Note on the interfacial tension of phase-separated polymer solutions

Earlier theoretical calculations of the interfacial tension of phase-separated polymer solutions as a function of the degree of polymerizationN and the temperatureT, based partly on the mean-field approximation, had led toN ^–1/4(1–T/T _c )^3/2 for fixedN1 andT approaching the critical solution temperatureT _c It is here remarked that the scaling procedure of de Gennes then modifies this toN ^–0.37(1–T/T _c )^1.26, which is in close accord with the experimentalN ^–0.44(1–T/T _c )^1.26. The simplest mean-field picture yieldsN ^–1/2(1–T/T _c )^3/2.     

Anisotropy of the low temperature resistivity of hexagonal single crystalline spin glass systems

The impurity contribution to the resistivity in zero field (T) of dilute hexagonal single crystals of ZnMn, CdMn and MgMn has been studied in the mK range on samples cut parallel () and perpendicular () to thec-axis, using a SQUID technique for the measurements. Typical spin glass behavior is found in (T) as well as (T) for all alloys, with Kondo like logarithmic increases at higher temperatures and maxima atT _m at lower temperatures, indicating the influence of impurity interactions. The differences in the corresponding isotropic resistivity _poly(T) between the three systems can qualitatively be understood within the framework of a theoretical model by Larsen, describing (T) as a function of universal quantitiesT/T _K and _RKKY/T _K , where _RKKY is the RKKY-interaction strength andT _K the Kondo temperature. With respect to the two lattice directions studied, the behavior of (T and (T is anisotropic in the Kondo regime as well as in the range where ordering becomes important. While the anisotropy in the Kondo slope can be understood by an anisotropic unitarity limit, the understanding of the anisotropy in region where impurity interactions are important remains problematic.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. S. Methfessel on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Structural relaxation effects on the low-temperature properties of vitreous silica

Measurements of the low-temperature specific heatC and thermal conductivity of vitreous silica after heat treatment at temperaturesT _a between 900°C and 1,400°C are reported. A decrease ofC and an increase of are observed over the whole temperature range studied (C0.06K<T<6K; 0.5 K<T<20 K). Below 1 K the changes inC and (10%) are attributed to a dependence of the density of tunneling states on the fictive temperature. Measurements of the thermal conductivity show that these changes are reversible, thus strongly supporting the evidence for a connection between the tunneling states and the quasi-equilibrium state which is frozen in when an undercooled liquid drops out of thermal equilibrium. Our results are compared to predictions of the free-volume theory of the glass transition. At higher temperaturesC decreases by roughly the same amount as below 1 K while increases by up to 30%. The dependence ofC and onT _a cannot be explained unambigously in terms of a phonon-fraction crossover in the vibrational density of states. Instead, a recently proposed model of coupled SiO₄ rotations is favored.Dedicated to B. Mühlschlegel on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Transport of meso-scale structures in tokamak edge plasmas

We review possible mechanisms of blobby transport in fusion-related plasmas. The models dealing with the effective plasma gravity and caused by both T _e and parallel shear of E × B drift instabilities are considered.Presented at the Workshop Electric Fields Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas, Nice, France, October 26–27, 2004.     

On a class of equilibrium states under the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger boundary condition

Using the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger boundary condition for equilibrium states of quantum statistical mechanics of fermion gas, we prove that forT;0 a one-particle evolution (corresponding essentially to bilinear hamiltonians) generally defines a unique equilibrium state, which is quasi-free. Conversely any quasi-free state is the equilibrium state for a single one-particle evolution if it has no Fock part in its product decomposition. Limiting cases whereT 0 andT are studied. In the case whereT 0 one shows that the state generally converges to a Fock state linked to the evolution.Attaché de Recherche au C.N.R.S.This work is a part of a Thèse de Doctorat d'Etat presented to the Faculté des Sciences de Marseille, April 23, 1969, under the number A.O. 3073.     

Rational Conformal Field Theories and Complex Multiplication

We study the geometric interpretation of two dimensional rational conformal field theories, corresponding to sigma models on Calabi-Yau manifolds. We perform a detailed study of RCFTs corresponding to the T² target and identify the Cardy branes with geometric branes. The T²s leading to RCFTs admit complex multiplication which characterizes Cardy branes as specific D0-branes. We propose a condition for the conformal sigma model to be RCFT for arbitrary Calabi-Yau n-folds, which agrees with the known cases. Together with recent conjectures by mathematicians it appears that rational conformal theories are not dense in the space of all conformal theories, and sometimes appear to be finite in number for Calabi-Yau n-folds for n>2. RCFTs on K3 may be dense. We speculate about the meaning of these special points in the moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau n-folds in connection with freezing geometric moduli.     

Error performance analysis for an optical heterodyne FSK communication system with a limiter-discriminator-integrator detector

The error probability for a coherent optical heterodyne FSK system with a limiter-discriminator-integrator (LDI) detector is analysed. The analysis includes laser quantum phase noise, the correlated receiver additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), Gaussian narrow-band IF filtering and intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by it. It is shown that, for 1 dBEb/N ₀penalty at bit error rate (BER) 10^–9, (i) the normalized IF beat spectral linewidth T0.35% for frequency deviation ratioh=0.5(MSK), and T0.5% forh=0.7 (the receiver is insensitive to laser quantum phase noise ath=1.0, if ISI is not included.); (ii) if ISI is incorporated, T0.15% forh=0.5, T0.5% forh=0.7, both with 3dB bandwidth-bit period product (3.0>BT1.5), and T0.5% forh=1.0 with BT1.0 ifT0.35% when ISI exists,h=0.7 is optimum;h=1.0 otherwise.     

The nonlinear Cahn-Hilliard equation: Transition from spinodal decomposition to nucleation behavior

The behavior of the nonlinear Cahn-Hilliard equation for asymmetric systems,c _t =²(±c+Bc ²+c ³-² c) within the unstable subspinodal region is explored. Energy considerations and amplitude equation methods are employed. Evidence is given for a transition from periodically structuredspinodal behavior to nucleation behavior somewhere within the traditional spinodal. A mechanism for describing a time-dependent lengthening of the dominant wavelength is explored.     

Solutions of the braid equation related to a Hopf algebra

Two solutionsT andT of the braid equation acting onA A (whereA is a Hopf algebra) are described. IfA is a cocommutative, thenT=. IfA is commutative, thenT= ( denotes the flip: (a b) =b a for anya,b A).Supported by a grant of the Ministry of Education of Poland.     

Modified London model for the determination of λ and ζ in a high κ superconductor

We present a modified London model suggested by Brandt [1–3] which introduces a finite vortex core size appropriate for isotropic superconductors in which the average internal field is less than approximately (1/4)H _c2. TheSR lineshape resulting from this model possesses a distinctive shape due to the magnetic penetration depth and the vortex core diameter (approximately equal to twice the coherence length ). However, for a given lineshape, there is a large range of values of and which produce nearly the same lineshape. Lineshape smearing caused by disorder in the vortex lattice increases uncertainty in values for and . If well-determined values of either (T) or (T) are not available from another technique, both of them can be determined bySR measurements alone if runs in more than one applied field at the same temperature are fit with and as shared parameters. We also present our method of estimating the degree of disorder in the vortex lattice.     

Experimental Test of a Time-Temperature Formulation of the Uncertainty Principle Via Nanoparticle Fluorescence

No Heading The uncertainty in the measured fluorescence decay lifetimes of 30 nm particles of YAG:Cc was used to evaluate the predictions of a novel form of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle suggested by de Sabbata and Sivaram, T t h/k. The worst-case uncertainty in temperature of 4.5 °K (as derived from the relationship between temperature and lifetime) and the measured uncertainty in decay lifetime, 0.45 ns, yielded an internal estimate of T t = 2.0 × 10^–9 °K s, which is 263 times larger than /k = 7.6 × 10^–12 °K s. An external estimate of T t = 4.5 × 10¹¹ °K s (which is = 6 times /k) is derived from the independently measured uncertainty in the temperature of the sample and the experimentally determined uncertainty in lifetime. These results could be low by a factor of 5.6 if signal averaging must be taken into account. If valid, the findings are consistent with the predictions of this version of the uncertainty principle and they imply the existence of a type of thermal quantum limit.     

Anisotropic low-temperature heat transport in YBa2Cu3O6.9 single crystal

We report measurements of the low-temperature thermal conductivity of YBa₂Cu₃O_7– (0.1) single crystals (T _c =84 K) both parallel ( ^{a, b} ) and perpendicular ( ^c ) to the CuO₂ planes. Whereas ^c (T) is found to be identical, within experimental resolution, with the phonon contribution _ph (T), ^{a, b} (T) contains an additional term linear in temperature,AT. We ascribeAT to the contribution of unpaired electronic carriers residing in the chain layers. Measurements performed in external magnetic fieldsB8 T support this interpretation. Our observations can be explained by an internal multilayer (IML) model in which it is assumed that strong superconductivity is generated within the CuO₂ layers and weak superconductivity is induced in the chain layers by the proximity effect. The fit of the experimental results to the IML model reveals that approximately 15% of the electronic carriers remain unpaired in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ belowT=1 K.     

Further extension of the Gauss-Hertz principle

The continuum form of the Gauss-Hertz principle is extended to include the time domain as well as space. The Schrödinger equation and general relativity are derived by this method. The equivalence of the principle is shown to that of the Hamiltonian method where the energy is the expression –[ ² +A·² A], with being the difference between the acceleration potential and potential energy density, andA being the difference between the vector potentials of the acceleration field and the force field. The goal of Hertz to demonstrate a third arrangement of the principles of mechanics...which starts with... time, space and mass has apparently been achieved for relativity and for quantum mechanics, in addition to those classical equations previously found.     

Acoustic properties of amorphous SiO2 and PdSiCu,and of crystalline Ag,NbTi and Ta at very low temperatures

With the vibrating reed and vibrating wire techniques we have investigated the acoustic properties of vitreous silica (SiO₂, Suprasil I) and of amorphous PdSiCu as well as of polycrystalline Ag, NbTi and Ta at frequencies of 100 Hz/2<6 kHz and at temperatures of 0.1 mKT1 K. The relative change of sound velocity v/v of SiO₂ shows saturation effects, strain amplitude dependence, as well as an unexpected temperature dependence below its maximum atT<50 mK. For PdSiCu we observe that below a certain temperature, which depends on the applied strain, the temperature dependence of the sound velocityv deviates from the logarithmic behavior observed at higher temperatures and reaches an almost constant value atT<1 mK. In the same temperature rangeQ ^–1 does not remain constant but steadily decreases. The acoustic properties of the two amorphous materials at finite strain show substantial deviations from the standard tunneling model. Some of the observed anomalies can be explained taking into account the change of population of the tunneling systems energy states and a nonlinear relaxation absorption. For polycrystalline Ag we find v/v lnT andQ ^–1T ^1/3 over three decades inT atT<100 mK; it shows low-temperature acoustic properties which are strikingly similar to those of amorphous materials. The temperature and strain dependencies of the acoustic properties of polycrystalline superconducting NbTi and Ta resemble those obtained for SiO₂. These results indicate that there are basically no differences in the low-temperature acoustic properties of polycrystals and amorphous materials.     

Temperature dependence of viscosity near the glass transition

Real glass transitions, where activated processes are included, are analysed near Whitney fold and cusp singularities. In particular the temperature dependence of the viscosity is studied. For sufficiently strongly coupled systems there is close to a fold singularity located atT=T _c , a crossover from an algebraic divergence (T–T _c )^– forT>T _c , to an Arrhenius dependence exp(E/k _B T) forT<T _c . If a parameter vector specifying the system also passes close to a cusp singularity, atT ₀<T _c , there may be a temperature region where the viscosity also shows Fogel-Fulcher like dependence. The results for the viscosity are intimately connected with the dynamics for the so-called -relaxation process, where relaxation occurs via a fractal time process in the delevant time region.     

Upper bounds onT c for one-dimensional Ising systems

We present upper bounds on the critical temperature of one-dimensional Ising models with long-range,l/n interactions, where 1<2. In particular for the often studied case of =2 we have an upper bound onT _c which is less than theT _c found by a number of approximation techniques. Also for the case where is small, such as =1.1, we obtain rigorous bounds which are extremely close, within 1.0%, to those found by approximation methods.     

Mössbauer study of mixed valent silicides Eu(Ir1−x Pd x )2Si2

The solid solutions Eu(Ir_1–x Pd _x )₂Si₂, which exist for 0x0.125 and 0.75x1. cristallize with the tetragonal ThCr₂Si₂-type structure. The variation of the europium valence with composition has been thoroughly studied at temperatures 4.2T293 K by¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer resonance. For 0x0.125 the europium valence at room temperature decreases asx increases. For 0.75x1 the valence transition temperature Eu³⁺Eu²⁺ increases asx increases.     

Soft mode dynamics and spatio-temporal symmetry breaking in a thermo-convective system

Using neutron scattering we have studied the behaviour of an oscillatory soft mode in a thermoconvective liquid crystal. As a function of an applied vertical temperature difference T the behaviour of the soft-mode frequency defines four regimes, separated by cross-over values at which spatio-temporal symmetry is broken. Breaking of time symmetry manifests itself in different phase relations among localized oscillators. Incomplete softening at the convection threshold T _c is interpreted as anharmonic coupling to low-energy, internal director fluctuations in the nematic. Subtracting the anharmonic contribution, the renormalized frequency squared gives a susceptibility critical index for each of the four regimes. The values range between 1.1 and 2.7, indicative of a change of the spatial dimensionality as TT _c. The widths in T of the regimes converge as the Feigenbaum ratio (4.6), and the meaning of this is discussed.Dedicated to Professor Harry Thomas on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Wetting transition on grain boundaries in Al contacting with a Sn-rich melt

The contact angle at the intersection of a grain boundary in Al bicrystals with the solid Al/liquid Al–Sn interphase boundary has been measured for two symmetric tilt <011> {001} grain boundaries with tilt angles of 32° and 38.5°. The temperature dependencies (T) present the evidence of the grain boundary wetting phase transition at T_w. The observed hysteresis is consistent with the assumption that the wetting transition is of first order. The determined discontinuity in the temperature derivative of the grain boundary energy is–5.6 J/m²K (T w1=617°C) for the boundary with a low energy (=38.5°) and –17 J/m²K (T w2=604°C) for the grain boundary with a high energy (=32°).     

Thermal expansion,sound velocities,specific heat and pressure derivative ofT c in YBa2Cu3O7

We report measurements, between helium and room temperature, of the thermal expansion (T), sound velocitiesv _L (T) andv _T (v) and specific heatC(T) of YBa₂Cu₃O₇ samples, all cut from the same sintered pellet. A linear term in (T) is resolved at low temperatures. It is compared with a corresponding term in the low temperature specific heat and, using the bulk modulus from our sound propagation measurements, a Grüneisen parameter of usual size (1.2±0.4) is derived-in conformity with the possible existence of non-superconducting carriers well belowT _c . Longtime drift effects in the length of the sample between 30 K and 60 K point to the vicinity of a structural instability. The Debye temperature derived fromC(T) amounts to about 450 K atT=T _c =91 K and forT0 approaches 350 K, in agreement with the value deduced fromv _L (T) andv _T (T). The superconducting transition is indicated by anomalies with idealized discontinuities and C. A thermodynamic relation between and C yields the relative pressure derivative ofT _c ,t _p =T _c ^–1 (T _c /p) _p0=+(0.7±0.2)·10^–7 kbar^–1.