arXiv subjects

H. Smith

Publications and source records attributed to H. Smith.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Shear viscosity and damping for a Fermi gas in the unitarity limit

The shear viscosity of a two-component Fermi gas in the normal phase is calculated as a function of temperature in the unitarity limit, taking into account strong-coupling effects that give rise to a pseudogap in the spectral density for single-particle excitations. The results indicate that recent measurements of the damping of collective modes in trapped atomic clouds can be understood in terms of hydrodynamics, with a decay rate given by the viscosity integrated over an effective volume of the cloud.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2006

SPITZER Observations of z~3 Lyman Break Galaxies: stellar masses and mid-infrared properties

We describe the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at z~3 using deep mid-infrared and optical observations of the Extended Groth Strip, obtained with IRAC and MIPS on board Spitzer and from the ground, respectively. We focus on LBGs with detections at all four IRAC bands, in particular the 26 galaxies with IRAC 8 micron band (rest--frame K-band) detections. We use stellar population synthesis models and probe the stellar content of these galaxies. Based on best--fit continuous star-formation models we derive estimates of the stellar mass for these LBGs. As in previous studies, we find that a fraction of LBGs have very red colors and large estimated stellar masses (M_stellar > 5 x 10 ^{10} M_solar): the present Spitzer data allow us, for the first time, to study these massive LBGs in detail. We discuss the link between these LBGs and submm-luminous galaxies.We find that the number density of these massive LBGs at high redshift is higher than predicted by current semi-analytic models of galaxy evolution.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Infrared Constraints on AGN Tori Models

This work focuses on the properties of dusty tori in active galactic nuclei (AGN) derived from the comparison of SDSS type 1 quasars with mid-Infrared (MIR) counterparts and a new, detailed torus model. The infrared data were taken by the Spitzer Wide-area InfraRed Extragalactic (SWIRE) Survey. Basic model parameters are constraint, such as the density law of the graphite and silicate grains, the torus size and its opening angle. A whole variety of optical depths is supported. The favoured models are those with decreasing density with distance from the centre, while there is no clear tendency as to the covering factor, ie small, medium and large covering factors are almost equally distributed. Based on the models that better describe the observed SEDs, properties such as the accretion luminosity, the mass of dust, the inner to outer radius ratio and the hydrogen column density are computed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Three-body local correlation function in the Lieb-Liniger model: bosonization approach

We develop a method for the calculation of vacuum expectation values of local operators in the Lieb-Liniger model. This method is based on a set of new identities obtained using integrability and effective theory (``bosonization'') description. We use this method to get an explicit expression for the three-body local correlation function, measured in a recent experiment [1].

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Spitzer Imaging of nearby ULIRGs and their Progeny: Fine-Structure Elliptical Galaxies

We present results from two mid-infrared imaging programs of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and fine-structure elliptical galaxies. The former are known to nearly all be recent mergers between two gas-rich spiral galaxies, while the latter are also believed to be even more aged merger remnants. An examination of these two classes of objects, which may represent different stages of the same putative merger sequence, should reveal similarities in the distribution of their stellar populations and dust content consistent with that expected for time-evolution of the merger. The data reveal for the first time extended dust emission in the ULIRG galaxy bodies and along their tidal features. However, contrary to expectation, we find that the vast majority of the fine-structure elliptical galaxies lack such structured emission. This likely results from the optical selection of the elliptical sample, resulting in a population that reflects the IR-activity (or lack thereof) of optically selected interacting galaxies. Alternately, this may reflect an evolutionary process in the distribution of the dust content of the galaxy bodies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Exact Results for Three-Body Correlations in a Degenerate One-Dimensional Bose Gas

Motivated by recent experiments we derive an exact expression for the correlation function entering the three-body recombination rate for a one-dimensional gas of interacting bosons. The answer, given in terms of two thermodynamic parameters of the Lieb-Liniger model, is valid for all values of the dimensionless coupling $γ$ and contains the previously known results for the Bogoliubov and Tonks-Girardeau regimes as limiting cases. We also investigate finite-size effects by calculating the correlation function for small systems of 3, 4, 5 and 6 particles.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2005

Viscosity and Thermal Relaxation for a resonantly interacting Fermi gas

The viscous and thermal relaxation rates of an interacting fermion gas are calculated as functions of temperature and scattering length, using a many-body scattering matrix which incorporates medium effects due to Fermi blocking of intermediate states. These effects are demonstrated to be large close to the transition temperature $T_c$ to the superfluid state. For a homogeneous gas in the unitarity limit, the relaxation rates are increased by nearly an order of magnitude compared to their value obtained in the absence of medium effects due to the Cooper instability at $T_c$. For trapped gases the corresponding ratio is found to be about three due to the averaging over the inhomogeneous density distribution. The effect of superfluidity below $T_c$ is considered to leading order in the ratio between the energy gap and the transition temperature.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

Spitzer Mid-Infrared Imaging of Nearby Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

We have observed 14 nearby (z<0.16) Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) with Spitzer at 3.6-24 microns. The underlying host galaxies are well-detected, in addition to the luminous nuclear cores. While the spatial resolution of Spitzer is poor, the great sensitivity of the data reveals the underlying galaxy merger remnant, and provides the first look at off-nuclear mid-infrared activity.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Viscous relaxation and collective oscillations in a trapped Fermi gas near the unitarity limit

The viscous relaxation time of a trapped two-component gas of fermions in its normal phase is calculated as a function of temperature and scattering length, with the collision probability being determined by an energy-dependent s-wave cross section. The result is used for calculating the temperature dependence of the frequency and damping of collective modes studied in recent experiments, starting from the kinetic equation for the fermion distribution function with mean-field effects included in the streaming terms.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

Static properties of positive ions in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates

The excess number of atoms around an ion immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate is determined as a function of the condensate density far from the ion. We use thermodynamic arguments to demonstrate that in the limit of low densities the excess number of atoms is proportional to the ratio of the atom-ion and atom-atom scattering lengths. For denser systems we calculate the excess number from solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation using a model potential that has a $1/r^{4}$ attraction coming from the polarization of the neutral atoms and a hard core repulsion at short distances. We show that there exist in general many solutions to the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for a given condensate density, the maximum number of solutions being related to the number of bound states of the Schrödinger equation for the same potential. With increasing density, pairs of these solutions merge and disappear, implying a discontinuous change of the state of the system.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

Low-temperature crossover in the momentum distribution of cold atomic gases in one dimension

The momentum distribution function for the two-component 1D gases of bosons and fermions is studied in the limit of strong interatomic repulsion. A pronounced reconstruction of the distribution is found at a temperature much smaller than the Fermi temperature. This new temperature scale, which equals the Fermi temperature divided by the dimensionless coupling strength, is a feature of the two-component model and does not exist in the one-component case. We estimate the parameters relevant for the experimental observation of the crossover effect.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2003

Spatial period-doubling in Bose-Einstein condensates in an optical lattice

We demonstrate that there exist stationary states of Bose-Einstein condensates in an optical lattice that do not satisfy the usual Bloch periodicity condition. Using the discrete model appropriate to the tight-binding limit we determine energy bands for period-doubled states in a one-dimensional lattice. In a complementary approach we calculate the band structure from the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, considering both states of the usual Bloch form and states which have the Bloch form for a period equal to twice that of the optical lattice. We show that the onset of dynamical instability of states of the usual Bloch form coincides with the occurrence of period-doubled states with the same energy. The period-doubled states are shown to be related to periodic trains of solitons.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2003

Almost global existence for quasilinear wave equations in three space dimensions

We prove almost global existence for multiple speed quasilinear wave equations with quadratic nonlinearities in three spatial dimensions. We prove new results both for Minkowski space and also for nonlinear Dirichlet-wave equations outside of star shaped obstacles. The results for Minkowski space generalize a classical theorem of John and Klainerman. Our techniques only uses the classical invariance of the wave operator under translations, spatial rotations, and scaling. We exploit the $O(|x|^{-1})$ decay of solutions of the wave equation as opposed to the more difficult $O(|t|^{-1})$ decay. Accordingly, a key step in our approach is to prove a pointwise estimate of solutions of the wave equations that gives $O(1/t)$ decay of solutions of the inhomomogeneous linear wave equation based in terms of $O(1/|x|)$ estimates for the forcing term.

math.AP↗

arXiv2003

Band structure, elementary excitations, and stability of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a periodic potential

We investigate the band structure of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a one-dimensional periodic potential by calculating stationary solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation which have the form of Bloch waves. We demonstrate that loops ("swallow tails") in the band structure occur both at the Brillouin zone boundary and at the center of the zone, and they are therefore a generic feature. A physical interpretation of the swallow tails in terms of periodic solitons is given. The linear stability of the solutions is investigated as a function of the strength of the mean-field interaction, the magnitude of the periodic potential, and the wave vector of the condensate. The regions of energetic and dynamical stability are identified by considering the behavior of the Gross-Pitaevskii energy functional for small deviations of the condensate wave function from a stationary state. It is also shown how for long-wavelength disturbances the stability criteria may be obtained within a hydrodynamic approach.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2001

Loop structure of the lowest Bloch band for a Bose-Einstein condensate

We investigate analytically and numerically Bloch waves for a Bose--Einstein condensate in a sinusoidal external potential. At low densities the dependence of the energy on the quasimomentum is similar to that for a single particle, but at densities greater than a critical one the lowest band becomes triple-valued near the boundary of the first Brillouin zone and develops the structure characteristic of the swallow-tail catastrophe. We comment on the experimental consequences of this behavior.

cond-mat↗

arXiv2000

Influence of Induced Interactions on the Superfluid Transition in Dilute Fermi Gases

We calculate the effects of induced interactions on the transition temperature to the BCS state in dilute Fermi gases. For a pure Fermi system with 2 species having equal densities, the transition temperature is suppressed by a factor $(4e)^{1/3}\approx 2.2$, and for $ν$ fermion species, the transition temperature is increased by a factor $(4e)^{ν/3-1} \approx 2.2^{ν-3}$. For mixtures of fermions and bosons the exchange of boson density fluctuations gives rise to an effective interaction, and we estimate the increase of the transition temperature due to this effect.

cond-mat↗

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↗