Origin of the mixed-order transition in multiplex networks: the Ashkin-Teller model

Recently, diverse phase transition (PT) types have been obtained in multiplex networks, such as discontinuous, continuous, and mixed-order PTs. However, they emerge from individual systems, and there is no theoretical understanding of such PTs in a single framework. Here, we study a spin model called the Ashkin-Teller (AT) model in a mono-layer scale-free network; this can be regarded as a model of two species of Ising spin placed on each layer of a double-layer network. The four-spin interaction in the AT model represents the inter-layer interaction in the multiplex network. Diverse PTs emerge depending on the inter-layer coupling strength and network structure. Especially, we find that mixed-order PTs occur at the critical end points. The origin of such behavior is explained in the framework of Landau-Ginzburg theory.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

The influence of line tension on the formation of liquid bridges

The formation of liquid bridges between a planar and conical substrates is analyzed macroscopically taking into account the line tension. Depending on the value of the line tension coefficient \tau and geometric parameters of the system one observes two different scenarios of liquid bridge formation upon changing the fluid state along the bulk liquid-vapor coexistence. For \tau > \tau * (\tau * < 0) there is a first-order transition to a state with infinitely thick liquid bridge. For \tau < \tau * the scenario consists of two steps: first there is a first-order transition to a state with liquid bridge of finite thickness which upon further increase of temperature is followed by continuous growth of the thickness of the bridge to infinity. In addition to constructing the relevant phase diagram we examine the dependence of the width of the bridge on thermodynamic and geometric parameters of the system.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Putative spin liquid in the triangle-based iridate Ba3_3IrTi2_2O9_9

We report on thermodynamic, magnetization, and muon spin relaxation measurements of the strong spin-orbit coupled iridate Ba$_3$IrTi$_2$O$_9$, which constitutes a new frustration motif made up a mixture of edge- and corner-sharing triangles. In spite of strong antiferromagnetic exchange interaction of the order of 100~K, we find no hint for long-range magnetic order down to 23 mK. The magnetic specific heat data unveil the $T$-linear and -squared dependences at low temperatures below 1~K. At the respective temperatures, the zero-field muon spin relaxation features a persistent spin dynamics, indicative of unconventional low-energy excitations. A comparison to the $4d$ isostructural compound Ba$_3$RuTi$_2$O$_9$ suggests that a concerted interplay of compass-like magnetic interactions and frustrated geometry promotes a dynamically fluctuating state in a triangle-based iridate.Comment: Physical Review B accepte

On the Penrose Inequality for general horizons

For asymptotically flat initial data of Einstein's equations satisfying an energy condition, we show that the Penrose inequality holds between the ADM mass and the area of an outermost apparent horizon, if the data are restricted suitably. We prove this by generalizing Geroch's proof of monotonicity of the Hawking mass under a smooth inverse mean curvature flow, for data with non-negative Ricci scalar. Unlike Geroch we need not confine ourselves to minimal surfaces as horizons. Modulo smoothness issues we also show that our restrictions on the data can locally be fulfilled by a suitable choice of the initial surface in a given spacetime.Comment: 4 pages, revtex, no figures. Some comments added. No essential changes. To be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Isometric Representations of Totally Ordered Semigroups

Let S be a subsemigroup of an abelian torsion-free group G. If S is a positive cone of G, then all C*-algebras generated by faithful isometrical non-unitary representations of S are canonically isomorphic. Proved by Murphy, this statement generalized the well-known theorems of Coburn and Douglas. In this note we prove the reverse. If all C*-algebras generated by faithful isometrical non-unitary representations of S are canonically isomorphic, then S is a positive cone of G. Also we consider G = Z\times Z and prove that if S induces total order on G, then there exist at least two unitarily not equivalent irreducible isometrical representation of S. And if the order is lexicographical-product order, then all such representations are unitarily equivalent.Comment: February 21, 2012. Kazan, Russi