Semi-transparent Boundary Conditions in the Worldline Formalism

The interaction of a quantum field with a background containing a Dirac delta function with support on a surface of codimension 1 represents a particular kind of matching conditions on that surface for the field. In this article we show that the worldline formalism can be applied to this model. We obtain the asymptotic expansion of the heat-kernel corresponding to a scalar field on $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$ in the presence of an arbitrary regular potential and subject to this kind of matching conditions on a flat surface. We also consider two such surfaces and compute their Casimir attraction due to the vacuum fluctuations of a massive scalar field weakly coupled to the corresponding Dirac deltas.Comment: 12 page

Relative drifts and temperature anisotropies of protons and α\alpha particles in the expanding solar wind -- 2.5D hybrid simulations

We perform 2.5D hybrid simulations to investigate the origin and evolution of relative drift speeds between protons and $\alpha$ particles in the collisionless turbulent low-$\beta$ solar wind plasma. We study the generation of differential streaming by wave-particle interactions and absorption of turbulent wave spectra. Next we focus on the role of the relative drifts for the turbulent heating and acceleration of ions in the collisionless fast solar wind streams. The energy source is given by an initial broad-band spectrum of parallel propagating Alfv\'en-cyclotron waves, which co-exists with the plasma and is self-consistently coupled to the perpendicular ion bulk velocities. We include the effect of a gradual solar wind expansion, which cools and decelerates the minor ions. This paper for the first time considers the combined effect of self-consistently initialized dispersive turbulent Alfv\'enic spectra with differentially streaming protons and $\alpha$ particles in the expanding solar wind outflows within a 2.5D hybrid simulation study. In the non-expanding wind, we find a threshold value of the differential streaming $V_{\alpha p} = 0.5 V_\mathrm{A}$, for which the relative drift speed remains nearly steady. For ions, streaming below the threshold value, the waves act to increase the magnitude of the relative drift speed. Ions, which stream faster than the threshold value become subject to nonlinear streaming instability and as the system evolves their bulk velocities decrease. We find that the solar wind expansion strongly affects the relative drift speeds and significantly slows down both ion species for all values of the relative drift speeds considered in this study.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, submitted to A&

Bi-Directional Energy Cascades and the Origin of Kinetic Alfv\'enic and Whistler Turbulence in the Solar Wind

The observed sub-proton scale turbulence spectrum in the solar wind raises the question of how that turbulence originates. Observations of keV energetic electrons during solar quite-time suggest them as possible source of free energy to drive the turbulence. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we explore how free energy in energetic electrons, released by an electron two-stream instability drives Weibel-like electromagnetic waves that excite wave-wave interactions. Consequently, both kinetic Alfv\'enic and whistler waves are excited that evolve through inverse and forward magnetic energy cascades.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Higher-order symmetry energy and neutron star core-crust transition with Gogny forces

We study the symmetry energy and the core-crust transition in neutron stars using the finite-range Gogny nuclear interaction and examine the deduced crustal thickness and crustal moment of inertia. We start by analyzing the second-, fourth- and sixth-order coefficients of the Taylor expansion of the energy per particle in powers of the isospin asymmetry for Gogny forces. These coefficients provide information about the departure of the symmetry energy from the widely used parabolic law. The neutron star core-crust transition is evaluated by looking at the onset of thermodynamical instability of the liquid core. The calculation is performed with the exact (i.e., without Taylor expansion) Gogny EoS for the core, and also with its Taylor expansion in order to assess the influence of isospin expansions on locating the inner edge of neutron star crusts. It is found that the properties of the core-crust transition derived from the exact EoS differ from the predictions of the Taylor expansion even when the expansion is carried through sixth order in the isospin asymmetry. Gogny forces, using the exact EoS, predict the ranges $0.094 \text{ fm}^{-3} \lesssim \rho_t \lesssim 0.118\text{ fm}^{-3}$ for the transition density and $0.339 \text{ MeV fm}^{-3} \lesssim P_t \lesssim 0.665 \text{ MeV fm}^{-3}$ for the transition pressure. The transition densities show an anticorrelation with the slope parameter $L$ of the symmetry energy. The transition pressures are not found to correlate with $L$. Neutron stars obtained with Gogny forces have maximum masses below $1.74M_\odot$ and relatively small moments of inertia. The crustal mass and moment of inertia are evaluated and comparisons are made with the constraints from observed glitches in pulsars.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, discussions and bibliography updated, to appear in Physical Review

Boundaries in the Moyal plane

We study the oscillations of a scalar field on a noncommutative disc implementing the boundary as the limit case of an interaction with an appropriately chosen confining background. The space of quantum fluctuations of the field is finite dimensional and displays the rotational and parity symmetry of the disc. We perform a numerical evaluation of the (finite) Casimir energy and obtain similar results as for the fuzzy sphere and torus.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures. Replaced by published versio

Cooper pair sizes in superfluid nuclei in a simplified model

Cooper pair sizes are evaluated in a simple harmonic oscillator model reproducing the values of sophisticated HFB calculations. Underlying reasons for the very small sizes of 2.0-2.5 fm of Cooper pairs in the surface of nuclei are analysed. It is shown that the confining properties of the nuclear volume is the dominating effect. It is argued that for Cooper pair sizes LDA is particularly inadapted.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Rol del glutamato y del sistema inmune en afecciones agudas y crónicas del SNC

Fil: Rodríguez de Viñas, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias MédicasFil: Brandi, A.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Spectroscopy and level detuning of few-electron spin states in parallel InAs quantum dots

We use tunneling spectroscopy to study the evolution of few-electron spin states in parallel InAs nanowire double quantum dots (QDs) as a function of level detuning and applied magnetic field. Compared to the much more studied serial configuration, parallel coupling of the QDs to source and drain greatly expands the probing range of excited state transport. Owing to a strong confinement, we can here isolate transport involving only the very first interacting single QD orbital pair. For the (2,0)-(1,1) charge transition, with relevance for spin-based qubits, we investigate the excited (1,1) triplet, and hybridization of the (2,0) and (1,1) singlets. An applied magnetic field splits the (1,1) triplet, and due to spin-orbit induced mixing with the (2,0) singlet, we clearly resolve transport through all triplet states near the avoided singlet-triplet crossings. Transport calculations, based on a simple model with one orbital on each QD, fully replicate the experimental data. Finally, we observe an expected mirrored symmetry between the 1-2 and 2-3 electron transitions resulting from the two-fold spin degeneracy of the orbitals.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure