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Simon Hands

Publications and source records attributed to Simon Hands.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2016

Topological Visualisation techniques for the understanding of Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (LQCD) simulations

The use of topology for visualisation applications has become increasingly popular due to its ability to summarise data at a high level. Criticalities in scalar field data are used by visualisation methods such as the Reeb graph and contour trees to present topological structure in simple graph based formats. These techniques can be used to segment the input field, recognising the boundaries between multiple objects, allowing whole contour meshes to be seeded as separate objects. In this paper we demonstrate the use of topology based techniques when applied to theoretical physics data generated from Quantum Chromodynamics simulations, which due to its structure complicates their use. We also discuss how the output of algorithms involved in topological visualisation can be used by physicists to further their understanding of Quantum Chromodynamics.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2016

Finite Temperature Lattice QCD - Baryons in the Quark-Gluon Plasma

Baryonic correlation functions provide an ideal tool to study parity doubling and chiral symmetry using lattice simulations. We present a study using $2+1$ flavors of anisotropic Wilson clover fermions on the FASTSUM ensembles and find clear evidence that parity doubling emerges in the quark-gluon plasma. This result is confirmed on the level of spectral functions, which are obtained using a MEM reconstruction. We further highlight the importance of Gaussian smearing in this study.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

From Domain Wall to Overlap in 2+1d

The equivalence of domain wall and overlap fermion formulations is demonstrated for lattice gauge theories in 2+1 spacetime dimensions with parity-invariant mass terms. Even though the domain wall approach distinguishes propagation along a third direction with projectors ${1\over2}(1\pmγ_3)$, the truncated overlap operator obtained for finite wall separation $L_s$ is invariant under interchange of $γ_3$ and $γ_5$. In the limit $L_s\to\infty$ the resulting Ginsparg-Wilson relations recover the expected U($2N_f$) global symmetry up to O($a$) corrections. Finally it is shown that finite-$L_s$ corrections to bilinear condensates associated with dynamical mass generation are characterised by whether even powers of the symmetry-breaking mass are present; such terms are absent for antihermitian bilinears such as $i\barψγ_3ψ$, markedly improving the approach to the large-$L_s$ limit.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Probing parity doubling in nucleons at high temperature

The spectrum of nucleons and their parity partners is studied as a function of temperature spanning the deconfinement transition. We analyse our results using the correlation functions directly, exponential fits in the hadronic phase, and the Maximum Entropy Method. These techniques all indicate that there is degeneracy in the parity partners' channels in the deconfined phase. This is in accordance with the expectation that there is parity doubling and chiral symmetry in the deconfined phase. In the hadronic phase, we also find that the nucleon ground state is largely independent of temperature, whereas there are substantial temperature effects in the negative parity channel. All results are obtained using our FASTSUM 2+1 flavour ensembles.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Strong Interaction Effects at a Fermi Surface in a Model for Voltage-Biased Bilayer Graphene

Monte Carlo simulation of a 2+1 dimensional model of voltage-biased bilayer graphene, consisting of relativistic fermions with chemical potential mu coupled to charged excitations with opposite sign on each layer, has exposed non-canonical scaling of bulk observables near a quantum critical point found at strong coupling. We present a calculation of the quasiparticle dispersion relation E(k) as a function of exciton source j in the same system, employing partially twisted boundary conditions to boost the number of available momentum modes. The Fermi momentum k_F and superfluid gap Delta are extracted in the limit j tends to zero for three different values of mu, and support a strongly interacting scenario at the Fermi surface with Delta of order O(mu). We propose an explanation for the observation mu < k_F in terms of a dynamical critical exponent z < 1.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2015

Domain Wall Fermions for Planar Physics

In 2+1 dimensions, Dirac fermions in reducible, i.e. four-component representations of the spinor algebra form the basis of many interesting model field theories and effective descriptions of condensed matter phenomena. This paper explores lattice formulations which preserve the global U(2N ) symmetry present in the massless limit, and its breakdown to U(N)xU(N) implemented by three independent and parity-invariant fermion mass terms. I set out generalisations of the Ginsparg-Wilson relation, leading to a formulation of an overlap operator, and explore the remnants of the global symmetries which depart from the continuum form by terms of order of the lattice spacing. I also define a domain wall formulation in 2+1+1d, and present numerical evidence, in the form of bilinear condensate and meson correlator calculations in quenched non-compact QED using reformulations of all three mass terms, to show that U(2N) symmetry is recovered in the limit that the domain-wall separation tends to infinity. The possibility that overlap and domain wall formulations of reducible fermions may coincide only in the continuum limit is discussed.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Nucleons and parity doubling across the deconfinement transition

It is expected that nucleons and their parity partners become degenerate when chiral symmetry is restored. We investigate this question in the context of the thermal transition from the hadronic phase to the quark-gluon plasma, using lattice QCD simulations with N_f=2+1 flavours. We observe a clear sign of parity doubling in the quark-gluon plasma. Besides, we find that the nucleon ground state is, within the uncertainty, largely independent of the temperature, whereas temperature effects are substantial in the negative-parity (N^*) channel, already in the confined phase.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Electrical conductivity and charge diffusion in thermal QCD from the lattice

We present a lattice QCD calculation of the charge diffusion coefficient, the electrical conductivity and various susceptibilities of conserved charges, for a range of temperatures below and above the deconfinement crossover. The calculations include the contributions from up, down and strange quarks. We find that the diffusion coefficient is of the order of 1/(2πT) and has a dip around the crossover temperature. Our results are obtained with lattice simulations containing 2+1 dynamical flavours on anisotropic lattices. The Maximum Entropy Method is used to construct spectral functions from correlators of the conserved vector current.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Two-color QCD at high density

QCD at high chemical potential has interesting properties such as deconfinement of quarks. Two-color QCD, which enables numerical simulations on the lattice, constitutes a laboratory to study QCD at high chemical potential. Among the interesting properties of two-color QCD at high density is the diquark condensation, for which we present recent results obtained on a finer lattice compared to previous studies. The quark propagator in two-color QCD at non-zero chemical potential is referred to as the Gor'kov propagator. We express the Gor'kov propagator in terms of form factors and present recent lattice simulation results.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Hadron Wavefunctions as a Probe of a Two Color Baryonic Medium

The properties of the ground state of two-color QCD at non-zero baryon chemical potential $μ$ present an interesting problem in strongly-interacting gauge theory; in particular the nature of the physically-relevant degrees of freedom in the superfluid phase in the post-onset regime $μ>m_π/2$ still needs clarification. In this study we present evidence for in-medium effects at high $μ$ by studying the wavefunctions of mesonic and diquark states using orthodox lattice simulation techniques, made possible by the absence of a Sign Problem for the model with $N_f=2$. Our results show that beyond onset the spatial extent of hadrons decreases as $μ$ grows, and that the wavefunction profiles are consistent with the existence of a dynamically-gapped Fermi surface in this regime.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

Graphene as a Lattice Field Theory

We introduce effective field theories for the electronic properties of graphene in terms of relativistic fermions propagating in 2+1 dimensions, and outline how strong inter-electron interactions may be modelled by numerical simulation of a lattice field theory. For strong enough coupling an insulating state can form via condensation of particle-hole pairs, and it is demonstrated that this is a theoretical possibility for monolayer graphene. For bilayer graphene the effect of an interlayer bias voltage can be modelled by the introduction of a chemical potential (akin to isopsin chemical potential in QCD) with no accompanying sign problem; simulations reveal the presence of strong interactions among the residual degrees of freedom at the resulting Fermi surface, which is disrupted by an excitonic condensate. We also present preliminary results for the quasiparticle dispersion, which permit direct estimates of both the Fermi momentum and the induced gap.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2014

Quark-gluon plasma phenomenology from anisotropic lattice QCD

The FASTSUM collaboration has been carrying out simulations of N_f=2+1 QCD at nonzero temperature in the fixed-scale approach using anisotropic lattices. Here we present the status of these studies, including recent results for electrical conductivity and charge diffusion, and heavy quarkonium (charm and beauty) physics.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2014

2+1 flavour thermal studies on an anisotropic lattice

The FASTSUM collaboration has initiated a detailed study of thermal QCD using 2+1 flavours of improved Wilson quarks on anisotropic lattices. Spatial volumes of (3fm)^3 and (4fm)^3 are used at fixed cut-off with temperatures ranging from 40 to 350 MeV (corresponding to temporal lattice extents of 128 to 16 lattice units). Results presented here include the deconfinement temperature and a study of the restoration of chiral symmetry, together with a brief summary of our collaboration's other results from these ensembles.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2013

Determination of Karsch Coefficients for 2-colour QCD

We give an update of results from two-colour, two-flavour QCD. Using a Wilson fermion action we calculate thermodynamic quantities as a function of chemical potential μ. Calculating the Karsch Coefficients non-perturbatively gives us access to the derivative method. Compared to our previously published results, we have improved our analysis leading to revised and more accurate estimates for the renormalised energy density, pressure and the trace anomaly.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2013

Transport coefficients of the QGP

The FASTSUM collaboration presents a study on the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity $σ$ in the quark-gluon plasma, using the methods of lattice QCD. Correlators of the exactly conserved vector current are measured at different temperatures across the deconfinement transition, using ensembles of $2+1$ flavours of dynamical fermions on anisotropic lattices. We then employ bayesian methods (MEM) to extract the relevant spectral functions, which are found to be consistent with $σ/T$ rising as a function of $T$. The robustness of the results is verified by a detailed analysis of the systematics involved in the bayesian reconstruction of the spectral functions.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2013

Electrical conductivity of the quark-gluon plasma across the deconfinement transition

A lattice calculation is presented for the electrical conductivity of the QCD plasma with 2+1 dynamical flavours at nonzero temperature. We employ the conserved lattice current on anisotropic lattices using a tadpole-improved clover action and study the behaviour of the conductivity over a wide range of temperatures, both below and above the deconfining transition. The conductivity is extracted from a spectral-function analysis using the Maximal Entropy Method and a discussion of its systematics is provided.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2013

Quark-gluon plasma phenomenology from the lattice

The FASTSUM Collaboration has calculated several quantities relevant for QCD studies at non-zero temperature using the lattice technique. We report here our results for the (i) interquark potential in charmonium; (ii) bottomonium spectral functions; and (iii) electrical conductivity. All results were obtained with 2+1 flavours of dynamical fermions on an anisotropic lattice which allows greater resolution in the temporal direction.

hep-lat↗