Coarsening process in one-dimensional surface growth models

Surface growth models may give rise to instabilities with mound formation whose typical linear size L increases with time (coarsening process). In one dimensional systems coarsening is generally driven by an attractive interaction between domain walls or kinks. This picture applies to growth models for which the largest surface slope remains constant in time (corresponding to model B of dynamics): coarsening is known to be logarithmic in the absence of noise ( L(t) ∼ ln t) and to follow a power law ( L(t) ∼t ^1/3) when noise is present. If the surface slope increases indefinitely, the deterministic equation looks like a modified Cahn-Hilliard equation: here we study the late stages of coarsening through a linear stability analysis of the stationary periodic configurations and through a direct numerical integration. Analytical and numerical results agree with regard to the conclusion that steepening of mounds makes deterministic coarsening faster : if α is the exponent describing the steepening of the maximal slope M of mounds ( M ^α∼L) we find that L(t) ∼t ⁿ: n is equal to for 1≤α≤2 and it decreases from to for α≥2, according to n = α/(5α - 2). On the other side, the numerical solution of the corresponding stochastic equation clearly shows that in the presence of shot noise steepening of mounds makes coarsening slower than in model B: L(t) ∼t ^1/4, irrespectively of α. Finally, the presence of a symmetry breaking term is shown not to modify the coarsening law of model α = 1, both in the absence and in the presence of noise. Received 28 September 2001 and Received in final form 21 November 2001     

A fractional-spin phase in the power-law Kondo model

We consider a Kondo impurity coupled to a fermionic host with a power-law density of states near the Fermi level, ρ(ε) ∼ |ε|^r, with exponent r < 0. Using both perturbative renormalization group (poor man's scaling) and numerical renormalization group methods, we analyze the phase diagram of this model for ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic Kondo coupling. Both sectors display non-trivial behavior with several stable phases separated by continuous transitions. In particular, on the ferromagnetic side there is a stable intermediate-coupling fixed point with universal properties corresponding to a fractional ground-state spin. Received 18 February 2002 Published online 31 July 2002     

An universal relation between fractal and Euclidean (topological) dimensions of random systems

It is shown that a dimension-invariant form for fractal dimension D of random systems (where d is Euclidean dimension of the embedding space) is in good agreement with results of numerical simulations performed by different authors for critical (p=p _c ) and subcritical (p<p _c ) percolation, for lattice animals, and for different aggregation processes. Received: 9 July 1998 / Revised and Accepted: 12 July 1998     

Finite-size scaling in systems with long-range interaction

The finite-size critical properties of the (n) vector ϕ⁴ model, with long-range interaction decaying algebraically with the interparticle distance r like r ^{-d - σ}, are investigated. The system is confined to a finite geometry subject to periodic boundary condition. Special attention is paid to the finite-size correction to the bulk susceptibility above the critical temperature T _c. We show that this correction has a power-law nature in the case of pure long-range interaction i.e. 0 < σ < 2 and it turns out to be exponential in case of short-range interaction i.e.σ = 2. The results are valid for arbitrary dimension d, between the lower ( d _< = σ) and the upper ( d _> = 2σ) critical dimensions. Received 2 July 2001 and Received in final form 4 Septembre 2001     

Superdiffusivity of Occupation-Time Variance in 2-dimensional Asymmetric Exclusion Processes with Density ρ = 1/2

We compute that the growth of the occupation-time variance at the origin up to time t in dimension d = 2 with respect to asymmetric simple exclusion in equilibrium with density ρ = 1/2 is in a certain sense at least tlog (log t) for general rates, and at least t(log t)^1/2 for rates which are asymmetric only in the direction of one of the axes. These estimates give a complement to bounds in the literature when d = 1, and are consistent with an important conjecture with respect to the transition function and variance of “second-class” particles.Research supported in part by NSA H982300510041 and NSF-DMS 0504193     

New approach to the theory of spinodal decomposition

A new approach to the study of spinodal decomposition for a scalar field is proposed. The approach is based on treating this process as a relaxation of the one-time correlation function G(q,t)=∫d r<Φ (0, t)Φ (r,t)>exp(i q·r), which plays the role of an independent dynamical object (a unique two-point order parameter). The dynamical equation for G(q,t) (the Langevin equation in correlation-function space) is solved exactly in the one-loop approximation, which is the zeroth approximation in the approach proposed. This makes it possible to trace the asymptotic behavior of G(q,t) at long and intermediate times t (from the moment of onset of the spinodal decomposition). The values obtained for the power-law growth exponents for the height and position of the peak in G(q,t) at the intermediate stage is in satisfactory agreement with the data obtained by a number of authors through numerical simulation of the corresponding stochastic equations describing the relaxation of the local order parameter. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 6, 432–437 (25 September 1997)     

Self-consistent treatment of the quark condensate and hadrons in nuclear matter

We calculate the contribution of pions to the $\bar qq$-expectation value κ(ρ) =<M|ˉq q|M> in symmetric nuclear matter. We employ exact pion propagator renormalized by nucleon-hole and isobar-hole excitations. Conventional straightforward calculation leads to the “pion condensation” at unrealistically small values of densities, causing even earlier restoration of chiral symmetry. This requires a self-consistent approach, consisting in using the models, which include direct dependence of in-medium mass values on κ(ρ), e.g. the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio–model. We show, that in the self-consistent approach the ρ-dependence of the condensate is described by a smooth curve. The “pion condensate” point is removed to much higher values of density. The chiral restoration does not take place at least while ρ < 2.8ρ₀ with ρ₀ being the saturation value. Validity of our approach is limited by possible accumulation of heavier baryons (delta isobars) in the ground state of nuclear matter. For the value of effective nucleon mass at the saturation density we found m ^*(ρ₀) = 0.6m, consistent with nowadays results of other authors. Received: 8 October 1998     

Frustration of antiferromagnetism in the t-t′-Hubbard model at weak coupling

The perfect-nesting instability towards antiferromagnetism of the Hubbard model is suppressed by next-nearest neighbor hopping t′. The asymptotic behavior of the critical coupling U_c(t′) at small t′ is calculated in dimensions d = 2,3, ∞ using Hartree theory; this yields the exact result at least in d > 2. The order of the transition is also determined. A region of stability of a metallic antiferromagnetic phase in d = 3 is identified.     

Reacting polymers with highly correlated initial conditions

We propose and theoretically study an experiment designed to measure short-time polymer reaction kinetics in melts or dilute solutions. The photolysis of groups centrally located along chain backbones, one group per chain, creates pairs of spatially highly correlated macroradicals. We calculate time-dependent rate coefficients κ(t) governing their first-order recombination kinetics, which are novel on account of the far-from-equilibrium initial conditions. In dilute solutions (good solvents) reaction kinetics are intrinsically weak, despite the highly reactive radical groups involved. This leads to a generalised mean-field kinetics in which the rate of radical density decay - ∼S(t), where S(t) ∼t ^{- (1 + g/3)} is the equilibrium return probability for 2 reactive groups, given initial contact. Here g≈ 0.27 is the correlation hole exponent for self-avoiding chain ends. For times beyond the longest coil relaxation time τ, - ∼S(t) remains true, but center of gravity coil diffusion takes over with rms displacement of reactive groups x(t) ∼t ^1/2 and S(t) ∼ 1/x ³(t). At the shortest times ( t 10^-6s), recombination is inhibited due to spin selection rules and we find ∼tS(t). In melts, kinetics are intrinsically diffusion-controlled, leading to entirely different rate laws. During the regime limited by spin selection rules, the density of radicals decays linearly, n(0) - n(t) ∼t. At longer times the standard result - ∼d ³(t)/d (for randomly distributed ends) is replaced by ∼d2x ³(t)/d ² for these correlated initial conditions. The long-time behavior, t > τ, has the same scaling form in time as for dilute solutions. Received 18 May 2000     

Asymptotic behavior of the density for two-particle annihilating exclusion

We consider a stochastic process which presents an evolution of particles of two types,A andB, onZ ^d with annihilations between particles of opposite types. Initially, at each site ofZ ^d, independently of the other sites, we put a particle with probability 2<1 and assign to it one of two types with equal chances. Each particle evolves onZ ^d in the following manner: independently from the others, it waits an exponential time with mean 1, chooses one of its neighboring sites on the latticeZ ^d with equal probabilities, and jumps to the site chosen. If the site to which a particle attempts to move is occupied by another particle of the same type, the jump is suppressed; if it is occupied by a particle of the opposite type, then both are annihilated and disappear from the system. The considered process may serve as a model for the chemical reactionA+Binert. Let (t) denote the density of particles in this process at timet. We prove that there exist absolute finite constantsc(d) andC(d) such that for all sufficiently larget,c(d)t ^–d/4 (t)C(d)t ^–d/4 in the dimensionsd4 andc(d)t ^–1 (t)C(d)t ^–1 in all higher dimensions. This completes and makes more precise the results obtained by us earlier and shows that asymptotically the density behaves like that in a similar process called two-particle annihilating random walks which was studied by Bramson and Lebowitz. Our proofs are based on the approach developed in their and our works. We use the basic properties of random walk and various tools which have been designed to study simple symmetric exclusion processes.     

Spin density matrix elements in exclusive ρ0 electroproduction on?1H and 2H targets at 27.5?GeV beam?energy

Spin Density Matrix Elements (SDMEs) describing the angular distribution of exclusive ρ ⁰ electroproduction and decay are determined in the HERMES experiment with 27.6 GeV beam energy and unpolarized hydrogen and deuterium targets. Eight (fifteen) SDMEs that are related (unrelated) to the longitudinal polarization of the beam are extracted in the kinematic region 1<Q ²<7 GeV², 3.0<W<6.3 GeV, and −t<0.4 GeV². Within the given experimental uncertainties, a hierarchy of relative sizes of helicity amplitudes is observed. Kinematic dependences of all SDMEs on Q ² and t are presented, as well as the longitudinal-to-transverse ρ ⁰ electroproduction cross-section ratio as a function of Q ². A small but statistically significant deviation from the hypothesis of s-channel helicity conservation is observed. An indication is seen of a contribution of unnatural-parity-exchange amplitudes; these amplitudes are naturally generated with a quark-exchange mechanism.     

Stretched Exponential Fixation in Stochastic Ising Models at Zero Temperature

We study a class of continuous time Markov processes, which describes ± 1 spin flip dynamics on the hypercubic latticeℤ ^d , d≥ 2, with initial spin configurations chosen according to the Bernoulli product measure with density p of spins + 1. During the evolution the spin at each site flips at rate c= 0, or 0 < α≤ 1, or 1, depending on whether, respectively, a majority of spins of nearest neighbors to this site exists and agrees with the value of the spin at the given site, or does not exist (there is a tie), or exists and disagrees with the value of the spin at the given site. These dynamics correspond to various stochastic Ising models at 0 temperature, for the Hamiltonian with uniform ferromagnetic interaction between nearest neighbors. In case α= 1, the dynamics is also a threshold voter model. We show that if p is sufficiently close to 1, then the system fixates in the sense that for almost every realization of the initial configuration and dynamical evolution, each site flips only finitely many times, reaching eventually the state + 1. Moreover, we show that in this case the probability q(t) that a given spin is in state − 1 at time t satisfies the bound: for arbitrary ɛ > 0, q(t) ≤ exp(−t ^{(1/ d ) −ɛ}), for large t. In d= 2 we obtain the complementary bound: for arbitrary ɛ > 0, q(t) ≥ exp(−t ^{(1/2) +ɛ}), for large t. Received: 12 July 2001 / Accepted: 1 February 2002     

Study ofA+A→0 with probability of reaction and diffusion in one dimension and in fractal substrata

We present Monte Carlo simulations of annihilation reactionA+A0 in one dimensional lattice and in three different fractal substrata. In the model, the particles diffuse independently and when two of them attempt to occupy the same substratum site, they react with a probabilityp. For different kinds of initial distributions and in the short an intermediate time regimes, the results for 0<p1 show that the density ofA particles approximately behaves as (t)=(t=0)f(t/t ₀), with the scaling functionf(x)1 forx1,f(x)x ^–y forx1. The crossover timet ₀, behaves ast _{0 0eff} ^–1y where theeffective initial density _0eff depends on (t=0) and on the kind of initial distribution. For a given substratum of spreading dimensiond _s, the exponenty(d _s/2<y<1) depends only onp and its value increases asp decreases (y1 whenp0). In the very long time regime it is expected thatp(t)t ^–ds/2 independently ofp.     

Computational analysis of factors influencing thermal conductivity of nanofluids

Numerical investigations are conducted to study the effect of factors such as particle clustering and interfacial layer thickness on thermal conductivity of nanofluids. Based on this, parameters including Kapitza radius and fractal and chemical dimension which have received little attention by previous research are rigorously investigated. The degree of thermal enhancement is analyzed for increasing aggregate size, particle concentration, interfacial thermal resistance, and fractal and chemical dimensions. This analysis is conducted for water-based nanofluids of Alumina (Al₂O₃), CuO, and Titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles where the particle concentrations are varied up to 4 vol%. Results from the numerical work are validated using available experimental data. For the case of aggregate size, particle concentration, and interfacial thermal resistance, the aspect ratio (ratio of radius of gyration of aggregate to radius of primary particle, R _g/a) is varied from 2 to 60. It was found that the enhancement decreases with interfacial layer thickness. Also the rate of decrease is more significant after a given aggregate size. For a given interfacial resistance, the enhancement is mostly sensitive to R _g/a < 20 indicated by the steep gradients of data plots. Predicted and experimental data for thermal conductivity enhancement are in good agreement. On the influence of fractal and chemical dimensions (d _l and d _f) of Alumina–water nanofluid, the R _g/a was varied from 2 to 8, d _l from 1.2 to 1.8, and d _f from 1.75 to 2.5. For a given concentration, the enhancement increased with the reduction of d _l or d _f. It appears a distinctive sensitivity of the enhancement to d _f, in particular, in the range 2–2.25, for all values of R _g/a. However, the sensitivity of d _l was largely depended on the value of R _g/a. The information gathered from this study on the sensitivity of thermal conductivity enhancement to aggregate size, particle concentration, interfacial resistance, and fractal and chemical dimensions will be useful in manufacturing highly thermally conductive nanofluids. Further research on the refine cluster evolution dynamics as a function of particle-scale properties is underway.     

Variations in the electrical resistivity of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films and induced interconversions of ferromagnetic and nonferromagnetic inclusions in their bulk

A significant (∼1.8%) positive unit between the parameters of the crystal lattice is the reason of tetragonal distortion (a _⊥/a _‖ ≈ 1.04) and reduction in the volume of the unit cell of La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films (15 nm) quasicoherently grown on the (001) surface of a LaAlO₃ substrate. The films consist of single-crystal blocks with the lateral size of 30–50 nm. The atomically smooth LaAlO₃-La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ interphase boundary has no misfit dislocations. At T = 4.2 K, the transformation of nonferromagnetic phase inclusions into ferromagnetic ones in a constant magnetic field H is accompanied by a stable reduction in the electrical resistivity ρ of manganite films with time, so that the curve ρ(t) is well approximated by the relationship ρ(t) ∼ ρ₁(t − t ₀)^1/2, (where t ₀ is the time for establishment of the specified value (μ₀ H = 5 T) of the magnetic field and ρ₁ is a coefficient independent of H). The magnetocrystalline anisotropy due to the elastic deformation of films by the substrate and stratification of electronic phases are the reasons of the distinct hysteresis in the dependences ρ(μ₀ H, T < 100 K) obtained on μ₀ H scanning in the sequence 5 T → 0 → −5 T → 0 → 5 T. At T = 50 K and μ₀ H = 0.4 T, the magnetoresistance MR = 100% [ρ(μ₀ H) − ρ(μ₀ H = 0)]/ρ(μ₀ H = 0) of LCMO films attains 150%.     

Annihilation of nematic point defects: Pre-collision and post-collision evolution

The annihilation of the nematic hedgehog and anti-hedgehog within an infinite cylinder of radius R is studied. The semi-microscopic lattice-type model and Brownian molecular dynamics are used. We distinguish among the i) early pre-collision, ii) late pre-collision, iii) early post-collision, and iv) late post-collision stages. In the pre-collision stage our results agree qualitatively with the existing experimental observations and also continuum-type simulations. The core of each defect exhibits a ring-like structure, where the ring axis is set perpendicular to the cylinder symmetry axis. For ξ⁽⁰⁾_d/(2R) > 1 the interaction between defects is negligible, where ξ⁽⁰⁾_d describes the initial separation of defects. Consequently, the defects annihilate within the simulation time window for ξ⁽⁰⁾_d/(2R) < 1. For close enough defects their separation scales as ξ_d (t_c - t)^0.4±0.1, where t_c stands for the collision time. In elastically anisotropic medium the hedgehog is faster than the anti-hedgehog. In the early pre-collision stage the defects can be treated as point-like particles, possessing inherent core structure, that interact via the nematic director field. In the late pre-collision stage the cores reflect the interaction between defects. After the collision a charge-less ring structure is first formed. In the early post-collision stage the ring adopts an essentially untwisted circular structure of the radius ξ_r. In the late post-collision stage we observe two qualitatively different scenarios. For μ = ξ_r/R < μ_c ∼ 0.25 the ring collapses leading to the escaped radial equilibrium structure. For μ > μ_c the chargeless ring triggers the nucleation growth into the planar polar structure with line defects.     

Random quantum magnets with broad disorder distribution

We study the critical behavior of Ising quantum magnets with broadly distributed random couplings (J), such that P(ln J) ∼ | ln J|^{-1 - α}, α > 1, for large | ln J| (Lévy flight statistics). For sufficiently broad distributions, α < , the critical behavior is controlled by a line of fixed points, where the critical exponents vary with the Lévy index, α. In one dimension, with = 2, we obtained several exact results through a mapping to surviving Riemann walks. In two dimensions the varying critical exponents have been calculated by a numerical implementation of the Ma-Dasgupta-Hu renormalization group method leading to ≈ 4.5. Thus in the region 2 < α < , where the central limit theorem holds for | ln J| the broadness of the distribution is relevant for the 2d quantum Ising model. Received 6 December 2000 and Received in final form 22 January 2001     

Asymptotic analysis of wall modes in a flexible tube revisited

The stability of wall modes in fluid flow through a flexible tube of radius R surrounded by a viscoelastic material in the region R < r < HR is analysed using a combination of asymptotic and numerical methods. The fluid is Newtonian, while the flexible wall is modelled as an incompressible viscoelastic solid. In the limit of high Reynolds number (Re), the vorticity of the wall modes is confined to a region of thickness O(Re ^-1/3) in the fluid near the wall of the tube. Previous numerical studies on the stability of Hagen-Poiseuille flow in a flexible tube to axisymmetric disturbances have shown that the flow could be unstable in the limit of high Re, while previous high Reynolds number asymptotic analyses have revealed only stable modes. To resolve this discrepancy, the present work re-examines the asymptotic analysis of wall modes in a flexible tube using a new set of scaling assumptions. It is shown that wall modes in Hagen-Poiseuille flow in a flexible tube are indeed unstable in the limit of high Re in the scaling regime Re∼Σ^3/4. Here Σ is a nondimensional parameter characterising the elasticity of the wall, and Σ≡ρGR ²/η², where ρ and η are the density and viscosity of the fluid, and G is the shear modulus of the wall medium. The results from the present asymptotic analysis are in excellent agreement with the previous numerical results. Importantly, the present work shows that the different types of unstable modes at high Reynolds number reported in previous numerical studies are qualitatively the same: they all belong to the class of unstable wall modes predicted in this paper. Received 12 June 2000 and Received in final form 8 November 2000     

Statistical model of fluorescence blinking

Blinking of single molecules and nanocrystals is modeled as a two-state renewal process with on (fluorescent) and off (non-fluorescent) states. The on and off-times may have power-law or exponential distributions. A fractional generalization of the exponential function is used to develop a unified treatment of the blinking statistics for both types of distributions. In the framework of the two-state model, an equation for the probability density p(t _on|t) of the total on-time is derived. As applied to power-law blinking, the equation contains derivatives of fractional orders α and β equal to the exponents of the on and off-time power-law distributions, respectively. In the limit case of α = β = 1, the distributions become exponential and the fractional differential equation reduces to an integer order differential equation. Solutions to these equations are expressed in terms of fractional stable distributions. The Poisson transform of p(t _on|t) is the photon number distribution that determines the photon counting statistics. It is shown that the long-time asymptotic behavior of Mandel’s Q parameter follows a power law: M(t) ∝ t ^γ . The function γ(α, β) is defined on the (α, β) plane. An analysis of the relative variance of the total on-time shows that it decays only when α = β = 1 or α < β. Otherwise, relative fluctuations either exhibit asymptotic power-law growth or approach a constant level. Analytical calculations are in good agreement with the results of Monte Carlo simulations.     

Statics and dynamics of adhesion between two soap bubbles

An original set-up is used to study the adhesive properties of two hemispherical soap bubbles put into contact. The contact angle at the line connecting the three films is extracted by image analysis of the bubbles profiles. After the initial contact, the angle rapidly reaches a static value slightly larger than the standard 120^° angle expected from Plateau rule. This deviation is consistent with previous experimental and theoretical studies: it can be quantitatively predicted by taking into account the finite size of the Plateau border (the liquid volume trapped at the vertex) in the free energy minimization. The visco-elastic adhesion properties of the bubbles are further explored by measuring the deviation Δθ_d(t) of the contact angle from the static value as the distance between the two bubbles supports is sinusoidally modulated. It is found to linearly increase with Δr _c/r _c , where r_c is the radius of the central film and Δr _c the amplitude of modulation of this length induced by the displacement of the supports. The in-phase and out-of-phase components of Δθ_d(t) with the imposed modulation frequency are systematically probed, which reveals a transition from a viscous to an elastic response of the system with a crossover pulsation of the order 1rad · s^-1. Independent interfacial rheological measurements, obtained from an oscillating bubble experiment, allow us to develop a model of dynamic adhesion which is confronted to our experimental results. The relevance of such adhesive dynamic properties to the rheology of foams is briefly discussed using a perturbative approach to the Princen 2D model of foams.