Some Multi-Quark Potentials, Pseudo-Potentials and AdS/QCD

The static three-quark potential and pseudo-potential of a pure SU(3) gauge theory are studied in a five-dimensional framework known as AdS/QCD. The results support the Y-ansatz for the baryonic area law. A comparison with the quark-antiquark calculations shows the universality of the string tension as well as the spatial string tension. We also discuss extensions to SU(N) gauge theories.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures; v2: a few sentences added and typos correcte

Cold Quark Matter, Quadratic Corrections and Gauge/String Duality

We make an estimate of the quadratic correction in the pressure of cold quark matter using gauge/string duality.Comment: 7 pages; v.2: reference added; v.3: reference and comments added, version to appear in PRD; v4. final version to appear in PRD; v.5: key reference adde

Current-phase relation of the SNS junction in a superconducting loop

We study the current-phase relation of the superconductor/normal/superconductor (SNS) junction imbedded in a superconducting loop. Considering the current conservation and free energy minimum conditions, we obtain the persistent currents of the normal/superconductor (NS) loop. At finite temperature we can explain the experimentally observed highly non-sinusoidal currents which have maxima near the zero external flux.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in Europhys. Let

Thermal rectification of electrons in hybrid normal metal-superconductor nanojunctions

We theoretically investigate heat transport in hybrid normal metal-superconductor (NS) nanojunctions focusing on the effect of thermal rectification. We show that the heat diode effect in the junction strongly depends on the transmissivity and the nature of the NS contact. Thermal rectification efficiency can reach up to 123% for a fully-transmissive ballistic junction and up to 84% in diffusive NS contacts. Both values exceed the rectification efficiency of a NIS tunnel junction (I stands for an insulator) by a factor close to 5 and 3, respectively. Furthermore, we show that for NS point-contacts with low transmissivity, inversion of the heat diode effect can take place. Our results could prove useful for tailoring heat management at the nanoscale, and for mastering thermal flux propagation in low-temperature caloritronic nanocircuitry.Comment: 4+ pages, 3 color figure

Models of sporadic meteor body distributions

The distribution of orbital elements and flux density over the celestial sphere are the most common forms of representation of the meteor body distribution in the vicinity of the Earth's orbit. The determination of flux density distribution of sporadic meteor bodies was worked out. The method and its results are discussed

What makes a crystal supersolid ?

For nearly half a century the supersolid phase of matter has remained mysterious, not only eluding experimental observation, but also generating a great deal of controversy among theorists. Recent discovery of what is interpreted as a non-classical moment of inertia at low temperature in solid He-4 has elicited much excitement as a possible first observation of a supersolid phase. In the two years following the discovery, however, more puzzles than answers have been provided to the fundamental issue of whether the supersolid phase exists, in helium or any other naturally occurring condensed matter system. Presently, there is no established theoretical framework to understand the body of experimental data on He-4. Different microscopic mechanisms that have been suggested to underlie superfluidity in a perfect quantum crystal do not seem viable for \he4, for which a wealth of experimental and theoretical evidence points to an insulating crystalline ground state. This perspective addresses some of the outstanding problems with the interpretation of recent experimental observations of the apparent superfluid response in He-4 (seen now by several groups) and discusses various scenarios alternative to the homogeneous supersolid phase, such as superfluidity induced by extended defects of the crystalline structure which include grain boundaries, dislocations, anisotropic stresses, etc. Can a metastable superfluid "glassy" phase exist, and can it be relevant to some of the experimental observations ? One of the most interesting and unsolved fundamental questions is what interatomic potentials, given the freedom to design one, can support an ideal supersolid phase in continuous space, and can they be found in Nature.Comment: Perspective to appear in Advances in Physics, 25 pages, 7 figure

Relativistic transfer ionization and the Breit interaction

We consider correlated transfer ionization in relativistic collisions between a highly charged ion and a light atom. In this process two quasi-free electrons of the atom interact with each other during the short collision time that results in capture of one of them by the ion and emission of the other. We show that this process is strongly influenced by the generalized Breit interaction already at modest relativistic impact energies.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Massive Fields and the 2D String

The first massive level of closed bosonic string theory is studied. Free-field equations are derived by imposing Weyl invariance on the world sheet. A two-parameter solution to the equation of motion and constraints is found in two dimensions with a flat linear-dilaton background. One-to-one tachyon scattering is studied in this background. The results support Dhar, Mandal and Wadia's proposal that 2D critical string theory corresponds to the c=1 matrix model in which both sides of the Fermi sea are excited.Comment: 17 pages, Latex. V2: One ref added, minor rephrasing of the first paragraph in Sec.3.1, typos in (56) and (57) correcte

Density of states in d-wave superconductors of finite size

We consider the effect of the finite size in the ab-plane on the surface density of states (DoS) in clean d-wave superconductors. In the bulk, the DoS is gapless along the nodal directions, while the presence of a surface leads to formation of another type of the low-energy states, the midgap states with zero energy. We demonstrate that finiteness of the superconductor in one of dimensions provides the energy gap for all directions of quasiparticle motion except for \theta=45 degrees (\theta is the angle between the trajectory and the surface normal); then the angle-averaged DoS behaves linearly at small energies. This result is valid unless the crystal is 0- or 45-oriented (\alpha \ne 0 or 45 degrees, where \alpha is the angle between the a-axis and the surface normal). In the special case of \alpha=0, the spectrum is gapped for all trajectories \theta; the angle-averaged DoS is also gapped. In the special case of \alpha=45, the spectrum is gapless for all trajectories \theta; the angle-averaged DoS is then large at low energies. In all the cases, the angle-resolved DoS consists of energy bands that are formed similarly to the Kronig-Penney model. The analytical results are confirmed by a self-consistent numerical calculation.Comment: 9 pages (including 5 EPS figures), REVTeX