Analytical approximation schemes for solving exact renormalization group equations. II Conformal mappings

We present a new efficient analytical approximation scheme to two-point boundary value problems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) adapted to the study of the derivative expansion of the exact renormalization group equations. It is based on a compactification of the complex plane of the independent variable using a mapping of an angular sector onto a unit disc. We explicitly treat, for the scalar field, the local potential approximations of the Wegner–Houghton equation in the dimension d=3$d=3$ and of the Wilson–Polchinski equation for some values of d∈]2,3]$d\in ]2,3]$. We then consider, for d=3$d=3$, the coupled ODEs obtained by Morris at the second order of the derivative expansion. In both cases the fixed points and the eigenvalues attached to them are estimated. Comparisons of the results obtained are made with the shooting method and with the other analytical methods available. The best accuracy is reached with our new method which presents also the advantage of being very fast. Thus, it is well adapted to the study of more complicated systems of equations.     

Iterative approximation of limit cycles for a class of Abel equations

This article considers the analytical approximation of limit cycles that may appear in Abel equations written in the normal form. The procedure uses an iterative approach that takes advantage of the contraction mapping theorem. Thus, the obtained sequence exhibits uniform convergence to the target periodic solution. The effectiveness of the technique is illustrated through the approximation of an unstable limit cycle that appears in an Abel equation arising in a tracking control problem that affects an elementary, second-order bilinear power converter.     

The scales of brane nucleation processes

The scales associated with Brown–Teitelboim–Bousso–Polchinski processes of brane nucleation, which result in changes of the flux parameters and the number of D-branes, are discussed in the context of type IIB models with all moduli stabilized. It is argued that such processes are unlikely to be described by effective field theory.     

Mean-field approximation for two- and three-person Prisoner’s Dilemmas

We consider the mean-field approximation (MFA) to the system of interacting agents playing two- and three-person Prisoner’s Dilemma games (2-PD and 3-PD). The agents have three available strategies: All-C, All-D, and a third one, which we choose in various ways. Long-time distribution of the strategies is compared for both games. The latter game admits coexistence of larger number of strategies in the long run. In the case of external pressure for cooperation, more pressure is in general necessary for 3-PD than for 2-PD to guarantee cooperation for almost all initial compositions of the strategies. Results for different types of tit-for-tat strategies for 3-PD are discussed. Unlike the 2-PD case, the more forgiving tit-for-tat strategy can survive in the long run in 3-PD.     

Numerical solution of an inverse medium scattering problem for Maxwell’s Equations at fixed frequency

Consider a time-harmonic electromagnetic plane wave incident on a medium enclosed by a bounded domain in R³${\mathbb{R}}^3$. In this paper, well-posedness of the variational problem for the direct scattering is examined. An energy estimate for the scattered field is obtained on which the Born approximation is based. A regularized recursive linearization method for the inverse medium scattering, which reconstructs the scatterer of an inhomogeneous medium from the boundary measurements of the scattered field, is developed. The algorithm requires only single-frequency data. Using an initial guess from the Born approximation, each update is obtained via continuation on the spatial frequency of a two-parameter family of plane waves by solving one direct problem and one adjoint problem of the Maxwell equation.     

Distributions of switching times of single-domain particles using a time quantified Monte Carlo method

Using a time quantified Monte Carlo scheme we performed simulations of the switching time distribution of single mono-domain particles in the Stoner–Wohlfarth approximation. We considered uniaxial anisotropy and different conditions for the external applied field. The results obtained show the switching time distribution can be well described by two relaxation times, either when the applied field is parallel to the easy axis or for an oblique external field and a larger damping constant. We found that in the low barrier limit these relaxation times are in very good agreement with analytical results obtained from solutions of the Fokker–Planck equation related to this problem. When the damping is small and the applied field is oblique the shape of the distribution curves shows several peaks and resonance effects.     

A note on failure of the ladder approximation to QCD

In this Letter we show that the claim made in [V. Gogohia, Phys. Lett. B 611 (2005) 129] that the ladder approximation to QCD is internally inconsistent is incorrect. The incorrect conclusion in [V. Gogohia, Phys. Lett. B 611 (2005) 129] is based on the incorrect use of a QED-type Ward–Takahashi relation, which does not hold in the ladder approximation to QCD. We give a proof for this fact.     

From single- to multiple-soliton solutions of the perturbed KdV equation

The solution of the perturbed KdV equation (PKDVE), when the zero-order approximation is a multiple-soliton wave, is constructed as a sum of two components: elastic and inelastic. The elastic component preserves the elastic nature of soliton collisions. Its perturbation series is identical in structure to the series-solution of the PKDVE when the zero-order approximation is a single soliton. The inelastic component exists only in the multiple-soliton case, and emerges from the first order and onwards. Depending on initial data or boundary conditions, it may contain, in every order, a plethora of inelastic processes. Examples are given of sign-exchange soliton-anti-soliton scattering, soliton-anti-soliton creation or annihilation, soliton decay or merging, and inelastic soliton deflection. The analysis has been carried out through third order in the expansion parameter, exploiting the freedom in the expansion to its fullest extent. Both elastic and inelastic components do not modify soliton parameters beyond their values in the zero-order approximation. When the PKDVE is not asymptotically integrable, the new expansion scheme transforms it into a system of two equations: The Normal Form for ordinary KdV solitons, and an auxiliary equation describing the contribution of obstacles to asymptotic integrability to the inelastic component. Through the orders studied, the solution of the latter is a conserved quantity, which contains the dispersive wave that has been observed in previous works.     

Numerical approximation of the Vlasov–Poisson–Fokker–Planck system in two dimensions

A numerical method is developed for approximating the solution to the Vlasov–Poisson–Fokker–Planck system in two spatial dimensions. The method generalizes the approximation for the system in one dimension given in [S. Wollman, E. Ozizmir, Numerical approximation of the Vlasov–Poisson–Fokker–Planck system in one dimension, J. Comput. Phys. 202 (2005) 602–644]. The numerical procedure is based on a change of variables that puts the convection–diffusion equation into a form so that finite difference methods for parabolic type partial differential equations can be applied. The computational cycle combines a type of deterministic particle method with a periodic interpolation of the solution along particle trajectories onto a fixed grid. computational work is done to demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the approximation method. Parts of the numerical procedure are adapted to run on a parallel computer.     

Bursting neurons with coupling delays

A pair of Hindmarsh–Rose neurons with delayed coupling is studied. Bifurcations due to time-lag and coupling and stability of the stationary state that corresponds to the quiescence behavior are analyzed. Bursting is created by coupling and its properties strongly depend on the time-lag. In particular, there is a domain of values of time-lags which renders the bursting of the two neurons exactly synchronous.     

Chiral condensate beyond the one-loop approximation

A two-dimensional model involving a fermion field and a self-interacting scalar field with Yukawa interaction is studied beyond the one-loop approximation. It is shown that, in this model, the chiral condensate vanishes at two values of the Yukawa coupling constant. In one case, the respective symmetry is restored, while, in the other case, it is not restored.     

Nucleon-pair approximation to the nuclear shell model

Atomic nuclei are complex systems of nucleons–protons and neutrons. Nucleons interact with each other via an attractive and short-range force. This feature of the interaction leads to a pattern of dominantly monopole and quadrupole correlations between like particles (i.e., proton–proton and neutron–neutron correlations) in low-lying states of atomic nuclei. As a consequence, among dozens or even hundreds of possible types of nucleon pairs, very few nucleon pairs such as proton and neutron pairs with spin zero, two (in some cases spin four), and occasionally isoscalar spin-aligned proton–neutron pairs, play important roles in low-energy nuclear structure. The nucleon-pair approximation therefore provides us with an efficient truncation scheme of the full shell model configurations which are otherwise too large to handle for medium and heavy nuclei in foreseeable future. Furthermore, the nucleon-pair approximation leads to simple pictures in physics, as the dimension of nucleon-pair subspace is always small. The present paper aims at a sound review of its history, formulation, validity, applications, as well as its link to previous approaches, with the focus on the new developments in the last two decades. The applicability of the nucleon-pair approximation and numerical calculations of low-lying states for realistic atomic nuclei are demonstrated with examples. Applications of pair approximations to other problems are also discussed.     

Phases of a polar spin-1 Bose gas in a magnetic field

The two Bose–Einstein condensed phases of a polar spin-1 gas at nonzero magnetizations and temperatures are investigated. The Hugenholtz–Pines theorem is generalized to this system. Crossover to a quantum phase transition is also studied. Results are discussed in a mean field approximation.     

The Boltzmann equation from quantum field theory

We show from first principles the emergence of classical Boltzmann equations from relativistic nonequilibrium quantum field theory as described by the Kadanoff–Baym equations. Our method applies to a generic quantum field, coupled to a collection of background fields and sources, in a homogeneous and isotropic spacetime. The analysis is based on analytical solutions to the full Kadanoff–Baym equations, using the WKB approximation. This is in contrast to previous derivations of kinetic equations that rely on similar physical assumptions, but obtain approximate equations of motion from a gradient expansion in momentum space. We show that the system follows a generalized Boltzmann equation whenever the WKB approximation holds. The generalized Boltzmann equation, which includes off-shell transport, is valid far from equilibrium and in a time dependent background, such as the expanding universe.     

Effective medium approximation for optical bistability in nonlinear metal-dielectric composites

A general theory based on the spectral representation method and effective medium approximation is adopted to investigate the optical bistable behavior in a nonlinear two-phase composite with symmetrical microstructure, in which the metal particles of the volume fraction p and the dielectric particles of the volume fraction 1−p are randomly dispersed but oriented with respect to one another. The relation between the spatial average of local field squared and the external applied field is established through the spectral density function m(x), obtained from the modified Bruggeman effective medium approximation. We find that the optical bistability (OB) is dependent on the depolarization factor L of the components and the volume fraction p. For a given p, we predict that OB can be observed only when L is larger than the critical value L_c, and bistable behavior is more pronounced at large L. Moreover, numerical results show that both the upper threshold field and the width of OB region increase monotonically as L increases. The field-dependent reflectance at normal incidence R in random composites is also investigated.     

Comparison between discrete dipole approximation and other modelling methods for the plasmonic response of gold nanospheres

We investigate the plasmonic response of gold nanospheres calculated using discrete dipole approximation validated against the results from other discretization methods, namely the finite-difference time-domain method and the finite-element methods. Comparisons are also made with calculations from analytical methods such as the Mie solution and the null-field method with discrete sources. We consider the nanoparticle interacting with the incident field both in free space and sitting on a planar substrate. In the latter case, discrete dipole approximation with surface interaction is used; this includes the interaction with the ‘image dipoles’ using Sommerfeld integration.     

A Field Method for Integrating Equations of Motion of Nonlinear Mechanico-Electrical Coupling Dynamical Systems

We deal with the generalization of the field method to weakly non-linear mechanico-electrical coupling systems. The field co-ordinates and field momenta approaches are combined with the method of multiple time scales in order to obtain the amplitudes and phase of oscillations in the first approximation. An example in mechanico-electrical coupling systems is given to illustrate this method.