Non-Abelian Stokes theorems in the Yang-Mills and gravity theories

We discuss the interpretation of the non-Abelian Stokes theorem or the Wilson loop in the Yang-Mills theory. For the “gravitational Wilson loops,” i.e., holonomies in curved d=2, 3, 4 spaces, we then derive “ non-Abelian Stokes theorems” that are similar to our formula in the Yang-Mills theory. In particular, we derive an elegant formula for the holonomy in the case of a constant-curvature background in three dimensions and a formula for small-area loops in any number of dimensions.     

The vacuum structure in QCD and hadron-hadron scattering

Standard ideas on the structure of the vacuum in QCD suggest it to be full of fluctuating color fields. We investigate the possible influence of the chromomagnetic vacuum fields on high energy hadron-hadron reactions. We suggest that high energy quarks traversing these fields will produce soft gluon and photon radiation analogous to synchrotron radiation from electrons and positrons in a storage ring. We argue that this radiation will lead to polarization phenomena for quarks in spin- and colorspace which in turn can explain theK-factor in the Drell-Yan reaction. We point out that jet production offers another way to study these polarization phenomena. We present then a calculation of the number of “synchrotron” photons which should be emitted inp?p collisions at high energies. Thus, we predict a sizable signal of prompt photons of nnergy less than a few hundred MeV with a characteristic frequency distribution. Observation of such photons would give strong support to our naive picture. Finally we point out a number of other phenomena like charmed particle decays where our “synchrotron” effect may be of importance.     

The method of uniqueness,a new powerful technique for multiloop calculations

We present a new method for multiloop calculations that provides an “algebraic” procedure to evaluate the renormalization group functions up to five loops. As an example, a final analytical expression for the five-loop β-function in the ?⁴ theory is given.     

Supergraphity: (II). Manifestly covariant rules and higher-loop finiteness

We continue our discussion of the background field formalism in supersymmetric theories, deriving new covariant Feynman rules for chiral superfields. As a result, we obtain improved power-counting rules for both simple and extended supersymmetry which can be used to make the following statements: If the corresponding extended superfield formalism exist, (a) N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is finite beyond one loop, (b) N=4 Yang-Mills is finite at all loops, and (c) N=8 supergravity is finite through six loops. We also find that in simple super-Yang-Mills the radiative corrections to the Fayet-Iliopoulos (“D”) term, which are known to vanish for higher loops, also vanish automatically at one loop for arbitrary couplings.     

Continuum Nonsimple Loops and 2D Critical Percolation

Substantial progress has been made in recent years on the 2D critical percolation scaling limit and its conformal invariance properties. In particular, chordal SLE ₆(the Stochastic Loewner Evolution with parameter κ=6) was, in the work of Schramm and of Smirnov, identified as the scaling limit of the critical percolation “exploration process.” In this paper we use that and other results to construct what we argue is the fullscaling limit of the collection of allclosed contours surrounding the critical percolation clusters on the 2D triangular lattice. This random process or gas of continuum nonsimple loops in Bbb R²is constructed inductively by repeated use of chordal SLE ₆. These loops do not cross but do touch each other—indeed, any two loops are connected by a finite “path” of touching loops.     

General aspects of beam threshold effects in LEED

We present in this paper some general aspects of beam threshold effects in LEED concerning their observation, their extension and their detection. The observation is possible on LEED intensities but also on crystal to ground current and total reflected current. We discuss the various types of profiles due to threshold effects for LEED intensities. From universal relations coming from emergence conditions of a new beam we draw universal charts for the “speed of emergence” versus E, θ or φ. These charts are used for a discussion of the range in I(E) or I(φ) profiles, where threshold effects may affect the LEED intensities. The same relations are used for a discussion of the detection of threshold effects. Assuming a Gaussian distribution (in energy and angles) for the incident beam, we derive a “total equivalent experimental resolution” and we discuss the consequence on intensity profiles and on the optimal conditions of detection.     

Fredholm–Lagrangian–Grassmannian and the Maslov index

This is a review article on the topology of the space, so called, Fredholm–Lagrangian–Grassmannian and the quantity “Maslov index” for paths in this space based on the standard theory of functional analysis. Our standing point is to define the Maslov index for arbitrary paths in terms of the fundamental spectral property of the Fredholm operators as an intersection number with the “Maslov cycle”. This argument was first recognized by J. Phillips and was used to define the “Spectral flow” not only for loops but also for arbitrary paths of selfadjoint Fredholm operators. We make the arguments as elementary as possible.     

Kinky vortons

Cosmic vortons are closed loops of superconducting cosmic strings carrying current and charge. Despite a large number of studies the existence and stability of cosmic vorton solutions is still an open problem. Numerical simulations of the non-linear field theory are difficult to perform in (3+1)-dimensions, due to the existence of multiple length and time scales. In this paper we study a (2+1)-dimensional analogue of cosmic vortons, which we refer to as kinky vortons, where the cosmic string is replaced by a kink string. Many of the expected qualitative aspects of cosmic vortons transfer to kinky vortons, with the advantage that several approximations used in the study of cosmic vortons can be replaced by exact results. Furthermore, the numerical study of kinky vortons requires less computational resources than cosmic vortons, so a number of issues can be addressed in some depth. The radius of the kinky vorton is determined as a function of the charge and winding number, and it is shown that the chiral limit is a repulsive fixed point. Stability to both axial and non-axial perturbations is demonstrated in the electric and chiral regimes, though surpringly long lived ringing modes are observed. Kinky vortons which are too magnetic are shown to suffer from a pinching instability, which results in a reduction in the winding number and can convert magnetic into electric solutions.     

Rising total cross sections and the flavoring of the pomeron

The relationship of the non-diffractive renormalization of the bare pomeron via$\text{K}\text{K}$ and $\text{B}\text{B}$ production - or its “flavoring” by λ quark loops and di-quark loops - and the shape of the NN total cross section is studied in some detail. The “unflavored” bare pomeron P? generated by non-strange quark loops with intercept $\text{α}\text{=0.85}$ is non-diffractively renormalized into the “flavored” (Gribov) bare pomeron P with intercept α above one (α = 1.06 here). We utilize inclusive data on $\text{K}\text{K}\text{and}\text{B}\text{B}$ production as well as inelastic diffraction to constrain parameters, and we fit the combination $\text{1}\text{2}\text{(σ}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>pp</mtext>}}\text{+ σ}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>p</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}\text{)}$ from s = 10 GeV² through ISR energies, including the new Fermilab data, to high accuracy. No pronounced long wavelength oscillations are observed. We suggest that these data favor the Chew-Rosenzweig realization of the topological expansion over that of Harari-Freund. We show that our scheme is consistent with the rising behavior of 2σ_KN ? σ_πN.     

Self field electromagnetism and quantum phenomena

Abstract

Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has been extremely successful inits predictive capability for atomic phenomena. Thus the greatest hope for any alternative view is solely to mimic the predictive capability of quantum mechanics (QM), and perhaps its usefulness will lie in gaining a better understanding of microscopic phenomena. Many “paradoxes” and problematic situations emerge in QED. To combat the QED problems, the field of Stochastics Electrodynamics (SE) emerged, wherein a random “zero point radiation” is assumed to fill all of space in an attmept to explain quantum phenomena, without some of the paradoxical concerns. SE, however, has greater failings. One is that the electromagnetic field energy must be infinit eto work. We have examined a deterministic side branch of SE, “self field” electrodynamics, which may overcome the probelms of SE. Self field electrodynamics (SFE) utilizes the chaotic nature of electromagnetic emissions, as charges lose energy near atomic dimensions, to try to understand and mimic quantum phenomena. These fields and charges can “interact with themselves” in a non-linear fashion, and may thereby explain many quantum phenomena from a semi-classical viewpoint. Referred to as self fields, they have gone by other names in the literature: “evanesccent radiation”, “virtual photons”, and “vacuum fluctuations”. Using self fields, we discuss the uncertainty principles, the Casimir effects, and the black-body radiation spectrum, diffraction and interference effects, Schrodinger's equation, Planck's constant, and the nature of the electron and how they might be understood in the present framework. No new theory could ever replace QED. The self field view (if correct) would, at best, only serve to provide some understanding of the processes by which strange quantum phenomena occur at the atomic level. We discuss possible areas where experiments might be employed to test SFE, and areas where future work may lie.     

Ground state properties of a spinless Falicov-Kimball model; additional features

We have studied some energetic and structural ground state properties of a spinless Falicov-Kimball model. Using a method based on “Tchebycheff-Markoff inequalities”, we have calculated sharp upper and lower bounds for the ground state energy. These calculations lead to rigorous results for a special range of parameters, where we are able to give the exactf-level occupation pattern for a square lattice. The results for the “symmetric” case, where a superstructure occurs leading to a metal-insulator transition, have already been published. In this paper we present some additional results also for the “unsymmetric case” and study valence-transitions for fixed particle-number.     

WHEN DOES A MEASUREMENT OR EVENT OCCUR?

Within quantum mechanics, a complete set of commutting observables can be found which describe the attributes of a system at a given time. However, the correct way to describe attributes of a system in time is still an open question. We discuss the difficulties in extending the standard approach of quantum mechanics to describe attributes of a system in time. We find that measuring when an event occurred and measuring that it occurred, are complimentary in Bohr's sense. To exemplify the differences between measurements at a given time and in time, we will compare Rovelli's recent proposal (quant-ph/9802020), to determine “at what time does a measurement occurred” with another model of a continuous measurement in time. Rovelli's scheme answers the question “has the measurement already occurred at a certain time?”, but does not answer to the more difficult question: “when did the measurement occur?” We also discuss the use of the probability current to measure the time at which a particle arrives to a certain location.     

Pseudoscalars and vector mesons in a unitary and self-consistently broken SU(6) W scheme

We estimate hadronic self-energy effects to “bare” pseudoscalar (P) and vector (V) meson states due to theP→PV→P, P→VV→P, V→ PP→V, V→PV→V andV→VV→V loops. We simulate higher order diagrams by consistently requiring external and internal particles to have the same mass. We find good agreement with all the experimental masses (exceptm _π), widths and mixing angles. The “bare”P andV states are heavy (≈1.26 GeV) and degenerate up to a smallm _s?m_u quark mass difference term. The “bare” coupling constants for thePPV, PVV andVVV vertices obey exact OZI rule and almost exact SU(6) _W symmetry. We use a common cut-off ofk _cm?0.7 GeV/c corresponding to a harmonic oscillator radius of ?0.7 fm for all SU(6) _W related thresholds except for the pion.     

Diquonia and potential models

We present four new quark-quark potentials, developed in the framework of the nonrelativistic quark model (NRQM), which can reproduce quite well the spectra of mesons and baryons. They contain a central part which is of type “Coulomb+linear” or “Coulomb +2/3-power”, and a strong but smooth hyperfine term. With these four potentials and the one proposed by Bhaduri et al., we have calculated masses and decay properties of some interesting diquonia (q ² q ^?2 mesons). We have not found appreciable difference between the results of the five potentials considered, indicating that the properties of diquonia are, to a large extent, potential-independent in the NRQM.     

Guided modes in asymmetric graphene waveguides

An asymmetric quantum well in graphene can act as a slab waveguide for electron waves in a manner analogous to the electromagnetic waves in dielectrics. Guided modes and the probability current density are analyzed in the graphene electron waveguide induced by asymmetric electrostatic potential. The modes in an asymmetric graphene waveguide include guided modes, “cover modes”, “substrate modes” and “radiation modes”. The conditions for a guided mode are quantified. It is found that the fundamental mode is absent when both the Klein tunneling and classical motion are present. The confinement of electrons for lower order mode is stronger than for higher order mode. We hope that these characteristics in asymmetric graphene waveguide can provide potential applications in graphene-based waveguide devices.     

On exact equilibrium states in external gravitational fields of heated,self-gravitating gas clouds cooling by conducting and radiation

We present exact analytic solutions describing the equilibrium states available to a one-dimensional, self-gravitating cloud of gas subject to an external constant gravitational acceleration due to a plane of “stars”. The gas is taken to be heated at a rate proportional to the local gas density and is cooling by both radiation and conduction. The solutions are valid for a thermal conductivity which is an arbitrary function of gas temperature, T, and for radiative cooling which is proportional to the local gas density, ?, multiplied by an arbitrary function of gas pressure, ?. Illustrations of the general spatial dependence are given for the cases where the radiative cooling is proportional to ?²T, and in which the thermal conductivity is either constant, or proportional to T^a(a > 0) in the limits of T tending zero or infinity, respectively.We show that the phenomenon of density “inversion”, reported earlier, is indeed ameliorated by the radiative cooling term, as we had speculated it might be, but is not removed. This indicates that the phenomenon of density inversion is of rugged quality, persisting under a wide variety of conditions and, therefore, of general astrophysical import. We also show that, depending on the ratios of various parameters entering the problem, there is a new phenomenon possible in which the gas temperature has a local minimum at some non-central location so that a wedge of cool gas is in equilibrium surrounded by a hot medium.We have done these calculations as an aid to understanding the complicated behavior of interstellar gas clouds in particular, and the general physical interplay between force balance and energy balance in models of gas clouds more realistic than those heretofore available.     

Current switching in bistable structures: Heavily doped n +-polysilicon-tunnel-oxide layer-n-silicon

Switching from a state with a steady-state nonequilibrium depletion and low current into the “on” state with a high current and low voltage drop on the structure is observed in highly doped n ⁺-polysilicon-tunnel-oxide-n-silicon structures. The structures were prepared on n-silicon substrates with a resistivity of 25 Ω·cm. A structure with an oxide thickness of 23 Å can be switched on both by a radiation pulse with small reverse bias on the structure (50 V) and under dark conditions by increasing the reverse bias to 250–300 V. In the “on” state Auger carrier production is the internal source of minority carriers that is required for compensating tunnel leakage of holes into the n ⁺-polysilicon and for maintaining a quasiequilibrium inversion layer of holes at the n-Si-SiO₂ boundary.     

Bosonic superconducting cosmic strings. I. Classical field theory solutions

This paper explores a four-dimensional field theory in which superconducting bosonic cosmic strings can form. We solve the field equations and explore the parameter space within which the strings are superconducting. We find that the maximum allowed current is often much less than suggested by dimensional analysis. In most of the parameter space, even the maximum current in the strings is not sufficient for many of their proposed astrophysical uses and especially, the current is rarely sufficient to form “frozen” string loops.     

Effective field theory and tunneling currents in the fractional quantum Hall effect

We review the construction of a low-energy effective field theory and its state space for “abelian” quantum Hall fluids. The scaling limit of the incompressible fluid is described by a Chern–Simons theory in 2+1 dimensions on a manifold with boundary. In such a field theory, gauge invariance implies the presence of anomalous chiral modes localized on the edge of the sample. We assume a simple boundary structure, i.e., the absence of a reconstructed edge. For the bulk, we consider a multiply connected planar geometry. We study tunneling processes between two boundary components of the fluid and calculate the tunneling current to lowest order in perturbation theory as a function of dc bias voltage. Particular attention is paid to the special cases when the edge modes propagate at the same speed, and when they exhibit two significantly distinct propagation speeds. We distinguish between two “geometries” of interference contours corresponding to the (electronic) Fabry–Perot and Mach–Zehnder interferometers, respectively. We find that the interference term in the current is absent when exactly one hole in the fluid corresponding to one of the two edge components involved in the tunneling processes lies inside the interference contour (i.e., in the case of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer). We analyze the dependence of the tunneling current on the state of the quantum Hall fluid and on the external magnetic flux through the sample.