Theory of Type-II Superconductors with Finite London Penetration Depth

Previous continuum theory of type-II superconductors of various shapes with and without vortex pinning in an applied magnetic field and with transport current, is generalized to account for a finite London penetration depth lambda. This extension is particularly important at low inductions B, where the transition to the Meissner state is now described correctly, and for films with thickness comparable to or smaller than lambda. The finite width of the surface layer with screening currents and the correct dc and ac responses in various geometries follow naturally from an equation of motion for the current density in which the integral kernel now accounts for finite lambda. New geometries considered here are thick and thin strips with applied current, and `washers', i.e. thin film squares with a slot and central hole as used for SQUIDs.Comment: 14 pages, including 15 high-resolution figure

Deep Extragalactic X-ray Surveys

Deep surveys of the cosmic X-ray background are reviewed in the context of observational progress enabled by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission-Newton. The sources found by deep surveys are described along with their redshift and luminosity distributions, and the effectiveness of such surveys at selecting active galactic nuclei (AGN) is assessed. Some key results from deep surveys are highlighted including (1) measurements of AGN evolution and the growth of supermassive black holes, (2) constraints on the demography and physics of high-redshift AGN, (3) the X-ray AGN content of infrared and submillimeter galaxies, and (4) X-ray emission from distant starburst and normal galaxies. We also describe some outstanding problems and future prospects for deep extragalactic X-ray surveys.Comment: 32 pages; Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., Volume 43 (2005); updated to match accepted versio

Unsolvability Cores in Classification Problems

Classification problems have been introduced by M. Ziegler as a generalization of promise problems. In this paper we are concerned with solvability and unsolvability questions with respect to a given set or language family, especially with cores of unsolvability. We generalize the results about unsolvability cores in promise problems to classification problems. Our main results are a characterization of unsolvability cores via cohesiveness and existence theorems for such cores in unsolvable classification problems. In contrast to promise problems we have to strengthen the conditions to assert the existence of such cores. In general unsolvable classification problems with more than two components exist, which possess no cores, even if the set family under consideration satisfies the assumptions which are necessary to prove the existence of cores in unsolvable promise problems. But, if one of the components is fixed we can use the results on unsolvability cores in promise problems, to assert the existence of such cores in general. In this case we speak of conditional classification problems and conditional cores. The existence of conditional cores can be related to complexity cores. Using this connection we can prove for language families, that conditional cores with recursive components exist, provided that this family admits an uniform solution for the word problem

D-string on near horizon geometries and infinite conformal symmetry

We show that the symmetries of effective D-string actions in constant dilaton backgrounds are directly related to homothetic motions of the background metric. In presence of such motions, there are infinitely many nonlinearly realized rigid symmetries forming a loop (or loop like) algebra. Near horizon (AdS) D3 and D1+D5 backgrounds are discussed in detail and shown to provide 2d interacting field theories with infinite conformal symmetry.Comment: 5 pages, revtex, no figures; symmetry transformations for BI action added, coupling of D-string to RR 2-form in D1-D5 background corrected; final version, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

The theory of the reentrant effect in susceptibility of cylindrical mesoscopic samples

A theory has been developed to explain the anomalous behavior of the magnetic susceptibility of a normal metal-superconductor ($NS$) structure in weak magnetic fields at millikelvin temperatures. The effect was discovered experimentally by A.C. Mota et al \cite{10}. In cylindrical superconducting samples covered with a thin normal pure metal layer, the susceptibility exhibited a reentrant effect: it started to increase unexpectedly when the temperature lowered below 100 mK. The effect was observed in mesoscopic $NS$ structures when the $N$ and $S$ metals were in good electric contact. The theory proposed is essentially based on the properties of the Andreev levels in the normal metal. When the magnetic field (or temperature) changes, each of the Andreev levels coincides from time to time with the chemical potential of the metal. As a result, the state of the $NS$ structure experiences strong degeneracy, and the quasiparticle density of states exhibits resonance spikes. This generates a large paramagnetic contribution to the susceptibility, which adds up to the diamagnetic contribution thus leading to the reentrant effect. The explanation proposed was obtained within the model of free electrons. The theory provides a good description for experimental results [10]

Seiberg-Witten maps and anomalies in noncommutative Yang-Mills theories

A BRST-cohomological analysis of Seiberg-Witten maps and results on gauge anomalies in noncommutative Yang-Mills theories with general gauge groups are reviewed.Comment: 9 pages, talk at 9th Adriatic Meeting, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 4-14 Sept. 200

Non-Quadratic Gauge Fixing and Global Gauge Invariance in the Effective Action

The possibility of having a gauge fixing term in the effective Lagrangian that is not a quadratic expression has been explored in spin-two theories so as to have a propagator that is both traceless and transverse. We first show how this same approach can be used in spontaneously broken gauge theories as an alternate to the 't Hooft gauge fixing which avoids terms quadratic in the scalar fields. This "non-quadratic" gauge fixing in the effective action results in there being two complex Fermionic and one real Bosonic ghost fields. A global gauge invariance involving a Fermionic gauge parameter, analogous to the usual BRST invariance, is present in this effective action.Comment: 4 pages, revtex4 (submitted to Phys. Rev. D

The information content of a new observable: the case of the nuclear neutron skin

We address two questions pertaining to the uniqueness and usefulness of a new observable: (i) Considering the current theoretical knowledge, what novel information does new measurement bring in? (ii) How can new data reduce uncertainties of current theoretical models? We illustrate these points by studying the radius of the neutron distribution of a heavy nucleus, a quantity related to the equation of state for neutron matter that determines properties of nuclei and neutron stars. By systematically varying parameters of two theoretical models and studying the resulting confidence ellipsoid, we quantify the relationships between the neutron skin and various properties of finite nuclei and infinite nuclear matter. Using the covariance analysis, we identify observables and pseudo-observables that correlate, and do not correlate, with the neutron skin. By adding the information on the neutron radius to the pool of observables determining the energy functional, we show how precise experimental determination of the neutron radius in $^{208}$Pb would reduce theoretical uncertainties on the neutron matter equation of state.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Anomaly candidates and invariants of D=4, N=1 supergravity theories

All anomaly candidates and the form of the most general invariant local action are given for old and new minimal supergravity, including the cases where additional Yang--Mills and chiral matter multiplets are present. Furthermore nonminimal supergravity is discussed. In this case local supersymmetry itself may be anomalous and some of the corresponding anomaly candidates are given explicitly. The results are obtained by solving the descent equations which contain the consistency equation satisfied by integrands of anomalies and invariant actions.Comment: 19 pages, LaTex, NIKHEF-H 93-12, ITP-UH 07/9