Nearly scale invariant spectrum of gravitational radiation from global phase transitions

Using a large N sigma model approximation we explicitly calculate the power spectrum of gravitational waves arising from a global phase transition in the early Universe and we confirm that it is scale invariant, implying an observation of such a spectrum may not be a unique feature of inflation. Moreover, the predicted amplitude can be over 3 orders of magnitude larger than the naive dimensional estimate, implying that even a transition that occurs after inflation may dominate in cosmic microwave background polarization or other gravity wave signals.     

A unique gravitational wave signal from phase transition during inflation

We study the properties of gravitational wave(GW) signals produced by first-order phase transitions during the inflation era.We show that the power spectrum of a GW oscillates with its wave number.This signal can be observed directly by future terrestrial and spatial GW detectors and through the B-mode spectrum in the CMB.This oscillatory feature of the GW is generic for any approximately instantaneous sources occurring during inflation and is distinct from the GW from phase transitions after in...     

Critical surface wave velocity near phase transitions

The temperature dependent Rayleigh wave velocity is discussed for crystals with a surface layer of depth equal to the correlation length, ξ, with special reference to a critical region near phase transitions. For finite qξ the Rayleigh wave velocity reflects the specific critical properties of the surface layer. Under such conditions the temperature dependence of Rayleigh waves cannot be predicted on the temperature dependence of constants. A phenomenological analysis is made for qξ ≦? 1. Experimental results on SrTiO₃ show bulk-dominated critical Rayleigh wave velocities due to the short correlation length in this material.     

Earth-based gravitational wave detection from pulsars

The main features of continuous gravitational radiation bathing the Earth has been evaluated for a set of 558 pulsars. In particular, the maximum gravitational wave background and the maximum gravitational wave emission have been evaluated for each source and compared with the projected sensitivities of the planned Earth based very long baseline interferometric antennas for gravitational wave detection, like VIRGO and LIGO. This study shows that such detectors have a good chance of detecting gravitational waves emitted from this class of astrophysical sources.     

Exotic axion cosmology in theories with phase transitions below the QCD scale

We show that axion phenomenology may be significantly different than conventionally assumed in theories which exhibit late phase transitions (below the QCD scale). In such theories, one can find multiple pseudoscalars with axionlike couplings to matter, including a string scale axion, whose decay constant far exceeds the conventional cosmological bound. Such theories have several dark matter candidates.     

High-density QCD phase transitions inside neutron stars: Glitches and gravitational waves

In this article, the cluster–cluster interaction between α-clusters in ¹⁶O and ²⁰Ne is studied theoretically. Using the generalized Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) technique, the clusterization energy for these nuclei is calculated. Based on the obtained results, one can find out that the clustering phenomenon does not take place neither at the ground state, nor at the excited states of these nuclei and it is more probable at energies among excited levels. It is shown that the formulation presented for the clustering phenomenon reproduces the results obtained in previous experimental and theoretical attempts. It is worth mentioning that the consistency of the results with the previous experimental and theoretical predictions for clustering phenomenon in ¹⁶O and ²⁰Ne indicates the reliability of this formulation for various types of light α-conjugate nuclei, such as ⁸Be, ¹²C, ²⁴Mg and so on.     

Study of cerium phase transitions in shock wave experiments

Cerium has a complex phase diagram that is explained by the presence of structural phase transitions. Experiments to measure the sound velocities in cerium by two methods were carried out to determine the onset of cerium melting on the Hugoniot. In the pressure range 4–37 GPa, the sound velocity in cerium samples was measured by the counter release method using manganin-based piezoresistive gauges. In the pressure range 35–140 GPa, the sound velocity in cerium was measured by the overtaking release method using carbogal and tetrachloromethane indicator liquids. The samples were loaded with plane shock wave generators using powerful explosive charges. The onset of cerium melting on the Hugoniot at a pressure of about 13 GPa has been ascertained from the measured elastic longitudinal and bulk sound velocities.     

Dynamical signatures of ‘phase transitions’: Chaos in finite clusters

Finite clusters of atoms or molecules, typically composed of about 50 particles (and often as few as 13 or even less) have proved to be useful prototypes of systems undergoing phase transitions. Analogues of the solid-liquid melting transition, surface melting, structural phase transitions and the glass transition have been observed in cluster systems. The methods of nonlinear dynamics can be applied to systems of this size, and these have helped elucidate the nature of the microscopic dynamics, which, as a function of internal energy (or ‘temperature’) can be in a solidlike, liquidlike, or even gaseous state. The Lyapunov exponents show a characteristic behaviour as a function of energy, and provide a reliable signature of the solid-liquid melting phase transition. The behaviour of such indices at other phase transitions has only partially been explored. These and related applications are reviewed in the present article.