The Coulomb-Higgs transition of the three-parameter U(1)-Higgs model

We find a first order Coulomb--Higgs phase transition at moderately large values of the coupling $\lambda$, and no evidence for a change of order at any finite value of it.Comment: 3 pages, uuencoded compressed ps file. Contribution to Lattice '9

A Proposal of a Renormalization Group Transformation for Lattice Field Theories

We propose a new Real Space Renormalization Group transformation useful for Monte Carlo calculations in theories with global or local symmetries. From relaxation arguments we define the block-spin transformation with two tunable free parameters, adapted to the system's action. Varying them it is possible to place the fixed point very close to the simulation point. We show how the method works in a simple model with global symmetry: the three dimensional XY model.Comment: 26 pages, uuencoded compressed postscript single file, 8 figures include

Effect of Dilution on First Order Transitions: The Three Dimensional Three States Potts Model

We have studied numerically the effect of quenched site dilution on a first order phase transition in three dimensions. We have simulated the site diluted three states Potts model studying in detail the second order region of its phase diagram. We have found that the $\nu$ exponent is compatible with the one of the three dimensional diluted Ising model whereas the $\eta$ exponent is definitely different.Comment: RevTex. 6 pages and 6 postscript figure

Nature of the spin-glass phase at experimental length scales

We present a massive equilibrium simulation of the three-dimensional Ising spin glass at low temperatures. The Janus special-purpose computer has allowed us to equilibrate, using parallel tempering, L=32 lattices down to T=0.64 Tc. We demonstrate the relevance of equilibrium finite-size simulations to understand experimental non-equilibrium spin glasses in the thermodynamical limit by establishing a time-length dictionary. We conclude that non-equilibrium experiments performed on a time scale of one hour can be matched with equilibrium results on L=110 lattices. A detailed investigation of the probability distribution functions of the spin and link overlap, as well as of their correlation functions, shows that Replica Symmetry Breaking is the appropriate theoretical framework for the physically relevant length scales. Besides, we improve over existing methodologies to ensure equilibration in parallel tempering simulations.Comment: 48 pages, 19 postscript figures, 9 tables. Version accepted for publication in the Journal of Statistical Mechanic

Ianus: an Adpative FPGA Computer

Dedicated machines designed for specific computational algorithms can outperform conventional computers by several orders of magnitude. In this note we describe {\it Ianus}, a new generation FPGA based machine and its basic features: hardware integration and wide reprogrammability. Our goal is to build a machine that can fully exploit the performance potential of new generation FPGA devices. We also plan a software platform which simplifies its programming, in order to extend its intended range of application to a wide class of interesting and computationally demanding problems. The decision to develop a dedicated processor is a complex one, involving careful assessment of its performance lead, during its expected lifetime, over traditional computers, taking into account their performance increase, as predicted by Moore's law. We discuss this point in detail

The three dimensional Ising spin glass in an external magnetic field: the role of the silent majority

We perform equilibrium parallel-tempering simulations of the 3D Ising Edwards-Anderson spin glass in a field. A traditional analysis shows no signs of a phase transition. Yet, we encounter dramatic fluctuations in the behaviour of the model: Averages over all the data only describe the behaviour of a small fraction of it. Therefore we develop a new approach to study the equilibrium behaviour of the system, by classifying the measurements as a function of a conditioning variate. We propose a finite-size scaling analysis based on the probability distribution function of the conditioning variate, which may accelerate the convergence to the thermodynamic limit. In this way, we find a non-trivial spectrum of behaviours, where a part of the measurements behaves as the average, while the majority of them shows signs of scale invariance. As a result, we can estimate the temperature interval where the phase transition in a field ought to lie, if it exists. Although this would-be critical regime is unreachable with present resources, the numerical challenge is finally well posed.Comment: 42 pages, 19 figures. Minor changes and added figure (results unchanged

Thermodynamic glass transition in a spin glass without time-reversal symmetry

Spin glasses are a longstanding model for the sluggish dynamics that appears at the glass transition. However, spin glasses differ from structural glasses for a crucial feature: they enjoy a time reversal symmetry. This symmetry can be broken by applying an external magnetic field, but embarrassingly little is known about the critical behaviour of a spin glass in a field. In this context, the space dimension is crucial. Simulations are easier to interpret in a large number of dimensions, but one must work below the upper critical dimension (i.e., in d<6) in order for results to have relevance for experiments. Here we show conclusive evidence for the presence of a phase transition in a four-dimensional spin glass in a field. Two ingredients were crucial for this achievement: massive numerical simulations were carried out on the Janus special-purpose computer, and a new and powerful finite-size scaling method.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

JANUS: an FPGA-based System for High Performance Scientific Computing

This paper describes JANUS, a modular massively parallel and reconfigurable FPGA-based computing system. Each JANUS module has a computational core and a host. The computational core is a 4x4 array of FPGA-based processing elements with nearest-neighbor data links. Processors are also directly connected to an I/O node attached to the JANUS host, a conventional PC. JANUS is tailored for, but not limited to, the requirements of a class of hard scientific applications characterized by regular code structure, unconventional data manipulation instructions and not too large data-base size. We discuss the architecture of this configurable machine, and focus on its use on Monte Carlo simulations of statistical mechanics. On this class of application JANUS achieves impressive performances: in some cases one JANUS processing element outperfoms high-end PCs by a factor ~ 1000. We also discuss the role of JANUS on other classes of scientific applications.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Improved version, largely rewritten, submitted to Computing in Science & Engineerin

Time-independant stochastic quantization, DS equations, and infrared critical exponents in QCD

We derive the equations of time-independent stochastic quantization, without reference to an unphysical 5th time, from the principle of gauge equivalence. It asserts that probability distributions $P$ that give the same expectation values for gauge-invariant observables $= \int dA W P$ are physically indistiguishable. This method escapes the Gribov critique. We derive an exact system of equations that closely resembles the Dyson-Schwinger equations of Faddeev-Popov theory, which we then solve non-perturbatively for the critical exponents that characterize the asymptotic form at $k \approx 0$ of the tranverse and longitudinal parts of the gluon propagator in Landau gauge, D^T \sim (k^2)^{-1-\a_T} and D^L \sim a (k^2)^{-1-\a_L}, and obtain \a_T = - 2\a_L \approx - 1.043 (short range), and \a_L \approx 0.521, (long range). Although the longitudinal part vanishes with the gauge parameter $a$ in the Landau gauge limit, $a \to 0$, there are vertices of order $a^{-1}$, so the longitudinal part of the gluon propagator contributes in internal lines, replacing the ghost that occurs in Faddeev-Popov theory. We compare our results with the corresponding results in Faddeev-Popov theory.Comment: 50 pages, 2 figure