Theory and simulation of two-dimensional nematic and tetratic phases

Recent experiments and simulations have shown that two-dimensional systems can form tetratic phases with four-fold rotational symmetry, even if they are composed of particles with only two-fold symmetry. To understand this effect, we propose a model for the statistical mechanics of particles with almost four-fold symmetry, which is weakly broken down to two-fold. We introduce a coefficient $\kappa$ to characterize the symmetry breaking, and find that the tetratic phase can still exist even up to a substantial value of $\kappa$. Through a Landau expansion of the free energy, we calculate the mean-field phase diagram, which is similar to the result of a previous hard-particle excluded-volume model. To verify our mean-field calculation, we develop a Monte Carlo simulation of spins on a triangular lattice. The results of the simulation agree very well with the Landau theory.Comment: 7 pages, including 12 postscript figures, uses REVTeX

Scattering lengths of Nambu-Goldstone bosons off DD mesons and dynamically generated heavy-light mesons

Recent lattice QCD simulations of the scattering lengths of Nambu-Goldstone bosons off the $D$ mesons are studied using unitary chiral perturbation theory. We show that the Lattice QCD data are better described in the covariant formulation than in the heavy-meson formulation. The $D^*_{s0}(2317)$ can be dynamically generated from the coupled-channels $DK$ interaction without \textit{a priori} assumption of its existence. A new renormalization scheme is proposed which manifestly satisfies chiral power counting rules and has well-defined behavior in the infinite heavy-quark mass limit. Using this scheme we predict the heavy-quark spin and flavor symmetry counterparts of the $D^*_{s0}(2317)$.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures; to appear in Physical Review