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

Investigation of Shallow Sedimentary Structure of the Anchorage Basin, Alaska, Using Simulated Annealing Inversion of Site Response

This study deals with shallow sedimentary structure of the Anchorage basin in Alaska. For this purpose, inversion of site response [SR(f)] data in the frequency range 0.5-11.0 Hz from various sites of the basin has been performed using the simulated annealing method to compute subsurface layer thickness, shear-wave velocity (beta), density, and shear-wave quality factor. The one-dimensional (1D) models for the aforementioned parameters were obtained with preset bounds on the basis of available geological information such that the L-2 norm error between the observed and computed site response attained a global minimum. Next, the spatial distribution of the important parameter beta was obtained by interpolating values yielded by the 1D models. The results indicate the presence of three distinct velocity zones as the source of spatial variation of SR(f) in the Anchorage basin. In the uppermost part of the basin, the beta values of fine-grain Quaternary sediments mainly lie in the range of 180-500 m/sec with thickness varying from 15 to 50 m. This formation overlies relatively thick (80-200 m) coarse-grain Quaternary sediments with beta values in the range of 600-900 m/sec. These two Quaternary units are, in turn, overlain on Tertiary sediments with beta > 1000 m/sec located at depths of 100 and 250 m, respectively, in the central and western side along the Knik Arm parts of the basin. The important implication of the result is that the sources of spatial variation of SR(f) in the Anchorage basin for the frequency band 0.5-11 Hz, besides in the uppermost 30 m, are found to be deeper than this depth. Thus, use of commonly considered geological formations in the depth intervals from 0 to 30 m for the ground-motion interpretation will likely yield erroneous results in the Anchorage basin.GIEnvironment and Natural Resources InstituteSchool of Engineering of the University of Alaska, AnchorageGeological Science

Contact mechanics with adhesion: Interfacial separation and contact area

We study the adhesive contact between elastic solids with randomly rough, self affine fractal surfaces. We present molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results for the interfacial stress distribution and the wall-wall separation. We compare the MD results for the relative contact area and the average interfacial separation, with the prediction of the contact mechanics theory of Persson. We find good agreement between theory and the simulation results. We apply the theory to the system studied by Benz et al. involving polymer in contact with polymer, but in this case the adhesion gives only a small modification of the interfacial separation as a function of the squeezing pressure.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

A Faddeev Calculation for Pentaquark Θ+\Theta^+ in Diquark Picture with Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Type Interaction

A Bethe-Salpeter-Faddeev (BSF) calculation is performed for the pentaquark $\Theta^+$ in the diquark picture of Jaffe and Wilczek in which $\Theta^+$ is a diquark-diquark-${\bar s}$ three-body system. Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model is used to calculate the lowest order diagrams in the two-body scatterings of ${\bar s}D$ and $D D$. With the use of coupling constants determined from the meson sector, we find that ${\bar s}D$ interaction is attractive while $DD$ interaction is repulsive, and there is no bound $\frac 12^+$ pentaquark state. A bound pentaquark $\Theta^+$ can only be obtained with unphysically strong vector mesonic coupling constants.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Evidence for a ν=5/2\nu=5/2 Fractional Quantum Hall Nematic State in Parallel Magnetic Fields

We report magneto-transport measurements for the fractional quantum Hall state at filling factor $\nu=$ 5/2 as a function of applied parallel magnetic field ($B_{||}$). As $B_{||}$ is increased, the 5/2 state becomes increasingly anisotropic, with the in-plane resistance along the direction of $B_{||}$ becoming more than 30 times larger than in the perpendicular direction. Remarkably, the resistance anisotropy ratio remains constant over a relatively large temperature range, yielding an energy gap which is the same for both directions. Our data are qualitatively consistent with a fractional quantum Hall \textit{nematic} phase