The nonperturbative closed string tachyon vacuum to high level

We compute the action of closed bosonic string field theory at quartic order with fields up to level ten. After level four, the value of the potential at the minimum starts oscillating around a nonzero negative value, in contrast with the proposition made in [5]. We try a different truncation scheme in which the value of the potential converges faster with the level. By extrapolating these values, we are able to give a rather precise value for the depth of the potential.Comment: 24 pages. v2: typos corrected, clarified extrapolation in scheme B, and added extrapolated tachyon and dilaton vev's at the end of Section

Twist Symmetry and Classical Solutions in Open String Field Theory

We construct classical solutions of open string field theory which are not invariant under ordinary twist operation. From detailed analysis of the moduli space of the solutions, it turns out that our solutions become nontrivial at boundaries of the moduli space. The cohomology of the modified BRST operator and the CSFT potential evaluated by the level truncation method strongly support the fact that our nontrivial solutions correspond to the closed string vacuum. We show that the nontrivial solutions are equivalent to the twist even solution which was found by Takahashi and Tanimoto, and twist invariance of open string field theory remains after the shift of the classical backgrounds.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures; v2: errors fixe

Exact ground states of generalized Hubbard models

We present a simple method for the construction of exact ground states of generalized Hubbard models in arbitrary dimensions. This method is used to derive rigorous criteria for the stability of various ground state types, like the $\eta$-pairing state, or N\'eel and ferromagnetic states. Although the approach presented here is much simpler than the ones commonly used, it yields better bounds for the region of stability.Comment: Revtex, 8 page

Yang-Mills Interactions and Gravity in Terms of Clifford Algebra

A model of Yang-Mills interactions and gravity in terms of the Clifford algebra Cl(0,6) is presented. The gravity and Yang-Mills actions are formulated as different order terms in a generalized action. The feebleness of gravity as well as the smallness of the cosmological constant and theta terms are discussed at the classical level. The invariance groups, including the de Sitter and the Pati-Salam SU(4) subgroups, consist of gauge transformations from either side of an algebraic spinor. Upon symmetry breaking via the Higgs fields, the remaining symmetries are the Lorentz SO(1,3), color SU(3), electromagnetic U(1)_EM, and an additional U(1). The first generation leptons and quarks are identified with even and odd parts of spinor idempotent projections. There are still several shortcomings with the current model. Further research is needed to fully recover the standard model results.Comment: 20 pages, to appear in Advances in Applied Clifford Algebra

Energy Momentum Tensor and Marginal Deformations in Open String Field Theory

Marginal boundary deformations in a two dimensional conformal field theory correspond to a family of classical solutions of the equations of motion of open string field theory. In this paper we develop a systematic method for relating the parameter labelling the marginal boundary deformation in the conformal field theory to the parameter labelling the classical solution in open string field theory. This is done by first constructing the energy-momentum tensor associated with the classical solution in open string field theory using Noether method, and then comparing this to the answer obtained in the conformal field theory by analysing the boundary state. We also use this method to demonstrate that in open string field theory the tachyon lump solution on a circle of radius larger than one has vanishing pressure along the circle direction, as is expected for a codimension one D-brane.Comment: LaTeX file, 25 pages; v2: minor addition

Franck-Condon Effect in Central Spin System

We study the quantum transitions of a central spin surrounded by a collective-spin environment. It is found that the influence of the environmental spins on the absorption spectrum of the central spin can be explained with the analog of the Franck-Condon (FC) effect in conventional electron-phonon interaction system. Here, the collective spins of the environment behave as the vibrational mode, which makes the electron to be transitioned mainly with the so-called "vertical transitions" in the conventional FC effect. The "vertical transition" for the central spin in the spin environment manifests as, the certain collective spin states of the environment is favored, which corresponds to the minimal change in the average of the total spin angular momentum.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Geometric Phase and Quantum Phase Transition in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model

The relation between the geometric phase and quantum phase transition has been discussed in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Our calculation shows the ability of geometric phase of the ground state to mark quantum phase transition in this model. The possibility of the geometric phase or its derivatives as the universal order parameter of characterizing quantum phase transitions has been also discussed.Comment: 6 pages and to be published in Phys.Lett.

Temperature and filling dependence of the superconducting π\pi-phase in the Penson-Kolb-Hubbard model

We investigate in the Hartree Fock approximation the temperature and filling dependence of the superconducting $\pi$-phase for the Penson-Kolb-Hubbard model. Due to the presence of the pair-hopping term, the phase survives for repulsive values of the on-site Coulomb interaction, exhibiting an interesting filling and temperature dependence. The structure of the self-consistent equations peculiar to the $\pi$-phase of the model allows to explicitly solve them for the chemical potential. The phase diagrams are shown and discussed in dimension 2 and 3. We also show that, when a next-nearest neighbours hopping term is included, the critical temperature of the superconducting region increases, and the corresponding range of filling values is shifted away from half-filling. Comparison with known exact results is also discussed.Comment: 20 pages, REVTEX, 8 eps figure

Flightless I alters the inflammatory response and autoantibody profile in an OVA-induced atopic dermatitis skin-like disease

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic pruritic inflammatory skin disease characterized by excessive inflammation and disrupted skin barrier function. Although the etiology of AD is not completely understood, clinical and basic studies suggest increasing involvement of autoantibodies against intracellular proteins. An actin remodeling protein, Flightless I (Flii), has been shown to promote development of inflammatory mediated skin conditions and impairment of skin barrier development and function. Here, we sought to determine the effect of altering Flii expression on the development of AD and its contribution to autoimmune aspects of inflammatory skin conditions. Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AD skin-like disease was induced in Flii heterozygous (Flii+/- ), wild-type (Flii+/+ ), and Flii transgenic (FliiTg/Tg ) mice by epicutaneous exposure to OVA for 3 weeks; each week was separated by 2-week resting period. Reduced Flii expression resulted in decreased disease severity and tissue inflammation as determined by histology, lymphocytic, and mast cell infiltrate and increased anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine levels and a marked IFN-γ Th1 response. In contrast, Flii over-expression lead to a Th2 skewed response characterized by increased pro-inflammatory TNF-α cytokine production, Th2 chemokine levels, and Th2 cell numbers. Sera from OVA-induced AD skin-like disease Flii+/- mice showed a decreased level of autoreactivity while sera from FliiTg/Tg mice counterparts showed an altered autoantibody profile with strong nuclear localization favoring development of a more severe disease. These findings demonstrate autoimmune responses in this model of OVA-induced AD-like skin disease and suggest that Flii is a novel target, whose manipulation could be a potential approach for the treatment of patients with AD.Zlatko Kopecki, Natalie E. Stevens, Heng T. Chong, Gink N. Yang and Allison J. Cowi

Ca/Al of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions as an indicator for post-entrapment processes at mid-ocean ridges?

The composition of melt inclusions in basalts erupted at mid-ocean ridges may be modified by post-entrapment processes, so the present composition of melt inclusions may not represent their original composition at the time of entrapment. By combining the melt inclusion composition in samples from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 19ºS analyzed in this study, and from the Petrological Database, we found that post-entrapment crystallization processes resulted in higher Ca/Al, Mg#[100°—atomic Mg2+/(Mg2++Fe2+)], MgO and FeO contents, and lower CaO and Al2O3 contents of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions relative to those hosted in olivine. In addition, melt inclusions hosted in plagioclase with anorthite content larger than 80mol.% had been modified more readily than others. By discussing the relationships between Ca/Al and fractional crystallization, post-entrapment crystallization, and the original melt composition, we propose that Ca/Al can be regarded as an indicator of the effect of post-entrapment processes on melt inclusion composition. Specifically, i) when Ca/Al<0.78, melt inclusion compositions corrected for fractional crystallization to Mg#=72 can represent the primary magma at mid-ocean ridges; ii) when 0.78<Ca/Al<1.0, melt inclusions are mainly modified by post-entrapment crystallization effects, and can reveal the original melt composition after correcting for these effects; iii) when Ca/Al>1.0, the compositions of melt inclusions do not reflect the original melt composition nor preserve information about the mantle source. According to these criteria, plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions with Ca/Al>1.0 in basalts from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 19ºS cannot represent the composition of the melt at the moment of their entrapment