Infrared behaviour of self-energy functions in the axial gauge

We discuss, in the axial gauge, the infrared singularities of the self-energy functions which determine the exponential of leading infrared divergencies in massles Yang-Mills theories.     

Discotic liquid crystals Physical parameters of some 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(alkanoyloxy)truxenes. Observation of a re-entrant isotropic phase in a pure disc-like mesogen

The synthesis of a new discotic mesogen, 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(octadecanoyloxy)-truxene is reported. This new compound has been studied using polarization microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, small angle X-ray scattering and adiabatic calorimetry. The results are compared with those of two other truxene derivatives from the same series: 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(decanoyloxy)truxene and 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(tetradecanoyloxy)truxene. Refractive index measurements have been performed on these three truxene derivatives as a function of temperature. A re-entrant isotropic phase has been observed in 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(octadecanoyloxy)truxene. This is the first report of such a phase in a pure mesogen. We also report measurements of the ratio of the Frank constants for splay and bend in the nematic regime of this new mesogen as a function of temperature using the magnetic Frederiks transition technique.     

Origin of polarity in amorphous SrTiO3

Although neither SrTiO3 nor BaZrO3 has any polar crystalline polymorphs, they may form noncrystalline pyro- and piezoelectric phases [Adv. Mater. 19, 1515 (2007)10.1002/adma.200602149]. These phases and the similar phase of BaTiO3 have been called quasiamorphous. In this Letter, the structure of the quasiamorphous phase of SrTiO3 is examined by the x-ray absorption fine structure technique and found to be built of a random network of polar octahedral TiO6 local bonding units. While in crystalline SrTiO3 all TiO6 octahedra are apex sharing only, in its amorphous and quasiamorphous phases, some octahedra share edges. The polarity of the quasiamorphous phase is due to the partial alignment of the TiO6 octahedra. Such a mechanism is completely different from that of inorganic polar crystals. This mechanism should be possible in a large variety of other compounds that contain similar local bonding units.