Neutrinoless double beta decay studied with configuration mixing methods

We study neutrinoless double beta decay of several isotopes with state-of-the-art beyond self-consistent mean field methods to compute the nuclear matrix elements (NME). The generating coordinate method with particle number and angular momentum projection (GCM +PNAMP) is used for finding mother and granddaughter states and evaluating transition operators between different nuclei. We analyze explicitly the role of the deformation, pairing and configuration mixing in the evaluation of the NME.     

Complete synchronization of Kuramoto oscillators with finite inertia

We present an approach based on Gronwall’s inequalities for the asymptotic complete phase-frequency synchronization of Kuramoto oscillators with finite inertia. For given finite inertia and coupling strength, we present admissible classes of initial configurations and natural frequency distributions, which lead to the complete phase-frequency synchronization asymptotically. For this, we explicitly identify invariant regions for the Kuramoto flow, and derive second-order Gronwall’s inequalities for the evolution of phase and frequency diameters. Our detailed time-decay estimates for phase and frequency diameters are independent of the number of oscillators. We also compare our analytical results with numerical simulations.     

Crystalline misfit-angle implications for solid sliding

For the contact of two finite portions of interacting rigid crystalline surfaces, we compute the pinning energy barrier dependency on the misfit angle and contact area. This simple model allows us to investigate a broad contact-size and angular range, thus obtaining the statistical properties of the energy barriers opposing sliding for a single asperity. These data are used to generate the distribution of static frictional thresholds for the contact of polycrystals, as in dry or even lubricated friction. This distribution is used as the input of a master equation to predict the sliding properties of macroscopic contacts.     

Non-decoupling effects in supersymmetric Higgs sectors

A wide class of Higgs sectors is investigated in supersymmetric standard models. When the lightest Higgs boson (h  ) looks the standard model one, the mass (mh$m_h$) and the triple Higgs boson coupling (the hhh   coupling) are evaluated at the one-loop level in each model. While mh$m_h$ is at most 120–130 GeV in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), that in models with an additional neutral singlet or triplet fields can be much larger. The hhh coupling can also be sensitive to the models: while in the MSSM the deviation from the standard model prediction is not significant, that can be 30–60% in some models such as the MSSM with the additional singlet or with extra doublets and charged singlets. These models are motivated by specific physics problems like the μ-problem, the neutrino mass, the scalar dark matter and so on. Therefore, when h   is found at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, we can classify supersymmetric models by measuring mh$m_h$ and the hhh coupling accurately at future collider experiments.     

Threshold effects on renormalization group running of neutrino parameters in the low-scale seesaw model

We show that, in the low-scale type-I seesaw model, renormalization group running of neutrino parameters may lead to significant modifications of the leptonic mixing angles in view of so-called seesaw threshold effects. Especially, we derive analytical formulas for radiative corrections to neutrino parameters in crossing the different seesaw thresholds, and show that there may exist enhancement factors efficiently boosting the renormalization group running of the leptonic mixing angles. We find that, as a result of the seesaw threshold corrections to the leptonic mixing angles, various flavor symmetric mixing patterns (e.g., bi-maximal and tri-bimaximal mixing patterns) can be easily accommodated at relatively low energy scales, which is well within the reach of running and forthcoming experiments (e.g., the LHC).     

Akhmediev breather evolution in optical fiber for realistic initial conditions

We study numerically Akhmediev breather dynamics in optical fibers under initial conditions that do not correspond to an ideal infinitesimal modulation on a plane wave. We examine two modifications that are commonly encountered in realistic experiments: (i) a finite-amplitude (not necessarily weak) initial modulation; (ii) the use of pulsed excitation. In the first case, we derive an expression for the propagation distance required to generate a train of compressed breather pulses. In the second case, we show that breather dynamics with pulsed excitation can be interpreted in terms of local breather states at different points on the pulse envelope.     

Cross-correlations in volume space: Differences between buy and sell volumes

We study the cross-correlations of buy and sell volumes on the Korean stock market in high frequency. We observe that the pulling effects of volumes are as small as that of returns. The properties of the correlations of buy and sell volumes differ. They are explained by the degree of synchronization of stock volumes. Further, the pulling effects on the minimal spanning tree are studied. In minimal spanning trees with directed links, the large pulling effects are clustered at the center, not uniformly distributed. The Epps effect of buy and sell volumes are observed. The reversal of the cross-correlations of buy and sell volumes is also detected.     

Simultaneous establishing of stationary growth rate and composition of supercritical droplets at isothermal binary condensation in the diffusion-controlled regime

General integral relations expressing the droplet radius and time of the droplet nonstationary growth as nonlinear functions of solution concentration in the droplet have been derived. These relations are valid for a supercritical droplet (i.e., sufficiently large droplet, for which the Laplace pressure effect on the concentration at saturation of vapors is negligible) isothermally growing via stationary diffusion in the mixture of two condensing vapors and an incondensable carrier gas. The initial composition in the droplet may be arbitrary and partial molecular volumes of components are not fixed. Explicit analytical relations have been found for droplet composition and the droplet size as functions of time at small deviations from the stationary concentration in the growing droplet. These relations show that the assumption of the steady droplet growth rate is not valid for non-small deviations from the stationary concentration. Some illustrations of the general nonlinear theory have been done in situation when solution in the droplet can be considered ideal.     

Growth of preferentially-oriented AlN films on amorphous substrate by pulsed laser deposition

Preferentially-oriented aluminum nitride (AlN) films are grown directly on natively-oxidized Si (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in nitrogen (N₂) environment. The AlN preferential orientation changes from (002) to (100) with increasing N₂ pressure. Such different behaviors are discussed in terms of deposition-rate-dependent preferential orientation, kinetic energy of depositing species and confinement of laser plume. Finally, sample deposited at 0.9 Pa is proved to have the highest (002) peak intensity, the lowest FWHM value, the highest deposition rate and a relatively low RMS roughness (1.138 nm), showing the optimal growth condition for c-axis-oriented AlN growth at this N₂ pressure.     

DTI at 7 and 3 T: systematic comparison of SNR and its influence on quantitative metrics

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and advanced related methods such as diffusion spectrum and kurtosis imaging are limited by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at conventional field strengths. DTI at 7 T can provide increased SNR; however, B0 and B1 inhomogeneity and shorter T2? still pose formidable challenges. The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare SNR at 7 and 3 T for different parallel imaging reduction factors, R, and TE, and to evaluate SNRs influences on fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). We found that R>4 at 7 T and R≥2 at 3 T were needed to reduce geometric distortions due to B0 inhomogeneity. For these R at 7 T, SNR was 70-90 for b=0 s/mm² and 22-28 for b=1000s/mm² in central brain regions. SNR was lower at 3 T (40 for b=0 s/mm² and 15 for b=1000 s/mm²) and in lateral brain regions at 7 T due to B1 inhomogeneity. FA and ADC did not change with MRI field strength, SENSE factor or TE in the tested range. However, the coefficient of variation for FA increased for SNR <15 and for SNR <10 in ADC, consistent with published theoretical studies. Our study demonstrates that 7 T is advantageous for DTI and lays the groundwork for further development. Foremost, future work should further address challenges with B0 and B1 inhomogeneity to take full advantage for the increased SNR at 7 T.