A solvable model exhibiting a glass-like transition

A nonlinear equation of motion of an overdamped oscillator exhibiting a glass-like transition at a critical coupling constant _c is presented and solved exactly. Below _c , in the fluid phase, the oscillator coordinatex(t) decays to zero, while above _c , in the amorphous phase, it decays to a nonzero infinite time limit. Near _c the motion is slowed down by a nonlinear feedback mechanism andx(t) decays exponentially to its long time limit with a relaxation time diverging as (1 – / _c )^–3/2 and (/ _c –1)^–1 for < _c and > _c respectively. At _c x(t) exhibits a power law decay proportional tot ^– with exponent -1/2.     

Scaling functions of susceptibilities toO(1/n) forn-vector models with axial anisotropy

For an axially anisotropicn-vector model withm = O(n) easy – andn – m = O(n) hard components of the order parameter, we derive the susceptibility r ^–1 along one of the equivalent easy axes and the perpendicular one r ^-1 toO(1/n) of the 1/n-expansion in the disordered phase. The results confirm predictions of the scaling theory, e.g.(g, t)=A t ^– X (B g/t ) and (g, t) =A t ^– X (B g/t ), wheret = T – T _c (g = 0),g is the anisotropy parameter andX, X denote the scaling functions. We evaluate the relevant diagrams toO(1/n) which yield the coefficientsA, A and the critical behaviour of the scaling functions and critical amplitudes explicitly for . The extreme anisotropic case, i.e.m = O(1), is discussed briefly in the large-n limit in comparison with the mean field solution.Parts of this paper were presented at the Frühjahrstagung der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft in Freudenstadt (May 1974).     

Spatial structure in diffusion-limited two-particle reactions

We analyze the limiting behavior of the densities _A(t) and _B(t), and the random spatial structure(r) = ( _A(t)., _B(t)), for the diffusion-controlled chemical reaction A+Binert. For equal initial densities _B(0) = _b(0) there is a change in behavior fromd 4, where _A(t) = _B(t) C/t^d/4, tod 4, where _A(t) = _b(t) C/t ast ; the termC depends on the initial densities and changes withd. There is a corresponding change in the spatial structure. Ind < 4, the particle types separate with only one type present locally, and , after suitable rescaling, tends to a random Gaussian process. Ind >4, both particle types are, after large times, present locally in concentrations not depending on type or location. Ind=4, both particle types are present locally, but with random concentrations, and the process tends to a limit.     

Monte Carlo simulation of phase separation and clustering in the ABV model

As a model for a binary alloy undergoing an unmixing phase transition, we consider a square lattice where each site can be either taken by an A atom, a B atom, or a vacancy (V), and there exists a repulsive interaction between AB nearest neighbor pairs. Starting from a random initial configuration, unmixing proceeds via random jumps of A atoms or B atoms to nearest neighbor vacant sites. In the absence of any interaction, these jumps occur at jump rates _A and _B, respectively. For a small concentration of vacancies (c _v=0.04) the dynamics of the structure factorS(k,t) and its first two momentsk ₁(t),k ₂ ² (t) is studied during the early stages of phase separation, for several choices of concentrationc _B of B atoms. Forc _B=0.18 also the time evolution of the cluster size distribution is studied. Apart from very early times, the mean cluster sizel(t) as well as the moments of the structure function depend on timet and the ratio of the jump rates (= _B/ _A) only via a scaled timet/(). Qualitatively, the behavior is very similar to the direct exchange model containing no vacancies. Consequences for phase separation of real alloys are briefly discussed.     

Local decay of scattering solutions to Schrödinger's equation

The main theorem asserts that ifH=+gV is a Schrödinger Hamiltonian with short rangeV, L _compact ² (IR³), andR>0, then exp(iHt) _{S L} ² _(|x|<R)=O(t ^–1/2), ast where _S is projection onto the orthogonal complement of the real eigenvectors ofH. For all but a discrete set ofg,O(t ^–1/2) may be replaced byO(t ^–3/2).Research supported by the National Science Foundation under grants NSF GP 34260 and MCS 72-05055 A04     

The velocity autocorrelation function of a finite model system

We investigate in detail the dependence of the velocity autocorrelation function of a one-dimensional system of hard, point particles with a simple velocity distribution function (all particles have velocities ±c) on the size of the system. In the thermodynamic limit, when both the number of particlesN and the length of the boxL approach infinity andN/L , the velocity autocorrelation function(t) is given simply by c² exp(–2ct@#@). For a finite system, the function _N(t) is periodic with period 2L/c. We also show that for more general velocity distribution functions (particles can have velocities ±c_i,i = 1,...), _N(t) is an almost periodic function oft. These examples illustrate the role of the thermodynamic limit in nonequilibrium phenomena: We must keept fixed while letting the size of the system become infinite to obtain an auto-correlation function, such as(t), which decays for all times and can be integrated to obtain transport coefficients. For any finite system, our _N (t) will be very close to(t) as long ast is small compared to the effective size of the system, which is 2L/c for the first model.Supported in part by the AFOSR under Contract No. F44620-71-C-0013.     

Flux diffusion in high-T c superconductors

In type-II superconductors in the flux flow (J J _c ), flux creep (J _c J _c ), and thermally activated flux flow (TAFF) (J J _c ) regimes the inductionB(r,t), averaged over several penetration depths , in general follows from a nonlinear equation of motion into which enter the nonlinear resistivities (B, J ,T) caused by flux motion and (B, J ,T) caused by other dissipative processes.J andJ are the current densities perpendicular and parallel toB,B=|B|, andT is the temperature. For flux flow and TAFF in isotropic superconductors with weak relative spatial variation ofB, this equation reduces to the diffusion equation plus a correction term which vanishes whenJ =0 (this means B××B=0) or when – = 0 (isotropic normal conductor). When this diffusion equation holds the material anisotropy may be accounted for by a tensorial . The response of a superconductor to an applied current or to a change of the applied magnetic field is considered for various geometries. Such perturbations affect only a surface layer of thickness where a shielding current flows which pulls at the flux lines; the resulting deformation of the vortex lattice diffuses into the interior until a new equilibrium or a new stationary state is reached. The a.c. response, in particular the frequency with maximum damping, depends thus on the geometry and size of the superconductor.     

Expectation Values of Observables in Time-Dependent Quantum Mechanics

Let U(t) be the evolution operator of the Schrödinger equation generated by a Hamiltonian of the form H ₀(t) + W(t), where H ₀(t) commutes for all twith a complete set of time-independent projectors . Consider the observable A=_j P _jjwhere _j j , >0, for jlarge. Assuming that the matrix elements of W(t) behave as for p>0 large enough, we prove estimates on the expectation value for large times of the type where >0 depends on pand . Typical applications concern the energy expectation H₀(t) in case H ₀(t) H ₀or the expectation of the position operator x²(t) on the lattice where W(t) is the discrete Laplacian or a variant of it and H ₀(t) is a time-dependent multiplicative potential.     

Far-infrared spectroscopy of the supreconductor YBa2Cu4O8

The frequencies of allB _1u (z) phonon modes predicted by a group-theoretical analysis were measured and found to agree well with recent lattice dynamical calculations for this compound. We report also the determination of two superconducting gap values in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ through phonon self-energy effects in the normal and superconducting conducting state. The gap-to-T _c ratios obtained from an analysis of these effects are 2 ₁/kT _c 2.5 and 5.82 ₂/kT _c 9.2. This coincides with previous results of both phononic and electronic Raman scattering where values of 2.1 and 6.3 were found. We further find anomalous softenings of two phonon modes 40 Kabove T _c , which correlate with an observed deviation from the linear temperature dependence of the average plasma frequency _p (T).     

Tree graph inequalities and critical behavior in percolation models

Various inequalities are derived and used for the study of the critical behavior in independent percolation models. In particular, we consider the critical exponent associated with the expected cluster sizex and the structure of then-site connection probabilities =_n(x₁,..., x_n). It is shown that quite generally 1. The upper critical dimension, above which attains the Bethe lattice value 1, is characterized both in terms of the geometry of incipient clusters and a diagramatic convergence condition. For homogeneousd-dimensional lattices with (x, y)=O(¦x -y¦^–(d–2+), atp=p _c, our criterion shows that =1 if > (6-d)/3. The connectivity functions _n are generally bounded by tree diagrams which involve the two-point function. We conjecture that above the critical dimension the asymptotic behavior of _n, in the critical regime, is actually given by such tree diagrams modified by a nonsingular vertex factor. Other results deal with the exponential decay of the cluster-size distribution and the function ₂ (x, y). A. P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow. Research supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant No. PHY-8301493.Research supported in part by the National Science Foundation Grant No. MCS80-19384.     

Lifshitz tails for periodic plus random potentials

We prove that the integrated density of states () for a potentialW =V _per +V has Lifshitz tails where V_per is a periodic potential with reflection symmetry andV is a random potential, e.g., of the formV =q _i ()f(x–i).research partially supported by DFG.research partially supported by USNSF under grant No. MCS-81-20833.     

Correlations and spectra of an intermittent chaos near its onset point

A one-parameter family of piecewise-linear discontinuous maps, which bifurcates from a periodic state of periodm, (m=2, 3,...) to an intermittent chaos, is studied as a new model for the onset of turbulence via intermittency. The onset of chaos of this model is due to the excitation of an infinite number of unstable periodic orbits and hence differs from Pomeau-Manneville's mechanism, which is a collapse of a pair of stable and unstable periodic orbits. The invariant density, the time-correlation function, and the power spectrum are analytically calculated for an infinite sequence of values of the bifurcation parameter which accumulate to the onset point _c from the chaos side - _c > 0. The power spectrum near=0 is found to consist of a large number of Lorentzian lines with two dominant peaks. The highest peak lies around frequency=2/m with the power-law envelope l/¦-(2/m)¦⁴. The second-highest peak lies around o = 0 with the envelope l/¦¦². The width of each line decreases as, and the separation between lines decreases as/lg3^–1. It is also shown that the Liapunov exponent takes the form-/m and the mean lifetime of the periodic state in the intermittent chaos is given bym ^–1(ln ^–1+1).     

Strong-coupling effects in high-T c superconductors

It is conceivable that the high-T _c superconducting perovskites are conventional electronphonon superconductors. In this case one expects significant strong-coupling effects because of the unusually high ratiok _B T _c / of the order 0.1 and greater. We use a set of reasonable models for the Eliashberg function ² F() (which takes into account available information on the phonon spectra and which fit the measuredT _c 's) and calculate strong-coupling effects in the specific heatc _s (T)/T _c , the ratio ₀/k _B T _c , the critical fieldsH _c (T) andH _c2 (T) including Pauli limiting, and other measurable quantities. Strongcoupling corrections turn out to be in the range of 0 to about 100%, depending on the quantity of interest. We discuss the perspectives of using strong-coupling effects as indicators for conventional electron-phonon superconductivity in the new materials.     

A theory of 1/f noise

Letu() be an absolutely integrable function and define the random process where thet _i are Poisson arrivals and thes _i, are identically distributed nonnegative random variables. Under routine independence assumptions, one may then calculate a formula for the spectrum ofn(t), S _n(), in terms of the probability density ofs, p_s(). If any probability density p_s() having the property p_s() I for small is substituted into this formula, the calculated S_n() is such that S_n() 1 for small . However, this is not a spectrum of a well-defined random process; here, it is termed alimit spectrum. If a probability density having the property p_s() for small , where > 0, is substituted into the formula instead, a spectrum is calculated which is indeed the spectrum of a well-defined random process. Also, if the latter p_s is suitably close to the former p_s, then the spectrum in the second case approximates, to an arbitrary, degree of accuracy, the limit spectrum. It is shown how one may thereby have 1/f noise with low-frequency turnover, and also strict 1/f ^1– noise (the latter spectrum being integrable for > 0). Suitable examples are given. Actually, u() may be itself a random process, and the theory is developed on this basis.     

Kinetic equation in the kinetic region of the dilute and nonuniform electron plasma

Mori's scaling method is used to derive the kinetic equation for a dilute, nonuniform electron plasma in the kinetic region where the space-time cutoff (b, t _c) satisfies _Dbl _f , _D t _{c f} , with _D the Debye length, _D ^–1= _p the plasma frequency, andl _f and _f the mean free path and time, respectively. The kinetic equation takes account of the nonuniformity of the order ofl _f and _D for the single-and the two-particle distribution function, respectively. Thus the Vlasov term associated with the two-particle distribution function is retained. This kinetic equation is deduced from the kinetic equation in the coherent region obtained by Morita, Mori, and Tokuyama, where the space-time cutoff of the coherent region satisfies _Dbr ₀, _Dt _{c 0}, withr ₀ the Landau length and ₀ the corresponding time scale.     

Multiple scattering in random media I. Restricted two-body additive approximation

We present a microscopic theory of the problem of finding the properties of a particle interacting with potentials located at random sites. The sites are governed by a general probability distribution. The starting point is the multiple scattering equations for the amplitude k ₁|T |k ₂ in terms of the individual scattering amplitudes k ₁|T |k ₂. We work with quantitiesA defined by k ₁|T |k ₂=k ₁|T |k ₂exp[i(k ₁–k ₂)R ]. The theory is based on a splitting of the fundamental equation forA into equations for the mean A and the fluctuationsAA . Neglect of the fluctuations yields the quasicrystalline approximation. We rearrange the equation forAA to isolate the collective part of the fluctuations. We then make the simplest microscopic truncation which is thatAA is a restricted two-body additive function of the site positions. With the contribution of the collective fluctuations, this yields results forA that are accurate to ordert ⁴.Work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Contract No. NSF DMRWork supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Contract No. NSF DMR     

Exact distribution of cluster size and perimeter for two-dimensional percolation

Exact series expansion data of Sykes et al. are used to calculate the average numberc _n and perimeters _n of clusters of sizen20 in the site percolation problem for the triangular, square, and honeycomb lattice. At the percolation thresholdp _n we find a sharply peaked distribution of perimeterss _n with mean s _n =((1–p _n )/p _c )n+O(n ) and width s _n ² –S _n ²n ^1.6 where1/=0.39. This perimeter s _n should not be interpreted as a cluster surface in the usual sense. Two tests confirm the universality hypothesis with reasonable accuracy. The asymptotic decay of the cluster numbersc _n withn is consistent with the postulated asymmetry aboutp _c : logc _n –n forn with1 forp<p _c and1/2 forp>p _c .     

A Double Infinity of Oscillator Massless Boson Resonances

In the simplest coupling of a harmonic oscillator with a massless boson field, we show that a family of coupling functions leads to resonances or bound-states of the form E _{n1 n0}()=n ₁ z ₁()+n ₀ z ₀(), where z ₁(), z ₀() are in and n ₁, n ₀ are any nonnegative integers. This holds for arbitrary values of the coupling constant.     

On the asymptotic behaviour of infinite gradient systems

We consider gradient systems of infinitely many particles in one-dimensional space interacting via a positive invariant pair potential with a hard core. The main assumption is that is strictly convex within the rangeR of (whereR is a fixed number ). Under some technical conditions we prove the following theorems: Let the initial distribution be given by a translation invariant point process onR ¹. Then there exists only one extreme equilibrium state with a given intensityI() satisfyingI()R ^–1, and all ergodic initial distributions with an intensityI()R ^–1 converge weakly ast to the extreme equilibrium state with the same intensity.     

The surfboard Schrödinger equations

We study the large time behavior of solutions of time dependent Schrödinger equationsiu/t=–(1/2)u+t V(x/t)u with bounded potentialV(x). We show that (1) if>–1, all solutions are asymptotically free ast, (2) if–1 a solution becomes asymptotically free if and only if it has the momentum support outside of suppV for large time, (3) if –1 <0 all solutions are still asymptotically modified free ast and that (4) if 0 <2, for each local minimumx ₀ ofV(x), there exist solutions which are asymptotically Gaussians centered atx=tx ₀ and spreading slowly ast.