QCD phase transitions from relativistic hadron models

The models of translationally invariant infinite nuclear matter in the relativistic mean field models are very interesting and simple, since the nucleon can connect only to a constant vector and scalar meson field. Can one connect these to the complicated phase transitions of QCD? For an affirmative answer to this question, one must consider models where the coupling contstants to the scalar and vector fields depend on density in a nonlinear way, since as such the models are not explicitly chirally invariant. Once this is ensured, indeed one can derive a quark condensate indirectly from the energy density of nuclear matter which goes to zero at large density and temperature. The change to zero condensate indicates a smooth phase transition.     

Non-cooperative games with minmax objectives

We consider noncooperative games where each player minimizes the sum of a smooth function, which depends on the player, and of a possibly nonsmooth function that is the same for all players. For this class of games we consider two approaches: one based on an augmented game that is applicable only to a minmax game and another one derived by a smoothing procedure that is applicable more broadly. In both cases, centralized and, most importantly, distributed algorithms for the computation of Nash equilibria can be derived.     

Renormalization in few-body nuclear physics

Renormalized fixed-point Hamiltonians are formulated for systems described by interactions that originally contain point-like singularities (as the Dirac-delta and/or its derivatives). They express the renormalization group invariance of quantum mechanics. The present approach for the renormalization scheme relies on a subtracted T-matrix equation.     

Spectrophotometric determination of advanced products of non-enzymatic glycosylation of lysine by means of their reaction with diazonium salts

A typical product (glycosyl lysine) formed by reaction of lysine with glyceraldehyde is measured at 490 nm after coupling with diazotized sulfanilic acid. Reaction with 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde was less satisfactory.     

A heuristic computer program for automatic spectrum assignment in microwave spectroscopy

A heuristic computer program has been written in fortran IV to do the automatic assignment of the microwave spectrum of a rigid, asymmetric rotor with no centrifugal or hyperfine effects. Given certain guidelines, the program needs only the observed lines and the transitions for which frequencies are to be assigned. It does not need any other physically observed effect (e.g. the Stark effect).     

Connectivities of Potts Fortuin–Kasteleyn clusters and time-like Liouville correlator

Recently, two of us argued that the probability that an FK cluster in the Q-state Potts model connects three given points is related to the time-like Liouville three-point correlation function (Delfino and Viti, 2011) [1]. Moreover, they predicted that the FK three-point connectivity has a prefactor which unveils the effects of a discrete symmetry, reminiscent of the _SQ$S_Q$ permutation symmetry of the Q=2,3,4$Q=2,3,4$ Potts model. We revisit the derivation of the time-like Liouville correlator (Zamolodchikov, 2005) [2] and show that this is the only consistent analytic continuation of the minimal model structure constants. We then present strong numerical tests of the relation between the time-like Liouville correlator and percolative properties of the FK clusters for real values of Q.