669 research outputs found
Orbital order in classical models of transition-metal compounds
We study the classical 120-degree and related orbital models. These are the
classical limits of quantum models which describe the interactions among
orbitals of transition-metal compounds. We demonstrate that at low temperatures
these models exhibit a long-range order which arises via an "order by disorder"
mechanism. This strongly indicates that there is orbital ordering in the
quantum version of these models, notwithstanding recent rigorous results on the
absence of spin order in these systems.Comment: 7 pages, 1 eps fi
Colligative properties of solutions: II. Vanishing concentrations
We continue our study of colligative properties of solutions initiated in
math-ph/0407034. We focus on the situations where, in a system of linear size
, the concentration and the chemical potential scale like and
, respectively. We find that there exists a critical value \xit such
that no phase separation occurs for \xi\le\xit while, for \xi>\xit, the two
phases of the solvent coexist for an interval of values of . Moreover, phase
separation begins abruptly in the sense that a macroscopic fraction of the
system suddenly freezes (or melts) forming a crystal (or droplet) of the
complementary phase when reaches a critical value. For certain values of
system parameters, under ``frozen'' boundary conditions, phase separation also
ends abruptly in the sense that the equilibrium droplet grows continuously with
increasing and then suddenly jumps in size to subsume the entire system.
Our findings indicate that the onset of freezing-point depression is in fact a
surface phenomenon.Comment: 27 pages, 1 fig; see also math-ph/0407034 (both to appear in JSP
Mean-field driven first-order phase transitions in systems with long-range interactions
We consider a class of spin systems on with vector valued spins
(\bS_x) that interact via the pair-potentials J_{x,y} \bS_x\cdot\bS_y. The
interactions are generally spread-out in the sense that the 's exhibit
either exponential or power-law fall-off. Under the technical condition of
reflection positivity and for sufficiently spread out interactions, we prove
that the model exhibits a first-order phase transition whenever the associated
mean-field theory signals such a transition. As a consequence, e.g., in
dimensions , we can finally provide examples of the 3-state Potts model
with spread-out, exponentially decaying interactions, which undergoes a
first-order phase transition as the temperature varies. Similar transitions are
established in dimensions for power-law decaying interactions and in
high dimensions for next-nearest neighbor couplings. In addition, we also
investigate the limit of infinitely spread-out interactions. Specifically, we
show that once the mean-field theory is in a unique ``state,'' then in any
sequence of translation-invariant Gibbs states various observables converge to
their mean-field values and the states themselves converge to a product
measure.Comment: 57 pages; uses a (modified) jstatphys class fil
Optimal designs for rational function regression
We consider optimal non-sequential designs for a large class of (linear and
nonlinear) regression models involving polynomials and rational functions with
heteroscedastic noise also given by a polynomial or rational weight function.
The proposed method treats D-, E-, A-, and -optimal designs in a
unified manner, and generates a polynomial whose zeros are the support points
of the optimal approximate design, generalizing a number of previously known
results of the same flavor. The method is based on a mathematical optimization
model that can incorporate various criteria of optimality and can be solved
efficiently by well established numerical optimization methods. In contrast to
previous optimization-based methods proposed for similar design problems, it
also has theoretical guarantee of its algorithmic efficiency; in fact, the
running times of all numerical examples considered in the paper are negligible.
The stability of the method is demonstrated in an example involving high degree
polynomials. After discussing linear models, applications for finding locally
optimal designs for nonlinear regression models involving rational functions
are presented, then extensions to robust regression designs, and trigonometric
regression are shown. As a corollary, an upper bound on the size of the support
set of the minimally-supported optimal designs is also found. The method is of
considerable practical importance, with the potential for instance to impact
design software development. Further study of the optimality conditions of the
main optimization model might also yield new theoretical insights.Comment: 25 pages. Previous version updated with more details in the theory
and additional example
Colligative properties of solutions: I. Fixed concentrations
Using the formalism of rigorous statistical mechanics, we study the phenomena
of phase separation and freezing-point depression upon freezing of solutions.
Specifically, we devise an Ising-based model of a solvent-solute system and
show that, in the ensemble with a fixed amount of solute, a macroscopic phase
separation occurs in an interval of values of the chemical potential of the
solvent. The boundaries of the phase separation domain in the phase diagram are
characterized and shown to asymptotically agree with the formulas used in
heuristic analyses of freezing point depression. The limit of infinitesimal
concentrations is described in a subsequent paper.Comment: 28 pages, 1 fig; see also math-ph/0407035 (both to appear in JSP
The topographical anatomy of the round window and related structures for the purpose of cochlear implant surgery
The treatment of total deafness using a cochlear implant has now become
a routine medical procedure. The tendency to expand the audiological indications
for cochlear stimulation and to preserve the remnants of hearing has brought
new problems. The authors have studied the topographical anatomy of the internal
structures of the ear in the area where cochleostomy is usually performed
and an implant electrode inserted.
Ten human temporal bones were obtained from cadavers and prepared in
a formalin stain. After dissection of the bone in the area of round and oval
windows, the following diameters were measured using a microscope with
a scale: the transverse diameters of the cochlear and vestibular scalae at the
level of the centre of the round window and 0.5 mm anteriorly to the round
window, the distance between the windows and the distances from the end of
the spiral lamina to the centre of the round window and to its anterior margin.
The width of the cochlear scala at the level of the round window was 1.23 mm,
and 0.5 mm anteriorly to the round window membrane it was 1.24 mm. The
corresponding diameters for the vestibular scala are 1.34 and 1.27 mm. The
distances from the end of the spiral lamina to the centre of the round window
and to its anterior margin are 1.26 and 2.06 respectively. The authors noted
that the two methods of electrode insertion show a difference of 2 mm in the
length of the stimulated spiral lamina. The average total length of the unstimulated
lamina is 2.06 and 4.06 in the two situations respectively
On the formation/dissolution of equilibrium droplets
We consider liquid-vapor systems in finite volume at parameter
values corresponding to phase coexistence and study droplet formation due to a
fixed excess of particles above the ambient gas density. We identify
a dimensionless parameter and a
\textrm{universal} value \Deltac=\Deltac(d), and show that a droplet of the
dense phase occurs whenever \Delta>\Deltac, while, for \Delta<\Deltac, the
excess is entirely absorbed into the gaseous background. When the droplet first
forms, it comprises a non-trivial, \textrm{universal} fraction of excess
particles. Similar reasoning applies to generic two-phase systems at phase
coexistence including solid/gas--where the ``droplet'' is crystalline--and
polymorphic systems. A sketch of a rigorous proof for the 2D Ising lattice gas
is presented; generalizations are discussed heuristically.Comment: An announcement of a forthcoming rigorous work on the 2D Ising model;
to appear in Europhys. Let
Multiferroic behavior in the new double-perovskite LuMnCoO
We present a new member of the multiferroic oxides, LuMnCoO, which we
have investigated using X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, specific heat,
magnetization, electric polarization, and dielectric constant measurements.
This material possesses an electric polarization strongly coupled to a net
magnetization below 35 K, despite the antiferromagnetic ordering of the Mn and Co spins in an configuration along the c-direction. We discuss the magnetic order
in terms of a condensation of domain boundaries between and
ferromagnetic domains, with each domain boundary
producing a net electric polarization due to spatial inversion symmetry
breaking. In an applied magnetic field the domain boundaries slide, controlling
the size of the net magnetization, electric polarization, and magnetoelectric
coupling
Pulsed laser deposition growth of heteroepitaxial YBa2Cu3O7/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 superlattices on NdGaO3 and Sr0.7La0.3Al0.65Ta0.35O3 substrates
Heteroepitaxial superlattices of [YBa2Cu3O7(n)/ La0.67Ca0.33MnO3(m)]x, where
n and m are the number of YBCO and LCMO monolayers and x the number of bilayer
repetitions, have been grown with pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO3 (110) and
Sr0.7La0.3Al0.65Ta0.35O3 (LSAT) (001). These substrates are well lattice
matched with YBCO and LCMO and, unlike the commonly used SrTiO3, they do not
give rise to complex and uncontrolled strain effects due to structural
transitions at low temperature. The growth dynamics and the structure have been
studied in-situ with reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and
ex-situ with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), x-ray
diffraction, and neutron reflectometry. The individual layers are found to be
flat and continuous over long lateral distances with sharp and coherent
interfaces and with a well-defined thickness of the individual layer. The only
visible defects are antiphase boundaries in the YBCO layers that originate from
perovskite unit cell height steps at the interfaces with the LCMO layers. We
also find that the first YBCO monolayer at the interface with LCMO has an
unusual growth dynamics and is lacking the CuO chain layer while the subsequent
YBCO layers have the regular Y-123 structure. Accordingly, the CuO2 bilayers at
both the LCMO/YBCO and the YBCO/LCMO interfaces are lacking one of their
neighboring CuO chain layers and thus half of their hole doping reservoir.
Nevertheless, from electric transport measurements on asuperlattice with n=2 we
obtain evidence that the interfacial CuO2 bilayers remain conducting and even
exhibit the onset of a superconducting transition at very low temperature.
Finally, we show from dc magnetization and neutron reflectometry measurements
that the LCMO layers are strongly ferromagnetic
A numerical approach to copolymers at selective interfaces
We consider a model of a random copolymer at a selective interface which
undergoes a localization/delocalization transition. In spite of the several
rigorous results available for this model, the theoretical characterization of
the phase transition has remained elusive and there is still no agreement about
several important issues, for example the behavior of the polymer near the
phase transition line. From a rigorous viewpoint non coinciding upper and lower
bounds on the critical line are known.
In this paper we combine numerical computations with rigorous arguments to
get to a better understanding of the phase diagram. Our main results include:
- Various numerical observations that suggest that the critical line lies
strictly in between the two bounds.
- A rigorous statistical test based on concentration inequalities and
super-additivity, for determining whether a given point of the phase diagram is
in the localized phase. This is applied in particular to show that, with a very
low level of error, the lower bound does not coincide with the critical line.
- An analysis of the precise asymptotic behavior of the partition function in
the delocalized phase, with particular attention to the effect of rare atypical
stretches in the disorder sequence and on whether or not in the delocalized
regime the polymer path has a Brownian scaling.
- A new proof of the lower bound on the critical line. This proof relies on a
characterization of the localized regime which is more appealing for
interpreting the numerical data.Comment: accepted for publication on J. Stat. Phy
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