Small-amplitude solitons in a nonlocal sine-Gordon model

It is shown that small amplitude solitons of a nonlocal sine-Gordon model corresponding to different frequencies of the carrier wave can create coupled states. The effect is due to a change of the dispersion originated by a nonlocal nonlinearity. Within the framework of the multiscale expansion such pulses are described by a system of nonlinear Schtidinger equations which possesses coupled mode solutions in the form of running localized waves (breathers). Such breathers consist of modes with different frequencies and are characterized by two internal frequencies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using synchronization to improve earthquake forecasting in a cellular automaton model

A new forecasting strategy for stochastic systems is introduced. It is inspired by the concept of anticipated synchronization between pairs of chaotic oscillators, recently developed in the area of Dynamical Systems, and by the earthquake forecasting algorithms in which different pattern recognition functions are used for identifying seismic premonitory phenomena. In the new strategy, copies (clones) of the original system (the master) are defined, and they are driven using rules that tend to synchronize them with the master dynamics. The observation of definite patterns in the state of the clones is the signal for connecting an alarm in the original system that efficiently marks the impending occurrence of a catastrophic event. The power of this method is quantitatively illustrated by forecasting the occurrence of characteristic earthquakes in the so-called Minimalist Model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Experimental evidence on the development of scale invariance in the internal structure of self-affine aggregates

It is shown that an alternative approach for the characterization of growing branched patterns consists of the statistical analysis of frozen structures, which cannot be modified by further growth, that arise due to competitive processes among neighbor growing structures. Scaling relationships applied to these structures provide a method to evaluate relevant exponents and to characterize growing systems into universality classes. The analysis is applied to quasi-two-dimensional electrochemically formed silver branched patterns showing that the size distribution of frozen structures exhibits scale invariance. The measured exponents, within the error bars, remind us those predicted by the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of 1GeV/Nucleon U92+ impact against atomic hydrogen

The impact of 1GeV/Nucleon U92+ projectiles against atomic hydrogen is studied by direct numerical resolution of the time-dependent wave equation for the atomic electron on a three-dimensional Cartesian lattice. We employ the fully relativistic expressions to describe the electromagnetic fields created by the incident ion. The wave equation for the atom interacting with the projectile is carefully derived from the time-dependent Dirac equation in order to retain all the relevant terms.Comment: 12 pages and 7 figures included in the tex

Scale free networks by preferential depletion

We show that not only preferential attachment but also preferential depletion leads to scale-free networks. The resulting degree distribution exponents is typically less than two (5/3) as opposed to the case of the growth models studied before where the exponents are larger. Our approach applies in particular to biological networks where in fact we find interesting agreement with experimental measurements. We investigate the most important properties characterizing these networks, as the cluster size distribution, the average shortest path and the clustering coefficient.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Periodically modulated geometric and electronic structure of graphene on Ru(0001)

We report here on a method to fabricate and characterize highly perfect, periodically rippled graphene monolayers and islands, epitaxially grown on single crystal metallic substrates under controlled UHV conditions. The periodicity of the ripples is dictated by the difference in lattice parameters of graphene and substrate, and, thus, it is adjustable. We characterize its perfection at the atomic scale by means of STM and determine its electronic structure in the real space by local tunnelling spectroscopy. There are periodic variations in the geometric and electronic structure of the graphene monolayer. We observe inhomogeneities in the charge distribution, i.e a larger occupied Density Of States at the higher parts of the ripples. Periodically rippled graphene might represent the physical realization of an ordered array of coupled graphene quantum dots. The data show, however, that for rippled graphene on Ru(0001) both the low and the high parts of the ripples are metallic. The fabrication of periodically rippled graphene layers with controllable characteristic length and different bonding interactions with the substrate will allow a systematic experimental test of this fundamental problem.Comment: 12 pages. Contribution to the topical issue on graphene of Semiconductor Science and Technolog

Translationally invariant nonlinear Schrodinger lattices

Persistence of stationary and traveling single-humped localized solutions in the spatial discretizations of the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation is addressed. The discrete NLS equation with the most general cubic polynomial function is considered. Constraints on the nonlinear function are found from the condition that the second-order difference equation for stationary solutions can be reduced to the first-order difference map. The discrete NLS equation with such an exceptional nonlinear function is shown to have a conserved momentum but admits no standard Hamiltonian structure. It is proved that the reduction to the first-order difference map gives a sufficient condition for existence of translationally invariant single-humped stationary solutions and a necessary condition for existence of single-humped traveling solutions. Other constraints on the nonlinear function are found from the condition that the differential advance-delay equation for traveling solutions admits a reduction to an integrable normal form given by a third-order differential equation. This reduction also gives a necessary condition for existence of single-humped traveling solutions. The nonlinear function which admits both reductions defines a two-parameter family of discrete NLS equations which generalizes the integrable Ablowitz--Ladik lattice.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure

Turbulent Control of the Star Formation Efficiency

Supersonic turbulence plays a dual role in molecular clouds: On one hand, it contributes to the global support of the clouds, while on the other it promotes the formation of small-scale density fluctuations, identifiable with clumps and cores. Within these, the local Jeans length \Ljc is reduced, and collapse ensues if \Ljc becomes smaller than the clump size and the magnetic support is insufficient (i.e., the core is ``magnetically supercritical''); otherwise, the clumps do not collapse and are expected to re-expand and disperse on a few free-fall times. This case may correspond to a fraction of the observed starless cores. The star formation efficiency (SFE, the fraction of the cloud's mass that ends up in collapsed objects) is smaller than unity because the mass contained in collapsing clumps is smaller than the total cloud mass. However, in non-magnetic numerical simulations with realistic Mach numbers and turbulence driving scales, the SFE is still larger than observational estimates. The presence of a magnetic field, even if magnetically supercritical, appears to further reduce the SFE, but by reducing the probability of core formation rather than by delaying the collapse of individual cores, as was formerly thought. Precise quantification of these effects as a function of global cloud parameters is still needed.Comment: Invited review for the conference "IMF@50: the Initial Mass Function 50 Years Later", to be published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, eds. E. Corbelli, F. Palla, and H. Zinnecke

Coulomb explosion sputtering of selectively oxidized Si

We have studied multiply charged Arq+ ion induced potential sputtering of a unique system comprising of coexisting Silicon and Silicon oxide surfaces. Such surfaces are produced by oblique angle oxygen ion bombardment on Si(100), where ripple structures are formed and one side of each ripple gets more oxidized. It is observed that higher the potential energy of Arq+ ion, higher the sputtering yield of the non conducting (oxide) side of the ripple as compared to the semiconducting side. The results are explained in terms of Coulomb explosion model where potential sputtering depends on the conductivity of the ion impact sites.Comment: 9 pages and 3 figure