ICPAQGP2001: Conference summary

I review recent progress in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions, and the connection of this field to modern QCD theory of deconfinement and/or chiral symmetry restoration. The talks at this Conference have shown a convergence of data and theory as far as the CERN SPS investigations at √s = 17 GeV are concerned; the parton-hadron phase boundary seems now located atT = 170 ± 10 MeV. New data from RHIC and direct photon production results from CERN have been shown that point out the field’s future direction: analysis of partonic matter atT > 200 MeV. Astrophysics analysis was shown to be linked crucially to further theoretical progress with non-perturbative QCD.     

Noether's theorem and the fieldB (3)

It is shown that the longitudinal, magnetic flux density,B ⁽³⁾ , of vacuum electromagnetic radiation can be accommodated rigorously within Noether's theorem, which relates fundamental spacetime symmetries to fundamental conservation laws. This demonstration linksB ⁽³⁾ to the canonical energy-momentum tensorT _µv that appears in Einstein's field equations of general relativity. Thus,B ⁽³⁾ provides a link between electromagnetism and gravitation which might eventually lead to an unified understanding of field theory.     

Design and Analysis of InGaN-GaN Modulation Doped Field-Effect Transistors (MODFETs) for Over 60 GHz Operation

A Modulation-Doped Field-Effect Transistor (MODFET) structure realized in InGaN-GaN material system is presented for the first time. An analytical model predicting the transport characteristics of the proposed MODFET structure is given in detail. Electron energy levels inside and outside the quantum well channel of the MODFET are evaluated. The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density in the channel is calculated by self-consistently solving Schrödinger and Poisson's equations simultaneously. Analytical results of the current-voltage and transconductance characteristics are presented. The unity-current gain cutoff frequency (f _T) of the proposed device is computed as a function of the gate voltage V _G . The results are compared well with experimental f _T value of a GaN/AlGaN HFET device. By scaling the gate length down to 0.25 m the proposed InGaN-GaN MODFET can be operated up to about 80GHz. It is shown in this paper that InGaN-GaN system has small degradation in f _T as the operating temperature is increased from 300°K to 400°K.     

Zero-field splitting of <Superscript>4</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> term for 3d<Superscript>3</Superscript> ions in tetragonal symmetry

By taking into account slight interactions, i.e. spin-spin, spin-other-orbit and orbit-orbit interactions, in addition to spin-orbit interaction, the zero-field splitting of ⁴ T ₂ state for 3d³ ions at tetragonal symmetry has been studied. The convergence of the approximation perturbation formula of ⁴ T ₂ state for 3d³ ions at tetragonal symmetry has been investigated, and the contributions to zero-field splitting arising from magnetic interaction and tetragonal crystal field are discussed. It is found that there exists combined mechanism between magnetic interactions and tetragonal crystal field.      

Effect of substrate interactions on the melting behavior of thin polyethylene films

Polymer films have been known to change their physical properties when film thickness is decreased below a certain value. The cause of this phenomenon is still unclear but it has been suggested that interactions and/or chain free-volume changes at the surface of the films are largely responsible for this behavior. In this paper, the effect of substrate interactions on the behavior of polymer thin films is evaluated quantitatively. The infrared spectra of nanothin polyethylene (PE) films were recorded as a function of temperature and amount of substrate covering the surface of the film. The evolution of specific bands in the CH₂ rocking region of the spectra was used to determine the melting temperature (T _m ) of the material. Results show different variations in T _m depending on the nature of the substrate, indicating that interactions dominate free-volume considerations in PE thin films. By varying the amount of surface coverage, a quantitative estimate of the heat of interaction was determined, which confirmed the importance of surface interactions.     

Role of growth temperature on nanostructure and field emission properties of PLD thin carbon films

Thin carbon films have been deposited in vacuum (∼10⁻⁴ Pa) on Si substrates by pulsed laser ablation of a graphite target using a Nd:YAG laser operating in the near infrared region (λ=1064 nm). The samples have been deposited at different substrate temperatures (T _sub) ranging from room temperature (RT) to 800°C. X-ray diffraction analysis established the progressive formation of nanosized graphene structures as T _sub increased. In fact, film structure evolves from almost amorphous to nanostructured phase characterized by graphene layers oriented perpendicularly to the film plane. The film density, evaluated by X-ray reflectivity measurements, is strongly affected by T _sub. At RT the film density is similar to the graphite one, while it decreases at higher T _sub. The electrical properties of the samples have been characterized by field emission measurements. The parameters describing the emitter properties (threshold field E _th and field enhancement factor β) have been evaluated using variable anode-to-cathode distance method. Samples deposited at low T _sub have shown the best emission properties, presenting lower E _th and larger β values than those deposited at higher T _sub. This is mainly attributed to the sensible density variation, which is in competition with the slighter augment of mean nanoparticle size.     

Reply to criticisms of theB (3) field

The confusion and self-contradiction among recent critics of theB ⁽³⁾ (Evans-Vigier) field are analysed. Barron [17] and Buckingham [18] assert that the field is zero by symmetry. Grimes [21] asserts that the field isnon-zero butfortuitous. Lakhtakia in one paper [19] asserts thatB ⁽³⁾ isnon-zero butnot fundamental, and in a second paper that it isunknowlable and therefore may as well be zero. A rebuttal is given of each the individual papers, and it is shown that the Evans-Vigier field is the fundamental magnetizing field of electromagnetic radiation.     

T-matrix analysis of biexcitonic correlations in the nonlinear optical response of semiconductor quantum wells

A detailed numerical analysis of exciton-exciton interactions in semiconductor quantum wells is presented. The theory is based on the dynamics-controlled truncation formalism and evaluated for the case of resonant excitation of 1s-heavy-hole excitons. It is formulated in terms of standard concepts of scattering theory, such as the forward-scattering amplitude (or T-matrix). The numerical diagonalization of the exciton-exciton interaction matrix in the 1s-approximation yields the excitonic T-matrix. We discuss the role of the direct and exchange interaction in the effective two-exciton Hamiltonian, which determines the T-matrix, evaluated within the 1s-subspace, and also analyze the effects of the excitonic wave function overlap matrix. Inclusion of the latter is shown to effectively prevent the 1s-approximation from making the Hamiltonian non-hermitian, but a critical discussion shows that other artefacts may be avoided by not including the overlap matrix. We also present a detailed analysis of the correspondence between the excitonic T-matrix in the 1s-approximation and the well-known T-matrix governing two-particle interactions in two dimensional systems via short-range potentials. Received 3 August 2001 and Received in final form 26 December 2001     

Derivation of the vacuum longitudinal fieldB (3) from the Dirac equation of the electron in the electromagnetic field

By solving the Diras equation for the motion of an electron (c) in the circularly polarized electromagnetic field it is shown that the intrinsic electron spin forms an interaction Hamiltonian with a time independent fieldB ⁽³⁾ of electromagnetic radiation in the vacuum. In the same way as intrinsic spin is a fundamental property of the electron,B ⁽³⁾ is therefore a fundamental and intrinsic property of the vacuum electromagnetic field.     

Influence of Thomson effect on the resultant local Seebeck coefficient in thermoelectric composite materials

The resultant local Seebeck coefficient α _R (=α _S−α _T) at the interface of a thermoelement has not yet been measured, although it is an important factor governing the thermoelectric efficiency, where α _S is the local Seebeck coefficient and α _T is the one caused by the Thomson effect. It is shown in this paper that α _S, α _T, and α _R of the p- and n-type Cu/Bi–Te/Cu composites are obtained analytically and experimentally on the assumption that the local temperature of the composite on which the temperature difference ΔT is imposed varies linearly with changes in position along the composite. They were indeed estimated as a function of position from the local experimental data of R,ΔI,ΔT, and V generated by applying an additional current of ±I to the composite, where R is the electrical resistance and ΔI is a current generated by the composite. As a result, it was found that the absolute values of α _S at the hot interface of the p- and n-type composites are approximately 1.5 and 1.4 times higher than their lowest values in the middle region of the composite, respectively, while those of α _T are less than 8% of α _S all over the composite and are so small that the relation α _R≈α _S can be held. We thus succeeded in measuring α _R at the interfaces of the composite.     

Magnetization of an electron plasma by microwave pulses: Faraday induction

It has been argued theoretically that the recently proposed vacuum fieldB ⁽³⁾ is not accompanied by a real electric fieldE ⁽³⁾ . Experimental evidence for this interence is available in the data reported by Deschampset al. [10], using microwave magnetization of an electron plasma set up in helium gas. Faraday induction due toB ⁽³⁾ does not occur in the inert gas and is not observed experimentally in the absence of free electrons. WheneverB ⁽³⁾ interacts with free electrons, however, Faraday induction occurs through a pulse of induced magnetization (i.e., induced orbital electronic angular momentum).     

How to make sense of the jet correlations results at RHIC?

We review the di-hadron correlation results from RHIC. A consistent physical picture was constructed based on the correlation landscape in p _T , Δφ, Δη and particle species. We show that the data are consistent with competition between fragmentation of survived jets and response of the medium to quenched jets. At intermediate p _T where the medium response are important, a large fraction of trigger hadrons do not come from jet fragmentation. We argue that these hadrons can strongly influence the interpretation of the low p _T correlation data. We demonstrate this point through a simple geometrical jet absorption model simulation. The model shows that the correlation between medium response hadrons dominates the pair yield and mimics the double hump structure of the away-side Δφ distribution at low p _T . This correlation was also shown to lead to complications in interpreting the results on reaction plane dependence and three particle correlations. Finally, we briefly discuss several related experimental issues which are important for proper interpretations of the experimental data.     

The connection between photon mass andB (3) : The poincaré group

The longitudinal vacuum fieldB ⁽³⁾ is an experimental observable which produces by magnetization a well-defined square-root beam power density dependence. Its longitudinal polarization implies that the helicities of the photon are +1, 0, and –1, and that the little group of the Poincaré group is the rotation group 0(3) of a massive boson. The mass of the photon (m) is therefore related directly toB ⁽³⁾ through the Proca equation, and it is concluded that experimental evidence forB ⁽³⁾ is also evidence for finitem.     

Recent results from parton-cascade/microscopic transport

The parton-cascade model is a microscopic transport approach in the study of the space-time evolution of the quark–gluon plasma produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and its experimental manifestations. In the following, parton-cascade calculations on elliptic flow and thermalization will be discussed. Dynamical evolution is shown to be important for the production of elliptic flow including the scaling and the breaking of the scaling of elliptic flow. The degree of thermalization is estimated using both an elastic parton-cascade and a radiative transport model. A longitudinal to transverse pressure ratio of P _L /P _T ≈0.8 is shown to be expected in the central cell in central collisions. This provides information on viscous corrections to the ideal hydrodynamical approach.     

Distributions of transverse relaxation times for soft-solids measured in strongly inhomogeneous magnetic fields

The single-sided NMR-MOUSE sensor that operates in highly inhomogeneous magnetic fields is used to record a CPMG ¹H transverse relaxation decay by CPMG echo trains for a series of cross-linked natural rubber samples. Effective transverse relaxation rates 1/T_2,short and 1/T_2,long were determined by a bi-exponential fit. A linear dependence of transverse relaxation rates on cross-link density is observed for medium to large values of cross-link density. As an alternative to multi-exponential fits the possibility to analyze the dynamics of soft polymer network in terms of multi-exponential decays via the inverse Laplace transformation was studied. The transient regime and the effect of the T₁/T₂ ratio in inhomogeneous static and radiofrequency magnetic fields on the CPMG decays were studied numerically using a dedicated C++ program to simulate the temporal and spatial dependence of the CPMG response. A correction factor T₂/T_2,eff is derived as a function of the T₁/T₂ ratio from numerical simulations and compared with earlier results from two different well logging devices. High-resolution T₁–T₂ correlations maps are obtained by two-dimensional Laplace inversion of CPMG detected saturation recovery curves. The T₁–T₂ experimental correlations maps were corrected for the T₁/T₂ effect using the derived T₂/T_2,eff correction factor.     

The Proof That the Standard Transformations of E and B Are Not the Lorentz Transformations

In this paper it is exactly proved that the standard transformations of the three-dimensional (3D) vectors of the electric and magnetic fields E and B are not relativistically correct transformations. Thence the 3D vectors E and B are not well-defined quantities in the 4D space-time and, contrary to the general belief, the usual Maxwell equations with the 3D E and B are not in agreement with the special relativity. The 4-vectors E ^a and B ^a , as well-defined 4D quantities, are introduced instead of ill-defined 3D E and B. The proof is given in the tensor and the Clifford algebra formalisms.     

TheB (3) field as a link between gravitation and electromagnetism in the vacuum

The emergence of theB ⁽³⁾ field in vacuo has shown that electromagnetism is non-Abelian and similar in structure to gravitation. In this paper the Christoffel symbol used in general relativity is developed for electromagnetism in curvilinear coordinates: The former becomes describable as the antisymmetric part of the gravitational Ricci tensor. Therefore gravitation and electromagnetism are respectively the symmetric and antisymmetric parts of thesame Ricci tensor within a proportionality factor. Both fields are obtained from the Riemann curvature tensor, both are expressions of curvature in spacetime.     

Chiral Invariant Phase Space model

The CHIPS (CHiral Invariant Phase Space) model is used for approximation of the Drell-Yan process in hadron-nucleon interactions. It is proved that the Drell-Yan cross-section at low p _T ² is a function of only x₁ and x₂ and does not evolve as a function of the squared mass of the lepton pair M². The CHIPS model predicts that the Drell-Yan structure functions evolve as a function of p _T ² . This p _T ² evolution can be measured in experiments at RHIC and LHC.     

Quark potential in a quark–meson plasma

We investigate the effect of the restoration of chiral symmetry on the quark potential in a quark–meson plasma by considering meson exchanges in the two flavor Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and density. There are two possible oscillations in the chiral restoration phase; one is the Friedel oscillation due to the sharp quark Fermi surface at high density, and the other is the Yukawa oscillation driven by the complex meson poles at high temperature. The quark–meson plasma is strongly coupled in the temperature region 1≤T/T _c≤3, with T _c being the critical temperature of the chiral phase transition. The maximum coupling in this region is located at the phase transition point.