On the multi-spin magnon and spike solutions from membranes

Recently important classes of solitonic string solutions were obtained—giant magnons and single spikes. In previous study we showed the existence of giant magnon-like membrane solutions and studied their properties. In this paper we investigate classical rotating membranes representing analog of a specific class of string spiky solutions. Using the reduction to the Neumann–Rosochatius integrable system we find analog of the string single spike solutions. In contrast to the magnon-like solutions, this case is characterized with finite difference of energy and “winding number” and finite spins as well.     

Number-phase entropic uncertainty relations and Wigner functions for solvable quantum systems with discrete spectra

In this Letter, the “number-phase entropic uncertainty relation” and the “number-phase Wigner function” of generalized coherent states associated to a few solvable quantum systems with non-degenerate spectra are studied. We also investigate time evolution of “number-phase entropic uncertainty” and “Wigner function” of the considered physical systems with the help of temporally stable Gazeau-Klauder coherent states.     

Fully frustrated Josephson junction ladders with Mobius boundary conditions as topologically protected qubits

We show how to realize a “protected” qubit by using a fully frustrated Josephson junction ladder (JJL) with Mobius boundary conditions. Such a system has been recently studied within a twisted conformal field theory (CFT) approach [G. Cristofano, G. Maiella, V. Marotta, Mod. Phys. Lett. A 15 (2000) 1679; G. Cristofano, G. Maiella, V. Marotta, G. Niccoli, Nucl. Phys. B 641 (2002) 547] and shown to develop the phenomenon of flux fractionalization [G. Cristofano, V. Marotta, A. Naddeo, G. Niccoli, Eur. Phys. J. B 49 (2006) 83]. The relevance of a “closed” geometry has been fully exploited in relating the topological properties of the ground state of the system to the presence of half flux quanta and the emergence of a topological order has been predicted [G. Cristofano, V. Marotta, A. Naddeo, J. Stat. Mech.: Theory Exp. (2005) P03006]. In this Letter the stability and transformation properties of the ground states under adiabatic magnetic flux change are analyzed and the deep consequences on the realization of a solid state qubit, protected from decoherence, are presented.     

Cardy–Verlinde formula in Taub–NUT/Bolt–(A)dS space

We consider a finite action for a higher dimensional Taub–NUT/Bolt–(A)dS space via the so-called counter term subtraction method. In the limit of high temperature, we show that the Cardy–Verlinde formula holds for the Taub–Bolt–AdS metric and for the specific dimensional Taub–NUT–(A)dS metric, except for the Taub–Bolt–dS metric.     

A heuristic approach to automated molecular line assignment

A first investigation on the feasibility of automated molecular line assignment is presented. Dense rovibrational molecular spectra are normally assigned by strongly interactive computer methods, ranging from commercial spreadsheets to dedicated programs, like Loomis-Wood or Ritz. While a general-purpose, fully automated assignment procedure seems to be out of reach for the near future, we show that a thorough investigation of the problem can lead to new, more efficient and less interactive methods, at least in reasonably favorable conditions. Interesting suggestions are provided by some modern “heuristic” problem-solving algorithms, which mimic natural processes. As a first step, we have developed a “transgenic-evolutionary” algorithm, which has successfully assigned artificial spectra of up to almost 3500 lines. We discuss also its performance on an experimental, but “filtered,” methanol spectrum. Possible future improvements and developments of this method, as well as its limits, are discussed.     

Emergent gravity in two dimensions

We explore models with emergent gravity and metric by means of numerical simulations. A particular type of two-dimensional non-linear sigma-model is regularized and discretized on a quadratic lattice. It is characterized by lattice diffeomorphism invariance which ensures in the continuum limit the symmetry of general coordinate transformations. We observe a collective order parameter with properties of a metric, showing Minkowski or Euclidean signature. The correlation functions of the metric reveal an interesting long-distance behavior with power-like decay. This universal critical behavior occurs without tuning of parameters and thus constitutes an example of “self-tuned criticality” for this type of sigma-models. We also find a non-vanishing expectation value of a “zweibein” related to the “internal” degrees of freedom of the scalar field, again with long-range correlations. The metric is well described as a composite of the zweibein. A scalar condensate breaks Euclidean rotation symmetry.     

Currents and the energy-momentum tensor in classical field theory: a fresh look at an old problem

We give a comprehensive review of various methods to define currents and the energy-momentum tensor in classical field theory, with emphasis on a geometric point of view. The necessity of “improving” the expressions provided by the canonical Noether procedure is addressed and given an adequate geometric framework. The main new ingredient is the explicit formulation of a principle of “ultralocality” with respect to the symmetry generators, which is shown to fix the ambiguity inherent in the procedure of improvement and guide it towards a unique answer: when combined with the appropriate splitting of the fields into sectors, it leads to the well-known expressions for the current as the variational derivative of the matter field Lagrangian with respect to the gauge field and for the energy-momentum tensor as the variational derivative of the matter field Lagrangian with respect to the metric tensor. In the second case, the procedure is shown to work even when the matter field Lagrangian depends explicitly on the curvature, thus establishing the correct relation between scale invariance, in the form of local Weyl invariance “on shell”, and tracelessness of the energy-momentum tensor, required for a consistent definition of the concept of a conformal field theory.     

Which Green functions does the path integral for quasi-Hermitian Hamiltonians represent?

We explain how Feynman diagrams and the functional integral for quasi-Hermitian theories “know” about the metric η. The answer turns out be that their derivation is based fundamentally on the Heisenberg equations of motion and the canonical equal-time commutation relations, which only take their standard form when matrix elements are evaluated using η.     

Effects of annealing temperature on the structural and photoluminescence properties of nanocrystalline ZrO2 thin films prepared by sol-gel route

Highly transparent nanocrystalline zirconia thin films were prepared by the sol-gel dip coating technique. XRD pattern of ZrO₂ thin film annealed at 400 °C shows the formation of tetragonal phase with a particle size of 13.6 nm. FT-IR spectra reveal the formation of Zr-O-Zr and the reduction of OH and other functional groups as the temperature increases. The transmittance spectra give an average transmittance greater than 80% in the film of thickness 262 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra give intense band at 391 nm and a broad band centered at 300 nm. The increase of PL intensity with elevation of annealing temperature is related to reduction of OH groups, increase in the crystallinity and reduction in the non-radiative related defects. The luminescence dependence on defects in the film makes it suitable for luminescent oxygen-sensor development. The “Red shift” of excitation peak is related to an increase in the oxygen content of films with annealing temperature. The “Blue shift” of PL spectra originates from the change of stress of the film due to lattice distortion. The defect states in the nanocrystalline zirconia thin films play an important role in the energy transfer process.     

Saturation field direction dependence of domain structures in NiFe elements

The domain structures in NiFe elements were studied by magnetic force microscopy measurement and micromagnetic modeling. The remanent states in the elements were dependent on the direction of the saturation field. The “S” and “U” states were observed at remanence by applying the saturation field at different directions. The “S” and “U” states are metastable: magnetic force microscopy tip field-induced switching from the “S” and “U” states to the flux closure configuration was observed.     

Statistical dynamics of religion evolutions

A religion affiliation can be considered as a “degree of freedom” of an agent on the human genre network. A brief review is given on the state of the art in data analysis and modelization of religious “questions” in order to suggest and if possible initiate further research, after using a “statistical physics filter”. We present a discussion of the evolution of 18 so-called religions, as measured through their number of adherents between 1900 and 2000. Some emphasis is made on a few cases presenting a minimum or a maximum in the investigated time range—thereby suggesting a competitive ingredient to be considered, besides the well accepted “at birth” attachment effect. The importance of the “external field” is still stressed through an Avrami late stage crystal growth-like parameter. The observed features and some intuitive interpretations point to opinion based models with vector, rather than scalar, like agents.     

High-temperature B2 ordering in Fe50Co50 alloy

High-temperature (above 1200 °C) B2 ordering was experimentally found in the Fe₅₀Co₅₀ alloy with the help of the electron diffraction. Using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method the “ordering-phase separation” transition was shown to lead to changes both in the 3d-electron spectra of the valence band (3d-valence electron localization on Fe atoms increases at phase separation and it decreases at ordering). The investigation of multiplet splitting of the 3s-electron spectra of core-level electrons reveals that magnetic moments on Fe and Co atoms in the Fe₅₀Co₅₀ alloy are larger, when there is the tendency toward ordering, and they are smaller in the case of the tendency toward phase separation. A number of examples are presented, which are indicative of the fact that chemical ordering can influence magnetic ordering by the formation of the respective microstructures and magnetic ordering has no influence on chemical ordering. It can be concluded that the phase transition “ordering-phase separation” takes place both at 730 °C and at the temperature somewhat higher that 1200 °C.     

Formation mechanism of “memory” phenomenon of microchannel plate image intensifier

A discrete resistance capacitance dynodes chain of channel multiplication model worked in a continuous variable dynode number described here is an attempt to explain the formation mechanism of “memory” phenomenon of microchannel plate image intensifier, wherein it was concluded conclusion that “memory” phenomenon of image intensifiers were the results of a silicon-rich layer, which existed between emission layer and conduction layer of channel inner wall of microchannel plate, having much higher resistance as compared with the conduction layer, and there are two distinct appearance ways of “negative memory” and “positive memory” only due to a difference in illumination and duration of the image intensifier suffered, and a strictly controlled MCP manufacture process would make considerable reduction of “memory” phenomenon occurrence ratio.     

Resolving the black-hole information paradox by treating time on an equal footing with space

Pure states in quantum field theory can be represented by many-fingered block-time wave functions, which treat time on an equal footing with space and make the notions of “time evolution” and “state at a given time” fundamentally irrelevant. Instead of information destruction resulting from an attempt to use a “state at a given time” to describe semi-classical black-hole evaporation, the full many-fingered block-time wave function of the universe conserves information by describing the correlations of outgoing Hawking particles in the future with ingoing Hawking particles in the past.     

Two mechanisms of spiral-pair-source creation in excitable media

Two new modes of generating spiral pairs in an excitable medium have been found. They depend on a geometrical structure (GS) inside the medium. This may be formed e.g. as a result of scars or fibrosis in the heart tissue, or artificially built in a chemical reaction substrate. Both sources involve a GS composed of a circular “convergent lens” bounded by two opaque “walls”. One mode can be induced by a single wave and behaves as a “flip-flop” type of a limit cycle. The other mode is generated by a train of plane waves impinging on the GS, and is created at the focus of the converging wave-fragments.     

Critical remarks on Finsler modifications of gravity and cosmology by Zhe Chang and Xin Li

I do not agree with the authors of papers arXiv:0806.2184 and arXiv:0901.1023v1 (published in [Zhe Chang, Xin Li, Phys. Lett. B 668 (2008) 453] and [Zhe Chang, Xin Li, Phys. Lett. B 676 (2009) 173], respectively). They consider that “In Finsler manifold, there exists a unique linear connection – the Chern connection … It is torsion freeness and metric compatibility …”. There are well-known results (for example, presented in monographs by H. Rund and R. Miron and M. Anastasiei) that in Finsler geometry there exist an infinite number of linear connections defined by the same metric structure and that the Chern and Berwald connections are not metric compatible. For instance, the Chern's one (being with zero torsion and “weak” compatibility on the base manifold of tangent bundle) is not generally compatible with the metric structure on total space. This results in a number of additional difficulties and sophistication in definition of Finsler spinors and Dirac operators and in additional problems with further generalizations for quantum gravity and noncommutative/string/brane/gauge theories. I conclude that standard physics theories can be generalized naturally by gravitational and matter field equations for the Cartan and/or any other Finsler metric compatible connections. This allows us to construct more realistic models of Finsler spacetimes, anisotropic field interactions and cosmology.     

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of band tails and anomalous kinetics of underdoped cuprates

The electron-phonon interaction in cuprates with c-axis polarised optical phonons, which is roughly one order of magnitude stronger than superexchange, bounds holes into mobile bipolarons. Bipolarons pin the chemical potential within the charge-transfer gap of doped Mott insulators, accounting for unusual kinetics and thermodynamics of doped cuprates such as the Nernst and giant proximity effects, pseudo-gaps, and normal-state diamagnetism. We propose that “quasi-particle” peaks, “Fermi-arcs”, and high-energy “waterfalls” in the photoemission spectra of cuprates originate from the photo-ionization matrix elements of disorder-localised band-tails in the charge-transfer gap.     

The nano-structural properties of hydrogenated a-Si and Si-C thin films alloys by GISAXS and vibrational spectroscopy

Amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) with high hydrogen content (10-40 at.%), and non-stehiometric silicon-carbon (Si_1−xC_x) thin films with a variation of the carbon to silicon ratio up to 0.3, were deposited by using a magnetron sputtering source. The Si_1−xC_x thin films were partially crystallised after deposition by thermal annealing up to 1050 °C.The GISAXS (Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering) spectra of all of the prepared specimens indicate the presence of “particles” in the “bulk” of the films. For the a-Si:H samples, “particles” are most probably voids agglomerates with a variation in size between 3 and 6 nm. The mean value of the size distribution of the “particles” increases while its width slightly decreases with the hydrogen content in the film. This indicates a better structural ordering which is consistent with the results of Raman spectroscopy that show a decrease of the ratio between intensities of transversal acoustic (TA) and transversal optic (TO) phonon peaks, I_TA/I_TO, and a narrowing of the TO peak with increasing hydrogen content. These results are discussed as a consequence of the beneficial influence of hydrogen bombardment during the film growth.For Si_1−xC_x thin films, the “particles” are assumed to be SiC nano-crystals with a size between 2 and 14 nm and they are larger in films with a higher carbon concentration. Inside each of the films, the crystals are larger closer to surface and they grow faster in the direction parallel to the surface than in that which is perpendicular to it.