Quantum Fluctuations and Hydrodynamic Noise in Low Dimensions

Our theoretical work is organized in two independent parts: Part I belongs to the field of condensed matter theory and deals with the spectral signatures of collective states in one dimensional (1D) metals: Electrons in 1D metals are expected to fractionalize into collective spin and charge degrees of freedom. A recent candidate material for the realization of a 1D metal are mirror-twin boundaries in monolayer MoS2. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy was used to record the local density of states along these 1D line defects. In our purely theoretical work, we calculate the local density of states as predicted by Tomonaga-Luttinger-liquid theory in order to reveal the nature of the 1D states spectroscopically. The comparison of measured and theoretical spectra allows us to identify the observed doubling of the energy levels as signature of emergent spin and charge excitations. Part II belongs to the field of non-equilibrium physics and deals with the macroscopic description of equilibration: Equilibration of closed systems is hampered by the diffusive transport of locally conserved quantities as described by fluctuating hydrodynamics. After a sudden perturbation, the buildup of equilibrium fluctuations occurs only algebraically slowly, giving rise to hydrodynamic long-time tails. However, the standard tool in transport theory, the Boltzmann equation, fails to describe equilibration. Adding a noise term restores the missing correlations, resulting in a stochastic Langevin-Boltzmann equation. In our work, we derive a simplified version: a fluctuating relaxation-time approximation. We also set up a stable integration scheme for this type of equation and demonstrate that the numerical solution is in agreement with the predictions of fluctuating hydrodynamics. As an addition, we discuss slow changes of state. We show that the entropy production vanishes algebraically slowly in the adiabatic limit due to the presence of hydrodynamic slow modes

Interference of quantum critical excitations and soft diffusive modes in a disordered antiferromagnetic metal

We study the temperature-dependent quantum correction to conductivity due to the interplay of spin density fluctuations and weak disorder for a two-dimensional metal near an antiferromagnetic (AFM) quantum critical point. AFM spin density fluctuations carry large momenta around the ordering vector $\mathbf{Q}$ and, at lowest order of the spin-fermion coupling, only scatter electrons between "hot spots" of the Fermi surface which are connected by $\mathbf{Q}$. Earlier, it was seen that the quantum interference between AFM spin density fluctuations and soft diffusive modes of the disordered metal is suppressed, a consequence of the large-momentum scattering. The suppression of this interference results in a non-singular temperature dependence of the corresponding interaction correction to conductivity. However, at higher order of the spin-fermion coupling, electrons on the entire Fermi surface can be scattered successively by two spin density fluctuations and, in total, suffer a small momentum transfer. This higher-order process can be described by composite modes which carry small momenta. We show that the interference between formally subleading composite modes and diffusive modes generates singular interaction corrections which ultimately dominate over the non-singular first-order correction at low temperatures. We derive an effective low-energy theory from the spin-fermion model which includes the above-mentioned higher-order process implicitly and show that for weak spin-fermion coupling the small-momentum transfer is mediated by a composite propagator. Employing the conventional diagrammatic approach to impurity scattering, we find the correction $\delta \sigma \sim +\ln^2 T$ for temperatures above an exponentially small crossover scale.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Published versio

Excitation of the molecular gas in the nuclear region of M82

We present high resolution HIFI spectroscopy of the nucleus of the archetypical starburst galaxy M82. Six 12CO lines, 2 13CO lines and 4 fine-structure lines are detected. Besides showing the effects of the overall velocity structure of the nuclear region, the line profiles also indicate the presence of multiple components with different optical depths, temperatures and densities in the observing beam. The data have been interpreted using a grid of PDR models. It is found that the majority of the molecular gas is in low density (n=10^3.5 cm^-3) clouds, with column densities of N_H=10^21.5 cm^-2 and a relatively low UV radiation field (GO = 10^2). The remaining gas is predominantly found in clouds with higher densities (n=10^5 cm^-3) and radiation fields (GO = 10^2.75), but somewhat lower column densities (N_H=10^21.2 cm^-2). The highest J CO lines are dominated by a small (1% relative surface filling) component, with an even higher density (n=10^6 cm^-3) and UV field (GO = 10^3.25). These results show the strength of multi-component modeling for the interpretation of the integrated properties of galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letter

HIFI spectroscopy of low-level water transitions in M82

We present observations of the rotational ortho-water ground transition, the two lowest para-water transitions, and the ground transition of ionised ortho-water in the archetypal starburst galaxy M82, performed with the HIFI instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory. These observations are the first detections of the para-H2O(111-000) (1113\,GHz) and ortho-H2O+(111-000) (1115\,GHz) lines in an extragalactic source. All three water lines show different spectral line profiles, underlining the need for high spectral resolution in interpreting line formation processes. Using the line shape of the para-H2O(111-000) and ortho-H2O+(111-000) absorption profile in conjunction with high spatial resolution CO observations, we show that the (ionised) water absorption arises from a ~2000 pc^2 region within the HIFI beam located about ~50 pc east of the dynamical centre of the galaxy. This region does not coincide with any of the known line emission peaks that have been identified in other molecular tracers, with the exception of HCO. Our data suggest that water and ionised water within this region have high (up to 75%) area-covering factors of the underlying continuum. This indicates that water is not associated with small, dense cores within the ISM of M82 but arises from a more widespread diffuse gas component.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

CO(4-3) and CO(7-6) maps of the nucleus of NGC 253

Context.Molecular line excitation studies of the nuclei of nearby starburst galaxies yield important information on the starburst phenomena, in particular on the temperature and density of the star-forming gas. Such studies also provide templates for high redshift galaxies with even more extreme star formation. Aims.Fundamental constraints on the physical properties in the nuclear regions of external galaxies can be derived from the spectral energy distribution (i.e., integrated flux density vs. rotational quantum number) of CO rotational emission arising from warm gas. Methods.The resolution and sensitivity of the APEX telescope makes it feasible to perform spatially resolved studies of submillimeter (submm) CO emission from the warm, dense gas in nearby starburst nuclei. Using the FLASH dual-channel heterodyne receiver we mapped emission in the CO $J=4{-}3$ and 7-6 lines toward the archetypical nuclear starburst galaxy NGC 253. Results.Combining our new observations with data from the literature, we derive the CO line SED in the central 250 pc of NGC 253, which peaks near the 6-5 transition and has a shape very similar to that of M 82. All CO transitions in the central region can well be fitted with a single temperature/density Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) model. A good match to the observations is found by assuming kinetic gas temperatures that are comparable to the dust temperature (Tkin K) and a H2 density of order 104 cm-3. Conclusions.Our very first APEX submm study of a nearby starburst nucleus (NGC 253) meaningfully constrains the physical properties of the star-forming molecular gas it contains. With broader band spectrometers and a chopping secondary coming soon, the impact of APEX on extragalactic astrophysics will be foreseeably significant

Understanding the photoemission distribution of strongly interacting two-dimensional overlayers

Photoemission tomography (PT), the analysis of the photoemission intensity distribution within the plane wave final-state approximation, is being established as a useful tool for extracting the electronic and geometric structure of weakly interacting organic overlayers. Here we present a simple method for extending PT, which until now has been based on the calculations of isolated molecules. By including the substrate and a damped plane-wave final state, we are able to simulate the photoemission intensity distribution of two-dimensional molecular overlayers with both strong intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions, here demonstrated for the model system 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on Cu(100). It is shown that the interaction and hybridization of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of PTCDA with substrate states leads to its occupation and the formation of a strongly dispersing intermolecular band, whose experimental magnitude of 1.1 eV and k-space periodicity is well reproduced theoretically