arXiv subjects

F. K. Diakonos

Publications and source records attributed to F. K. Diakonos.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Search for the QCD critical point in nuclear collisions at the CERN SPS

Pion production in nuclear collisions at the SPS is investigated with the aim to search, in a restricted domain of the phase diagram, for power-laws in the behavior of correlations which are compatible with critical QCD. We have analyzed interactions of nuclei of different size (p+p, C+C, Si+Si, Pb+Pb) at 158$A$ GeV adopting, as appropriate observables, scaled factorial moments in a search for intermittent fluctuations in transverse dimensions. The analysis is performed for $π^+π^-$ pairs with invariant mass very close to the two-pion threshold. In this sector one may capture critical fluctuations of the sigma component in a hadronic medium, even if the $σ$-meson has no well defined vacuum state. It turns out that for the Pb+Pb system the proposed analysis technique cannot be applied without entering the invariant mass region with strong Coulomb correlations. As a result the treatment becomes inconclusive in this case. Our results for the other systems indicate the presence of power-law fluctuations in the freeze-out state of Si+Si approaching in size the prediction of critical QCD.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2009

Evolutionary phase space in driven elliptical billiards

We perform the first long-time exploration of the classical dynamics of a driven billiard with a four dimensional phase space. With increasing velocity of the ensemble we observe an evolution from a large chaotic sea with stickiness due to regular islands to thin chaotic channels with diffusive motion leading to Fermi acceleration. As a surprising consequence, we encounter a crossover, which is not parameter induced but rather occurs dynamically, from amplitude dependent tunable subdiffusion to universal normal diffusion in momentum space. In the high velocity case we observe particle focusing in phase space.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2009

Statistical Approach to the Cosmological-Constant Problem on Brane Worlds

We investigate the physically accepted solutions of general Braneworld scenarios, scanning uniformly the associated parameter space. Without making any further assumptions we find that solutions which give "small" Hubble parameters on the physical brane, and therefore "small" effective cosmological constants on the 4D Universe, are far more probable than those with "large" ones. Eventually, their distribution tends to the $δ$-function in the limit of continuous covering of the parameter space.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

Scattering off an oscillating target: Basic mechanisms and their impact on cross sections

We investigate classical scattering off a harmonically oscillating target in two spatial dimensions. The shape of the scatterer is assumed to have a boundary which is locally convex at any point and does not support the presence of any periodic orbits in the corresponding dynamics. As a simple example we consider the scattering of a beam of non-interacting particles off a circular hard scatterer. The performed analysis is focused on experimentally accessible quantities, characterizing the system, like the differential cross sections in the outgoing angle and velocity. Despite the absence of periodic orbits and their manifolds in the dynamics, we show that the cross sections acquire rich and multiple structure when the velocity of the particles in the beam becomes of the same order of magnitude as the maximum velocity of the oscillating target. The underlying dynamical pattern is uniquely determined by the phase of the first collision between the beam particles and the scatterer and possesses a universal profile, dictated by the manifolds of the parabolic orbits, which can be understood both qualitatively as well as quantitatively in terms of scattering off a hard wall. We discuss also the inverse problem concerning the possibility to extract properties of the oscillating target from the differential cross sections.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2008

Classical evolution of fractal measures generated by a scalar field on the lattice

We investigate the classical evolution of a $ϕ^4$ scalar field theory, using in the initial state random field configurations possessing a fractal measure expressed by a non-integer mass dimension. These configurations resemble the equilibrium state of a critical scalar condensate. The measures of the initial fractal behavior vary in time following the mean field motion. We show that the remnants of the original fractal geometry survive and leave an imprint in the system time averaged observables, even for large times compared to the approximate oscillation period of the mean field, determined by the model parameters. This behavior becomes more transparent in the evolution of a deterministic Cantor-like scalar field configuration. We extend our study to the case of two interacting scalar fields, and we find qualitatively similar results. Therefore, our analysis indicates that the geometrical properties of a critical system initially at equilibrium could sustain for several periods of the field oscillations in the phase of non-equilibrium evolution.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2008

Evidence for divergent baryon-number susceptibility in QCD matter

The baryon-number density formed in relativistic nuclear collisions, versus the chemical potential of the freeze-out states, is systematically studied on the basis of existing measurements. A remarkable power-law behaviour of the baryon-number susceptibility is found at the SPS, consistent with the existence of a QCD critical point at $μ_{B,c}\simeq 214$ MeV, $T_c\simeq 155$ MeV. The equation of state in different asymptotic regimes of the critical region is also examined and confronted with freeze-out states in these experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Evolutionary intermittency and the QCD critical point

We investigate the dynamics of the critical isoscalar condensate, formed during heavy-ion collisions. Our analysis is based on a simplified model where the sigma and the pions are the only degrees of freedom. In field description, both in physical and momentum space, we find that the freeze-out profile presents a structure which reveals clear traces of the critical fluctuations in the sigma-component. In particle representation, using Monte-Carlo simulations and factorial moment analysis, we show that signatures of the initial criticality survive at the detected pions. We propose the distribution of suitably defined intermittency indices, incorporating dynamical effects due to sigma-pion interaction, as the basic observable for the exploration of critical fluctuations in heavy-ion collision experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

A nonlinear classical model for the decay widths of Isoscalar Giant Monopole Resonances

The decay of the Isoscalar Giant Monopole Resonance (ISGMR) in nuclei is studied by means of a nonlinear classical model consisting of several noninteracting nucleons (particles) moving in a potential well with an oscillating nuclear surface (wall). The motion of the nuclear surface is described by means of a collective variable which appears explicitly in the Hamiltonian as an additional degree of freedom. The total energy of the system is therefore conserved. Although the particles do not directly interact with each other, their motions are indirectly coupled by means of their interaction with the moving nuclear surface. We consider as free parameters in this model the degree of collectivity and the fraction of nucleons that participate to the decay of the collective excitation. Specifically, we have calculated the decay width of the ISGMR in the spherical nuclei $^{208}\rm{Pb}$, $^{144}\rm{Sm}$, $^{116}\rm{Sn}$ and $^{90}\rm{Zr}$. Despite its simplicity and its purely classical nature, the model reproduces the trend of the experimental data which show that with increasing mass number the decay width decreases. Moreover the experimental results (with the exception of $^{90}\rm{Zr}$) can be well fitted using appropriate values for the free parameters mentioned above. It is also found that these values allow for a good description of the experimentally measured $^{112}\rm{Sn}$ and $^{124}\rm{Sn}$ decay widths. In addition, we give a prediction for the decay width of the exotic isotope $^{132}Sn$ for which there is experimental interest. The agreement of our results with the corresponding experimental data for medium-heavy nuclei is dictated by the underlying classical mechanics i.e. the behaviour of the maximum Lyapunov exponent as a function of the system size.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2007

Classical evolution of fractal measures on the lattice

We consider the classical evolution of a lattice of non-linear coupled oscillators for a special case of initial conditions resembling the equilibrium state of a macroscopic thermal system at the critical point. The displacements of the oscillators define initially a fractal measure on the lattice associated with the scaling properties of the order parameter fluctuations in the corresponding critical system. Assuming a sudden symmetry breaking (quench), leading to a change in the equilibrium position of each oscillator, we investigate in some detail the deformation of the initial fractal geometry as time evolves. In particular we show that traces of the critical fractal measure can sustain for large times and we extract the properties of the chain which determine the associated time-scales. Our analysis applies generally to critical systems for which, after a slow developing phase where equilibrium conditions are justified, a rapid evolution, induced by a sudden symmetry breaking, emerges in time scales much shorter than the corresponding relaxation or observation time. In particular, it can be used in the fireball evolution in a heavy-ion collision experiment, where the QCD critical point emerges, or in the study of evolving fractals of astrophysical and cosmological scales, and may lead to determination of the initial critical properties of the Universe through observations in the symmetry broken phase.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2007

Evolution of Critical Correlations at the QCD Phase Transition

We investigate the evolution of the density-density correlations in the isoscalar critical condensate formed at the QCD critical point. The initial equilibrium state of the system is characterized by a fractal measure determining the distribution of isoscalar particles (sigmas) in configuration space. Non-equilibrium dynamics is induced through a sudden symmetry breaking leading gradually to the deformation of the initial fractal geometry. After constructing an ensemble of configurations describing the initial state of the isoscalar field we solve the equations of motion and show that remnants of the critical state and the associated fractal geometry survive for time scales larger than the time needed for the mass of the isoscalar particles to reach the two-pion threshold. This result is more transparent in an event-by-event analysis of the phenomenon. Thus, we conclude that the initial fractal properties can eventually be transferred to the observable pion-sector through the decay of the sigmas even in the case of a quench.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

Hyperacceleration in a stochastic Fermi-Ulam model

Fermi acceleration in a Fermi-Ulam model, consisting of an ensemble of particles bouncing between two, infinitely heavy, stochastically oscillating hard walls, is investigated. It is shown that the widely used approximation, neglecting the displacement of the walls (static wall approximation), leads to a systematic underestimation of particle acceleration. An improved approximative map is introduced, which takes into account the effect of the wall displacement, and in addition allows the analytical estimation of the long term behavior of the particle mean velocity as well as the corresponding probability distribution, in complete agreement with the numerical results of the exact dynamics. This effect accounting for the increased particle acceleration -Fermi hyperacceleration- is also present in higher dimensional systems, such as the driven Lorentz gas.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2006

An efficient algorithm simulating a macroscopic system at the critical point

It is well known that conventional simulation algorithms are inefficient for the statistical description of macroscopic systems exactly at the critical point due to the divergence of the corresponding relaxation time (critical slowing down). On the other hand the dynamics in the order parameter space is simplified significantly in this case due to the onset of self-similarity in the associated fluctuation patterns. As a consequence the effective action at the critical point obtains a very simple form. In the present work we show that this simplified action can be used in order to simulate efficiently the statistical properties of a macroscopic system exactly at the critical point. Using the proposed algorithm we generate an ensemble of configurations resembling the characteristic fractal geometry of the critical system related to the self-similar order parameter fluctuations. As an example we simulate the one-component real scalar field theory at the transition point $T=T_c$ as a representative system belonging to the $3-D$ Ising universality class.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2006

Skyrmion-like excitations in dynamical lattices

We construct discrete analogs of Skyrmions in nonlinear dynamical lattices. The Skyrmion is built as a vortex soliton of a complex field, coupled to a dark radial soliton of a real field. Adjusting the Skyrmion ansatz to the lattice setting allows us to construct a "baby-Skyrmion" in two dimensions (2D) and extend it into the 3D case (1D counterparts of the Skyrmions are also found). Stability limits for these patterns are obtained analytically and verified numerically. The dynamics of unstable discrete Skyrmions is explored, and their stabilization by external potentials is discussed.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Critical Opalescence in Baryonic QCD Matter

We show that critical opalescence, a clear signature of second-order phase transition in conventional matter, manifests itself as critical intermittency in QCD matter produced in experiments with nuclei. This behaviour is revealed in transverse momentum spectra as a pattern of power laws in factorial moments, to all orders, associated with baryon production. This phenomenon together with a similar effect in the isoscalar sector of pions (sigma mode) provide us with a set of observables associated with the search for the QCD critical point in experiments with nuclei at high energies.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

Abrupt transition in a sandpile model

We present a fixed energy sandpile (FES) model which, by increasing the initial energy,undergoes, at the level of individual configurations, a discontinuous transition.The model is obtained by modifying the toppling procedure in the BTW rules: the energy transfer from a toppling site takes place only to neighbouring sites with less energy (negative gradient constraint) and with a time ordering (asynchronous). The model is minimal in the sense that removing either of the two above mentioned constraints (negative gradient or time ordering) the abrupt transition goes over to a continuous transition as in the usual BTW case. Therefore the proposed model offers an unique possibility to explore at the microscopic level the basic mechanisms underlying discontinuous transitions.

nlin.AO↗

arXiv2005

Magnetic-field dependence of transport in normal and Andreev billiards: a classical interpretation to the averaged quantum behavior

We perform a comparative study of the quantum and classical transport probabilities of low-energy quasiparticles ballistically traversing normal and Andreev two-dimensional open cavities with a Sinai-billiard shape. We focus on the dependence of the transport on the strength of an applied magnetic field $B$. With increasing field strength the classical dynamics changes from mixed to regular phase space. Averaging out the quantum fluctuations, we find an excellent agreement between the quantum and classical transport coefficients in the complete range of field strengths. This allows an overall description of the non-monotonic behavior of the average magnetoconductance in terms of the corresponding classical trajectories, thus, establishing a basic tool useful in the design and analysis of experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2005

Transverse momentum parton distributions inspired by a quark potential model

We derive a nonperturbative transverse momentum distribution for partons using a potential model to describe the quark-quark interaction inside the proton. We use this distribution to calculate the diferential cross-section of $π^0$-production for intermediate values of transverse momentum in $p-p$ collisions at high energies. Assuming a variable string tension constant for the quark-quark potential we obtain a very good description of the experimental data at different energies. The corresponding values of the mean transverse momentum of the partons are essentially lower than those obtained using a Gaussian transverse momentum parton distribution.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Critical QCD in Nuclear Collisions

A detailed study of correlated scalars, produced in collisions of nuclei and associated with the $σ$-field fluctuations, $(δσ)^2= < σ^2 >$, at the QCD critical point (critical fluctuations), is performed on the basis of a critical event generator (Critical Monte-Carlo) developed in our previous work. The aim of this analysis is to reveal suitable observables of critical QCD in the multiparticle environment of simulated events and select appropriate signatures of the critical point, associated with new and strong effects in nuclear collisions.

hep-ph↗