The chemical potential for the inhomogeneous electron liquid in terms of its kinetic and potential parts with special consideration of the surface potential step and BCS-BEC crossover

The chemical potential μ of a many-body system is valuable since it carries fingerprints of phase changes. Here, we summarize results for μ for a three-dimensional electron liquid in terms of average kinetic and potential energies per particle. The difference between μ and the energy per particle is found to be exactly the electrostatic potential step at the surface. We also present calculations for an integrable one-dimensional many-body system with delta function interactions, exhibiting a BCS-BEC crossover. It is shown that in the BCS regime the chemical potential can be expressed solely in terms of the ground-state energy per particle. A brief discussion is also included of the strong coupling BEC limit.     

Relaxation model of the orientational phase transition in fullerite C60

The model of thermal behavior of a thermoelastic medium is developed in the context of the Landau theory of phase transitions. In the framework of this model, two different problems are considered with allowance for order parameter relaxation: the problem of relatively slow uniform heating (cooling) of the medium under external hydrostatic pressure and the problem of order parameter relaxation at thermal isolation. A finite value of the relaxation constant τ of the order parameter is demonstrated to bring about the heating (cooling) rate dependence of the physical quantities, such as specific heat. The relaxation time of the order parameter is shown to be twice larger than the temperature relaxation time, as a consequence of the Landau expansion of the free energy.     

Phase-space Lagrangian dynamics of incompressible thermofluids

Phase-space Lagrangian dynamics in ideal fluids (i.e., continua) is usually related to the so-called ideal tracer particles. The latter, which can in principle be permitted to have arbitrary initial velocities, are understood as particles of infinitesimal size which do not produce significant perturbations of the fluid and do not interact among themselves. An unsolved theoretical problem is the correct definition of their dynamics in ideal fluids. The issue is relevant in order to exhibit the connection between fluid dynamics and the classical dynamical system, underlying a prescribed fluid system, which uniquely generates its time-evolution.The goal of this paper is to show that the tracer-particle dynamics can be exactly established for an arbitrary incompressible fluid uniquely based on the construction of an inverse kinetic theory (IKT) [M. Tessarotto, M. Ellero, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 45 (9) (2000) 40; M. Tessarotto, M. Ellero, AIP Conf. Proc. 762 (2005) 108. RGD24, Italy, July 10-16, 2004; M. Ellero, M. Tessarotto, Physica A 355 (2005) 233; M. Tessarotto, M. Ellero, Physica A 373 (2007) 142, arXiv: physics/0602140; M. Tessarotto, M. Ellero, in: M.S. Ivanov, A.K. Rebrov (Eds.), Proc. 25th RGD, International Symposium on Rarefied gas Dynamics, St. Petersburg, Russia, July 21-28, 2006, Novosibirsk Publ. House of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2007, p. 1001, arXiv:physics/0611113; M. Tessarotto, C. Cremaschini, Strong solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in external domains: Local existence and uniqueness, arXiv:0809.5164v1 [math-ph], 2008]. As an example, the case of an incompressible Newtonian thermofluid is considered here.     

Ultrahigh-Pressure Equation of State for Copper at 0K

Based on the first-principles all-electron full-potential augmented-plane-wave plus local orbital method, an equation of state （EOS） at OK for copper up to 10000 GPa （10^8 bar） is presented. Our recommended EOS is in good agreement with the available experimental data. Furthermore, the agreement between theoretical EOS of hcp and fcc lattices at extremely compressed condition sets the foundation of spherical atom models for high density and high temperate plasmas.     

Temperature definition for a finite number of classical spin-half particles: A canonical ensemble approach

A canonical ensemble for non-interacting classical spin-half systems containing small number of particles is developed to deal with the definition of temperature based upon the equal a priori probabilities which is the fundamental hypothesis of the statistical mechanics. When the number of spins is finite, the temperature of the system differs from that of bath, and the difference stays almost the same above a turning temperature and gets larger rapidly as the temperature decreases below it.     

Green functions and Langevin equations for nonlinear diffusion equations: A comment on ‘Markov processes, Hurst exponents, and nonlinear diffusion equations’ by Bassler et al.

We discuss two central claims made in the study by Bassler et al. [K.E. Bassler, G.H. Gunaratne, J.L. McCauley, Physica A 369 (2006) 343]. Bassler et al. claimed that Green functions and Langevin equations cannot be defined for nonlinear diffusion equations. In addition, they claimed that nonlinear diffusion equations are linear partial differential equations disguised as nonlinear ones. We review bottom-up and top-down approaches that have been used in the literature to derive Green functions for nonlinear diffusion equations and, in doing so, show that the first claim needs to be revised. We show that the second claim as well needs to be revised. To this end, we point out similarities and differences between non-autonomous linear Fokker-Planck equations and autonomous nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations. In this context, we raise the question whether Bassler et al.’s approach to financial markets is physically plausible because it necessitates the introduction of external traders and causes. Such external entities can easily be eliminated when taking self-organization principles and concepts of nonextensive thermostatistics into account and modeling financial processes by means of nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations.     

Electromagnetic Coulomb gas with vector charges and “elastic” potentials: Renormalization group equations

We present a detailed derivation of the renormalization group equations for two-dimensional electromagnetic Coulomb gases whose charges lie on a triangular lattice (magnetic charges) and its dual (electric charges). The interactions between the charges involve both angular couplings and a new electromagnetic potential. This motivates the denomination of “elastic” Coulomb gas. Such elastic Coulomb gases arise naturally in the study of the continuous melting transition of two-dimensional solids coupled to a substrate, either commensurate or with quenched disorder.     

The non-equilibrium work relation: Thermodynamic analysis and microscopic foundations

We discuss the conditions for which the non-equilibrium work relation is valid by means of thermodynamic and microscopic arguments.     

Extremal entropy for a constrained probability density

The state of extremal entropy for a one-dimensional probability density is considered. This density is constrained by fixed values of the first and second moment. The grandcanonical distribution yields the extremum of the entropy within a certain range of values of the moments. A different type of density corresponds to an extremum of entropy when the moments are outside this range. The shape of this density is approximated with the Ritz variation method. The results are applied to the formation of breathers in the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation.     

Equilibration of two power-law tailed distributions in a parton cascade model

We study the process of equilibration between two non-extensive subsystems in the framework of a particular non-extensive Boltzmann equation. We have found that even subsystems with different non-extensive properties achieve a common equilibrium distribution. We extract the thermodynamic temperature from final energy distributions in a particular case.     

Thermodynamic variables of microquasars inferred from tachyonic spectral maps

Tachyonic spectral densities of ultra-relativistic electron populations are fitted to the γ-ray spectra of two microquasars, LS 5039 and LSI +61°303. The superluminal spectral maps are obtained from BATSE, COMPTEL, EGRET, HESS, and MAGIC data sets. The spectral averaging is done with exponentially cut power-law densities. Estimates of the electron distributions generating the tachyon flux are obtained from the spectral fits, such as power-law indices, electron temperature and source counts. The internal energy and heat capacities of the source populations are calculated. An extensive entropy functional is defined for Boltzmann power-law densities and its stability is checked. The high-temperature limit of the thermodynamic variables is determined by the power-law index of the electron plasma, which enters in the scaling exponents as well as the amplitudes.     

Absence of hyperscaling violations for phase transitions with positive specific heat exponent

Finite size scaling theory and hyperscaling are analyzed in the ensemble limit which differs from the finite size scaling limit. Different scaling limits are discussed. Hyperscaling relations are related to the identification of thermodynamics as the infinite volume limit of statistical mechanics. This identification combined with finite ensemble scaling leads to the conclusion that hyperscaling relations cannot be violated for phase transitions with strictly positive specific heat exponent. The ensemble limit allows to derive analytical expressions for the universal part of the finite size scaling functions at the critical point. The analytical expressions are given in terms of generalH-functions, scaling dimensions and a new universal shape parameter. The universal shape parameter is found to characterize the type of boundary conditions, symmetry and other universal influences on critical behaviour. The critical finite size scaling functions for the order parameter distribution are evaluated numerically for the cases =3, =5 and =15 where is the equation of state exponent. Using a tentative assignment of periodic boundary conditions to the universal shape parameter yields good agreement between the analytical prediction and Monte-Carlo simulations for the two dimensional Ising model. Analytical expressions for critical amplitude ratios are derived in terms of critical exponents and the universal shape parameters. The paper offers an explanation for the numerical discrepancies and the pathological behaviour of the renormalized coupling constant in mean field theory. Low order moment ratios of difference variables are proposed and calculated which are independent of boundary conditions, and allow to extract estimates for a critical exponent.     

A high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis of platinum carbide

High-pressure synthesis is a powerful method for the preparation of novel materials with high elastic moduli and hardness. Additionally, such materials may exhibit interesting thermal, optoelectronic, semiconducting, magnetic, or superconducting properties. We report on the new high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis of platinum carbide. The experiments were performed in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell and data were collected using the synchrotron X-ray diffraction method at pressures >75 GPa at high-temperatures. The new platinum carbide has a rock-salt type structure, with space group Fm3m and cubic symmetry. It was confirmed to remain stable to at least 120 GPa. This structure is the same as that of other metal carbides reported in previous studies. After decompression, the new high-pressure phase was recoverable at ambient pressure. The Birch-Murnaghan equation of state for this new phase was determined from the experimental unit cell parameters, with K₀=301 (±15) GPa, and K′₀=5.2 (±0.4).     

Compressibility of a two-dimensional electron gas in a parallel magnetic field

The thermodynamic compressibility of a two-dimensional electron system in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field is calculated. We use accurate correlation energy results from quantum Monte Carlo simulations to construct the ground state energy and obtain the critical magnetic field B_c required to fully spin polarize the system. Inverse compressibility as a function of density shows a kink-like behavior in the presence of an applied magnetic field, which can be identified as B_c. Our calculations suggest an alternative approach to transport measurements of determining full spin polarization.     

Special Lie Symmetry and Hojman Conserved Quantity of Appell Equations for a Holonomic System

Special Lie symmetry and Hojman conserved quantity of Appell equations for a holonomic system are studied. Appell equations and differential equations of motion for holonomic mechanic systems are established. Under special Lie infinitesimal transformations in which the time is invariable, the determining equation of the special Lie symmetry and the expressions of Hojman conserved quantity for Appell equations of holonomic systems are presented. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the application of the results.     

Structural property of CsCl-type sodium chloride under pressure

The structure and equation of state of CsCl-type sodium chloride have been determined using high-pressure powder X-ray diffraction from 32 to 134 GPa. The CsCl-type phase remains stable over this entire pressure range. Pressure-volume data can be fitted with a Vinet equation of state with K_30 GPa=135.1 GPa, K′_30 GPa=3.9, and V_30 GPa=27.70 Å³. The nearest-neighbour distance between sodium and chlorine atoms decreased as pressure increased. Significant discrepancies of nearest-neighbour distance between previous theoretical predictions and this study were observed at pressures higher than 70 GPa.     

Hall Effects on Unsteady Magnetohydrodynamic Flow of a Third Grade Fluid

The unsteady magnetohydrodynamic flow of an electrically conducting viscous incompressible third grade fluid bounded by an infinite porous plate is studied with the Hall effect. An external uniform magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plate and the fluid motion is subjected to a uniform suction and injection. Similarity transformations are employed to reduce the non-linear equations governing the flow under discussion to two ordinary differential equations （with and without dispersion terms）. Using the finite difference scheme, numerical solutions represented by graphs with reference to the various involved parameters of interest are discussed and appropriate conclusions are drawn.     

Topology and phase transitions II. Theorem on a necessary relation

In this second paper, we prove a necessity theorem about the topological origin of phase transitions. We consider physical systems described by smooth microscopic interaction potentials VN(q)$V_N(q)$, among N   degrees of freedom, and the associated family of configuration space submanifolds _{Mv}v∈R${\{M_v\}}_{v\in \mathbb{R}}$, with Mv={q∈RN|VN(q)?v}$M_v=\{q\in {\mathbb{R}}^N|V_N(q)?v\}$. On the basis of an analytic relationship between a suitably weighed sum of the Morse indexes of the manifolds _{Mv}v∈R${\{M_v\}}_{v\in \mathbb{R}}$ and thermodynamic entropy, the theorem states that any possible unbound growth with N   of one of the following derivatives of the configurational entropy S(−)(v)=(1/N)logMv_∫dNq$S^{(-)}(v)=(1/N)\log {\int }_{M_v}{d}^{N}q$, that is of |k^∂S(−)(v)/∂vk|$|{\partial }^k{S}^{(-)}(v)/\partial v^k|$, for k=3,4$k=3,4$, can be entailed only by the weighed sum of Morse indexes. Since the unbound growth with N of one of these derivatives corresponds to the occurrence of a first- or of a second-order phase transition, and since the variation of the Morse indexes of a manifold is in one-to-one correspondence with a change of its topology, the Main Theorem of the present paper states that a phase transition necessarily stems from a topological transition in configuration space. The proof of the theorem given in the present paper cannot be done without Main Theorem of paper I.     

Temperature in molybdenum at high shock pressure: Experiment and theory

Shock temperature of molybdenum is deduced to be 7853±813 K from release temperature at 374 GPa via pyrometry experiment. Theoretically, temperatures along the Hügoniot are calculated up to pressures of 500 GPa, over the shock melting pressure region, with contributions from electrons considered. At low pressures, the calculated results are consistent with NRS temperature measurements and pyrometry measurements, and accord with SESAME EOS and theoretical calculations taking the strength of the sample into account. At pressures above 100 GPa the results are much different from calculations without the contribution from the electrons, but consistent with the shock temperature deduced from experimental results in this work.