A new coherent states approach to semiclassics which gives Scott's correction

We introduce new coherent states and use them to prove semi-classical estimates for Schr\"odinger operators with regular potentials. This can be further applied to the Thomas-Fermi potential yielding a new proof of the Scott correction for molecules.Comment: A misprint in the definition of new coherent states correcte

Singlets and reflection symmetric spin systems

We rigorously establish some exact properties of reflection symmetric spin systems with antiferromagnetic crossing bonds: At least one ground state has total spin zero and a positive semidefinite coefficient matrix. The crossing bonds obey an ice rule. This augments some previous results which were limited to bipartite spin systems and is of particular interest for frustrated spin systems.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX 2

Bose-Einstein Condensation and Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking

After recalling briefly the connection between spontaneous symmetry breaking and off-diagonal long range order for models of magnets a general proof of spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry as a consequence of Bose-Einstein Condensation is presented. The proof is based on a rigorous validation of Bogoliubov's $c$-number substitution for the ${\bf k}={\bf 0}$ mode operator $a_{\bf 0}$.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the 21st Max Born Symposium, Wroclaw, Poland, June 26--28, 2006. (References added. To be published in Reports on Mathematical Physics.

Proof of Bose-Einstein Condensation for Dilute Trapped Gases

The ground state of bosonic atoms in a trap has been shown experimentally to display Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC). We prove this fact theoretically for bosons with two-body repulsive interaction potentials in the dilute limit, starting from the basic Schroedinger equation; the condensation is 100% into the state that minimizes the Gross-Pitaevskii energy functional. This is the first rigorous proof of BEC in a physically realistic, continuum model.Comment: Revised version with some simplifications and clarifications. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Stability of Matter in Magnetic Fields

The proof of the stability of matter is three decades old, but the question of stability when arbitrarily large magnetic fields are taken into account was settled only recently. Even more recent is the solution to the question of the stability of relativistic matter when the electron motion is governed by the Dirac operator (together with Dirac's prescription of filling the ``negative energy sea"). When magnetic fields are included the question arises whether it is better to fill the negative energy sea of the free Dirac operator or of the Dirac operator with magnetic field. The answer is found to be that the former prescription is unstable while the latter is stable. This paper is a brief, nontechnical summary of recent work with M. Loss, J.P. Solovej and H. Siedentop.Comment: Review article, 8 pages, Tex, Zeits. f. Physik (in press

Ground State Asymptotics of a Dilute, Rotating Gas

We investigate the ground state properties of a gas of interacting particles confined in an external potential in three dimensions and subject to rotation around an axis of symmetry. We consider the so-called Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) limit of a dilute gas. Analyzing both the absolute and the bosonic ground state of the system we show, in particular, their different behavior for a certain range of parameters. This parameter range is determined by the question whether the rotational symmetry in the minimizer of the GP functional is broken or not. For the absolute ground state, we prove that in the GP limit a modified GP functional depending on density matrices correctly describes the energy and reduced density matrices, independent of symmetry breaking. For the bosonic ground state this holds true if and only if the symmetry is unbroken.Comment: LaTeX2e, 37 page

Stability of Matter in Magnetic Fields

In the presence of arbitrarily large magnetic fields, matter composed of electrons and nuclei was known to be unstable if $\alpha$ or $Z$ is too large. Here we prove that matter {\it is stable\/} if $\alpha<0.06$ and $Z\alpha^2<0.04$.Comment: 10 pages, LaTe