploiting a relation between statics and equilibrium dynamics which has been recently introduced, we are able to compute the critical slowing down exponents at the dynamical transition with arbitrary precision and for any value of the number of colours p. When available, we compare our exact results with numerical simulations. In addition, we present a detailed study of the dynamical transition in the large p limit, showing that the system is not equivalent to a random energy model.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

On Spin-Glass Complexity

We study the quenched complexity in spin-glass mean-field models satisfying the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin supersymmetry. The outcome of such study, consistent with recent numerical results, allows, in principle, to conjecture the absence of any supersymmetric contribution to the complexity in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. The same analysis can be applied to any model with a Full Replica Symmetry Breaking phase, e.g. the Ising $p$-spin model below the Gardner temperature. The existence of different solutions, breaking the supersymmetry, is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; Text changed in some parts, typos corrected, Refs. [17],[21] and [22] added, two Refs. remove

Concentrated rural poverty and the geography of exclusion

One-half of rural poor are segregated in high-poverty areas, a new policy brief co-published by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire and Rural Realities. This brief highlights the challenges faced by America\u27s rural poor, particularly as they are physically and socially isolated from middle-class communities that might offer economic opportunities

Renormalons in the effective potential of the vectorial (φ⃗2)2(\vec{\varphi}^{2})^{2} model

We study the properties of ultraviolet renormalons in the vectorial $(\vec{\phi}^{2})^{2}$ model. This is achieved by studying the effective potential of the theory at next to leading order of the $1/N$ expansion, the appearence ofthe renormalons in the perturbative series and their relation to the imaginary part of the potential. We also consider the mechanism of renormalon cancellation by `irrelevant" higher dimensional operators.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, 3 Postscript figure

Replica analysis of partition-function zeros in spin-glass models

We study the partition-function zeros in mean-field spin-glass models. We show that the replica method is useful to find the locations of zeros in a complex parameter plane. For the random energy model, we obtain the phase diagram in the plane and find that there are two types of distribution of zeros: two-dimensional distribution within a phase and one-dimensional one on a phase boundary. Phases with a two-dimensional distribution are characterized by a novel order parameter defined in the present replica analysis. We also discuss possible patterns of distributions by studying several systems.Comment: 23 pages, 12 figures; minor change

Magnetic field chaos in the SK Model

We study the Sherrington--Kirkpatrick model, both above and below the De Almeida Thouless line, by using a modified version of the Parallel Tempering algorithm in which the system is allowed to move between different values of the magnetic field h. The behavior of the probability distribution of the overlap between two replicas at different values of the magnetic field h_0 and h_1 gives clear evidence for the presence of magnetic field chaos already for moderate system sizes, in contrast to the case of temperature chaos, which is not visible on system sizes that can currently be thermalized.Comment: Latex, 16 pages including 20 postscript figure

Vibrational spectra in glasses

The findings of X-ray and neutron scattering experiments on amorphous systems are interpreted within the framework of the theory of Euclidean random matrices. This allows to take into account the topological nature of the disorder, a key ingredient which strongly affects the vibrational spectra of those systems. We present a resummation scheme for a perturbative expansion in the inverse particle density, allowing an accurate analytical computation of the dynamical structure factor within the range of densities encountered in real systems.Comment: Talk given at the '8th International Workshop on Disordered Systems' Andalo, Trento, 12-15 March 200