arXiv subjects

C. J. Pethick

Publications and source records attributed to C. J. Pethick.

90 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

Zero-temperature phase diagram of binary boson-fermion mixtures

We calculate the phase diagram for dilute mixtures of bosons and fermions at zero temperature. The linear stability conditions are derived and related to the effective boson-induced interaction between the fermions. We show that in equilibrium there are three possibilities: a) a single uniform phase, b) a purely fermionic phase coexisting with a purely bosonic one and c) a purely fermionic phase coexisting with a mixed phase.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1999

Collisional relaxation in diffuse clouds of trapped bosons

The damping of collective modes and the relaxation of temperature anisotropies in a trapped Bose gas is determined at temperatures above the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature in the collisionless regime. We demonstrate for both cases how the effects of collisions may be treated perturbatively and calculate relaxation rates based on a variational principle. Our results are compared with experiment and with previous theoretical calculations.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1999

Kinetic Theory of Collective Modes in Atomic Clouds above the Bose-Einstein Transition Temperature

We calculate frequencies and damping rates of the lowest collective modes of a dilute Bose gas confined in an anisotropic trapping potential above the Bose-Einstein transition temperature. From the Boltzmann equation with a simplified collision integral we derive a general dispersion relation that interpolates between the collisionless and hydrodynamic regimes. In the case of axially symmetric traps we obtain explicit expressions for the frequencies and damping rates of the lowest modes in terms of a phenomenological collision time. Our results are compared with microscopic calculations and experiments.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1999

Neutron Star Structure

A review of properties of matter in the interior of neutron stars is given. Particular attention is paid to recent many-body theory calculations of the properties of dense matter. Among topics discussed are the strong increase of tensor correlations at relatively low densities, the "relativistic boost term" in the interaction, and the sensitivity of properties of neutron star models to three-body forces.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

The Surface of a Bose-Einstein Condensed Atomic Cloud

We investigate the structure and collective modes of a planar surface of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensed gas at zero temperature. In the long-wavelength limit we find a mode similar to the gravity wave on the surface of a fluid with the frequency $ω$ and the wavenumber $q$ related by $ω^2=Fq/m$. Here $F$ is the force due to the confining potential at the surface and $m$ is the particle mass. At shorter wavelengths we use a variational approach and find corrections to $ω^2$ of order $q^4 \ln{q}$. We demonstrate the usefulness of the concept of an effective surface tension for describing both static and dynamic properties of condensed atomic clouds.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1998

Neutrino-pair bremsstrahlung by electrons in neutron star crusts

Neutrino-pair bremsstrahlung by relativistic degenerate electrons in a neutron-star crust at densities (10^9 - 1.5x10^{14}) g/cm^3 is analyzed. The processes taken into account are neutrino emission due to Coulomb scattering of electrons by atomic nuclei in a Coulomb liquid, and electron-phonon scattering and Bragg diffraction (the static-lattice contribution) in a Coulomb crystal. The static-lattice contribution is calculated including the electron band-structure effects for cubic Coulomb crystals of different types and also for the liquid crystal phases composed of rod- and plate-like nuclei in the neutron-star mantle (at 10^{14} - 1.5x10^{14} g/cm^3). The phonon contribution is evaluated with proper treatment of the multi-phonon processes which removes a jump in the neutrino bremsstrahlung emissivity at the melting point obtained in previous works. Below 10^{13} g/cm^3, the results are rather insensitive to the nuclear form factor, but results for the solid state near the melting point are affected significantly by the Debye-Waller factor and multi-phonon processes. At higher densities, the nuclear form factor becomes more significant. A comparison of the various neutrino generation mechanisms in neutron star crusts shows that electron bremsstrahlung is among the most important ones.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Vortices in Bose-Einstein-Condensed Atomic Clouds

The properties of vortex states in a Bose-Einstein condensed cloud of atoms are considered at zero temperature. Using both analytical and numerical methods we solve the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the case when a cloud of atoms containing a vortex is released from a trap. In two dimensions we find the simple result that the time dependence of the cloud radius is given by $(1+ω^2t^2)^{1/2}$, where $ω$ is the trap frequency. We calculate and compare the expansion of the vortex core and the cloud radius for different numbers of particles and interaction strengths, in both two and three dimensions, and discuss the circumstances under which vortex states may be observed experimentally.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1998

Bosons with attractive interactions in a trap: Is the ground state fragmented ?

Possible fragmentation of a Bose-Einstein condensate with negative scattering length is investigated using a simple two-level model. Our results indicate that fragmentation does not take place for values of the coupling for which the system is metastable. We also comment on the possibility of realizing a fragmented condensate in trapping potentials other than an harmonic one.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv1998

Relaxation Processes in Clouds of Trapped Bosons above the Bose-Einstein Condensation Temperature

We present a unified account of damping of low-lying collective modes and of relaxation of temperature anisotropies in a trapped Bose gas in the collisionless regime. By means of variational techniques, we show that the relaxation times for the two situations are closely related to the simplest variational estimate of the viscous relaxation time. We derive rather precise theoretical expressions for the characteristic relaxation times, and compare our results with experiment.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1998

Liquid crystals in the mantles of neutron stars

Recent calculations indicate that in the outer parts of neutron stars nuclei are rod-like or slab-like, rather than roughly spherical. We consider the elastic properties of these phases, and argue that they behave as liquid crystals, rather than rigid solids. We estimate elastic constants and discuss implications of our results for neutron star behavior.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Solitary waves in clouds of Bose-Einstein condensed atoms

We consider the conditions under which solitary waves can exist in elongated clouds of Bose-Einstein condensed atoms. General expressions are derived for the velocity, characteristic size, and spatial profile of solitary waves, and the low- and high-density limits are examined.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1997

Sound Propagation in Elongated Bose-Einstein Condensed Clouds

We consider propagation of sound pulses along the long axis of a Bose-Einstein condensed cloud in a very anisotropic trap. In the linear regime, we demonstrate that the square of the velocity of propagation is given by the square of the local sound velocity, $c^2=nU_0/m$, averaged over the cross section of the cloud. We also carry out calculations in the nonlinear regime, and determine how the speed of the pulse depends on its amplitude.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1997

Damping of Hydrodynamic Modes in a Trapped Bose Gas above the Bose-Einstein Transition Temperature

We calculate the damping of low-lying collective modes of a trapped Bose gas in the hydrodynamic regime, and show that this comes solely from the shear viscosity, since the contributions from bulk viscosity and thermal conduction vanish. The hydrodynamic expression for the damping diverges due to the failure of hydrodynamics in the outer parts of the cloud, and we take this into account by a physically motivated cutoff procedure. Our analysis of available experimental data indicates that higher densities than have yet been achieved are necessary for investigating hydrodynamic modes above the Bose-Einstein transition temperature.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1996

Effects of Electron Band Structure on Neutrino Pair Bremsstrahlung in Neutron Star Crusts

We calculate the rate of energy emission by bremsstrahlung of neutrino pairs by electrons moving in the crystalline lattice of ions in dense matter in the crust of a neutron star. Since the periodic potential in the solid gives rise to electronic band gaps which can be as large as about 1 MeV, it is necessary in estimating the bremsstrahlung rate at low temperatures to take into account band structure in detail. We find that, in the densest parts of the inner crust of a neutron star, neutrino emission at temperatures of about $2\times 10^9$K or less is much suppressed compared with earlier estimates that treated the electron-lattice interaction perturbatively, and conclude that neutrino pair bremsstrahlung by electrons in the crusts of neutron stars is much less important for neutron star thermal evolution than was previously thought.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1995

Kaon Energies in Dense Matter

We discuss the role of kaon-nucleon and nucleon-nucleon correlations in kaon condensation in dense matter. Correlations raise the threshold density for kaon condensation, possibly to densities higher than those encountered in stable neutron stars.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1995

Neutrino Emission from Dense Matter, and Neutron Star Thermal Evolution

A brief review is given of neutrino emission processes in dense matter, with particular emphasis on recent developments. These include direct Urca processes for nucleons and hyperons, which can give rise to rapid energy loss from the stellar core without exotic matter, and the effect of band structure on neutrino bremsstrahlung from electrons in the crust, which results in much lower energy losses by this process than had previously been estimated.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1995

On Neutrino Emission From Dense Matter Containing Meson Condensates

We consider the rate at which energy is emitted by neutrinos from the dense interior of neutron stars containing a Bose condensate of pions or kaons. The rates obtained are larger, by a factor of 2, than those found earlier, and are consistent with those found for the direct Urca processes.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1993

Neutrino Pair Bremsstrahlung in Neutron Star Crusts: a Reappraisal

We demonstrate that band-structure effects suppress bremsstrahlung of neutrino pairs by electrons in the crusts of neutron stars at temperatures of the order of $5\times 10^9 \,{\rm K}$ and below. Taking this into account, together with the fact that recent work indicates that the masses of neutron star crusts are considerably smaller than previously estimated, we find neutrino pair bremsstrahlung to be much less important for the thermal evolution of neutron stars than earlier calculations suggested.

astro-ph↗