228 research outputs found
Probability-Changing Cluster Algorithm: Study of Three-Dimensional Ising Model and Percolation Problem
We present a detailed description of the idea and procedure for the newly
proposed Monte Carlo algorithm of tuning the critical point automatically,
which is called the probability-changing cluster (PCC) algorithm [Y. Tomita and
Y. Okabe, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86} (2001) 572]. Using the PCC algorithm, we
investigate the three-dimensional Ising model and the bond percolation problem.
We employ a refined finite-size scaling analysis to make estimates of critical
point and exponents. With much less efforts, we obtain the results which are
consistent with the previous calculations. We argue several directions for the
application of the PCC algorithm.Comment: 6 pages including 8 eps figures, to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
Stationary State Solutions of a Bond Diluted Kinetic Ising Model: An Effective-Field Theory Analysis
We have examined the stationary state solutions of a bond diluted kinetic
Ising model under a time dependent oscillating magnetic field within the
effective-field theory (EFT) for a honeycomb lattice . Time evolution of
the system has been modeled with a formalism of master equation. The effects of
the bond dilution, as well as the frequency and amplitude of
the external field on the dynamic phase diagrams have been discussed in detail.
We have found that the system exhibits the first order phase transition with a
dynamic tricritical point (DTCP) at low temperature and high amplitude regions,
in contrast to the previously published results for the pure case \cite{Ling}.
Bond dilution process on the kinetic Ising model gives rise to a number of
interesting and unusual phenomena such as reentrant phenomena and has a
tendency to destruct the first-order transitions and the DTCP. Moreover, we
have investigated the variation of the bond percolation threshold as functions
of the amplitude and frequency of the oscillating field.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Comparative study of an Eden model for the irreversible growth of spins and the equilibrium Ising model
The Magnetic Eden Model (MEM) with ferromagnetic interactions between
nearest-neighbor spins is studied in dimensional rectangular geometries
for . In the MEM, magnetic clusters are grown by adding spins at the
boundaries of the clusters. The orientation of the added spins depends on both
the energetic interaction with already deposited spins and the temperature,
through a Boltzmann factor. A numerical Monte Carlo investigation of the MEM
has been performed and the results of the simulations have been analyzed using
finite-size scaling arguments. As in the case of the Ising model, the MEM in is non-critical (only exhibits an ordered phase at ). In
the MEM exhibits an order-disorder transition of second-order at a finite
temperature. Such transition has been characterized in detail and the relevant
critical exponents have been determined. These exponents are in agreement
(within error bars) with those of the Ising model in 2 dimensions. Further
similarities between both models have been found by evaluating the probability
distribution of the order parameter, the magnetization and the susceptibility.
Results obtained by means of extensive computer simulations allow us to put
forward a conjecture which establishes a nontrivial correspondence between the
MEM for the irreversible growth of spins and the equilibrium Ising model. This
conjecture is certainly a theoretical challenge and its confirmation will
contribute to the development of a framework for the study of irreversible
growth processes.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figure
On the Quantum Computational Complexity of the Ising Spin Glass Partition Function and of Knot Invariants
It is shown that the canonical problem of classical statistical
thermodynamics, the computation of the partition function, is in the case of
+/-J Ising spin glasses a particular instance of certain simple sums known as
quadratically signed weight enumerators (QWGTs). On the other hand it is known
that quantum computing is polynomially equivalent to classical probabilistic
computing with an oracle for estimating QWGTs. This suggests a connection
between the partition function estimation problem for spin glasses and quantum
computation. This connection extends to knots and graph theory via the
equivalence of the Kauffman polynomial and the partition function for the Potts
model.Comment: 8 pages, incl. 2 figures. v2: Substantially rewritte
Novel multiple sclerosis susceptibility loci implicated in epigenetic regulation
We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility in German cohorts with 4888 cases and 10,395 controls. In addition to associations within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, 15 non-MHC loci reached genome-wide significance. Four of these loci are novel MS susceptibility loci. They map to the genes L3MBTL3, MAZ, ERG, and SHMT1. The lead variant at SHMT1 was replicated in an independent Sardinian cohort. Products of the genes L3MBTL3, MAZ, and ERG play important roles in immune cell regulation. SHMT1 encodes a serine hydroxymethyltransferase catalyzing the transfer of a carbon unit to the folate cycle. This reaction is required for regulation of methylation homeostasis, which is important for establishment and maintenance of epigenetic signatures. Our GWAS approach in a defined population with limited genetic substructure detected associations not found in larger, more heterogeneous cohorts, thus providing new clues regarding MS pathogenesis
The gray matter volume of the amygdala is correlated with the perception of melodic intervals: a voxel-based morphometry study
Music is not simply a series of organized pitches, rhythms, and timbres, it is capable of evoking emotions. In the present study, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed to explore the neural basis that may link music to emotion. To do this, we identified the neuroanatomical correlates of the ability to extract pitch interval size in a music segment (i.e., interval perception) in a large population of healthy young adults (N = 264). Behaviorally, we found that interval perception was correlated with daily emotional experiences, indicating the intrinsic link between music and emotion. Neurally, and as expected, we found that interval perception was positively correlated with the gray matter volume (GMV) of the bilateral temporal cortex. More important, a larger GMV of the bilateral amygdala was associated with better interval perception, suggesting that the amygdala, which is the neural substrate of emotional processing, is also involved in music processing. In sum, our study provides one of first neuroanatomical evidence on the association between the amygdala and music, which contributes to our understanding of exactly how music evokes emotional responses
Escitalopram and Neuroendocrine Response in Healthy First-Degree Relatives to Depressed Patients – A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION: The mechanisms by which selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) act in depressed patients remain unknown. The serotonergic neurotransmitter system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system may interact. The aim of the AGENDA trial was to investigate whether long-term intervention with SSRI versus placebo affects the cortisol response in the dexamethasone corticotropin-releasing hormone (DEX-CRH) test in healthy first-degree relatives to patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Eighty healthy first-degree relatives to patients with MDD were randomized to escitalopram 10 mg versus matching placebo daily for four weeks. The primary outcome measure was the intervention difference in the change of the total area under the curve (CorAUC(total)) for plasma cortisol in the DEX-CRH test at entry to after four weeks of intervention. RESULTS: Change in CorAUC(total) showed no statistically significant difference between the escitalopram and the placebo group, p = 0.47. There were large intra- and inter-individual differences in the results of the DEX-CRH test. There was statistically significant negative correlation between the plasma escitalopram concentration and change in CorAUC(total), rho = -0.41, p = 0.01. Post-hoc analyses showed a statistically significant interaction between age and intervention group and change in log CorAUC(total). CONCLUSION: The present trial does not support an effect of escitalopram 10 mg daily compared with placebo on the HPA-axis in healthy first-degree relatives to patients with MDD. Increasing levels of escitalopram tended to decrease the HPA-response in the DEX-CRH test and this effect increased with age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00386841
Slowing and cooling molecules and neutral atoms by time-varying electric field gradients
A method of slowing, accelerating, cooling, and bunching molecules and
neutral atoms using time-varying electric field gradients is demonstrated with
cesium atoms in a fountain. The effects are measured and found to be in
agreement with calculation. Time-varying electric field gradient slowing and
cooling is applicable to atoms that have large dipole polarizabilities,
including atoms that are not amenable to laser slowing and cooling, to Rydberg
atoms, and to molecules, especially polar molecules with large electric dipole
moments. The possible applications of this method include slowing and cooling
thermal beams of atoms and molecules, launching cold atoms from a trap into a
fountain, and measuring atomic dipole polarizabilities.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. Scheduled for publication in Nov. 1 Phys. Rev.
Effects of boundary conditions on magnetization switching in kinetic Ising models of nanoscale ferromagnets
Magnetization switching in highly anisotropic single-domain ferromagnets has
been previously shown to be qualitatively described by the droplet theory of
metastable decay and simulations of two-dimensional kinetic Ising systems with
periodic boundary conditions. In this article we consider the effects of
boundary conditions on the switching phenomena. A rich range of behaviors is
predicted by droplet theory: the specific mechanism by which switching occurs
depends on the structure of the boundary, the particle size, the temperature,
and the strength of the applied field. The theory predicts the existence of a
peak in the switching field as a function of system size in both systems with
periodic boundary conditions and in systems with boundaries. The size of the
peak is strongly dependent on the boundary effects. It is generally reduced by
open boundary conditions, and in some cases it disappears if the boundaries are
too favorable towards nucleation. However, we also demonstrate conditions under
which the peak remains discernible. This peak arises as a purely dynamic effect
and is not related to the possible existence of multiple domains. We illustrate
the predictions of droplet theory by Monte Carlo simulations of two-dimensional
Ising systems with various system shapes and boundary conditions.Comment: RevTex, 48 pages, 13 figure
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