Cost of QCD simulations with n_f=2 dynamical Wilson fermions

Cost estimates for simulations of full QCD with n_f=2 Wilson fermions by hybrid Monte Carlo are presented. The extrapolations are based on the average number of iterations of the iterative solver within the fermionic part of the HMC molecular dynamics, which is closely related to the minimal eigenvalue of M^+M The cost formula is determined as a product of the scaling functions of iterative solver and integrated autocorrelation time as function of the inverse lattice pseudoscalar mass. Timings by SESAM/TxL allow to fix the pre-factor. It is demonstrated that a 2-flavor dynamical determination of light hadron masses with a statistical precision comparable to the corresponding quenched results from CP-PACS can be an appropriate task for a 100 Tflops system.Comment: Contribution to Lattice2001 (panel discussion), 2 pages, 2 figures, eq 1 correcte

QCD on \alpha-Clusters

It is shown that the 21264 Alpha processor can reach about 20% sustained efficiency for the inversion of the Wilson-Dirac operator. Since fast ethernet is not sufficient to get balancing between computation and communication on reasonable lattice- and system-sizes, an interconnection using Myrinet is discussed. We find a price/performance ratio comparable with state-of-the-art SIMD-systems for lattice QCD.Comment: LATTICE99(machines), 3 page

SSOR Preconditioning of Improved Actions

We generalize local lexicographic SSOR preconditioning for the Sheikholeslami-Wohlert improved Wilson fermion action and the truncated perfect free fermion action. In our test implementation we achieve performance gains as known from SSOR preconditioning of the standard Wilson fermion action.Comment: 3 pages, Latex, 3 figures, Talk presented at Lattice'9

A Parallel SSOR Preconditioner for Lattice QCD

A parallelizable SSOR preconditioning scheme for Krylov subspace iterative solvers in lattice QCD applications involving Wilson fermions is presented. In actual Hybrid Monte Carlo and quark propagator calculations it helps to reduce the number of iterations by a factor of 2 compared to conventional odd-even preconditioning. This corresponds to a gain in cpu-time of 30\% - 70\% over odd-even preconditioning.Comment: Talk presented at LATTICE96(algorithms), 3 pages, LaTeX file, 3 epsf-files include

Reanalysis of the FEROS observations of HIP 11952

Aims. We reanalyze FEROS observations of the star HIP 11952 to reassess the existence of the proposed planetary system. Methods. The radial velocity of the spectra were measured by cross-correlating the observed spectrum with a synthetic template. We also analyzed a large dataset of FEROS and HARPS archival data of the calibrator HD 10700 spanning over more than five years. We compared the barycentric velocities computed by the FEROS and HARPS pipelines. Results. The barycentric correction of the FEROS-DRS pipeline was found to be inaccurate and to introduce an artificial one-year period with a semi-amplitude of 62 m/s. Thus the reanalysis of the FEROS data does not support the existence of planets around HIP 11952.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Exactly solvable model of a quantum spin glass

A mean field spherical model with random couplings between pairs, quartets, and possibly higher multiplets of spins is considered. It has the same critical behavior as the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. It thus exhibits replica symmetry breaking. The order parameter function is solved exactly in the whole low temperature phase. The zero field cooled susceptibility remains finite at low $T$. Next a quantum version of the system is considered. Whereas the magnetic properties are not altered qualitatively, the thermodynamics is now regular at small temperatures.Comment: 4 pages postscript. Revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Discovery of a stellar companion to the nearby solar-analogue HD 104304

Sun-like stars are promising candidates to host exoplanets and are often included in exoplanet surveys by radial velocity (RV) and direct imaging. In this paper we report on the detection of a stellar companion to the nearby solar-analogue star HD 104304, which previously was considered to host a planetary mass or brown dwarf companion. We searched for close stellar and substellar companions around extrasolar planet host stars with high angular resolution imaging to characterize planet formation environments. The detection of the stellar companion was achieved by high angular resolution measurements, using the "Lucky Imaging" technique at the ESO NTT 3.5m with the AstraLux Sur instrument. We combined the results with VLT/NACO archive data, where the companion could also be detected. The results were compared to precise RV measurements of HD 104304, obtained at the Lick and Keck observatories from 2001-2010. We confirmed common proper motion of the binary system. A spectral type of M4V of the companion and a mass of 0.21 M_Sun was derived. Due to comparison of the data with RV measurements of the unconfirmed planet candidate listed in the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia, we suggest that the discovered companion is the origin of the RV trend and that the inclination of the orbit of approximately 35 degrees explains the relatively small RV signal.Comment: 4 pages, 4 PNG figures, use aa.cls, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Structural properties in Sr0.61a0.39Nb2O6 in the temperature range 10 K to 500 K investigated by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction and specific heat measurements

We report high-resolution neutron powder diffraction on Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6, SBN61, in the temperature range 15-500 K. The results indicate that the low-temperature anomalies (T<100K) observed in the dielectric dispersion are due to small changes in the incommensurate modulation of the NbO6-octahedra, as no structural phase transition of the average structure was observed. This interpretation is supported by specific heat measurements, which show no latent heat, but a glass-like behavior at low temperatures. Furthermore we find that the structural changes connected with the ferroelectric phase transition at Tc approx. 350K start already at 200K, explaining the anisotropic thermal expansion in the temperature range 200-300K observed in a recent x-ray diffraction study.Comment: Accepted by PRB (2006

Parisi Phase in a Neuron

Pattern storage by a single neuron is revisited. Generalizing Parisi's framework for spin glasses we obtain a variational free energy functional for the neuron. The solution is demonstrated at high temperature and large relative number of examples, where several phases are identified by thermodynamical stability analysis, two of them exhibiting spontaneous full replica symmetry breaking. We give analytically the curved segments of the order parameter function and in representative cases compute the free energy, the storage error, and the entropy.Comment: 4 pages in prl twocolumn format + 3 Postscript figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Multiple scattering of polarized radiation by non-spherical grains: first results

We present the first numerical radiative transfer simulation of multiple light scattering in dust configurations containing aligned non-spherical (spheroidal) dust grains. Such models are especially important if one wants to explain the circular polarization of light, observed in a variety of astronomical objects. The radiative transfer problem is solved on the basis of the Monte Carlo method. Test simulations, confirming the correct numerical implementation of the scattering mechanism, are presented. As a first application, we investigate the linear and circular polarization of light coming from a spherical circumstellar shell. This shell contains perfectly aligned prolate or oblate spheroidal grains. The most remarkable features of the simulated linear polarization maps are so-called polarization null points where the reversal of polarization occurs. They appear in the case when the grain alignment axis is perpendicular to the line of sight. The maps of circular polarization have a sector-like structure with maxima at the ends of lines inclined to the grain alignment axis by \pm 45\degr.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, accepted by A&