Unveiling the nature of three-dimensional orbital ordering transitions: the case of e(g) and t(2g) models on the cubic lattice

We perform large scale finite-temperature Monte Carlo simulations of the classical e(g) and t(2g) orbital models on the simple cubic lattice in three dimensions. The e(g) model displays a continuous phase transition to an orbitally ordered phase. While the correlation length exponent ν ≈ 0.66(1) is close to the 3D XY value, the exponent η ≈ 0.15(1) differs substantially from O(N) values. At T(c) a U(1) symmetry emerges, which persists for T < T(c) below a crossover length scaling as Λ ～ ξ(a), with an unusually small a ≈ 1.3. Finally, for the t(2g) model we find a first order transition into a low-temperature lattice-nematic phase without orbital order.     

The Diederich–Fornaess index and the global regularity of the \bar{\partial }-Neumann problem

We describe along the guidelines of Kohn (Quantitative Estimates for Global Regularity. Analysis and Geometry in Several Complex Variables, pp. 97–128. Trend Math. Birkhäuser, Boston, 1999), the constant ${\mathcal {E}}_s$ which is needed to control the commutator of a totally real vector field $T_{{\mathcal {E}}}$ with $\bar{\partial }^*$ in order to have $H^s$ a-priori estimates for the Bergman projection $B_k, k\ge q-1$ , on a smooth $q$ -convex domain $D\subset \subset {\mathbb {C}}^{n}$ . This statement, not explicit in Kohn (Quantitative Estimates for Global Regularity. Analysis and Geometry in Several Complex Variables, pp. 97–128. Trend Math. Birkhäuser, Boston, 1999), yields regularity of $B_k$ in specific Sobolev degree $s$ . Next, we refine the pseudodifferential calculus at the boundary in order to relate, for a defining function $r$ of $D$ , the operators $(T^+)^{-\frac{\delta }{2}}$ and $(-r)^{\frac{\delta }{2}}$ . We are thus able to extend to general degree $k\ge 0$ of $B_k$ , the conclusion of (Quantitative Estimates for Global Regularity. Analysis and Geometry in Several Complex Variables, pp. 97–128. Trend Math. Birkhäuser, Boston, 1999) which only holds for $q=1$ and $k=0$ : if for the Diederich–Fornaess index $\delta $ of $D$ , we have $(1-\delta )^{\frac{1}{2}}\le {\mathcal {E}}_s$ , then $B_k$ is $H^s$ -regular.     

An explicit second order spectral element method for acoustic waves

The acoustic wave equation is here discretized by conforming spectral elements in space and by the second order leap-frog method in time. For simplicity, homogeneous boundary conditions are considered. A stability analysis of the resulting method is presented, providing an upper bound for the allowed time step that is proportional to the size of the elements and inversely proportional to the square of their polynomial degree. A convergence analysis is also presented, showing that the convergence error decreases when the time step or the size of the elements decrease or when the polynomial degree increases. Several numerical results illustrating these results are presented. Mathematics subject classifications (2000) 65M06, 65M70, 65M12 This work was supported by MIUR (PRIN 2001 “Metodi numerici avanzati per equazioni alle derivate parziali di interesse applicativo”).     

Solutions of vectorial Hamilton-Jacobi equations and minimizers of nonquasiconvex functionals

We provide a unified approach to prove existence results for the Dirichlet problem for Hamilton-Jacobi equations and for the minimum problem for nonquasiconvex functionals of the Calculus of Variations with affine boundary data. The idea relies on the definition of integro-extremal solutions introduced in the study of nonconvex scalar variational problem.     

Sets of type (0,n) in Steiner systems and in finite projective planes

In this paper we study the sets of type (0,n)₁ in a finite projective plane and the inclusion relations between them.     

Tuning oxygen packing in silica by nonhydrostatic pressure

The transformation of SiO2 from low pressure tetrahedral phases into denser octahedral phases takes place via the collapse of the oxygen sublattice into a close-packed arrangement. The transition paths and the resulting products are known to be affected by the presence of anisotropic stresses, which are difficult to control, so interpretation of the experimental results is problematic. Based on nonhydrostatic molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the collapse of the oxygen sublattice in the specific case of cristobalite is concomitant with the disappearance of tetrahedral units and that non hydrostatic stresses can be tuned to yield phases with different oxygen close-packed sublattices, including the alpha-PbO2-like phase, for which we provide a microscopic formation path, and phases with a cubic close packing, like anatase, not seen in experiments yet.     

Two-Phase Problems for Linear Elliptic Operators with Variable Coefficients: Lipschitz Free Boundaries are <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">1,γ</Emphasis></Superscript>

We prove C ^1, regularity of Lipschitz free boundaries of two-phase problems for linear elliptic operators with Hölder continuous coefficients.