On the finite size corrections to some random matching problems

We get back to the computation of the leading finite size corrections to some random link matching problems, first adressed by Mézard and Parisi [J. Phys. France 48, 1451 (1987)]. In the so-called bipartite case, their result is in contradiction with subsequent works. We show that they made some mistakes, and correcting them, we get the expected result. In the non bipartite case, we agree with their result but push the analytical treatment further. Received 28 April 2002 Published online 14 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: giorgio.parisi@roma1.infn.it RID="b" ID="b"e-mail: matthieu.ratieville@roma1.infn.it     

Generic replica symmetric field-theory for short range Ising spin glasses

Symmetry considerations and a direct, Hubbard-Stratonovich type, derivation are used to construct a replica field-theory relevant to the study of the spin glass transition of short range models in a magnetic field. A mean-field treatment reveals that two different types of transitions exist, whenever the replica number n is kept larger than zero. The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick critical point in zero magnetic field between the paramagnet and replica magnet (a replica symmetric phase with a nonzero spin glass order parameter) separates from the de Almeida-Thouless line, along which replica symmetry breaking occurs. We argue that for studying the de Almeida-Thouless transition around the upper critical dimension d = 6, it is necessary to use the generic cubic model with all the three bare masses and eight cubic couplings. The critical role n may play is also emphasized. To make perturbative calculations feasible, a new representation of the cubic interaction is introduced. To illustrate the method, we compute the masses in one-loop order. Some technical details and a list of vertex rules are presented to help future renormalisation-group calculations. Received 9 October 2001     

Phase diagram of the extended hubbard model with pair hopping interaction

A one-dimensional model of interacting electrons with on-site U, nearest-neighbor V, and pair-hopping interaction W is studied at half-filling using the continuum limit field theory approach. The ground state phase diagram is obtained for a wide range of coupling constants. In addition to the insulating spin-density wave (SDW) and charge-density wave (CDW) phases for large U and V, respectively, we identify a bond-charge-density-wave (BCDW) phase W < 0, | U - 2V| < | 2W| and a bond-spin-density-wave (BSDW) for W > 0, | U - 2V| < W. The possibility of bond-located ordering results from the site-off-diagonal nature of the pair-hopping term and is a special feature of the half-filled band case. The BCDW phase corresponding to an enhanced Peierls instability in the system. The BdSDW is an unconventional insulating magnetic phase, characterized by a gapless spin excitation spectrum and a staggered magnetization located on bonds between sites. The general ground state phase diagram including insulating, metallic, and superconducting phases is discussed. A transition to the η-superconducting phase at | U - 2V| ≪ 2t?W is briefly discussed. Received 20 February 2002 / Received in final form 11 April 2002 Published online 19 July 2002     

Quantum Cosmological Perfect Fluid Models

Perfect fluid Friedmann-Robertson-Walker quantum cosmological models for an arbitrary barotropic equation of state p = are constructed using Schutz's variational formalism. In this approach the notion of time can be recovered. By superposition of stationary states, finite-norm wave-packet solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation are found. The behaviour of the scale factor is studied by applying the many-worlds and the ontological interpretations of quantum mechanics. Singularity-free models are obtained for < 1. Accelerated expansion at present requires –1/3 > > – 1.     

Symmetry-breaking in local Lyapunov exponents

Integrable dynamical systems, namely those having as many independent conserved quantities as freedoms, have all Lyapunov exponents equal to zero. Locally, the instantaneous or finite time Lyapunov exponents are nonzero, but owing to a symmetry, their global averages vanish. When the system becomes nonintegrable, this symmetry is broken. A parallel to this phenomenon occurs in mappings which derive from quasiperiodic Schr?dinger problems in 1-dimension. For values of the energy such that the eigenstate is extended, the Lyapunov exponent is zero, while if the eigenstate is localized, the Lyapunov exponent becomes negative. This occurs by a breaking of the quasiperiodic symmetry of local Lyapunov exponents, and corresponds to a breaking of a symmetry of the wavefunction in extended and critical states. Received 25 October 2001 / Received in final form 8 December 2001 Published online 2 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: r.ramaswamy@mail.jnu.ac.in     

Cosmic dust and our origins

The small solid particles in the space between the stars provide the surfaces for the production of many simple and complex molecules. Processes involving the effects of ultraviolet irradiation of the thin (hundredth micron) mantles are shown to produce a wide range of molecules and ions also seen in comets. Some of the more complex ones inferred from laboratory experiments are expected to play an important role in the origin of life. An outline of the chemical evolution of interstellar dust as observed and as studied in the laboratory is presented. Observations of comets are shown to provide substantial evidence for their being fluffy aggregates of interstellar dust as it was in the protosolar nebula, i.e. the interstellar cloud which collapsed to form the solar system. The theory that comets may have brought the progenitors of life to the earth is summarized.     

Non-universal critical behaviour of heteronuclear dimers on a square lattice––A Monte Carlo study

Monte Carlo simulation within the grand canonical ensemble, the histogram reweighting technique, and finite size scaling analysis are used to explore the phase behaviour of heteronuclear dimers, composed of A and B type atoms, on a square lattice. We have found that for the models with attractive BB and AB nearest-neighbour energy, u_BB=u_AB=−1, and for non-repulsive energy between AA nearest-neighbour sites, u_AA<0, the system belongs to the universality class of the two-dimensional Ising model. However, when u_AA>0, the system exhibits a non-universal critical behaviour. We have evaluated the dependences of the critical point characteristics on the value of u_AA.     

The spin-1/2 anisotropic Heisenberg-chain in longitudinal aaand transversal magnetic fields: a DMRG study

Using the density matrix renormalization group technique, we evaluate the low-energy spectrum (ground state and first excited states) of the anisotropic antiferromagnetic spin-one-half chain under magnetic fields. We study both homogeneous longitudinal and transversal fields as well as the influence of a transversal staggered field on the opening of a spin-gap. We find that only a staggered transversal field opens a substantial gap. Received 16 April 2002 / Received in final form 4 July 2002 Published online 17 September 2002     

Multi-Fractal Formalism for Quasi-Self-Similar Functions

The study of multi-fractal functions has proved important in several domains of physics. Some physical phenomena such as fully developed turbulence or diffusion limited aggregates seem to exhibit some sort of self-similarity. The validity of the multi-fractal formalism has been proved to be valid for self-similar functions. But, multi-fractals encountered in physics or image processing are not exactly self-similar. For this reason, we extend the validity of the multi-fractal formalism for a class of some non-self-similar functions. Our functions are written as the superposition of similar structures at different scales, reminiscent of some possible modelization of turbulence or cascade models. Their expressions look also like wavelet decompositions. For the computation of their spectrum of singularities, it is unknown how to construct Gibbs measures. However, it suffices to use measures constructed according the Frostman's method. Besides, we compute the box dimension of the graphs.     

Nuclear mean fields through self-consistent semiclassical calculations

Semiclassical expansions derived in the framework of the Extended Thomas-Fermi approach for the kinetic energy density τ( r) and the spin-orbit density J( r) as functions of the local density ρ( r) are used to determine the central nuclear potentials V _n( r) and V _p( r) of the neutron and proton distribution for effective interactions of the Skyrme type. We demonstrate that the convergence of the resulting semiclassical expansions for these potentials is fast and that they reproduce quite accurately the corresponding Hartree-Fock average fields. Received: 12 February 2000 / Accepted: 14 March 2002