The O(N) vector model in the large-N limit revisited: multicritical points and double scaling limit

The multicritical points of the O(N)-invariant N vector model in the large-N limit are re-examined. Of particular interest are the subtleties involved in the stability of the phase structure at critical dimensions. In the limit N → ∞ while the coupling g → g_c in a correlated manner (the double scaling limit) a massless bound state O(N) singlet is formed and powers of 1/N are compensated by IR singularities. The persistence of the N → ∞ results beyond the leading order is then studied with particular interest in the possible existence of a phase with propagating small mass vector fields and a massless singlet bound state. We point out that under certain conditions the double scaled theory of the singlet field is non-interacting in critical dimensions.     

“Missing moment” and perturbative methods for polynomial iterated function systems

An iterated function system (IFS) over a compact metric space X is defined by a set of contractive maps w_i: X → X, i = 1,…,N, with associated nonzero probabilities p_i > 0, p_i = 1. The “parallel” action of the maps defines a unique compact invariant attractor set A X which supports an invariant measure μ and which is balanced with respect to the p_i. For linear , the invariance of μ yields a relation between the moments g_n = ∫ χⁿ dμ which permits their recursive computation from the initial value g₀ = 1. For nonlinear w_i, however, the moment relations are incomplete and do not permit a recursive computation. This paper describes two methods of obtaining accurate estimates of the moments when the IFS maps w_i are polynomials: (i) application of the necessary Hausdorff conditions on the g_i to obtain convergent upper and lower bounds and (ii) a perturbation expansion approach. The methods are applied to some model problems.     

Simulations of migration, fragmentation and coalescence of non-wetting fluids in porous media

A model based on invasion percolation was used to simulate the migration on a non-wetting fluid through a porous medium filled with an immiscible wetting fluid under the influence of a gradient such as that provided by gravity. The migrating fluid clusters undergo both fragmentation and coalescence. The fragment size distribution obtained from two-dimensional simulations in which the gradient g is slowly increased from 0 can be represented by the scaling form N_s(g)s^-2ƒ(s|g|^-z where z=1+(D−1)ν(ν+1). Here D is the fractal dimensionality of invasion percolation, with trapping, and ν is the ordinary percolation correlation length exponent.     

The bose form of two-dimensional quantum chromodynamics

By means of a special choice of gauge QCD₂ [SU(N)] with one flavor of quarks is recast into the Bose form. Weak (g m) and strong (gm) coupling regimes are studied. The former is shown to be the SU(N)-symmetric confining phase in which bound states possess stringlike configurations with strings being represented by electric vortex lines; the ordinary mesons and baryons appear as longitudinal modes of electric strings. The strong coupling regime describes the Higgs phase with the residual symmetry [U(1)]^N−1 S_N where the left and right factors are the maximal abelian subgroup of SU(N) and the permutation group of N quarks, respectively; the particle spectrum consists of S_N multiplets and the [Uw(1)]^N−1 charges are trapped.     

Scaling properties of eden clusters in three and four dimensions

We study the scaling properties of noise reduced Eden clusters in three and four dimensions for variant B in the strip geometry. We find that the width W for large times behaves as a(s)g(L/s^d−1), where L is the width of the strip, s the noise reduction parameter, d the dimension of space, and a(s) a decreasing function of s, g is a scaling function with the property g(u)→1/2 as u→0 and g(u)u^x as u→∞, where χ is the roughness exponent. This scaling result leads to a new way of determining χ. In 3 dimensions, our numerical values for χ support a recent conjecture by Kim and Kosterlitz: χ = 2/(d + 2), and contradict all the former analytical conjectures. In 4 dimensions, we cannot distinguish between the conjectures of Kim and Kosterlitz and the conjecture of Wolf and Kertész, because large crossovers and finite size effects make the measurement of the exponents difficult.     

Fabrication, microstructure and critical current density of screen-printed Ag-(Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox superconducting tapes

The influence of the sintering conditions on the microstructure and critical current density J_c has been studied on screen-printed Ag-(Bi, Pb)₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_x tapes with a ceramics mono-layer core. Three kinds of fabrication processes, which consist of a combination of cold working (rolling and/or pressing) and sintering, are applied. Four times repetition of pressing and sintering after the pre-sintering produces the highest c-axis alignment and achieves J_c= 1.5 × 10⁴ A/cm² (77 K, 0 T). The J_c versus θ data with an angle θ between B and the c-axis elucidate the relation between the anisotropy ratio γ=J_c(Bc)/J_c(B|c and the half-height angular width Δθ of a peak for Bc. This is related to both grain alignment and the J_c value. An increase in J_c, which comes from an improvement for grain alignment, enhances γ and narrows Δθ. The J_c versus θ data are fitted to the expression J_c(B, θ)=J _c(B, 90°)/[(γ−1)|cos θ|ⁿ+1] by regarding both γ and n as adjustable parameters. Fabrication of screen-printed tapes with multilayers (1≤N≤5) is presented, where the critical current increases from 8.0 A to 30.2 A at 77 K and 0 T as N increases.     

Branes, geometry and N = 1 duality with product gauge groups of SO and Sp

We study N = 1 dualities in four-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories as the world volume theory of D4 branes with one compact direction in type IIA string theory. We generalize the previous work for SO(N_c1) × Sp(N_c2) with the superpotential W = TrX⁴ to the case of W = TrX^4(k+1) in terms of brane configuration. We conjecture that the new dualities for the product gauge groups of SO(N_c1) × Sp(N_c2) × SO(N_c3), SO(N_c1) × Sp(N_c2) × SO(N_c3) × Sp(N_c4) and higher multiple product gauge groups can be obtained by reversing the ordering of NS5 branes and D6 branes while preserving the linking numbers. We also describe the above dualities in terms of wrapping D6 branes around 3-cycles of Calabi-Yau threefolds in type IIA string theory. The theory with adjoint matter can be regarded as taking multiple copies of NS5 brane in the configuration of brane or geometric approaches.     

Photo- and electro-production of narrow exotic states: From light quarks to charm and up to bottom

Accessing a full image of the inner content of hadrons represents a central endeavour of modern particle physics, with the main scientific motivation to investigate the strong interaction binding the visible matter. On the one hand, the structure of known exotic candidates is a fundamental open issue addressed widely by scientists. On the other hand, looking for new states of exotic nature is a central component for theoretical and experimental efforts from electron-positron machine and electron accelerator with fixed target to heavy ion and electron-ion colliders. In this article we present a succinct short overview of the attempt to search for exotic narrow N^∗ and Z states containing light quarks only or also charm, and its connotation for bottom regions (the latter two are also known as P_c (Z_c) and P_b (Z_b) states, respectively in the literature). We address the effort of searching for exotic narrow N^∗ and Z states in light quark sector. We focus on recent progress in searching for signal of P_c and Z_c states photoproduction and its implication into the P_b and Z_b photoproduction and their decay properties. We also discuss future perspectives for the field in electron-ion colliders, a good place to disentangle the nature of some of these states and investigate some other enlightening topics including QCD trace anomaly and quarkonium-nucleon scattering length.     

Scaling of charged particle multiplicity in Pb–Pb collisions at SPS energies

The charged particle multiplicity distribution dN_ch/dη has been measured by the NA50 experiment in Pb–Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. Measurements were done at incident energies of 40 and 158 GeV per nucleon over a broad impact parameter range. The multiplicity distributions are studied as a function of centrality using the number of participating nucleons (N_part), or the number of binary nucleon–nucleon collisions (N_coll). Their values at midrapidity exhibit a power law scaling behaviour given by N_part^1.00 and N_coll^0.75 at 158 GeV. Compatible results are found for the scaling behaviour at 40 GeV. The width of the dN_ch/dη distributions is larger at 158 than at 40 GeV/nucleon and decreases slightly with centrality at both energies. Our results are compared to similar studies performed by other experiments both at the CERN SPS and at RHIC.     

Dynamics of N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions

We study the structure of the moduli spaces of vacua and superpotentials of N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions. By analyzing the instanton corrections, we compute the exact superpotentials and determine the quantum Coulomb and Higgs branches of the theories in the weak coupling regions. We find candidates for non-trivial N = 2 superconformal field theories at the singularities of the moduli spaces. The analysis is carried out explicitly for gauge groups U(N_c) and SU(N_c) with N _f flavors. We show that the field theory results are in complete agreement with the intersecting branes picture. We also compute the exact superpotentials for arbitrary gauge groups and arbitrary matter content.     

Layer dependence of the superconducting transition temperature of HgBa2Can−1CunO2n+2+δ

High-pressure methods have been used to synthesize multiphase compositions in the Hg---12{n−1}n homologous series. The phase assemblages were examined by optical, electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction techniques, and their stoichiometries verified by electron microprobe. Transport and magnetic susceptibility measurements were combined with the results of the phase analysis to establish superconducting transition temperatures for both as-prepared and O₂- or Ar-annealed materials. It was found that the transition temperature peaks at T_c = 134 K for N = 3 and then decreases abruptly for n>4, reaching T_c<90 K for n7.     

The quantum mechanics of affine variables

We study the wrapping of N-type IIB Dp-branes on a compact Riemann surface Σ in genus g>1 by means of the Sen–Witten construction, as a superposition of N′-type IIB Dp′-brane/antibrane pairs, with p′>p. A background Neveu–Schwarz field B deforms the commutative C-algebra of functions on Σ to a non-commutative C-algebra. Our construction provides an explicit example of the N′→∞ limit advocated by Bouwknegt-Mathai and Witten in order to deal with twisted K-theory. We provide the necessary elements to formulate M(atrix) theory on this new C-algebra, by explicitly constructing a family of projective C-modules admitting constant-curvature connections. This allows us to define the g>1 analogue of the BPS spectrum of states in g=1, by means of Donaldson’s formulation of the Narasimhan–Seshadri theorem.     

Nucleon–nucleon scattering observables in large-Nc QCD

Nucleon–nucleon scattering observables are considered in the context of the large N_c limit of QCD for initial states with moderately high momenta (pN_c). The scattering is studied in the framework of the time-dependent mean-field approximation. We focus on the dependence of those observables on the spin and isospin of the initial state which may be computed using time-dependent mean-field theory. We show that, up to corrections, all such observables must be invariant under simultaneous spin and isospin flips (i.e., rotations through π/2 in both spin and isospin) acting on either particle. All observables of this class obtained from spin unpolarized measurements must be isospin independent up to 1/N_c corrections. Moreover, it can be shown that the leading correction is of relative order 1/N_c² rather than 1/N_c.     

Continuum limit of finite temperature λφ3 from lattice Monte Carlo

The φ₃⁴ model at finite temperature is simulated on the lattice. For fixed N_t we compute the transition line for N_s → ∞ by means of finite size scaling techniques. The crossings of a renormalization group trajectory with the transition lines of increasing N_t give a well-defined limit for the critical temperature in the continuum. By considering different RG trajectories, we compute T^c/g as a function of the renormalized parameters.     

Duality and quantum-algebra symmetry of the AN−1 open spin chain with diagonal boundary fields

We show that the transfer matrix of the A_N−1⁽¹⁾ open spin chair with diagonal boundary fields has the symmetry U_q(SU(l)) × U_q(SU(N−l)) × U(1), as well as a “duality” symmetry which maps l ↔ N − l. We exploit these symmetries to compute exact boundary S-matrices in the regime with q real.     

Generalized Einstein manifolds

A Finslerian manifold is called a generalized Einstein manifold (GEM) if the Ricci directional curvature R(u,u) is independent of the direction. Let F⁰(M, g_t) be a deformation of a compact n-dimensional Finslerian manifold preserving the volume of the unitary fibre bundle W(M). We prove that the critical points g₀ F⁰(g_t) of the integral I(g_t) on W(M) of the Finslerian scalar curvature (and certain functions of the scalar curvature) define a GEM. We give an estimate of the eigenvalues of Laplacian Δ defined on W(M) operating on the functions coming from the base when (M, g) is of minima fibration with a constant scalar curvature H admitting a conformal infinitesimal deformation (CID). We obtain λ ≥ H/(n − 1) (Δf = λf). If M is simply connected and λ = H/(n − 1), then (M, g) is Riemannian and is isometric to an n-sphere. We first calculate, in the general case, the formula of the second variationals of the integral I (g_t) for G = g₀, then for a CID we show that for certain Finslerian manifolds, I″(g₀) > 0. Applications to the gravitation and electromagnetism in general relativity are given. We prove that the spaces characterizing Einstein-Maxwell equations are GEMs.     

Influence of magnetization on lattice constants of 3d transition metal alloys

A simple relation is found in 3d transitional metal alloys between the lattice constant and the magnetization, which can be described with an equation: a(x) = a₀^A· (1 − x) + a₀^B. x + C μ(x). It is proposed that studies of lattice constants at high temperatures may serve as an experimental method to detect the existence of localized moments above T_c. The anomalous thermal expansion of the Invar alloy is explained as a result of the collapse of localized moments above T_c.     

Hyperscaling for polymer rings

The statistics of a long closed self-avoiding walk (SAW) or polymer ring on a d-dimensional lattice obeys hyperscaling. The combination p_NR²_N^d/2μ^−N (where p_N is the number of configurations of an oriented and rooted N-step ring, R²_N a typical average size squared, and μ the SAW effective connectivity constant of the lattice) is equal for N å ∞ to a lattice-dependent constant times a universal amplitude A(d). The latter amplitude is calculated directly from the minimal continous Edwards model to second order in 4 − d. The case of rings at the upper critical dimension d = 4 is also studied. The results are checked against field-theoretical calculations, and former simulations. As a consequence, we show that the universal constant λ appearing to second order in in all critical phenomena amplitude ratios is equal to .     

Fredholm modules for quantum Euclidean spheres

The quantum Euclidean spheres, S_q^N−1, are (noncommutative) homogeneous spaces of quantum orthogonal groups, SO_q(N). The *-algebra A(S^N−1_q) of polynomial functions on each of these is given by generators and relations which can be expressed in terms of a self-adjoint, unipotent matrix. We explicitly construct complete sets of generators for the K-theory (by nontrivial self-adjoint idempotents and unitaries) and the K-homology (by nontrivial Fredholm modules) of the spheres S_q^N−1. We also construct the corresponding Chern characters in cyclic homology and cohomology and compute the pairing of K-theory with K-homology. On odd spheres (i.e., for N even) we exhibit unbounded Fredholm modules by means of a natural unbounded operator D which, while failing to have compact resolvent, has bounded commutators with all elements in the algebra A(S^N−1_q).     

Optical absorption, disorder and the Anderson transition

The optical gap, E_g, of amorphous indium-oxide films is measured as a function of static disorder near the metal-insulator transition. On the insulating side of the transition the optical gap obeys a scaling relation, ΔE_g = -E_*Δg where E_* is of the order of the Fermi energy of the given sample and g≡K_Fl. These results are ascribed to the continuous shift of the mobility-edge in the conduction band with disorder.