Surface Tension in Kac Glass Models

In this paper we study a distance-dependent surface tension, defined as the free-energy cost to put metastable states at a given distance. This will be done in the framework of a disordered microscopic model with Kac interactions that can be solved in the mean-field limit.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

A simple stochastic model for the dynamics of condensation

We consider the dynamics of a model introduced recently by Bialas, Burda and Johnston. At equilibrium the model exhibits a transition between a fluid and a condensed phase. For long evolution times the dynamics of condensation possesses a scaling regime that we study by analytical and numerical means. We determine the scaling form of the occupation number probabilities. The behaviour of the two-time correlations of the energy demonstrates that aging takes place in the condensed phase, while it does not in the fluid phase.Comment: 8 pages, plain tex, 2 figure

On nonlinear susceptibility in supercooled liquids

In this paper, we discuss theoretically the behavior of the four point nonlinear susceptibility and its associated correlation length for supercooled liquids close to the Mode Coupling instability temperature $T_c$. We work in the theoretical framework of the glass transition as described by mean field theory of disordered systems, and the hypernetted chain approximation. Our results give an interpretation framework for recent numerical findings on heterogeneities in supercooled liquid dynamics.Comment: Proceedings of the Conference "Unifying Concepts in Glass Physics" ICTP, Trieste, 15 - 18 September 199

Metastable States, Relaxation Times and Free-energy Barriers in Finite Dimensional Glassy Systems

In this note we discuss metastability in a long-but-finite range disordered model for the glass transition. We show that relaxation is dominated by configuration belonging to metastable states and associate an in principle computable free-energy barrier to the equilibrium relaxation time. Adam-Gibbs like relaxation times appear naturally in this approach.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Typos correcte

Taking the LEED? Analyzing spatial variations in market penetration rates of eco-labeled properties

This paper investigates the impact of policies to promote the adoption of LEED-certified buildings across CBSA in the United States. Drawing upon a unique database that combines data from a large number of sources and using a number of regression procedures, the determinants of the proportion LEED-certified space for more than 170 CBSA in the US is modeled. LEED-certified space still accounts for a relatively small proportion of commercial stock in all markets. The average proportion is less than 1%. There is no conclusive evidence of a positive impact of policy intervention on the levels of LEED-certified space. However, after accounting for bias introduced by non-random assignment of policies, we find preliminary evidence of a positive impact of city-level green building incentives. There is a significant positive association between market size and indicators of economic vitality on proportions of LEED-certified space

Relaxation processes and entropic traps in the Backgammon model

We examine the density-density correlation function in a model recently proposed to study the effect of entropy barriers in glassy dynamics. We find that the relaxation proceeds in two steps with a fast beta process followed by alpha relaxation. The results are physically interpreted in the context of an adiabatic approximation which allows to separate the two processes, and to define an effective temperature in the off-equilibrium dynamics of the model. We investigate the behavior of the response function associated to the density, and find violations of the fluctuation dissipation theorem.Comment: 4 Pages including 3 Figures, Revte