Dissipation and quantization for composite systems

In the framework of 't Hooft's quantization proposal, we show how to obtain from the composite system of two classical Bateman's oscillators a quantum isotonic oscillator. In a specific range of parameters, such a system can be interpreted as a particle in an effective magnetic field, interacting through a spin-orbit interaction term. In the limit of a large separation from the interaction region one can describe the system in terms of two irreducible elementary subsystems which correspond to two independent quantum harmonic oscillators.Comment: 9 page

Ceramonematidae (Nematoda) de fonds vaseux profonds de Méditerranée

Representatives of the family Ceramonematidae (Cobb, 1933) were found untill now mainly in shallow sandy bottoms. The five species mentioned hereunder, from which four are new ones were recovered from mud in the « Golfe du Lion » (Mediterrranean) at a depth of 310-580 m. A male specimen of Ceramonema chitwoodi De Coninck, 1942 is described. Two new species are added to the genus Metadasynemella: M. falciphala and M. cassidiniensis. Pselionema deconincki sp.n. is the first species of this genus with vacuolisations in the cuticle. Pselionema minutum sp.n. is a very small species

On topological defect formation in the process of symmetry breaking phase transitions

By resorting to some results in quantum field theories with spontaneous breakdown of symmetry we show that an explanation based on microscopic dynamics can be given of the fact that topological defect formation is observed during the process of non-equilibrium phase transitions characterized by a non-zero order parameter. We show that the Nambu-Goldstone particle acquires an effective non-zero mass due to the boundary (finite volume) effects and this is related with the size of the defect. We also relate such volume effect with temperature effect.Comment: 12 pages, no figure

Quantized vortices in two dimensional solid 4He

Diagonal and off-diagonal properties of 2D solid 4He systems doped with a quantized vortex have been investigated via the Shadow Path Integral Ground State method using the fixed-phase approach. The chosen approximate phase induces the standard Onsager-Feynman flow field. In this approximation the vortex acts as a static external potential and the resulting Hamiltonian can be treated exactly with Quantum Monte Carlo methods. The vortex core is found to sit in an interstitial site and a very weak relaxation of the lattice positions away from the vortex core position has been observed. Also other properties like Bragg peaks in the static structure factor or the behavior of vacancies are very little affected by the presence of the vortex. We have computed also the one-body density matrix in perfect and defected 4He crystals finding that the vortex has no sensible effect on the off-diagonal long range tail of the density matrix. Within the assumed Onsager Feynman phase, we find that a quantized vortex cannot auto-sustain itself unless a condensate is already present like when dislocations are present. It remains to be investigated if backflow can change this conclusion.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, LT26 proceedings, accepted for publication in Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Thermal modeling of terahertz quantum-cascade lasers: comparison of optical waveguides

We compare a set of experimental lattice temperature profiles measured in a surface-emitting terahertz (THz) quantum-cascade laser (QCL) with the results of a 2-D anisotropic heat diffusion model. We evaluate the temperature dependence of the cross-plane thermal conductivity (kappaperp) of the active region which is known to be strongly anisotropic due to its superlattice-like nature. Knowledge of kappaperp and its temperature dependence is crucial in order to improve the temperature performance of THz QCLs and this has been used to investigate the longitudinal lattice temperature distribution of the active region and to compare the thermal properties of metal-metal and semi-insulating surface-plasmon THz optical waveguides using a 3-D anisotropic heat diffusion model

Mixing Transformations in Quantum Field Theory and Neutrino Oscillations

Field mixing transformations are studied in quantum field theory and the generator of the transformations is found to induce an SU(2) coherent structure in the vacuum state, both for bosons and for fermions. The Fock space for mixed fields is unitarily inequivalent to the Fock space of the unmixed fields in the infinite volume limit. We study neutrino mixing and oscillations and find that the oscillation amplitude is depressed by a factor which is momentum and mass dependent. The usual formula is recovered in the relativistic limit. Phenomenological features of the modified oscillation formula are discussed. Finally, preliminary results of the Green's function formalism are presented.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX. To appear in Proceedings of "Results and Perspectives in Particle Physics", La Thuile, Aosta Valley, March 199

Identical Particles and Permutation Group

Second quantization is revisited and creation and annihilation operators areshown to be related, on the same footing both to the algebra h(1), and to the superalgebra osp(1|2) that are shown to be both compatible with Bose and Fermi statistics. The two algebras are completely equivalent in the one-mode sector but, because of grading of osp(1|2), differ in the many-particle case. The same scheme is straightforwardly extended to the quantum case h_q(1) and osp_q(1|2).Comment: 8 pages, standard TEX, DFF 205/5/94 Firenz