Scaling properties of spatially extended chaotic systems

We investigate the scaling properties of Lyapunov eigenvectors and exponents in coupled-map lattices exhibiting space-time chaos. A deep interrelation between spatiotemporal chaos and kinetic roughening of surfaces is postulated. We show that the logarithm of unstable eigenvectors exhibits scale-invariance with roughness exponents that can be predicted by a simple scaling conjecture. We argue that these scaling properties should be generic in spatially homogeneous extended systems with local diffusive-like couplings.     

Scaling laws in granular continuous avalanches in a rotating drum

We study the front shape of avalanches produced in a rotating two-dimensional drum partially filled with small glass beads. We focus our work on the study of the length and shape of granular fronts, in particular how they do scale in terms of the physical parameters involved. A single scaling law for the length is found. This scaling law is also relevant for the behavior of the full shape of the fronts. More than 300 different fronts shape, for different values of the parameters collapse into an universal curve.     

Investigating the nonequilibrium aspects of long-range Potts model: Refinement of critical temperatures and raw exponents

In this work, we analyze the q-state Potts model with long-range interactions through nonequilibrium scaling relations commonly used when studying short-range systems. We determine the critical temperature via an optimization method for short-time Monte Carlo simulations. The study takes into consideration two different boundary conditions and three different values of range parameters of the couplings. We also present estimates of some critical exponents, named as raw exponents for systems with long-range interactions, which confirm the non-universal character of the model. Finally, we provide some preliminary results addressing the relations between the raw exponents and the exponents obtained for systems with short-range interactions. The results assert that the methods employed in this work are suitable to study the considered model and can easily be adapted to other systems with long-range interactions.     

Active and passive scalar intermittent statistics in turbulent atmospheric convection

We study the small-scale statistics of active and passive scalar fields, obtained from 3D large-eddy simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer turbulence. The velocity field is anisotropic and inhomogeneous, due to the action of both buoyancy and shear. We focus on scalar field rare fluctuations dominated by the so-called fronts. Temperature, coupled to the velocity field by the Boussinesq equations, exhibits anomalous scaling and saturation of the scaling exponents to a constant value, due to the presence of thermal fronts. Although qualitatively similar, the small-scale statistics of a passive tracer advected by the convective flow shows quantitative differences: the large fluctuations of the tracer concentration field distribute differently and appear to be less intermittent than the temperature ones. To better understand these results, the role of boundaries in this problem is discussed.     

Front propagation into an unstable state of reaction-transport systems

We studied the propagation of traveling fronts into an unstable state of the reaction-transport systems involving integral transport. By using a hyperbolic scaling procedure and singular perturbation techniques, we determined a Hamiltonian structure of reaction-transport equations. This structure allowed us to derive asymptotic formulas for the propagation rate of a reaction front. We showed that the macroscopic dynamics of the front are "nonuniversal" and depend on the choice of the underlying random walk model for the microscopic transport process.     

Entanglement and criticality in translationally invariant harmonic lattice systems with finite-range interactions

We discuss the relation between entanglement and criticality in translationally invariant harmonic lattice systems with nonrandom, finite-range interactions. We show that the criticality of the system as well as validity or breakdown of the entanglement area law are solely determined by the analytic properties of the spectral function of the oscillator system, which can easily be computed. In particular, for finite-range couplings we find a one-to-one correspondence between an area-law scaling of the bipartite entanglement and a finite correlation length. This relation is strict in the one-dimensional case and there is strong evidence for the multidimensional case. We also discuss generalizations to couplings with infinite range. Finally, to illustrate our results, a specific 1D example with nearest and next-nearest-neighbor coupling is analyzed.     

Mechanism of branching in negative ionization fronts

When a strong electric field is applied to nonconducting matter, narrow channels of plasma called streamers may form. Branchlike patterns of streamers have been observed in anode directed discharges. We explain a mechanism for branching as the result of a balance between the destabilizing effect of impact ionization and the stabilizing effect of electron diffusion on ionization fronts. The dispersion relation for transversal perturbation of a planar negative front is obtained analytically when the ratio D between the electron diffusion coefficient and the intensity of the externally imposed electric field is small. We estimate the spacing lambda between streamers and deduce a scaling law lambda approximately D(1/3).     

Scaling of lyapunov exponents of coupled chaotic systems

We develop a statistical theory of the coupling sensitivity of chaos. The effect was first described by Daido [Prog. Theor. Phys. 72, 853 (1984)]; it appears as a logarithmic singularity in the Lyapunov exponent in coupled chaotic systems at very small couplings. Using a continuous-time stochastic model for the coupled systems we derive a scaling relation for the largest Lyapunov exponent. The singularity is shown to depend on the coupling and the systems' mismatch. Generalizations to the cases of asymmetrical coupling and three interacting oscillators are considered, too. The analytical results are confirmed by numerical simulations.     

Quantum critical behavior of clean itinerant ferromagnets

We consider the quantum ferromagnetic transition at zero temperature in clean itinerant electron systems. We find that the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson order parameter field theory breaks down since the electron-electron interaction leads to singular coupling constants in the Landau- Ginzburg-Wilson functional. These couplings generate an effective long-range interaction between the spin or order parameter fluctuations of the form 1 <r ² d?1, with d the spatial dimension. This leads to unusual scaling behavior at the quantum critical point in 1 < d ≤ 3, which we determine exactly. We also discuss the quantum-to-classical crossover at small but finite temperatures, which is characterized by the appearance of multiple temperature scales. A comparison with recent results on disordered itinerant ferromagnets is given.     

Pipe network model for scaling of dynamic interfaces in porous media

We present a numerical study on the dynamics of imbibition fronts in porous media using a pipe network model. This model quantitatively reproduces the anomalous scaling behavior found in imbibition experiments [Phys. Rev. E 52, 5166 (1995)]. Using simple scaling arguments, we derive a new identity among the scaling exponents in agreement with the experimental results.     

J-modulated ADEQUATE (JM-ADEQUATE) experiment for accurate measurement of carbon-carbon coupling constants

A new method for the accurate determination of carbon-carbon coupling constants is described. The method is based on a modified ADEQUATE experiment, where a J-modulated spin-echo sequence precedes the ADEQUATE pulse scheme. The J-modulation and scaling of carbon-carbon couplings is based on simultaneous incrementation of 13C chemical shift and coupling evolution periods. The time increment for the homonuclear carbon-carbon coupling evolution can be suitably scaled with respect to the corresponding increment for the chemical shift evolution. Typically a scaling factor of 2 to 3 is employed for the measurement of one-bond coupling constants, while multiplication by a factor of 10 to 15 is applied when small long-range couplings are determined. The same pulse scheme with coupling evolution period optimized for one-bond or long-range couplings allows the determination of the corresponding carbon-carbon coupling constants. The splittings of the ADEQUATE crosspeaks in the F1 dimension yield the appropriately multiplied coupling constants.     

Enhancement of next-nearest-neighbouring entanglement in quantum Ising spin chain

Using the method of the Jordan--Wigner transformation for solving different spin--spin correlation functions, we have investigated the generation of next-nearest-neighbouring entanglement in a one-dimensional quantum Ising spin chain with the Gaussian distribution impurities of exchange couplings and external magnetic fields taken into account. The maximal value of entanglement between the next-nearest-neighbouring qubits in the transverse Ising model was analysed in detail by varying the effectively controlled parameters such as interchange coupling, magnetic field and the system impurity. For such systems, where both exchange couplings and external magnetic field disorder appear, we show that it is possible to achieve next-nearest-neighbouring entanglement better than the previously discussed pure Ising spin chain case. We also show that the Gaussian distribution impurity can induce next-nearest-neighbouring entanglement, which can be used as a means to characterize quantum phase transition.     

Scaling of fluctuations and critical exponents

We present a new technique to describe the abnormal behavior of certain fluctuation observables in the critical regime of quantum statistical systems which undergo a phase transition. The idea is to rescale the local fluctuation operators by a relevant external parameter of the system, in addition to the usual scaling with the inverse square root of the volume. The scaling indices used in this scaling procedure are directly related to the critical exponents. Furthermore, it is explained that this new method of scaling preserves the CCR structure of the algebra of macroscopic fluctuations. Finally, scaling indices are computed for the relevant microscopic observables at all temperatures in a mean field approximation for a quantum anharmonic crystal. These indices yield the same critical exponents as predicted by mean field theory.     

Out-of-equilibrium kondo effect in double quantum dots

We present results of high resolution experiments on kinetic roughening of slow combustion fronts in paper, focusing on short length and time scales. Using three different grades of paper, we find that the combustion fronts show apparent spatial and temporal multiscaling at short scales. The scaling exponents decrease as a function of the order of the corresponding correlation functions. The noise affecting the fronts reveals short range temporal and spatial correlations, and non-Gaussian noise amplitudes. Our results imply that the overall behavior of slow combustion fronts cannot be explained by standard theories of kinetic roughening.     

An optimal strategy for recovering the deuterium (2H) quadrupolar interaction under magic-angle spinning NMR

By exploiting the homology in the form of the truncated high-field homonuclear dipole–dipole and quadrupole coupling Hamiltonians, we have previously demonstrated that a simple adaptation of a rotor-synchronized pulse sequence (DRAMA) used for the recovery of dipole–dipole couplings can also be used to resurrect quadrupole couplings (QUADRAMA). In the canonical implementation of these recovery pulse sequences, the couplings are not significantly scaled down from their static sample values. While such minimal scaling is of course desirable in the recovery of typical homonuclear dipolar couplings ( ≤ 2 kHz) and small quadrupole couplings, it is clearly not ideal for the recovery of the much larger quadrupole couplings (20–200 kHz) often encountered in solid-state ²H NMR. In such a case, some prior knowledge of the order of magnitude of the coupling is required to optimize the experimental conditions for QUADRAMA. In order to overcome this drawback, in this study, we have developed a general and optimized strategy for implementing the QUADRAMA technique which does not require any knowledge of the size of the coupling ν_Q. Experimental tests of the optimized protocol demonstrate that by judicious choices of a combination of scaling factors and recoupling times, ²H quadrupole couplings ranging over an order of magnitude from 3 to 42 kHz can be measured. Since this optimized protocol can reliably be used to recover couplings over a broad range, it expands the range of systems accessible to study by ²H NMR into a realm where static sample NMR and simple MAS NMR may fail.     

Dynamical scaling and kinetic roughening of single valued fronts propagating in fractal media

We consider the dynamical scaling and kinetic roughening of single-valued interfaces propagating in 2D fractal media. Assuming that the nearest-neighbor height difference distribution function of the fronts obeys Lévy statistics with a well-defined algebraic decay exponent, we consider the generalized scaling forms and derive analytic expressions for the local scaling exponents. We show that the kinetic roughening of the interfaces displays intrinsic anomalous scaling and multiscaling in the relevant correlation functions. We test the predictions of the scaling theory with a variety of well-known models which produce fractal growth structures. Results are in excellent agreement with theory. For some models, we find interesting crossover behavior related to large-scale structural instabilities of the growing aggregates. Received 22 May 2002 Published online 19 November 2002     

Low-energy properties of aperiodic quantum spin chains

We investigate the low-energy properties of antiferromagnetic quantum XXZ spin chains with couplings following two-letter aperiodic sequences, by an adaptation of the Ma-Dasgupta-Hu renormalization-group method. For a given aperiodic sequence, we argue that, in the easy-plane anisotropy regime, intermediate between the XX and Heisenberg limits, the general scaling form of the thermodynamic properties is essentially given by the exactly known XX behavior, providing a classification of the effects of aperiodicity on XXZ chains. As representative illustrations, we present analytical and numerical results for the low-temperature thermodynamics and the ground-state correlations for couplings following the Fibonacci quasiperiodic structure and a binary Rudin-Shapiro sequence, whose geometrical fluctuations are similar to those induced by randomness.     

The low-temperature behavior of disordered magnets

We map out the low-temperature phase diagrams of dilute Ising ferromagnets and predominantly ferromagnetic ferrites, obtaining nonperturbative and essentially optimal conditions on the density of ferromagnetic couplings required to maintain long-range order. We also study mappings of dilute antiferromagnets in a uniform field onto random field ferromagnets.For the randomly dilute systems, we prove that ferromagnetically ordered states exist at low temperature if the density of ferromagnetic couplings exceeds the (appropriately defined) percolation threshold, thereby extending the result of Georgii to three or more dimensions. We also show that, for these systems, as the temperature tends to zero, the magnetization approaches the percolation probability of the corresponding Bernoulli system. In two dimensions, we prove that low-temperature ordering persists in the presence of antiferromagnetic impurities if the ferromagnetic couplings percolate and if the density of antiferromagnetic couplings is bounded above by the order of the inverse square of the corresponding percolation correlation length. For these systems, we rigorously compute the first order decrease in the zero-temperature nominal spontaneous magnetization, in terms of derivatives of the percolation probability, thereby establishing the existence of ferrimagnetically ordered states. Finally, we introduce a model of a random ferrite which exhibits spontaneous magnetization anticorrelated with the boundary conditions.National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellows. Work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-8203669Work supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MCS-8108814 (A03)     

Slow cracklike dynamics at the onset of frictional sliding

We propose a friction model which incorporates interfacial elasticity and whose steady state sliding relation is characterized by a generic nonmonotonic behavior, including both velocity weakening and strengthening branches. In 1D and upon the application of sideway loading, we demonstrate the existence of transient cracklike fronts whose velocity is independent of sound speed, which we propose to be analogous to the recently discovered slow interfacial rupture fronts. Most importantly, the properties of these transient inhomogeneously loaded fronts are determined by steady state front solutions at the minimum of the sliding friction law, implying the existence of a new velocity scale and a "forbidden gap" of rupture velocities. We highlight the role played by interfacial elasticity and supplement our analysis with 2D scaling arguments.