Ground States in the Spin Boson Model

We prove that the Hamiltonian of the model describing a spin which is linearly coupled to a field of relativistic and massless bosons, also known as the spin-boson model, admits a ground state for small values of the coupling constant lambda. We show that the ground state energy is an analytic function of lambda and that the corresponding ground state can also be chosen to be an analytic function of lambda. No infrared regularization is imposed. Our proof is based on a modified version of the BFS operator theoretic renormalization analysis. Moreover, using a positivity argument we prove that the ground state of the spin-boson model is unique. We show that the expansion coefficients of the ground state and the ground state energy can be calculated using regular analytic perturbation theory

Environmental Education Policy Processes in the Southern African Region

An audit of environmental education policies in southern Africa was carried out to determine the status of environmental education policy processes.This paper presents a summary of the results and considers some of the emergent issues for environmental education policy in the region.The audit was conducted under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC REEP) between October 2002 and March 2003. The research attempted to answer questions about the status and understandings of environmental education policy processes, common elements and role players, constraints and opportunities in the development and implementation of environmental education policy. Further questions related to how the audit could help to further the cause of sustainable development in southern Africa.This paper discusses benchmarks in the environmental education policy process nationally and at regional level, as well as institutions active in environmental education. Synergies and linkages between and across regional and national policies are examined, together with some consideration of documentation and focus. The paper then explores constraints and opportunities for policy processes at national and regional level

Ground State and Resonances in the Standard Model of Non-relativistic QED

We prove existence of a ground state and resonances in the standard model of the non-relativistic quantum electro-dynamics (QED). To this end we introduce a new canonical transformation of QED Hamiltonians and use the spectral renormalization group technique with a new choice of Banach spaces.Comment: 50 pages change

Binding threshold for the Pauli-Fierz operator

For the Pauli-Fierz operator with a short range potential we study the binding threshold as a function of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and show that it converges to the binding threshold for the Schr\"odinger operator in the small $\alpha$ limit

Bromination of Graphene and Graphite

We present a density functional theory study of low density bromination of graphene and graphite, finding significantly different behaviour in these two materials. On graphene we find a new Br2 form where the molecule sits perpendicular to the graphene sheet with an extremely strong molecular dipole. The resultant Br+-Br- has an empty pz-orbital located in the graphene electronic pi-cloud. Bromination opens a small (86meV) band gap and strongly dopes the graphene. In contrast, in graphite we find Br2 is most stable parallel to the carbon layers with a slightly weaker associated charge transfer and no molecular dipole. We identify a minimum stable Br2 concentration in graphite, finding low density bromination to be endothermic. Graphene may be a useful substrate for stabilising normally unstable transient molecular states

The EVN view of the highly variable TeV active galaxy IC 310

Very-high-energy $\gamma$-ray observations of the active galaxy IC 310 with the MAGIC telescopes have revealed fast variability with doubling time scales of less than 4.8min. This implies that the emission region in IC 310 is smaller than 20% of the gravitational radius of the central supermassive black hole with a mass of $3\times 10^8 M_\odot$, which poses serious questions on the emission mechanism and classification of this enigmatic object. We report on the first quasi-simultaneous multi-frequency VLBI observations of IC 310 conducted with the EVN. We find a blazar-like one-sided core-jet structure on parsec scales, constraining the inclination angle to be less than $\sim 20^\circ$ but very small angles are excluded to limit the de-projected length of the large-scale radio jet.Comment: 4 pages, proceedings of the 12th European VLBI Network Symposium and Users Meeting - EVN 2014, 7-10 October 2014, Cagliari, Italy. Published online in PoS, ID.10

Refusing to Endorse. A must Explanation for Pejoratives.

In her analysis of pejoratives, Eva Picardi rejects a too sharp separation between descriptive and expressive content. I reconstruct some of her arguments, endorsing Eva’s criticism of Williamson’s analysis of Dummett and developing a suggestion by Manuel Garcia Carpintero on a speech act analysis of pejoratives. Eva’s main concern is accounting for our instinctive refusal to endorse an assertion containing pejoratives because it suggests a picture of reality we do not share. Her stance might be further developed claiming that uses of pejoratives not only suggest, but also promote a wrong picture of reality. Our refusal to endorse implies rejecting not only a wrong picture of reality but also a call for participation to what that picture promotes

Absence of Ground States for a Class of Translation Invariant Models of Non-relativistic QED

We consider a class of translation invariant models of non-relativistic QED with net charge. Under certain natural assumptions we prove that ground states do not exist in the Fock space

Persistent detwinning of iron pnictides by small magnetic fields

Our comprehensive study on EuFe$_2$As$_2$ reveals a dramatic reduction of magnetic detwinning fields compared to other AFe$_2$As$_2$ (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) iron pnictides by indirect magneto-elastic coupling of the Eu$^{2+}$ ions. We find that only 0.1T are sufficient for persistent detwinning below the local Eu$^{2+}$ ordering; above $T_\text{Eu}$ = 19K, higher fields are necessary. Even after the field is switched off, a significant imbalance of twin domains remains constant up to the structural and electronic phase transition (190K). This persistent detwinning provides the unique possibility to study the low temperature electronic in-plane anisotropy of iron pnictides without applying any symmetrybreaking external force.Comment: accepted by Physical Review Letter