Power-law statistics and stellar rotational velocities in the Pleiades

In this paper we will show that, the non-gaussian statistics framework based on the Kaniadakis statistics is more appropriate to fit the observed distributions of projected rotational velocity measurements of stars in the Pleiades open cluster. To this end, we compare the results from the $\kappa$ and $q$-distributions with the Maxwellian.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Vortex rectification effects in films with periodic asymmetric pinning

We study the transport of vortices excited by an ac current in an Al film with an array of nanoengineered asymmetric antidots. The vortex response to the ac current is investigated by detailed measurements of the voltage output as a function of ac current amplitude, magnetic field and temperature. The measurements revealed pronounced voltage rectification effects which are mainly characterized by the two critical depinning forces of the asymmetric potential. The shape of the net dc voltage as a function of the excitation amplitude indicates that our vortex ratchet behaves in a way very different from standard overdamped models. Rather, as demonstrated by the observed output signal, the repinning force, necessary to stop vortex motion, is considerably smaller than the depinning force, resembling the behavior of the so-called inertia ratchets. Calculations based on an underdamped ratchet model provide a very good fit to the experimental data.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Vortex configurations and metastability in mesoscopic superconductors

The vortex dynamics in mesoscopic superconducting cylinders with rectangular cross section under an axially applied magnetic field is investigated in the multivortex London regime. The rectangles considered range from a square up to an infinite slab. The flux distribution and total flux carried by a vortex placed in an arbitrary position of the sample is calculated analytically by assuming Clem's solution for the vortex core. The Bean-Livingston energy barrier is also analytically calculated in this framework. A Langevin algorithm simulates the flux penetration and dynamical evolution of the vortices as the external field is slowly cycled. The simulated magnetization process is governed by metastable states. The magnetization curves are hysteretic, with paramagnetic response in part of the downward branch, and present a series of peaks corresponding to the entry or expulsion of a single vortex. For elongated rectangles, the vortices arrange themselves into parallel vortex chains and an additional modulation of the magnetization, corresponding to creation or destruction of a vortex chain, comes out.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Presented on the III European Conference on Vortex Matter in Superconductors, Crete, 2003. To appear in Physica

Comparison of solar radio and EUV synoptic limb charts during the present solar maximum

The present solar cycle is particular in many aspects: it had a delayed rising phase, it is the weakest of the last 100 years, and it presents two peaks separated by more than one year. To understand the impact of these characteristics on the solar chromosphere and coronal dynamics, images from a wide wavelength range are needed. In this work we use the 17~GHz radio continuum, formed in the upper chromosphere and the EUV lines 304 and 171~{\AA}, that come from the transition region (He II) and the corona (Fe IX, X), respectively. We analyze daily images at 304 and 171~{\AA} obtained by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). The 17~GHz maps were obtained by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH). To construct synoptic limb charts, we calculated the mean emission of delimited limb areas with 100" wide and angular separation of $5^\circ$. At the equatorial region, the results show an hemispheric asymmetry of the solar activity. The northern hemisphere dominance is coincident with the first sunspot number peak, whereas the second peak occurs concurrently with the increase in the activity at the south. The polar emission reflects the presence of coronal holes at both EUV wavelengths, moreover, the 17~GHz polar brightenings can be associated with the coronal holes. Until 2013, both EUV coronal holes and radio polar brightenings were more predominant at the south pole. Since then they have not been apparent in the north, but thus appear in the beginning of 2015 in the south as observed in the synoptic charts. This work strengthens the association between coronal holes and the 17~GHz polar brightenings as it is evident in the synoptic limb charts, in agreement with previous case study papers. The enhancement of the radio brightness in coronal holes is explained by the presence of bright patches closely associated with the presence of intense unipolar magnetic fields.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Acccepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Realizing the supersymmetric inverse seesaw model in the framework of R-parity violation

If, on one hand, the inverse seesaw is the paradigm of TeV scale seesaw mechanism, on the other it is a challenge to find scenarios capable of realizing it. In this work we propose a scenario, based on the framework of R-parity violation, that realizes minimally the supersymmetric inverse seesaw mechanism. In it the energy scale parameters involved in the mechanism are recognized as the vacuum expectation values of the scalars that compose the singlet superfields $\hat N^C$ and $\hat S$. We develop also the scalar sector of the model and show that the Higgs mass receives a new tree-level contribution that, when combined with the standard contribution plus loop correction, is capable of attaining $125$GeV without resort to heavy stops.Comment: Minor modification of the text. Final version to be published in PL

More pieces of the puzzle: Chemistry and substructures in the Galactic thick disk

We present a study of the chemical abundances of Solar neighbourhood stars associated to dynamical structures in the Milky Way's (thick) disk. These stars were identified as overdensity in the eccentricity range 0.3< ecc < 0.5 in the Copenhagen-Geneva Survey by Helmi et al. (2006). We find that the stars with these dynamical characteristics do not constitute a homogeneous population. A relatively sharp transition in dynamical and chemical properties appears to occur at a metallicity of [Fe/H] ~ -0.4. Stars with [Fe/H] > -0.4 have mostly lower eccentricities, smaller vertical velocity dispersions, are alpha-enhanced and define a rather narrow sequence in [alpha/Fe] vs [Fe/H], clearly distinct from that of the thin disk. Stars with [Fe/H] < -0.4 have a range of eccentricities, are hotter vertically, and depict a larger spread in [alpha/Fe]. We have also found tentative evidence of substructure possibly associated to the disruption of a metal-rich star cluster. The differences between these populations of stars is also present in e.g. [Zn/Fe], [Ni/Fe] and [SmII/Fe], suggesting a real physical distinction.Comment: Astrophysical Journal in press. 5 pages, 4 figure

Some properties of two Nambu--Jona-Lasinio -type models with inputs from lattice QCD

We investigate the phase diagram of the so-called Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model at finite temperature and nonzero chemical potential. The calculations are performed in the light and strange quark sectors ($u$, $d$, $s$), which includes the 't Hooft instanton induced interaction term that breaks the axial symmetry, and the quarks are coupled to the (spatially constant) temporal background gauge field. On one hand, a special attention is payed to the critical end point (CEP). The strength of the flavor-mixing interaction alters the CEP location, since when it becomes weaker the CEP moves to low temperatures and can even disappear. On the other hand, we also explore the connection between QCD, a nonlocal Nambu--Jona-Lasinio type model and the Landau gauge gluon propagator. Possible links between the quenched gluon propagator and low energy hadronic phenomenology are investigated.Comment: Contribution to the International Meeting "Excited QCD", Peniche, Portugal, 06 - 12 May 201