arXiv subjects

J. M. Speight

Publications and source records attributed to J. M. Speight.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

A pure Skyrme instanton

The nuclear Skyrme model is considered in the extreme limit where the nucleon radius tends to infinity. In this limit only the Skyrme term in the action is significant. The model is then conformally invariant in dimension 4, and supports an instanton solution which can be constructed explicitly. The construction uses the conformal invariance and a certain symmetry reduction to reduce the model to the static phi^4 model in one dimension. The phi^4 kink solution gives the radial profile of the instanton, the kink position zero-mode corresponding to the instanton width.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Magnetic bubble refraction and quasibreathers in inhomogeneous antiferromagnets

The dynamics of magnetic bubble solitons in a two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnetic spin lattice is studied, in the case where the exchange integral J(x,y) is position dependent. In the near continuum regime, this system is described by the relativistic O(3) sigma model on a spacetime with a spatially inhomogeneous metric, determined by J. The geodesic approximation is used to describe low energy soliton dynamics in this system: n-soliton motion is approximated by geodesic motion in the moduli space of static n-solitons, equipped with the L^2 metric. Explicit formulae for this metric for various natural choices of J(x,y) are obtained. From these it is shown that single soliton trajectories experience refraction, with 1/J analogous to the refractive index, and that this refraction effect allows the construction of simple bubble lenses and bubble guides. The case where J has a disk inhomogeneity (taking the value J_1 outside a disk, and J_2<J_1 inside) is considered in detail. It is argued that, for sufficiently large J_1/J_2 this type of antiferromagnet supports approximate quasibreathers: two or more coincident bubbles confined within the disk which spin internally while their shape undergoes periodic oscillations with a generically incommensurate period.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

On the Strong Coupling Limit of the Faddeev-Hopf Model

The variational calculus for the Faddeev-Hopf model on a general Riemannian domain, with general Kaehler target space, is studied in the strong coupling limit. In this limit, the model has key similarities with pure Yang-Mills theory, namely conformal invariance in dimension 4 and an infinite dimensional symmetry group. The first and second variation formulae are calculated and several examples of stable solutions are obtained. In particular, it is proved that all immersive solutions are stable. Topological lower energy bounds are found in dimensions 2 and 4. An explicit description of the spectral behaviour of the Hopf map S^3 -> S^2 is given, and a conjecture of Ward concerning the stability of this map in the full Faddeev-Hopf model is proved.

math.DG↗

arXiv2006

Kinks in dipole chains

It is shown that the topological discrete sine-Gordon system introduced by Speight and Ward models the dynamics of an infinite uniform chain of electric dipoles constrained to rotate in a plane containing the chain. Such a chain admits a novel type of static kink solution which may occupy any position relative to the spatial lattice and experiences no Peierls-Nabarro barrier. Consequently the dynamics of a single kink is highly continuum like, despite the strongly discrete nature of the model. Static multikinks and kink-antikink pairs are constructed, and it is shown that all such static solutions are unstable. Exact propagating kinks are sought numerically using the pseudo-spectral method, but it is found that none exist, except, perhaps, at very low speed.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2005

Sigma models on curved space and bubble refraction in doped antiferromagnets

The dynamics of bubble solitons in two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnets, inhomogeneously doped so that the exchange integral J becomes position dependent, is studied. In the usual continuum approximation, the system reduces to a nonlinear sigma model on a spacetime whose geometry depends on J(x). It is shown, both within the geodesic approximation, and by appealing to field theoretic conservation laws, that a bubble incident on a domain-wall inhomogeneity undergoes refraction in accordance with Snell's law, 1/J being identified with the refractive index, and that sufficiently oblique impacts result in total internal reflexion. Possible applications of this phenomenon to the construction of bubble lenses and bubble guides(in analogy with fibre-optic cables) are considered.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2005

Slow equivariant lump dynamics on the two sphere

The low-energy, rotationally equivariant dynamics of n CP^1 lumps on S^2 is studied within the approximation of geodesic motion in the moduli space of static solutions. The volume and curvature properties of this moduli space are computed. By lifting the geodesic flow to the completion of an n-fold cover of the moduli space, a good understanding of nearly singular lump dynamics within this approximation is obtained.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Homotopy classification of multiply based textures

It is shown that the homotopy classification of textures defined on physical domains with multiple ends at infinity reduces to that of textures on compact domains if the target space is simply connected. The result is applied to the O(3) sigma model on a cylinder, recently studied by Romao.

math-ph↗

arXiv2004

Slow Schroedinger dynamics of gauged vortices

Multivortex dynamics in Manton's Schroedinger--Chern--Simons variant of the Landau-Ginzburg model of thin superconductors is studied within a moduli space approximation. It is shown that the reduced flow on M_N, the N vortex moduli space, is hamiltonian with respect to ω_{L^2}, the L^2 Kaehler form on \M_N. A purely hamiltonian discussion of the conserved momenta associated with the euclidean symmetry of the model is given, and it is shown that the euclidean action on (M_N,ω_{L^2}) is not hamiltonian. It is argued that the N=3 flow is integrable in the sense of Liouville. Asymptotic formulae for ω_{L^2} and the reduced Hamiltonian for large intervortex separation are conjectured. Using these, a qualitative analysis of internal 3-vortex dynamics is given and a spectral stability analysis of certain rotating vortex polygons is performed. Comparison is made with the dynamics of classical fluid point vortices and geostrophic vortices.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

The geodesic approximation for lump dynamics and coercivity of the Hessian for harmonic maps

The most fruitful approach to studying low energy soliton dynamics in field theories of Bogomol'nyi type is the geodesic approximation of Manton. In the case of vortices and monopoles, Stuart has obtained rigorous estimates of the errors in this approximation, and hence proved that it is valid in the low speed regime. His method employs energy estimates which rely on a key coercivity property of the Hessian of the energy functional of the theory under consideration. In this paper we prove an analogous coercivity property for the Hessian of the energy functional of a general sigma model with compact Kähler domain and target. We go on to prove a continuity property for our result, and show that, for the CP^1 model on S^2, the Hessian fails to be globally coercive in the degree 1 sector. We present numerical evidence which suggests that the Hessian is globally coercive in a certain equivariance class of the degree n sector for n>1. We also prove that, within the geodesic approximation, a single CP^1 lump moving on S^2 does not generically travel on a great circle.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Asymptotic Interactions of Critically Coupled Vortices

At critical coupling, the interactions of Ginzburg-Landau vortices are determined by the metric on the moduli space of static solutions. The asymptotic form of the metric for two well separated vortices is shown here to be expressible in terms of a Bessel function. A straightforward extension gives the metric for N vortices. The asymptotic metric is also shown to follow from a physical model, where each vortex is treated as a point-like particle carrying a scalar charge and a magnetic dipole moment of the same magnitude. The geodesic motion of two well separated vortices is investigated, and the asymptotic dependence of the scattering angle on the impact parameter is determined. Formulae for the asymptotic Ricci and scalar curvatures of the N-vortex moduli space are also obtained.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Breather initial profiles in chains of weakly coupled anharmonic oscillators

A systematic correlation between the initial profile of discrete breathers and their frequency is described. The context is that of a very weakly harmonically coupled chain of softly anharmonic oscillators. The results are structurally stable, that is, robust under changes of the on-site potential and are illustrated numerically for several standard choices. A precise genericity theorem for the results is proved.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2001

Discrete Breathers in Anisotropic Ferromagnetic Spin Chains

We prove the existence of discrete breathers (time-periodic, spatially localized solutions) in weakly coupled ferromagnetic spin chains with easy-axis anisotropy. Using numerical methods we then investigate the continuation of discrete breather solutions as the intersite coupling is increased. We find a band of frequencies for which the 1-site breather continues all the way to the soliton solution in the continuum. There is a second band, which abuts the first, in which the 1-site breather does not continue to the soliton solution, but a certain multi-site breather does. This banded structure continues, so that in each band there is a particular multi-site breather which continues to the soliton solution. A detailed analysis is presented, including an exposition of how the bifurcation pattern changes as a band is crossed. The linear stability of breathers is analyzed. It is proved that 1-site breathers are stable at small coupling, provided a non-resonance condition holds, and an extensive numerical stability analysis of 1-site and multisite breathers is performed. The results show alternating bands of stability and instability as the coupling increases.

cond-mat↗

arXiv2001

The deformed conifold as a geometry on the space of unit charge CP^1 lumps

The strong structural similarity between the deformed conifold of Candelas and de la Ossa (a noncompact Calabi-Yau manifold) and the moduli space of unit charge CP^1 lumps equipped with its L^2 metric is pointed out. This allows one to reinterpret certain recent results on D3 branes in terms of lump dynamics, and to deduce certain curvature properties of the deformed conifold.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

Instability of breathers in the topological discrete sine-Gordon system

It is demonstrated that the breather solutions recently discovered in the weakly coupled topological discrete sine-Gordon system are spectrally unstable. This is in contrast with more conventional spatially discrete systems, whose breathers are always spectrally stable at sufficiently weak coupling.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

The L^2 geometry of spaces of harmonic maps S^2 -> S^2 and RP^2 -> RP^2

Harmonic maps from S^2 to S^2 are all weakly conformal, and so are represented by rational maps. This paper presents a study of the L^2 metric gamma on M_n, the space of degree n harmonic maps S^2 -> S^2, or equivalently, the space of rational maps of degree n. It is proved that gamma is Kaehler with respect to a certain natural complex structure on M_n. The case n=1 is considered in detail: explicit formulae for gamma and its holomorphic sectional, Ricci and scalar curvatures are obtained, it is shown that the space has finite volume and diameter and codimension 2 boundary at infinity, and a certain class of Hamiltonian flows on M_1 is analyzed. It is proved that \tilde{M}_n, the space of absolute degree n (an odd positive integer) harmonic maps RP^2 -> RP^2, is a totally geodesic Lagrangian submanifold of M_n, and that for all n>1, \tilde{M}_n is geodesically incomplete. Possible generalizations and the relevance of these results to theoretical physics are briefly discussed.

math.DG↗

arXiv2000

Breather initial profiles in networks of weakly coupled anharmonic oscillators

Qualitative information about breather initial profiles in the weak coupling limit of a chain of identical one-dimensional anharmonic oscillators is found by studying the linearized equations of motion at a one-site breather. In particular, information is found about how the breather initial profile depends on its period T. Numerical work shows two different kinds of breathers to exist and to occur in alternating T-bands. Genericity of certain aspects of the observed behaviour is proved.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2000

A quantum Peierls-Nabarro barrier

Kink dynamics in spatially discrete nonlinear Klein-Gordon systems is considered. For special choices of the substrate potential, such systems support continuous translation orbits of static kinks with no (classical) Peierls-Nabarro barrier. It is shown that these kinks experience, nevertheless, a lattice-periodic confining potential, due to purely quantum effects anaolgous to the Casimir effect of quantum field theory. The resulting ``quantum Peierls-Nabarro potential'' may be calculated in the weak coupling approximation by a simple and computationally cheap numerical algorithm, which is applied, for purposes of illustration, to a certain two-parameter family of substrates.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

Kink dynamics in a novel discrete sine-Gordon system

A spatially-discrete sine-Gordon system with some novel features is described. There is a topological or Bogomol'nyi lower bound on the energy of a kink, and an explicit static kink which saturates this bound. There is no Peierls potential barrier, and consequently the motion of a kink is simpler, especially at low speeds. At higher speeds, it radiates and slows down.

patt-sol↗