On the absence of intermediate phases in the two-dimensional Coulomb gas

For a simple, continuum two-dimensional Coulomb gas (with soft cutoff), Gallavotti and Nicoló [J. Stat. Phys. 38:133–156 (1985)] have proved the existence of finite coefficients in the Mayer activity expansion up to order 2n below a series of temperature thresholdsT _n =T [1+(2n–1)^–1] (n=1, 2,...). With this in mind they conjectured that an infinite sequence of intermediate, multipole phases appears between the exponentially screened plasma phase aboveT ₁ and the full, unscreened Kosterilitz-Thouless phase belowT T _KT. We demonstrate that Debye-Hückel-Bjerrum theory, as recently investigated ford=2 dimensions, provides a natural and quite probably correct explanation of the pattern of finite Mayer coefficients while indicating the totalabsence of any intermediate phases at nonzero density ; only the KT phase extends to >0.     

A lower bound on the partition function for a classical charge symmetric system

A lower bound is obtained for the grand canonical partition function (and hence for the pressure) of a charge symmetric system with positive definite interaction. For the Coulomb interaction the lower bound on the pressure is the Debye-Hückel approximation.     

Debye screening for two-dimensional Coulomb systems at high temperatures

The grand canonical ensemble of a two-dimensional Coulomb system with±1 charges is proved to have screening phenomena in its high-temperature region. The Coulomb potential in a finite region is assumed to be (–)^–1, where is the Laplacian with zero boundary conditions on. The hard-core condition is not assumed. The model is set up by separating (–)^–1 into a shortrange part and a long-range part depending on a parameter. The self-energies are subtracted only for the short-range part and therefore a choice of is a choice of subtraction of self-energies. The method of proof is in general the same as that of Brydges-Federbush Debye screening, except that here a modification for the short-range part of the potentials is needed.     

Mayer coefficients in two-dimensional coulomb systems

We show that, for neutral systems of particles of arbitrary charges in two dimensions, with hard cores, coefficients of the Mayer series for the pressure exist in the thermodynamic limit below certain thresholds in the temperature. Our methods apply also to correlation functions and yield bounds on the asymptotic behavior of their Mayer coefficients.     

Mean field theory of self-organized critical phenomena

A mean field theory is presented for the recently discovered self-organized critical phenomena. The critical exponents are calculated and found to be the same as the mean field values for percolation. The power spectrum has 1/f behavior with exponentg4=1.     

Coulomb systems seen as critical systems: Ideal conductor boundaries

When a classical Coulomb system has macroscopic conducting behavior, its grand potential has universal finite-size corrections similar to the ones which occur in the free energy of a simple critical system: the massless Gaussian field. Here, the Coulomb system is assumed to be confined, by walls made of an ideal conductor material; this choice corresponds to simple (Dirichlet) boundary conditions for the Gaussian field. For ad-dimensional (d2) Coulomb system confined in a slab of thicknessW, the grand potential (in units ofk _B T) per unit area has the universal term (d/2)(d)/2^dd/2W^d–1. For a two-dimensional Coulomb system confined, in a disk of radiusR, the grand potential (in units ofk _B T) has the universal term (1/6) lnR. These results, of general validity, are checked on two-dimensional solvable models.Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-URA 63.     

Density Correlations in the Two-Dimensional Coulomb Gas

We consider a two-dimensional Coulomb gas of positive and negative pointlike unit charges interacting via a logarithmic potential. The density (rather than the charge) correlation functions are studied. In the bulk, the form-factor theory of an equivalent sine-Gordon model is used to determine the density correlation length. At the surface of a rectilinear plain wall, the universality of the asymptotic behavior of the density correlations is suggested. A scaling analysis implies a local form of the compressibility sum rule near a hard wall. A symmetry of the Coulomb system with respect to the Möbius conformal transformation, which induces a gravitational source acting on the particle density, is established. Among the consequences, a universal term of the finite-size expansion of the grand potential is derived exactly for a disk geometry of the confining domain.     

Dynamical mean‐field theory for correlated electrons

Electronic correlations strongly influence the properties of matter. For example, they can induce a discontinuous transition from conducting to insulating behavior. In this paper basic terms of the physics of correlated electrons are explained. In particular, I describe some of the steps that led to the formulation of a comprehensive, non‐perturbative many‐body approach to correlated quantum many‐body systems, the dynamical mean‐field theory (DMFT). The DMFT becomes exact in the limit of high lattice dimensions (d → ∞) and allows one to go beyond the investigation of simple correlation models and thereby better understand, and even predict, the properties of electronically correlated materials.     

Large charge fluctuations in classical Coulomb systems

The typical fluctuation of the net electric chargeQ contained in a subregion of an infinitely extended equilibrium Coulomb system is expected to grow only as S, whereS is the surface area of. For some cases it has been previously shown thatQ/S has a Gaussian distribution as ¦¦. Here we study the probability law for larger charge fluctuations (large-deviation problem). We discuss the case when both ¦¦ andQ are large, but now withQ of an order larger than S. For a given value ofQ, the dominant microscopic configurations are assumed to be those associated with the formation of a double electrical layer along the surface of. The probability law forQ is then determined by the free energy of the double electrical layer. In the case of a one-component plasma, this free energy can be computed, for large enoughQ, by macroscopic electrostatics. There are solvable two-dimensional models for which exact microscopic calculations can be done, providing more complete results in these cases. A variety of behaviors of the probability law are exhibited.     

Coulomb Systems at Low Density: A Review

Results on the correlations of low-density classical and quantum Coulomb systems at equilibrium in three dimensions are reviewed. The exponential decay of particle correlations in the classical Coulomb system, Debye–Hückel screening, is compared and contrasted with the quantum case, where strong arguments are presented for the absence of exponential screening. Results and techniques for detailed calculations that determine the asymptotic decay of correlations for quantum systems are discussed. Theorems on the existence of molecules in the Saha regime are reviewed. Finally, new combinatoric formulas for the coefficients of Mayer expansions are presented and their role in proofs of results on Debye–Hückel screening is discussed.     

Equilibrium equations and symmetries of classical Coulomb systems

In this paper we establish the validity of the BBGKY equilibrium equations for Coulomb states which have been obtained as thermodynamic limit of finite volume states. We also give a new derivation of thel-sum rules for phases constructed by the cluster expansion. These sum rules are interpreted as Ward identities associated to a symmetry of the screening phase.Supported by the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research.     

Equation of State in the Fugacity Format for the Two-Dimensional Coulomb Gas

We derive the general form of the equation of state, in the fugacity format, for the two-dimensional Coulomb gas. Our results are valid in the conducting phase of the Coulomb gas, for temperatures above the Kosterlitz–Thouless transition. The derivation of the equation of state is based on the knowledge of the general form of the short-distance expansion of the correlation functions of the Coulomb gas. We explicitly compute the expansion up to order in the activity ζ. Our results are in very good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations at very low density.     

Ionization in an intense field considering Coulomb correction

We derive a simple ionization rate formula for the ground state of a hydrogen atom in the velocity gauge under the conditions:ω1 a.u.(a.u.is short for atomic unit) and γ1(ω is the laser frequency and y is the Keldysh parameter).Comparisons are made among the different versions of the Keldysh-Faisal-Reiss(KFR) theory.The numerical study shows that with considering the quasi-classical(WKB) Coulomb correction in the final state of the ionized electron,the photoionization rate is enhanced compared with without considering the Coulomb correction,and the Reiss theory with the WKB Coulomb correction gives the correct result in the tunneling regime.Our concise formula of the ionization rate may provide an insight into the ionization mechanism for the ground state of a hydrogen atom.     

The charge fluctuations in classical Coulomb systems

We study the asymptotic behavior of the charge fluctuations (Q – (Q )² in infinite classical systems of charged particles, and show, under certain clustering assumptions, that if the charge fluctuations are not extensive, then they are necessarily of the order of the surface ¦¦. Moreover, when the canonical sum rules that are typical for equilibrium states of particles interacting with long-range forces hold true, we prove a central limit theorem for the normalized charge variable ¦¦^–1/2((Q – (Q )) in two and three dimensions. In one dimension, the probability distribution of the charge itself converges. The latter case is illustrated by the example of the one-dimensional Coulomb gas.     

On potential and field fluctuations in two-dimensional classical charged systems

We supplement a previous paper on three-dimensional systems by studying the electric potential and field fluctuations in two-dimensional Coulomb systems. The novelty in two dimensions is that the fluctuations of the potential at a point are infinite in the thermodynamic limit. However, the potential difference between two points has finite fluctuations, which resemble the ones which occur in the three-dimensional case. The field fluctuations are also rather similar in both cases. The correlations do not have a fast decay. Explicit results are obtained for a solvable model; the fluctuations of the potential are Gaussian with an infinite variance.This laboratory is associated with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.     

Coulomb systems seen as critical systems: Finite-size effects in two dimensions

It is known that the free energy at criticality of a finite two-dimensional system of characteristic sizeL has in general a term which behaves like logL asL; the coefficient of this term is universal. There are solvable models of two-dimensional classical Coulomb systems which exhibit the same finite-size correction (except for its sign) although the particle correlations are short-ranged, i.e., noncritical. Actually, the electrical potential and electrical field correlationsare critical at all temperatures (as long as the Coulomb system is a conductor), as a consequence of the perfect screening property of Coulomb systems. This is why Coulomb systems have to exhibit critical finite-size effects.Laboratoire Associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique     

Universality in some classical Coulomb systems of restricted dimension

Coulomb systems in which the particles interact through thed-dimensional Coulomb potential but are confined in a flat manifold of dimensiond–1 are considered. The actual Coulomb potential acting is defined by particular boundary conditions involving a characteristic macroscopic distanceW in the direction perpendicular to the manifold: either it is periodic of periodW in that direction, or it vanishes on one ideal conductor wall parallel to the manifold at a distanceW from it, or it vanishes on two parallel walls at a distanceW from each other with the manifold equidistant from them. Under the assumptions that classical equilibrium statistical mechanics is applicable and that the system has the macroscopic properties of a conductor, it is shown that the suitably smoothed charge correlation function is universal, and that the free energy and the grand potential have universal dependences onW (universal means independent of the microscopic detail). The casesd=2 are discussed in detail, and the generic results are checked on an exactly solvable model. The cased=3 of a plane parallel to an ideal conductor is also explicitly worked out.Laboratoire associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-URA D0063.     

Two-Dimensional Coulomb Systems on a Surface of Constant Negative Curvature

We study the equilibrium statistical mechanics of classical two-dimensional Coulomb systems living on a pseudosphere (an infinite surface of constant negative curvature). The Coulomb potential created by one point charge exists and goes to zero at infinity. The pressure can be expanded as a series in integer powers of the density (the virial expansion). The correlation functions have a thermodynamic limit, and remarkably that limit is the same one for the Coulomb interaction and some other interaction law. However, special care is needed for defining a thermodynamic limit of the free energy density. There are sum rules expressing the property of perfect screening. These generic properties can be checked on the Debye–Hückel approximation, and on two exactly solvable models, the one-component plasma and the two-component plasma, at some special temperature.     

Self-adjoint extensions of Coulomb systems in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions

We study the nonrelativistic quantum Coulomb hamiltonian (i.e., inverse of distance potential) in Rⁿ, n=1,2,3. We characterize their self-adjoint extensions and, in the unidimensional case, present a discussion of controversies in the literature, particularly the question of the permeability of the origin. Potentials given by fundamental solutions of Laplace equation are also briefly considered.