121,867 research outputs found
The long-wavelength behaviour of the exchange-correlation kernel in the Kohn-Sham theory of periodic systems
The polarization-dependence of the exchange-correlation (XC) energy functional of periodic insulators within Kohn-Sham (KS) density-functional theory requires a divergence in the XC kernel for small vectors q. This behaviour, exemplified for a one-dimensional model semiconductor, is also observed when an insulator happens to be described as a KS metal, or vice-versa. Although it can occur in the exchange-only kernel, it is not found in the usual local, semi-local or even non-local approximations to KS theory. We also show that the test-charge and electronic definitions of the macroscopic dielectric constant differ from one another in exact KS theory, but are equivalent in the above-mentioned approximations
Localization of superconductivity in superconductor-electromagnet hybrids
We investigate the nucleation of superconductivity in a superconducting Al
strip under the influence of the magnetic field generated by a current-carrying
Nb wire, perpendicularly oriented and located underneath the strip. The
inhomogeneous magnetic field, induced by the Nb wire, produces a spatial
modulation of the critical temperature T_c, leading to a controllable
localization of the superconducting order parameter (OP) wave function. We
demonstrate that close to the phase boundary T_c(B_ext) the localized OP
solution can be displaced reversibly by either applying an external
perpendicular magnetic field B_ext or by changing the amplitude of the
inhomogeneous field.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Driven weak to strong pinning crossover in partially nanopatterned 2H-NbSe2 single crystal
Investigations into the heterogeneous pinning properties of the vortex state
created by partially nano-patterning single crystals of 2H-NbSe2 reveal an
atypical magnetization response which is significantly drive dependent.
Analysis of the magnetization response shows non-monotonic behavior of the
magnetization relaxation rate with varying magnetic field sweep rate. With all
the patterned pinning centers saturated with vortices, we find that the pinning
force experienced by the vortices continues to increase with increasing drive.
Our studies reveal an unconventional dynamic weak to strong pinning crossover
where the flow of the vortex state appears to be hindered or jammed as it is
driven harder through the interstitial voids in the patterned pinning lattice.Comment: 15 pages with 5 figure
Mode identification from monochromatic amplitude and phase variations for the rapidly pulsating subdwarf B star EC 20338-1925
We obtain time-series spectrophotometry observations at the VLT with the aim
of partially identifying the dominant oscillation modes in the rapidly
pulsating subdwarf B star EC 20338-1925 on the basis of monochromatic amplitude
and phase variations. From the data gathered, we detect four previously known
pulsations with periods near 147, 168, 126 and 140 s and amplitudes between 0.2
and 2.3 % of the star's mean brightness. We also determine the atmospheric
parameters of EC 20338-1925 by fitting our non-LTE model atmospheres to an
averaged combined spectrum. The inferred parameters are Teff = 34,153+-94 K,
log g =5.966+-0.017 and log[N(He)/N(H)] = - 1.642+-0.022, where the uncertainty
estimates quoted refer to the formal fitting errors. Finally, we calculate the
observed monochromatic amplitudes and phases for the periodicities extracted
using least-squares fitting to the light curves obtained for each wavelength
bin. These observed quantities are then compared to the corresponding
theoretical values computed on the basis of dedicated model atmosphere codes
and also taking into account non-adiabatic effects. We find that the quality of
the data is sufficient to identify the dominant pulsation at 146.9 s as a
radial mode, while two of the lower amplitude periodicities must be low-degree
modes with l=0-2. This is the first time that monochromatic amplitudes and
phases have been used for mode identification in a subdwarf B star, and the
results are highly encouraging.Comment: 11 pages. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
Critical behavior at de-pinning of a driven disordered vortex matter in 2H-NbS2
We report unusual jamming in driven ordered vortex flow in 2H-NbS2.
Reinitiating movement in these jammed vortices with a higher driving force, and
halting it thereafter once again with a reduction in drive, unfolds a critical
behavior centered around the de-pinning threshold via divergences in the
lifetimes of transient states, validating the predictions of a recent
simulation study, which also pointed out a correspondence between plastic
de-pinning in vortex matter and the notion of random organization proposed in
the context of sheared colloids undergoing diffusive motion.Comment: Phys. Rev. B (in press, 2012). The paper has 14 pages of Text+ Refs.
with 4 figures. (Note as some of the figure files are large in size, to
enable faster download, the file size has been kept small and the figure
resolution are low. The online version of the paper to appear in PRB will
contain the higher resolution figures
Z_p scalar dark matter from multi-Higgs-doublet models
In many models, stability of dark matter particles is protected by a
conserved Z_2 quantum number. However dark matter can be stabilized by other
discrete symmetry groups, and examples of such models with custom-tailored
field content have been proposed. Here we show that electroweak symmetry
breaking models with N Higgs doublets can readily accommodate scalar dark
matter candidates stabilized by groups Z_p with any , leading to
a variety of kinds of microscopic dynamics in the dark sector. We give examples
in which semi-annihilation or multiple semi-annihilation processes are allowed
or forbidden, which can be especially interesting in the case of asymmetric
dark matter.Comment: 10 page
Near-infrared identification of the counterpart to X1908+075: a new OB-supergiant X-ray binary
We report the near-infrared (IR) identification of the likely counterpart to
X1908+075, a highly-absorbed Galactic X-ray source recently suspected to belong
to the rare class of OB supergiant-neutron star binary systems. Our JHKs-band
imaging of the field reveals the existence within the X-ray error boxes of a
near-IR source consistent with an early-type star lying at d=7 kpc and
suffering A(V)=16 mag of extinction, the latter value being in good agreement
with the hydrogen column density derived from a modelling of the X-ray
spectrum. Our follow-up, near-IR spectroscopic observations confirm the nature
of this candidate and lead to a late O-type supergiant classification, thereby
supporting the identification of a new Galactic OB-supergiant X-ray binary.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 7 pages, 3 figure
Two-Higgs-doublet model from the group-theoretic perspective
In the two-Higgs-doublet model, different Higgs doublets can be viewed as
components of a generic "hyperspinor". We decompose the Higgs potential of this
model into irreducible representations of the SU(2) group of transformations of
this hyperspinor. We discuss invariant combinations of the Higgs potential
parameters lambda_i that arise in this decomposition and provide simple and
concise sets of conditions for the hidden Z_2-symmetry, Peccei-Quinn symmetry,
and explicit CP-conservation in 2HDM. We show that some results obtained
previously by brute-force calculations are reduced to simple linear algebraic
statements in our approach.Comment: 10 pages; v3: expanded section on consequences, added subsections on
CP-conservation, PQ symmetry, RG evolution; v4: misprints corrected; to
appear in Physics Letters
A toy model for generalised parton distributions
We give the results of a simple model for the diagonal and off-diagonal
valence quark distributions of a pion. We show that structure can be
implemented in a gauge-invariant manner. This explicit model questions the
validityof the momentum sum rule, and gives an explicit counter-example to the
Wandzura-Wilczek ansatz for twist-3 GPD's.Comment: 11 pages, presented at HADRONIC PHYSICS (HLPR 2004): Joint
Meeting-Heidelberg-Liege-Paris-Rostock, Spa, Belgium, 16-18 December 2004, 11
pages, 11 figures, LaTe
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