Modeling the secular evolution of migrating planet pairs

The subject of this paper is the secular behaviour of a pair of planets evolving under dissipative forces. In particular, we investigate the case when dissipative forces affect the planetary semi-major axes and the planets move inward/outward the central star, in a process known as planet migration. To perform this investigation, we introduce fundamental concepts of conservative and dissipative dynamics of the three-body problem. Based on these concepts, we develop a qualitative model of the secular evolution of the migrating planetary pair. Our approach is based on analysis of the energy and the orbital angular momentum exchange between the two-planet system and an external medium; thus no specific kind of dissipative forces is invoked. We show that, under assumption that dissipation is weak and slow, the evolutionary routes of the migrating planets are traced by the Mode I and Mode II stationary solutions of the conservative secular problem. The ultimate convergence and the evolution of the system along one of these secular modes of motion is determined uniquely by the condition that the dissipation rate is sufficiently smaller than the proper secular frequency of the system. We show that it is possible to reassemble the starting configurations and migration history of the systems on the basis of their final states and consequently to constrain the parameters of the physical processes involved.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Possible Z2 phase and spin-charge separation in electron doped cuprate superconductors

The SU(2) slave-boson mean-field theory for the tt'J model is analyzed. The role of next-nearest-neighbor hopping t' on the phase-diagram is studied. We find a pseudogap phase in hole-doped materials (where t'<0). The pseudo-gap phase is a U(1) spin liquid (the staggered-flux phase) with a U(1) gauge interaction and no fractionalization. This agrees with experiments on hole doped samples. The same calculation also indicates that a positive t' favors a Z2 state with true spin-charge separation. The Z2 state that exists when t' > 0.5J can be a candidate for the pseudo-gap phase of electron-doped cuprates (if such a phase exists). The experimental situation in electron-doped materials is also addressed.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX4. Homepage http://dao.mit.edu/~wen

Anomalous electronic structure and pseudogap effects in Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO_4

We report a high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopic (ARPES) study of the electron-doped (n-type) cuprate superconductor Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO_4. We observe regions along the Fermi surface where the near-E_F intensity is suppressed and the spectral features are broad in a manner reminiscent of the high-energy ``pseudogap'' in the underdoped p-type (hole doped) cuprates. However, instead of occurring near the (pi, 0) region, as in the p-type materials, this pseudogap falls near the intersection of the underlying Fermi surface with the antiferromagnetic Brillouin zone boundary.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTex, submitted Phys. Rev. Lett. December 21, 200

The Frequency Dependent Conductivity of Electron Glasses

Results of DC and frequency dependent conductivity in the quantum limit, i.e. hw > kT, for a broad range of dopant concentrations in nominally uncompensated, crystalline phosphorous doped silicon and amorphous niobium-silicon alloys are reported. These materials fall under the general category of disordered insulating systems, which are referred to as electron glasses. Using microwave resonant cavities and quasi-optical millimeter wave spectroscopy we are able to study the frequency dependent response on the insulating side of the metal-insulator transition. We identify a quantum critical regime, a Fermi glass regime and a Coulomb glass regime. Our phenomenological results lead to a phase diagram description, or taxonomy, of the electrodynamic response of electron glass systems

Hot Spots and Transition from d-Wave to Another Pairing Symmetry in the Electron-Doped Cuprate Superconductors

We present a simple theoretical explanation for a transition from d-wave to another superconducting pairing observed in the electron-doped cuprates. The d_{x^2-y^2} pairing potential Delta, which has the maximal magnitude and opposite signs at the hot spots on the Fermi surface, becomes suppressed with the increase of electron doping, because the hot spots approach the Brillouin zone diagonals, where Delta vanishes. Then, the d_{x^2-y^2} pairing is replaced by either singlet s-wave or triplet p-wave pairing. We argue in favor of the latter and discuss experiments to uncover it.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, RevTeX 4. V.2: Extra figure and many references added. V.3: Minor update of references for the proof

Doping evolution of the phonon density of states and electron-lattice interaction in Nd2−x_{2-x}Cex_xCuO4+δ_{4+\delta}

We use inelastic neutron scattering to study the evolution of the generalized phonon density of states (GDOS) of the $n$-type high-$T_c$ superconductor Nd$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4+\delta}$ (NCCO), from the half-filled Mott-insulator ($x=0$) to the $T_c=24$ K superconductor ($x=0.15$). Upon doping the CuO$_2$ planes in Nd$_2$CuO$_{4+\delta}$ (NCO) with electrons by Ce substitution, the most significant change in the GDOS is the softening of the highest phonon branches associated with the Cu-O bond stretching and out-of-plane oxygen vibration modes. However, the softening occurs within the first few percent of Ce-doping and is not related to the electron doping induced nonsuperconducting-superconducting transition (NST) at $x\approx 0.12$. These results suggest that the electron-lattice coupling in the $n$-type high-$T_c$ superconductors is different from that in the $p$-type materials.Comment: 4 pages and 3 figure

Fully Gapped Single-Particle Excitations in the Lightly Doped Cuprates

The low-energy excitations of the lightly doped cuprates were studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. A finite gap was measured over the entire Brillouin zone, including along the d_{x^2 - y^2} nodal line. This effect was observed to be generic to the normal states of numerous cuprates, including hole-doped La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} and Ca_{2-x}Na_{x}CuO_{2}Cl_{2} and electron-doped Nd_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4}. In all compounds, the gap appears to close with increasing carrier doping. We consider various scenarios to explain our results, including the possible effects of chemical disorder, electronic inhomogeneity, and a competing phase.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.

Pulsar timing arrays and the challenge of massive black hole binary astrophysics

Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are designed to detect gravitational waves (GWs) at nHz frequencies. The expected dominant signal is given by the superposition of all waves emitted by the cosmological population of supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries. Such superposition creates an incoherent stochastic background, on top of which particularly bright or nearby sources might be individually resolved. In this contribution I describe the properties of the expected GW signal, highlighting its dependence on the overall binary population, the relation between SMBHs and their hosts, and their coupling with the stellar and gaseous environment. I describe the status of current PTA efforts, and prospect of future detection and SMBH binary astrophysics.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 2014 Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, ed. C.Sopuerta (Berlin: Springer-Verlag

Evidence for a Nodeless Gap from the Superfluid Density of Optimally Doped Pr_{1.855}Ce_{0.145}CuO_{4-y} Films

We present measurements of the ab-plane magnetic penetration depth, \lambda(T), in five optimally doped Pr_{1.855}Ce_{0.145}CuO_{4-y} films for 1.6 K \leq T \leq T_c \sim 24 K. Low resistivities, high superfluid densities n_s(T)\propto \lambda^{-2}(T), high T_c's, and small transition widths are reproducible and indicative of excellent film quality. For all five films, \lambda^{-2}(T)/\lambda^{-2}(0) at low T is well fitted by an exponential temperature dependence with a gap, \Delta_{min}, of 0.85 k_B T_c. This behavior is consistent with a nodeless gap and is incompatible with d-wave superconductivity.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, reorganized for clarit