389 research outputs found
Tailoring Dielectric Properties of Multilayer Composites Using Spark Plasma Sintering
A straightforward and simple way to produce well-densified ferroelectric ceramic composites with a full control of both architecture and properties using spark plasma sintering (SPS) is proposed. SPS main outcome is indeed to obtain high densification at relatively low temperatures and short treatment times thus limiting interdiffusion in multimaterials. Ferroelectric/dielectric (BST64/MgO/BST64) multilayer ceramic densified at 97% was obtained, with unmodified Curie temperature, a stack dielectric constant reaching 600, and dielectric losses dropping down to 0.5%, at room-temperature. This result ascertains SPS as a relevant tool for the design of functional materials with tailored properties
HyperK\"ahler quotients and N=4 gauge theories in D=2
We consider certain N=4 supersymmetric gauge theories in D=2 coupled to
quaternionic matter multiplets in a minimal way. These theories admit as
effective theories sigma-models on non-trivial HyperK\"ahler manifolds obtained
as HyperK\"ahler quotients. The example of ALE manifolds is discussed. (Based
on a talk given by P. Fr\'e at the F. Gursey Memorial Conference, Istanbul,
June 1994).Comment: 22 pages, Latex, no figure
Four-dimensional topological Einstein-Maxwell gravity
The complete on-shell action of topological Einstein-Maxwell gravity in
four-dimensions is presented. It is shown explicitly how this theory for SU(2)
holonomy manifolds arises from four-dimensional Euclidean N=2 supergravity. The
twisted local BRST symmetries and twisted local Lorentz symmetries are given
and the action and stress tensor are shown to be BRST-exact. A set of
BRST-invariant topological operators is given. The vector and antisymmetric
tensor twisted supersymmetries and their algebra are also found.Comment: Published version. Expanded discussion of new results in the
introduction and some clarifying remarks added in later sections. 22 pages,
uses phyzz
Entanglement of identical particles and reference phase uncertainty
We have recently introduced a measure of the bipartite entanglement of
identical particles, E_P, based on the principle that entanglement should be
accessible for use as a resource in quantum information processing. We show
here that particle entanglement is limited by the lack of a reference phase
shared by the two parties, and that the entanglement is constrained to
reference-phase invariant subspaces. The super-additivity of E_P results from
the fact that this constraint is weaker for combined systems. A shared
reference phase can only be established by transferring particles between the
parties, that is, with additional nonlocal resources. We show how this nonlocal
operation can increase the particle entanglement.Comment: 8 pages, no figures. Invited talk given at EQIS'03, Kyoto, September,
2003. Minor typos corrected, 1 reference adde
The Bethe-Ansatz for N=4 Super Yang-Mills
We derive the one loop mixing matrix for anomalous dimensions in N=4 Super
Yang-Mills. We show that this matrix can be identified with the Hamiltonian of
an integrable SO(6) spin chain with vector sites. We then use the Bethe ansatz
to find a recipe for computing anomalous dimensions for a wide range of
operators. We give exact results for BMN operators with two impurities and
results up to and including first order 1/J corrections for BMN operators with
many impurities. We then use a result of Reshetikhin's to find the exact
one-loop anomalous dimension for an SO(6) singlet in the limit of large bare
dimension. We also show that this last anomalous dimension is proportional to
the square root of the string level in the weak coupling limit.Comment: 35 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX; v2 references added, typos corrected,
\Lambda fixed; v3 expanded discussion of higher loops in conclusion, matches
published versio
Lorentz violation, Gravity, Dissipation and Holography
We reconsider Lorentz Violation (LV) at the fundamental level. We show that
Lorentz Violation is intimately connected with gravity and that LV couplings in
QFT must always be fields in a gravitational sector. Diffeomorphism invariance
must be intact and the LV couplings transform as tensors under coordinate/frame
changes. Therefore searching for LV is one of the most sensitive ways of
looking for new physics, either new interactions or modifications of known
ones. Energy dissipation/Cerenkov radiation is shown to be a generic feature of
LV in QFT. A general computation is done in strongly coupled theories with
gravity duals. It is shown that in scale invariant regimes, the energy
dissipation rate depends non-triviallly on two characteristic exponents, the
Lifshitz exponent and the hyperscaling violation exponent.Comment: LateX, 51 pages, 9 figures. (v2) References and comments added.
Misprints correcte
Holographic studies of quasi-topological gravity
Quasi-topological gravity is a new gravitational theory including
curvature-cubed interactions and for which exact black hole solutions were
constructed. In a holographic framework, classical quasi-topological gravity
can be thought to be dual to the large limit of some non-supersymmetric
but conformal gauge theory. We establish various elements of the AdS/CFT
dictionary for this duality. This allows us to infer physical constraints on
the couplings in the gravitational theory. Further we use holography to
investigate hydrodynamic aspects of the dual gauge theory. In particular, we
find that the minimum value of the shear-viscosity-to-entropy-density ratio for
this model is .Comment: 45 pages, 6 figures. v2: References adde
Effects of Particulate Matter on Genomic DNA Methylation Content and iNOS Promoter Methylation
BACKGROUND: Altered patterns of gene expression mediate the effects of particulate matter (PM) on human health, but mechanisms through which PM modifies gene expression are largely undetermined. OBJECTIVES: We aimed at identifying short- and long-term effects of PM exposure on DNA methylation, a major genomic mechanism of gene expression control, in workers in an electric furnace steel plant with well-characterized exposure to PM with aerodynamic diameters < 10 microm (PM(10)). METHODS: We measured global genomic DNA methylation content estimated in Alu and long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) repeated elements, and promoter DNA methylation of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase), a gene suppressed by DNA methylation and induced by PM exposure in blood leukocytes. Quantitative DNA methylation analysis was performed through bisulfite PCR pyrosequencing on blood DNA obtained from 63 workers on the first day of a work week (baseline, after 2 days off work) and after 3 days of work (postexposure). Individual PM(10) exposure was between 73.4 and 1,220 microg/m(3). RESULTS: Global methylation content estimated in Alu and LINE-1 repeated elements did not show changes in postexposure measures compared with baseline. PM(10) exposure levels were negatively associated with methylation in both Alu [beta = -0.19 \%5-methylcytosine (\%5mC); p = 0.04] and LINE-1 [beta = -0.34 \%5mC; p = 0.04], likely reflecting long-term PM(10) effects. iNOS promoter DNA methylation was significantly lower in postexposure blood samples compared with baseline (difference = -0.61 \%5mC; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We observed changes in global and gene specific methylation that should be further characterized in future investigations on the effects of PM
Comments on Holographic Entanglement Entropy and RG Flows
Using holographic entanglement entropy for strip geometry, we construct a
candidate for a c-function in arbitrary dimensions. For holographic theories
dual to Einstein gravity, this c-function is shown to decrease monotonically
along RG flows. A sufficient condition required for this monotonic flow is that
the stress tensor of the matter fields driving the holographic RG flow must
satisfy the null energy condition over the holographic surface used to
calculate the entanglement entropy. In the case where the bulk theory is
described by Gauss-Bonnet gravity, the latter condition alone is not sufficient
to establish the monotonic flow of the c-function. We also observe that for
certain holographic RG flows, the entanglement entropy undergoes a 'phase
transition' as the size of the system grows and as a result, evolution of the
c-function may exhibit a discontinuous drop.Comment: References adde
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