Exact fixed points in discrete hydrodynamics

Recently a discrete formulation of hydrodynamics was introduced, which was shown to be exactly renormalizable in a certain sense: a procedure was given for computing the equations of motion on a coarse space and time scale from those on a finer scale. In this paper we carry out this coarsening procedure explicitly, giving exact numerical results for a one-dimensional diffusive system. The coarsening transformation is found to have a one-parameter family of nontrivial fixed points, parameterized by a diffusion parameterD. This result gives a new way of understanding why so many systems obey Fick's lawj = – D'dn/dx. Any of an extremely broad class of microscopic equations of motion, when viewed on a coarse enough scale, obey the fixed-point equations (which are equivalent to Fick's law). The methods used here are equally applicable to higher-dimensionality systems such as fluids.Research partially supported by the Chemistry Division of NSF through Grant No. CHE-7906649.     

Critical theory of overscreened Kondo fixed points

The low-temperature fixed point of the Kondo model, for k bands and a spin-s impurity, is well understood by Nozières' Fermi liquid theory for k 2s. However when k > 2s, a new type of non-trivial fixed point is known to occur. We study this fixed point using higher-level Kac-Moody conformal field theory and Cardy's approach to boundary critical phenomena. The specific heat and magnetization are shown to be determined by the leading irrelevant operator and the corresponding critical exponents are obtained exactly. The Wilson ratio is argued to be universal and its exact value is also calculated. The asymptotic finite-size spectrum is determined. Thermodynamic exponents agree precisely with the Bethe ansatz; for k = 2, S = 1/2, the Wilson ratio also agrees well with the approximate value obtained from the Bethe ansatz; the slope of the β-function agrees with the perturbative result in the large-k limit and the finite-size spectrum agrees excellently with approximate results obtained previously by Wilson's numerical renormalization group method in the case k = 2, S = 1/2.     

Tail shortening by discrete hydrodynamics

A discrete formulation of hydrodynamics was recently introduced, whose most important feature is that it is exactly renormalizable. Previous numerical work has found that it provides a more efficient and rapidly convergent method for calculating transport coefficients than the usual Green-Kubo method. The latter's convergence difficulties are due to the well-known long-time tail of the time correlation function which must be integrated over time. The purpose of the present paper is to present additional evidence that these difficulties are really absent in the discrete equation of motion approach. The memory terms in the equation of motion are calculated accurately, and shown to decay much more rapidly with time than the equilibrium time correlations do.     

Infra-red fixed points in supersymmetry

Model independent constraints on supersymmetric models emerge when certain couplings are drawn towards their infra-red (quasi) fixed points in the course of their renormalization group evolution. The general principles are first reviewed and the conclusions for some recent studies of theories with R-parity and baryon and lepton number violations are summarized.     

Multi-scale Godunov-type method for cell-centered discrete Lagrangian hydrodynamics

This work presents a multi-dimensional cell-centered unstructured finite volume scheme for the solution of multimaterial compressible fluid flows written in the Lagrangian formalism. This formulation is considered in the Arbitrary-Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) framework with the constraint that the mesh velocity and the fluid velocity coincide. The link between the vertex velocity and the fluid motion is obtained by a formulation of the momentum conservation on a class of multi-scale encased volumes around mesh vertices. The vertex velocity is derived with a nodal Riemann solver constructed in such a way that the mesh motion and the face fluxes are compatible. Finally, the resulting scheme conserves both momentum and total energy and, it satisfies a semi-discrete entropy inequality. The numerical results obtained for some classical 2D and 3D hydrodynamic test cases show the robustness and the accuracy of the proposed algorithm.     

Homothetic transformations with fixed points in spacetime

A study is made of homothetic motions with fixed points in spacetime. Some general properties of such spacetimes are established, and a characterization of generalized plane wave spacetimes is proved. A general discussion of homothetic motions in Einstein's theory is given.This is in the sense that no open subset ofM is flat.     

Renormalization group fixed points in Yukawa theories

The Callan-Symanzik functions of Yukawa theories in which the scalar mesons transform as the regular representation of SU(3), SU(2) or U(1) are calculated in two-loop order. An attractive renormalisation group fixed point away from the origin is found, but at a distance such that perturbation theory can not be considered reliable.     

Proper homothetic maps and fixed points

Let f be a proper homothetic map of the pseudo-Riemannian manifold M and assume f has a fixed point p. If all of the eigenvalues of either f* _p or f ^-1*_p have absolute values less than unity, then M is topologically R _n and M has a flat metric. This yields three characterizations of Minkowski spacetime. In general, a homothetic map of a complete pseudo-Riemannian manifold need not have fixed points. Furthermore, an example shows the existence of a proper homothetic map with a fixed point does not imply M is flat. The scalar curvature vanishes at a fixed point, but some of the sectional curvatures may be nonzero.     

Symplectic fixed points and holomorphic spheres

LetP be a symplectic manifold whose symplectic form, integrated over the spheres inP, is proportional to its first Chern class. On the loop space ofP, we consider the variational theory of the symplectic action function perturbed by a Hamiltonian term. In particular, we associate to each isolated invariant set of its gradient flow an Abelian group with a cyclic grading. It is shown to have properties similar to the homology of the Conley index in locally compact spaces. As an application, we show that if the fixed point set of an exact diffeomorphism onP is nondegenerate, then it satisfies the Morse inequalities onP. We also discuss fixed point estimates for general exact diffeomorphisms.     

GUT precursors and fixed points in higher-dimensional theories

Within the context of traditional logarithmic grand unification atM _GUT ≈ 10¹⁶ GeV, we show that it is nevertheless possible to observe certain GUT states such asX andY gauge bosons at lower scales, perhaps even in the TeV range. We refer to such states as ‘GUT precursors’. Such states offer an interesting alternative possibility for new physics at the TeV scale, even when the scale of gauge coupling unification remains high, and suggest that it may be possible to probe GUT physics directly even within the context of high-scale gauge coupling unification. More generally, our results also suggest that it is possible to construct self-consistent ‘hybrid’ models containing widely separated energy scales, and give rise to a Kaluza-Klein realization of non-trivial fixed points in higher-dimensional gauge theories.     

Causality and fixed points in the renormalization group

It is discussed under which conditions the singularity of type exp(-1/g)-predicted from causality for logarithmic models-will appear in the leading order of the effective coupling constant.     

Tracking unstable fixed points in parametrically dynamic systems

The method of Ott, Grebogi and Yorke is extended to control a two-parameter system when one of the parameters is time dependent and the other is used as the control-parameter. As one of the parameters changes, the unstable fixed point follows its branch of the bifurcation tree. We control a chaotic orbit such that it tracks this “moving” unstable fixed point using an adaptive control method.     

Infrared behavior and fixed points in Landau-gauge QCD

We investigate the infrared behavior of gluon and ghost propagators in Landau-gauge QCD by means of an exact renormalization group equation. We explain how, in general, the infrared momentum structure of Green functions can be extracted within this approach. An optimization procedure is devised to remove residual regulator dependences. In Landau-gauge QCD this framework is used to determine the infrared leading terms of the propagators. The results support the Kugo-Ojima confinement scenario. Possible extensions are discussed.     

Critical points in less than two dimensions

From a study of the liquid-vapour equilibrium at low temperatures in the lattice-gas and penetrable-sphere models it is concluded that the phase transformation can occur as soon as the dimensionality of the fluid exceeds one, even if, formally, by a small, non-integral amount. A hypothetical fluid of dimensionality s only slightly greater than 1 is defined through its cluster integrals, and its thermodynamic properties are deduced. It is found that its behaviour is identical to that of a one-dimensional system for temperatures above some critical temperature T _c (with T _c →0 as s →1), while for temperatures below T _c its behaviour is that of a two-phase system of dimensionality s greater than 1.     

On the fixed points for circle maps

Renormalization group transformations have been developed to study the critical behavior of circle maps. When the winding number equals the golden mean, the fixed point functions must satisfy two functional equations. However, it turns out that one of these equations already determines the fixed point solutions. It is shown that under certain conditions the second functional equation is automatically satisfied.     

Effects of nondenumerable fixed points in finite dynamical systems

The motion of a spinning soccer ball brings forth the possible existence of a whole class of finite dynamical systems where there may be a nondenumerably infinite number of fixed points. They defy the very traditional meaning of the fixed point that a point on the fixed point in the phase space should remain there forever, for, a fixed point can evolve as well! Under such considerations one can argue that a free-kicked soccer ball should be nonchaotic.