Models for mirror symmetry breaking via β-sheet-controlled copolymerization: (i) mass balance and (ii) probabilistic treatment.

PubMed

Blanco, Celia; Hochberg, David

2012-12-06

Experimental mechanisms that yield the growth of homochiral copolymers over their heterochiral counterparts have been advocated by Lahav and co-workers. These chiral amplification mechanisms proceed through racemic β-sheet-controlled polymerization operative in both surface crystallites as well as in solution. We develop two complementary theoretical models for these template-induced desymmetrization processes leading to multicomponent homochiral copolymers. First, assuming reversible β-sheet formation, the equilibrium between the free monomer pool and the polymer strand within the template is assumed. This yields coupled nonlinear mass balance equations whose solutions are used to calculate enantiomeric excesses and average lengths of the homochiral chains formed. The second approach is a probabilistic treatment based on random polymerization. The occlusion probabilities depend on the polymerization activation energies for each monomer species and are proportional to the concentrations of the monomers in solution in the constant pool approximation. The monomer occlusion probabilities are represented geometrically in terms of unit simplexes from which conditions for maximizing or minimizing the likelihood for mirror symmetry breaking can be determined.

The role of color and attention-to-color in mirror-symmetry perception.

PubMed

Gheorghiu, Elena; Kingdom, Frederick A A; Remkes, Aaron; Li, Hyung-Chul O; Rainville, Stéphane

2016-07-11

The role of color in the visual perception of mirror-symmetry is controversial. Some reports support the existence of color-selective mirror-symmetry channels, others that mirror-symmetry perception is merely sensitive to color-correlations across the symmetry axis. Here we test between the two ideas. Stimuli consisted of colored Gaussian-blobs arranged either mirror-symmetrically or quasi-randomly. We used four arrangements: (1) 'segregated' - symmetric blobs were of one color, random blobs of the other color(s); (2) 'random-segregated' - as above but with the symmetric color randomly selected on each trial; (3) 'non-segregated' - symmetric blobs were of all colors in equal proportions, as were the random blobs; (4) 'anti-symmetric' - symmetric blobs were of opposite-color across the symmetry axis. We found: (a) near-chance levels for the anti-symmetric condition, suggesting that symmetry perception is sensitive to color-correlations across the symmetry axis; (b) similar performance for random-segregated and non-segregated conditions, giving no support to the idea that mirror-symmetry is color selective; (c) highest performance for the color-segregated condition, but only when the observer knew beforehand the symmetry color, suggesting that symmetry detection benefits from color-based attention. We conclude that mirror-symmetry detection mechanisms, while sensitive to color-correlations across the symmetry axis and subject to the benefits of attention-to-color, are not color selective.

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Supernova Neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raffelt, Georg G.

2015-08-01

Some recent developments in supernova neutrino physics are introduced where spontaneous symmetry breaking is a common theme. The physics of self-induced flavor conversion has acquired a new complication in that a new class of instabilities breaks axial symmetry of a neutrino stream, the multi-azimuth angle (MAA) instability. A completely different new phenomenon, discovered in the first realistic three-dimensional (3D) simulations, is the Lepton-Emission Self-sustained Asymmetry (LESA) during the accretion phase. Here, a neutrino-hydrodynamical instability breaks global spherical symmetry in that the lepton-number flux (νe minus ν‾e) develops a stable dipole pattern such that the lepton flux is almost exclusively emitted in one hemisphere.

Some Quantum Symmetries and Their Breaking II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selesnick, S. A.

2013-04-01

We consider symmetry breaking in the context of vector bundle theory, which arises quite naturally not only when attempting to "gauge" symmetry groups, but also as a means of localizing those global symmetry breaking effects known as spontaneous. We review such spontaneous symmetry breaking first for a simplified version of the Goldstone scenario for the case of global symmetries, and then in a localized form which is applied to a derivation of some of the phenomena associated with superconduction in both its forms, type I and type II. We then extend these procedures to effect the Higgs mechanism of electroweak theory, and finally we describe an extension to the flavor symmetries of the lightest quarks, including a brief discussion of CP-violation in the neutral kaon system. A largely self-contained primer of vector bundle theory is provided in Sect. 4, which supplies most of the results required thereafter.

Discrete symmetries in Heterotic/F-theory duality and mirror symmetry

DOE PAGES

Cvetič, Mirjam; Grassi, Antonella; Poretschkin, Maximilian

2017-06-30

We study aspects of Heterotic/F-theory duality for compacti cations with Abelian discrete gauge symmetries. We consider F-theory compacti cations on genus-one bered Calabi-Yau manifolds with n-sections, associated with the Tate-Shafarevich group Z n. Such models are obtained by studying rst a speci c toric set-up whose associated Heterotic vector bundle has structure group Z n. By employing a conjectured Heterotic/Ftheory mirror symmetry we construct dual geometries of these original toric models, where in the stable degeneration limit we obtain a discrete gauge symmetry of order two and three, for compacti cations to six dimensions. We provide explicit constructions of mirrorpairsmore » for symmetric examples with Z 2 and Z 3, in six dimensions. The Heterotic models with symmetric discrete symmetries are related in eld theory to a Higgsing of Heterotic models with two symmetric abelian U(1) gauge factors, where due to the Stuckelberg mechanism only a diagonal U(1) factor remains massless, and thus after Higgsing only a diagonal discrete symmetry of order n is present in the Heterotic models and detected via Heterotic/F-theory duality. These constructions also provide further evidence for the conjectured mirror symmetry in Heterotic/F-theory at the level of brations with torsional sections and those with multi-sections.« less

Discrete symmetries in Heterotic/F-theory duality and mirror symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cvetič, Mirjam; Grassi, Antonella; Poretschkin, Maximilian

We study aspects of Heterotic/F-theory duality for compacti cations with Abelian discrete gauge symmetries. We consider F-theory compacti cations on genus-one bered Calabi-Yau manifolds with n-sections, associated with the Tate-Shafarevich group Z n. Such models are obtained by studying rst a speci c toric set-up whose associated Heterotic vector bundle has structure group Z n. By employing a conjectured Heterotic/Ftheory mirror symmetry we construct dual geometries of these original toric models, where in the stable degeneration limit we obtain a discrete gauge symmetry of order two and three, for compacti cations to six dimensions. We provide explicit constructions of mirrorpairsmore » for symmetric examples with Z 2 and Z 3, in six dimensions. The Heterotic models with symmetric discrete symmetries are related in eld theory to a Higgsing of Heterotic models with two symmetric abelian U(1) gauge factors, where due to the Stuckelberg mechanism only a diagonal U(1) factor remains massless, and thus after Higgsing only a diagonal discrete symmetry of order n is present in the Heterotic models and detected via Heterotic/F-theory duality. These constructions also provide further evidence for the conjectured mirror symmetry in Heterotic/F-theory at the level of brations with torsional sections and those with multi-sections.« less

The role of color and attention-to-color in mirror-symmetry perception

PubMed Central

Gheorghiu, Elena; Kingdom, Frederick A. A.; Remkes, Aaron; Li, Hyung-Chul O.; Rainville, Stéphane

2016-01-01

The role of color in the visual perception of mirror-symmetry is controversial. Some reports support the existence of color-selective mirror-symmetry channels, others that mirror-symmetry perception is merely sensitive to color-correlations across the symmetry axis. Here we test between the two ideas. Stimuli consisted of colored Gaussian-blobs arranged either mirror-symmetrically or quasi-randomly. We used four arrangements: (1) ‘segregated’ – symmetric blobs were of one color, random blobs of the other color(s); (2) ‘random-segregated’ – as above but with the symmetric color randomly selected on each trial; (3) ‘non-segregated’ – symmetric blobs were of all colors in equal proportions, as were the random blobs; (4) ‘anti-symmetric’ – symmetric blobs were of opposite-color across the symmetry axis. We found: (a) near-chance levels for the anti-symmetric condition, suggesting that symmetry perception is sensitive to color-correlations across the symmetry axis; (b) similar performance for random-segregated and non-segregated conditions, giving no support to the idea that mirror-symmetry is color selective; (c) highest performance for the color-segregated condition, but only when the observer knew beforehand the symmetry color, suggesting that symmetry detection benefits from color-based attention. We conclude that mirror-symmetry detection mechanisms, while sensitive to color-correlations across the symmetry axis and subject to the benefits of attention-to-color, are not color selective. PMID:27404804

Steering particles by breaking symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bet, Bram; Samin, Sela; Georgiev, Rumen; Burak Eral, Huseyin; van Roij, René

2018-06-01

We derive general equations of motions for highly-confined particles that perform quasi-two-dimensional motion in Hele-Shaw channels, which we solve analytically, aiming to derive design principles for self-steering particles. Based on symmetry properties of a particle, its equations of motion can be simplified, where we retrieve an earlier-known equation of motion for the orientation of dimer particles consisting of disks (Uspal et al 2013 Nat. Commun. 4), but now in full generality. Subsequently, these solutions are compared with particle trajectories that are obtained numerically. For mirror-symmetric particles, excellent agreement between the analytical and numerical solutions is found. For particles lacking mirror symmetry, the analytic solutions provide means to classify the motion based on particle geometry, while we find that taking the side-wall interactions into account is important to accurately describe the trajectories.

A perfectly conducting surface in electrodynamics with Lorentz symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges, L. H. C.; Barone, F. A.

2017-10-01

In this paper we consider a model which exhibits explicit Lorentz symmetry breaking due to the presence of a single background vector v^{μ } coupled to the gauge field. We investigate such a theory in the vicinity of a perfectly conducting plate for different configurations of v^{μ }. First we consider no restrictions on the components of the background vector and we treat it perturbatively up to second order. Next, we treat v^{μ } exactly for two special cases: the first one is when it has only components parallel to the plate, and the second one when it has a single component perpendicular to the plate. For all these configurations, the propagator for the gauge field and the interaction force between the plate and a point-like electric charge are computed. Surprisingly, it is shown that the image method is valid in our model and we argue that it is a non-trivial result. We show there arises a torque on the mirror with respect to its positioning in the background field when it interacts with a point-like charge. It is a new effect with no counterpart in theories with Lorentz symmetry in the presence of a perfect mirror.

Blind readers break mirror invariance as sighted do.

PubMed

de Heering, Adélaïde; Collignon, Olivier; Kolinsky, Régine

2018-04-01

Mirror invariance refers to a predisposition of humans, including infants and animals, which urge them to consider mirrored images as corresponding to the same object. Yet in order to learn to read a written system that incorporates mirrored letters (e.g., vs. in the Latin alphabet), humans learn to break this perceptual bias. Here we examined the role visual experience and input modality play in the emergence of this bias. To this end, we tested congenital blind (CB) participants in two same-different tactile comparison tasks including pairs of mirrored and non-mirrored Braille letters as well as embossed unfamiliar geometric shapes and Latin letters, and compared their results to those of age-matched sighted participants involved in similar but visually-presented tasks. Sighted participants showed a classical pattern of results for their material of expertise, Latin letters. CB's results signed for their expertise with the Braille script compared to the other two materials that they processed according to an internal frame of reference. They also evidenced that they automatically break mirror invariance for different materials explored through the tactile modality, including Braille letters. Altogether, these results demonstrate that learning to read Braille through the tactile modality allows breaking mirror invariance in a comparable way to what is observed in sighted individuals for the mirrored letters of the Latin alphabet. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased Sensitivity to Mirror Symmetry in Autism

PubMed Central

Perreault, Audrey; Gurnsey, Rick; Dawson, Michelle; Mottron, Laurent; Bertone, Armando

2011-01-01

Can autistic people see the forest for the trees? Ongoing uncertainty about the integrity and role of global processing in autism gives special importance to the question of how autistic individuals group local stimulus attributes into meaningful spatial patterns. We investigated visual grouping in autism by measuring sensitivity to mirror symmetry, a highly-salient perceptual image attribute preceding object recognition. Autistic and non-autistic individuals were asked to detect mirror symmetry oriented along vertical, oblique, and horizontal axes. Both groups performed best when the axis was vertical, but across all randomly-presented axis orientations, autistics were significantly more sensitive to symmetry than non-autistics. We suggest that under some circumstances, autistic individuals can take advantage of parallel access to local and global information. In other words, autistics may sometimes see the forest and the trees, and may therefore extract from noisy environments genuine regularities which elude non-autistic observers. PMID:21559337

Time symmetry breaking in Bose-Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendonça, J. T.; Gammal, A.

2017-09-01

We consider different processes leading to time symmetry breaking in a Bose-Einstein condensate. Our approach provides a global description of time symmetry breaking, based on the equations of a thermal condensate. This includes quenching and expansion of the condensate, the Kibble-Zurek mechanism associated with the creation of vorticity, the dynamical Casimir effect and the formation of time crystals.

Minimally doubled fermions and spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osmanaj (Zeqirllari), Rudina; Hyka (Xhako), Dafina

2018-03-01

Chiral symmetry breaking in massless QCD is a very important feature in the current understanding of low energy physics. Low - lying Dirac modes are suitable to help us understand the spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, since the formation of a non zero chiral condensate is an effect of their accumulation near zero. The Banks - Casher relation links the spectral density of the Dirac operator to the condensate with an identity that can be read in both directions. In this work we propose a spectral method to achieve a reliable determination of the density of eigenvalues of Dirac operator near zero using the Gauss - Lanczos quadrature. In order to understand better the dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and use the method we propose, we have chosen to work with minimally doubled fermions. These kind of fermions have been proposed as a strictly local discretization of the QCD fermions action, which preserves chiral symmetry at finite cut-off. Being chiral fermions, is easier to work with them and their low - lying Dirac modes and to understand the dynamical spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.

Positive Disintegration as a Process of Symmetry Breaking.

PubMed

Laycraft, Krystyna

2017-04-01

This article presents an analysis of the positive disintegration as a process of symmetry breaking. Symmetry breaking plays a major role in self-organized patterns formation and correlates directly to increasing complexity and function specialization. According to Dabrowski, a creator of the Theory of Positive Disintegration, the change from lower to higher levels of human development requires a major restructuring of an individual's psychological makeup. Each level of human development is a relatively stable and coherent configuration of emotional-cognitive patterns called developmental dynamisms. Their main function is to restructure a mental structure by breaking the symmetry of a low level and bringing differentiation and then integration to higher levels. The positive disintegration is then the process of transitions from a lower level of high symmetry and low complexity to higher levels of low symmetry and high complexity of mental structure.

Mutual information and spontaneous symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamma, A.; Giampaolo, S. M.; Illuminati, F.

2016-01-01

We show that the metastable, symmetry-breaking ground states of quantum many-body Hamiltonians have vanishing quantum mutual information between macroscopically separated regions and are thus the most classical ones among all possible quantum ground states. This statement is obvious only when the symmetry-breaking ground states are simple product states, e.g., at the factorization point. On the other hand, symmetry-breaking states are in general entangled along the entire ordered phase, and to show that they actually feature the least macroscopic correlations compared to their symmetric superpositions is highly nontrivial. We prove this result in general, by considering the quantum mutual information based on the two-Rényi entanglement entropy and using a locality result stemming from quasiadiabatic continuation. Moreover, in the paradigmatic case of the exactly solvable one-dimensional quantum X Y model, we further verify the general result by considering also the quantum mutual information based on the von Neumann entanglement entropy.

Towards generalized mirror symmetry for twisted connected sum G 2 manifolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, Andreas P.; Del Zotto, Michele

2018-03-01

We revisit our construction of mirror symmetries for compactifications of Type II superstrings on twisted connected sum G 2 manifolds. For a given G 2 manifold, we discuss evidence for the existence of mirror symmetries of two kinds: one is an autoequivalence for a given Type II superstring on a mirror pair of G 2 manifolds, the other is a duality between Type II strings with different chiralities for another pair of mirror manifolds. We clarify the role of the B-field in the construction, and check that the corresponding massless spectra are respected by the generalized mirror maps. We discuss hints towards a homological version based on BPS spectroscopy. We provide several novel examples of smooth, as well as singular, mirror G 2 backgrounds via pairs of dual projecting tops. We test our conjectures against a Joyce orbifold example, where we reproduce, using our geometrical methods, the known mirror maps that arise from the SCFT worldsheet perspective. Along the way, we discuss non-Abelian gauge symmetries, and argue for the generation of the Affleck-Harvey-Witten superpotential in the pure SYM case.

Symmetry-breaking oscillations in membrane optomechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurl, C.; Alvermann, A.; Fehske, H.

2016-12-01

We study the classical dynamics of a membrane inside a cavity in the situation where this optomechanical system possesses a reflection symmetry. Symmetry breaking occurs through supercritical and subcritical pitchfork bifurcations of the static fixed-point solutions. Both bifurcations can be observed through variation of the laser-cavity detuning, which gives rise to a boomerang-like fixed-point pattern with hysteresis. The symmetry-breaking fixed points evolve into self-sustained oscillations when the laser intensity is increased. In addition to the analysis of the accompanying Hopf bifurcations we describe these oscillations at finite amplitudes with an ansatz that fully accounts for the frequency shift relative to the natural membrane frequency. We complete our study by following the route to chaos for the membrane dynamics.

Symmetry associated with symmetry break: Revisiting ants and humans escaping from multiple-exit rooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Q.; Xin, C.; Tang, S. X.; Huang, J. P.

2018-02-01

Crowd panic has incurred massive injuries or deaths throughout the world, and thus understanding it is particularly important. It is now a common knowledge that crowd panic induces "symmetry break" in which some exits are jammed while others are underutilized. Amazingly, here we show, by experiment, simulation and theory, that a class of symmetry patterns come to appear for ants and humans escaping from multiple-exit rooms while the symmetry break exists. Our symmetry pattern is described by the fact that the ratio between the ensemble-averaging numbers of ants or humans escaping from different exits is equal to the ratio between the widths of the exits. The mechanism lies in the effect of heterogeneous preferences of agents with limited information for achieving the Nash equilibrium. This work offers new insights into how to improve public safety because large public areas are always equipped with multiple exits, and it also brings an ensemble-averaging method for seeking symmetry associated with symmetry breaking.

Relating quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking in QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suganuma, Hideo; Doi, Takahiro M.; Redlich, Krzysztof; Sasaki, Chihiro

2017-12-01

We study the relation between quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking in QCD. Using lattice QCD formalism, we analytically express the various ‘confinement indicators’, such as the Polyakov loop, its fluctuations, the Wilson loop, the inter-quark potential and the string tension, in terms of the Dirac eigenmodes. In the Dirac spectral representation, there appears a power of the Dirac eigenvalue {λ }n such as {λ }n{Nt-1}, which behaves as a reduction factor for small {λ }n. Consequently, since this reduction factor cannot be cancelled, the low-lying Dirac eigenmodes give negligibly small contribution to the confinement quantities, while they are essential for chiral symmetry breaking. These relations indicate that there is no direct one-to-one correspondence between confinement and chiral symmetry breaking in QCD. In other words, there is some independence of quark confinement from chiral symmetry breaking, which can generally lead to different transition temperatures/densities for deconfinement and chiral restoration. We also investigate the Polyakov loop in terms of the eigenmodes of the Wilson, the clover and the domain-wall fermion kernels, and find similar results. The independence of quark confinement from chiral symmetry breaking seems to be natural, because confinement is realized independently of quark masses and heavy quarks are also confined even without the chiral symmetry.

Phenomenology of the standard model under conditions of spontaneously broken mirror symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyatlov, I. T.

2017-03-01

Spontaneously broken mirror symmetry is able to reproduce observed qualitative properties of weak mixing for quark and leptons. Under conditions of broken mirror symmetry, the phenomenology of leptons—that is, small neutrino masses and a mixing character other than that in the case of quarks—requires the Dirac character of the neutrinos and the existence of processes violating the total lepton number. Such processes involve heavy mirror neutrinos; that is, they proceed at very high energies. Here, CP violation implies that a P-even mirror-symmetric Lagrangian must simultaneously be T-odd and, according to the CPT theorem, C-odd. All these properties create preconditions for the occurrence of leptogenesis, which is a mechanism of the emergence of the baryon-lepton asymmetry of the universe in models featuring broken mirror symmetry.

Phenomenology of the standard model under conditions of spontaneously broken mirror symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dyatlov, I. T., E-mail: dyatlov@thd.pnpi.spb.ru

2017-03-15

Spontaneously broken mirror symmetry is able to reproduce observed qualitative properties of weak mixing for quark and leptons. Under conditions of broken mirror symmetry, the phenomenology of leptons—that is, small neutrino masses and a mixing character other than that in the case of quarks—requires the Dirac character of the neutrinos and the existence of processes violating the total lepton number. Such processes involve heavy mirror neutrinos; that is, they proceed at very high energies. Here, CP violation implies that a P-even mirror-symmetric Lagrangian must simultaneously be T-odd and, according to the CPT theorem, C-odd. All these properties create preconditions formore » the occurrence of leptogenesis, which is a mechanism of the emergence of the baryon–lepton asymmetry of the universe in models featuring broken mirror symmetry.« less

Symmetry breaking and the geometry of reduced density matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zauner, V.; Draxler, D.; Vanderstraeten, L.; Haegeman, J.; Verstraete, F.

2016-11-01

The concept of symmetry breaking and the emergence of corresponding local order parameters constitute the pillars of modern day many body physics. We demonstrate that the existence of symmetry breaking is a consequence of the geometric structure of the convex set of reduced density matrices of all possible many body wavefunctions. The surfaces of these convex bodies exhibit non-analyticities, which signal the emergence of symmetry breaking and of an associated order parameter and also show different characteristics for different types of phase transitions. We illustrate this with three paradigmatic examples of many body systems exhibiting symmetry breaking: the quantum Ising model, the classical q-state Potts model in two-dimensions at finite temperature and the ideal Bose gas in three-dimensions at finite temperature. This state based viewpoint on phase transitions provides a unique novel tool for studying exotic many body phenomena in quantum and classical systems.

Symmetry breaking in occupation number based slave-particle methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgescu, Alexandru B.; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

2017-10-01

We describe a theoretical approach to finding spontaneously symmetry-broken electronic phases due to strong electronic interactions when using recently developed slave-particle (slave-boson) approaches based on occupation numbers. We describe why, to date, spontaneous symmetry breaking has proven difficult to achieve in such approaches. We then provide a total energy based approach for introducing auxiliary symmetry-breaking fields into the solution of the slave-particle problem that leads to lowered total energies for symmetry-broken phases. We point out that not all slave-particle approaches yield energy lowering: the slave-particle model being used must explicitly describe the degrees of freedom that break symmetry. Finally, our total energy approach permits us to greatly simplify the formalism used to achieve a self-consistent solution between spinon and slave modes while increasing the numerical stability and greatly speeding up the calculations.

Isospin symmetry breaking and large-scale shell-model calculations with the Sakurai-Sugiura method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizusaki, Takahiro; Kaneko, Kazunari; Sun, Yang; Tazaki, Shigeru

2015-05-01

Recently isospin symmetry breaking for mass 60-70 region has been investigated based on large-scale shell-model calculations in terms of mirror energy differences (MED), Coulomb energy differences (CED) and triplet energy differences (TED). Behind these investigations, we have encountered a subtle problem in numerical calculations for odd-odd N = Z nuclei with large-scale shell-model calculations. Here we focus on how to solve this subtle problem by the Sakurai-Sugiura (SS) method, which has been recently proposed as a new diagonalization method and has been successfully applied to nuclear shell-model calculations.

Isospin-symmetry-breaking effects in A˜70 nuclei within beyond-mean-field approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrovici, A.; Andrei, O.

2015-02-01

Particular isospin-symmetry-breaking probes including Coulomb energy differences (CED), mirror energy differences (MED), and triplet energy differences (TED) manifest anomalies in the A˜70 isovector triplets of nuclei. The structure of proton-rich nuclei in the A˜70 mass region suggests shape coexistence and competition between pairing correlations in different channels. Recent results concerning the interplay between isospin-mixing and shape-coexistence effects on exotic phenomena in A˜70 nuclei obtained within the beyond-mean-field complex Excited Vampir variational model with symmetry projection before variation using a realistic effective interaction in a relatively large model space are presented. Excited Vampir predictions concerning the Gamow-Teller β decay to the odd-odd N=Z 66As and 70Br nuclei correlated with the pair structure analysis in the T=1 and T=0 channel of the involved wave functions are discussed.

Mirror-symmetry-breaking in poly[(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl- 2,7-diyl)-alt-biphenyl] (PF8P2) is susceptible to terpene chirality, achiral solvents, and mechanical stirring.

PubMed

Fujiki, Michiya; Kawagoe, Yoshifumi; Nakano, Yoko; Nakao, Ayako

2013-06-17

Solvent chirality transfer of (S)-/(R)-limonenes allows the instant generation of optically active PF8P2 aggregates with distinct circular dichroism (CD)/circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) amplitudes with a high quantum yield of 16-20%. The present paper also reports subtle mirror-symmetry-breaking effects in CD-/CPL-amplitude and sign, CD/UV-vis spectral wavelengths, and photodynamics of the aggregates, though the reasons for the anomaly are unsolved. However, these photophysical properties depend on (i) the chemical natures of chiral and achiral molecules when used in solvent quantity, (ii) clockwise and counterclockwise stirring operations, and (iii) the order of addition of limonene and methanol to the chloroform solution.

Spontaneous SUSY breaking without R symmetry in supergravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maekawa, Nobuhiro; Omura, Yuji; Shigekami, Yoshihiro; Yoshida, Manabu

2018-03-01

We discuss spontaneous supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking in a model with an anomalous U (1 )A symmetry. In this model, the size of the each term in the superpotential is controlled by the U (1 )A charge assignment and SUSY is spontaneously broken via the Fayet-Iliopoulos of U (1 )A at the metastable vacuum. In the global SUSY analysis, the gaugino masses become much smaller than the sfermion masses, because an approximate R symmetry appears at the SUSY breaking vacuum. In this paper, we show that gaugino masses can be as large as gravitino mass, taking the supergravity effect into consideration. This is because the R symmetry is not imposed so that the constant term in the superpotential, which is irrelevant to the global SUSY analysis, largely contributes to the soft SUSY breaking terms in the supergravity. As the mediation mechanism, we introduce the contributions of the field not charged under U (1 )A and the moduli field to cancel the anomaly of U (1 )A. We comment on the application of our SUSY breaking scenario to the grand unified theory.

Symmetry Breaking of Counter-Propagating Light in a Nonlinear Resonator.

PubMed

Del Bino, Leonardo; Silver, Jonathan M; Stebbings, Sarah L; Del'Haye, Pascal

2017-02-21

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is a concept of fundamental importance in many areas of physics, underpinning such diverse phenomena as ferromagnetism, superconductivity, superfluidity and the Higgs mechanism. Here we demonstrate nonreciprocity and spontaneous symmetry breaking between counter-propagating light in dielectric microresonators. The symmetry breaking corresponds to a resonance frequency splitting that allows only one of two counter-propagating (but otherwise identical) states of light to circulate in the resonator. Equivalently, this effect can be seen as the collapse of standing waves and transition to travelling waves within the resonator. We present theoretical calculations to show that the symmetry breaking is induced by Kerr-nonlinearity-mediated interaction between the counter-propagating light. Our findings pave the way for a variety of applications including optically controllable circulators and isolators, all-optical switching, nonlinear-enhanced rotation sensing, optical flip-flops for photonic memories as well as exceptionally sensitive power and refractive index sensors.

The Control of Growth Symmetry Breaking in the Arabidopsis Hypocotyl.

PubMed

Peaucelle, Alexis; Wightman, Raymond; Höfte, Herman

2015-06-29

Complex shapes in biology depend on the ability of cells to shift from isotropic to anisotropic growth during development. In plants, this growth symmetry breaking reflects changes in the extensibility of the cell walls. The textbook view is that the direction of turgor-driven cell expansion depends on the cortical microtubule (CMT)-mediated orientation of cellulose microfibrils. Here, we show that this view is incomplete at best. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study changes in cell-wall mechanics associated with growth symmetry breaking within the hypocotyl epidermis. We show that, first, growth symmetry breaking is preceded by an asymmetric loosening of longitudinal, as compared to transverse, anticlinal walls, in the absence of a change in CMT orientation. Second, this wall loosening is triggered by the selective de-methylesterification of cell-wall pectin in longitudinal walls, and, third, the resultant mechanical asymmetry is required for the growth symmetry breaking. Indeed, preventing or promoting pectin de-methylesterification, respectively, increased or decreased the stiffness of all the cell walls, but in both cases reduced the growth anisotropy. Finally, we show that the subsequent CMT reorientation contributes to the consolidation of the growth axis but is not required for the growth symmetry breaking. We conclude that growth symmetry breaking is controlled at a cellular scale by bipolar pectin de-methylesterification, rather than by the cellulose-dependent mechanical anisotropy of the cell walls themselves. Such a cell asymmetry-driven mechanism is comparable to that underlying tip growth in plants but also anisotropic cell growth in animal cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of symmetry breaking in networks of globally coupled oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Premalatha, K.; Chandrasekar, V. K.; Senthilvelan, M.; Lakshmanan, M.

2015-05-01

We analyze the consequences of symmetry breaking in the coupling in a network of globally coupled identical Stuart-Landau oscillators. We observe that symmetry breaking leads to increased disorderliness in the dynamical behavior of oscillatory states and consequently results in a rich variety of dynamical states. Depending on the strength of the nonisochronicity parameter, we find various dynamical states such as amplitude chimera, amplitude cluster, frequency chimera, and frequency cluster states. In addition we also find disparate transition routes to recently observed chimera death states in the presence of symmetry breaking even with global coupling. We also analytically verify the chimera death region, which corroborates the numerical results. These results are compared with that of the symmetry-preserving case as well.

Symmetry Breaking of Counter-Propagating Light in a Nonlinear Resonator

PubMed Central

Del Bino, Leonardo; Silver, Jonathan M.; Stebbings, Sarah L.; Del'Haye, Pascal

2017-01-01

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is a concept of fundamental importance in many areas of physics, underpinning such diverse phenomena as ferromagnetism, superconductivity, superfluidity and the Higgs mechanism. Here we demonstrate nonreciprocity and spontaneous symmetry breaking between counter-propagating light in dielectric microresonators. The symmetry breaking corresponds to a resonance frequency splitting that allows only one of two counter-propagating (but otherwise identical) states of light to circulate in the resonator. Equivalently, this effect can be seen as the collapse of standing waves and transition to travelling waves within the resonator. We present theoretical calculations to show that the symmetry breaking is induced by Kerr-nonlinearity-mediated interaction between the counter-propagating light. Our findings pave the way for a variety of applications including optically controllable circulators and isolators, all-optical switching, nonlinear-enhanced rotation sensing, optical flip-flops for photonic memories as well as exceptionally sensitive power and refractive index sensors. PMID:28220865

Golden probe of electroweak symmetry breaking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Yi; Lykken, Joe; Spiropulu, Maria

The ratio of the Higgs couplings tomore » $WW$ and $ZZ$ pairs, $$\\lambda_{WZ}$$, is a fundamental parameter in electroweak symmetry breaking as well as a measure of the (approximate) custodial symmetry possessed by the gauge boson mass matrix. We show that Higgs decays to four leptons are sensitive, via tree level/1-loop interference effects, to both the magnitude and, in particular, overall sign of $$\\lambda_{WZ}$$. Determining this sign requires interference effects, as it is nearly impossible to measure with rate information. Furthermore, simply determining the sign effectively establishes the custodial representation of the Higgs boson. We find that $$h\\to4\\ell$$ ($$4\\ell \\equiv 2e2\\mu, 4e, 4\\mu$$) decays have excellent prospects of directly establishing the overall sign at a high luminosity 13 TeV LHC. We also examine the ultimate LHC sensitivity in $$h\\to4\\ell$$ to the magnitude of $$\\lambda_{WZ}$$. Our results are independent of other measurements of the Higgs boson couplings and, in particular, largely free of assumptions about the top quark Yukawa couplings which also enter at 1-loop. Furthermore, this makes $$h\\to4\\ell$$ a unique and independent probe of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism and custodial symmetry.« less

Golden probe of electroweak symmetry breaking

DOE PAGES

Chen, Yi; Lykken, Joe; Spiropulu, Maria; ...

2016-12-09

The ratio of the Higgs couplings tomore » $WW$ and $ZZ$ pairs, $$\\lambda_{WZ}$$, is a fundamental parameter in electroweak symmetry breaking as well as a measure of the (approximate) custodial symmetry possessed by the gauge boson mass matrix. We show that Higgs decays to four leptons are sensitive, via tree level/1-loop interference effects, to both the magnitude and, in particular, overall sign of $$\\lambda_{WZ}$$. Determining this sign requires interference effects, as it is nearly impossible to measure with rate information. Furthermore, simply determining the sign effectively establishes the custodial representation of the Higgs boson. We find that $$h\\to4\\ell$$ ($$4\\ell \\equiv 2e2\\mu, 4e, 4\\mu$$) decays have excellent prospects of directly establishing the overall sign at a high luminosity 13 TeV LHC. We also examine the ultimate LHC sensitivity in $$h\\to4\\ell$$ to the magnitude of $$\\lambda_{WZ}$$. Our results are independent of other measurements of the Higgs boson couplings and, in particular, largely free of assumptions about the top quark Yukawa couplings which also enter at 1-loop. Furthermore, this makes $$h\\to4\\ell$$ a unique and independent probe of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism and custodial symmetry.« less

Mirror symmetry in emergent gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hyun Seok

2017-09-01

Given a six-dimensional symplectic manifold (M , B), a nondegenerate, co-closed four-form C introduces a dual symplectic structure B ˜ = * C independent of B via the Hodge duality *. We show that the doubling of symplectic structures due to the Hodge duality results in two independent classes of noncommutative U (1) gauge fields by considering the Seiberg-Witten map for each symplectic structure. As a result, emergent gravity suggests a beautiful picture that the variety of six-dimensional manifolds emergent from noncommutative U (1) gauge fields is doubled. In particular, the doubling for the variety of emergent Calabi-Yau manifolds allows us to arrange a pair of Calabi-Yau manifolds such that they are mirror to each other. Therefore, we argue that the mirror symmetry of Calabi-Yau manifolds is the Hodge theory for the deformation of symplectic and dual symplectic structures.

Isospin-symmetry-breaking effects in A∼70 nuclei within beyond-mean-field approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petrovici, A.; Andrei, O.

2015-02-24

Particular isospin-symmetry-breaking probes including Coulomb energy differences (CED), mirror energy differences (MED), and triplet energy differences (TED) manifest anomalies in the A∼70 isovector triplets of nuclei. The structure of proton-rich nuclei in the A∼70 mass region suggests shape coexistence and competition between pairing correlations in different channels. Recent results concerning the interplay between isospin-mixing and shape-coexistence effects on exotic phenomena in A∼70 nuclei obtained within the beyond-mean-field complex Excited Vampir variational model with symmetry projection before variation using a realistic effective interaction in a relatively large model space are presented. Excited Vampir predictions concerning the Gamow-Teller β decay to themore » odd-odd N=Z {sup 66}As and {sup 70}Br nuclei correlated with the pair structure analysis in the T=1 and T=0 channel of the involved wave functions are discussed.« less

First-Order Interfacial Transformations with a Critical Point: Breaking the Symmetry at a Symmetric Tilt Grain Boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shengfeng; Zhou, Naixie; Zheng, Hui; Ong, Shyue Ping; Luo, Jian

2018-02-01

First-order interfacial phaselike transformations that break the mirror symmetry of the symmetric ∑5 (210 ) tilt grain boundary (GB) are discovered by combining a modified genetic algorithm with hybrid Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. Density functional theory calculations confirm this prediction. This first-order coupled structural and adsorption transformation, which produces two variants of asymmetric bilayers, vanishes at an interfacial critical point. A GB complexion (phase) diagram is constructed via semigrand canonical ensemble atomistic simulations for the first time.

Maximal Rashba-like spin splitting via kinetic-energy-coupled inversion-symmetry breaking.

PubMed

Sunko, Veronika; Rosner, H; Kushwaha, P; Khim, S; Mazzola, F; Bawden, L; Clark, O J; Riley, J M; Kasinathan, D; Haverkort, M W; Kim, T K; Hoesch, M; Fujii, J; Vobornik, I; Mackenzie, A P; King, P D C

2017-09-27

Engineering and enhancing the breaking of inversion symmetry in solids-that is, allowing electrons to differentiate between 'up' and 'down'-is a key goal in condensed-matter physics and materials science because it can be used to stabilize states that are of fundamental interest and also have potential practical applications. Examples include improved ferroelectrics for memory devices and materials that host Majorana zero modes for quantum computing. Although inversion symmetry is naturally broken in several crystalline environments, such as at surfaces and interfaces, maximizing the influence of this effect on the electronic states of interest remains a challenge. Here we present a mechanism for realizing a much larger coupling of inversion-symmetry breaking to itinerant surface electrons than is typically achieved. The key element is a pronounced asymmetry of surface hopping energies-that is, a kinetic-energy-coupled inversion-symmetry breaking, the energy scale of which is a substantial fraction of the bandwidth. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we demonstrate that such a strong inversion-symmetry breaking, when combined with spin-orbit interactions, can mediate Rashba-like spin splittings that are much larger than would typically be expected. The energy scale of the inversion-symmetry breaking that we achieve is so large that the spin splitting in the CoO 2 - and RhO 2 -derived surface states of delafossite oxides becomes controlled by the full atomic spin-orbit coupling of the 3d and 4d transition metals, resulting in some of the largest known Rashba-like spin splittings. The core structural building blocks that facilitate the bandwidth-scaled inversion-symmetry breaking are common to numerous materials. Our findings therefore provide opportunities for creating spin-textured states and suggest routes to interfacial control of inversion-symmetry breaking in designer heterostructures of oxides and other material classes.

Maximal Rashba-like spin splitting via kinetic-energy-coupled inversion-symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunko, Veronika; Rosner, H.; Kushwaha, P.; Khim, S.; Mazzola, F.; Bawden, L.; Clark, O. J.; Riley, J. M.; Kasinathan, D.; Haverkort, M. W.; Kim, T. K.; Hoesch, M.; Fujii, J.; Vobornik, I.; MacKenzie, A. P.; King, P. D. C.

2017-09-01

Engineering and enhancing the breaking of inversion symmetry in solids—that is, allowing electrons to differentiate between ‘up’ and ‘down’—is a key goal in condensed-matter physics and materials science because it can be used to stabilize states that are of fundamental interest and also have potential practical applications. Examples include improved ferroelectrics for memory devices and materials that host Majorana zero modes for quantum computing. Although inversion symmetry is naturally broken in several crystalline environments, such as at surfaces and interfaces, maximizing the influence of this effect on the electronic states of interest remains a challenge. Here we present a mechanism for realizing a much larger coupling of inversion-symmetry breaking to itinerant surface electrons than is typically achieved. The key element is a pronounced asymmetry of surface hopping energies—that is, a kinetic-energy-coupled inversion-symmetry breaking, the energy scale of which is a substantial fraction of the bandwidth. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we demonstrate that such a strong inversion-symmetry breaking, when combined with spin-orbit interactions, can mediate Rashba-like spin splittings that are much larger than would typically be expected. The energy scale of the inversion-symmetry breaking that we achieve is so large that the spin splitting in the CoO2- and RhO2-derived surface states of delafossite oxides becomes controlled by the full atomic spin-orbit coupling of the 3d and 4d transition metals, resulting in some of the largest known Rashba-like spin splittings. The core structural building blocks that facilitate the bandwidth-scaled inversion-symmetry breaking are common to numerous materials. Our findings therefore provide opportunities for creating spin-textured states and suggest routes to interfacial control of inversion-symmetry breaking in designer heterostructures of oxides and other material classes.

Time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductivity in epitaxial bismuth/nickel bilayers.

PubMed

Gong, Xinxin; Kargarian, Mehdi; Stern, Alex; Yue, Di; Zhou, Hexin; Jin, Xiaofeng; Galitski, Victor M; Yakovenko, Victor M; Xia, Jing

2017-03-01

Superconductivity that spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry (TRS) has been found, so far, only in a handful of three-dimensional (3D) crystals with bulk inversion symmetry. We report an observation of spontaneous TRS breaking in a 2D superconducting system without inversion symmetry: the epitaxial bilayer films of bismuth and nickel. The evidence comes from the onset of the polar Kerr effect at the superconducting transition in the absence of an external magnetic field, detected by the ultrasensitive loop-less fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer. Because of strong spin-orbit interaction and lack of inversion symmetry in a Bi/Ni bilayer, superconducting pairing cannot be classified as singlet or triplet. We propose a theoretical model where magnetic fluctuations in Ni induce the superconducting pairing of the [Formula: see text] orbital symmetry between the electrons in Bi. In this model, the order parameter spontaneously breaks the TRS and has a nonzero phase winding number around the Fermi surface, thus making it a rare example of a 2D topological superconductor.

Time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductivity in epitaxial bismuth/nickel bilayers

DOE PAGES

Gong, Xinxin; Kargarian, Mehdi; Stern, Alex; ...

2017-03-31

Superconductivity that spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry (TRS) has been found, so far, only in a handful of three-dimensional (3D) crystals with bulk inversion symmetry. We report an observation of spontaneous TRS breaking in a 2D superconducting system without inversion symmetry: the epitaxial bilayer films of bismuth and nickel. The evidence comes from the onset of the polar Kerr effect at the superconducting transition in the absence of an external magnetic field, detected by the ultrasensitive loop-less fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer. Because of strong spin-orbit interaction and lack of inversion symmetry in a Bi/Ni bilayer, superconducting pairing cannot be classified as singletmore » or triplet.We propose a theoretical model where magnetic fluctuations in Ni induce the superconducting pairing of the d xy ± id x2-y2 orbital symmetry between the electrons in Bi. In this model, the order parameter spontaneously breaks the TRS and has a nonzero phase winding number around the Fermi surface, thus making it a rare example of a 2D topological superconductor.« less

Symmetries in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brading, Katherine; Castellani, Elena

2010-01-01

Preface; Copyright acknowledgements; List of contributors; 1. Introduction; Part I. Continuous Symmetries: 2. Classic texts: extracts from Weyl and Wigner; 3. Review paper: On the significance of continuous symmetry to the foundations of physics C. Martin; 4. The philosophical roots of the gauge principle: Weyl and transcendental phenomenological idealism T. Ryckman; 5. Symmetries and Noether's theorems K. A. Brading and H. R. Brown; 6. General covariance, gauge theories, and the Kretschmann objection J. Norton; 7. The interpretation of gauge symmetry M. Redhead; 8. Tracking down gauge: an ode to the constrained Hamiltonian formalism J. Earman; 9. Time-dependent symmetries: the link between gauge symmetries and indeterminism D. Wallace; 10. A fourth way to the Aharanov-Bohm effect A. Nounou; Part II. Discrete Symmetries: 11. Classic texts: extracts from Lebniz, Kant and Black; 12. Review paper: Understanding permutation symmetry S. French and D. Rickles; 13. Quarticles and the identity of discernibles N. Hugget; 14. Review paper: Handedness, parity violation, and the reality of space O. Pooley; 15. Mirror symmetry: what is it for a relational space to be orientable? N. Huggett; 16. Physics and Leibniz's principles S. Saunders; Part III. Symmetry Breaking: 17: Classic texts: extracts from Curie and Weyl; 18. Extract from G. Jona-Lasinio: Cross-fertilization in theoretical physics: the case of condensed matter and particle physics G. Jona-Lasinio; 19. Review paper: On the meaning of symmetry breaking E. Castellani; 20. Rough guide to spontaneous symmetry breaking J. Earman; 21. Spontaneous symmetry breaking: theoretical arguments and philosophical problems M. Morrison; Part IV. General Interpretative Issues: 22. Classic texts: extracts from Wigner; 23. Symmetry as a guide to superfluous theoretical structure J. Ismael and B. van Fraassen; 24. Notes on symmetries G. Belot; 25. Symmetry, objectivity, and design P. Kosso; 26. Symmetry and equivalence E. Castellani.

Symmetries in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brading, Katherine; Castellani, Elena

2003-12-01

Preface; Copyright acknowledgements; List of contributors; 1. Introduction; Part I. Continuous Symmetries: 2. Classic texts: extracts from Weyl and Wigner; 3. Review paper: On the significance of continuous symmetry to the foundations of physics C. Martin; 4. The philosophical roots of the gauge principle: Weyl and transcendental phenomenological idealism T. Ryckman; 5. Symmetries and Noether's theorems K. A. Brading and H. R. Brown; 6. General covariance, gauge theories, and the Kretschmann objection J. Norton; 7. The interpretation of gauge symmetry M. Redhead; 8. Tracking down gauge: an ode to the constrained Hamiltonian formalism J. Earman; 9. Time-dependent symmetries: the link between gauge symmetries and indeterminism D. Wallace; 10. A fourth way to the Aharanov-Bohm effect A. Nounou; Part II. Discrete Symmetries: 11. Classic texts: extracts from Lebniz, Kant and Black; 12. Review paper: Understanding permutation symmetry S. French and D. Rickles; 13. Quarticles and the identity of discernibles N. Hugget; 14. Review paper: Handedness, parity violation, and the reality of space O. Pooley; 15. Mirror symmetry: what is it for a relational space to be orientable? N. Huggett; 16. Physics and Leibniz's principles S. Saunders; Part III. Symmetry Breaking: 17: Classic texts: extracts from Curie and Weyl; 18. Extract from G. Jona-Lasinio: Cross-fertilization in theoretical physics: the case of condensed matter and particle physics G. Jona-Lasinio; 19. Review paper: On the meaning of symmetry breaking E. Castellani; 20. Rough guide to spontaneous symmetry breaking J. Earman; 21. Spontaneous symmetry breaking: theoretical arguments and philosophical problems M. Morrison; Part IV. General Interpretative Issues: 22. Classic texts: extracts from Wigner; 23. Symmetry as a guide to superfluous theoretical structure J. Ismael and B. van Fraassen; 24. Notes on symmetries G. Belot; 25. Symmetry, objectivity, and design P. Kosso; 26. Symmetry and equivalence E. Castellani.

Mechanochemical Symmetry Breaking in Hydra Aggregates

PubMed Central

Mercker, Moritz; Köthe, Alexandra; Marciniak-Czochra, Anna

2015-01-01

Tissue morphogenesis comprises the self-organized creation of various patterns and shapes. Although detailed underlying mechanisms are still elusive in many cases, an increasing amount of experimental data suggests that chemical morphogen and mechanical processes are strongly coupled. Here, we develop and test a minimal model of the axis-defining step (i.e., symmetry breaking) in aggregates of the Hydra polyp. Based on previous findings, we combine osmotically driven shape oscillations with tissue mechanics and morphogen dynamics. We show that the model incorporating a simple feedback loop between morphogen patterning and tissue stretch reproduces a wide range of experimental data. Finally, we compare different hypothetical morphogen patterning mechanisms (Turing, tissue-curvature, and self-organized criticality). Our results suggest the experimental investigation of bigger (i.e., multiple head) aggregates as a key step for a deeper understanding of mechanochemical symmetry breaking in Hydra. PMID:25954896

Optomechanically induced spontaneous symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miri, Mohammad-Ali; Verhagen, Ewold; Alú, Andrea

2017-05-01

We explore the dynamics of spontaneous breakdown of mirror symmetry in a pair of identical optomechanical cavities symmetrically coupled to a waveguide. Large optical intensities enable optomechanically induced nonlinear detuning of the optical resonators, resulting in a pitchfork bifurcation. We investigate the stability of this regime and explore the possibility of inducing multistability. By injecting proper trigger pulses, the proposed structure can toggle between two asymmetric stable states, thus serving as a low-noise nanophotonic all-optical switch or memory element.

Parity-Time Symmetry Breaking in Spin Chains.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galda, Alexey; Vinokur, Valerii M.

We investigate nonequilibrium phase transitions in classical Heisenberg spin chains associated with spontaneous breaking of parity-time (PT) symmetry of the system under the action of Slonczewski spin-transfer torque (STT) modeled by an applied imaginary magnetic field. We reveal the STT-driven PT symmetry-breaking phase transition between the regimes of precessional and exponentially damped spin dynamics and show that its several properties can be derived from the distribution of zeros of the system's partition function, the approach first introduced by Yang and Lee for studying equilibrium phase transitions in Ising spin chains. The physical interpretation of imaginary magnetic field as describing themore » action of nonconservative forces opens the possibility of direct observations of Lee-Yang zeros in nonequilibrium physical systems.« less

Parity-time symmetry breaking in spin chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galda, Alexey; Vinokur, Valerii M.

2018-05-01

We investigate nonequilibrium phase transitions in classical Heisenberg spin chains associated with spontaneous breaking of parity-time (PT ) symmetry of the system under the action of Slonczewski spin-transfer torque (STT) modeled by an applied imaginary magnetic field. We reveal the STT-driven PT symmetry-breaking phase transition between the regimes of precessional and exponentially damped spin dynamics and show that its several properties can be derived from the distribution of zeros of the system's partition function, the approach first introduced by Yang and Lee for studying equilibrium phase transitions in Ising spin chains. The physical interpretation of imaginary magnetic field as describing the action of nonconservative forces opens the possibility of direct observations of Lee-Yang zeros in nonequilibrium physical systems.

Flat connections in open string mirror symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alim, Murad; Hecht, Michael; Jockers, Hans; Mayr, Peter; Mertens, Adrian; Soroush, Masoud

2012-06-01

We study a flat connection defined on the open-closed deformation space of open string mirror symmetry for type II compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds with D-branes. We use flatness and integrability conditions to define distinguished flat coordinates and the superpotential function at an arbitrary point in the open-closed deformation space. Integrability conditions are given for concrete deformation spaces with several closed and open string deformations. We study explicit examples for expansions around different limit points, including orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants, and brane configurations with several brane moduli. In particular, the latter case covers stacks of parallel branes with non-Abelian symmetry.

Equivariant branes and equivariant homological mirror symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashwinkumar, Meer; Tan, Meng-Chwan

2018-03-01

We describe supersymmetric A-branes and B-branes in open N =(2 ,2 ) dynamically gauged nonlinear sigma models (GNLSM), placing emphasis on toric manifold target spaces. For a subset of toric manifolds, these equivariant branes have a mirror description as branes in gauged Landau-Ginzburg models with neutral matter. We then study correlation functions in the topological A-twisted version of the GNLSM and identify their values with open Hamiltonian Gromov-Witten invariants. Supersymmetry breaking can occur in the A-twisted GNLSM due to nonperturbative open symplectic vortices, and we canonically Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin quantize the mirror theory to analyze this phenomenon.

PT-symmetry breaking with divergent potentials: Lattice and continuum cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joglekar, Yogesh N.; Scott, Derek D.; Saxena, Avadh

2014-09-01

We investigate the parity- and time-reversal (PT-) symmetry breaking in lattice models in the presence of long-ranged, non-Hermitian, PT-symmetric potentials that remain finite or become divergent in the continuum limit. By scaling analysis of the fragile PT threshold for an open finite lattice, we show that continuum loss-gain potentials Vα(x)∝i|x|αsgn(x) have a positive PT-breaking threshold for α >-2, and a zero threshold for α ≤-2. When α <0 localized states with complex (conjugate) energies in the continuum energy band occur at higher loss-gain strengths. We investigate the signatures of PT-symmetry breaking in coupled waveguides, and show that the emergence of localized states dramatically shortens the relevant time scale in the PT-symmetry broken region.

Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Peptide Systems During Formation of Life on Earth.

PubMed

Konstantinov, Konstantin K; Konstantinova, Alisa F

2018-03-01

Chiral symmetry breaking in complex chemical systems with a large number of amino acids and a large number of similar reactions was considered. It was shown that effective averaging over similar reaction channels may result in very weak effective enantioselectivity of forward reactions, which does not allow most of the known models to result in chiral symmetry breaking during formation of life on Earth. Models with simple and catalytic synthesis of a single amino acid, formation of peptides up to length five, and sedimentation of insoluble pair of substances were considered. It was shown that depending on the model and the values of the parameters, chiral symmetry breaking may occur in up to about 10% out of all possible unique insoluble pair combinations even in the absence of any catalytic synthesis and that minimum total number of amino acids in the pair is 5. If weak enantioselective forward catalytic synthesis of amino acids is present, then the number of possible variants, in which chiral symmetry breaking may occur, increases substantially. It was shown that that the most interesting catalysts have zero or one amino acid of "incorrect" chirality. If the parameters of the model are adjusted in such a way to result in an increase of concentration of longer peptides, then catalysts with two amino acids of incorrect chirality start to appear at peptides of length five. Models of chiral symmetry breaking in the presence of epimerization were considered for peptides up to length three. It was shown that the range of parameters in which chiral symmetry breaking could occur significantly shrinks in comparison to previously considered models with peptides up to length two. An experiment of chiral symmetry breaking was proposed. The experiment consists of a three-step cycle: reversible catalytic synthesis of amino acids, reversible synthesis of peptides, and irreversible sedimentation of insoluble substances.

Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Peptide Systems During Formation of Life on Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantinov, Konstantin K.; Konstantinova, Alisa F.

2018-03-01

Chiral symmetry breaking in complex chemical systems with a large number of amino acids and a large number of similar reactions was considered. It was shown that effective averaging over similar reaction channels may result in very weak effective enantioselectivity of forward reactions, which does not allow most of the known models to result in chiral symmetry breaking during formation of life on Earth. Models with simple and catalytic synthesis of a single amino acid, formation of peptides up to length five, and sedimentation of insoluble pair of substances were considered. It was shown that depending on the model and the values of the parameters, chiral symmetry breaking may occur in up to about 10% out of all possible unique insoluble pair combinations even in the absence of any catalytic synthesis and that minimum total number of amino acids in the pair is 5. If weak enantioselective forward catalytic synthesis of amino acids is present, then the number of possible variants, in which chiral symmetry breaking may occur, increases substantially. It was shown that that the most interesting catalysts have zero or one amino acid of "incorrect" chirality. If the parameters of the model are adjusted in such a way to result in an increase of concentration of longer peptides, then catalysts with two amino acids of incorrect chirality start to appear at peptides of length five. Models of chiral symmetry breaking in the presence of epimerization were considered for peptides up to length three. It was shown that the range of parameters in which chiral symmetry breaking could occur significantly shrinks in comparison to previously considered models with peptides up to length two. An experiment of chiral symmetry breaking was proposed. The experiment consists of a three-step cycle: reversible catalytic synthesis of amino acids, reversible synthesis of peptides, and irreversible sedimentation of insoluble substances.

Higgsless approach to electroweak symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grojean, Christophe

2007-11-01

Higgsless models are an attempt to achieve a breaking of the electroweak symmetry via boundary conditions at the end-points of a fifth dimension compactified on an interval, as an alternative to the usual Higgs mechanism. There is no physical Higgs scalar in the spectrum and the perturbative unitarity violation scale is delayed via the exchange of massive spin-1 KK resonances. The correct mass spectrum is reproduced in a model in warped space, which inherits a custodial symmetry from a left-right gauge symmetry in the bulk. Phenomenological challenges as well as collider signatures are presented. From the AdS/CFT perspective, this model appears as a weakly coupled dual to walking technicolour models. To cite this article: C. Grojean, C. R. Physique 8 (2007).

Chiral symmetry breaking in a semilocalized magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Gaoqing

2018-03-01

In this work, we explore the pattern of chiral symmetry breaking and restoration in a solvable magnetic field configuration within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. The special semilocalized static magnetic field can roughly mimic the realistic situation in peripheral heavy ion collisions; thus, the study is important for the dynamical evolution of quark matter. We find that the magnetic-field-dependent contribution from discrete spectra usually dominates over the contribution from continuum spectra and chiral symmetry breaking is locally catalyzed by both the magnitude and scale of the magnetic field. The study is finally extended to the case with finite temperature or chemical potential.

Doran-Harder-Thompson Conjecture via SYZ Mirror Symmetry: Elliptic Curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanazawa, Atsushi

2017-04-01

We prove the Doran-Harder-Thompson conjecture in the case of elliptic curves by using ideas from SYZ mirror symmetry. The conjecture claims that when a Calabi-Yau manifold X degenerates to a union of two quasi-Fano manifolds (Tyurin degeneration), a mirror Calabi-Yau manifold of X can be constructed by gluing the two mirror Landau-Ginzburg models of the quasi-Fano manifolds. The two crucial ideas in our proof are to obtain a complex structure by gluing the underlying affine manifolds and to construct the theta functions from the Landau-Ginzburg superpotentials.

Ultrafast dynamics of vibrational symmetry breaking in a charge-ordered nickelate

PubMed Central

Coslovich, Giacomo; Kemper, Alexander F.; Behl, Sascha; Huber, Bernhard; Bechtel, Hans A.; Sasagawa, Takao; Martin, Michael C.; Lanzara, Alessandra; Kaindl, Robert A.

2017-01-01

The ability to probe symmetry-breaking transitions on their natural time scales is one of the key challenges in nonequilibrium physics. Stripe ordering represents an intriguing type of broken symmetry, where complex interactions result in atomic-scale lines of charge and spin density. Although phonon anomalies and periodic distortions attest the importance of electron-phonon coupling in the formation of stripe phases, a direct time-domain view of vibrational symmetry breaking is lacking. We report experiments that track the transient multi-terahertz response of the model stripe compound La1.75Sr0.25NiO4, yielding novel insight into its electronic and structural dynamics following an ultrafast optical quench. We find that although electronic carriers are immediately delocalized, the crystal symmetry remains initially frozen—as witnessed by time-delayed suppression of zone-folded Ni–O bending modes acting as a fingerprint of lattice symmetry. Longitudinal and transverse vibrations react with different speeds, indicating a strong directionality and an important role of polar interactions. The hidden complexity of electronic and structural coupling during stripe melting and formation, captured here within a single terahertz spectrum, opens new paths to understanding symmetry-breaking dynamics in solids. PMID:29202025

Mirror symmetry of ions and electron temperature variations within the dusty dynamo layer of the auroral ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeev, Evgeny; Kangas, Jorma; Vallinkoski, Matti

Quasi-periodic (consisting of a dozen electro-thermal structures, ETS) variations of ionospheric parameters during April, 10 and March, 23 1988 substorms were investigated using the data of EISCAT radars in Tromso. These variations were measured at the lower edge of dynamo-layer 106 km and include the ion and electron temperature, electron density and ionospheric electric field; all data were smoothed out using moving average with optimal lag window. It was shown that: 1) ETS clusters are observed when value of the electric field is < 10 mV/m and average electron density is about (5-10)*10 (4) /sm (3) , 2) For each ETS the envelop demonstrate the so called mirror symmetry, that is antiphased variations of the ion and electron temperature (when Ti increases and Te decreases), 3) The symmetry breaks when the electric field is larger than FB instability threshold (15-20 mVm), 4) The periods of these variations is in the range of 3-10 min, 5) The self-similarity of the scales is observed: smaller scales are included into the larger scales, 6) Temperature variations were accompanied by the electric field variations with amplitude of 4-7 mV/m, 7) Large scale structures (and sometimes dyads formed by two subsequent structures) were accompanied by the electric field rotation up to the whole circle. Specific ETS and plasma parameters variations can be interpreted as a result of Ekman-type instability in the dusty plasma of the dynamo layer. The mirror symmetry of plasma temperature variations is an evidence of a partial blocking of energy transfer between the ions and electrons at low values of the external electric field (below FB instability threshold) because the main energy in such a kind of plasma is attributed to dusty macro-particles (Fortov et al., 2010). Under these conditions the time scale of the dust particle energy variations are considerably larger than the corresponding scales of the temperature variations. According to our previous results (Timofeev et al

Cooperation and competition between two symmetry breakings in a coupled ratchet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chen-Pu; Chen, Hong-Bin; Fan, Hong; Xie, Ge-Ying; Zheng, Zhi-Gang

2018-03-01

We investigate the collective mechanism of coupled Brownian motors in a flashing ratchet in the presence of coupling symmetry breaking and space symmetry breaking. The dependences of directed current on various parameters are extensively studied in terms of numerical simulations and theoretical analysis. Reversed motion can be achieved by modulating multiple parameters including the spatial asymmetry coefficient, the coupling asymmetry coefficient, the coupling free length and the coupling strength. The dynamical mechanism of these transport properties can be reasonably explained by the effective potential theory and the cooperation or competition between two symmetry breakings. Moreover, adjusting the Gaussian white noise intensity, which can induce weak reversed motion under certain condition, can optimize and manipulate the directed transport of the ratchet system.

Quantum chaos and breaking of all anti-unitary symmetries in Rydberg excitons.

PubMed

Aßmann, Marc; Thewes, Johannes; Fröhlich, Dietmar; Bayer, Manfred

2016-07-01

Symmetries are the underlying principles of fundamental interactions in nature. Chaos in a quantum system may emerge from breaking these symmetries. Compared to vacuum, crystals are attractive for studying quantum chaos, as they not only break spatial isotropy, but also lead to novel quasiparticles with modified interactions. Here we study yellow Rydberg excitons in cuprous oxide which couple strongly to the vacuum light field and interact significantly with crystal phonons, leading to inversion symmetry breaking. In a magnetic field, time-reversal symmetry is also broken and the exciton states show a complex splitting pattern, resulting in quadratic level repulsion for small splittings. In contrast to atomic chaotic systems in a magnetic field, which show only a linear level repulsion, this is a signature of a system where all anti-unitary symmetries are broken simultaneously. This behaviour can otherwise be found only for the electro-weak interaction or engineered billiards.

Effective field theory of emergent symmetry breaking in deformed atomic nuclei

DOE PAGES

Papenbrock, Thomas F.; Weidenmüller, H. A.

2015-09-03

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in non-relativistic quantum systems has previously been addressed in the framework of effective field theory. Low-lying excitations are constructed from Nambu–Goldstone modes using symmetry arguments only. In this study, we extend that approach to finite systems. The approach is very general. To be specific, however, we consider atomic nuclei with intrinsically deformed ground states. The emergent symmetry breaking in such systems requires the introduction of additional degrees of freedom on top of the Nambu–Goldstone modes. Symmetry arguments suffice to construct the low-lying states of the system. Lastly, in deformed nuclei these are vibrational modes each of whichmore » serves as band head of a rotational band.« less

Is radiative electroweak symmetry breaking consistent with a 125 GeV Higgs mass?

PubMed

Steele, T G; Wang, Zhi-Wei

2013-04-12

The mechanism of radiative electroweak symmetry breaking occurs through loop corrections, and unlike conventional symmetry breaking where the Higgs mass is a parameter, the radiatively generated Higgs mass is dynamically predicted. Padé approximations and an averaging method are developed to extend the Higgs mass predictions in radiative electroweak symmetry breaking from five- to nine-loop order in the scalar sector of the standard model, resulting in an upper bound on the Higgs mass of 141 GeV. The mass predictions are well described by a geometric series behavior, converging to an asymptotic Higgs mass of 124 GeV consistent with the recent ATLAS and CMS Collaborations observations. Similarly, we find that the Higgs self-coupling converges to λ=0.23, which is significantly larger than its conventional symmetry breaking counterpart for a 124 GeV Higgs mass. In addition to this significant enhancement of the Higgs self-coupling and HH→HH scattering, we find that Higgs decays to gauge bosons are unaltered and the scattering processes WL(+)WL(+)→HH, ZLZL→HH are also enhanced, providing signals to distinguish conventional and radiative electroweak symmetry breaking mechanisms.

Ultrafast dynamics of vibrational symmetry breaking in a charge-ordered nickelate

DOE PAGES

Coslovich, Giacomo; Kemper, Alexander F.; Behl, Sascha; ...

2017-11-24

The ability to probe symmetry-breaking transitions on their natural time scales is one of the key challenges in nonequilibrium physics. Stripe ordering represents an intriguing type of broken symmetry, where complex interactions result in atomic-scale lines of charge and spin density. Although phonon anomalies and periodic distortions attest the importance of electron-phonon coupling in the formation of stripe phases, a direct time-domain view of vibrational symmetry breaking is lacking. We report experiments that track the transient multi-terahertz response of the model stripe compound La 1.75Sr 0.25NiO 4, yielding novel insight into its electronic and structural dynamics following an ultrafast opticalmore » quench. We find that although electronic carriers are immediately delocalized, the crystal symmetry remains initially frozen—as witnessed by time-delayed suppression of zone-folded Ni–O bending modes acting as a fingerprint of lattice symmetry. Longitudinal and transverse vibrations react with different speeds, indicating a strong directionality and an important role of polar interactions. As a result, the hidden complexity of electronic and structural coupling during stripe melting and formation, captured here within a single terahertz spectrum, opens new paths to understanding symmetry-breaking dynamics in solids.« less

Ultrafast dynamics of vibrational symmetry breaking in a charge-ordered nickelate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coslovich, Giacomo; Kemper, Alexander F.; Behl, Sascha

The ability to probe symmetry-breaking transitions on their natural time scales is one of the key challenges in nonequilibrium physics. Stripe ordering represents an intriguing type of broken symmetry, where complex interactions result in atomic-scale lines of charge and spin density. Although phonon anomalies and periodic distortions attest the importance of electron-phonon coupling in the formation of stripe phases, a direct time-domain view of vibrational symmetry breaking is lacking. We report experiments that track the transient multi-terahertz response of the model stripe compound La 1.75Sr 0.25NiO 4, yielding novel insight into its electronic and structural dynamics following an ultrafast opticalmore » quench. We find that although electronic carriers are immediately delocalized, the crystal symmetry remains initially frozen—as witnessed by time-delayed suppression of zone-folded Ni–O bending modes acting as a fingerprint of lattice symmetry. Longitudinal and transverse vibrations react with different speeds, indicating a strong directionality and an important role of polar interactions. As a result, the hidden complexity of electronic and structural coupling during stripe melting and formation, captured here within a single terahertz spectrum, opens new paths to understanding symmetry-breaking dynamics in solids.« less

Bose-Einstein condensation, spontaneous symmetry breaking, and gauge theories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kapusta, J.I.

1981-07-15

Bosonic chemical potentials for a variety of relativistic field theories are introduced via the methods of functional integrals with the aim of studying the relationship between Bose-Einstein condensation and spontaneous symmetry breaking. The models studied include the noninteracting and the self-interacting charged scalar field, scalar electrodynamics and the Higgs model, and the Weinberg-Salam model. In general the chemical potential acts as an effective symmetry-breaking parameter although the phase diagrams for the two cases (m/sup 2/<0 and m/sup 2/>0) look very different. It is found that the symmetry-restoring temperature in the Weinberg-Salam model increases with increasing electric charge density. Finally, themore » analysis of Jakobsen, Kon, and Segal of a conserved isotropic total angular momentum for the cosmic background radiation is shown to be erroneous.« less

A UV-complete Composite Higgs model for Electroweak Symmetry Breaking: Minimal Conformal Technicolor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tacchi, Ruggero Altair

The Large Hadron Collider is currently collecting data. One of the main goals of the experiment is to find evidence of the mechanism responsible for the breaking of the electroweak symmetry. There are many different models attempting to explain this breaking and traditionally most of them involve the use of supersymmetry near the scale of the breaking. This work is focused on exploring a viable model that is not based on a weakly coupled low scale supersymmetry sector to explain the electroweak symmetry breaking. We build a model based on a new strong interaction, in the fashion of theories commonly called "technicolor", name that is reminiscent of one of the first attempts of explaining the electroweak symmetry breaking using a strong interaction similar to the one whose charges are called colors. We explicitly study the minimal model of conformal technicolor, an SU(2) gauge theory near a strongly coupled conformal fixed point, with conformal symmetry softly broken by technifermion mass terms. Conformal symmetry breaking triggers chiral symmetry breaking in the pattern SU(4) → Sp (4), which gives rise to a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson that can act as a composite Higgs boson. There is an additional composite pseudoscalar A with mass larger than mh and suppressed direct production at LHC. We discuss the electroweak fit in this model in detail. A good fit requires fine tuning at the 10% level. We construct a complete, realistic, and natural UV completion of the model, that explains the origin of quark and lepton masses and mixing angles. We embed conformal technicolor in a supersymmetric theory, with supersymmetry broken at a high scale. The effective theory below the supersymmetry breaking scale is minimal conformal technicolor with an additional light technicolor gaugino that might give rise to an additional pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson that is observable at the LHC.

Mode structure symmetry breaking of energetic particle driven beta-induced Alfvén eigenmode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Z. X.; Wang, X.; Lauber, Ph.; Zonca, F.

2018-01-01

The mode structure symmetry breaking of energetic particle driven Beta-induced Alfvén Eigenmode (BAE) is studied based on global theory and simulation. The weak coupling formula gives a reasonable estimate of the local eigenvalue compared with global hybrid simulation using XHMGC. The non-perturbative effect of energetic particles on global mode structure symmetry breaking in radial and parallel (along B) directions is demonstrated. With the contribution from energetic particles, two dimensional (radial and poloidal) BAE mode structures with symmetric/asymmetric tails are produced using an analytical model. It is demonstrated that the symmetry breaking in radial and parallel directions is intimately connected. The effects of mode structure symmetry breaking on nonlinear physics, energetic particle transport, and the possible insight for experimental studies are discussed.

Time-reversal and rotation symmetry breaking superconductivity in Dirac materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirolli, Luca; de Juan, Fernando; Guinea, Francisco

2017-05-01

We consider mixed symmetry superconducting phases in Dirac materials in the odd-parity channel, where pseudoscalar and vector order parameters can coexist due to their similar critical temperatures when attractive interactions are of a finite range. We show that the coupling of these order parameters to unordered magnetic dopants favors the condensation of time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) phases, characterized by a condensate magnetization, rotation symmetry breaking, and simultaneous ordering of the dopant moments. We find a rich phase diagram of mixed TRSB phases characterized by peculiar bulk quasiparticles, with Weyl nodes and nodal lines, and distinctive surface states. These findings are consistent with recent experiments on NbxBi2Se3 that report evidence of point nodes, nematicity, and TRSB superconductivity induced by Nb magnetic moments.

Parity-time symmetry breaking in magnetic systems

DOE PAGES

Galda, Alexey; Vinokur, Valerii M.

2016-07-14

The understanding of out-of-equilibrium physics, especially dynamic instabilities and dynamic phase transitions, is one of the major challenges of contemporary science, spanning the broadest wealth of research areas that range from quantum optics to living organisms. By focusing on nonequilibrium dynamics of an open dissipative spin system, we introduce a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian approach, in which non-Hermiticity reflects dissipation and deviation from equilibrium. The imaginary part of the proposed spin Hamiltonian describes the effects of Gilbert damping and applied Slonczewski spin-transfer torque. In the classical limit, our approach reproduces Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski dynamics of a large macrospin. Here, we reveal the spin-transfer torque-drivenmore » parity-time symmetry-breaking phase transition corresponding to a transition from precessional to exponentially damped spin dynamics. Micromagnetic simulations for nanoscale ferromagnetic disks demonstrate the predicted effect. These findings can pave the way to a general quantitative description of out-of-equilibrium phase transitions driven by spontaneous parity-time symmetry breaking.« less

Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Crystal Growth: Is Hydrodynamic Convection Relevant?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, B.; Tharrington, A.; Wu, Xiao-Lun

1996-01-01

The effects of mechanical stirring on nucleation and chiral symmetry breaking have been investigated for a simple inorganic molecule, sodium chlorate (NaClO3). In contrast to earlier findings, our experiment suggests that the symmetry breaking may have little to do with hydrodynamic convection. Rather the effect can be reasonably accounted for by mechanical damage to incipient crystals. The catastrophic events, creating numerous small 'secondary' crystals, produce statistical domination of one chiral species over the other. Our conclusion is supported by a number of observations using different mixing mechanisms.

Traces of Lorentz symmetry breaking in a hydrogen atom at ground state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges, L. H. C.; Barone, F. A.

2016-02-01

Some traces of a specific Lorentz symmetry breaking scenario in the ground state of the hydrogen atom are investigated. We use standard Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory in order to obtain the corrections to the ground state energy and the wave function. It is shown that an induced four-pole moment arises, due to the Lorentz symmetry breaking. The model considered is the one studied in Borges et al. (Eur Phys J C 74:2937, 2014), where the Lorentz symmetry is broken in the electromagnetic sector.

Fermion mass without symmetry breaking

DOE PAGES

Catterall, Simon

2016-01-20

We examine a model of reduced staggered fermions in three dimensions interacting through an SO (4) invariant four fermion interaction. The model is similar to that considered in a recent paper by Ayyer and Chandrasekharan. We present theoretical arguments and numerical evidence which support the idea that the system develops a mass gap for sufficiently strong four fermi coupling without producing a symmetry breaking fermion bilinear condensate. As a result, massless and massive phases appear to be separated by a continuous phase transition.

Stochastic recruitment leads to symmetry breaking in foraging populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biancalani, Tommaso; Dyson, Louise; McKane, Alan

2014-03-01

When an ant colony is faced with two identical equidistant food sources, the foraging ants are found to concentrate more on one source than the other. Analogous symmetry-breaking behaviours have been reported in various population systems, (such as queueing or stock market trading) suggesting the existence of a simple universal mechanism. Past studies have neglected the effect of demographic noise and required rather complicated models to qualitatively reproduce this behaviour. I will show how including the effects of demographic noise leads to a radically different conclusion. The symmetry-breaking arises solely due to the process of recruitment and ceases to occur for large population sizes. The latter fact provides a testable prediction for a real system.

Cosmology of biased discrete symmetry breaking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelmini, Graciela B.; Gleiser, Marcelo; Kolb, Edward W.

1988-01-01

The cosmological consequences of spontaneous breaking of an approximate discrete symmetry are studied. The breaking leads to formation of proto-domains of false and true vacuum separated by domain walls of thickness determined by the mass scale of the model. The cosmological evolution of the walls is extremely sensitive to the magnitude of the biasing; several scenarios are possible, depending on the interplay between the surface tension on the walls and the volume pressure from the biasing. Walls may disappear almost immediately after they form, or may live long enough to dominate the energy density of the Universe and cause power-law inflation. Limits are obtained on the biasing that characterizes each possible scenario.

Symmetry breaking in actin gels - Implications for cellular motility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John, Karin; Peyla, Philippe; Misbah, Chaouqi

2007-03-01

The physical origin of cell motility is not fully understood. Recently minimal model systems have shown, that polymerizing actin itself can produce a motile force, without the help of motor proteins. Pathogens like Shigella or Listeria use actin to propel themselves forward in their host cell. The same process can be mimicked with polystyrene beads covered with the activating protein ActA, which reside in a solution containing actin monomers. ActA induces the growth of an actin gel at the bead surface. Initially the gel grows symmetrically around the bead until a critical size is reached. Subsequently one observes a symmetry breaking and the gel starts to grow asymmetrically around the bead developing a tail of actin at one side. This symmetry breaking is accompanied by a directed movement of the bead, with the actin tail trailing behind the bead. Force generation relies on the combination of two properties: growth and elasticity of the actin gel. We study this phenomenon theoretically within the framework of a linear elasticity theory and linear flux-force relationships for the evolution of an elastic gel around a hard sphere. Conditions for a parity symmetry breaking are identified analytically and illustrated numerically with the help of a phasefield model.

Translational Symmetry-Breaking for Spiral Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeBlanc, V. G.; Wulff, C.

2000-10-01

Spiral waves are observed in numerous physical situations, ranging from Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) chemical reactions, to cardiac tissue, to slime-mold aggregates. Mathematical models with Euclidean symmetry have recently been developed to describe the dynamic behavior (for example, meandering) of spiral waves in excitable media. However, no physical experiment is ever infinite in spatial extent, so the Euclidean symmetry is only approximate. Experiments on spiral waves show that inhomogeneities can anchor spirals and that boundary effects (for example, boundary drifting) become very important when the size of the spiral core is comparable to the size of the reacting medium. Spiral anchoring and boundary drifting cannot be explained by the Euclidean model alone. In this paper, we investigate the effects on spiral wave dynamics of breaking the translation symmetry while keeping the rotation symmetry. This is accomplished by introducing a small perturbation in the five-dimensional center bundle equations (describing Hopf bifurcation from one-armed spiral waves) which is SO(2)-equivariant but not equivariant under translations. We then study the effects of this perturbation on rigid spiral rotation, on quasi-periodic meandering and on drifting.

Dynamics of symmetry breaking during quantum real-time evolution in a minimal model system.

PubMed

Heyl, Markus; Vojta, Matthias

2014-10-31

One necessary criterion for the thermalization of a nonequilibrium quantum many-particle system is ergodicity. It is, however, not sufficient in cases where the asymptotic long-time state lies in a symmetry-broken phase but the initial state of nonequilibrium time evolution is fully symmetric with respect to this symmetry. In equilibrium, one particular symmetry-broken state is chosen as a result of an infinitesimal symmetry-breaking perturbation. From a dynamical point of view the question is: Can such an infinitesimal perturbation be sufficient for the system to establish a nonvanishing order during quantum real-time evolution? We study this question analytically for a minimal model system that can be associated with symmetry breaking, the ferromagnetic Kondo model. We show that after a quantum quench from a completely symmetric state the system is able to break its symmetry dynamically and discuss how these features can be observed experimentally.

Naturalness of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espinosa, J. R.

2007-02-01

After revisiting the hierarchy problem of the Standard Model and its implications for the scale of New Physics, I consider the fine tuning problem of electroweak symmetry breaking in two main scenarios beyond the Standard Model: SUSY and Little Higgs models. The main conclusions are that New Physics should appear on the reach of the LHC; that some SUSY models can solve the hierarchy problem with acceptable residual fine tuning and, finally, that Little Higgs models generically suffer from large tunings, many times hidden.

Charmed states and flavour symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horsley, R.; Koumi, Z.; Nakamura, Y.; Perlt, H.; Rakow, P. E. L.; Schierholz, G.; Schiller, A.; Stüben, H.; Young, R. D.; Zanotti, J. M.

2018-03-01

Extending the SU(3) flavour symmetry breaking expansion from up, down and strange sea quark masses to partially quenched valence quark masses allows an extrapolation to the charm quark mass. This approach leads to a determination of charmed quark hadron masses and decay constants. We describe our recent progress and give preliminary results in particular with regard to the recently discovered doubly charmed baryon (the Ξcc++) by the LHCb Collaboration.

Translational Symmetry Breaking and Gapping of Heavy-Quasiparticle Pocket in URu2Si2

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Rikiya; Tsubota, Koji; Ishiga, Toshihiko; Sunagawa, Masanori; Sonoyama, Jyunki; Aoki, Dai; Flouquet, Jacques; Wakita, Takanori; Muraoka, Yuji; Yokoya, Takayoshi

2013-01-01

URu2Si2 is a uranium compound that exhibits a so-called ‘hidden-order’ transition at ~17.5 K. However, the order parameter of this second-order transition as well as many of its microscopic properties remain unclarified despite considerable research. One of the key questions in this regard concerns the type of spontaneous symmetry breaking occurring at the transition; although rotational symmetry breaking has been detected, it is not clear whether another type of symmetry breaking also occurs. Another key question concerns the property of Fermi-surface gapping in the momentum space. Here we address these key questions by a momentum-dependent observation of electronic states at the transition employing ultrahigh-resolution three-dimensional angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results provide compelling evidence of the spontaneous breaking of the lattice's translational symmetry and particle-hole asymmetric gapping of a heavy quasiparticle pocket at the transition. PMID:24084937

Nonlinear symmetry breaking in photometamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorlach, Maxim A.; Dobrykh, Dmitry A.; Slobozhanyuk, Alexey P.; Belov, Pavel A.; Lapine, Mikhail

2018-03-01

We design and analyze theoretically photometamaterials with each meta-atom containing both photodiode and light-emitting diode. Illumination of the photodiode by the light-emitting diode gives rise to an additional optical feedback within each unit cell, which strongly affects resonant properties and nonlinear response of the meta-atom. In particular, we demonstrate that inversion symmetry breaking occurs upon a certain threshold magnitude of the incident wave intensity resulting in an abrupt emergence of second-harmonic generation, which was not originally available, as well as in the reduced third-harmonic signal.

Angle-resolved photoemission with circularly polarized light in the nodal mirror plane of underdoped Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+ δ superconductor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

He, Junfeng; Mion, Thomas R.; Gao, Shang

2016-10-31

Unraveling the nature of pseudogap phase in high-temperature superconductors holds the key to understanding their superconducting mechanisms and potentially broadening their applications via enhancement of their superconducting transition temperatures. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments using circularly polarized light have been proposed to detect possible symmetry breaking state in the pseudogap phase of cuprates. Here, the presence (absence) of an electronic order which breaks mirror symmetry of the crystal would in principle induce a finite (zero) circular dichroism in photoemission. Different orders breaking reflection symmetries about different mirror planes can also be distinguished by the momentum dependence of the measured circularmore » dichroism.« less

Dynamical Symmetry Breaking in Models of Spinor Fields with Quartic Interactions in (1+1) Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rhung-tai; Ni, Guang-jiong

1982-07-01

A nonperturbative method, namely, variational method together with canonical transformations, is developed to study dynamical symmetry breaking. This method has been applied in the models of two dimensional massless fermion fields with quartic interactions. The results imply that the mechanism of dynamical symmetry breaking bears some analogy to the phenomenon of superconductivity. The new vacuum \\mid \\tilde{0}> is just a relativistic BCS groundstate, In this vacuum \\mid ^≈0>, we can observe a quasi-particle with mass "MF" Furthermore, correlative vacuum \\mid ^≈0> exists and the mesons emerge with masses "O" and "2MF". It is also shown that dynamical symmetry breaking always occurs in the models with infrared slavery and asymptotic freedom, while it is meaningless to discuss dynamical symmetry breaking in infrared stable theory.

Breaking Symmetry Effects on Heavy Tetraquarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijande, J.; Valcarce, A.; Richard, J.-M.

In this contribution we present symmetry arguments that can be applied to study the stability of four-quark systems with two different masses. The role played by different symmetry breaking effects and the non-Abelian algebra of color forces is discussed in detail. In the particular case of hidden-flavor all-heavy four-quark states, QQQ¯Q¯, the system becomes unstable for standard color-additive models. Differences and similarities between QqQ¯q¯ and QQq¯q¯ configurations are presented. In the latter case, its stability when the mass ratio M/m increases was established almost forty years ago. In the former case, we find a kind of metastability between the lowest threshold, (QQ¯) ‑ (qq¯) and the highest one, (Qq¯) ‑ (Q¯q).

Amplitude Excitations in a Symmetry-Breaking Quantum Phase Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boguslawski, Matthew; H M, Bharath; Barrios, Maryrose; Chapman, Michael

Quantum phase transitions (QPT) can be characterized using a local order parameter. In a symmetry-breaking phase transition, this order parameter spontaneously breaks one or more of the symmetries of the Hamiltonian while crossing the quantum critical point (QCP). A spin-1 Bose Einstein condensate, in a single spatial mode, undergoes a QPT when the applied magnetic field is quenched through a critical value. The transverse spin component is an order parameter characterizing this QPT. It shares a U(1)Ã'SO(2) symmetry with the Hamiltonian, but one of these two symmetries is broken when the system is quenched through the QCP. As a result, two massless, coupled phonon-magnon modes are present along with a single massive, or Higgs-like mode which has the form of amplitude excitations of the order parameter. Here, we experimentally characterize this phase transition and the resulting amplitude excitations by inducing coherent oscillation in the spin population. We further use the amplitude oscillations to measure the energy gap between the ground state and the first excited state for different phases of the QPT. At the QCP, finite size effects lead to a non-zero gap, and our measurements are consistent with this prediction.

Nuclear Symmetry Energy and the Breaking of the Isospin Symmetry: How Do They Reconcile with Each Other?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roca-Maza, X.; Colò, G.; Sagawa, H.

2018-05-01

We analyze and propose a solution to the apparent inconsistency between our current knowledge of the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter, the energy of the isobaric analog state (IAS) in a heavy nucleus such as 208Pb, and the isospin symmetry breaking forces in the nuclear medium. This is achieved by performing state-of-the-art Hartree-Fock plus random phase approximation calculations of the IAS that include all isospin symmetry breaking contributions. To this aim, we propose a new effective interaction that is successful in reproducing the IAS excitation energy without compromising other properties of finite nuclei.

Nuclear Symmetry Energy and the Breaking of the Isospin Symmetry: How Do They Reconcile with Each Other?

PubMed

Roca-Maza, X; Colò, G; Sagawa, H

2018-05-18

We analyze and propose a solution to the apparent inconsistency between our current knowledge of the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter, the energy of the isobaric analog state (IAS) in a heavy nucleus such as ^{208}Pb, and the isospin symmetry breaking forces in the nuclear medium. This is achieved by performing state-of-the-art Hartree-Fock plus random phase approximation calculations of the IAS that include all isospin symmetry breaking contributions. To this aim, we propose a new effective interaction that is successful in reproducing the IAS excitation energy without compromising other properties of finite nuclei.

Towards a realistic model of Higgsless electroweak symmetry breaking.

PubMed

Csáki, Csaba; Grojean, Christophe; Pilo, Luigi; Terning, John

2004-03-12

We present a 5D gauge theory in warped space based on a bulk SU(2)L x SU(2)R x U(1)(B-L) gauge group where the gauge symmetry is broken by boundary conditions. The symmetry breaking pattern and the mass spectrum resemble that in the standard model (SM). To leading order in the warp factor the rho parameter and the coupling of the Z (S parameter) are as in the SM, while corrections are expected at the level of a percent. From the anti-de Sitter (AdS) conformal field theory point of view the model presented here can be viewed as the AdS dual of a (walking) technicolorlike theory, in the sense that it is the presence of the IR brane itself that breaks electroweak symmetry, and not a localized Higgs on the IR brane (which should be interpreted as a composite Higgs model). This model predicts the lightest W, Z, and gamma resonances to be at around 1.2 TeV, and no fundamental (or composite) Higgs particles.

A theoretical study of symmetry-breaking organic overlayers on single- and bi-layer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales-Cifuentes, Josue; Einstein, T. L.

2013-03-01

An ``overlayer'' of molecules that breaks the AB symmetry of graphene can produce (modify) a band gap in single- (bi-) layer graphene.[2] Since the triangular shaped trimesic acid (TMA) molecule forms two familiar symmetry breaking configurations, we are motivated to model TMA physisorption on graphene surfaces in conjunction with experiments by Groce et al. at UMD. Using VASP, with ab initio van der Waals density functionals (vdW-DF), we simulate adsorption of TMA onto a graphene surface in several symmetry-breaking arrangements in order to predict/understand the effect of TMA adsorption on experimental observables. Supported by NSF-MRSEC Grant DMR 05-20471.

Symmetry Breaking and Restoration in the Ginzburg-Landau Model of Nematic Liquid Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clerc, Marcel G.; Kowalczyk, Michał; Smyrnelis, Panayotis

2018-06-01

In this paper we study qualitative properties of global minimizers of the Ginzburg-Landau energy which describes light-matter interaction in the theory of nematic liquid crystals near the Fréedericksz transition. This model depends on two parameters: ɛ >0 which is small and represents the coherence scale of the system and a≥0 which represents the intensity of the applied laser light. In particular, we are interested in the phenomenon of symmetry breaking as a and ɛ vary. We show that when a=0 the global minimizer is radially symmetric and unique and that its symmetry is instantly broken as a>0 and then restored for sufficiently large values of a. Symmetry breaking is associated with the presence of a new type of topological defect which we named the shadow vortex. The symmetry breaking scenario is a rigorous confirmation of experimental and numerical results obtained earlier in Barboza et al. (Phys Rev E 93(5):050201, 2016).

Electroweak Symmetry Breaking in Historical Perspective

DOE PAGES

Quigg, Chris

2015-10-01

The discovery of the Higgs boson is a major milestone in our progress toward understanding the natural world. A particular aim of my review is to show how diverse ideas came together in the conception of electroweak symmetry breaking that led up to the discovery. Furthermore, I survey what we know now that we did not know before, what properties of the Higgs boson remain to be established, and what new questions we may now hope to address.

History of electroweak symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibble, T. W. B.

2015-07-01

In this talk, I recall the history of the development of the unified electroweak theory, incorporating the symmetry-breaking Higgs mechanism, as I saw it from my standpoint as a member of Abdus Salam's group at Imperial College. I start by describing the state of physics in the years after the Second World War, explain how the goal of a unified gauge theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions emerged, the obstacles encountered, in particular the Goldstone theorem, and how they were overcome, followed by a brief account of more recent history, culminating in the historic discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012.

On gauge independence for gauge models with soft breaking of BRST symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reshetnyak, Alexander

2014-12-01

A consistent quantum treatment of general gauge theories with an arbitrary gauge-fixing in the presence of soft breaking of the BRST symmetry in the field-antifield formalism is developed. It is based on a gauged (involving a field-dependent parameter) version of finite BRST transformations. The prescription allows one to restore the gauge-independence of the effective action at its extremals and therefore also that of the conventional S-matrix for a theory with BRST-breaking terms being additively introduced into a BRST-invariant action in order to achieve a consistency of the functional integral. We demonstrate the applicability of this prescription within the approach of functional renormalization group to the Yang-Mills and gravity theories. The Gribov-Zwanziger action and the refined Gribov-Zwanziger action for a many-parameter family of gauges, including the Coulomb, axial and covariant gauges, are derived perturbatively on the basis of finite gauged BRST transformations starting from Landau gauge. It is proved that gauge theories with soft breaking of BRST symmetry can be made consistent if the transformed BRST-breaking terms satisfy the same soft BRST symmetry breaking condition in the resulting gauge as the untransformed ones in the initial gauge, and also without this requirement.

Symmetry Breaking in Photonic Crystals: On-Demand Dispersion from Flatband to Dirac Cones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, H. S.; Dubois, F.; Deschamps, T.; Cueff, S.; Pardon, A.; Leclercq, J.-L.; Seassal, C.; Letartre, X.; Viktorovitch, P.

2018-02-01

We demonstrate that symmetry breaking opens a new degree of freedom to tailor energy-momentum dispersion in photonic crystals. Using a general theoretical framework in two illustrative practical structures, we show that breaking symmetry enables an on-demand tuning of the local density of states of the same photonic band from zero (Dirac cone dispersion) to infinity (flatband dispersion), as well as any constant density over an adjustable spectral range. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate experimentally the transformation of the very same photonic band from a conventional quadratic shape to a Dirac dispersion, a flatband dispersion, and a multivalley one. This transition is achieved by finely tuning the vertical symmetry breaking of the photonic structures. Our results provide an unprecedented degree of freedom for optical dispersion engineering in planar integrated photonic devices.

Symmetry Breaking in Photonic Crystals: On-Demand Dispersion from Flatband to Dirac Cones.

PubMed

Nguyen, H S; Dubois, F; Deschamps, T; Cueff, S; Pardon, A; Leclercq, J-L; Seassal, C; Letartre, X; Viktorovitch, P

2018-02-09

We demonstrate that symmetry breaking opens a new degree of freedom to tailor energy-momentum dispersion in photonic crystals. Using a general theoretical framework in two illustrative practical structures, we show that breaking symmetry enables an on-demand tuning of the local density of states of the same photonic band from zero (Dirac cone dispersion) to infinity (flatband dispersion), as well as any constant density over an adjustable spectral range. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate experimentally the transformation of the very same photonic band from a conventional quadratic shape to a Dirac dispersion, a flatband dispersion, and a multivalley one. This transition is achieved by finely tuning the vertical symmetry breaking of the photonic structures. Our results provide an unprecedented degree of freedom for optical dispersion engineering in planar integrated photonic devices.

Charge symmetry breaking effects in pion and kaon structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutauruk, Parada T. P.; Bentz, Wolfgang; Cloët, Ian C.; Thomas, Anthony W.

2018-05-01

Charge symmetry breaking (CSB) effects associated with the u and d quark mass difference are investigated in the quark distribution functions and spacelike electromagnetic form factors of the pion and kaon. We use a confining version of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, where CSB effects at the infrared scale associated with the model are driven by the dressed u and d quark mass ratio, which because of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking is much closer to unity than the associated current quark mass ratio. The pion and kaon are given as bound states of a dressed quark and a dressed antiquark governed by the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and exhibit the properties of Goldstone bosons, with a pion mass difference given by mπ+2-mπ0 2∝(mu-md)2 as demanded by dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. We find significant CSB effects for realistic current quark mass ratios (mu/md˜0.5 ) in the quark flavor-sector electromagnetic form factors of both the pion and kaon. For example, the difference between the u and d quark contributions to the π+ electromagnetic form factors is about 8% at a momentum transfer of Q2≃10 GeV2 , while the analogous effect for the light quark sector form factors in the K+ and K0 is about twice as large. For the parton distribution functions we find CSB effects which are considerably smaller than those found in the electromagnetic form factors.

Performance improvements of symmetry-breaking reflector structures in nonimaging devices

DOEpatents

Winston, Roland

2004-01-13

A structure and method for providing a broken symmetry reflector structure for a solar concentrator device. The component of the optical direction vector along the symmetry axis is conserved for all rays propagated through a translationally symmetric optical device. This quantity, referred to as the translational skew invariant, is conserved in rotationally symmetric optical systems. Performance limits for translationally symmetric nonimaging optical devices are derived from the distributions of the translational skew invariant for the optical source and for the target to which flux is to be transferred. A numerically optimized non-tracking solar concentrator utilizing symmetry-breaking reflector structures can overcome the performance limits associated with translational symmetry.

Spin-rotation symmetry breaking and triplet superconducting state in doped topological insulator CuxBi2Se3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Guo-Qing

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is an important concept for understanding physics ranging from the elementary particles to states of matter. For example, the superconducting state breaks global gauge symmetry, and unconventional superconductors can break additional symmetries. In particular, spin rotational symmetry is expected to be broken in spin-triplet superconductors. However, experimental evidence for such symmetry breaking has not been obtained so far in any candidate compounds. We report 77Se nuclear magnetic resonance measurements which showed that spin rotation symmetry is spontaneously broken in the hexagonal plane of the electron-doped topological insulator Cu0.3Bi2Se3 below the superconducting transition temperature Tc =3.4 K. Our results not only establish spin-triplet (odd parity) superconductivity in this compound, but also serve to lay a foundation for the research of topological superconductivity (Ref.). We will also report the doping mechanism and superconductivity in Sn1-xInxTe.

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Interdependent Networked Game

PubMed Central

Jin, Qing; Wang, Lin; Xia, Cheng-Yi; Wang, Zhen

2014-01-01

Spatial evolution game has traditionally assumed that players interact with direct neighbors on a single network, which is isolated and not influenced by other systems. However, this is not fully consistent with recent research identification that interactions between networks play a crucial rule for the outcome of evolutionary games taking place on them. In this work, we introduce the simple game model into the interdependent networks composed of two networks. By means of imitation dynamics, we display that when the interdependent factor α is smaller than a threshold value αC, the symmetry of cooperation can be guaranteed. Interestingly, as interdependent factor exceeds αC, spontaneous symmetry breaking of fraction of cooperators presents itself between different networks. With respect to the breakage of symmetry, it is induced by asynchronous expansion between heterogeneous strategy couples of both networks, which further enriches the content of spatial reciprocity. Moreover, our results can be well predicted by the strategy-couple pair approximation method. PMID:24526076

Symmetry breaking in holographic theories with Lifshitz scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argurio, Riccardo; Hartong, Jelle; Marzolla, Andrea; Naegels, Daniel

2018-02-01

We study holographically Lifshitz-scaling theories with broken symmetries. In order to do this, we set up a bulk action with a complex scalar and a massless vector on a background which consists in a Lifshitz metric and a massive vector. We first study separately the complex scalar and the massless vector, finding a similar pattern in the twopoint functions that we can compute analytically. By coupling the probe complex scalar to the background massive vector we can construct probe actions that are more general than the usual Klein-Gordon action. Some of these actions have Galilean boost symmetry. Finally, in the presence of a symmetry breaking scalar profile in the bulk, we reproduce the expected Ward identities of a Lifshitz-scaling theory with a broken global continuous symmetry. In the spontaneous case, the latter imply the presence of a gapless mode, the Goldstone boson, which will have dispersion relations dictated by the Lifshitz scaling.

Domain wall fermion and CP symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujikawa, Kazuo; Suzuki, Hiroshi

2003-02-01

We examine the CP properties of chiral gauge theory defined by a formulation of the domain wall fermion, where the light field variables q and q¯ together with Pauli-Villars fields Q and Q¯ are utilized. It is shown that this domain wall representation in the infinite flavor limit N=∞ is valid only in the topologically trivial sector, and that the conflict among lattice chiral symmetry, strict locality and CP symmetry still persists for finite lattice spacing a. The CP transformation generally sends one representation of lattice chiral gauge theory into another representation of lattice chiral gauge theory, resulting in the inevitable change of propagators. A modified form of lattice CP transformation motivated by the domain wall fermion, which keeps the chiral action in terms of the Ginsparg-Wilson fermion invariant, is analyzed in detail; this provides an alternative way to understand the breaking of CP symmetry at least in the topologically trivial sector. We note that the conflict with CP symmetry could be regarded as a topological obstruction. We also discuss the issues related to the definition of Majorana fermions in connection with the supersymmetric Wess-Zumino model on the lattice.

Spontaneous breaking of discrete symmetries in QCD on a small volume

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucini, B.; Patella, A.; Pica, C.

2007-11-20

In a compact space with non-trivial cycles, for sufficiently small values of the compact dimensions, charge conjugation (C), spatial reflection (P) and time reversal (J) are spontaneously broken in QCD. The order parameter for the symmetry breaking is the trace of the Wilson line wrapping around the compact dimension, which acquires an imaginary part in the broken phase. We show that a physical signature for the symmetry breaking is a persistent baryonic current wrapping in the compact directions. The existence of such a current is derived analytically at first order in perturbation theory and confirmed in the non-perturbative regime bymore » lattice simulations.« less

A simple model of solvent-induced symmetry-breaking charge transfer in excited quadrupolar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Anatoly I.; Dereka, Bogdan; Vauthey, Eric

2017-04-01

A simple model has been developed to describe the symmetry-breaking of the electronic distribution of AL-D-AR type molecules in the excited state, where D is an electron donor and AL and AR are identical acceptors. The origin of this process is usually associated with the interaction between the molecule and the solvent polarization that stabilizes an asymmetric and dipolar state, with a larger charge transfer on one side than on the other. An additional symmetry-breaking mechanism involving the direct Coulomb interaction of the charges on the acceptors is proposed. At the same time, the electronic coupling between the two degenerate states, which correspond to the transferred charge being localised either on AL or AR, favours a quadrupolar excited state with equal amount of charge-transfer on both sides. Because of these counteracting effects, symmetry breaking is only feasible when the electronic coupling remains below a threshold value, which depends on the solvation energy and the Coulomb repulsion energy between the charges located on AL and AR. This model allows reproducing the solvent polarity dependence of the symmetry-breaking reported recently using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy.

Self-organization and symmetry-breaking in two-dimensional plasma turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bos, Wouter J. T.; Neffaa, Salah; Schneider, Kai

The spontaneous self-organization of two-dimensional magnetized plasma is investigated within the framework of magnetohydrodynamics with a particular emphasis on the symmetry-breaking induced by the shape of the confining boundaries. This symmetry-breaking is quantified by the angular momentum, which is shown to be generated rapidly and spontaneously from initial conditions free from angular momentum as soon as the geometry lacks axisymmetry. This effect is illustrated by considering circular, square, and elliptical boundaries. It is shown that the generation of angular momentum in nonaxisymmetric geometries can be enhanced by increasing the magnetic pressure. The effect becomes stronger at higher Reynolds numbers. Themore » generation of magnetic angular momentum (or angular field), previously observed at low Reynolds numbers, becomes weaker at larger Reynolds numbers.« less

Nucleation and chiral symmetry breaking under controlled hydrodynamic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Xiao-Lun; Martin, Brian; Tharrington, Arnold

1994-01-01

The effects of hydrodynamic convection on nucleation and broken chiral symmetry have been investigated for a simple inorganic molecule, sodium chlorate (NaClO3). Our experiment suggests that the symmetry breaking is a result of hydrodynamic amplification of rare nucleation events. The effect is more pronounced when the primary nucleation occurs on the solute-vapor interface, where mixing in the surface sublayer becomes important. The transition from the achiral to the chiral states appears to be smooth as the hydrodynamic parameters, such as flow rate, are varied.

Study of charge symmetry breaking in dd collisions with WASA-at-COSY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wronska, Aleksandra

2011-10-24

Charge symmetry is an approximate symmetry of the strong interaction. Studies of its breaking can yield information on the u and d quark mass difference. A theoretical collaboration is currently working on the description of charge symmetry breaking mechanisms for dd{yields}{alpha}{pi}{sup 0} and np{yields}d{pi}{sup 0} within Chiral Perturbation Theory, using the data from TRI-UMF and IUCF. One of the items in the program of the WASA-at-COSY collaboration is to extend the data base for the dd{yields}{alpha}{pi}{sup 0} reaction to higher energies, which would allow the extraction of the information on the p-wave. Status of the analysis of experimental data alongmore » with the preliminary results from the pilot run will be presented here.« less

Symmetry breaking and singularity structure in Bose-Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Commeford, K. A.; Garcia-March, M. A.; Ferrando, A.; Carr, Lincoln D.

2012-08-01

We determine the trajectories of vortex singularities that arise after a single vortex is broken by a discretely symmetric impulse in the context of Bose-Einstein condensates in a harmonic trap. The dynamics of these singularities are analyzed to determine the form of the imprinted motion. We find that the symmetry-breaking process introduces two effective forces: a repulsive harmonic force that causes the daughter trajectories to be ejected from the parent singularity and a Magnus force that introduces a torque about the axis of symmetry. For the analytical noninteracting case we find that the parent singularity is reconstructed from the daughter singularities after one period of the trapping frequency. The interactions between singularities in the weakly interacting system do not allow the parent vortex to be reconstructed. Analytic trajectories were compared to the actual minima of the wave function, showing less than 0.5% error for an impulse strength of v=0.00005. We show that these solutions are valid within the impulse regime for various impulse strengths using numerical integration of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We also show that the actual duration of the symmetry-breaking potential does not significantly change the dynamics of the system as long as the strength is below v=0.0005.

Localized Symmetry Breaking for Tuning Thermal Expansion in ScF 3 Nanoscale Frameworks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Lei; Qin, Feiyu; Sanson, Andrea

The local symmetry, beyond the averaged crystallographic structure, tends to bring unu-sual performances. Negative thermal expansion is a peculiar physical property of solids. Here, we report the delicate design of the localized symmetry breaking to achieve the controllable thermal expansion in ScF3 nano-scale frameworks. Intriguingly, an isotropic zero thermal expansion is concurrently engi-neered by localized symmetry breaking, with a remarkably low coefficient of thermal expansion of about +4.0×10-8/K up to 675K. This mechanism is investigated by the joint analysis of atomic pair dis-tribution function of synchrotron X-ray total scattering and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra. A localized rhombohedral distortionmore » presumably plays a critical role in stiffening ScF3 nano-scale frameworks and concomitantly suppressing transverse thermal vibrations of fluorine atoms. This physical scenario is also theoretically corroborated by the extinction of phonon modes with negative Grüneisen parameters in the rhombohedral ScF3. The present work opens an untraditional chemical modification to achieve controllable thermal expansion by breaking local symmetries of materials.« less

A parametric symmetry breaking transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichler, Alexander; Heugel, Toni L.; Leuch, Anina; Degen, Christian L.; Chitra, R.; Zilberberg, Oded

2018-06-01

Force detectors rely on resonators to transduce forces into a readable signal. Usually, these resonators operate in the linear regime and their signal appears amidst a competing background comprising thermal or quantum fluctuations as well as readout noise. Here, we demonstrate a parametric symmetry breaking transduction method that leads to a robust nonlinear force detection in the presence of noise. The force signal is encoded in the frequency at which the system jumps between two phase states which are inherently protected against phase noise. Consequently, the transduction effectively decouples from readout noise channels. For a controlled demonstration of the method, we experiment with a macroscopic doubly clamped string. Our method provides a promising paradigm for high-precision force detection.

Two symmetry-breaking mechanisms for the development of orientation selectivity in a neural system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Myoung Won; Chun, Min Young

2015-11-01

Orientation selectivity is a remarkable feature of the neurons located in the primary visual cortex. Provided that the visual neurons acquire orientation selectivity through activity-dependent Hebbian learning, the development process could be understood as a kind of symmetry-breaking phenomenon in the view of physics. This paper examines the key mechanisms of the orientation selectivity development process. Be found that at least two different mechanisms, which lead to the development of orientation selectivity by breaking the radial symmetry in receptive fields. The first is a simultaneous symmetry-breaking mechanism occurring based on the competition between neighboring neurons, and the second is a spontaneous one occurring based on the nonlinearity in interactions. Only the second mechanism leads to the formation of a columnar pattern whose characteristics is in accord with those observed in an animal experiment.

Quark and lepton mixing as manifestations of violated mirror symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dyatlov, I. T., E-mail: dyatlov@thd.pnpi.spb.ru

2015-06-15

The existence of heavy mirror analogs of ordinary fermions would provide deeper insight into the gedanken paradox appearing in the Standard Model upon direct parity violation and consisting in a physical distinguishability of left- and right-hand coordinate frames. Arguments are presented in support of the statement that such mirror states may also be involved in the formation of observed properties of the system of Standard Model quarks and leptons—that is, their mass spectra and their weak-mixing matrices: (i) In the case of the involvement of mirror generations, the quark mixing matrix assumes the experimentally observed form. It is determined bymore » the constraints imposed by weak SU(2) symmetry and by the quark-mass hierarchy. (ii) Under the same conditions and upon the involvement of mirror particles, the lepton mixing matrix (neutrino mixing) may become drastically different from its quark analog—the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix; that is, it may acquire properties suggested by experimental data. This character of mixing is also indicative of an inverse mass spectrum of Standard Model neutrinos and their Dirac (not Majorana) nature.« less

Hybrid local-order mechanism for inversion symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolpert, Emma H.; Overy, Alistair R.; Thygesen, Peter M. M.; Simonov, Arkadiy; Senn, Mark S.; Goodwin, Andrew L.

2018-04-01

Using classical Monte Carlo simulations, we study a simple statistical mechanical model of relevance to the emergence of polarization from local displacements on the square and cubic lattices. Our model contains two key ingredients: a Kitaev-like orientation-dependent interaction between nearest neighbors and a steric term that acts between next-nearest neighbors. Taken by themselves, each of these two ingredients is incapable of driving long-range symmetry breaking, despite the presence of a broad feature in the corresponding heat-capacity functions. Instead, each component results in a "hidden" transition on cooling to a manifold of degenerate states; the two manifolds are different in the sense that they reflect distinct types of local order. Remarkably, their intersection, i.e., the ground state when both interaction terms are included in the Hamiltonian, supports a spontaneous polarization. In this way, our study demonstrates how local-order mechanisms might be combined to break global inversion symmetry in a manner conceptually similar to that operating in the "hybrid" improper ferroelectrics. We discuss the relevance of our analysis to the emergence of spontaneous polarization in well-studied ferroelectrics such as BaTiO3 and KNbO3.

Localization Protection and Symmetry Breaking in One-dimensional Potts Chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Aaron; Vasseur, Romain; Potter, Andrew; Parameswaran, Siddharth

Recent work on the 3-state Potts and Z3 clock models has demonstrated that their ordered phases are connected by duality to a phase that hosts topologically protected parafermionic zero modes at the system's boundary. The analogy with Kitaev's example of the one-dimensional Majorana chain (similarly related by duality to the Ising model) suggests that such zero modes may also be stabilized in highly excited states by many-body localization (MBL). However, the Potts model has a non-Abelian S3 symmetry believed to be incompatible with MBL; hence any MBL state must spontaneously break this symmetry, either completely or into one of its abelian subgroups (Z2 or Z3), with the topological phase corresponding to broken Z3 symmetry. We therefore study the excited state phase structure of random three-state Potts and clock models in one dimension using exact diagonalization and real-space renormalization group techniques. We also investigate the interesting possibility of a direct excited-state transition between MBL phases that break either Z3 or Z2 symmetry, forbidden within Landau theory. NSF DGE-1321846 (AJF), NSF DMR-1455366 and President's Research Catalyst Award No. CA-15-327861 from the University of California Office of the President (SAP), LDRD Program of LBNL (RV), NSF PHY11-25915 at the KITP (AJF, RV, SAP).

Symmetry Breaking and Optical Negative Index of Closed Nanorings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kante, Boubacar; Park, Yong-Shik; O'Brien, Kevin; Shuldman, Daniel; Lanzillotti-Kimura, Norberto; Wong, Zi; Yin, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xiang; UC Berkeley Team

2013-03-01

We report the first experimental demonstration of broadband negative-index metamaterial made solely of closed metallic nanorings. Using symmetry breaking that negatively couples the discrete nanorings, we measured negative phase delay in our composite chess metamaterial. Our approach open avenues towards topological nanophotonics with on demand linear and non-linear responses.

Chiral symmetry breaking by spatial confinement in tactoidal droplets of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals

PubMed Central

Tortora, Luana; Lavrentovich, Oleg D.

2011-01-01

In many colloidal systems, an orientationally ordered nematic (N) phase emerges from the isotropic (I) melt in the form of spindle-like birefringent tactoids. In cases studied so far, the tactoids always reveal a mirror-symmetric nonchiral structure, sometimes even when the building units are chiral. We report on chiral symmetry breaking in the nematic tactoids formed in molecularly nonchiral polymer-crowded aqueous solutions of low-molecular weight disodium cromoglycate. The parity is broken by twisted packing of self-assembled molecular aggregates within the tactoids as manifested by the observed optical activity. Fluorescent confocal microscopy reveals that the chiral N tactoids are located at the boundaries of cells. We explain the chirality induction as a replacement of energetically costly splay packing of the aggregates within the curved bipolar tactoidal shape with twisted packing. The effect represents a simple pathway of macroscopic chirality induction in an organic system with no molecular chirality, as the only requirements are orientational order and curved shape of confinement. PMID:21402929

Effects of rotational symmetry breaking in polymer-coated nanopores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osmanović, D.; Kerr-Winter, M.; Eccleston, R. C.; Hoogenboom, B. W.; Ford, I. J.

2015-01-01

The statistical theory of polymers tethered around the inner surface of a cylindrical channel has traditionally employed the assumption that the equilibrium density of the polymers is independent of the azimuthal coordinate. However, simulations have shown that this rotational symmetry can be broken when there are attractive interactions between the polymers. We investigate the phases that emerge in these circumstances, and we quantify the effect of the symmetry assumption on the phase behavior of the system. In the absence of this assumption, one can observe large differences in the equilibrium densities between the rotationally symmetric case and the non-rotationally symmetric case. A simple analytical model is developed that illustrates the driving thermodynamic forces responsible for this symmetry breaking. Our results have implications for the current understanding of the behavior of polymers in cylindrical nanopores.

Change of Electroweak Nuclear Reaction Rates by CP- and Isospin Symmetry Breaking - A Model Calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stumpf, Harald

2006-09-01

Based on the assumption that electroweak bosons, leptons and quarks possess a substructure of elementary fermionic constituents, in previous papers the effect of CP-symmetry breaking on the effective dynamics of these particles was calculated. Motivated by the phenomenological procedure in this paper, isospin symmetry breaking will be added and the physical consequences of these calculations will be discussed. The dynamical law of the fermionic constituents is given by a relativistically invariant nonlinear spinor field equation with local interaction, canonical quantization, selfregularization and probability interpretation. The corresponding effective dynamics is derived by algebraic weak mapping theorems. In contrast to the commonly applied modifications of the quark mass matrices, CP-symmetry breaking is introduced into this algebraic formalism by an inequivalent vacuum with respect to the CP-invariant case, represented by a modified spinor field propagator. This leads to an extension of the standard model as effective theory which contains besides the "electric" electroweak bosons additional "magnetic" electroweak bosons and corresponding interactions. If furthermore the isospin invariance of the propagator is broken too, it will be demonstrated in detail that in combination with CP-symmetry breaking this induces a considerable modification of electroweak nuclear reaction rates.

Symmetry breaking in tensor models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedetti, Dario; Gurau, Razvan

2015-11-01

In this paper we analyze a quartic tensor model with one interaction for a tensor of arbitrary rank. This model has a critical point where a continuous limit of infinitely refined random geometries is reached. We show that the critical point corresponds to a phase transition in the tensor model associated to a breaking of the unitary symmetry. We analyze the model in the two phases and prove that, in a double scaling limit, the symmetric phase corresponds to a theory of infinitely refined random surfaces, while the broken phase corresponds to a theory of infinitely refined random nodal surfaces. At leading order in the double scaling limit planar surfaces dominate in the symmetric phase, and planar nodal surfaces dominate in the broken phase.

Symmetry-breaking instability of quadratic soliton bound states

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delque, Michaeel; Departement d'Optique P.M. Duffieux, Institut FEMTO-ST, Universite de Franche-Comte, CNRS UMR 6174, F-25030 Besancon; Fanjoux, Gil

We study both numerically and experimentally two-dimensional soliton bound states in quadratic media and demonstrate their symmetry-breaking instability. The experiment is performed in a potassium titanyl phosphate crystal in a type-II configuration. The bound state is generated by the copropagation of the antisymmetric fundamental beam locked in phase with the symmetrical second harmonic one. Experimental results are in good agreement with numerical simulations of the nonlinear wave equations.

Spontaneous spherical symmetry breaking in atomic confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sveshnikov, Konstantin; Tolokonnikov, Andrey

2017-07-01

The effect of spontaneous breaking of initial SO(3) symmetry is shown to be possible for an H-like atom in the ground state, when it is confined in a spherical box under general boundary conditions of "not going out" through the box surface (i.e. third kind or Robin's ones), for a wide range of physically reasonable values of system parameters. The most novel and nontrivial result, which has not been reported previously, is that such an effect takes place not only for attractive, but also for repulsive interactions of atomic electrons with the cavity environment. Moreover, in the limit of a large box size R ≫ aB the regime of an atom, soaring over a plane with boundary condition of "not going out", is reproduced, rather than a spherically symmetric configuration, which would be expected on the basis of the initial SO(3) symmetry of the problem.

Effects of rotational symmetry breaking in polymer-coated nanopores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osmanović, D.; Hoogenboom, B. W.; Ford, I. J.

2015-01-21

The statistical theory of polymers tethered around the inner surface of a cylindrical channel has traditionally employed the assumption that the equilibrium density of the polymers is independent of the azimuthal coordinate. However, simulations have shown that this rotational symmetry can be broken when there are attractive interactions between the polymers. We investigate the phases that emerge in these circumstances, and we quantify the effect of the symmetry assumption on the phase behavior of the system. In the absence of this assumption, one can observe large differences in the equilibrium densities between the rotationally symmetric case and the non-rotationally symmetricmore » case. A simple analytical model is developed that illustrates the driving thermodynamic forces responsible for this symmetry breaking. Our results have implications for the current understanding of the behavior of polymers in cylindrical nanopores.« less

Grand minima and equatorial symmetry breaking in axisymmetric dynamo models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooke, John M.; Pelt, Jaan; Tavakol, Reza; Tworkowski, Andrew

1998-04-01

We consider the manner in which time-periodic solutions of an axisymmetric dynamo model can undergo breaking of equatorial symmetry, i.e. loss of pure dipolar or quadrupolar symmetry. By considering the symmetry group underlying the solutions, we show that the fluctuations responsible for the symmetry-breaking can be constrained such that they are in resonance with the former solution. They can then be amplified until they are comparable in magnitude to the former solution. If the bifurcation is supercritical, the amplitude of the fluctuation is stabilised and a stable mixed parity limit cycle is formed. If it is subcritical it gives rise to a recently identified form of intermittency, called icicle intermittency. This produces episodes in which the original solution and the fluctuation are almost exactly synchronised and the fluctuation grows exponentially in amplitude, interrupted by brief episodes where synchronicity is lost and the amplitude of the fluctuation declines rapidly by several orders of magnitude. During these latter episodes there is a significant dip in the amplitude of the total magnetic field. This model-independent analysis can produce quantitative predictions for the behaviour of this bifurcation and we provide evidence for this behaviour by analysing timeseries from four different mean-field dynamo models, where intermittency is observed without the need for stochastic, or chaotically driven, forcing terms in the dynamo equations. We compare these results with recent work on intermittency in dynamo models and consider their relevance to the intermittency present in solar and stellar cycles.

Nodeless superconductivity and time-reversal symmetry breaking in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re24Ti5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, T.; Pang, G. M.; Baines, C.; Jiang, W. B.; Xie, W.; Wang, A.; Medarde, M.; Pomjakushina, E.; Shi, M.; Mesot, J.; Yuan, H. Q.; Shiroka, T.

2018-01-01

The noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re24Ti5 , a time-reversal symmetry- (TRS-) breaking candidate with Tc=6 K , was studied by means of muon-spin rotation/relaxation (μ SR ) and tunnel-diode oscillator techniques. At the macroscopic level, its bulk superconductivity was investigated via electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat-capacity measurements. The low-temperature penetration depth, superfluid density, and electronic heat capacity all evidence an s -wave coupling with an enhanced superconducting gap. The spontaneous magnetic fields revealed by zero-field μ SR below Tc indicate a time-reversal symmetry breaking and thus the unconventional nature of superconductivity in Re24Ti5 . The concomitant occurrence of TRS breaking also in the isostructural Re6(Zr ,Hf ) compounds hints at its common origin in this superconducting family and that an enhanced spin-orbital coupling does not affect pairing symmetry.

Time-reversal symmetry breaking with acoustic pumping of nanophotonic circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Donggyu B.; Kim, Seunghwi; Bahl, Gaurav

2018-02-01

Achieving non-reciprocal light propagation via stimuli that break time-reversal symmetry, without magneto-optics, remains a major challenge for integrated nanophotonic devices. Recently, optomechanical microsystems in which light and vibrational modes are coupled through ponderomotive forces have demonstrated strong non-reciprocal effects through a variety of techniques, but always using optical pumping. None of these approaches has demonstrated bandwidth exceeding that of the mechanical system, and all of them require optical power; these are both fundamental and practical issues. Here, we resolve both challenges by breaking time-reversal symmetry using a two-dimensional acoustic pump that simultaneously provides a non-zero overlap integral for light-sound interaction and also satisfies the necessary phase-matching. We use this technique to produce a non-reciprocal modulator (a frequency shifting isolator) by means of indirect interband scattering. We demonstrate mode conversion asymmetry up to 15 dB and efficiency as high as 17% over a bandwidth exceeding 1 GHz.

Lattice QCD analysis for relation between quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doi, Takahiro M.; Suganuma, Hideo; Iritani, Takumi

2016-01-22

The Polyakov loop and the Dirac modes are connected via a simple analytical relation on the temporally odd-number lattice, where the temporal lattice size is odd with the normal (nontwisted) periodic boundary condition. Using this relation, we investigate the relation between quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking in QCD. In this paper, we discuss the properties of this analytical relation and numerically investigate each Dirac-mode contribution to the Polyakov loop in both confinement and deconfinement phases at the quenched level. This relation indicates that low-lying Dirac modes have little contribution to the Polyakov loop, and we numerically confirmed this fact.more » From our analysis, it is suggested that there is no direct one-to-one corresponding between quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking in QCD. Also, in the confinement phase, we numerically find that there is a new “positive/negative symmetry” in the Dirac-mode matrix elements of link-variable operator which appear in the relation and the Polyakov loop becomes zero because of this symmetry. In the deconfinement phase, this symmetry is broken and the Polyakov loop is non-zero.« less

Epithelial rotation is preceded by planar symmetry breaking of actomyosin and protects epithelial tissue from cell deformations.

PubMed

Viktorinová, Ivana; Henry, Ian; Tomancak, Pavel

2017-11-01

Symmetry breaking is involved in many developmental processes that form bodies and organs. One of them is the epithelial rotation of developing tubular and acinar organs. However, how epithelial cells move, how they break symmetry to define their common direction, and what function rotational epithelial motions have remains elusive. Here, we identify a dynamic actomyosin network that breaks symmetry at the basal surface of the Drosophila follicle epithelium of acinar-like primitive organs, called egg chambers, and may represent a candidate force-generation mechanism that underlies the unidirectional motion of this epithelial tissue. We provide evidence that the atypical cadherin Fat2, a key planar cell polarity regulator in Drosophila oogenesis, directs and orchestrates transmission of the intracellular actomyosin asymmetry cue onto a tissue plane in order to break planar actomyosin symmetry, facilitate epithelial rotation in the opposite direction, and direct the elongation of follicle cells. In contrast, loss of this rotational motion results in anisotropic non-muscle Myosin II pulses that are disorganized in plane and causes cell deformations in the epithelial tissue of Drosophila eggs. Our work demonstrates that atypical cadherins play an important role in the control of symmetry breaking of cellular mechanics in order to facilitate tissue motion and model epithelial tissue. We propose that their functions may be evolutionarily conserved in tubular/acinar vertebrate organs.

Epithelial rotation is preceded by planar symmetry breaking of actomyosin and protects epithelial tissue from cell deformations

PubMed Central

Henry, Ian; Tomancak, Pavel

2017-01-01

Symmetry breaking is involved in many developmental processes that form bodies and organs. One of them is the epithelial rotation of developing tubular and acinar organs. However, how epithelial cells move, how they break symmetry to define their common direction, and what function rotational epithelial motions have remains elusive. Here, we identify a dynamic actomyosin network that breaks symmetry at the basal surface of the Drosophila follicle epithelium of acinar-like primitive organs, called egg chambers, and may represent a candidate force-generation mechanism that underlies the unidirectional motion of this epithelial tissue. We provide evidence that the atypical cadherin Fat2, a key planar cell polarity regulator in Drosophila oogenesis, directs and orchestrates transmission of the intracellular actomyosin asymmetry cue onto a tissue plane in order to break planar actomyosin symmetry, facilitate epithelial rotation in the opposite direction, and direct the elongation of follicle cells. In contrast, loss of this rotational motion results in anisotropic non-muscle Myosin II pulses that are disorganized in plane and causes cell deformations in the epithelial tissue of Drosophila eggs. Our work demonstrates that atypical cadherins play an important role in the control of symmetry breaking of cellular mechanics in order to facilitate tissue motion and model epithelial tissue. We propose that their functions may be evolutionarily conserved in tubular/acinar vertebrate organs. PMID:29176774

Spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in two-dimensional aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandler, Ilya Moiseevich

Recently, unusual and strikingly beautiful seahorse-like growth patterns have been discovered. These patterns possess a spontaneously broken chiral (left/right) symmetry. To explain this spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, we develop a model for the growth of the aggregate, assuming that the latter is charged, and that the incoming particles are polarizable, and hence drawn preferentially to regions of strong electric field. This model is used both for numerical simulation and theoretical analysis of the aggregation process. We find that the broken symmetry (typically, an 'S' shape) appears in our simulations for some parameter values. Its origin is the long-range interaction (competition and repulsion) among growing branches of the aggregate, such that a right or left side consistently dominates the growth process. We show that the electrostatic interaction may account for the other geometrical properties of the aggregates, such as the existence of only 2 main arms, and the "finned" external edge of the main arms. The results of our simulations of growth in the presence of the external electric field are also in a good agreement with the results of new experiments, motivated by our ideas. Thus, we believe that our growth model provides a plausible explanation of the origin of the broken symmetry in the experimental patterns.

Orbital Engineering in Symmetry-Breaking Polar Heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Disa, Ankit S.; Kumah, Divine P.; Malashevich, Andrei; Chen, Hanghui; Arena, Dario A.; Specht, Eliot D.; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab; Walker, F. J.; Ahn, Charles H.

2015-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate a novel approach to substantially modify orbital occupations and symmetries in electronically correlated oxides. In contrast to methods using strain or confinement, this orbital tuning is achieved by exploiting charge transfer and inversion symmetry breaking using atomically layered heterostructures. We illustrate the technique in the LaTiO3-LaNiO3-LaAlO3 system; a combination of x-ray absorption spectroscopy and ab initio theory reveals electron transfer and concomitant polar fields, resulting in a ˜50 % change in the occupation of Ni d orbitals. This change is sufficiently large to remove the orbital degeneracy of bulk LaNiO3 and creates an electronic configuration approaching a single-band Fermi surface. Furthermore, we theoretically show that such three-component heterostructuring is robust and tunable by choice of insulator in the heterostructure, providing a general method for engineering orbital configurations and designing novel electronic systems.

Baryogenesis via dark matter-induced symmetry breaking in the early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakstein, Jeremy; Trodden, Mark

2017-11-01

We put forward a new proposal for generating the baryon asymmetry of the universe by making use of the dynamics of a U (1) scalar field coupled to dark matter. High dark matter densities cause the U (1) symmetry to break spontaneously so that the field acquires a large vacuum expectation value. The symmetry is restored when the density redshifts below a critical value, resulting in the coherent oscillation of the scalar field. A net B - L number can be generated either via baryon number-conserving couplings to the standard model or through small symmetry-violating operators and the subsequent decay of the scalar condensate.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking due to the trade-off between attractive and repulsive couplings.

PubMed

Sathiyadevi, K; Karthiga, S; Chandrasekar, V K; Senthilkumar, D V; Lakshmanan, M

2017-04-01

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is an important phenomenon observed in various fields including physics and biology. In this connection, we here show that the trade-off between attractive and repulsive couplings can induce spontaneous symmetry breaking in a homogeneous system of coupled oscillators. With a simple model of a system of two coupled Stuart-Landau oscillators, we demonstrate how the tendency of attractive coupling in inducing in-phase synchronized (IPS) oscillations and the tendency of repulsive coupling in inducing out-of-phase synchronized oscillations compete with each other and give rise to symmetry breaking oscillatory states and interesting multistabilities. Further, we provide explicit expressions for synchronized and antisynchronized oscillatory states as well as the so called oscillation death (OD) state and study their stability. If the Hopf bifurcation parameter (λ) is greater than the natural frequency (ω) of the system, the attractive coupling favors the emergence of an antisymmetric OD state via a Hopf bifurcation whereas the repulsive coupling favors the emergence of a similar state through a saddle-node bifurcation. We show that an increase in the repulsive coupling not only destabilizes the IPS state but also facilitates the reentrance of the IPS state.

Spontaneous Symmetry-Breaking in a Network Model for Quadruped Locomotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Ian

2017-12-01

Spontaneous symmetry-breaking proves a mechanism for pattern generation in legged locomotion of animals. The basic timing patterns of animal gaits are produced by a network of spinal neurons known as a Central Pattern Generator (CPG). Animal gaits are primarily characterized by phase differences between leg movements in a periodic gait cycle. Many different gaits occur, often having spatial or spatiotemporal symmetries. A natural way to explain gait patterns is to assume that the CPG is symmetric, and to classify the possible symmetry-breaking periodic motions. Pinto and Golubitsky have discussed a four-node model CPG network for biped gaits with ℤ2 × ℤ2 symmetry, classifying the possible periodic states that can arise. A more specific rate model with this structure has been analyzed in detail by Stewart. Here we extend these methods to quadruped gaits, using an eight-node network with ℤ4 × ℤ2 symmetry proposed by Golubitsky and coworkers. We formulate a rate model and calculate how the first steady or Hopf bifurcation depends on its parameters, which represent four connection strengths. The calculations involve a distinction between “real” gaits with one or two phase shifts (pronk, bound, pace, trot) and “complex” gaits with four phase shifts (forward and reverse walk, forward and reverse buck). The former correspond to real eigenvalues of the connection matrix, the latter to complex conjugate pairs. The partition of parameter space according to the first bifurcation, ignoring complex gaits, is described explicitly. The complex gaits introduce further complications, not yet fully understood. All eight gaits can occur as the first bifurcation from a fully synchronous equilibrium, for suitable parameters, and numerical simulations indicate that they can be asymptotically stable.

Noncritical quadrature squeezing through spontaneous polarization symmetry breaking.

PubMed

Garcia-Ferrer, Ferran V; Navarrete-Benlloch, Carlos; de Valcárcel, Germán J; Roldán, Eugenio

2010-07-01

We discuss the possibility of generating noncritical quadrature squeezing by spontaneous polarization symmetry breaking. We first consider Type II frequency-degenerate optical parametric oscillators but discard them for a number of reasons. Then we propose a four-wave-mixing cavity, in which the polarization of the output mode is always linear but has an arbitrary orientation. We show that in such a cavity, complete noise suppression in a quadrature of the output field occurs, irrespective of the parameter values.

Symmetry breaking in nematic liquid crystals: analogy with cosmology and magnetism.

PubMed

Repnik, R; Ranjkesh, A; Simonka, V; Ambrozic, M; Bradac, Z; Kralj, S

2013-10-09

Universal behavior related to continuous symmetry breaking in nematic liquid crystals is studied using Brownian molecular dynamics. A three-dimensional lattice system of rod-like objects interacting via the Lebwohl-Lasher interaction is considered. We test the applicability of predictions originally derived in cosmology and magnetism. In the first part we focus on coarsening dynamics following the temperature driven isotropic-nematic phase transition for different quench rates. The behavior in the early coarsening regime supports predictions made originally by Kibble in cosmology. For fast enough quenches, symmetry breaking and causality give rise to a dense tangle of defects. When the degree of orientational ordering is large enough, well defined protodomains characterized by a single average domain length are formed. With time subcritical domains gradually vanish and supercritical domains grow with time, exhibiting a universal scaling law. In the second part of the paper we study the impact of random-field-type disorder on a range of ordering in the (symmetry broken) nematic phase. We demonstrate that short-range order is observed even for a minute concentration of impurities, giving rise to disorder in line with the Imry-Ma theorem prediction only for the appropriate history of systems.

Lorentz symmetry breaking in a cosmological context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gresham, Moira I.

This thesis is comprised primarily of work from three independent papers, written in collaboration with Sean Carroll, Tim Dulaney, and Heywood Tam. The original motivation for the projects undertaken came from revisiting the standard assumption of spatial isotropy during inflation. Each project relates to the spontaneous breaking of Lorentz symmetry---in early Universe cosmology or in the context of effective field theory, in general. Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter that provides context for the thesis. Chapter 2 is an investigation of the stability of theories in which Lorentz invariance is spontaneously broken by fixed-norm vector "aether" fields. It is shown that models with generic kinetic terms are plagued either by ghosts or by tachyons, and are therefore physically unacceptable. Chapter 3 is an investigation of the phenomenological properties of the one low-energy effective theory of spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking found in the previous chapter to have a globally bounded Hamiltonian and a perturbatively stable vacuum---the theory in which the Lagrangian takes the form of a sigma model. In chapter 4 cosmological perturbations in a dynamical theory of inflation in which an Abelian gauge field couples directly to the inflaton are examined. The dominant effects of a small, persistent anisotropy on the primordial gravitational wave and curvature perturbation power spectra are found using the "in-in" formalism of perturbation theory. It is found that the primordial power spectra of cosmological perturbations gain significant direction dependence and that the fractional direction dependence of the tensor power spectrum is suppressed in comparison to that of the scalar power spectrum.

Phase segregation and spontaneous symmetry breaking in a bidirectional two-channel non-conserving model with narrow entrances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Natasha; Gupta, A. K.

2017-04-01

Motivated by connections between the inputs and outputs of several transport mechanisms and multi-species functionalities, we studied an open system of a two-species totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with narrow entrances, which assimilate the synergy of the particles with the surrounding environment through Langmuir kinetics (LK). We analyzed the model within the framework of mean-field theory, and examined complex phenomena such as boundary-induced phase transitions and spontaneous symmetry breaking for variant conditions of attachment and detachment rates. Based on the theoretical investigations we obtained the phase boundaries for various symmetric and asymmetric phases. Our finding displays a prolific behavior, highlighting the significant effect of LK rates on symmetry breaking. It is found that for lower orders of LK rates, the number of symmetrical and asymmetrical phases increases notably, while for their higher orders symmetry breaking disappears, revealing that the presence of bulk non-conserving processes can resume/break the uniformity between two species. The critical value of LK rates beyond which the asymmetrical phases disappears is identified. The theoretical findings are explored by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The effect of the system size and symmetry breaking incident on the Monte Carlo simulation results has also been examined based on particle density histograms.

Noncritical generation of nonclassical frequency combs via spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarrete-Benlloch, Carlos; Patera, Giuseppe; de Valcárcel, Germán J.

2017-10-01

Synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators (SPOPOs) are optical cavities driven by mode-locked lasers, and containing a nonlinear crystal capable of down-converting a frequency comb to lower frequencies. SPOPOs have received a lot of attention lately because their intrinsic multimode nature makes them compact sources of quantum correlated light with promising applications in modern quantum information technologies. In this work we show that SPOPOs are also capable of accessing the challenging and interesting regime where spontaneous symmetry breaking confers strong nonclassical properties to the emitted light, which has eluded experimental observation so far. Apart from opening the possibility of studying experimentally this elusive regime of dissipative phase transitions, our predictions will have a practical impact, since we show that spontaneous symmetry breaking provides a specific spatiotemporal mode with large quadrature squeezing for any value of the system parameters, turning SPOPOs into robust sources of highly nonclassical light above threshold.

Chains of benzenes with lithium-atom adsorption: Vibrations and spontaneous symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Yenni P.; Stegmann, Thomas; Klein, Douglas J.; Seligman, Thomas H.

2017-09-01

We study effects of different configurations of adsorbates on the vibrational modes as well as symmetries of polyacenes and poly-p-phenylenes focusing on lithium atom adsorption. We found that the spectra of the vibrational modes distinguish the different configurations. For more regular adsorption schemes the lowest states are bending and torsion modes of the skeleton, which are essentially followed by the adsorbate. On poly-p-phenylenes we found that lithium adsorption reduces and often eliminates the torsion between rings thus increasing symmetry. There is spontaneous symmetry breaking in poly-p-phenylenes due to double adsorption of lithium atoms on alternating rings.

Stock market speculation: Spontaneous symmetry breaking of economic valuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sornette, Didier

2000-09-01

Firm foundation theory estimates a security's firm fundamental value based on four determinants: expected growth rate, expected dividend payout, the market interest rate and the degree of risk. In contrast, other views of decision-making in the stock market, using alternatives such as human psychology and behavior, bounded rationality, agent-based modeling and evolutionary game theory, expound that speculative and crowd behavior of investors may play a major role in shaping market prices. Here, we propose that the two views refer to two classes of companies connected through a "phase transition". Our theory is based on (1) the identification of the fundamental parity symmetry of prices (p→-p), which results from the relative direction of payment flux compared to commodity flux and (2) the observation that a company's risk-adjusted growth rate discounted by the market interest rate behaves as a control parameter for the observable price. We find a critical value of this control parameter at which a spontaneous symmetry-breaking of prices occurs, leading to a spontaneous valuation in absence of earnings, similarly to the emergence of a spontaneous magnetization in Ising models in absence of a magnetic field. The low growth rate phase is described by the firm foundation theory while the large growth rate phase is the regime of speculation and crowd behavior. In practice, while large "finite-time horizon" effects round off the predicted singularities, our symmetry-breaking speculation theory accounts for the apparent over-pricing and the high volatility of fast growing companies on the stock markets.

Single-mode Laser by Parity-time Symmetry Breaking

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-21

solenoid -like Pds5B that reside in direct proximity to Wapl and the Smc3-Scc1 in- teraction interface (fig. S13), implying that Wapl and Pds5 control the...accepted 26 September 2014 10.1126/science.1256904 REPORTS ◥ OPTICS Single-mode laser by parity-time symmetry breaking Liang Feng,1* Zi Jing Wong,1...Ren-Min Ma,1* Yuan Wang,1,2 Xiang Zhang1,2† Effective manipulation of cavity resonant modes is crucial for emission control in laser physics and

3D toroidal physics: testing the boundaries of symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spong, Don

2014-10-01

Toroidal symmetry is an important concept for plasma confinement; it allows the existence of nested flux surface MHD equilibria and conserved invariants for particle motion. However, perfect symmetry is unachievable in realistic toroidal plasma devices. For example, tokamaks have toroidal ripple due to discrete field coils, optimized stellarators do not achieve exact quasi-symmetry, the plasma itself continually seeks lower energy states through helical 3D deformations, and reactors will likely have non-uniform distributions of ferritic steel near the plasma. Also, some level of designed-in 3D magnetic field structure is now anticipated for most concepts in order to lead to a stable, steady-state fusion reactor. Such planned 3D field structures can take many forms, ranging from tokamaks with weak 3D ELM-suppression fields to stellarators with more dominant 3D field structures. There is considerable interest in the development of unified physics models for the full range of 3D effects. Ultimately, the questions of how much symmetry breaking can be tolerated and how to optimize its design must be addressed for all fusion concepts. Fortunately, significant progress is underway in theory, computation and plasma diagnostics on many issues such as magnetic surface quality, plasma screening vs. amplification of 3D perturbations, 3D transport, influence on edge pedestal structures, MHD stability effects, modification of fast ion-driven instabilities, prediction of energetic particle heat loads on plasma-facing materials, effects of 3D fields on turbulence, and magnetic coil design. A closely coupled program of simulation, experimental validation, and design optimization is required to determine what forms and amplitudes of 3D shaping and symmetry breaking will be compatible with future fusion reactors. The development of models to address 3D physics and progress in these areas will be described. This work is supported both by the US Department of Energy under Contract DE

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in quasi one dimension

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Satpathi, Urbashi, E-mail: urbashi@bose.res.in; Deo, P. Singha

2015-06-24

Electronic charge and spin separation leading to charge density wave and spin density wave is well established in one dimension in the presence and absence of Coulomb interaction. We start from quasi one dimension and show the possibility of such a transition in quasi one dimension as well as in two dimensions by going to a regime where it can be shown for electrons that just interact via Fermi statistics. Such density waves arise due to internal symmetry breaking in a many fermion quantum system. We can extend this result to very wide rings with infinitely many electrons including Coulombmore » interaction.« less

Symmetry breaking and optical negative index of closed nanorings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanté, Boubacar; Park, Yong-Shik; O'Brien, Kevin; Shuldman, Daniel; Lanzillotti-Kimura, Norberto D.; Jing Wong, Zi; Yin, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xiang

2012-11-01

Metamaterials have extraordinary abilities, such as imaging beyond the diffraction limit and invisibility. Many metamaterials are based on split-ring structures, however, like atomic orbital currents, it has long been believed that closed rings cannot produce negative refractive index. Here we report a low-loss and polarization-independent negative-index metamaterial made solely of closed metallic nanorings. Using symmetry breaking that negatively couples the discrete nanorings, we measured negative phase delay in our composite ‘chess metamaterial’. The formation of an ultra-broad Fano-resonance-induced optical negative-index band, spanning wavelengths from 1.3 to 2.3 μm, is experimentally observed in this structure. This discrete and mono-particle negative-index approach opens exciting avenues towards symmetry-controlled topological nanophotonics with on-demand linear and nonlinear responses.

Probing dynamical symmetry breaking using quantum-entangled photons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Hao; Piryatinski, Andrei; Jerke, Jonathan

Here, we present an input/output analysis of photon-correlation experiments whereby a quantum mechanically entangled bi-photon state interacts with a material sample placed in one arm of a Hong–Ou–Mandel apparatus. We show that the output signal contains detailed information about subsequent entanglement with the microscopic quantum states in the sample. In particular, we apply the method to an ensemble of emitters interacting with a common photon mode within the open-system Dicke model. Our results indicate considerable dynamical information concerning spontaneous symmetry breaking can be revealed with such an experimental system.

Probing dynamical symmetry breaking using quantum-entangled photons

DOE PAGES

Li, Hao; Piryatinski, Andrei; Jerke, Jonathan; ...

2017-11-15

Here, we present an input/output analysis of photon-correlation experiments whereby a quantum mechanically entangled bi-photon state interacts with a material sample placed in one arm of a Hong–Ou–Mandel apparatus. We show that the output signal contains detailed information about subsequent entanglement with the microscopic quantum states in the sample. In particular, we apply the method to an ensemble of emitters interacting with a common photon mode within the open-system Dicke model. Our results indicate considerable dynamical information concerning spontaneous symmetry breaking can be revealed with such an experimental system.

Discrete symmetry breaking and baryon currents in U(N) and SU(N) gauge theories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucini, B.; Patella, A.

2009-06-15

In SU(N) gauge theories with fermions in the fundamental or in a two-index (either symmetric or antisymmetric) representation formulated on a manifold with at least one compact dimension with nontrivial holonomy the discrete symmetries C, P, and T are broken at small enough size of the compact direction(s) for certain values of N. We show that for those N in the broken phase a nonzero baryon current wrapping in the compact direction exists, which provides a measurable observable for the breaking of C, P, and T. We prove that in all cases where the current is absent there is nomore » breaking of those discrete symmetries. This includes the limit N{yields}{infinity} of the SU(N) gauge theory with symmetric or antisymmetric fermions and U(N) gauge theory at any value of N. We then argue that the component of the baryon current in the compact direction is the physical order parameter for C, P, and T breaking due to the breaking of Lorentz invariance.« less

Symmetry Breaking in the Supramolecular Gels of an Achiral Gelator Exclusively Driven by π-π Stacking.

PubMed

Shen, Zhaocun; Jiang, Yuqian; Wang, Tianyu; Liu, Minghua

2015-12-30

Supramolecular symmetry breaking, in which chiral assemblies with imbalanced right- and left-handedness emerge from achiral molecular building blocks, has been achieved in the organogels of a C3-symmetric molecule only via π-π stacking. Specifically, an achiral C3-symmetric benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate substituted with methyl cinnamate through ester bond was found to form organogels in various organic solvents. More interestingly, when gels formed in cyclohexane, symmetry breaking occurred; i.e., optically active organogels together with the helical nanofibers with predominant handedness were obtained. Furthermore, the stochastically appeared imbalanced helicity could be driven to desired handedness by utilizing slight chiral solvents such as (R)- or (S)-terpinen-4-ol. Remarkably, the handedness of supramolecular assemblies thus formed could be kept even when the chiral solvents were removed. For the first time, we show that symmetry breaking can occur in supramolecular gel system driven exclusively through π-π stacking.

Lateralization as a symmetry breaking process in birdsong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trevisan, M. A.; Cooper, B.; Goller, F.; Mindlin, G. B.

2007-03-01

The singing by songbirds is a most convincing example in the animal kingdom of functional lateralization of the brain, a feature usually associated with human language. Lateralization is expressed as one or both of the bird’s sound sources being active during the vocalization. Normal songs require high coordination between the vocal organ and respiratory activity, which is bilaterally symmetric. Moreover, the physical and neural substrate used to produce the song lack obvious asymmetries. In this work we show that complex spatiotemporal patterns of motor activity controlling airflow through the sound sources can be explained in terms of spontaneous symmetry breaking bifurcations. This analysis also provides a framework from which to study the effects of imperfections in the system’ s symmetries. A physical model of the avian vocal organ is used to generate synthetic sounds, which allows us to predict acoustical signatures of the song and compare the predictions of the model with experimental data.

Symmetry breaking in linear multipole traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedregosa-Gutierrez, J.; Champenois, C.; Kamsap, M. R.; Hagel, G.; Houssin, M.; Knoop, M.

2018-03-01

Radiofrequency multipole traps have been used for some decades in cold collision experiments and are gaining interest for precision spectroscopy due to their low micromotion contribution and the predicted unusual cold-ion structures. However, the experimental realisation is not yet fully controlled, and open questions in the operation of these devices remain. We present experimental observations of symmetry breaking of the trapping potential in a macroscopic octupole trap with laser-cooled ions. Numerical simulations have been performed in order to explain the appearance of additional local potential minima and be able to control them in a next step. We characterise these additional potential minima, in particular with respect to their position, their potential depth and their probability of population as a function of the radial and angular displacement of the trapping rods.

Glide-plane symmetry and superconducting gap structure of iron-based superconductors

DOE PAGES

Wang, Yan; Berlijn, Tom; Hirschfeld, Peter J.; ...

2015-03-10

We consider the effect of glide-plane symmetry of the Fe-pnictogen/chalcogen layer in Fe-based superconductors on pairing in spin fluctuation models. Recent theories propose that so-called η-pairing states with nonzero total momentum can be realized and possess such exotic properties as odd parity spin singlet symmetry and time-reversal symmetry breaking. Here we show that when there is orbital weight at the Fermi level from orbitals with even and odd mirror reflection symmetry in z, η pairing is inevitable; however, we conclude from explicit calculation that the gap function appearing in observable quantities is identical to that found in earlier pseudocrystal momentummore » calculations with 1 Fe per unit cell.« less

Symmetry, stability, and computation of degenerate lasing modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, David; Zhen, Bo; Ge, Li; Hernandez, Felipe; Pick, Adi; Burkhardt, Stephan; Liertzer, Matthias; Rotter, Stefan; Johnson, Steven G.

2017-02-01

We present a general method to obtain the stable lasing solutions for the steady-state ab initio lasing theory (SALT) for the case of a degenerate symmetric laser in two dimensions (2D). We find that under most regimes (with one pathological exception), the stable solutions are clockwise and counterclockwise circulating modes, generalizing previously known results of ring lasers to all 2D rotational symmetry groups. Our method uses a combination of semianalytical solutions close to lasing threshold and numerical solvers to track the lasing modes far above threshold. Near threshold, we find closed-form expressions for both circulating modes and other types of lasing solutions as well as for their linearized Maxwell-Bloch eigenvalues, providing a simple way to determine their stability without having to do a full nonlinear numerical calculation. Above threshold, we show that a key feature of the circulating mode is its "chiral" intensity pattern, which arises from spontaneous symmetry breaking of mirror symmetry, and whose symmetry group requires that the degeneracy persists even when nonlinear effects become important. Finally, we introduce a numerical technique to solve the degenerate SALT equations far above threshold even when spatial discretization artificially breaks the degeneracy.

A Clifford algebra approach to chiral symmetry breaking and fermion mass hierarchies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wei

2017-09-01

We propose a Clifford algebra approach to chiral symmetry breaking and fermion mass hierarchies in the context of composite Higgs bosons. Standard model fermions are represented by algebraic spinors of six-dimensional binary Clifford algebra, while ternary Clifford algebra-related flavor projection operators control allowable flavor-mixing interactions. There are three composite electroweak Higgs bosons resulted from top quark, tau neutrino, and tau lepton condensations. Each of the three condensations gives rise to masses of four different fermions. The fermion mass hierarchies within these three groups are determined by four-fermion condensations, which break two global chiral symmetries. The four-fermion condensations induce axion-like pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons and can be dark matter candidates. In addition to the 125 GeV Higgs boson observed at the Large Hadron Collider, we anticipate detection of tau neutrino composite Higgs boson via the charm quark decay channel.

Cosmological baryon number domain structure from symmetry-breaking in grand unified field theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. W.; Stecker, F. W.

1979-01-01

It is suggested that grand unified field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early big-bang can lead more naturally to a baryon symmetric cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally baryon asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken in a randomized manner in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and observational tests are discussed.

Cosmological baryon-number domain structure from symmetry breaking in grand unified field theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. W.; Stecker, F. W.

1979-01-01

It is suggested that grand unified field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking in the very early big bang can lead more naturally to a baryon-symmetric cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally baryon-asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken in a randomized manner in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and observational tests are discussed.

Crucial role of neutrinos in the electroweak symmetry breaking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smetana, Adam

2013-12-30

Not only the top-quark condensate appears to be the natural significant source of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. Provided the seesaw scenario, the neutrinos can have their Dirac masses large enough so that their condensates contribute significantly to the electroweak scale as well. We address the question of a phenomenological feasibility of the top-quark and neutrino condensation conspiracy against the electroweak symmetry within the simplifying two-composite-Higgs-doublet model. Mandatory is to reproduce the masses of electroweak gauge bosons, the top-quark mass and the recently observed scalar mass of 125 GeV, and to satisfy the upper limits on absolute value of active neutrinomore » masses. To accomplish that, the number of right-handed neutrinos participating on the seesaw mechanism turns out to be rather large, O(100–1000)« less

Sphericity and symmetry breaking in the formation of Frank–Kasper phases from one component materials

DOE PAGES

Lee, Sangwoo; Leighton, Chris; Bates, Frank S.

2014-11-05

Frank–Kasper phases are tetrahedrally packed structures occurring in numerous materials, from elements to intermetallics to self-assembled soft materials. They exhibit complex manifolds of Wigner–Seitz cells with many-faceted polyhedra, forming an important bridge between the simple close-packed periodic and quasiperiodic crystals. The recent discovery of the Frank–Kasper σ-phase in diblock and tetrablock polymers stimulated the experiments reported here on a poly(isoprene- b-lactide) diblock copolymer melt. Thus, analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering and mechanical spectroscopy exposes an undiscovered competition between the tendency to form self-assembled particles with spherical symmetry, and the necessity to fill space at uniform density within the framework imposedmore » by the lattice. We thus deduce surprising analogies between the symmetry breaking at the body-centered cubic phase to σ-phase transition in diblock copolymers, mediated by exchange of mass, and the symmetry breaking in certain metals and alloys (such as the elements Mn and U), mediated by exchange of charge. Similar connections are made between the role of sphericity in real space for polymer systems, and the role of sphericity in reciprocal space for metallic systems such as intermetallic compounds and alloys. These findings establish new links between disparate materials classes, provide opportunities to improve the understanding of complex crystallization by building on synergies between hard and soft matter, and, perhaps most significantly, challenge the view that the symmetry breaking required to form reduced symmetry structures (possibly even quasiperiodic crystals) requires particles with multiple predetermined shapes and/or sizes.« less

Sphericity and symmetry breaking in the formation of Frank–Kasper phases from one component materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sangwoo; Leighton, Chris; Bates, Frank S.

Frank–Kasper phases are tetrahedrally packed structures occurring in numerous materials, from elements to intermetallics to self-assembled soft materials. They exhibit complex manifolds of Wigner–Seitz cells with many-faceted polyhedra, forming an important bridge between the simple close-packed periodic and quasiperiodic crystals. The recent discovery of the Frank–Kasper σ-phase in diblock and tetrablock polymers stimulated the experiments reported here on a poly(isoprene- b-lactide) diblock copolymer melt. Thus, analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering and mechanical spectroscopy exposes an undiscovered competition between the tendency to form self-assembled particles with spherical symmetry, and the necessity to fill space at uniform density within the framework imposedmore » by the lattice. We thus deduce surprising analogies between the symmetry breaking at the body-centered cubic phase to σ-phase transition in diblock copolymers, mediated by exchange of mass, and the symmetry breaking in certain metals and alloys (such as the elements Mn and U), mediated by exchange of charge. Similar connections are made between the role of sphericity in real space for polymer systems, and the role of sphericity in reciprocal space for metallic systems such as intermetallic compounds and alloys. These findings establish new links between disparate materials classes, provide opportunities to improve the understanding of complex crystallization by building on synergies between hard and soft matter, and, perhaps most significantly, challenge the view that the symmetry breaking required to form reduced symmetry structures (possibly even quasiperiodic crystals) requires particles with multiple predetermined shapes and/or sizes.« less

Breaking the imaging symmetry in negative refraction lenses.

PubMed

Ma, Changbao; Liu, Zhaowei

2012-01-30

Optical lenses are pervasive in various areas of sciences and technologies. It is well known that conventional lenses have symmetrical imaging properties along forward and backward directions. In this letter, we show that hyperbolic plasmonic metamaterial based negative refraction lenses perform as either converging lenses or diverging lenses depending on the illumination directions. New imaging equations and properties that are different from those of all the existing optical lenses are also presented. These new imaging properties, including symmetry breaking as well as the super resolving power, significantly expand the horizon of imaging optics and optical system design.

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking as a Basis of Particle Mass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quigg, Chris; /Fermilab /CERN

2007-04-01

Electroweak theory joins electromagnetism with the weak force in a single quantum field theory, ascribing the two fundamental interactions--so different in their manifestations--to a common symmetry principle. How the electroweak gauge symmetry is hidden is one of the most urgent and challenging questions facing particle physics. The provisional answer incorporated in the ''standard model'' of particle physics was formulated in the 1960s by Higgs, by Brout & Englert, and by Guralnik, Hagen, & Kibble: The agent of electroweak symmetry breaking is an elementary scalar field whose self-interactions select a vacuum state in which the full electroweak symmetry is hidden, leavingmore » a residual phase symmetry of electromagnetism. By analogy with the Meissner effect of the superconducting phase transition, the Higgs mechanism, as it is commonly known, confers masses on the weak force carriers W{sup {+-}} and Z. It also opens the door to masses for the quarks and leptons, and shapes the world around us. It is a good story--though an incomplete story--and we do not know how much of the story is true. Experiments that explore the Fermi scale (the energy regime around 1 TeV) during the next decade will put the electroweak theory to decisive test, and may uncover new elements needed to construct a more satisfying completion of the electroweak theory. The aim of this article is to set the stage by reporting what we know and what we need to know, and to set some ''Big Questions'' that will guide our explorations.« less

Absence of time-reversal symmetry breaking in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Mo3Al2C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, E.; Sekine, C.; Sai, U.; Rogl, P.; Biswas, P. K.; Amato, A.

2014-08-01

Zero-field muon spin rotation and relaxation (μSR) studies carried out on the strongly coupled, noncentrosymmetric superconductor Mo3Al2C,Tc=9 K, did not reveal hints of time-reversal symmetry breaking as was found for a number of other noncentrosymmetric systems. Transverse field measurements performed above and below the superconducting transition temperature defined the temperature dependent London penetration depth, which in turn served to derive from a microscopic point of view a simple s-wave superconducting state in Mo3Al2C. The present investigations also provide fairly solid grounds to conclude that time-reversal symmetry breaking is not an immanent feature of noncentrosymmetric superconductors.

Nonlinearity in cytoplasm viscosity can generate an essential symmetry breaking in cellular behaviors.

PubMed

Tachikawa, Masashi; Mochizuki, Atsushi

2015-01-07

The cytoplasms of ameboid cells are nonlinearly viscous. The cell controls this viscosity by modulating the amount, localization and interactions of bio-polymers. Here we investigated how the nonlinearity infers the cellular behaviors and whether nonlinearity-specific behaviors exist. We modeled the developed plasmodium of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum as a network of branching tubes and examined the linear and nonlinear viscous cytoplasm flows in the tubes. We found that the nonlinearity in the cytoplasm׳s viscosity induces a novel type of symmetry breaking in the protoplasmic flow. We also show that symmetry breaking can play an important role in adaptive behaviors, namely, connection of behavioral modes implemented on different time scales and transportation of molecular signals from the front to the rear of the cell during cellular locomotion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Symmetry breaking by bifundamentals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schellekens, A. N.

2018-03-01

We derive all possible symmetry breaking patterns for all possible Higgs fields that can occur in intersecting brane models: bifundamentals and rank-2 tensors. This is a field-theoretic problem that was already partially solved in 1973 by Ling-Fong Li [1]. In that paper the solution was given for rank-2 tensors of orthogonal and unitary group, and U (N )×U (M ) and O (N )×O (M ) bifundamentals. We extend this first of all to symplectic groups. When formulated correctly, this turns out to be straightforward generalization of the previous results from real and complex numbers to quaternions. The extension to mixed bifundamentals is more challenging and interesting. The scalar potential has up to six real parameters. Its minima or saddle points are described by block-diagonal matrices built out of K blocks of size p ×q . Here p =q =1 for the solutions of Ling-Fong Li, and the number of possibilities for p ×q is equal to the number of real parameters in the potential, minus 1. The maximum block size is p ×q =2 ×4 . Different blocks cannot be combined, and the true minimum occurs for one choice of basic block, and for either K =1 or K maximal, depending on the parameter values.

Soft A 4→Z 3 symmetry breaking and cobimaximal neutrino mixing

DOE PAGES

Ma, Ernest

2016-03-28

In this study, I propose a model of radiative charged-lepton and neutrino masses with A 4 symmetry. The soft breaking of A 4 to Z 3 lepton triality is accomplished by dimension-three terms. The breaking of Z 3 by dimension-two terms allows cobimaximal neutrino mixing (θ 13 ≠ 0, θ 23 = π/4, δ cp=π/2) to be realized with only very small finite calculable deviations from the residual Z 3 lepton triality. This construction solves a long-standing technical problem inherent in renormalizable A 4 models since their inception.

General relativity as the effective theory of GL(4,R) spontaneous symmetry breaking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomboulis, E. T.

2011-10-15

We assume a GL(4,R) space-time symmetry which is spontaneously broken to SO(3,1). We carry out the coset construction of the effective theory for the nonlinearly realized broken symmetry in terms of the Goldstone fields and matter fields transforming linearly under the unbroken Lorentz subgroup. We then identify functions of the Goldstone and matter fields that transform linearly also under the broken symmetry. Expressed in terms of these quantities the effective theory reproduces the vierbein formalism of general relativity with general coordinate invariance being automatically realized nonlinearly over GL(4,R). The coset construction makes no assumptions about any underlying theory that mightmore » be responsible for the assumed symmetry breaking. We give a brief discussion of the possibility of field theories with GL(4,R) rather than Lorentz space-time symmetry providing the underlying dynamics.« less

Strong Electroweak Symmetry Breaking in the Large Hadron Collider Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Jared Andrew

2011-12-01

With the Large Hadron Collider collecting data, both the pursuit of novel detection techniques and the exploration of new ideas are more important than ever. Novel detection techniques are essential in order for the community to garner the most worth from the machine. New ideas are needed both to expand the boundaries of what could be observed and to foster the creative mindset of the community that moves particle physics into fascinating, and often unexpected, directions. Discovering whether electroweak symmetry is broken strongly or weakly is one of the most pressing questions to be answered. Exploring the possibility of strong electroweak symmetry breaking is the topic of this work. The first of two major sectors in this work concerns the theory of conformal technicolor. We present the low energy minimal model for conformal technicolor and verify that it can satisfy current constraints from experiment. We will also provide a UV completion for this model, which realistically extends the sector with high-energy supersymmetry. Two complete models of flavor are presented. This is the first example of a complete, consistent model of strong electroweak symmetry breaking. The second of the two sectors discusses experimental signatures arising in a large class of general technicolor models at the Large Hadron Collider. The possible existence of narrow scalar states that can be produced via gluon-gluon fusion is first discussed. These states can decay into exotic final states of multiple electroweak gauge bosons, third generation particles and even light composite Higgs particles. A two Higgs doublet model is proposed as an effective way to model these exciting states. Lastly, we discuss the array of possible final states and their possible discovery.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in coupled parametrically driven waveguides.

PubMed

Dror, Nir; Malomed, Boris A

2009-01-01

We introduce a system of linearly coupled parametrically driven damped nonlinear Schrödinger equations, which models a laser based on a nonlinear dual-core waveguide with parametric amplification symmetrically applied to both cores. The model may also be realized in terms of parallel ferromagnetic films, in which the parametric gain is provided by an external field. We analyze spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) of fundamental and multiple solitons in this system, which was not studied systematically before in linearly coupled dissipative systems with intrinsic nonlinearity. For fundamental solitons, the analysis reveals three distinct SSB scenarios. Unlike the standard dual-core-fiber model, the present system gives rise to a vast bistability region, which may be relevant to applications. Other noteworthy findings are restabilization of the symmetric soliton after it was destabilized by the SSB bifurcation, and the existence of a generic situation with all solitons unstable in the single-component (decoupled) model, while both symmetric and asymmetric solitons may be stable in the coupled system. The stability of the asymmetric solitons is identified via direct simulations, while for symmetric and antisymmetric ones the stability is verified too through the computation of stability eigenvalues, families of antisymmetric solitons being entirely unstable. In this way, full stability maps for the symmetric solitons are produced. We also investigate the SSB bifurcation of two-soliton bound states (it breaks the symmetry between the two components, while the two peaks in the shape of the soliton remain mutually symmetric). The family of the asymmetric double-peak states may decouple from its symmetric counterpart, being no longer connected to it by the bifurcation, with a large portion of the asymmetric family remaining stable.

Flavour symmetry breaking in the kaon parton distribution amplitude

DOE PAGES

none,

2014-11-01

We compute the kaon's valence-quark (twist-two parton) distribution amplitude (PDA) by projecting its Poincaré-covariant Bethe–Salpeter wave-function onto the light-front. At a scale ζ = 2 GeV, the PDA is a broad, concave and asymmetric function, whose peak is shifted 12–16% away from its position in QCD's conformal limit. These features are a clear expression of SU(3)-flavour-symmetry breaking. They show that the heavier quark in the kaon carries more of the bound-state's momentum than the lighter quark and also that emergent phenomena in QCD modulate the magnitude of flavour-symmetry breaking: it is markedly smaller than one might expect based on themore » difference between light-quark current masses. Our results add to a body of evidence which indicates that at any energy scale accessible with existing or foreseeable facilities, a reliable guide to the interpretation of experiment requires the use of such nonperturbatively broadened PDAs in leading-order, leading-twist formulae for hard exclusive processes instead of the asymptotic PDA associated with QCD's conformal limit. We illustrate this via the ratio of kaon and pion electromagnetic form factors: using our nonperturbative PDAs in the appropriate formulae, F K/F π=1.23 at spacelike-Q 2=17 GeV 2, which compares satisfactorily with the value of 0.92(5) inferred in e +e - annihilation at s=17 GeV 2.« less

Topological mirror superconductivity.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Kane, C L; Mele, E J

2013-08-02

We demonstrate the existence of topological superconductors (SCs) protected by mirror and time-reversal symmetries. D-dimensional (D=1, 2, 3) crystalline SCs are characterized by 2(D-1) independent integer topological invariants, which take the form of mirror Berry phases. These invariants determine the distribution of Majorana modes on a mirror symmetric boundary. The parity of total mirror Berry phase is the Z(2) index of a class DIII SC, implying that a DIII topological SC with a mirror line must also be a topological mirror SC but not vice versa and that a DIII SC with a mirror plane is always time-reversal trivial but can be mirror topological. We introduce representative models and suggest experimental signatures in feasible systems. Advances in quantum computing, the case for nodal SCs, the case for class D, and topological SCs protected by rotational symmetries are pointed out.

Symmetry breaking by heating in a continuous opinion model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anteneodo, Celia; Crokidakis, Nuno

2017-04-01

We study the critical behavior of a continuous opinion model, driven by kinetic exchanges in a fully connected population. Opinions range in the real interval [-1 ,1 ] , representing the different shades of opinions against and for an issue under debate. Individuals' opinions evolve through pairwise interactions, with couplings that are typically positive, but a fraction p of negative ones is allowed. Moreover, a social temperature parameter T controls the tendency of the individual responses toward neutrality. Depending on p and T , different collective states emerge: symmetry broken (one side wins), symmetric (tie of opposite sides), and absorbing neutral (indecision wins). We find the critical points and exponents that characterize the phase transitions between them. The symmetry breaking transition belongs to the usual Ising mean-field universality class, but the absorbing-phase transitions, with β =0.5 , are out of the paradigmatic directed percolation class. Moreover, ordered phases can emerge by increasing social temperature.

The influence of pairing correlations on the isospin symmetry breaking corrections of superallowed Fermi beta decays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cal Latin-Small-Letter-Dotless-I k, A. E., E-mail: engincalik@yahoo.com; Gerceklioglu, M.; Selam, C.

2013-05-15

Within the framework of quasi-particle random phase approximation, the isospin breaking correction of superallowed 0{sup +} {yields} 0{sup +} beta decay and unitarity of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing matrix have been investigated. The broken isotopic symmetry of nuclear part of Hamiltonian has been restored by Pyatov's method. The isospin symmetry breaking correction with pairing correlations has been compared with the previous results without pairing. The effect of pairing interactions has been examined for nine superallowed Fermi beta decays; their parent nuclei are {sup 26}Al, {sup 34}Cl, {sup 38}K, {sup 42}Sc, {sup 46}V, {sup 50}Mn, {sup 54}Co, {sup 62}Ga, {sup 74}Rb.

Raman signatures of inversion symmetry breaking and structural phase transition in type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2.

PubMed

Zhang, Kenan; Bao, Changhua; Gu, Qiangqiang; Ren, Xiao; Zhang, Haoxiong; Deng, Ke; Wu, Yang; Li, Yuan; Feng, Ji; Zhou, Shuyun

2016-12-09

Transition metal dichalcogenide MoTe 2 is an important candidate for realizing the newly predicted type-II Weyl fermions, for which the breaking of the inversion symmetry is a prerequisite. Here we present direct spectroscopic evidence for the inversion symmetry breaking in the low-temperature phase of MoTe 2 by systematic Raman experiments and first-principles calculations. We identify five lattice vibrational modes that are Raman-active only in the low-temperature noncentrosymmetric structure. A hysteresis is also observed in the peak intensity of inversion symmetry-activated Raman modes, confirming a temperature-induced structural phase transition with a concomitant change in the inversion symmetry. Our results provide definitive evidence for the low-temperature noncentrosymmetric T d phase from vibrational spectroscopy, and suggest MoTe 2 as an ideal candidate for investigating the temperature-induced topological phase transition.

Raman signatures of inversion symmetry breaking and structural phase transition in type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2

PubMed Central

Zhang, Kenan; Bao, Changhua; Gu, Qiangqiang; Ren, Xiao; Zhang, Haoxiong; Deng, Ke; Wu, Yang; Li, Yuan; Feng, Ji; Zhou, Shuyun

2016-01-01

Transition metal dichalcogenide MoTe2 is an important candidate for realizing the newly predicted type-II Weyl fermions, for which the breaking of the inversion symmetry is a prerequisite. Here we present direct spectroscopic evidence for the inversion symmetry breaking in the low-temperature phase of MoTe2 by systematic Raman experiments and first-principles calculations. We identify five lattice vibrational modes that are Raman-active only in the low-temperature noncentrosymmetric structure. A hysteresis is also observed in the peak intensity of inversion symmetry-activated Raman modes, confirming a temperature-induced structural phase transition with a concomitant change in the inversion symmetry. Our results provide definitive evidence for the low-temperature noncentrosymmetric Td phase from vibrational spectroscopy, and suggest MoTe2 as an ideal candidate for investigating the temperature-induced topological phase transition. PMID:27934874

Raman signatures of inversion symmetry breaking and structural phase transition in type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kenan; Bao, Changhua; Gu, Qiangqiang; Ren, Xiao; Zhang, Haoxiong; Deng, Ke; Wu, Yang; Li, Yuan; Feng, Ji; Zhou, Shuyun

2016-12-01

Transition metal dichalcogenide MoTe2 is an important candidate for realizing the newly predicted type-II Weyl fermions, for which the breaking of the inversion symmetry is a prerequisite. Here we present direct spectroscopic evidence for the inversion symmetry breaking in the low-temperature phase of MoTe2 by systematic Raman experiments and first-principles calculations. We identify five lattice vibrational modes that are Raman-active only in the low-temperature noncentrosymmetric structure. A hysteresis is also observed in the peak intensity of inversion symmetry-activated Raman modes, confirming a temperature-induced structural phase transition with a concomitant change in the inversion symmetry. Our results provide definitive evidence for the low-temperature noncentrosymmetric Td phase from vibrational spectroscopy, and suggest MoTe2 as an ideal candidate for investigating the temperature-induced topological phase transition.

Symmetry breaking and un-breaking in microhydrodynamical systems: Swimming, pumping and bio-ballistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roper, Marcus Leigh

This thesis describes the numerical and asymptotic analysis of symmetry breaking phenomena in three fluid dynamical systems. The first part concerns modeling of a micrometer sized swimming device, comprising a filament composed of superparamagnetic micron-sized beads and driven by an applied magnetic field. The swimming mechanics are deciphered in order to show how actuation by a spatially-homogeneous but temporally-varying torque leads to propagation of a bending wave along the filament and thence to propulsion. Absence of swimming unless the lateral symmetry of the filament is broken by tethering one end to a high drag body is explained. The model is used to determine whether, and to what extent, the micro-swimmer behaves like a flagellated eukaryotic cell. The second part concerns modeling of locomotion using a reversible stroke. Although forbidden at low Reynolds numbers, such symmetric gaits are favored by some microscopic planktonic swimmers. We analyze the constraints upon generation of propulsive force by such swimmers using a numerical model for a flapped limb. Effective locomotion is shown to be possible at arbitrarily low rates of energy expenditure, escaping a formerly postulated time-symmetry constraint, if the limb is shaped in order to exploit slow inertial-streaming eddies. Finally we consider the evolution of explosively launched ascomycete spores toward perfect projectile shapes---bodies that are designed to experience minimum drag in flight---using the variance of spore shapes between species in order to quantify the stiffness of the drag minimization constraint. A surprising observation about the persistent fore-aft symmetry of perfect projectiles, even up to Reynolds numbers great enough that the flow around the projectile is highly asymmetric, points both toward a model for spore ontogeny and to a novel linear approximation for moderate Reynolds flows.

Mermin-Wagner theorem, flexural modes, and degraded carrier mobility in two-dimensional crystals with broken horizontal mirror symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischetti, Massimo V.; Vandenberghe, William G.

2016-04-01

We show that the electron mobility in ideal, free-standing two-dimensional "buckled" crystals with broken horizontal mirror (σh) symmetry and Dirac-like dispersion (such as silicene and germanene) is dramatically affected by scattering with the acoustic flexural modes (ZA phonons). This is caused both by the broken σh symmetry and by the diverging number of long-wavelength ZA phonons, consistent with the Mermin-Wagner theorem. Non-σh-symmetric, "gapped" 2D crystals (such as semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides with a tetragonal crystal structure) are affected less severely by the broken σh symmetry, but equally seriously by the large population of the acoustic flexural modes. We speculate that reasonable long-wavelength cutoffs needed to stabilize the structure (finite sample size, grain size, wrinkles, defects) or the anharmonic coupling between flexural and in-plane acoustic modes (shown to be effective in mirror-symmetric crystals, like free-standing graphene) may not be sufficient to raise the electron mobility to satisfactory values. Additional effects (such as clamping and phonon stiffening by the substrate and/or gate insulator) may be required.

Tadpole-induced electroweak symmetry breaking and pNGB Higgs models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harnik, Roni; Howe, Kiel; Kearney, John

We investigate induced electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) in models in which the Higgs is a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB). In pNGB Higgs models, Higgs properties and precision electroweak measurements imply a hierarchy between the EWSB and global symmetry-breaking scales,more » $$v_H \\ll f_H$$. When the pNGB potential is generated radiatively, this hierarchy requires fine-tuning to a degree of at least $$\\sim v_H^2/f_H^2$$. We show that if Higgs EWSB is induced by a tadpole arising from an auxiliary sector at scale $$f_\\Sigma \\ll v_H$$, this tuning is significantly ameliorated or can even be removed. We present explicit examples both in Twin Higgs models and in Composite Higgs models based on $SO(5)/SO(4)$. For the Twin case, the result is a fully natural model with $$f_H \\sim 1$$ TeV and the lightest colored top partners at 2 TeV. These models also have an appealing mechanism to generate the scales of the auxiliary sector and Higgs EWSB directly from the scale $$f_H$$, with a natural hierarchy $$f_\\Sigma \\ll v_H \\ll f_H \\sim{\\rm TeV}$$. Finally, the framework predicts modified Higgs coupling as well as new Higgs and vector states at LHC13.« less

Tadpole-induced electroweak symmetry breaking and pNGB Higgs models

DOE PAGES

Harnik, Roni; Howe, Kiel; Kearney, John

2017-03-22

We investigate induced electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) in models in which the Higgs is a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB). In pNGB Higgs models, Higgs properties and precision electroweak measurements imply a hierarchy between the EWSB and global symmetry-breaking scales,more » $$v_H \\ll f_H$$. When the pNGB potential is generated radiatively, this hierarchy requires fine-tuning to a degree of at least $$\\sim v_H^2/f_H^2$$. We show that if Higgs EWSB is induced by a tadpole arising from an auxiliary sector at scale $$f_\\Sigma \\ll v_H$$, this tuning is significantly ameliorated or can even be removed. We present explicit examples both in Twin Higgs models and in Composite Higgs models based on $SO(5)/SO(4)$. For the Twin case, the result is a fully natural model with $$f_H \\sim 1$$ TeV and the lightest colored top partners at 2 TeV. These models also have an appealing mechanism to generate the scales of the auxiliary sector and Higgs EWSB directly from the scale $$f_H$$, with a natural hierarchy $$f_\\Sigma \\ll v_H \\ll f_H \\sim{\\rm TeV}$$. Finally, the framework predicts modified Higgs coupling as well as new Higgs and vector states at LHC13.« less

Symmetry Breaking and the B3LYP Functional

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Hudgins, Douglas M.; Allamandola, Louis J.; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The infrared spectra of six molecules, each of which contains a five-membered ring, and their cations are determined using density functional theory (DFT); both the B3LYP and BP86 functionals are used. The computed results are compared with the experimental spectra. For the neutral molecules, both methods are in good agreement with experiment. Even the Hartree-Fock (HF) approach is qualitatively correct for the neutrals. For the cations, the HF approach fails, as found for other organic ring systems. The B3LYP and BP86 approaches are in good mutual agreement for five of the six cation spectra, and in good agreement with experiment for four of the five cations where the experimental spectra are available. It is only for the fluoranthene cation, where the BP86 and B3LYP functionals yield different results; the BP86 yields the expected C2v symmetry, while the B3LYP approach breaks symmetry. The experimental spectra supports the BP86 spectra over the B3LYP, but the quality of the experimental spectra does not allow a critical evaluation of the accuracy of the BP86 approach for this difficult system.

Inertial Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Quantum Scale Invariance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ferreira, Pedro G.; Hill, Christopher T.; Ross, Graham G.

Weyl invariant theories of scalars and gravity can generate all mass scales spontaneously, initiated by a dynamical process of "inertial spontaneous symmetry breaking" that does not involve a potential. This is dictated by the structure of the Weyl current,more » $$K_\\mu$$, and a cosmological phase during which the universe expands and the Einstein-Hilbert effective action is formed. Maintaining exact Weyl invariance in the renormalised quantum theory is straightforward when renormalisation conditions are referred back to the VEV's of fields in the action of the theory, which implies a conserved Weyl current. We do not require scale invariant regulators. We illustrate the computation of a Weyl invariant Coleman-Weinberg potential.« less

Roles of dynamical symmetry breaking in driving oblate-prolate transitions of atomic clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oka, Yurie; Yanao, Tomohiro; Koon, Wang Sang

2015-04-01

This paper explores the driving mechanisms for structural transitions of atomic clusters between oblate and prolate isomers. We employ the hyperspherical coordinates to investigate structural dynamics of a seven-atom cluster at a coarse-grained level in terms of the dynamics of three gyration radii and three principal axes, which characterize overall mass distributions of the cluster. Dynamics of gyration radii is governed by two kinds of forces. One is the potential force originating from the interactions between atoms. The other is the dynamical forces called the internal centrifugal forces, which originate from twisting and shearing motions of the system. The internal centrifugal force arising from twisting motions has an effect of breaking the symmetry between two gyration radii. As a result, in an oblate isomer, activation of the internal centrifugal force that has the effect of breaking the symmetry between the two largest gyration radii is crucial in triggering structural transitions into prolate isomers. In a prolate isomer, on the other hand, activation of the internal centrifugal force that has the effect of breaking the symmetry between the two smallest gyration radii is crucial in triggering structural transitions into oblate isomers. Activation of a twisting motion that switches the movement patterns of three principal axes is also important for the onset of structural transitions between oblate and prolate isomers. Based on these trigger mechanisms, we finally show that selective activations of specific gyration radii and twisting motions, depending on the isomer of the cluster, can effectively induce structural transitions of the cluster. The results presented here could provide further insights into the control of molecular reactions.

Roles of dynamical symmetry breaking in driving oblate-prolate transitions of atomic clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oka, Yurie, E-mail: ok-yu@fuji.waseda.jp; Yanao, Tomohiro, E-mail: yanao@waseda.jp; Koon, Wang Sang, E-mail: koon@cds.caltech.edu

2015-04-07

This paper explores the driving mechanisms for structural transitions of atomic clusters between oblate and prolate isomers. We employ the hyperspherical coordinates to investigate structural dynamics of a seven-atom cluster at a coarse-grained level in terms of the dynamics of three gyration radii and three principal axes, which characterize overall mass distributions of the cluster. Dynamics of gyration radii is governed by two kinds of forces. One is the potential force originating from the interactions between atoms. The other is the dynamical forces called the internal centrifugal forces, which originate from twisting and shearing motions of the system. The internalmore » centrifugal force arising from twisting motions has an effect of breaking the symmetry between two gyration radii. As a result, in an oblate isomer, activation of the internal centrifugal force that has the effect of breaking the symmetry between the two largest gyration radii is crucial in triggering structural transitions into prolate isomers. In a prolate isomer, on the other hand, activation of the internal centrifugal force that has the effect of breaking the symmetry between the two smallest gyration radii is crucial in triggering structural transitions into oblate isomers. Activation of a twisting motion that switches the movement patterns of three principal axes is also important for the onset of structural transitions between oblate and prolate isomers. Based on these trigger mechanisms, we finally show that selective activations of specific gyration radii and twisting motions, depending on the isomer of the cluster, can effectively induce structural transitions of the cluster. The results presented here could provide further insights into the control of molecular reactions.« less

Passive appendages generate drift through symmetry breaking

PubMed Central

Lācis, U.; Brosse, N.; Ingremeau, F.; Mazzino, A.; Lundell, F.; Kellay, H.; Bagheri, S.

2014-01-01

Plants and animals use plumes, barbs, tails, feathers, hairs and fins to aid locomotion. Many of these appendages are not actively controlled, instead they have to interact passively with the surrounding fluid to generate motion. Here, we use theory, experiments and numerical simulations to show that an object with a protrusion in a separated flow drifts sideways by exploiting a symmetry-breaking instability similar to the instability of an inverted pendulum. Our model explains why the straight position of an appendage in a fluid flow is unstable and how it stabilizes either to the left or right of the incoming flow direction. It is plausible that organisms with appendages in a separated flow use this newly discovered mechanism for locomotion; examples include the drift of plumed seeds without wind and the passive reorientation of motile animals. PMID:25354545

300 nm bandwidth adiabatic SOI polarization splitter-rotators exploiting continuous symmetry breaking.

PubMed

Socci, Luciano; Sorianello, Vito; Romagnoli, Marco

2015-07-27

Adiabatic polarization splitter-rotators are investigated exploiting continuous symmetry breaking thereby achieving significant device size and losses reduction in a single mask fabrication process for both SOI channel and ridge waveguides. A crosstalk lower than -25 dB is expected over 300nm bandwidth, making the device suitable for full grid CWDM and diplexer/triplexer FTTH applications at 1310, 1490 and 1550nm.

Flavor symmetry breaking in lattice QCD with a mixed action

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baer, Oliver; Golterman, Maarten; Shamir, Yigal

2011-03-01

We study the phase structure of mixed-action QCD with two Wilson sea quarks and any number of chiral valence quarks (and ghosts), starting from the chiral Lagrangian. A priori the effective theory allows for a rich phase structure, including a phase with a condensate made of sea and valence quarks. In such a phase, mass eigenstates would become admixtures of sea and valence fields, and pure-sea correlation functions would depend on the parameters of the valence sector, in contradiction with the actual setup of mixed-action simulations. Using that the spectrum of the chiral Dirac operator has a gap for nonzeromore » quark mass we prove that spontaneous symmetry breaking of the flavor symmetries can only occur within the sea sector. This rules out a mixed condensate and implies restrictions on the low-energy constants of the effective theory.« less

On the harmonic-type and linear-type confinement of a relativistic scalar particle yielded by Lorentz symmetry breaking effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bakke, K., E-mail: kbakke@fisica.ufpb.br; Belich, H., E-mail: belichjr@gmail.com

2016-10-15

Based on the Standard Model Extension, we investigate relativistic quantum effects on a scalar particle in backgrounds of the Lorentz symmetry violation defined by a tensor field. We show that harmonic-type and linear-type confining potentials can stem from Lorentz symmetry breaking effects, and thus, relativistic bound state solutions can be achieved. We first analyse a possible scenario of the violation of the Lorentz symmetry that gives rise to a harmonic-type potential. In the following, we analyse another possible scenario of the breaking of the Lorentz symmetry that induces both harmonic-type and linear-type confining potentials. In this second case, we alsomore » show that not all values of the parameter associated with the intensity of the electric field are permitted in the search for polynomial solutions to the radial equation, where the possible values of this parameter are determined by the quantum numbers of the system and the parameters associated with the violation of the Lorentz symmetry.« less

Spatial and Spin Symmetry Breaking in Semidefinite-Programming-Based Hartree-Fock Theory.

PubMed

Nascimento, Daniel R; DePrince, A Eugene

2018-05-08

The Hartree-Fock problem was recently recast as a semidefinite optimization over the space of rank-constrained two-body reduced-density matrices (RDMs) [ Phys. Rev. A 2014 , 89 , 010502(R) ]. This formulation of the problem transfers the nonconvexity of the Hartree-Fock energy functional to the rank constraint on the two-body RDM. We consider an equivalent optimization over the space of positive semidefinite one-electron RDMs (1-RDMs) that retains the nonconvexity of the Hartree-Fock energy expression. The optimized 1-RDM satisfies ensemble N-representability conditions, and ensemble spin-state conditions may be imposed as well. The spin-state conditions place additional linear and nonlinear constraints on the 1-RDM. We apply this RDM-based approach to several molecular systems and explore its spatial (point group) and spin ( Ŝ 2 and Ŝ 3 ) symmetry breaking properties. When imposing Ŝ 2 and Ŝ 3 symmetry but relaxing point group symmetry, the procedure often locates spatial-symmetry-broken solutions that are difficult to identify using standard algorithms. For example, the RDM-based approach yields a smooth, spatial-symmetry-broken potential energy curve for the well-known Be-H 2 insertion pathway. We also demonstrate numerically that, upon relaxation of Ŝ 2 and Ŝ 3 symmetry constraints, the RDM-based approach is equivalent to real-valued generalized Hartree-Fock theory.

Heat-induced symmetry breaking in ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) escape behavior

PubMed Central

Chung, Yuan-Kai

2017-01-01

The collective egress of social insects is important in dangerous situations such as natural disasters or enemy attacks. Some studies have described the phenomenon of symmetry breaking in ants, with two exits induced by a repellent. However, whether symmetry breaking occurs under high temperature conditions, which are a common abiotic stress, remains unknown. In our study, we deposited a group of Polyrhachis dives ants on a heated platform and counted the number of escaping ants with two identical exits. We discovered that ants asymmetrically escaped through two exits when the temperature of the heated platform was >32.75°C. The degree of asymmetry increased linearly with the temperature of the platform. Furthermore, the higher the temperature of heated platform was, the more ants escaped from the heated platform. However, the number of escaping ants decreased for 3 min when the temperature was higher than the critical thermal limit (39.46°C), which is the threshold for ants to endure high temperature without a loss of performance. Moreover, the ants tended to form small groups to escape from the thermal stress. A preparatory formation of ant grouping was observed before they reached the exit, indicating that the ants actively clustered rather than accidentally gathered at the exits to escape. We suggest that a combination of individual and grouping ants may help to optimize the likelihood of survival during evacuation. PMID:28355235

Generic first-order phase transitions between isotropic and orientational phases with polyhedral symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ke; Greitemann, Jonas; Pollet, Lode

2018-01-01

Polyhedral nematics are examples of exotic orientational phases that possess a complex internal symmetry, representing highly nontrivial ways of rotational symmetry breaking, and are subject to current experimental pursuits in colloidal and molecular systems. The classification of these phases has been known for a long time; however, their transitions to the disordered isotropic liquid phase remain largely unexplored, except for a few symmetries. In this work, we utilize a recently introduced non-Abelian gauge theory to explore the nature of the underlying nematic-isotropic transition for all three-dimensional polyhedral nematics. The gauge theory can readily be applied to nematic phases with an arbitrary point-group symmetry, including those where traditional Landau methods and the associated lattice models may become too involved to implement owing to a prohibitive order-parameter tensor of high rank or (the absence of) mirror symmetries. By means of exhaustive Monte Carlo simulations, we find that the nematic-isotropic transition is generically first-order for all polyhedral symmetries. Moreover, we show that this universal result is fully consistent with our expectation from a renormalization group approach, as well as with other lattice models for symmetries already studied in the literature. We argue that extreme fine tuning is required to promote those transitions to second-order ones. We also comment on the nature of phase transitions breaking the O(3 ) symmetry in general cases.

Anisotropic polaron localization and spontaneous symmetry breaking: Comparison of cation-site acceptors in GaN and ZnO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Y. Y.; Abtew, Tesfaye A.; Zhang, Peihong; Zhang, S. B.

2014-10-01

The behavior of cation substitutional hole doping in GaN and ZnO is investigated using hybrid density functional calculations. Our results reveal that Mg substitution for Ga (MgGa) in GaN can assume three different configurations. Two of the configurations are characterized by the formation of defect-bound small polaron (i.e., a large structural distortion accompanied by hole localization on one of the neighboring N atoms). The third one has a relatively small but significant distortion that is characterized by highly anisotropic polaron localization. In this third configuration, MgGa exhibits both effective-mass-like and noneffective-mass-like characters. In contrast, a similar defect in ZnO, LiZn, cannot sustain the anisotropic polaron in the hybrid functional calculation, but undergoes spontaneous breaking of a mirror symmetry through a mechanism driven by the hole localization. Finally, using NaZn in ZnO as an example, we show that the deep acceptor levels of the small-polaron defects could be made shallower by applying compressive strain to the material.

Naturalness of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking while Waiting for the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espinosa, J. R.

2007-06-01

After revisiting the hierarchy problem of the Standard Model and its implications for the scale of New Physics, I consider the finetuning problem of electroweak symmetry breaking in several scenarios beyond the Standard Model: SUSY, Little Higgs and "improved naturalness" models. The main conclusions are that: New Physics should appear on the reach of the LHC; some SUSY models can solve the hierarchy problem with acceptable residual tuning; Little Higgs models generically suffer from large tunings, many times hidden; and, finally, that "improved naturalness" models do not generically improve the naturalness of the SM.

Globally baryon symmetric cosmology, GUT spontaneous symmetry breaking, and the structure of the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.; Brown, R. W.

1979-01-01

Grand unified theories (GUT) such as SU(5), with spontaneous symmetry breaking, can lead more naturally to a globally baryon symmetric big bang cosmology with a domain structure than to a totally asymmetric cosmology. The symmetry is broken at random in causally independent domains, favoring neither a baryon nor an antibaryon excess on a universal scale. Because of the additional freedom in the high-energy physics allowed by such GUT gauge theories, new observational tests may be possible. Arguments in favor of this cosmology and various observational tests are discussed.

Minimal but non-minimal inflation and electroweak symmetry breaking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marzola, Luca; Institute of Physics, University of Tartu,Ravila 14c, 50411 Tartu; Racioppi, Antonio

2016-10-07

We consider the most minimal scale invariant extension of the standard model that allows for successful radiative electroweak symmetry breaking and inflation. The framework involves an extra scalar singlet, that plays the rôle of the inflaton, and is compatibile with current experimental bounds owing to the non-minimal coupling of the latter to gravity. This inflationary scenario predicts a very low tensor-to-scalar ratio r≈10{sup −3}, typical of Higgs-inflation models, but in contrast yields a scalar spectral index n{sub s}≃0.97 which departs from the Starobinsky limit. We briefly discuss the collider phenomenology of the framework.

Spontaneous Planar Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadidjojo, Jeremy; Lubensky, David

Recent progress in animal development has highlighted the central role played by planar cell polarity (PCP) in epithelial tissue morphogenesis. Through PCP, cells have the ability to collectively polarize in the plane of the epithelium by localizing morphogenetic proteins along a certain axis. This allows direction-dependent modulation of tissue mechanical properties that can translate into the formation of complex, non-rotationally invariant shapes. Recent experimental observations[1] show that cells, in addition to being planar-polarized, can also spontaneously develop planar chirality, perhaps in the effort of making yet more complex shapes that are reflection non-invariant. In this talk we will present our work in characterizing general mechanisms that can lead to spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in cells. We decompose interfacial concentration of polarity proteins in a hexagonal cell packing into irreducible representations. We find that in the case of polar concentration distributions, a chiral state can only be reached from a secondary instability after the cells are polarized. However in the case of nematic distributions, we show that a finite-amplitude (subcritical, or ``first-order'') nematic transition can send the system from disorder directly to a chiral state. In addition, we find that perturbing the system by stretching the hexagonal packing enables direct (supercritical, or ``second-order'') chiral transition in the nematic case. Finally, we do a Landau expansion to study competition between stretch-induced chirality and the tendency towards a non-chiral state in packings that have retained the full 6-fold symmetry.

Magnetism and local symmetry breaking in a Mott insulator with strong spin orbit interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, L.; Song, M.; Liu, W.

2017-02-09

Study of the combined effects of strong electronic correlations with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) represents a central issue in quantum materials research. Predicting emergent properties represents a huge theoretical problem since the presence of SOC implies that the spin is not a good quantum number. Existing theories propose the emergence of a multitude of exotic quantum phases, distinguishable by either local point symmetry breaking or local spin expectation values, even in materials with simple cubic crystal structure such as Ba 2NaOsO 6. Experimental tests of these theories by local probes are highly sought for. Our local measurements designed to concurrently probemore » spin and orbital/lattice degrees of freedom of Ba 2NaOsO 6 provide such tests. As a result, we show that a canted ferromagnetic phase which is preceded by local point symmetry breaking is stabilized at low temperatures, as predicted by quantum theories involving multipolar spin interactions.« less

Dynamical Electroweak Symmetry Breaking with a Heavy Fermion in Light of Recent LHC Results

DOE PAGES

Hung, Pham Q.

2013-01-01

The recent announcement of a discovery of a possible Higgs-like particle—its spin and parity are yet to be determined—at the LHC with a mass of 126 GeV necessitates a fresh look at the nature of the electroweak symmetry breaking, in particular if this newly-discovered particle will turn out to have the quantum numbers of a Standard Model Higgs boson. Even if it were a 0 + scalar with the properties expected for a SM Higgs boson, there is still the quintessential hierarchy problem that one has to deal with and which, by itself, suggests a new physics energy scale around 1 TeV.more » This paper presents a minireview of one possible scenario: the formation of a fermion-antifermion condensate coming from a very heavy fourth generation, carrying the quantum number of the SM Higgs field, and thus breaking the electroweak symmetry.« less

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in vortex systems with two repulsive lengthscales.

PubMed

Curran, P J; Desoky, W M; Milosević, M V; Chaves, A; Laloë, J-B; Moodera, J S; Bending, S J

2015-10-23

Scanning Hall probe microscopy (SHPM) has been used to study vortex structures in thin epitaxial films of the superconductor MgB2. Unusual vortex patterns observed in MgB2 single crystals have previously been attributed to a competition between short-range repulsive and long-range attractive vortex-vortex interactions in this two band superconductor; the type 1.5 superconductivity scenario. Our films have much higher levels of disorder than bulk single crystals and therefore both superconducting condensates are expected to be pushed deep into the type 2 regime with purely repulsive vortex interactions. We observe broken symmetry vortex patterns at low fields in all samples after field-cooling from above Tc. These are consistent with those seen in systems with competing repulsions on disparate length scales, and remarkably similar structures are reproduced in dirty two band Ginzburg-Landau calculations, where the simulation parameters have been defined by experimental observations. This suggests that in our dirty MgB2 films, the symmetry of the vortex structures is broken by the presence of vortex repulsions with two different lengthscales, originating from the two distinct superconducting condensates. This represents an entirely new mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking in systems of superconducting vortices, with important implications for pinning phenomena and high current density applications.

Resonances of the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Sector in unitarized Higgs-EFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llanes-Estrada, Felipe J.; Delgado, Rafael L.; Dobado, Antonio

2017-01-01

Because of the gap between the known 100 GeV scale and any new physics, it is natural to formulate an effective Lagrangian (HEFT) with the particles of the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Sector (WL,ZL and h). To use it with any new particles and resonances that may be found at the LHC we extend it by means of dispersion relations that yield unitarized amplitudes valid even in the presence of new strong interactions. We have studied several such methods (Inverse Amplitude, N/D, Improved K-matrix, etc.) to assess the systematics, and find that they give qualitatively similar results and succesfully produce unitary amplitudes in the nonperturbative regime. We have computed all the necessary one-loop amplitudes in the HEFT and unitarized them numerically with those methods. We are thus in a position to describe new physics in the 0.5 TeV-3 TeV (region of validity of our approximations: the effective theory and the equivalence theorem to substitute WL, ZL by the Goldstone bosons of electroweak symmetry breaking). We have also computed the coupling of the EWSBS to the top-antitop and two-photon channels to describe resonances that decay through them or to study their photon-photon production, for example. The approach is universal and useful for many BSM theories at low energy. Funded by spanish grant MINECO:FPA2014-53375-C2-1-P.

Lorentz-like force emerging from kinematic interactions between electrons and nuclei in molecules: A quantum mechanical origin of symmetry breaking that can trigger molecular chirality.

PubMed

Takatsuka, Kazuo

2017-02-28

The Longuet-Higgins (Berry) phase arising from nonadiabatic dynamics and the Aharonov-Bohm phase associated with the dynamics of a charged particle in the electromagnetic vector potential are well known to be individually a manifestation of a class of the so-called geometrical phase. We herein discuss another similarity between the force working on a charged particle moving in a magnetic field, the Lorentz force, and a force working on nuclei while passing across a region where they have a strong quantum mechanical kinematic (nonadiabatic) coupling with electrons in a molecule. This kinematic force is indeed akin to the Lorentz force in that its magnitude is proportional to the velocity of the relevant nuclei and works in the direction perpendicular to its translational motion. Therefore this Lorentz-like nonadiabatic force is realized only in space of more or equal to three dimensions, thereby highlighting a truly multi-dimensional effect of nonadiabatic interaction. We investigate its physical significance qualitatively in the context of breaking of molecular spatial symmetry, which is not seen otherwise without this force. This particular symmetry breaking is demonstrated in application to a coplanar collision between a planar molecule and an atom sharing the same plane. We show that the atom is guided by this force to the direction out from the plane, resulting in a configuration that distinguishes one side of the mirror plane from the other. This can serve as a trigger for the dynamics towards molecular chirality.

Classification of reflection-symmetry-protected topological semimetals and nodal superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Ching-Kai; Schnyder, Andreas P.

2014-11-01

While the topological classification of insulators, semimetals, and superconductors in terms of nonspatial symmetries is well understood, less is known about topological states protected by crystalline symmetries, such as mirror reflections and rotations. In this work, we systematically classify topological semimetals and nodal superconductors that are protected, not only by nonspatial (i.e., global) symmetries, but also by a crystal reflection symmetry. We find that the classification crucially depends on (i) the codimension of the Fermi surface (nodal line or point) of the semimetal (superconductor), (ii) whether the mirror symmetry commutes or anticommutes with the nonspatial symmetries, and (iii) how the Fermi surfaces (nodal lines or points) transform under the mirror reflection and nonspatial symmetries. The classification is derived by examining all possible symmetry-allowed mass terms that can be added to the Bloch or Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian in a given symmetry class and by explicitly deriving topological invariants. We discuss several examples of reflection-symmetry-protected topological semimetals and nodal superconductors, including topological crystalline semimetals with mirror Z2 numbers and topological crystalline nodal superconductors with mirror winding numbers.

Tachyon Condensation and Brane Annihilation in Bose-Einstein Condensates: Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Restricted Lower-Dimensional Subspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Hiromitsu; Kasamatsu, Kenichi; Tsubota, Makoto; Nitta, Muneto

2013-05-01

In brane cosmology, the Big Bang is hypothesized to occur by the annihilation of the brane-anti-brane pair in a collision, where the branes are three-dimensional objects in a higher-dimensional Universe. Spontaneous symmetry breaking accompanied by the formation of lower-dimensional topological defects, e.g. cosmic strings, is triggered by the so-called `tachyon condensation', where the existence of tachyons is attributable to the instability of the brane-anti-brane system. Here, we discuss the closest analogue of the tachyon condensation in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. We consider annihilation of domain walls, namely branes, in strongly segregated two-component condensates, where one component is sandwiched by two domains of the other component. In this system, the process of the brane annihilation can be projected effectively as ferromagnetic ordering dynamics onto a two-dimensional space. Based on this correspondence, three-dimensional formation of vortices from a domain-wall annihilation is considered to be a kink formation due to spontaneous symmetry breaking in the two-dimensional space. We also discuss a mechanism to create a `vorton' when the sandwiched component has a vortex string bridged between the branes. We hope that this study motivates experimental researches to realize this exotic phenomenon of spontaneous symmetry breaking in superfluid systems.

Cosmological signature change in Cartan gravity with dynamical symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magueijo, João; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Matías; Westman, Hans; Złośnik, Tom

2014-03-01

We investigate the possibility for classical metric signature change in a straightforward generalization of the first-order formulation of gravity, dubbed "Cartan gravity." The mathematical structure of this theory mimics the electroweak theory in that the basic ingredients are an SO(1,4) Yang-Mills gauge field Aabμ and a symmetry breaking Higgs field Va, with no metric or affine structure of spacetime presupposed. However, these structures can be recovered, with the predictions of general relativity exactly reproduced, whenever the Higgs field breaking the symmetry to SO(1,3) is forced to have a constant (positive) norm VaVa. This restriction is usually imposed "by hand," but in analogy with the electroweak theory we promote the gravitational Higgs field Va to a genuine dynamical field, subject to nontrivial equations of motion. Even though we limit ourselves to actions polynomial in these variables, we discover a rich phenomenology. Most notably we derive classical cosmological solutions exhibiting a smooth transition between Euclidean and Lorentzian signature in the four-metric. These solutions are nonsingular and arise whenever the SO(1,4) norm of the Higgs field changes sign; i.e. the signature of the metric of spacetime is determined dynamically by the gravitational Higgs field. It is possible to find a plethora of such solutions and in some of them this dramatic behavior is confined to the early Universe, with the theory asymptotically tending to Einstein gravity at late times. Curiously the theory can also naturally embody a well-known dark energy model: Peebles-Ratra quintessence.

Polar Kerr effect studies of time reversal symmetry breaking states in heavy fermion superconductors

DOE PAGES

Schemm, E. R.; Levenson-Falk, E. M.; Kapitulnik, A.

2016-11-30

The connection between chiral superconductivity and topological order has emerged as an active direction in research as more instances of both have been identified in condensed matter systems. Moreover, with the notable exception of 3He-B, all of the known or suspected chiral – that is to say time-reversal symmetry-breaking (TRSB) – superfluids arise in heavy fermion superconductors, although the vast majority of heavy fermion superconductors preserve time-reversal symmetry. We review recent experimental efforts to identify TRSB states in heavy fermion systems via measurement of polar Kerr effect, which is a direct consequence of TRSB.

Predicting perceived visual complexity of abstract patterns using computational measures: The influence of mirror symmetry on complexity perception

PubMed Central

Leder, Helmut

2017-01-01

Visual complexity is relevant for many areas ranging from improving usability of technical displays or websites up to understanding aesthetic experiences. Therefore, many attempts have been made to relate objective properties of images to perceived complexity in artworks and other images. It has been argued that visual complexity is a multidimensional construct mainly consisting of two dimensions: A quantitative dimension that increases complexity through number of elements, and a structural dimension representing order negatively related to complexity. The objective of this work is to study human perception of visual complexity utilizing two large independent sets of abstract patterns. A wide range of computational measures of complexity was calculated, further combined using linear models as well as machine learning (random forests), and compared with data from human evaluations. Our results confirm the adequacy of existing two-factor models of perceived visual complexity consisting of a quantitative and a structural factor (in our case mirror symmetry) for both of our stimulus sets. In addition, a non-linear transformation of mirror symmetry giving more influence to small deviations from symmetry greatly increased explained variance. Thus, we again demonstrate the multidimensional nature of human complexity perception and present comprehensive quantitative models of the visual complexity of abstract patterns, which might be useful for future experiments and applications. PMID:29099832

Effective theory of flavor for Minimal Mirror Twin Higgs

DOE PAGES

Barbieri, Riccardo; Hall, Lawrence J.; Harigaya, Keisuke

2017-10-03

We consider two copies of the Standard Model, interchanged by an exact parity symmetry, P. The observed fermion mass hierarchy is described by suppression factors ϵ more » $$n_i$$ for charged fermion i, as can arise in Froggatt-Nielsen and extra-dimensional theories of flavor. The corresponding flavor factors in the mirror sector are ϵ' $$n_i$$, so that spontaneous breaking of the parity P arises from a single parameter ϵ'/ϵ, yielding a tightly constrained version of Minimal Mirror Twin Higgs, introduced in our previous paper. Models are studied for simple values of n i, including in particular one with SU(5)-compatibility, that describe the observed fermion mass hierarchy. The entire mirror quark and charged lepton spectrum is broadly predicted in terms of ϵ'/ϵ, as are the mirror QCD scale and the decoupling temperature between the two sectors. Helium-, hydrogen- and neutron-like mirror dark matter candidates are constrained by self-scattering and relic ionization. Lastly, in each case, the allowed parameter space can be fully probed by proposed direct detection experiments. Correlated predictions are made as well for the Higgs signal strength and the amount of dark radiation.« less

Effective theory of flavor for Minimal Mirror Twin Higgs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbieri, Riccardo; Hall, Lawrence J.; Harigaya, Keisuke

2017-10-01

We consider two copies of the Standard Model, interchanged by an exact parity symmetry, P. The observed fermion mass hierarchy is described by suppression factors ɛ^{n_i} for charged fermion i, as can arise in Froggatt-Nielsen and extra-dimensional theories of flavor. The corresponding flavor factors in the mirror sector are ɛ^' {n}_i} , so that spontaneous breaking of the parity P arises from a single parameter ɛ'/ɛ, yielding a tightly constrained version of Minimal Mirror Twin Higgs, introduced in our previous paper. Models are studied for simple values of n i , including in particular one with SU(5)-compatibility, that describe the observed fermion mass hierarchy. The entire mirror quark and charged lepton spectrum is broadly predicted in terms of ɛ'/ɛ, as are the mirror QCD scale and the decoupling temperature between the two sectors. Helium-, hydrogen- and neutron-like mirror dark matter candidates are constrained by self-scattering and relic ionization. In each case, the allowed parameter space can be fully probed by proposed direct detection experiments. Correlated predictions are made as well for the Higgs signal strength and the amount of dark radiation.

More Toda-like (0,2) mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhuo; Guo, Jirui; Sharpe, Eric; Wu, Ruoxu

2017-08-01

In this paper, we extend our previous work to construct (0 , 2) Toda-like mirrors to A/2-twisted theories on more general spaces, as part of a program of understanding (0,2) mirror symmetry. Specifically, we propose (0 , 2) mirrors to GLSMs on toric del Pezzo surfaces and Hirzebruch surfaces with deformations of the tangent bundle. We check the results by comparing correlation functions, global symmetries, as well as geometric blowdowns with the corresponding (0 , 2) Toda-like mirrors. We also briefly discuss Grassmannian manifolds.

Assessing symmetry using the mirror stand device with manual and software-assisted methods in postoperative zygomatic fracture patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syarif, A. N.; Bangun, K.

2017-08-01

Zygomatic fractures are among the most common fractures to the facial skeleton. However, because no standard and reliable method of evaluation is available to assess postoperative patients, we often rely on photographs and subjective assessments. A portable mirror stand device (MiRS), which is a new method for the standardization of photography, was developed in our institution. Used with image analysis software, this device provides a new method for evaluating outcomes after the open reduction and internal fixation of zygomatic fractures. The portable mirror stand device was set up in our outpatient clinic at the Cleft Craniofacial Center at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Photographs of 11 postoperative patients were taken using the device, and they were analyzed both manually and using image analysis software (ImageJ 1.46) for symmetry. The two methods were then compared to assess the correlation and agreement of the results. The measurements taken using the manual method and the software-assisted method did not differ significantly, which indicated the good agreement between the two methods. The results of the symmetry achieved atour center were similar to other centers in the Asian region (ΔZy = 3.4±1.5 mm, ΔBc = 2.6±1.6 mm, ΔCh = 2.3±2.4 mm) compared with (ΔZy = 3.2±1.7 mm, ΔBc = 2.6±1.6 mm, ΔCh = 2.3±2.5 mm). The treatment of zygomatic fracture a tour center achieved good results. The portable mirror stand device assisted the image analysis software (ImageJ 1.46), which could be beneficial in assessing symmetry in postoperative zygomatic fracture patients.

Topological defect formation and spontaneous symmetry breaking in ion Coulomb crystals.

PubMed

Pyka, K; Keller, J; Partner, H L; Nigmatullin, R; Burgermeister, T; Meier, D M; Kuhlmann, K; Retzker, A; Plenio, M B; Zurek, W H; del Campo, A; Mehlstäubler, T E

2013-01-01

Symmetry breaking phase transitions play an important role in nature. When a system traverses such a transition at a finite rate, its causally disconnected regions choose the new broken symmetry state independently. Where such local choices are incompatible, topological defects can form. The Kibble-Zurek mechanism predicts the defect densities to follow a power law that scales with the rate of the transition. Owing to its ubiquitous nature, this theory finds application in a wide field of systems ranging from cosmology to condensed matter. Here we present the successful creation of defects in ion Coulomb crystals by a controlled quench of the confining potential, and observe an enhanced power law scaling in accordance with numerical simulations and recent predictions. This simple system with well-defined critical exponents opens up ways to investigate the physics of non-equilibrium dynamics from the classical to the quantum regime.

Symmetry breaking, and the effect of matter density on neutrino oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohseni Sadjadi, H.; Khosravi Karchi, A. P.

2018-04-01

A proposal for the neutrino mass, based on neutrino-scalar field interaction, is introduced. The scalar field is also non-minimally coupled to the Ricci scalar, and hence relates the neutrino mass to the matter density. In a dense region, the scalar field obeys the Z2 symmetry, and the neutrino is massless. In a dilute region, the Z2 symmetry breaks and neutrino acquires mass from the non-vanishing expectation value of the scalar field. We consider this scenario in the framework of a spherical dense object whose outside is a dilute region. In this background, we study the neutrino flavors oscillation, along with the consequences of the theory on oscillation length and MSW effect. This preliminary model may shed some lights on the existing anomalies within the neutrino data, concerning the different oscillating behavior of the neutrinos in regions with different densities.

Inversion symmetry breaking induced triply degenerate points in orderly arranged PtSeTe family materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, R. C.; Cheung, C. H.; Gong, P. L.; Lu, W. J.; Si, J. G.; Sun, Y. P.

2018-06-01

k paths exactly with symmetry allow to find triply degenerate points (TDPs) in band structures. The paths that host the type-II Dirac points in PtSe2 family materials also have the spatial symmetry. However, due to Kramers degeneracy (the systems have both inversion symmetry and time reversal symmetry), the crossing points in them are Dirac ones. In this work, based on symmetry analysis, first-principles calculations, and method, we predict that PtSe2 family materials should undergo topological transitions if the inversion symmetry is broken, i.e. the Dirac fermions in PtSe2 family materials split into TDPs in PtSeTe family materials (PtSSe, PtSeTe, and PdSeTe) with orderly arranged S/Se (Se/Te). It is different from the case in high-energy physics that breaking inversion symmetry I leads to the splitting of Dirac fermion into Weyl fermions. We also address a possible method to achieve the orderly arranged in PtSeTe family materials in experiments. Our study provides a real example that Dirac points transform into TDPs, and is helpful to investigate the topological transition between Dirac fermions and TDP fermions.

Spontaneous Time Symmetry Breaking in System with Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibrium: Evidences in Experimental Economics Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhijian; Xu, Bin; Zhejiang Collaboration

2011-03-01

In social science, laboratory experiment with human subjects' interaction is a standard test-bed for studying social processes in micro level. Usually, as in physics, the processes near equilibrium are suggested as stochastic processes with time-reversal symmetry (TRS). To the best of our knowledge, near equilibrium, the breaking time symmetry, as well as the existence of robust time anti-symmetry processes, has not been reported clearly in experimental economics till now. By employing Markov transition method to analysis the data from human subject 2x2 Games with wide parameters and mixed Nash equilibrium, we study the time symmetry of the social interaction process near Nash equilibrium. We find that, the time symmetry is broken, and there exists a robust time anti-symmetry processes. We also report the weight of the time anti-symmetry processes in the total processes of each the games. Evidences in laboratory marketing experiments, at the same time, are provided as one-dimension cases. In these cases, time anti-symmetry cycles can also be captured. The proposition of time anti-symmetry processes is small, but the cycles are distinguishable.

Parity-time symmetry-breaking mechanism of dynamic Mott transitions in dissipative systems

DOE PAGES

Tripathi, Vikram; Galda, Alexey; Barman, Himadri; ...

2016-07-05

Here, we describe the critical behavior of the electric field-driven (dynamic) Mott insulator-to-metal transitions in dissipative Fermi and Bose systems in terms of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians invariant under simultaneous parity (P) and time-reversal (T) operations. The dynamic Mott transition is identified as a PT symmetry-breaking phase transition, with the Mott insulating state corresponding to the regime of unbroken PT symmetry with a real energy spectrum. We also established that the imaginary part of the Hamiltonian arises from the combined effects of the driving field and inherent dissipation. We derive the renormalization and collapse of the Mott gap at the dielectric breakdownmore » and describe the resulting critical behavior of transport characteristics. The critical exponent we obtained is in an excellent agreement with experimental findings.« less

Symmetry Breaking by Parallel Flow Shear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiacong; Diamond, Patrick

2015-11-01

Plasma rotation is important in reducing turbulent transport, suppressing MHD instabilities, and is beneficial to confinement. Intrinsic rotation without an external momentum input is of interest for its plausible application on ITER. k∥ spectrum asymmetry is required for residual Reynolds stress that drives the intrinsic rotation. Parallel flows are reported in linear devices without magnetic shear. In CSDX, parallel flows are mostly peaked in the core [Thakur et al., 2014]; more robust flows and reversed profiles are seen in PANTA [Oldenburger, et al. 2012]. A novel mechanism for symmetry breaking in momentum transport is proposed. Magnetic shear or mean flow profile are not required. A seed parallel flow shear (PFS) sets the sign of residual stress by selecting certain modes to grow faster. The resulted spectrum imbalance leads to a nonzero residual stress, which further drives a parallel flow with ∇n as the free energy source, adding to the shear until saturated by diffusion. Balanced flow gradient is set by Π∥Res /χϕ . Residual stress is calculated for ITG turbulence and collisional drift wave turbulence where electron-ion and electron-neutral collisions are discussed and compared. Numerical simulation is proposed for testing the effect of PFS.

Ultra-large distance modification of gravity from Lorentz symmetry breaking at the Planck scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorbunov, Dmitry S.; Sibiryakov, Sergei M.

2005-09-01

We present an extension of the Randall-Sundrum model in which, due to spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking, graviton mixes with bulk vector fields and becomes quasilocalized. The masses of KK modes comprising the four-dimensional graviton are naturally exponentially small. This allows to push the Lorentz breaking scale to as high as a few tenth of the Planck mass. The model does not contain ghosts or tachyons and does not exhibit the van Dam-Veltman-Zakharov discontinuity. The gravitational attraction between static point masses becomes gradually weaker with increasing of separation and gets replaced by repulsion (antigravity) at exponentially large distances.

On the plasmonic properties of a symmetry-breaking silver nanoring structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Bozhi; Sun, Cheng

2018-07-01

This work reports on a study regarding the plasmonic properties of a symmetry-breaking silver nanoring structure, in the wavelength range of 0.6-4.5 μm. A broken silver ring with a certain angle, as well as a full ring composed of silver and other metallic/dielectric materials, are proposed. The extinction efficiencies of the nanostructure are numerically calculated with several parameters being varied, including the broken angle, the inner and outer radii, and the thickness of the broken ring, as well as the material in the composite full ring. Multiple plasmonic resonances are observed in the extinction efficiency curves, which are attributed to the quadrupolar, octupolar, and hexadecapolar resonance modes that are revealed by the electric field distributions. The results demonstrate that the high-order modes can be altered, by varying the value of the broken angle of the ring. It is also illustrated that the resonance wavelength and the full width at half maximum of certain high-order plasmonic resonance peaks can be tuned in the wavelength range studied, by adjusting the values of the geometrical parameters of the nanoring. The plasmonic characteristics of the symmetry-breaking nanoring structure revealed in this study, provide a great platform for the designs of plasmonic devices utilizing the high-order plasmonic resonances. Besides, it is also proposed a scheme to switch the device between the multi-wavelength and single-wavelength modes.

Dynamics of the universe and spontaneous symmetry breaking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazanas, D.

1980-01-01

It is shown that the presence of a phase transition early in the history of the universe, associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking (believed to take place at very high temperatures at which the various fundamental interactions unify), significantly modifies its dynamics and evolution. This is due to the energy 'pumping' during the phase transition from the vacuum to the substance, rather than the gravitating effects of the vacuum. The expansion law of the universe then differs substantially from the relation considered so far for the very early time expansion. In particular it is shown that under certain conditions this expansion law is exponential. It is further argued that under reasonable assumptions for the mass of the associated Higgs boson this expansion stage could last long enough to potentially account for the observed isotropy of the universe.

Dynamical time-reversal symmetry breaking and photo-induced chiral spin liquids in frustrated Mott insulators

DOE PAGES

Claassen, Martin; Jiang, Hong -Chen; Moritz, Brian; ...

2017-10-30

The search for quantum spin liquids in frustrated quantum magnets recently has enjoyed a surge of interest, with various candidate materials under intense scrutiny. However, an experimental confirmation of a gapped topological spin liquid remains an open question. Here, we show that circularly polarized light can provide a knob to drive frustrated Mott insulators into a chiral spin liquid, realizing an elusive quantum spin liquid with topological order. We find that the dynamics of a driven Kagome Mott insulator is well-captured by an effective Floquet spin model, with heating strongly suppressed, inducing a scalar spin chirality S i · (Smore » j × S k) term which dynamically breaks time-reversal while preserving SU(2) spin symmetry. We fingerprint the transient phase diagram and find a stable photo-induced chiral spin liquid near the equilibrium state. Furthermore, the results presented suggest employing dynamical symmetry breaking to engineer quantum spin liquids and access elusive phase transitions that are not readily accessible in equilibrium.« less

Spin rotational symmetry breaking by orbital current patterns in two-leg Cu-O Hubbard ladders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudzinski, Piotr; Gabay, Marc; Giamarchi, Thierry

2010-03-01

In the weak-coupling limit, we study, as a function of doping, two-leg ladders with a unit cell containing both Cu and O atoms. For purely repulsive interactions, using bosonization and a novel RG scheme, we find that in a broad region of the phase diagram, the ground state consists of a pattern of orbital currents (OCP) defined on the top of an incommensurate density wave. The internal symmetry of the OCP is specific for the ladder structure, different than the ones suggested up to now for 2D cuprates. We focus on this OCP and look for measurable signals of its existence: we compute magnetic fields induced within the ladder and we check what kind of changes in the phase diagram one may expect due to SU(2) spin-rotational symmetry breaking. We also investigate a single impurity problem (incl. OCP): we discuss if Kondo physics is at play, and make qualitative predictions about the nature of impurity backscattering. This enables us to show the influence of SU(2) symmetry breaking on conductivity. We estimate the value of gap opened due to the OCP, give analytic expressions for correlation functions and discuss magnetic properties of a new phase.

Rotational Symmetry Breaking in a Trigonal Superconductor Nb-doped Bi 2 Se 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asaba, Tomoya; Lawson, B. J.; Tinsman, Colin

2017-01-27

The search for unconventional superconductivity has been focused on materials with strong spin-orbit coupling and unique crystal lattices. Doped bismuth selenide (Bi 2Se 3) is a strong candidate, given the topological insulator nature of the parent compound and its triangular lattice. The coupling between the physical properties in the superconducting state and its underlying crystal symmetry is a crucial test for unconventional superconductivity. In this paper, we report direct evidence that the superconducting magnetic response couples strongly to the underlying trigonal crystal symmetry in the recently discovered superconductor with trigonal crystal structure, niobium (Nb)-doped Bi 2Se 3. As a result,more » the in-plane magnetic torque signal vanishes every 60°. More importantly, the superconducting hysteresis loop amplitude is enhanced along one preferred direction, spontaneously breaking the rotational symmetry. This observation indicates the presence of nematic order in the superconducting ground state of Nb-doped Bi 2Se 3.« less

Aspects of Higher Spin Symmetry and its Breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhiboedov, Alexander

This thesis explores different aspects of higher spin symmetry and its breaking in the context of Quantum Field Theory, AdS/CFT and String Theory. In chapter 2, we study the constraints imposed by the existence of a single higher spin conserved current on a three-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT). A single higher spin conserved current implies the existence of an infinite number of higher spin conserved currents. The correlation functions of the stress tensor and the conserved currents are then shown to be equal to those of a free field theory. Namely a theory of N free bosons or free fermions. This is an extension of the Coleman-Mandula theorem to CFT's, which do not have a conventional S-matrix. In chapter 3, we consider three-dimensional conformal field theories that have a higher spin symmetry that is slightly broken. The theories have a large N limit, in the sense that the operators separate into single-trace and multi-trace and obey the usual large N factorization properties. We assume that the only single trace operators are the higher spin currents plus an additional scalar. Using the slightly broken higher spin symmetry we constrain the three-point functions of the theories to leading order in N. We show that there are two families of solutions. One family can be realized as a theory of N fermions with an O( N) Chern-Simons gauge field, the other as a N bosons plus the Chern-Simons gauge field. In chapter 4, we consider several aspects of unitary higher-dimensional conformal field theories. We investigate the dimensions of spinning operators via the crossing equations in the light-cone limit. We find that, in a sense, CFTs become free at large spin and 1/s is a weak coupling parameter. The spectrum of CFTs enjoys additivity: if two twists tau 1, tau2 appear in the spectrum, there are operators whose twists are arbitrarily close to tau1 + tau2. We characterize how tau1 + tau2 is approached at large spin by solving the crossing equations analytically

Chiral symmetry breaking and the spin content of the ρ and ρ‧ mesons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glozman, L. Ya.; Lang, C. B.; Limmer, M.

2011-11-01

Using interpolators with different SU(2)L × SU(2)R transformation properties we study the chiral symmetry and spin contents of the ρ and ρ‧ mesons in lattice simulations with dynamical quarks. A ratio of couplings of the qbarγi τq and qbarσ0i τq interpolators to a given meson state at different resolution scales tells one about the degree of chiral symmetry breaking in the meson wave function at these scales. Using a Gaussian gauge invariant smearing of the quark fields in the interpolators, we are able to extract the chiral content of mesons up to the infrared resolution of ∼ 1 fm. In the ground state ρ meson the chiral symmetry is strongly broken with comparable contributions of both the (0 , 1) + (1 , 0) and (1 / 2 , 1 / 2) b chiral representations with the former being the leading contribution. In contrast, in the ρ‧ meson the degree of chiral symmetry breaking is manifestly smaller and the leading representation is (1 / 2 , 1 / 2) b. Using a unitary transformation from the chiral basis to the LJ2S+1 basis, we are able to define and measure the angular momentum content of mesons in the rest frame. This definition is different from the traditional one which uses parton distributions in the infinite momentum frame. The ρ meson is practically a 3S1 state with no obvious trace of a "spin crisis". The ρ‧ meson has a sizeable contribution of the 3D1 wave, which implies that the ρ‧ meson cannot be considered as a pure radial excitation of the ρ meson.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking and strong deformations in metal adsorbed graphene sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalbout, A. F.; Ortiz, Y. P.; Seligman, T. H.

2013-03-01

We study the adsorption of Li to graphene flakes simulated as aromatic molecules. Surprisingly the out of plane deformation is much stronger for the double adsorption from both sides to the same ring than for a single adsorption, although a symmetric solution seems possible. We thus have an interesting case of spontaneous symmetry breaking. While we cannot rule out a Jahn Teller deformation with certainty, this explanation seems unlikely and other options are discussed. We find a similar behavior for boron-nitrogen sheets, and also for other light alkalines as adsorbants.

Manifestation of Nonuniversality of Lepton Interactions in Spontaneously Violated Mirror Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyatlov, I. T.

2018-03-01

Data from the LHCb experiments are indicative of a substantial distinction between the B → K (or K*) + e + e - and B → K (or K*) + μ + μ - branching ratios (April 2017). The branching ratio for the e+e- channel is substantially greater than that for the μ + μ - channel, whereas Standard Model (SM) calculations require that they be equal to each other. The above distinction may suggest the existence of a new interaction changing generations and discriminating between leptons that has couplings that are much greater than and are inverse in strength to the SM fermion couplings to the Higgs boson. Under conditions of spontaneously violated mirror symmetry, the coupling of SM particles to the second Higgs scalar that is inevitably present there and which is in principle heavy possesses precisely these properties. An inverse character of this coupling and its strength are not an additional hypothesis but a necessary condition for qualitatively reproducing, in addition, the observed charged-lepton mass hierarchy and the structure of weak lepton mixing—the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) matrix. Within the mirror model being considered, all properties of the new interaction, including its inverse character, are due to the hierarchical character of the quark and charged-lepton mass spectrum.

Viable dark matter via radiative symmetry breaking in a scalar singlet Higgs portal extension of the standard model.

PubMed

Steele, T G; Wang, Zhi-Wei; Contreras, D; Mann, R B

2014-05-02

We consider the generation of dark matter mass via radiative electroweak symmetry breaking in an extension of the conformal standard model containing a singlet scalar field with a Higgs portal interaction. Generating the mass from a sequential process of radiative electroweak symmetry breaking followed by a conventional Higgs mechanism can account for less than 35% of the cosmological dark matter abundance for dark matter mass M(s)>80 GeV. However, in a dynamical approach where both Higgs and scalar singlet masses are generated via radiative electroweak symmetry breaking, we obtain much higher levels of dark matter abundance. At one-loop level we find abundances of 10%-100% with 106 GeV80 GeV detection region of the next generation XENON experiment.

Spontaneous PT symmetry breaking in Dirac-Kronig-Penney crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longhi, Stefano; Cannata, Francesco; Ventura, Alberto

2011-12-01

We introduce a non-Hermitian PT invariant extension of the Dirac-Kronig-Penney model, describing the motion of a Dirac quasiparticle in a locally periodic sequence of imaginary δ-Dirac barriers and wells, and propose its optical realization using superstructure fiber Bragg gratings with alternating regions of optical gain and absorption. For the infinite crystal, we determine the band structure and show that the PT phase is always broken. For a finite crystal, we derive analytical expressions for reflection and transmission probabilities, and show that the PT phase is unbroken below a finite threshold of the δ-barrier area. In the proposed optical realization, the onset of PT symmetry breaking in the finite crystal corresponds to the lasing condition for the grating superstructures.

Neutrino mass ordering and μ-τ reflection symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Zhi-zhong; Zhu, Jing-yu

2017-12-01

If the neutrino mass spectrum turns out to be m 3symmetry is respected in this connection and its breaking effects are model-independently constrained at the 3σ level by using current experimental data. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11135009, 11375207)

Symmetry breaking and uniqueness for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations.

PubMed

Dascaliuc, Radu; Michalowski, Nicholas; Thomann, Enrique; Waymire, Edward C

2015-07-01

The present article establishes connections between the structure of the deterministic Navier-Stokes equations and the structure of (similarity) equations that govern self-similar solutions as expected values of certain naturally associated stochastic cascades. A principle result is that explosion criteria for the stochastic cascades involved in the probabilistic representations of solutions to the respective equations coincide. While the uniqueness problem itself remains unresolved, these connections provide interesting problems and possible methods for investigating symmetry breaking and the uniqueness problem for Navier-Stokes equations. In particular, new branching Markov chains, including a dilogarithmic branching random walk on the multiplicative group (0, ∞), naturally arise as a result of this investigation.

Minimal mirror twin Higgs

DOE PAGES

Barbieri, Riccardo; Hall, Lawrence J.; Harigaya, Keisuke

2016-11-29

In a Mirror Twin World with a maximally symmetric Higgs sector the little hierarchy of the Standard Model can be significantly mitigated, perhaps displacing the cutoff scale above the LHC reach. We show that consistency with observations requires that the Z 2 parity exchanging the Standard Model with its mirror be broken in the Yukawa couplings. A minimal such effective field theory, with this sole Z 2 breaking, can generate the Z 2 breaking in the Higgs sector necessary for the Twin Higgs mechanism. The theory has constrained and correlated signals i n Higgs decays, direct Dark Matter Detection andmore » Dark Radiation, all within reach of foreseen experiments, over a region of parameter space where the fine-tuning for the electroweak scale is 10-50%. For dark matter, both mirror neutrons and a variety of self-interacting mirror atoms are considered. Neutrino mass signals and the effects of a possible additional Z 2 breaking from the vacuum expectation values of B-L breaking fields are also discussed.« less

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Spontaneous symmetry breaking in a bridge model fed by junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popkov, Vladislav; Evans, Martin R.; Mukamel, David

2008-10-01

We introduce a class of 1D models mimicking a single-lane bridge with two junctions and two particle species driven in opposite directions. The model exhibits spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) for a range of injection/extraction rates. In this phase the steady-state currents of the two species are not equal. Moreover, there is a co-existence region in which the symmetry-broken phase co-exists with a symmetric phase. Along a path in which the extraction rate is varied, keeping the injection rate fixed and large, hysteresis takes place. The mean-field phase diagram is calculated and supporting Monte Carlo simulations are presented. One of the transition lines exhibits a kink, a feature which cannot exist in transition lines of equilibrium phase transitions.

Observation of valleylike edge states of sound at a momentum away from the high-symmetry points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Bai-Zhan; Zheng, Sheng-Jie; Liu, Ting-Ting; Jiao, Jun-Rui; Chen, Ning; Dai, Hong-Qing; Yu, De-Jie; Liu, Jian

2018-04-01

In condensed matter physics, topologically protected edge transportation has drawn extensive attention over recent years. Thus far, the topological valley edge states have been produced near the Dirac cones fixed at the high-symmetry points of the Brillouin zone. In this paper, we demonstrate a unique valleylike phononic crystal (PnC) with the position-varying Dirac cones at the high-symmetry lines of the Brillouin zone boundary. The emergence of such Dirac cones, characterized by the vortex structure in a momentum space, is attributed to the unavoidable band crossing protected by the mirror symmetry. The Dirac cones can be unbuckled and a complete band gap can be induced through breaking the mirror symmetry. Interestingly, by simply rotating the square columns, we realize the valleylike vortex states and the band inversion effect which leads to the valley Hall phase transition. Along the valleylike PnC interfaces separating two distinct acoustic valley Hall phases, the valleylike protected edge transport of sound in domain walls is observed in both the simulations and the experiments. These results are promising for the exploration of alternative topological phenomena in the valleylike PnCs beyond the graphenelike lattice.

Parametric Symmetry Breaking in a Nonlinear Resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leuch, Anina; Papariello, Luca; Zilberberg, Oded; Degen, Christian L.; Chitra, R.; Eichler, Alexander

2016-11-01

Much of the physical world around us can be described in terms of harmonic oscillators in thermodynamic equilibrium. At the same time, the far-from-equilibrium behavior of oscillators is important in many aspects of modern physics. Here, we investigate a resonating system subject to a fundamental interplay between intrinsic nonlinearities and a combination of several driving forces. We have constructed a controllable and robust realization of such a system using a macroscopic doubly clamped string. We experimentally observe a hitherto unseen double hysteresis in both the amplitude and the phase of the resonator's response function and present a theoretical model that is in excellent agreement with the experiment. Our work unveils that the double hysteresis is a manifestation of an out-of-equilibrium symmetry breaking between parametric phase states. Such a fundamental phenomenon, in the most ubiquitous building block of nature, paves the way for the investigation of new dynamical phases of matter in parametrically driven many-body systems and motivates applications ranging from ultrasensitive force detection to low-energy computing memory units.

Symmetry-breaking inelastic wave-mixing atomic magnetometry.

PubMed

Zhou, Feng; Zhu, Chengjie J; Hagley, Edward W; Deng, Lu

2017-12-01

The nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR) effect has prolific applications ranging from precision mapping of Earth's magnetic field to biomagnetic sensing. Studies on collisional spin relaxation effects have led to ultrahigh magnetic field sensitivities using a single-beam Λ scheme with state-of-the-art magnetic shielding/compensation techniques. However, the NMOR effect in this widely used single-beam Λ scheme is peculiarly small, requiring complex radio-frequency phase-locking protocols. We show the presence of a previously unknown energy symmetry-based nonlinear propagation blockade and demonstrate an optical inelastic wave-mixing NMOR technique that breaks this NMOR blockade, resulting in an NMOR optical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement of more than two orders of magnitude never before seen with the single-beam Λ scheme. The large SNR enhancement was achieved simultaneously with a nearly two orders of magnitude reduction in laser power while preserving the magnetic resonance linewidth. This new method may open a myriad of applications ranging from biomagnetic imaging to precision measurement of the magnetic properties of subatomic particles.

Fano resonance engineering in mirror-symmetry-broken THz metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xuefeng; Bian, Xinya; Milne, William I.; Chu, Daping

2016-04-01

We introduce a comprehensive approach to the design of mirror-symmetry-broken terahertz (THz) metamaterials and present both the simulation and experimental results which show the desired asymmetric Fano resonances and electromagnetically induced transparency-like windows. With a full-wave simulation, we find these asymmetry-induced resonance modes possess extremely high quality factors and they broaden with an increase in the structure asymmetry. This phenomenon arises from the destructive interference of a super-radiative bright mode and a sub-radiative dark mode which cannot be excited directly. Surface current and electric field distributions are analyzed to explain the emergence of these Fano resonances. An intuitive mechanical coupled oscillator model is derived to explain the unique line-shape of such Fano resonances. Moreover, large resonant frequency tuning (50 GHz) of Fano resonance has been demonstrated by temperature-induced phase change in liquid crystals. We believe that the Fano resonance in THz metamaterials may serve as a strong building block for passive or active THz elements with potential applications for future detection and sensing systems and devices.

Symmetry Breaking by Surface Blocking: Synthesis of Bimorphic Silver Nanoparticles, Nanoscale Fishes and Apples.

PubMed

Cathcart, Nicole; Kitaev, Vladimir

2016-09-08

A powerful approach to augment the diversity of well-defined metal nanoparticle (MNP) morphologies, essential for MNP advanced applications, is symmetry breaking combined with seeded growth. Utilizing this approach enabled the formation of bimorphic silver nanoparticles (bi-AgNPs) consisting of two shapes linked by one regrowth point. Bi-AgNPs were formed by using an adsorbing polymer, poly(acrylic acid), PAA, to block the surface of a decahedral AgNP seed and restricting growth of new silver to a single nucleation point. First, we have realized 2-D growth of platelets attached to decahedra producing nanoscale shapes reminiscent of apples, fishes, mushrooms and kites. 1-D bimorphic growth of rods (with chloride) and 3-D bimorphic growth of cubes and bipyramids (with bromide) were achieved by using halides to induce preferential (100) stabilization over (111) of platelets. Furthermore, the universality of the formation of bimorphic nanoparticles was demonstrated by using different seeds. Bi-AgNPs exhibit strong SERS enhancement due to regular cavities at the necks. Overall, the reported approach to symmetry breaking and bimorphic nanoparticle growth offers a powerful methodology for nanoscale shape design.

Symmetry Breaking by Surface Blocking: Synthesis of Bimorphic Silver Nanoparticles, Nanoscale Fishes and Apples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cathcart, Nicole; Kitaev, Vladimir

2016-09-01

A powerful approach to augment the diversity of well-defined metal nanoparticle (MNP) morphologies, essential for MNP advanced applications, is symmetry breaking combined with seeded growth. Utilizing this approach enabled the formation of bimorphic silver nanoparticles (bi-AgNPs) consisting of two shapes linked by one regrowth point. Bi-AgNPs were formed by using an adsorbing polymer, poly(acrylic acid), PAA, to block the surface of a decahedral AgNP seed and restricting growth of new silver to a single nucleation point. First, we have realized 2-D growth of platelets attached to decahedra producing nanoscale shapes reminiscent of apples, fishes, mushrooms and kites. 1-D bimorphic growth of rods (with chloride) and 3-D bimorphic growth of cubes and bipyramids (with bromide) were achieved by using halides to induce preferential (100) stabilization over (111) of platelets. Furthermore, the universality of the formation of bimorphic nanoparticles was demonstrated by using different seeds. Bi-AgNPs exhibit strong SERS enhancement due to regular cavities at the necks. Overall, the reported approach to symmetry breaking and bimorphic nanoparticle growth offers a powerful methodology for nanoscale shape design.

Symmetry breaking and uniqueness for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dascaliuc, Radu; Thomann, Enrique; Waymire, Edward C., E-mail: waymire@math.oregonstate.edu

2015-07-15

The present article establishes connections between the structure of the deterministic Navier-Stokes equations and the structure of (similarity) equations that govern self-similar solutions as expected values of certain naturally associated stochastic cascades. A principle result is that explosion criteria for the stochastic cascades involved in the probabilistic representations of solutions to the respective equations coincide. While the uniqueness problem itself remains unresolved, these connections provide interesting problems and possible methods for investigating symmetry breaking and the uniqueness problem for Navier-Stokes equations. In particular, new branching Markov chains, including a dilogarithmic branching random walk on the multiplicative group (0, ∞), naturallymore » arise as a result of this investigation.« less

Effects of ridge cracking and interface sliding on morphological symmetry breaking in straight-sided blisters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shi-Chen; Yu, Sen-Jiang; He, Linghui; Ni, Yong

2018-03-01

Complex surface patterns generated by nonlinear buckling originate from various symmetry-breaking instabilities. Identifying possible key factors that regulate the instability modes is critical to reveal the mechanism of the surface pattern selection. In this paper, how another two factors (ridge cracking and interface sliding) including Poisson's ratio influence the morphological symmetry breaking in straight-sided blisters are systematically studied. Morphology diagrams from stability analysis show that ridge cracking and low Poisson's ratio promote symmetric instability mode and favor bubble-like blisters while interface sliding and high Poisson's ratio facilitate antisymmetric instability mode and result in telephone cord buckles. The analytical predictions are evidenced by experimental observations on annealed silicon nitride films on glass substrates and confirmed by nonlinear numerical simulations. This study explains how and why the rarely observed bubble-like blisters in accompany with ridge crack can appear in brittle thin films in comparison with the ubiquitously observed telephone cord buckles that usually form as the development of an antisymmetric instability mode when straight-sided blisters undergo the super-critical isotropic compression.

Nonlocal symmetries, solitary waves and cnoidal periodic waves of the (2+1)-dimensional breaking soliton equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Li; Tian, Shou-Fu; Feng, Lian-Li

2017-12-01

In this paper, we consider the (2+1)-dimensional breaking soliton equation, which describes the interaction of a Riemann wave propagating along the y-axis with a long wave along the x-axis. By virtue of the truncated Painlevé expansion method, we obtain the nonlocal symmetry, Bäcklund transformation and Schwarzian form of the equation. Furthermore, by using the consistent Riccati expansion (CRE), we prove that the breaking soliton equation is solvable. Based on the consistent tan-function expansion, we explicitly derive the interaction solutions between solitary waves and cnoidal periodic waves.

Symmetry Breaking in Space-Time Hierarchies Shapes Brain Dynamics and Behavior.

PubMed

Pillai, Ajay S; Jirsa, Viktor K

2017-06-07

In order to maintain brain function, neural activity needs to be tightly coordinated within the brain network. How this coordination is achieved and related to behavior is largely unknown. It has been previously argued that the study of the link between brain and behavior is impossible without a guiding vision. Here we propose behavioral-level concepts and mechanisms embodied as structured flows on manifold (SFM) that provide a formal description of behavior as a low-dimensional process emerging from a network's dynamics dependent on the symmetry and invariance properties of the network connectivity. Specifically, we demonstrate that the symmetry breaking of network connectivity constitutes a timescale hierarchy resulting in the emergence of an attractive functional subspace. We show that behavior emerges when appropriate conditions imposed upon the couplings are satisfied, justifying the conductance-based nature of synaptic couplings. Our concepts propose design principles for networks predicting how behavior and task rules are represented in real neural circuits and open new avenues for the analyses of neural data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relativistic Anandan quantum phase and the Aharonov–Casher effect under Lorentz symmetry breaking effects in the cosmic string spacetime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bakke, K., E-mail: kbakke@fisica.ufpb.br; Furtado, C., E-mail: furtado@fisica.ufpb.br; Belich, H., E-mail: belichjr@gmail.com

2016-09-15

From the modified Maxwell theory coupled to gravity, we establish a possible scenario of the violation of the Lorentz symmetry and write an effective metric for the cosmic string spacetime. Then, we investigate the arising of an analogue of the Anandan quantum phase for a relativistic Dirac neutral particle with a permanent magnetic dipole moment in the cosmic string spacetime under Lorentz symmetry breaking effects. Besides, we analyse the influence of the effects of the Lorentz symmetry violation and the topology of the defect on the Aharonov–Casher geometric quantum phase in the nonrelativistic limit.

Symmetry breaking, phase separation and anomalous fluctuations in driven granular gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meerson, Baruch; Pöschel, Thorsten; Sasorov, Pavel V.; Schwager, Thomas

2003-03-01

What is the role of noise, caused by the discrete nature of particles, in granular dynamics? We address this question by considering a simple driven granular system: an ensemble of nearly elastically colliding hard spheres in a rectangular box, driven by a rapidly vibrating side wall at zero gravity. The elementary state of this system is a strip of enhanced particle density away from the driving wall. Granular hydrodynamics (GHD) predicts a symmetry breaking instability of this state, when the aspect ratio of the confining box exceeds a threshold value, while the average density of the gas is within a ``spinodal interval". At large aspect ratios this instability leads to phase separation similar to that in van der Waals gas. In the present work (see cond-mat/0208286) we focus on the system behavior around the threshold of the symmetry-breaking instability. We put GHD into a quantitative test by performing extensive event-driven molecular dynamic simulations in 2D. Please watch the movies of the simulations at http://summa.physik.hu-berlin.de/ kies/HD/. We found that the supercritical bifurcation curve, predicted by GHD, agrees with the simulations well below and well above the instability threshold. In a wide region of aspect ratios around the threshold the system is dominated by fluctuations. We checked that the fluctuation strength goes down when the number of particles increases. However, fluctuations remain strong (and the critical region wide) even for as many as 4 ot 10^4 particles. We conclude by suggesting that fluctuations may put a severe limitation on the validity of continuum theories of granular flow in systems with a moderately large number of particles.

Perception of Mirror Symmetry in Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falter, Christine M.; Bailey, Anthony J.

2012-01-01

Gestalt grouping in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is selectively impaired for certain organization principles but for not others. Symmetry is a fundamental Gestalt principle characterizing many biological shapes. Sensitivity to symmetry was tested using the Picture Symmetry Test, which requires finding symmetry lines on pictures. Individuals…

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in active droplets provides a generic route to motility

PubMed Central

Tjhung, Elsen; Marenduzzo, Davide; Cates, Michael E.

2012-01-01

We explore a generic mechanism whereby a droplet of active matter acquires motility by the spontaneous breakdown of a discrete symmetry. The model we study offers a simple representation of a “cell extract” comprising, e.g., a droplet of actomyosin solution. (Such extracts are used experimentally to model the cytoskeleton). Actomyosin is an active gel whose polarity describes the mean sense of alignment of actin fibres. In the absence of polymerization and depolymerization processes (‘treadmilling’), the gel’s dynamics arises solely from the contractile motion of myosin motors; this should be unchanged when polarity is inverted. Our results suggest that motility can arise in the absence of treadmilling, by spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) of polarity inversion symmetry. Adapting our model to wall-bound cells in two dimensions, we find that as wall friction is reduced, treadmilling-induced motility falls but SSB-mediated motility rises. The latter might therefore be crucial in three dimensions where frictional forces are likely to be modest. At a supracellular level, the same generic mechanism can impart motility to aggregates of nonmotile but active bacteria; we show that SSB in this (extensile) case leads generically to rotational as well as translational motion. PMID:22797894

Symmetry breaking patterns for inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Remko; Roest, Diederik; Stefanyszyn, David

2018-06-01

We study inflationary models where the kinetic sector of the theory has a non-linearly realised symmetry which is broken by the inflationary potential. We distinguish between kinetic symmetries which non-linearly realise an internal or space-time group, and which yield a flat or curved scalar manifold. This classification leads to well-known inflationary models such as monomial inflation and α-attractors, as well as a new model based on fixed couplings between a dilaton and many axions which non-linearly realises higher-dimensional conformal symmetries. In this model, inflation can be realised along the dilatonic direction, leading to a tensor-to-scalar ratio r ˜ 0 .01 and a spectral index n s ˜ 0 .975. We refer to the new model as ambient inflation since inflation proceeds along an isometry of an anti-de Sitter ambient space-time, which fully determines the kinetic sector.

Dynamic Transition and Resonance in Coupled Oscillators Under Symmetry-Breaking Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, J.; Choi, M. Y.; Chung, M. S.; Yoon, B.-G.

2013-06-01

We investigate numerically the dynamic properties of a system of globally coupled oscillators driven by periodic symmetry-breaking fields in the presence of noise. The phase distribution of the oscillators is computed and a dynamic transition is disclosed. It is further found that the stochastic resonance is closely related to the behavior of the dynamic order parameter, which is in turn explained by the formation of a bi-cluster in the system. Here noise tends to symmetrize the motion of the oscillators, facilitating the bi-cluster formation. The observed resonance appears to be of the same class as the resonance present in the two-dimensional Ising model under oscillating fields.

Symmetry Breaking Drift of Particles Settling in Homogeneous Shear Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Hinsberg, M. A. T.; Clercx, H. J. H.; Toschi, Federico

2016-08-01

We investigate the influence of shear on the gravitational settling of heavy inertial particles in homogeneous shear turbulence (HST). In addition to the well-known enhanced settling velocity, observed for heavy inertial particles in homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT), a horizontal drift velocity is also observed in the shearing direction due to the presence of a nonzero mean vorticity (introducing symmetry breaking due to the mean shear). This drift velocity is due to the combination of shear, gravity, and turbulence, and all three of these elements are needed for this effect to occur. We extend the mechanism responsible for the enhanced settling velocity in HIT to the case of HST. Two separate regimes are observed, characterized by positive or negative drift velocity, depending on the particle settling velocity.

Coulomb branch operators and mirror symmetry in three dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dedushenko, Mykola; Fan, Yale; Pufu, Silviu S.; Yacoby, Ran

2018-04-01

We develop new techniques for computing exact correlation functions of a class of local operators, including certain monopole operators, in three-dimensional N=4 abelian gauge theories that have superconformal infrared limits. These operators are position-dependent linear combinations of Coulomb branch operators. They form a one-dimensional topological sector that encodes a deformation quantization of the Coulomb branch chiral ring, and their correlation functions completely fix the ( n ≤ 3)-point functions of all half-BPS Coulomb branch operators. Using these results, we provide new derivations of the conformal dimension of half-BPS monopole operators as well as new and detailed tests of mirror symmetry. Our main approach involves supersymmetric localization on a hemisphere HS 3 with half-BPS boundary conditions, where operator insertions within the hemisphere are represented by certain shift operators acting on the HS 3 wavefunction. By gluing a pair of such wavefunctions, we obtain correlators on S 3 with an arbitrary number of operator insertions. Finally, we show that our results can be recovered by dimensionally reducing the Schur index of 4D N=2 theories decorated by BPS 't Hooft-Wilson loops.

Breaking of axial symmetry in excited heavy nuclei as identified in giant dipole resonance data

DOE PAGES

Grosse, E.; Junghans, A. R.; Massarczyk, R.

2017-11-28

Here, a recent theoretical prediction of a breaking of axial symmetry in quasi all heavy nuclei is confronted to a new critical analysis of photon strength functions of nuclei in the valley of stability. For the photon strength in the isovector giant dipole resonance (IVGDR) regime a parameterization of GDR shapes by the sum of three Lorentzians (TLO) is extrapolated to energies below and above the IVGDR. The impact of non-GDR modes adding to the low energy slope of photon strength is discussed including recent data on photon scattering and other radiative processes. These are shown to be concentrated inmore » energy regions where various model calculations predict intermediate collective strength; thus they are obviously separate from the IVGDR tail. The triple Lorentzian (TLO) ansatz for giant dipole resonances is normalized in accordance to the dipole sum rule. The nuclear droplet model with surface dissipation accounts well for positions and widths without local, nuclide specific, parameters. Very few and only global parameters are needed when a breaking of axial symmetry already in the valley of stability is admitted and hence a reliable prediction for electric dipole strength functions also outside of it is expected.« less

Breaking of axial symmetry in excited heavy nuclei as identified in giant dipole resonance data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grosse, E.; Junghans, A. R.; Massarczyk, R.

Here, a recent theoretical prediction of a breaking of axial symmetry in quasi all heavy nuclei is confronted to a new critical analysis of photon strength functions of nuclei in the valley of stability. For the photon strength in the isovector giant dipole resonance (IVGDR) regime a parameterization of GDR shapes by the sum of three Lorentzians (TLO) is extrapolated to energies below and above the IVGDR. The impact of non-GDR modes adding to the low energy slope of photon strength is discussed including recent data on photon scattering and other radiative processes. These are shown to be concentrated inmore » energy regions where various model calculations predict intermediate collective strength; thus they are obviously separate from the IVGDR tail. The triple Lorentzian (TLO) ansatz for giant dipole resonances is normalized in accordance to the dipole sum rule. The nuclear droplet model with surface dissipation accounts well for positions and widths without local, nuclide specific, parameters. Very few and only global parameters are needed when a breaking of axial symmetry already in the valley of stability is admitted and hence a reliable prediction for electric dipole strength functions also outside of it is expected.« less

Observational physics of mirror world

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khlopov, M. YA.; Beskin, G. M.; Bochkarev, N. E.; Pustilnik, L. A.; Pustilnik, S. A.

1989-01-01

The existence of the whole world of shadow particles, interacting with each other and having no mutual interactions with ordinary particles except gravity is a specific feature of modern superstring models, being considered as models of the theory of everything. The presence of shadow particles is the necessary condition in the superstring models, providing compensation of the asymmetry of left and right chirality states of ordinary particles. If compactification of additional dimensions retains the symmetry of left and right states, shadow world turns to be the mirror one, with particles and fields having properties strictly symmetrical to the ones of corresponding ordinary particles and fields. Owing to the strict symmetry of physical laws for ordinary and mirror particles, the analysis of cosmological evolution of mirror matter provides rather definite conclusions on possible effects of mirror particles in the universe. A general qualitative discussion of possible astronomical impact of mirror matter is given, in order to make as wide as possible astronomical observational searches for the effects of mirror world, being the unique way to test the existence of mirror partners of ordinary particles in the Nature.

Nontrivial Critical Fixed Point for Replica-Symmetry-Breaking Transitions.

PubMed

Charbonneau, Patrick; Yaida, Sho

2017-05-26

The transformation of the free-energy landscape from smooth to hierarchical is one of the richest features of mean-field disordered systems. A well-studied example is the de Almeida-Thouless transition for spin glasses in a magnetic field, and a similar phenomenon-the Gardner transition-has recently been predicted for structural glasses. The existence of these replica-symmetry-breaking phase transitions has, however, long been questioned below their upper critical dimension, d_{u}=6. Here, we obtain evidence for the existence of these transitions in d

Beyond Symmetry Breaking: Competition and Negative Feedback in GTPase regulation

PubMed Central

Wu, Chi-Fang; Lew, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Summary Cortical domains are often specified by the local accumulation of active GTPases. Such domains can arise through spontaneous symmetry breaking, suggesting that GTPase accumulation occurs via positive feedback. Here, we focus on recent advances in fungal and plant cell models, where new work suggests that polarity-controlling GTPases develop only one “front” because GTPase clusters engage in a winner-takes-all competition. However, in some circumstances two or more GTPase domains can co-exist, and the basis for the switch from competition to coexistence remains an open question. Polarity GTPases can undergo oscillatory clustering and dispersal, suggesting that these systems contain negative feedback. Negative feedback may prevent polarity clusters from spreading too far, regulate the balance between competition and co-existence, and provide directional flexibility for cells tracking gradients. PMID:23731999

Spontaneous symmetry breaking, conformal anomaly and incompressible fluid turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oz, Yaron

2017-11-01

We propose an effective conformal field theory (CFT) description of steady state incompressible fluid turbulence at the inertial range of scales in any number of spatial dimensions. We derive a KPZ-type equation for the anomalous scaling of the longitudinal velocity structure functions and relate the intermittency parameter to the boundary Euler (A-type) conformal anomaly coefficient. The proposed theory consists of a mean field CFT that exhibits Kolmogorov linear scaling (K41 theory) coupled to a dilaton. The dilaton is a Nambu-Goldstone gapless mode that arises from a spontaneous breaking due to the energy flux of the separate scale and time symmetries of the inviscid Navier-Stokes equations to a K41 scaling with a dynamical exponent z=2/3 . The dilaton acts as a random measure that dresses the K41 theory and introduces intermittency. We discuss the two, three and large number of space dimensions cases and how entanglement entropy can be used to characterize the intermittency strength.

Symmetry breaking and polarity establishment during mouse oocyte maturation

PubMed Central

Yi, Kexi; Rubinstein, Boris; Li, Rong

2013-01-01

Mammalian oocyte meiosis encompasses two rounds of asymmetric divisions to generate a totipotent haploid egg and, as by-products, two small polar bodies. Two intracellular events, asymmetric spindle positioning and cortical polarization, are critical to such asymmetric divisions. Actin but not microtubule cytoskeleton has been known to be directly involved in both events. Recent work has revealed a positive feedback loop between chromosome-mediated cortical activation and the Arp2/3-orchestrated cytoplasmic streaming that moves chromosomes. This feedback loop not only maintains meiotic II spindle position during metaphase II arrest, but also brings about symmetry breaking during meiosis I. Prior to an Arp2/3-dependent phase of fast movement, meiotic I spindle experiences a slow and non-directional first phase of migration driven by a pushing force from Fmn2-mediated actin polymerization. In addition to illustrating these molecular mechanisms, mathematical simulations are presented to elucidate mechanical properties of actin-dependent force generation in this system. PMID:24062576

Marangoni-induced symmetry-breaking pattern selection on viscous fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Li; Denner, Fabian; Morgan, Neal; van Wachem, Berend; Dini, Daniele

2016-11-01

Symmetry breaking transitions on curved surfaces are found in a wide range of dissipative systems, ranging from asymmetric cell divisions to structure formation in thin films. Inherent within the nonlinearities are the associated curvilinear geometry, the elastic stretching, bending and the various fluid dynamical processes. We present a generalised Swift-Hohenberg pattern selection theory on a thin, curved and viscous films in the presence of non-trivial Marangoni effect. Testing the theory with experiments on soap bubbles, we observe the film pattern selection to mimic that of the elastic wrinkling morphology on a curved elastic bilayer in regions of slow viscous flow. By examining the local state of damping of surface capillary waves we attempt to establish an equivalence between the Marangoni fluid dynamics and the nonlinear elastic shell theory above the critical wavenumber of the instabilities and propose a possible explanation for the perceived elastic-fluidic duality. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Shell University Technology Centre for fuels and lubricants.

Perversions driven spontaneous symmetry breaking in heterogeneous elastic ribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shuangping; Yao, Zhenwei; Olvera de La Cruz, Monica

2015-03-01

Perversion structures in an otherwise uniform helical structure are associated with several important concepts in fundamental physics and materials science, including the spontaneous symmetry breaking and the elastic buckling. They also have strong connections with biological motifs (e.g., bacteria shapes and plant tendrils) and have potential applications in micro-muscles and soft robotics. In this work, using a three-dimensional elastomeric bi-stripe model, we investigate the properties of perversions that are independent of the specific ribbon shapes. Several intrinsic features of perversions are revealed, including the spontaneous condensation of energy as well as the distinct energy transfer modes within the perversion region. These properties of perversions associated with the storage of elastic energies can be exploited in the design of actuator devices. We thank the financial support from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Patterns of symmetry breaking in chiral QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolognesi, Stefano; Konishi, Kenichi; Shifman, Mikhail

2018-05-01

We consider S U (N ) Yang-Mills theory with massless chiral fermions in a complex representation of the gauge group. The main emphasis is on the so-called hybrid ψ χ η model. The possible patterns of realization of the continuous chiral flavor symmetry are discussed. We argue that the chiral symmetry is broken in conjunction with a dynamical Higgsing of the gauge group (complete or partial) by bifermion condensates. As a result a color-flavor locked symmetry is preserved. The 't Hooft anomaly matching proceeds via saturation of triangles by massless composite fermions or, in a mixed mode, i.e. also by the "weakly" coupled fermions associated with dynamical Abelianization, supplemented by a number of Nambu-Goldstone mesons. Gauge-singlet condensates are of the multifermion type and, though it cannot be excluded, the chiral symmetry realization via such gauge invariant condensates is more contrived (requires a number of four-fermion condensates simultaneously and, even so, problems remain) and less plausible. We conclude that in the model at hand, chiral flavor symmetry implies dynamical Higgsing by bifermion condensates.

Broken chiral symmetry on a null plane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beane, Silas R., E-mail: silas@physics.unh.edu

2013-10-15

On a null-plane (light-front), all effects of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking are contained in the three Hamiltonians (dynamical Poincaré generators), while the vacuum state is a chiral invariant. This property is used to give a general proof of Goldstone’s theorem on a null-plane. Focusing on null-plane QCD with N degenerate flavors of light quarks, the chiral-symmetry breaking Hamiltonians are obtained, and the role of vacuum condensates is clarified. In particular, the null-plane Gell-Mann–Oakes–Renner formula is derived, and a general prescription is given for mapping all chiral-symmetry breaking QCD condensates to chiral-symmetry conserving null-plane QCD condensates. The utility of the null-planemore » description lies in the operator algebra that mixes the null-plane Hamiltonians and the chiral symmetry charges. It is demonstrated that in a certain non-trivial limit, the null-plane operator algebra reduces to the symmetry group SU(2N) of the constituent quark model. -- Highlights: •A proof (the first) of Goldstone’s theorem on a null-plane is given. •The puzzle of chiral-symmetry breaking condensates on a null-plane is solved. •The emergence of spin-flavor symmetries in null-plane QCD is demonstrated.« less

Wavelength selection and symmetry breaking in orbital wave ripples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nienhuis, Jaap H.; Perron, J. Taylor; Kao, Justin C. T.; Myrow, Paul M.

2014-10-01

Sand ripples formed by waves have a uniform wavelength while at equilibrium and develop defects while adjusting to changes in the flow. These patterns arise from the interaction of the flow with the bed topography, but the specific mechanisms have not been fully explained. We use numerical flow models and laboratory wave tank experiments to explore the origins of these patterns. The wavelength of "orbital" wave ripples (λ) is directly proportional to the oscillating flow's orbital diameter (d), with many experimental and field studies finding λ/d ≈ 0.65. We demonstrate a coupling that selects this ratio: the maximum length of the flow separation zone downstream of a ripple crest equals λ when λ/d ≈ 0.65. We show that this condition maximizes the growth rate of ripples. Ripples adjusting to changed flow conditions develop defects that break the bed's symmetry. When d is shortened sufficiently, two new incipient crests appear in every trough, but only one grows into a full-sized crest. Experiments have shown that the same side (right or left) wins in every trough. We find that this occurs because incipient secondary crests slow the flow and encourage the growth of crests on the next flank. Experiments have also shown that when d is lengthened, ripple crests become increasingly sinuous and eventually break up. We find that this occurs because crests migrate preferentially toward the nearest adjacent crest, amplifying any initial sinuosity. Our results reveal the mechanisms that form common wave ripple patterns and highlight interactions among unsteady flows, sediment transport, and bed topography.

Charge independence, charge symmetry breaking in the S-wave nucleon-nucleon interaction, and renormalization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alvaro Calle Cordon,Manuel Pavon Valderrama,Enrique Ruiz Arriola

2012-02-01

We study the interplay between charge symmetry breaking and renormalization in the NN system for S-waves. We find a set of universality relations which disentangle explicitly the known long distance dynamics from low energy parameters and extend them to the Coulomb case. We analyze within such an approach the One-Boson-Exchange potential and the theoretical conditions which allow to relate the proton-neutron, proton-proton and neutron-neutron scattering observables without the introduction of extra new parameters and providing good phenomenological success.

Generalization of Friedberg-Lee symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang Chaoshang; Li Tianjun; George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843

2008-07-01

We study the possible origin of Friedberg-Lee symmetry. First, we propose the generalized Friedberg-Lee symmetry in the potential by including the scalar fields in the field transformations, which can be broken down to the Friedberg-Lee symmetry spontaneously. We show that the generalized Friedberg-Lee symmetry allows a typical form of Yukawa couplings, and the realistic neutrino masses and mixings can be generated via the seesaw mechanism. If the right-handed neutrinos transform nontrivially under the generalized Friedberg-Lee symmetry, we can have the testable TeV scale seesaw mechanism. Second, we present two models with the SO(3)xU(1) global flavor symmetry in the lepton sector.more » After the flavor symmetry breaking, we can obtain the charged lepton masses, and explain the neutrino masses and mixings via the seesaw mechanism. Interestingly, the complete neutrino mass matrices are similar to those of the above models with generalized Friedberg-Lee symmetry. So the Friedberg-Lee symmetry is the residual symmetry in the neutrino mass matrix after the SO(3)xU(1) flavor symmetry breaking.« less

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking Turing-Type Pattern Formation in a Confined Dictyostelium Cell Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawai, Satoshi; Maeda, Yasuo; Sawada, Yasuji

2000-09-01

We have discovered a new type of patterning which occurs in a two-dimensionally confined cell mass of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. Besides the longitudinal structure reported earlier, we observed a spontaneous symmetry breaking spot pattern whose wavelength shows similar strain dependency to that of the longitudinal pattern. We propose that these structures are due to a reaction-diffusion Turing instability similar to the one which has been exemplified by CIMA (chlorite-iodide-malonic acid) reaction. The present finding may exhibit the first biochemical Turing structure in a developmental system with a controllable boundary condition.

Coleman-Weinberg symmetry breaking in SU(8) induced by a third rank antisymmetric tensor scalar field II: the fermion spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Stephen L.

2017-07-01

We continue our study of Coleman-Weinberg symmetry breaking induced by a third rank antisymmetric tensor scalar, in the context of the SU(8) model (Adler 2014 Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 29 1450130) we proposed earlier. We focus in this paper on qualitative features that will determine whether the model can make contact with the observed particle spectrum. We discuss the mechanism for giving the spin \\frac{3}{2} field a mass by the BEH mechanism, and analyze the remaining massless spin \\frac{1}{2} fermions, the global chiral symmetries, and the running couplings after symmetry breaking. We note that the smallest gluon mass matrix eigenvalue has an eigenvector suggestive of U(1) B-L , and conjecture that the theory runs to an infrared fixed point at which there is a massless gluon with 3 to  -1 ratios in generator components. Assuming this, we discuss a mechanism for making contact with the standard model, based on a conjectured asymmetric breaking of Sp(4) to SU(2) subgroups, one of which is the electroweak SU(2), and the other of which is a ‘technicolor’ group that binds the original SU(8) model fermions, which play the role of ‘preons’, into composites. Quarks can emerge as 5 preon composites and leptons as 3 preon composites, with consequent stability of the proton against decay to a single lepton plus a meson. A composite Higgs boson can emerge as a two preon composite. Since anomaly matching for the relevant conserved global symmetry current is not obeyed by three fermion families, emergence of three composite families requires formation of a Goldstone boson with quantum numbers matching this current, which can be a light dark matter candidate.

Generation of zonal flows through symmetry breaking of statistical homogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Jeffrey B.; Krommes, John A.

2014-03-01

In geophysical and plasma contexts, zonal flows (ZFs) are well known to arise out of turbulence. We elucidate the transition from homogeneous turbulence without ZFs to inhomogeneous turbulence with steady ZFs. Starting from the equation for barotropic flow on a β plane, we employ both the quasilinear approximation and a statistical average, which retains a great deal of the qualitative behavior of the full system. Within the resulting framework known as CE2, we extend recent understanding of the symmetry-breaking zonostrophic instability and show that it is an example of a Type {{\\text{I}}_{s}} instability within the pattern formation literature. The broken symmetry is statistical homogeneity. Near the bifurcation point, the slow dynamics of CE2 are governed by a well-known amplitude equation. The important features of this amplitude equation, and therefore of the CE2 system, are multiple. First, the ZF wavelength is not unique. In an idealized, infinite system, there is a continuous band of ZF wavelengths that allow a nonlinear equilibrium. Second, of these wavelengths, only those within a smaller subband are stable. Unstable wavelengths must evolve to reach a stable wavelength; this process manifests as merging jets. These behaviors are shown numerically to hold in the CE2 system. We also conclude that the stability of the equilibria near the bifurcation point, which is governed by the Eckhaus instability, is independent of the Rayleigh-Kuo criterion.

Two-dimensional symmetry breaking of fluid density distribution in closed nanoslits.

PubMed

Berim, Gersh O; Ruckenstein, Eli

2008-01-14

Stable and metastable fluid density distributions (FDDs) in a closed nanoslit between two identical parallel solid walls have been identified on the basis of a nonlocal canonical ensemble density functional theory. Similar to Monte Carlo simulations, periodicity of the FDD in one of the lateral (parallel to the walls surfaces) directions, denoted as the x direction, was assumed. In the other lateral direction, y direction, the FDD was considered uniform. It was found that depending on the average fluid density in the slit, both uniform as well as nonuniform FDDs in the x direction can occur. The uniform FDDs are either symmetric or asymmetric about the middle plane between walls; the latter FDD being the consequence of a symmetry breaking across the slit. The nonuniform FDDs in the x direction occur either in the form of a bump on a thin liquid film covering the walls or as a liquid bridge between those walls and provide symmetry breaking in the x direction. For small and large average densities, the stable state is uniform in the x direction and is symmetric about the middle plane between walls. In the intermediate range of the average density and depending on the length L(x) of the FDD period, the stable state can be represented either by a FDD, which is uniform in the x direction and asymmetric about the middle of the slit (small values of L(x)), or by a bump- and bridgelike FDD for intermediate and large values of L(x), respectively. These results are in agreement with the Monte Carlo simulations performed earlier by other authors. Because the free energy of the stable state decreases monotonically with increasing L(x), one can conclude that the real period is very large (infinite) and that for the values of the parameters employed, a single bridge of finite length over the entire slit is generated.

Symmetry breaking: a tool to unveil the topology of chaotic scattering with three degrees of freedom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Christof; Zapfe, W. P. Karel; Merlo, Olivier; Seligman, T. H.

2010-12-01

We shall use symmetry breaking as a tool to attack the problem of identifying the topology of chaotic scatteruing with more then two degrees of freedom. specifically we discuss the structure of the homoclinic/heteroclinic tangle and the connection between the chaotic invariant set, the scattering functions and the singularities in the cross section for a class of scattering systems with one open and two closed degrees of freedom.

Symmetry breaking: a tool to unveil the topology of chaotic scattering with three degrees of freedom

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jung, Christof; Zapfe, W. P. Karel; Seligman, T. H.

2010-12-23

We shall use symmetry breaking as a tool to attack the problem of identifying the topology of chaotic scatteruing with more then two degrees of freedom. specifically we discuss the structure of the homoclinic/heteroclinic tangle and the connection between the chaotic invariant set, the scattering functions and the singularities in the cross section for a class of scattering systems with one open and two closed degrees of freedom.

Symmetry-breaking Hopf bifurcations to 1-, 2-, and 3-tori in small-aspect-ratio counterrotating Taylor-Couette flow.

PubMed

Altmeyer, S; Do, Y; Marques, F; Lopez, J M

2012-10-01

The nonlinear dynamics of Taylor-Couette flow in a small-aspect-ratio wide-gap annulus in the counterrotating regime is investigated by solving the full three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. The system is invariant under arbitrary rotations about the axis, reflection about the annulus midplane, and time translations. A systematic investigation is presented both in terms of the flow physics elucidated from the numerical simulations and from a dynamical system perspective provided by equivariant normal form theory. The dynamics are primarily associated with the behavior of the jet of angular momentum that emerges from the inner cylinder boundary layer at about the midplane. The sequence of bifurcations as the differential rotation is increased consists of an axisymmetric Hopf bifurcation breaking the reflection symmetry of the basic state leading to an axisymmetric limit cycle with a half-period-flip spatiotemporal symmetry. This undergoes a Hopf bifurcation breaking axisymmetry, leading to quasiperiodic solutions evolving on a 2-torus that is setwise symmetric. These undergo a further Hopf bifurcation, introducing a third incommensurate frequency leading to a 3-torus that is also setwise symmetric. On the 3-torus, as the differential rotation is further increased, a saddle-node-invariant-circle bifurcation takes place, destroying the 3-torus and leaving a pair of symmetrically related 2-tori states on which all symmetries of the system have been broken.

Current-current interactions, dynamical symmetry-breaking, and quantum chromodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neuenschwander, D.E. Jr.

1983-01-01

Quantum Chromodynamics with massive gluons (gluon mass triple bond xm/sub p/) in a contact-interaction limit called CQCD (strong coupling g..-->..infinity; x..-->..infinity), despite its non-renormalizability and lack of hope of confinement, is nevertheless interesting for at least two reasons. Some authors have suggested a relation between 4-Fermi and Yang-Mills theories. If g/x/sup 2/ much less than 1, then CQCD is not merely a 4-Fermi interaction, but includes 4,6,8 etc-Fermi non-Abelian contact interactions. With possibility of infrared slavery, perturbative evaluation of QCD in the infrared is a dubious practice. However, if g/sup 2//x/sup 2/ much less than 1 in CQCD, then themore » simplest 4-Fermi interaction is dominant, and CQCD admits perturbative treatment, but only in the infrared. With the dominant interaction, a dynamical Nambu-Goldstone realization of chiral symmetry-breaking (XSB) is found. Although in QCD the relation between confinement and XSB is controversial, XSB occurs in CQCD provided confinement is sacrificed.« less

Symmetry in social exchange and health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegrist, Johannes

2005-10-01

Symmetry is a relevant concept in sociological theories of exchange. It is rooted in the evolutionary old norm of social reciprocity and is particularly important in social contracts. Symmetry breaking through violation of the norm of reciprocity generates strain in micro-social systems and, above all, in victims of non-symmetric exchange. In this contribution, adverse healthconsequences of symmetry breaking in contractual social exchange are analysed, with a main focus on the employment contract. Scientific evidence is derived from prospective epidemiological studies testing the model of effort-reward imbalance at work. Overall, a twofold elevated risk of incident disease is observed in employed men and women who are exposed to non-symmetric exchange. Health risks include coronary heart disease, depression and alcohol dependence, among others. Preliminary results suggest similar effects on health produced by symmetry breaking in other types of social relationships (e.g. partnership, parental roles). These findings underline the importance of symmetry in contractual social exchange for health and well-being.

Opening a band gap without breaking lattice symmetry: a new route toward robust graphene-based nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Kou, Liangzhi; Hu, Feiming; Yan, Binghai; Frauenheim, Thomas; Chen, Changfeng

2014-07-07

Developing graphene-based nanoelectronics hinges on opening a band gap in the electronic structure of graphene, which is commonly achieved by breaking the inversion symmetry of the graphene lattice via an electric field (gate bias) or asymmetric doping of graphene layers. Here we introduce a new design strategy that places a bilayer graphene sheet sandwiched between two cladding layers of materials that possess strong spin-orbit coupling (e.g., Bi2Te3). Our ab initio and tight-binding calculations show that a proximity enhanced spin-orbit coupling effect opens a large (44 meV) band gap in bilayer graphene without breaking its lattice symmetry, and the band gap can be effectively tuned by an interlayer stacking pattern and significantly enhanced by interlayer compression. The feasibility of this quantum-well structure is demonstrated by recent experimental realization of high-quality heterojunctions between graphene and Bi2Te3, and this design also conforms to existing fabrication techniques in the semiconductor industry. The proposed quantum-well structure is expected to be especially robust since it does not require an external power supply to open and maintain a band gap, and the cladding layers provide protection against environmental degradation of the graphene layer in its device applications.

Dimer motion on a periodic substrate: spontaneous symmetry breaking and absolute negative mobility.

PubMed

Speer, David; Eichhorn, Ralf; Evstigneev, Mykhaylo; Reimann, Peter

2012-06-01

We consider two coupled particles moving along a periodic substrate potential with negligible inertia effects (overdamped limit). Even when the particles are identical and the substrate spatially symmetric, a sinusoidal external driving of appropriate amplitude and frequency may lead to spontaneous symmetry breaking in the form of a permanent directed motion of the dimer. Thermal noise restores ergodicity and thus zero net velocity, but entails arbitrarily fast diffusion of the dimer for sufficiently weak noise. Moreover, upon application of a static bias force, the dimer exhibits a motion opposite to that force (absolute negative mobility). The key requirement for all these effects is a nonconvex interaction potential of the two particles.

Symmetry breaking in SNS junctions: edge transport and field asymmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suominen, Henri; Nichele, Fabrizio; Kjaergaard, Morten; Rasmussen, Asbjorn; Danon, Jeroen; Flensberg, Karsten; Levitov, Leonid; Shabani, Javad; Palmstrom, Chris; Marcus, Charles

We study magnetic diffraction patterns in a tunable superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor junction. By utilizing epitaxial growth of aluminum on InAs/InGaAs we obtain transparent junctions which display a conventional Fraunhofer pattern of the critical current as a function of applied perpendicular magnetic field, B⊥. By studying the angular dependence of the critical current with applied magnetic fields in the plane of the junction we find a striking anisotropy. We attribute this effect to dephasing of Andreev states in the bulk of the junction, leading to SQUID like behavior when the magnetic field is applied parallel to current flow. Furthermore, in the presence of both in-plane and perpendicular fields, asymmetries in +/-B⊥ are observed. We suggest possible origins and discuss the role of spin-orbit and Zeeman physics together with a background disorder potential breaking spatial symmetries of the junction. Research supported by Microsoft Project Q, the Danish National Research Foundation and the NSF through the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network.

Localization and Symmetry Breaking in the Quantum Quasiperiodic Ising Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandran, A.; Laumann, C. R.

2017-07-01

Quasiperiodic modulation can prevent isolated quantum systems from equilibrating by localizing their degrees of freedom. In this article, we show that such systems can exhibit dynamically stable long-range orders forbidden in equilibrium. Specifically, we show that the interplay of symmetry breaking and localization in the quasiperiodic quantum Ising chain produces a quasiperiodic Ising glass stable at all energy densities. The glass order parameter vanishes with an essential singularity at the melting transition with no signatures in the equilibrium properties. The zero-temperature phase diagram is also surprisingly rich, consisting of paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and quasiperiodically alternating ground-state phases with extended, localized, and critically delocalized low-energy excitations. The system exhibits an unusual quantum Ising transition whose properties are intermediate between those of the clean and infinite randomness Ising transitions. Many of these results follow from a geometric generalization of the Aubry-André duality that we develop. The quasiperiodic Ising glass may be realized in near-term quantum optical experiments.

Boundary states in the chiral symmetric systems with a spatial symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Jinpeng; An, Jin

2018-02-01

We study topological systems with both a chiral and a spatial symmetry which result in an additional spatial chiral symmetry. We distinguish the topologically nontrivial states according to the chiral symmetries protecting them and study several models in 1D and 3D systems. The perturbations breaking the spatial symmetry can break only one of the two chiral symmetries while the perturbations preserving the spatial symmetry always break or preserve both of them. In 3D systems, besides the 3D symmetries, the topologically nontrivial boundary modes may also be protected by the hidden lower dimensional symmetries. We then figure out the corresponding topological invariants and connect them with the 3D invariants.

Accretion of a symmetry-breaking scalar field by a Schwarzschild black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traykova, Dina; Braden, Jonathan; Peiris, Hiranya V.

2018-01-01

We simulate the behaviour of a Higgs-like field in the vicinity of a Schwarzschild black hole using a highly accurate numerical framework. We consider both the limit of the zero-temperature Higgs potential and a toy model for the time-dependent evolution of the potential when immersed in a slowly cooling radiation bath. Through these numerical investigations, we aim to improve our understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamics of a symmetry-breaking field (such as the Higgs) in the vicinity of a compact object such as a black hole. Understanding this dynamics may suggest new approaches for studying properties of scalar fields using black holes as a laboratory. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue `Higgs Cosmology'.

Observation of scale invariance and conformal symmetry breaking in expanding Fermi gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, Ethan; Joseph, James; Thomas, John

2014-05-01

We precisely test scale invariance and examine local thermal equilibrium in the hydrodynamic expansion of a Fermi gas of atoms as a function of interaction strength. After release from an anisotropic optical trap, we observe that a resonantly interacting gas obeys scale-invariant hydrodynamics, where the mean square cloud size = expands ballistically (like a noninteracting gas) and the energy-averaged bulk viscosity is consistent with zero, 0 . 00 (0 . 04) ℏ n , with n the density. In contrast, the aspect ratios of the cloud exhibit anisotropic ``elliptic'' flow with an energy-dependent shear viscosity. Tuning away from resonance, we observe conformal symmetry breaking, where deviates from ballistic flow. NSF, DOE, ARO, AFO.

Accretion of a symmetry-breaking scalar field by a Schwarzschild black hole.

PubMed

Traykova, Dina; Braden, Jonathan; Peiris, Hiranya V

2018-03-06

We simulate the behaviour of a Higgs-like field in the vicinity of a Schwarzschild black hole using a highly accurate numerical framework. We consider both the limit of the zero-temperature Higgs potential and a toy model for the time-dependent evolution of the potential when immersed in a slowly cooling radiation bath. Through these numerical investigations, we aim to improve our understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamics of a symmetry-breaking field (such as the Higgs) in the vicinity of a compact object such as a black hole. Understanding this dynamics may suggest new approaches for studying properties of scalar fields using black holes as a laboratory.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Higgs Cosmology'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Columnar shifts as symmetry-breaking degrees of freedom in molecular perovskites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boström, Hanna L. B.; Hill, Joshua A.; Goodwin, Andrew L.

We introduce columnar shifts---collective rigid-body translations---as a structural degree of freedom relevant to the phase behaviour of molecular perovskites ABX$_{\\textrm3}$ (X = molecular anion). Like the well-known octahedral tilts of conventional perovskites, shifts also preserve the octahedral coordination geometry of the B-site cation in molecular perovskites, and so are predisposed to influencing the low-energy dynamics and displacive phase transitions of these topical systems. We present a qualitative overview of the interplay between shift activation and crystal symmetry breaking, and introduce a generalised terminology to allow characterisation of simple shift distortions, drawing analogy to the "Glazer notation" for octahedral tilts. We apply our approach to the interpretation of a representative selection of azide and formate perovskite structures, and discuss the implications for functional exploitation of shift degrees of freedom in negative thermal expansion materials and hybrid ferroelectrics.

Spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry in copper oxide superconductors

DOE PAGES

Wu, J.; Bollinger, A. T.; He, X.; ...

2017-07-26

The origin of high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides and the nature of the ‘normal’ state above the critical temperature are widely debated. In underdoped copper oxides, this normal state hosts a pseudogap and other anomalous features; and in the overdoped materials, the standard Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer description fails, challenging the idea that the normal state is a simple Fermi liquid. To investigate these questions, we have studied the behaviour of single-crystal La 2–xSr xCuO 4 films through which an electrical current is being passed. Here we report that a spontaneous voltage develops across the sample, transverse (orthogonal) to the electrical current. The dependence of this voltage on probe current, temperature, in-plane device orientation and doping shows that this behaviour is intrinsic, substantial, robust and present over a broad range of temperature and doping. If the current direction is rotated in-plane by an anglemore » $$\\phi$$, the transverse voltage oscillates as sin(2$$\\phi$$), breaking the four-fold rotational symmetry of the crystal. The amplitude of the oscillations is strongly peaked near the critical temperature for superconductivity and decreases with increasing doping. We find that these phenomena are manifestations of unexpected in-plane anisotropy in the electronic transport. The films are very thin and epitaxially constrained to be tetragonal (that is, with four-fold symmetry), so one expects a constant resistivity and zero transverse voltage, for every $$\\phi$$. The origin of this anisotropy is purely electronic—the so-called electronic nematicity. Unusually, the nematic director is not aligned with the crystal axes, unless a substantial orthorhombic distortion is imposed. The fact that this anisotropy occurs in a material that exhibits high-temperature superconductivity may not be a coincidence.« less

Left-Right Conversions in a Plane Mirror.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galili, Igal; Goldberg, Fred

1993-01-01

Expands upon the popular belief that mirrors cause the left-right reversal of objects placed in front of them. The image-location rule and image-symmetry rule are applied throughout the article to help summarize some important properties of mirror images. (ZWH)

Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in strongly interacting two-dimensional electron layers in silicon and germanium.

PubMed

Shamim, S; Mahapatra, S; Scappucci, G; Klesse, W M; Simmons, M Y; Ghosh, A

2014-06-13

We report experimental evidence of a remarkable spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking in two-dimensional electron systems formed by atomically confined doping of phosphorus (P) atoms inside bulk crystalline silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge). Weak localization corrections to the conductivity and the universal conductance fluctuations were both found to decrease rapidly with decreasing doping in the Si:P and Ge:P delta layers, suggesting an effect driven by Coulomb interactions. In-plane magnetotransport measurements indicate the presence of intrinsic local spin fluctuations at low doping, providing a microscopic mechanism for spontaneous lifting of the time-reversal symmetry. Our experiments suggest the emergence of a new many-body quantum state when two-dimensional electrons are confined to narrow half-filled impurity bands.

Centre vortex removal restores chiral symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trewartha, Daniel; Kamleh, Waseem; Leinweber, Derek B.

2017-12-01

The influence of centre vortices on dynamical chiral symmetry breaking is investigated through the light hadron spectrum on the lattice. Recent studies of the quark propagator and other quantities have provided evidence that centre vortices are the fundamental objects underpinning dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in {SU}(3) gauge theory. For the first time, we use the chiral overlap fermion action to study the low-lying hadron spectrum on lattice ensembles consisting of Monte Carlo, vortex-removed, and vortex-projected gauge fields. We find that gauge field configurations consisting solely of smoothed centre vortices are capable of reproducing all the salient features of the hadron spectrum, including dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. The hadron spectrum on vortex-removed fields shows clear signals of chiral symmetry restoration at light values of the bare quark mass, while at heavy masses the spectrum is consistent with a theory of weakly interacting constituent quarks.

Symmetry-Breaking Transitions in RECuAs 2-xP x (RE=Sm, Gd, Ho, and Er)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mozharivskyj, Yurij

Structural changes resulting in lower symmetries can be understood in terms of electronic instabilities and Coulomb interactions. The interplay of these two interrelated factors is complicated and difficult to analyze. The RECuAs 2-xP x phases, because of the variation in the chemical content (As/P substitution), allow, with the aid of band structures, Madelung energies and Landau theory, a partial unraveling of the forces important in the symmetry-breaking transitions in RECuAs 2-xP x (RE = Sm, Gd, Ho and Er). Distortions of the P layers in SmCu 1.15P 2, GdCuP 2.20 and ErCuP 2 are usefully thought of asmore » generalized Peierls distortions, i.e., they lower the electronic (and total) energy and lead to more stable structures. On the other hand, the P4/nmm → Pmmn transitions, which are observed in all studied arsenophosphide series and occur upon substitution of P for As, originate from the B1g vibrational mode and are structural adaptations to smaller P atoms. These transitions provide tighter atomic packing and better Coulomb interactions. Configurational contribution to the entropy becomes important in stabilizing the mixed occupancy in the RECuAs 2-xP x arsenophosphides. While geometric and electronic factors favor separation of the As and P atoms over two different crystallographic sites, configurational entropy stabilizes the As/P mixing on these two sites.;Progress in the research on RECuAs 2-xP x was dependent upon the ability of Landau theory to predict, explain and dismiss structural models and transitions. The space group Pmmn (arising from the B 1g vibrational mode) in all mixed arsenophosphides and the existence of these mixed arsenophosphides followed from the analysis of GdCuAs 2 and GdCuP 2, using Landau theory. The impossibility of obtaining the high-symmetry structure (P4/nmm) and the low symmetry structure (Pnmm) at the same temperature for the displacive continuous symmetry-breaking transition P4/ nmm → Pmmn led to the conclusion, later

Constraints on Coulomb energy, neutron skin thickness in 208Pb, and symmetry energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, J. M.; Wang, L. J.; Zuo, W.; Gu, J. Z.

2018-03-01

The charge-symmetry-breaking (CSB) effect in a nuclear medium that gives rise to the first-order symmetry energy in finite nuclei is discussed in detail in the present paper. For heavy and superheavy nuclei with large neutron excesses, it should be nonnegligible in high-precision mass predictions, and importantly it affects the stability of these nuclei. Combined with this CSB effect, the Coulomb energy is constrained by using the experimental Coulomb displacement energy of mirror nuclei, and then the mass-dependent symmetry energy coefficients of heavy nuclei are reextracted with the experimental β--decay energies of heavy odd-A nuclei and with the experimental mass differences. Based on these results, we probe the neutron skin thickness Δ Rn p of 208Pb and the density-dependent symmetry energy coefficient of nuclear matter. Δ Rn p in 208Pb is found to be 0.158 ±0.014 fm , and the slopes L of the symmetry energy coefficient at densities of ρ =0.16 and ρ =0.11 fm-3 are estimated to be 42 ±8 and 42 ±3 MeV , respectively. These results would be meaningful to discriminate between the models and the predictions that are relevant for the investigations on properties of nuclei and of neutron stars.

Symmetry-protected topological insulator and its symmetry-enriched topologically ordered boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juven; Wen, Xiao-Gang; Witten, Edward

We propose a mechanism for achieving symmetry-enriched topologically ordered boundaries for symmetry-protected topological states, including those of topological insulators. Several different boundary phases and their phase transitions are considered, including confined phases, deconfined phases, symmetry-breaking, gapped and gapless phases. National Science Foundation PHY-1606531, Corning Glass Works Foundation Fellowship, NSF Grant DMR- 1506475 and NSFC 11274192, the BMO Financial Group and the John Templeton Foundation No. 39901.

Proposal to look for the anomalous isotopic symmetry breaking in central diffractive production of the f1(1285 ) and a00(980 ) resonances at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achasov, N. N.; Shestakov, G. N.

2018-03-01

At very high energies, and in the central region (xF≃0 ), the double-Pomeron exchange mechanism gives the dominant contribution to the production of hadrons with the positive C parity and isospin I =0 . Therefore, the observation of resonances in the states with I =1 will be indicative of their production or decay with the isotopic symmetry breaking. Here, we bear in mind the cases of the anomalous breaking of the isotopic symmetry, i.e., when the cross section of the process breaking the isospin is not of the order of 10-4 of the cross section of the allowed process but of the order of 1%. The paper draws attention to the reactions p p →p (f1(1285 )/f1(1420 ))p →p (π+π-π0)p and p p →p (K K ¯)p →p (a00(980 ))p →p (η π0)p , in which a similar situation can be realized, owing to the K K ¯ loop mechanisms of the breaking of isotopic symmetry. We note that there is no visible background in the π+π-π0 and η π0 channels. Observation of the process p p →p (f1(1285 ))p →p (π+π-π0)p would be a confirmation of the first results from the VES and BESIII detectors, indicating the very large isospin breaking in the decay f1(1285 ))→π+π-π0.

Chiral Symmetry Breaking and Complete Chiral Purity by Thermodynamic-Kinetic Feedback Near Equilibrium: Implications for the Origin of Biochirality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viedma, Cristobal

2007-05-01

Chiral symmetry breaking occurs when a physical or chemical process spontaneously generates a large excess of one of the two enantiomers-left-handed (L) or right-handed (D)--with no preference as to which of the two enantiomers is produced. From the viewpoint of energy, these two enantiomers can exist with an equal probability, and inorganic processes that involve chiral products commonly yield a racemic mixture of both. The fact that biologically relevant molecules exist only as one of the two enantiomers is a fascinating example of complete symmetry breaking in chirality and has long intrigued the science community. The origin of this selective chirality has remained a fundamental enigma with regard to the origin of life since the time of Pasteur, some 140 years ago. Here, it is shown that two populations of chiral crystals of left and right hand cannot coexist in solution: one of the chiral populations disappears in an irreversible autocatalytic process that nurtures the other one. Final and complete chiral purity seems to be an inexorable fate in the course of the common process of growth-dissolution. This unexpected chiral symmetry breaking can be explained by the feedback between the thermodynamic control of dissolution and the kinetics of the growth process near equilibrium. This ``thermodynamic-kinetic feedback near equilibrium'' is established as a mechanism to achieve complete chiral purity in solid state from a previously solid racemic medium. The way in which this mechanism could operate in solutions of chiral biomolecules is described. Finally, based on this mechanism, experiments designed to search for chiral purity in a new way are proposed: chiral purity of amino acids or biopolymers is predicted in solid phase from a previously solid racemic medium. This process may have played a key role in the origin of biochirality.

Cobimaximal lepton mixing from soft symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimus, W.; Lavoura, L.

2017-11-01

Cobimaximal lepton mixing, i.e.θ23 = 45 ° and δ = ± 90 ° in the lepton mixing matrix V, arises as a consequence of SV =V* P, where S is the permutation matrix that interchanges the second and third rows of V and P is a diagonal matrix of phase factors. We prove that any such V may be written in the form V = URP, where U is any predefined unitary matrix satisfying SU =U*, R is an orthogonal, i.e. real, matrix, and P is a diagonal matrix satisfying P2 = P. Using this theorem, we demonstrate the equivalence of two ways of constructing models for cobimaximal mixing-one way that uses a standard CP symmetry and a different way that uses a CP symmetry including μ-τ interchange. We also present two simple seesaw models to illustrate this equivalence; those models have, in addition to the CP symmetry, flavour symmetries broken softly by the Majorana mass terms of the right-handed neutrino singlets. Since each of the two models needs four scalar doublets, we investigate how to accommodate the Standard Model Higgs particle in them.

Symmetry-Breaking Bifurcation in the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation with Symmetric Potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirr, E.; Kevrekidis, P. G.; Pelinovsky, D. E.

2011-12-01

We consider the focusing (attractive) nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation with an external, symmetric potential which vanishes at infinity and supports a linear bound state. We prove that the symmetric, nonlinear ground states must undergo a symmetry breaking bifurcation if the potential has a non-degenerate local maxima at zero. Under a generic assumption we show that the bifurcation is either a subcritical or supercritical pitchfork. In the particular case of double-well potentials with large separation, the power of nonlinearity determines the subcritical or supercritical character of the bifurcation. The results are obtained from a careful analysis of the spectral properties of the ground states at both small and large values for the corresponding eigenvalue parameter.

Chiral symmetry breaking during the self-assembly of monolayers from achiral purine molecules.

PubMed

Sowerby, S J; Heckl, W M; Petersen, G B

1996-11-01

Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to investigate the structure of the two-dimensional adsorbate formed by molecular self-assembly of the purine base, adenine, on the surfaces of the naturally occurring mineral molybdenite and the synthetic crystal highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. Although formed from adenine, which is achiral, the observed adsorbate surface structures were enantiomorphic on molybdenite. This phenomenon suggests a mechanism for the introduction of a localized chiral symmetry break by the spontaneous crystallization of these prebiotically available molecules on inorganic surfaces and may have some role in the origin of biomolecular optical asymmetry. The possibility that purine-pyrimidine arrays assembled on naturally occurring mineral surfaces might act as possible templates for biomolecular assembly is discussed.

Gaps induced by inversion symmetry breaking and second-generation Dirac cones in graphene/hexagonal boron nitride

DOE PAGES

Wang, Eryin; Lu, Xiaobo; Ding, Shijie; ...

2016-08-22

Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has emerged as a model van der Waals heterostructure as the superlattice potential, which is induced by lattice mismatch and crystal orientation, gives rise to various novel quantum phenomena, such as the self-similar Hofstadter butterfly states. Although the newly generated second-generation Dirac cones (SDCs) are believed to be crucial for understanding such intriguing phenomena, fundamental knowledge of SDCs, such as locations and dispersion, and the effect of inversion symmetry breaking on the gap opening, still remains highly debated due to the lack of direct experimental results. In this work we report direct experimental results on themore » dispersion of SDCs in 0°-aligned graphene/h-BN heterostructures using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data unambiguously reveal SDCs at the corners of the superlattice Brillouin zone, and at only one of the two superlattice valleys. Moreover, gaps of approximately 100 meV and approximately 160 meV are observed at the SDCs and the original graphene Dirac cone, respectively. Our work highlights the important role of a strong inversion-symmetry-breaking perturbation potential in the physics of graphene/h-BN, and fills critical knowledge gaps in the band structure engineering of Dirac fermions by a superlattice potential.« less

Complex Langevin analysis of the spontaneous symmetry breaking in dimensionally reduced super Yang-Mills models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anagnostopoulos, Konstantinos N.; Azuma, Takehiro; Ito, Yuta; Nishimura, Jun; Papadoudis, Stratos Kovalkov

2018-02-01

In recent years the complex Langevin method (CLM) has proven a powerful method in studying statistical systems which suffer from the sign problem. Here we show that it can also be applied to an important problem concerning why we live in four-dimensional spacetime. Our target system is the type IIB matrix model, which is conjectured to be a nonperturbative definition of type IIB superstring theory in ten dimensions. The fermion determinant of the model becomes complex upon Euclideanization, which causes a severe sign problem in its Monte Carlo studies. It is speculated that the phase of the fermion determinant actually induces the spontaneous breaking of the SO(10) rotational symmetry, which has direct consequences on the aforementioned question. In this paper, we apply the CLM to the 6D version of the type IIB matrix model and show clear evidence that the SO(6) symmetry is broken down to SO(3). Our results are consistent with those obtained previously by the Gaussian expansion method.

Pion properties at finite isospin chemical potential with isospin symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zuqing; Ping, Jialun; Zong, Hongshi

2017-12-01

Pion properties at finite temperature, finite isospin and baryon chemical potentials are investigated within the SU(2) NJL model. In the mean field approximation for quarks and random phase approximation fpr mesons, we calculate the pion mass, the decay constant and the phase diagram with different quark masses for the u quark and d quark, related to QCD corrections, for the first time. Our results show an asymmetry between μI <0 and μI >0 in the phase diagram, and different values for the charged pion mass (or decay constant) and neutral pion mass (or decay constant) at finite temperature and finite isospin chemical potential. This is caused by the effect of isospin symmetry breaking, which is from different quark masses. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11175088, 11475085, 11535005, 11690030) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (020414380074)

Symmetry-Breaking Phase Transition without a Peierls Instability in Conducting Monoatomic Chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumenstein, C.; Schäfer, J.; Morresi, M.; Mietke, S.; Matzdorf, R.; Claessen, R.

2011-10-01

The one-dimensional (1D) model system Au/Ge(001), consisting of linear chains of single atoms on a surface, is scrutinized for lattice instabilities predicted in the Peierls paradigm. By scanning tunneling microscopy and electron diffraction we reveal a second-order phase transition at 585 K. It leads to charge ordering with transversal and vertical displacements and complex interchain correlations. However, the structural phase transition is not accompanied by the electronic signatures of a charge density wave, thus precluding a Peierls instability as origin. Instead, this symmetry-breaking transition exhibits three-dimensional critical behavior. This reflects a dichotomy between the decoupled 1D electron system and the structural elements that interact via the substrate. Such substrate-mediated coupling between the wires thus appears to have been underestimated also in related chain systems.

Symmetry breaking gives rise to energy spectra of three states of matter

PubMed Central

Bolmatov, Dima; Musaev, Edvard T.; Trachenko, K.

2013-01-01

A fundamental task of statistical physics is to start with a microscopic Hamiltonian, predict the system's statistical properties and compare them with observable data. A notable current fundamental challenge is to tell whether and how an interacting Hamiltonian predicts different energy spectra, including solid, liquid and gas phases. Here, we propose a new idea that enables a unified description of all three states of matter. We introduce a generic form of an interacting phonon Hamiltonian with ground state configurations minimising the potential. Symmetry breaking SO(3) to SO(2), from the group of rotations in reciprocal space to its subgroup, leads to emergence of energy gaps of shear excitations as a consequence of the Goldstone theorem, and readily results in the emergence of energy spectra of solid, liquid and gas phases. PMID:24077388

Probing strong electroweak symmetry breaking dynamics through quantum interferometry at the LHC

DOE PAGES

Murayama, Hitoshi; Rentala, Vikram; Shu, Jing

2015-12-07

Here, we present a new probe of strongly coupled electroweak symmetry breaking at the 14 TeV LHC by measuring a phase shift in the event distribution of the decay azimuthal angles in massive gauge boson scattering. One generically expects a large phase shift in the longitudinal gauge boson scattering amplitude due to the presence of broad resonances. This phase shift is observable as an interference effect between the strongly interacting longitudinal modes and the transverse modes of the gauge bosons. We find that even very broad resonances of masses up to 900 GeV can be probed at 3σ significance withmore » a 3000 fb -1 run of the LHC by using this technique. We also present the estimated reach for a future 50 TeV proton-proton collider.« less

Centre vortex removal restores chiral symmetry

DOE PAGES

Trewartha, Daniel; Kamleh, Waseem; Leinweber, Derek B.

2017-11-15

The influence of centre vortices on dynamical chiral symmetry breaking is investigated through the light hadron spectrum on the lattice. Recent studies of the quark propagator and other quantities have provided evidence that centre vortices are the fundamental objects underpinning dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in SU(3) gauge theory. For the first time, we use the chiral overlap fermion action to study the low-lying hadron spectrum on lattice ensembles consisting of Monte Carlo, vortex-removed, and vortex-projected gauge fields. We find that gauge field configurations consisting solely of smoothed centre vortices are capable of reproducing all the salient features of the hadronmore » spectrum, including dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. In conclusion, the hadron spectrum on vortex-removed fields shows clear signals of chiral symmetry restoration at light values of the bare quark mass, while at heavy masses the spectrum is consistent with a theory of weakly-interacting constituent quarks.« less

Plasmonic Spherical Heterodimers: Reversal of Optical Binding Force Based on the Forced Breaking of Symmetry.

PubMed

Mahdy, M R C; Danesh, Md; Zhang, Tianhang; Ding, Weiqiang; Rivy, Hamim Mahmud; Chowdhury, Ariful Bari; Mehmood, M Q

2018-02-16

The stimulating connection between the reversal of near-field plasmonic binding force and the role of symmetry-breaking has not been investigated comprehensively in the literature. In this work, the symmetry of spherical plasmonic heterodimer-setup is broken forcefully by shining the light from a specific side of the set-up instead of impinging it from the top. We demonstrate that for the forced symmetry-broken spherical heterodimer-configurations: reversal of lateral and longitudinal near-field binding force follow completely distinct mechanisms. Interestingly, the reversal of longitudinal binding force can be easily controlled either by changing the direction of light propagation or by varying their relative orientation. This simple process of controlling binding force may open a novel generic way of optical manipulation even with the heterodimers of other shapes. Though it is commonly believed that the reversal of near-field plasmonic binding force should naturally occur for the presence of bonding and anti-bonding modes or at least for the Fano resonance (and plasmonic forces mostly arise from the surface force), our study based on Lorentz-force dynamics suggests notably opposite proposals for the aforementioned cases. Observations in this article can be very useful for improved sensors, particle clustering and aggregation.

Cosmological signals of a mirror twin Higgs

DOE PAGES

Craig, Nathaniel; Koren, Seth; Trott, Timothy

2017-05-08

We investigate the cosmology of the minimal model of neutral naturalness, the mirror Twin Higgs. The softly-broken mirror symmetry relating the Standard Model to its twin counterpart leads to significant dark radiation in tension with BBN and CMB observations. We quantify this tension and illustrate how it can be mitigated in several simple scenarios that alter the relative energy densities of the two sectors while respecting the softly-broken mirror symmetry. In particular, we consider both the out-of-equilibrium decay of a new scalar as well as reheating in a toy model of twinned inflation, Twinflation. In both cases the dilution ofmore » energy density in the twin sector does not merely reconcile the existence of a mirror Twin Higgs with cosmological constraints, but predicts contributions to cosmological observables that may be probed in current and future CMB experiments. This raises the prospect of discovering evidence of neutral naturalness through cosmology rather than colliders.« less

Artificial Symmetry-Breaking for Morphogenetic Engineering Bacterial Colonies.

PubMed

Nuñez, Isaac N; Matute, Tamara F; Del Valle, Ilenne D; Kan, Anton; Choksi, Atri; Endy, Drew; Haseloff, Jim; Rudge, Timothy J; Federici, Fernan

2017-02-17

Morphogenetic engineering is an emerging field that explores the design and implementation of self-organized patterns, morphologies, and architectures in systems composed of multiple agents such as cells and swarm robots. Synthetic biology, on the other hand, aims to develop tools and formalisms that increase reproducibility, tractability, and efficiency in the engineering of biological systems. We seek to apply synthetic biology approaches to the engineering of morphologies in multicellular systems. Here, we describe the engineering of two mechanisms, symmetry-breaking and domain-specific cell regulation, as elementary functions for the prototyping of morphogenetic instructions in bacterial colonies. The former represents an artificial patterning mechanism based on plasmid segregation while the latter plays the role of artificial cell differentiation by spatial colocalization of ubiquitous and segregated components. This separation of patterning from actuation facilitates the design-build-test-improve engineering cycle. We created computational modules for CellModeller representing these basic functions and used it to guide the design process and explore the design space in silico. We applied these tools to encode spatially structured functions such as metabolic complementation, RNAPT7 gene expression, and CRISPRi/Cas9 regulation. Finally, as a proof of concept, we used CRISPRi/Cas technology to regulate cell growth by controlling methionine synthesis. These mechanisms start from single cells enabling the study of morphogenetic principles and the engineering of novel population scale structures from the bottom up.

Electrons and Mirror Symmetry

ScienceCinema

Kumar, Krishna

2017-12-09

The neutral weak force between an electron and a target particle, mediated by the Z boson, can be isolated by measuring the fractional change under a mirror reflection of the scattering probability of relativistic longitudinally polarized electrons off unpolarized targets. This technique yields neutral weak force measurements at a length scale of 1 femtometer, in contrast to high energy collider measurements that probe much smaller length scales. Study of the variation of the weak force over a range of length scales provides a stringent test of theory, complementing collider measurements. We describe a recent measurement of the neutral weak force between two electrons by the E158 experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. While the weak force between an electron and positron has been extensively studied, that between two electrons had never directly been measured. We conclude by discussing prospects for even more precise measurements at future facilities.

Test of SU(3) Symmetry in Hyperon Semileptonic Decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, T. N.

2015-01-01

Existing analyzes of baryon semileptonic decays indicate the presence of a small SU(3) symmetry breaking in hyperon semileptonic decays, but to provide evidence for SU(3) symmetry breaking, one would need a relation similar to the Gell-Mann-Okubo (GMO) baryon mass formula which is satisfied to a few percents, showing evidence for a small SU(3) symmetry breaking effect in the GMO mass formula. In this talk, I would like to present a similar GMO relation obtained in a recent work for hyperon semileptonic decay axial vector current matrix elements. Using these generalized GMO relations for the measured axial vector current to vector current form factor ratios, it is shown that SU(3) symmetry breaking in hyperon semileptonic decays is of 5-11% and confirms the validity of the Cabibbo model for hyperon semi-leptonic decays.

Proper and improper zero energy modes in Hartree-Fock theory and their relevance for symmetry breaking and restoration.

PubMed

Cui, Yao; Bulik, Ireneusz W; Jiménez-Hoyos, Carlos A; Henderson, Thomas M; Scuseria, Gustavo E

2013-10-21

We study the spectra of the molecular orbital Hessian (stability matrix) and random-phase approximation (RPA) Hamiltonian of broken-symmetry Hartree-Fock solutions, focusing on zero eigenvalue modes. After all negative eigenvalues are removed from the Hessian by following their eigenvectors downhill, one is left with only positive and zero eigenvalues. Zero modes correspond to orbital rotations with no restoring force. These rotations determine states in the Goldstone manifold, which originates from a spontaneously broken continuous symmetry in the wave function. Zero modes can be classified as improper or proper according to their different mathematical and physical properties. Improper modes arise from symmetry breaking and their restoration always lowers the energy. Proper modes, on the other hand, correspond to degeneracies of the wave function, and their symmetry restoration does not necessarily lower the energy. We discuss how the RPA Hamiltonian distinguishes between proper and improper modes by doubling the number of zero eigenvalues associated with the latter. Proper modes in the Hessian always appear in pairs which do not double in RPA. We present several pedagogical cases exemplifying the above statements. The relevance of these results for projected Hartree-Fock methods is also addressed.

Nambu mechanism of dynamical symmetry breaking by the top quark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Xuan-Yem

1990-05-01

It may be possible that the gauge symmetry breaking of the standard electroweak interactions is not due to the elementary scalar Higgs fields but has a dynamic origin intimately involving the top quark. A prototype of this dynamical scenario is the Nambu and Jona-Lasinio model in which both the top quark and the gauge bosons become massive by some strong attractive nonlinear interactions similar to the gap energy produced in BCS superconductivity. Self-consistent equations for the charged Goldstone boson and for the vector meson are used to get an upper bound for the top quark mass. In the bubble approximation of keeping only fermion loops, we obtain an equation relating the top quark mass to the W boson one; from the top mass is found to be around 84 GeV. Its typical dominant decay mode t→W+s then follows. Also discussed are distinctive signatures of the scalar overlinett bound state identified as the physical Higgs particle whose mass is twice that of the top quark.

Symmetry-breaking dynamics of the finite-size Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model near ground state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yi; Li, Tongcang; Yin, Zhang-qi

2018-01-01

We study the dynamics of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model with a finite number of spins. In the thermodynamic limit, the ground state of the LMG model with an isotropic Hamiltonian in the broken phase breaks to a mean-field ground state with a certain direction. However, when the spin number N is finite, the exact ground state is always unique and is not given by a classical mean-field ground state. Here, we prove that when N is large but finite, through a tiny external perturbation, a localized state which is close to a mean-field ground state can be prepared, which mimics spontaneous symmetry breaking. Also, we find the localized in-plane spin polarization oscillates with two different frequencies ˜O (1 /N ) , and the lifetime of the localized state is long enough to exhibit this oscillation. We numerically test the analytical results and find that they agree very well with each other. Finally, we link the phenomena to quantum time crystals and time quasicrystals.

Quantum anomalous Hall effect in time-reversal-symmetry breaking topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Cui-Zu; Li, Mingda

2016-03-01

The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), the last member of Hall family, was predicted to exhibit quantized Hall conductivity {σyx}=\\frac{{{e}2}}{h} without any external magnetic field. The QAHE shares a similar physical phenomenon with the integer quantum Hall effect (QHE), whereas its physical origin relies on the intrinsic topological inverted band structure and ferromagnetism. Since the QAHE does not require external energy input in the form of magnetic field, it is believed that this effect has unique potential for applications in future electronic devices with low-power consumption. More recently, the QAHE has been experimentally observed in thin films of the time-reversal symmetry breaking ferromagnetic (FM) topological insulators (TI), Cr- and V- doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3. In this topical review, we review the history of TI based QAHE, the route to the experimental observation of the QAHE in the above two systems, the current status of the research of the QAHE, and finally the prospects for future studies.

Symmetry breaking motion of a vortex pair in a driven cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, John; Osman, Kahar; Farias, Jason

2002-11-01

The two-dimensional driven cavity problem with an anti-symmetric sinusoidal forcing has been found to exhibit a subcritical symmetry breaking bifurcation (Farias and McHugh, Phys. Fluids, 2002). Equilibrium solutions are either a symmetric vortex pair or an asymmetric motion. The asymmetric motion is an asymmetric vortex pair at low Reynolds numbers, but merges into a three vortex motion at higher Reynolds numbers. The asymmetric solution is obtained by initiating the flow with a single vortex centered in the domain. Symmetric motion is obtained with no initial vortex, or weak initial vortex. The steady three-vortex motion occurs at a Reynolds number of approximately 3000, where the symmetric vortex pair has already gone through a Hopf bifurcation. Further two-dimensional results show that forcing with two full oscillations across the top of the cavity results in two steady vortex motions, depending on initial conditions. Three-dimensional results have even more steady solutions. The results are computational and theoretical.

Experimental Guidance for Isospin Symmetry Breaking Calculations via Single Neutron Pickup Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leach, K. G.; Garrett, P. E.; Bangay, J. C.; Bianco, L.; Demand, G. A.; Finlay, P.; Green, K. L.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Svensson, C. E.; Triambak, S.; Wong, J.; Ball, G.; Faestermann, T.; Krücken, R.; Hertenberger, R.; Wirth, H.-F.; Towner, I. S.

2013-03-01

Recent activity in superallowed isospin-symmetry-breaking correction calculations has prompted interest in experimental confirmation of these calculation techniques. The shellmodel set of Towner and Hardy (2008) include the opening of specific core orbitals that were previously frozen. This has resulted in significant shifts in some of the δC values, and an improved agreement of the individual corrected {F}t values with the adopted world average of the 13 cases currently included in the high-precision evaluation of Vud. While the nucleus-to-nucleus variation of {F}t is consistent with the conserved-vector-current (CVC) hypothesis of the Standard Model, these new calculations must be thoroughly tested, and guidance must be given for their improvement. Presented here are details of a 64Zn(ěcd, t)63Zn experiment, undertaken to provide such guidance.

TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE: CAN CORIOLIS FORCE BREAK THE SYMMETRY OF THE GRAVITATIONAL CONFINED DETONATION EXPLOSION MECHANISM?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

García-Senz, D.; Cabezón, R. M.; Thielemann, F. K.

Currently the number of models aimed at explaining the phenomena of type Ia supernovae is high and distinguishing between them is a must. In this work we explore the influence of rotation on the evolution of the nuclear flame that drives the explosion in the so-called gravitational confined detonation models. Assuming that the flame starts in a pointlike region slightly above the center of the white dwarf (WD) and adding a moderate amount of angular velocity to the star we follow the evolution of the deflagration using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. We find that the results are very dependentmore » on the angle between the rotational axis and the line connecting the initial bubble of burned material with the center of the WD at the moment of ignition. The impact of rotation is larger for angles close to 90° because the Coriolis force on a floating element of fluid is maximum and its principal effect is to break the symmetry of the deflagration. Such symmetry breaking weakens the convergence of the nuclear flame at the antipodes of the initial ignition volume, changing the environmental conditions around the convergence region with respect to non-rotating models. These changes seem to disfavor the emergence of a detonation in the compressed volume at the antipodes and may compromise the viability of the so-called gravitational confined detonation mechanism.« less

A Wnt5 Activity Asymmetry and Intercellular Signaling via PCP Proteins Polarize Node Cells for Left-Right Symmetry Breaking.

PubMed

Minegishi, Katsura; Hashimoto, Masakazu; Ajima, Rieko; Takaoka, Katsuyoshi; Shinohara, Kyosuke; Ikawa, Yayoi; Nishimura, Hiromi; McMahon, Andrew P; Willert, Karl; Okada, Yasushi; Sasaki, Hiroshi; Shi, Dongbo; Fujimori, Toshihiko; Ohtsuka, Toshihisa; Igarashi, Yasunobu; Yamaguchi, Terry P; Shimono, Akihiko; Shiratori, Hidetaka; Hamada, Hiroshi

2017-03-13

Polarization of node cells along the anterior-posterior axis of mouse embryos is responsible for left-right symmetry breaking. How node cells become polarized has remained unknown, however. Wnt5a and Wnt5b are expressed posteriorly relative to the node, whereas genes for Sfrp inhibitors of Wnt signaling are expressed anteriorly. Here we show that polarization of node cells is impaired in Wnt5a -/- Wnt5b -/- and Sfrp mutant embryos, and also in the presence of a uniform distribution of Wnt5a or Sfrp1, suggesting that Wnt5 and Sfrp proteins act as instructive signals in this process. The absence of planar cell polarity (PCP) core proteins Prickle1 and Prickle2 in individual cells or local forced expression of Wnt5a perturbed polarization of neighboring wild-type cells. Our results suggest that opposing gradients of Wnt5a and Wnt5b and of their Sfrp inhibitors, together with intercellular signaling via PCP proteins, polarize node cells along the anterior-posterior axis for breaking of left-right symmetry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-organization phenomena in embryonic stem cell-derived embryoid bodies: axis formation and breaking of symmetry during cardiomyogenesis.

PubMed

Fuchs, Christiane; Scheinast, Matthias; Pasteiner, Waltraud; Lagger, Sabine; Hofner, Manuela; Hoellrigl, Alexandra; Schultheis, Martina; Weitzer, Georg

2012-01-01

Aggregation of embryonic stem cells gives rise to embryoid bodies (EBs) which undergo developmental processes reminiscent of early eutherian embryonic development. Development of the three germ layers suggests that gastrulation takes place. In vivo, gastrulation is a highly ordered process but in EBs only few data support the hypothesis that self-organization of differentiating cells leads to morphology, reminiscent of the early gastrula. Here we demonstrate that a timely implantation-like process is a prerequisite for the breaking of the radial symmetry of suspended EBs. Attached to a surface, EBs develop a bilateral symmetry and presumptive mesodermal cells emerge between the center of the EBs and a horseshoe-shaped ridge of cells. The development of an epithelial sheet of cells on one side of the EBs allows us to define an 'anterior' and a 'posterior' end of the EBs. In the mesodermal area, first cardiomyocytes (CMCs) develop mainly next to this epithelial sheet of cells. Development of twice as many CMCs at the 'left' side of the EBs breaks the bilateral symmetry and suggests that cardiomyogenesis reflects a local or temporal asymmetry in EBs. The asymmetric appearance of CMCs but not the development of mesoderm can be disturbed by ectopic expression of the muscle-specific protein Desmin. Later, the bilateral morphology becomes blurred by an apparently chaotic differentiation of many cell types. The absence of comparable structures in aggregates of cardiovascular progenitor cells isolated from the heart demonstrates that the self-organization of cells during a gastrulation-like process is a unique feature of embryonic stem cells. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Natural little hierarchy for SUSY from radiative breaking of the Peccei-Quinn symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Kyu Jung; Baer, Howard; Serce, Hasan

2015-01-01

While LHC8 Higgs mass and sparticle search constraints favor a multi-TeV value of soft SUSY breaking terms, electroweak naturalness favors a superpotential Higgsino mass μ ˜100 - 200 GeV : the mismatch results in an apparent little hierarchy characterized by μ ≪msoft (with msoft˜m3 /2 in gravity mediation). It has been suggested that the little hierarchy arises from a mismatch between Peccei-Quinn (PQ) and hidden sector intermediate scales vPQ≪mhidden . We examine the Murayama-Suzuki-Yanagida model of radiatively driven PQ symmetry breaking which not only generates a weak scale value of μ but also produces intermediate scale Majorana masses for right-hand neutrinos. For this model, we show ranges of parameter choices with multi-TeV values of m3 /2 which can easily generate values of μ ˜100 - 200 GeV so that the apparent little hierarchy suggested from data emerges quite naturally. In such a scenario, dark matter would be comprised of an axion plus a Higgsino-like weakly-interacting massive particle admixture where the axion mass and Higgsino masses are linked by the value of the PQ scale. The required light Higgsinos should ultimately be detected at a linear e+e- collider with √{s }>2 m (Higgsino) .

Retrosynthetic Analysis-Guided Breaking Tile Symmetry for the Assembly of Complex DNA Nanostructures.

PubMed

Wang, Pengfei; Wu, Siyu; Tian, Cheng; Yu, Guimei; Jiang, Wen; Wang, Guansong; Mao, Chengde

2016-10-11

Current tile-based DNA self-assembly produces simple repetitive or highly symmetric structures. In the case of 2D lattices, the unit cell often contains only one basic tile because the tiles often are symmetric (in terms of either the backbone or the sequence). In this work, we have applied retrosynthetic analysis to determine the minimal asymmetric units for complex DNA nanostructures. Such analysis guides us to break the intrinsic structural symmetries of the tiles to achieve high structural complexities. This strategy has led to the construction of several DNA nanostructures that are not accessible from conventional symmetric tile designs. Along with previous studies, herein we have established a set of four fundamental rules regarding tile-based assembly. Such rules could serve as guidelines for the design of DNA nanostructures.

Trinucleotide's quadruplet symmetries and natural symmetry law of DNA creation ensuing Chargaff's second parity rule.

PubMed

Rosandić, Marija; Vlahović, Ines; Glunčić, Matko; Paar, Vladimir

2016-07-01

For almost 50 years the conclusive explanation of Chargaff's second parity rule (CSPR), the equality of frequencies of nucleotides A=T and C=G or the equality of direct and reverse complement trinucleotides in the same DNA strand, has not been determined yet. Here, we relate CSPR to the interstrand mirror symmetry in 20 symbolic quadruplets of trinucleotides (direct, reverse complement, complement, and reverse) mapped to double-stranded genome. The symmetries of Q-box corresponding to quadruplets can be obtained as a consequence of Watson-Crick base pairing and CSPR together. Alternatively, assuming Natural symmetry law for DNA creation that each trinucleotide in one strand of DNA must simultaneously appear also in the opposite strand automatically leads to Q-box direct-reverse mirror symmetry which in conjunction with Watson-Crick base pairing generates CSPR. We demonstrate quadruplet's symmetries in chromosomes of wide range of organisms, from Escherichia coli to Neanderthal and human genomes, introducing novel quadruplet-frequency histograms and 3D-diagrams with combined interstrand frequencies. These "landscapes" are mutually similar in all mammals, including extinct Neanderthals, and somewhat different in most of older species. In human chromosomes 1-12, and X, Y the "landscapes" are almost identical and slightly different in the remaining smaller and telocentric chromosomes. Quadruplet frequencies could provide a new robust tool for characterization and classification of genomes and their evolutionary trajectories.

Hyperbolic-symmetry vector fields.

PubMed

Gao, Xu-Zhen; Pan, Yue; Cai, Meng-Qiang; Li, Yongnan; Tu, Chenghou; Wang, Hui-Tian

2015-12-14

We present and construct a new kind of orthogonal coordinate system, hyperbolic coordinate system. We present and design a new kind of local linearly polarized vector fields, which is defined as the hyperbolic-symmetry vector fields because the points with the same polarization form a series of hyperbolae. We experimentally demonstrate the generation of such a kind of hyperbolic-symmetry vector optical fields. In particular, we also study the modified hyperbolic-symmetry vector optical fields with the twofold and fourfold symmetric states of polarization when introducing the mirror symmetry. The tight focusing behaviors of these vector fields are also investigated. In addition, we also fabricate micro-structures on the K9 glass surfaces by several tightly focused (modified) hyperbolic-symmetry vector fields patterns, which demonstrate that the simulated tightly focused fields are in good agreement with the fabricated micro-structures.

Enhanced Circular Dichroism via Symmetry Breaking in a Chiral Plasmonic Nanoparticle Oligomer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Khai Q.

2018-02-01

A chiral plasmonic nanoparticle oligomer, consisting of four symmetrically arranged nanodisks of different heights and having different optical absorption responses to left and right-handed circularly polarized light illumination, has been experimentally reported in the literature. The resulting circular dichroism (CD) signal was detectable with state of the art CD spectrometers but was much weaker than those of existing chiral nanostructures, i.e., three-dimensional (3-D) chiral metamaterials. In this letter, via symmetry breaking in such an oligomer, the author demonstrates that the CD can be enhanced up to six times compared to that of a symmetric oligomer, and is in the range of a relevant 3-D chiral metamolecule. Through investigation of geometrical parameters including particle size, asymmetric and symmetric gaps, the CD evolution was reported, which provides a useful guideline for design of two-dimensional chiral oligomers adopted as efficient probes for CD spectroscopic applications.

Symmetries and stochastic symmetry breaking in multifractal geophysics: analysis and simulation with the help of the Lévy-Clifford algebra of cascade generators..

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schertzer, D. J. M.; Tchiguirinskaia, I.

2016-12-01

Multifractal fields, whose definition is rather independent of their domain dimension, have opened a new approach of geophysics enabling to explore its spatial extension that is of prime importance as underlined by the expression "spatial chaos". However multifractals have been until recently restricted to be scalar valued, i.e. to one-dimensional codomains. This has prevented to deal with the key question of complex component interactions and their non trivial symmetries. We first emphasize that the Lie algebra of stochastic generators of cascade processes enables us to generalize multifractals to arbitrarily large codomains, e.g. flows of vector fields on large dimensional manifolds. In particular, we have recently investigated the neat example of stable Levy generators on Clifford algebra that have a number of seductive properties, e.g. universal statistical and robust algebra properties, both defining the basic symmetries of the corresponding fields (Schertzer and Tchiguirinskaia, 2015). These properties provide a convenient multifractal framework to study both the symmetries of the fields and how they stochastically break the symmetries of the underlying equations due to boundary conditions, large scale rotations and forcings. These developments should help us to answer to challenging questions such as the climatology of (exo-) planets based on first principles (Pierrehumbert, 2013), to fully address the question of the limitations of quasi- geostrophic turbulence (Schertzer et al., 2012) and to explore the peculiar phenomenology of turbulent dynamics of the atmosphere or oceans that is neither two- or three-dimensional. Pierrehumbert, R.T., 2013. Strange news from other stars. Nature Geoscience, 6(2), pp.8183. Schertzer, D. et al., 2012. Quasi-geostrophic turbulence and generalized scale invariance, a theoretical reply. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, pp.327336. Schertzer, D. & Tchiguirinskaia, I., 2015. Multifractal vector fields and stochastic Clifford algebra

Symmetry-breaking charge transfer in a zinc chlorodipyrrin acceptor for high open circuit voltage organic photovoltaics.

PubMed

Bartynski, Andrew N; Gruber, Mark; Das, Saptaparna; Rangan, Sylvie; Mollinger, Sonya; Trinh, Cong; Bradforth, Stephen E; Vandewal, Koen; Salleo, Alberto; Bartynski, Robert A; Bruetting, Wolfgang; Thompson, Mark E

2015-04-29

Low open-circuit voltages significantly limit the power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices. Typical strategies to enhance the open-circuit voltage involve tuning the HOMO and LUMO positions of the donor (D) and acceptor (A), respectively, to increase the interfacial energy gap or to tailor the donor or acceptor structure at the D/A interface. Here, we present an alternative approach to improve the open-circuit voltage through the use of a zinc chlorodipyrrin, ZCl [bis(dodecachloro-5-mesityldipyrrinato)zinc], as an acceptor, which undergoes symmetry-breaking charge transfer (CT) at the donor/acceptor interface. DBP/ZCl cells exhibit open-circuit voltages of 1.33 V compared to 0.88 V for analogous tetraphenyldibenzoperyflanthrene (DBP)/C60-based devices. Charge transfer state energies measured by Fourier-transform photocurrent spectroscopy and electroluminescence show that C60 forms a CT state of 1.45 ± 0.05 eV in a DBP/C60-based organic photovoltaic device, while ZCl as acceptor gives a CT state energy of 1.70 ± 0.05 eV in the corresponding device structure. In the ZCl device this results in an energetic loss between E(CT) and qV(OC) of 0.37 eV, substantially less than the 0.6 eV typically observed for organic systems and equal to the recombination losses seen in high-efficiency Si and GaAs devices. The substantial increase in open-circuit voltage and reduction in recombination losses for devices utilizing ZCl demonstrate the great promise of symmetry-breaking charge transfer in organic photovoltaic devices.

Macroscopic Magnetization Control by Symmetry Breaking of Photoinduced Spin Reorientation with Intense Terahertz Magnetic Near Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurihara, Takayuki; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Nakajima, Makoto; Karube, Shutaro; Oto, Kenichi; Otani, YoshiChika; Suemoto, Tohru

2018-03-01

We exploit an intense terahertz magnetic near field combined with femtosecond laser excitation to break the symmetry of photoinduced spin reorientation paths in ErFeO3 . We succeed in aligning macroscopic magnetization reaching up to 80% of total magnetization in the sample to selectable orientations by adjusting the time delay between terahertz and optical pump pulses. The spin dynamics are well reproduced by equations of motion, including time-dependent magnetic potential. We show that the direction of the generated magnetization is determined by the transient direction of spin tilting and the magnetic field at the moment of photoexcitation.

Electroweak symmetry breaking and collider signatures in the next-to-minimal composite Higgs model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niehoff, Christoph; Stangl, Peter; Straub, David M.

2017-04-01

We conduct a detailed numerical analysis of the composite pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone Higgs model based on the next-to-minimal coset SO(6)/SO(5) ≅ SU(4)/Sp(4), featuring an additional SM singlet scalar in the spectrum, which we allow to mix with the Higgs boson. We identify regions in parameter space compatible with all current exper-imental constraints, including radiative electroweak symmetry breaking, flavour physics, and direct searches at colliders. We find the additional scalar, with a mass predicted to be below a TeV, to be virtually unconstrained by current LHC data, but potentially in reach of run 2 searches. Promising indirect searches include rare semi-leptonic B decays, CP violation in B s mixing, and the electric dipole moment of the neutron.

Transient anomalous diffusion in periodic systems: ergodicity, symmetry breaking and velocity relaxation

PubMed Central

Spiechowicz, Jakub; Łuczka, Jerzy; Hänggi, Peter

2016-01-01

We study far from equilibrium transport of a periodically driven inertial Brownian particle moving in a periodic potential. As detected for a SQUID ratchet dynamics, the mean square deviation of the particle position from its average may involve three distinct intermediate, although extended diffusive regimes: initially as superdiffusion, followed by subdiffusion and finally, normal diffusion in the asymptotic long time limit. Even though these anomalies are transient effects, their lifetime can be many, many orders of magnitude longer than the characteristic time scale of the setup and turns out to be extraordinarily sensitive to the system parameters like temperature or the potential asymmetry. In the paper we reveal mechanisms of diffusion anomalies related to ergodicity of the system, symmetry breaking of the periodic potential and ultraslow relaxation of the particle velocity towards its steady state. Similar sequences of the diffusive behaviours could be detected in various systems including, among others, colloidal particles in random potentials, glass forming liquids and granular gases. PMID:27492219

Sequence selection by dynamical symmetry breaking in an autocatalytic binary polymer model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fellermann, Harold; Tanaka, Shinpei; Rasmussen, Steen

2017-12-01

Template-directed replication of nucleic acids is at the essence of all living beings and a major milestone for any origin of life scenario. We present an idealized model of prebiotic sequence replication, where binary polymers act as templates for their autocatalytic replication, thereby serving as each others reactants and products in an intertwined molecular ecology. Our model demonstrates how autocatalysis alters the qualitative and quantitative system dynamics in counterintuitive ways. Most notably, numerical simulations reveal a very strong intrinsic selection mechanism that favors the appearance of a few population structures with highly ordered and repetitive sequence patterns when starting from a pool of monomers. We demonstrate both analytically and through simulation how this "selection of the dullest" is caused by continued symmetry breaking through random fluctuations in the transient dynamics that are amplified by autocatalysis and eventually propagate to the population level. The impact of these observations on related prebiotic mathematical models is discussed.

The μ- τ reflection symmetry of Dirac neutrinos and its breaking effect via quantum corrections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Zhi-zhong; Zhang, Di; Zhu, Jing-yu

2017-11-01

Given the Dirac neutrino mass term, we explore the constraint conditions which allow the corresponding mass matrix to be invariant under the μ- τ reflection transformation, leading us to the phenomenologically favored predictions θ 23 = π/4 and δ = 3 π/2 in the standard parametrization of the 3 × 3 lepton flavor mixing matrix. If such a flavor symmetry is realized at a superhigh energy scale Λ μτ , we investigate how it is spontaneously broken via the one-loop renormalization-group equations (RGEs) running from Λ μτ down to the Fermi scale ΛF. Such quantum corrections to the neutrino masses and flavor mixing parameters are derived, and an analytical link is established between the Jarlskog invariants of CP violation at Λ μτ and ΛF. Some numerical examples are also presented in both the minimal supersymmetric standard model and the type-II two-Higgs-doublet model, to illustrate how the octant of θ 23, the quadrant of δ and the neutrino mass ordering are correlated with one another as a result of the RGE-induced μ-τ reflection symmetry breaking effects.

Goldstone mode and pair-breaking excitations in atomic Fermi superfluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoinka, Sascha; Dyke, Paul; Lingham, Marcus G.; Kinnunen, Jami J.; Bruun, Georg M.; Vale, Chris J.

2017-10-01

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is a central paradigm of elementary particle physics, magnetism, superfluidity and superconductivity. According to Goldstone's theorem, phase transitions that break continuous symmetries lead to the existence of gapless excitations in the long-wavelength limit. These Goldstone modes can become the dominant low-energy excitation, showing that symmetry breaking has a profound impact on the physical properties of matter. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the elementary excitations in a homogeneous strongly interacting Fermi gas through the crossover from a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid to a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of molecules using two-photon Bragg spectroscopy. The spectra exhibit a discrete Goldstone mode, associated with the broken-symmetry superfluid phase, as well as pair-breaking single-particle excitations. Our techniques yield a direct determination of the superfluid pairing gap and speed of sound in close agreement with strong-coupling theories.

The Symmetries of QCD

ScienceCinema

Chivukula, Sekhar

2017-12-22

The symmetries of a quantum field theory can be realized in a variety of ways. Symmetries can be realized explicitly, approximately, through spontaneous symmetry breaking or, via an anomaly, quantum effects can dynamically eliminate a symmetry of the theory that was present at the classical level.  Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the modern theory of the strong interactions, exemplify each of these possibilities. The interplay of these effects determine the spectrum of particles that we observe and, ultimately, account for 99% of the mass of ordinary matter. 

Highly excited symmetry-breaking infrared and THz transitions in methanol-D 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Indranath

2004-06-01

In this paper, symmetry-breaking transitions have been identified in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Terra Hertz (THz) fast scan spectra of asymmetrically deuterated methanol CH 2DOH involving three quanta of the lowest lying vibrational state ( ν1). These transitions have an upper state belonging to highly excited torsional state with the torsional quantum number v=11 (e 5) (with the axial component of total rotational angular momentum K=5 and 6) in the Internal Axis Method (IAM) formalism developed by Quade and his co-workers [J. Mol. Spectrosc. 146 (1991) 238; J. Mol. Spectrosc. 146 (1991) 252], which was later extended by Mukhopadhyay [Spectrochim. Acta A 53 (1997) 2457; Spectrochim. Acta A 53 (1997) 1947] to include highly excited torsional-rotational states. The originating lower states belong to the o 1 ( v=3) with K=4 and 5. In analogy with pure methanol these transitions terminate to the third excited torsional state, which has very small torsional matrix elements to be observable in normal FTIR spectra. The location of the e 5 states suggests that the calculated energy levels using the parameters of Liu and Quade [J. Mol. Spectrosc. 146 (1991) 252] are reasonable and very helpful to assign such highly excited transitions, considering that their studies include low angular momentum states. In addition the very existence of these transitions proves that the matrix elements calculated by Mukhopadhyay [Spectrochim. Acta A 53 (1997) 1947] are very useful and dependable. Thus they represent a valuable tool for entangling the complex spectrum of this asymmetrically deuterated methanol. In order to provide confirmatory evidence the THz spectra obtained using the Fast Scanning Submillimeter Spectroscopy Technique (FASSST) at the Ohio State University [Rev. Instr. 68 (1997) 1675; Anal. Chem. 70 (1998) 719A] were searched for the ground state transitions that can be calculated precisely from IR combination relations. All the transitions that can be

The notochord breaks bilateral symmetry by controlling cell shapes in the zebrafish laterality organ.

PubMed

Compagnon, Julien; Barone, Vanessa; Rajshekar, Srivarsha; Kottmeier, Rita; Pranjic-Ferscha, Kornelija; Behrndt, Martin; Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp

2014-12-22

Kupffer's vesicle (KV) is the zebrafish organ of laterality, patterning the embryo along its left-right (LR) axis. Regional differences in cell shape within the lumen-lining KV epithelium are essential for its LR patterning function. However, the processes by which KV cells acquire their characteristic shapes are largely unknown. Here, we show that the notochord induces regional differences in cell shape within KV by triggering extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation adjacent to anterior-dorsal (AD) regions of KV. This localized ECM deposition restricts apical expansion of lumen-lining epithelial cells in AD regions of KV during lumen growth. Our study provides mechanistic insight into the processes by which KV translates global embryonic patterning into regional cell shape differences required for its LR symmetry-breaking function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Boundaries, mirror symmetry, and symplectic duality in 3d N = 4 gauge theory

DOE PAGES

Bullimore, Mathew; Dimofte, Tudor; Gaiotto, Davide; ...

2016-10-20

We introduce several families of N = (2, 2) UV boundary conditions in 3d N=4 gauge theories and study their IR images in sigma-models to the Higgs and Coulomb branches. In the presence of Omega deformations, a UV boundary condition defines a pair of modules for quantized algebras of chiral Higgs- and Coulomb-branch operators, respectively, whose structure we derive. In the case of abelian theories, we use the formalism of hyperplane arrangements to make our constructions very explicit, and construct a half-BPS interface that implements the action of 3d mirror symmetry on gauge theories and boundary conditions. Finally, by studyingmore » two-dimensional compactifications of 3d N = 4 gauge theories and their boundary conditions, we propose a physical origin for symplectic duality $-$ an equivalence of categories of modules associated to families of Higgs and Coulomb branches that has recently appeared in the mathematics literature, and generalizes classic results on Koszul duality in geometric representation theory. We make several predictions about the structure of symplectic duality, and identify Koszul duality as a special case of wall crossing.« less

Dirac mass generation from crystal symmetry breaking on the surfaces of topological crystalline insulators

DOE PAGES

Zeljkovic, Ilija; Okada, Yoshinori; Serbyn, Maksym; ...

2015-02-16

The tunability of topological surface states and controllable opening of the Dirac gap are of fundamental and practical interest in the field of topological materials. In the newly discovered topological crystalline insulators (TCIs), theory predicts that the Dirac node is protected by a crystalline symmetry and that the surface state electrons can acquire a mass if this symmetry is broken. Recent studies have detected signatures of a spontaneously generated Dirac gap in TCIs; however, the mechanism of mass formation remains elusive. In this work, we present scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) measurements of the TCI Pb 1-xSn xSe for a widemore » range of alloy compositions spanning the topological and non-topological regimes. The STM topographies reveal a symmetry-breaking distortion on the surface, which imparts mass to the otherwise massless Dirac electrons—a mechanism analogous to the long sought-after Higgs mechanism in particle physics. Interestingly, the measured Dirac gap decreases on approaching the trivial phase, whereas the magnitude of the distortion remains nearly constant. Our data and calculations reveal that the penetration depth of Dirac surface states controls the magnitude of the Dirac mass. At the limit of the critical composition, the penetration depth is predicted to go to infinity, resulting in zero mass, consistent with our measurements. Lastly, we discover the existence of surface states in the non-topological regime, which have the characteristics of gapped, double-branched Dirac fermions and could be exploited in realizing superconductivity in these materials.« less

Breaking time reversal in a simple smooth chaotic system.

PubMed

Tomsovic, Steven; Ullmo, Denis; Nagano, Tatsuro

2003-06-01

Within random matrix theory, the statistics of the eigensolutions depend fundamentally on the presence (or absence) of time reversal symmetry. Accepting the Bohigas-Giannoni-Schmit conjecture, this statement extends to quantum systems with chaotic classical analogs. For practical reasons, much of the supporting numerical studies of symmetry breaking have been done with billiards or maps, and little with simple, smooth systems. There are two main difficulties in attempting to break time reversal invariance in a continuous time system with a smooth potential. The first is avoiding false time reversal breaking. The second is locating a parameter regime in which the symmetry breaking is strong enough to transform the fluctuation properties fully to the broken symmetry case, and yet remain weak enough so as not to regularize the dynamics sufficiently that the system is no longer chaotic. We give an example of a system of two coupled quartic oscillators whose energy level statistics closely match with those of the Gaussian unitary ensemble, and which possesses only a minor proportion of regular motion in its phase space.

Imaging chiral symmetry breaking from Kekule bond order in graphene

DOE PAGES

Gutiérrez, Christopher; Kim, Cheol -Joo; Brown, Lola; ...

2016-05-23

Chirality—or ‘handedness’—is a symmetry property crucial to fields as diverse as biology, chemistry and high-energy physics. In graphene, chiral symmetry emerges naturally as a consequence of the carbon honeycomb lattice. This symmetry can be broken by interactions that couple electrons with opposite momenta in graphene. Here we directly visualize the formation of Kekulé bond order, one such phase of broken chiral symmetry, in an ultraflat graphene sheet grown epitaxially on a copper substrate. We show that its origin lies in the interactions between individual vacancies in the copper substrate that are mediated electronically by the graphene. We show that thismore » interaction causes the bonds in graphene to distort, creating a phase with broken chiral symmetry. Furthermore, the Kekulé ordering is robust at ambient temperature and atmospheric conditions, indicating that intercalated atoms may be harnessed to drive graphene and other two-dimensional materials towards electronically desirable and exotic collective phases.« less

From physics to biology by extending criticality and symmetry breakings.

PubMed

Longo, G; Montévil, M

2011-08-01

Symmetries play a major role in physics, in particular since the work by E. Noether and H. Weyl in the first half of last century. Herein, we briefly review their role by recalling how symmetry changes allow to conceptually move from classical to relativistic and quantum physics. We then introduce our ongoing theoretical analysis in biology and show that symmetries play a radically different role in this discipline, when compared to those in current physics. By this comparison, we stress that symmetries must be understood in relation to conservation and stability properties, as represented in the theories. We posit that the dynamics of biological organisms, in their various levels of organization, are not "just" processes, but permanent (extended, in our terminology) critical transitions and, thus, symmetry changes. Within the limits of a relative structural stability (or interval of viability), variability is at the core of these transitions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dark matter reflection of particle symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khlopov, Maxim Yu.

2017-05-01

In the context of the relationship between physics of cosmological dark matter and symmetry of elementary particles, a wide list of dark matter candidates is possible. New symmetries provide stability of different new particles and their combination can lead to a multicomponent dark matter. The pattern of symmetry breaking involves phase transitions in the very early Universe, extending the list of candidates by topological defects and even primordial nonlinear structures.

Optical probes of symmetry breaking in magnetic and superconducting BaFe2(As1-xPx)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orenstein, Joseph

The discovery of iron pnictide superconductors has opened promising new directions in the effort to fully understand the phenomenon of high-Tc, with a focus on the connections between superconductivity, magnetism, and electronic nematicity. The BaFe2(As1-xPx)2 (P:Ba122) system in particular has received attention because isovalent substitution of As for P generates less disorder than doping on the Fe site. The phase diagram of P:Ba122 is characterized by a line of simultaneous antiferromagnetic (AF) and tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transitions, Ts (x) , that penetrates the superconducting dome at x =0.28, just below optimal doping (xopt = 0.30). In this work, we use spatially-resolved optical polarimetry and photomodulated reflectance to detect linear birefringence and therefore breaking of 4-fold rotational (C4) symmetry. In underdoped (x<0.28) samples, birefringence appears at T>Tsand grows continuously with decreasing T . The birefringence is unidirectional in a large (300 μm x300 μm) field of view, suggesting that C4 breaking in this range of T is caused by residual strain that couples to a diverging nematic susceptibility. Birefringence maps just below Ts (x) show the appearance of domains, indicating the onset of spontaneous symmetry breaking to an AF ground state. Surprisingly, in samples with x>0.28, in which the low T phase is superconducting/ tetragonal rather than AF/orthorhombic, C4 breaking is observed as well, with an abrupt onset and domain formation at 55 K. We tentatively associate these features with a transition to an AF phase induced by residual strain, as previously proposed [H.-H. Kuo et al. Phys. Rev. B86, 134507 (2012)] to account for structure in resistivity vs. T. Time-resolved photomodulation allow us to follow the amplitude of the AF order with time following pulsed photoexcitation. Below Tc the AF order at first weakens , but then strengthens in response to the photoinduced weakening of superconductivity. This complex time evolution is

Unified models of the QCD axion and supersymmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harigaya, Keisuke; Leedom, Jacob M.

2017-08-01

Similarities between the gauge meditation of supersymmetry breaking and the QCD axion model suggest that they originate from the same dynamics. We present a class of models where supersymmetry and the Peccei-Quinn symmetry are simultaneously broken. The messengers that mediate the effects of these symmetry breakings to the Standard Model are identical. Since the axion resides in the supersymmetry breaking sector, the saxion and the axino are heavy. We show constraints on the axion decay constant and the gravitino mass.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in a two-lane model for bidirectional overtaking traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appert-Rolland, C.; Hilhorst, H. J.; Schehr, G.

2010-08-01

Firstly, we consider a unidirectional flux \\bar {\\omega } of vehicles, each of which is characterized by its 'natural' velocity v drawn from a distribution P(v). The traffic flow is modeled as a collection of straight 'world lines' in the time-space plane, with overtaking events represented by a fixed queuing time τ imposed on the overtaking vehicle. This geometrical model exhibits platoon formation and allows, among many other things, for the calculation of the effective average velocity w\\equiv \\phi (v) of a vehicle of natural velocity v. Secondly, we extend the model to two opposite lanes, A and B. We argue that the queuing time τ in one lane is determined by the traffic density in the opposite lane. On the basis of reasonable additional assumptions we establish a set of equations that couple the two lanes and can be solved numerically. It appears that above a critical value \\bar {\\omega }_{\\mathrm {c}} of the control parameter \\bar {\\omega } the symmetry between the lanes is spontaneously broken: there is a slow lane where long platoons form behind the slowest vehicles, and a fast lane where overtaking is easy due to the wide spacing between the platoons in the opposite direction. A variant of the model is studied in which the spatial vehicle density \\bar {\\rho } rather than the flux \\bar {\\omega } is the control parameter. Unequal fluxes \\bar {\\omega }_{\\mathrm {A}} and \\bar {\\omega }_{\\mathrm {B}} in the two lanes are also considered. The symmetry breaking phenomenon exhibited by this model, even though no doubt hard to observe in pure form in real-life traffic, nevertheless indicates a tendency of such traffic.

Non-reciprocal optical mirrors based on spatio-temporal acousto-optic modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleury, R.; Sounas, D. L.; Alù, A.

2018-03-01

Here, we investigate a scheme to realize free-space isolators and highly non-reciprocal mirrors with weak modulation imparted by an acoustic wave. We propose a strategy to dramatically break time-reversal symmetry by exploiting resonant interactions between a travelling acoustic wave and highly resonant Fabry-Pérot modes, inducing total reflection of an optical beam at a given angle, and no reflection at the negative angle. Different from conventional acousto-optic isolators, which are based on non-resonant frequency conversion and filtering, our proposal operates at the frequency of the optical signal by tailoring the resonant properties of the structure as well as the acoustic wave frequency and intensity, enabling 50 dB isolation with modest modulation requirements. Operation in the reflection mode allows for close-to-zero insertion loss, enabling disruptive opportunities in our ability to control and manipulate photons.

Momentum-resolved hidden-order gap reveals symmetry breaking and origin of entropy loss in URu2Si2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bareille, C.; Boariu, F. L.; Schwab, H.; Lejay, P.; Reinert, F.; Santander-Syro, A. F.

2014-07-01

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in physical systems leads to salient phenomena at all scales, from the Higgs mechanism and the emergence of the mass of the elementary particles, to superconductivity and magnetism in solids. The hidden-order state arising below 17.5 K in URu2Si2 is a puzzling example of one of such phase transitions: its associated broken symmetry and gap structure have remained longstanding riddles. Here we directly image how, across the hidden-order transition, the electronic structure of URu2Si2 abruptly reconstructs. We observe an energy gap of 7 meV opening over 70% of a large diamond-like heavy-fermion Fermi surface, resulting in the formation of four small Fermi petals, and a change in the electronic periodicity from body-centred tetragonal to simple tetragonal. Our results explain the large entropy loss in the hidden-order phase, and the similarity between this phase and the high-pressure antiferromagnetic phase found in quantum-oscillation experiments.

Taste symmetry breaking with hypercubic-smeared staggered fermions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bae, Taegil; Adams, David H.; Kim, Hyung-Jin

2008-05-01

We study the impact of hypercubic (HYP) smearing on the size of taste-breaking for staggered fermions, comparing to unimproved and to asqtad-improved staggered fermions. As in previous studies, we find a substantial reduction in taste-breaking compared to unimproved staggered fermions (by a factor of 4-7 on lattices with spacing a{approx_equal}0.1 fm). In addition, we observe that discretization effects of next-to-leading order in the chiral expansion (O(a{sup 2}p{sup 2})) are markedly reduced by HYP smearing. Compared to asqtad valence fermions, we find that taste-breaking in the pion spectrum is reduced by a factor of 2.5-3, down to a level comparable tomore » the expected size of generic O(a{sup 2}) effects. Our results suggest that, once one reaches a lattice spacing of a{approx_equal}0.09 fm, taste-breaking will be small enough after HYP smearing that one can use a modified power counting in which O(a{sup 2})<

Approximate flavor symmetries in the lepton sector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rasin, A.; Silva, J.P.

1994-01-01

Approximate flavor symmetries in the quark sector have been used as a handle on physics beyond the standard model. Because of the great interest in neutrino masses and mixings and the wealth of existing and proposed neutrino experiments it is important to extend this analysis to the leptonic sector. We show that in the seesaw mechanism the neutrino masses and mixing angles do not depend on the details of the right-handed neutrino flavor symmetry breaking, and are related by a simple formula. We propose several [ital Ansa]$[ital uml]---[ital tze] which relate different flavor symmetry-breaking parameters and find that the MSWmore » solution to the solar neutrino problem is always easily fit. Further, the [nu][sub [mu]-][nu][sub [tau

Ultrafast Photoinduced Symmetry-Breaking Charge Separation and Electron Sharing in Perylenediimide Molecular Triangles.

PubMed

Wu, Yilei; Young, Ryan M; Frasconi, Marco; Schneebeli, Severin T; Spenst, Peter; Gardner, Daniel M; Brown, Kristen E; Würthner, Frank; Stoddart, J Fraser; Wasielewski, Michael R

2015-10-21

We report on a visible-light-absorbing chiral molecular triangle composed of three covalently linked 1,6,7,12-tetra(phenoxy)perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) units. The rigid triangular architecture reduces the electronic coupling between the PDIs, so ultrafast symmetry-breaking charge separation is kinetically favored over intramolecular excimer formation, as revealed by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Photoexcitation of the PDI triangle dissolved in CH2Cl2 gives PDI(+•)-PDI(-•) in τCS = 12.0 ± 0.2 ps. Fast subsequent intramolecular electron/hole hopping can equilibrate the six possible energetically degenerate ion-pair states, as suggested by electron paramagnetic resonance/electron-nuclear double resonance spectroscopy, which shows that one-electron reduction of the PDI triangle results in complete electron sharing among the three PDIs. Charge recombination of PDI(+•)-PDI(-•) to the ground state occurs in τCR = 1.12 ± 0.01 ns with no evidence of triplet excited state formation.

Graph fibrations and symmetries of network dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nijholt, Eddie; Rink, Bob; Sanders, Jan

2016-11-01

Dynamical systems with a network structure can display remarkable phenomena such as synchronisation and anomalous synchrony breaking. A methodology for classifying patterns of synchrony in networks was developed by Golubitsky and Stewart. They showed that the robustly synchronous dynamics of a network is determined by its quotient networks. This result was recently reformulated by DeVille and Lerman, who pointed out that the reduction from a network to a quotient is an example of a graph fibration. The current paper exploits this observation and demonstrates the importance of self-fibrations of network graphs. Self-fibrations give rise to symmetries in the dynamics of a network. We show that every network admits a lift with a semigroup or semigroupoid of self-fibrations. The resulting symmetries impact the global dynamics of the network and can therefore be used to explain and predict generic scenarios for synchrony breaking. Also, when the network has a trivial symmetry groupoid, then every robust synchrony in the lift is determined by symmetry. We finish this paper with a discussion of networks with interior symmetries and nonhomogeneous networks.

Symmetry breaking in binary mixtures in closed nanoslits.

PubMed

Berim, Gersh O; Ruckenstein, Eli

2008-04-07

The symmetry breaking (SB) of the fluid density distribution (FDD) in closed nanoslits between two identical parallel solid walls described by Berim and Ruckenstein [J. Chem. Phys. 128, 024704 (2008)] for a single component fluid is examined for binary mixtures on the basis of a nonlocal canonical ensemble density functional theory. As in Monte Carlo simulations, the periodicity of the FDD in one of the lateral (parallel to the wall surfaces) directions, denoted as the x direction, was assumed. In the other lateral direction, y direction, the FDD was considered to be uniform. The molecules of the two components have different diameters and their Lennard-Jones interaction potentials have different energy parameters. It was found that depending on the average fluid density in the slit and mixture composition, SB can occur for both or none of the components but never for only one of them. In the direction perpendicular to the walls (h direction), the FDDs of both components can be asymmetrical about the middle plane between walls. In the x direction, the SB occurs as bumps and bridges enriched in one of the components, whereas the composition of the mixture between them is enriched in the other component. The dependence of the SB states on the length Lx of the FDD period at fixed average densities of the two components was examined for Lx in the range from 10 to 120 molecular diameters of the smaller size component. It was shown that for large Lx, the stable state of the system corresponds to a bridge. Because the free energy of that state decreases monotonically with increasing Lx, one can conclude that the real period is very large (infinite) and that a single bridge exists in the slit.

Symmetry breaking in binary mixtures in closed nanoslits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berim, Gersh O.; Ruckenstein, Eli

2008-04-01

The symmetry breaking (SB) of the fluid density distribution (FDD) in closed nanoslits between two identical parallel solid walls described by Berim and Ruckenstein [J. Chem. Phys. 128, 024704 (2008)] for a single component fluid is examined for binary mixtures on the basis of a nonlocal canonical ensemble density functional theory. As in Monte Carlo simulations, the periodicity of the FDD in one of the lateral (parallel to the wall surfaces) directions, denoted as the x direction, was assumed. In the other lateral direction, y direction, the FDD was considered to be uniform. The molecules of the two components have different diameters and their Lennard-Jones interaction potentials have different energy parameters. It was found that depending on the average fluid density in the slit and mixture composition, SB can occur for both or none of the components but never for only one of them. In the direction perpendicular to the walls (h direction), the FDDs of both components can be asymmetrical about the middle plane between walls. In the x direction, the SB occurs as bumps and bridges enriched in one of the components, whereas the composition of the mixture between them is enriched in the other component. The dependence of the SB states on the length Lx of the FDD period at fixed average densities of the two components was examined for Lx in the range from 10 to 120 molecular diameters of the smaller size component. It was shown that for large Lx, the stable state of the system corresponds to a bridge. Because the free energy of that state decreases monotonically with increasing Lx, one can conclude that the real period is very large (infinite) and that a single bridge exists in the slit.

Elliptic-symmetry vector optical fields.

PubMed

Pan, Yue; Li, Yongnan; Li, Si-Min; Ren, Zhi-Cheng; Kong, Ling-Jun; Tu, Chenghou; Wang, Hui-Tian

2014-08-11

We present in principle and demonstrate experimentally a new kind of vector fields: elliptic-symmetry vector optical fields. This is a significant development in vector fields, as this breaks the cylindrical symmetry and enriches the family of vector fields. Due to the presence of an additional degrees of freedom, which is the interval between the foci in the elliptic coordinate system, the elliptic-symmetry vector fields are more flexible than the cylindrical vector fields for controlling the spatial structure of polarization and for engineering the focusing fields. The elliptic-symmetry vector fields can find many specific applications from optical trapping to optical machining and so on.

Is that me in the mirror? Depersonalisation modulates tactile mirroring mechanisms.

PubMed

Adler, Julia; Schabinger, Nadine; Michal, Matthias; Beutel, Manfred E; Gillmeister, Helge

2016-05-01

Our sense of self is thought to develop through sensory-motor contingencies provided, not only by observing one's own body, but also by mirroring interactions with others. This suggests that there is a strong link between mirroring mechanisms and the bodily self. The present study tested whether this link is expressed at early, implicit stages of the mirroring process or at later, more cognitive stages. We also provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of how inter-individual differences in our sense of bodily self may affect mirroring mechanisms. We used somatosensory event-related potentials (SEPs) to investigate the temporal dynamics of mirroring highly self-related information (viewed touch on one's own face) compared to other-related information (viewed touch on a stranger's face), in individuals with low and high levels of depersonalisation, a mental condition characterised by feeling detached or estranged from one's self and body. For the low-depersonalisation group, mirroring for self-related events (P45) preceded mirroring for other-related events (N80). At later stages (P200), mirroring was stronger for other-related than self-related events. This shows that early, implicit and later, more cognitive processes play different relative roles in mirroring self- and other-related bodily events. Critically, mirroring differed in the high-depersonalisation group, specifically for self-related events. An absence of early, implicit mirroring for self-related events over P45 suggests that the associated processes may be the neural correlates of the disembodiment experienced in depersonalisation. A lack of differential mirroring for self- and other-related events over P200 may reflect compensatory mechanisms that redress deficiencies in mirroring at earlier stages, which may break down to give rise to symptoms of depersonalisation. Alternatively, or in addition, they may represent an attenuation of processes related to self-other distinction

The chiral magnetic effect and chiral symmetry breaking in SU(3) quenched lattice gauge theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braguta, V. V., E-mail: braguta@mail.ru; Buividovich, P. V., E-mail: buividovich@itep.ru; Kalaydzhyan, T., E-mail: tigran.kalaydzhyan@desy.de

2012-04-15

We study some properties of the non-Abelian vacuum induced by strong external magnetic field. We perform calculations in the quenched SU(3) lattice gauge theory with tadpole-improved Luescher-Weisz action and chirally invariant lattice Dirac operator. The following results are obtained: The chiral symmetry breaking is enhanced by the magnetic field. The chiral condensate depends on the strength of the applied field as a power function with exponent {nu} = 1.6 {+-} 0.2. There is a paramagnetic polarization of the vacuum. The corresponding susceptibility and other magnetic properties are calculated and compared with the theoretical estimations. There are nonzero local fluctuations ofmore » the chirality and electromagnetic current, which grow with the magnetic field strength. These fluctuations can be a manifestation of the Chiral Magnetic Effect.« less

Three dimensional chiral plasmon rulers based on silver nanorod trimers.

PubMed

Han, Chunrui; Yang, Lechen; Ye, Piao; Parrott, Edward P J; Pickwell-Macpherson, Emma; Tam, Wing Yim

2018-04-16

The symmetry dependences of plasmon excitation modes are studied in 3D silver nanorod trimers. The degenerate plasmon modes split into chiral modes by breaking the inversion and mirror symmetry of the nanorod trimer through translation and/or rotation of the middle rod. With a translation operation, successive evolution of the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum can be achieved through gradual breaking of the inversion symmetry. An additional rotation operation produces even dramatic spectral changes due to breaking a quasi-mirror symmetry resulted from the same angular distance of the middle rod to the top and bottom rods. Especially, pairs of new chiral modes can be excited due to the contact of the middle rod with the top-bottom rod pair. The spectral changes in the simulations, which are also demonstrated experimentally, envision the 3D chiral nanorod trimer system as plasmon ruler for spatial configuration retrieval and dynamic bio-process analysis at the single molecule level.

Soft CP violation and the global matter-antimatter symmetry of the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Senjanovic, G.; Stecker, F. W.

1980-01-01

Scenarios for baryon production are considered within the context of SU(5) and SO(10) grand unified theories where CP violation arises spontaneously. The spontaneous CP symmetry breaking then results in a matter-antimatter domain structure in the universe. Two possible, distinct types of theories of soft CP violation are defined. In the first type the CP nonconservation originates only from the breaking of SU(2) sub L X U(1) symmetry, and in the second type, even at the unification temperature scale, CP violation can emerge as a result of symmetry breaking by the vacuum expectation values of the superheavy Higgs sector scalars.

Hyperconifold transitions, mirror symmetry, and string theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Rhys

2011-09-01

Multiply-connected Calabi-Yau threefolds are of particular interest for both string theorists and mathematicians. Recently it was pointed out that one of the generic degenerations of these spaces (occurring at codimension one in moduli space) is an isolated singularity which is a finite cyclic quotient of the conifold; these were called hyperconifolds. It was also shown that if the order of the quotient group is even, such singular varieties have projective crepant resolutions, which are therefore smooth Calabi-Yau manifolds. The resulting topological transitions were called hyperconifold transitions, and change the fundamental group as well as the Hodge numbers. Here Batyrev's construction of Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in toric fourfolds is used to demonstrate that certain compact examples containing the remaining hyperconifolds — the Z and Z cases — also have Calabi-Yau resolutions. The mirrors of the resulting transitions are studied and it is found, surprisingly, that they are ordinary conifold transitions. These are the first examples of conifold transitions with mirrors which are more exotic extremal transitions. The new hyperconifold transitions are also used to construct a small number of new Calabi-Yau manifolds, with small Hodge numbers and fundamental group Z or Z. Finally, it is demonstrated that a hyperconifold is a physically sensible background in Type IIB string theory. In analogy to the conifold case, non-perturbative dynamics smooth the physical moduli space, such that hyperconifold transitions correspond to non-singular processes in the full theory.

Exact PsTd invariant and PsTd symmetric breaking solutions, symmetry reductions and Bäcklund transformations for an AB-KdV system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Man; Lou, Sen Yue

2018-05-01

In natural and social science, many events happened at different space-times may be closely correlated. Two events, A (Alice) and B (Bob) are defined as correlated if one event is determined by another, say, B = f ˆ A for suitable f ˆ operators. A nonlocal AB-KdV system with shifted-parity (Ps, parity with a shift), delayed time reversal (Td, time reversal with a delay) symmetry where B =Ps ˆ Td ˆ A is constructed directly from the normal KdV equation to describe two-area physical event. The exact solutions of the AB-KdV system, including PsTd invariant and PsTd symmetric breaking solutions are shown by different methods. The PsTd invariant solution show that the event happened at A will happen also at B. These solutions, such as single soliton solutions, infinitely many singular soliton solutions, soliton-cnoidal wave interaction solutions, and symmetry reduction solutions etc., show the AB-KdV system possesses rich structures. Also, a special Bäcklund transformation related to residual symmetry is presented via the localization of the residual symmetry to find interaction solutions between the solitons and other types of the AB-KdV system.

Direct Observation of Dynamic Symmetry Breaking above Room Temperature in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite

DOE PAGES

Beecher, Alexander N.; Semonin, Octavi E.; Skelton, Jonathan M.; ...

2016-09-21

Lead halide perovskites such as methylammonium lead triiodide (CH 3NH 3PbI 3) have outstanding optical and electronic properties for photovoltaic applications, yet a full understanding of how this solution-processable material works so well is currently missing. Previous research has revealed that CH 3NH 3PbI 3 possesses multiple forms of static disorder regardless of preparation method, which is surprising in light of its excellent performance. Using high energy resolution inelastic X-ray (HERIX) scattering, we measure phonon dispersions in CH 3NH 3PbI 3 and find direct evidence for another form of disorder in single crystals: large-amplitude anharmonic zone edge rotational instabilities ofmore » the PbI 6 octahedral that persist to room temperature and above, left over from structural phase transitions that take place tens to hundreds of degrees below. Phonon calculations show that the orientations of the methylammonium (CH 3NH 3 +) couple strongly and cooperatively to these modes. The result is a noncentrosymmetric, instantaneous local structure, which we observe in atomic pair distribution function (PDF) measurements. This local symmetry breaking is unobservable by Bragg diffraction but can explain key material properties such as the structural phase sequence, ultralow thermal transport, and large minority charge carrier lifetimes despite moderate carrier mobility. In conclusion, from the PDF we estimate the size of the fluctuating symmetry broken domains to be between 1 and 3 nm in diameter.« less

Electroweak Symmetry Breaking and the Higgs Boson: Confronting Theories at Colliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azatov, Aleksandr; Galloway, Jamison

2013-01-01

In this review, we discuss methods of parsing direct information from collider experiments regarding the Higgs boson and describe simple ways in which experimental likelihoods can be consistently reconstructed and interfaced with model predictions in pertinent parameter spaces. We review prevalent scenarios for extending the electroweak symmetry breaking sector and emphasize their predictions for nonstandard Higgs phenomenology that could be observed in large hadron collider (LHC) data if naturalness is realized in particular ways. Specifically we identify how measurements of Higgs couplings can be used to imply the existence of new physics at particular scales within various contexts. The most dominant production and decay modes of the Higgs-like state observed in the early data sets have proven to be consistent with predictions of the Higgs boson of the Standard Model, though interesting directions in subdominant channels still exist and will require our careful attention in further experimental tests. Slightly anomalous rates in certain channels at the early LHC have spurred effort in model building and spectra analyses of particular theories, and we discuss these developments in some detail. Finally, we highlight some parameter spaces of interest in order to give examples of how the data surrounding the new state can most effectively be used to constrain specific models of weak scale physics.

The game of order and symmetry in matter and in culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caglioti, G.

1995-01-01

Symmetry, symmetry breaking and broken symmetries play a central role in science and art, as well as in our daily life. Symmetry - a no-change as the outcome of a change - is synonym of invariance or indiscernibility. As a permanent reference of a structure it is associated with the meaning of the structures and it is fundamental in order to describe them. But symmetry implies the impossibility to discern, that is to measure and to perceive. In order to measure and to perceive, that is to create information and knowledge, symmetry has to be broken. The game of life - a life made of selfreproducing information - develops on the watershed of broken symmetries: an ambiguous and indented ridge of symmetries that break and recover themselves in a continuous series of choices. But even the masterpieces of art of all time run on the same ridge. The musical language, for instance, is a universal language - it can be enjoyed without being translated - just because the two contradictory attitudes of the human soul - the symmetric or dreaming attitude and the "informed" or conscious one - compose themselves in it. Similarly, the most successful trademarks exhibit a measured combination of symmetric and therefore reassuring elements, and elements that break symmetry and, in this way, evoke dynamically the rising of new perspectives. During the conference many examples will be proposed, as well as some suggestive similarities between visual arts, music and science.

Methods to introduce sub-micrometer, symmetry-breaking surface corrugation to silicon substrates to increase light trapping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, Sang Eon; Hoard, Brittany R.; Han, Sang M.

Provided is a method for fabricating a nanopatterned surface. The method includes forming a mask on a substrate, patterning the substrate to include a plurality of symmetry-breaking surface corrugations, and removing the mask. The mask includes a pattern defined by mask material portions that cover first surface portions of the substrate and a plurality of mask space portions that expose second surface portions of the substrate, wherein the plurality of mask space portions are arranged in a lattice arrangement having a row and column, and the row is not oriented parallel to a [110] direction of the substrate. The patterningmore » the substrate includes anisotropically removing portions of the substrate exposed by the plurality of spaces.« less

Unconventional Superconductivity in La(7)Ir(3) Revealed by Muon Spin Relaxation: Introducing a New Family of Noncentrosymmetric Superconductor That Breaks Time-Reversal Symmetry.

PubMed

Barker, J A T; Singh, D; Thamizhavel, A; Hillier, A D; Lees, M R; Balakrishnan, G; Paul, D McK; Singh, R P

2015-12-31

The superconductivity of the noncentrosymmetric compound La(7)Ir(3) is investigated using muon spin rotation and relaxation. Zero-field measurements reveal the presence of spontaneous static or quasistatic magnetic fields below the superconducting transition temperature T(c)=2.25  K-a clear indication that the superconducting state breaks time-reversal symmetry. Furthermore, transverse-field rotation measurements suggest that the superconducting gap is isotropic and that the pairing symmetry of the superconducting electrons is predominantly s wave with an enhanced binding strength. The results indicate that the superconductivity in La(7)Ir(3) may be unconventional and paves the way for further studies of this family of materials.

Realistic anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacko, Zacharia; Luty, Markus A.; Maksymyk, Ivan; Pontón, Eduardo

2000-03-01

We consider supersymmetry breaking communicated entirely by the superconformal anomaly in supergravity. This scenario is naturally realized if supersymmetry is broken in a hidden sector whose couplings to the observable sector are suppressed by more than powers of the Planck scale, as occurs if supersymmetry is broken in a parallel universe living in extra dimensions. This scenario is extremely predictive: soft supersymmetry breaking couplings are completely determined by anomalous dimensions in the effective theory at the weak scale. Gaugino and scalar masses are naturally of the same order, and flavor-changing neutral currents are automatically suppressed. The most glaring problem with this scenario is that slepton masses are negative in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We point out that this problem can be simply solved by coupling extra Higgs doublets to the leptons. Lepton flavor-changing neutral currents can be naturally avoided by approximate symmetries. We also describe more speculative solutions involving compositeness near the weak scale. We then turn to electroweak symmetry breaking. Adding an explicit μ term gives a value for Bμ that is too large by a factor of ~ 100. We construct a realistic model in which the μ term arises from the vacuum expectation value of a singlet field, so all weak-scale masses are directly related to m3/2. We show that fully realistic electroweak symmetry breaking can occur in this model with moderate fine-tuning.

Electronic in-plane symmetry breaking at field-tuned quantum criticality in CeRhIn5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronning, F.; Helm, T.; Shirer, K. R.; Bachmann, M. D.; Balicas, L.; Chan, M. K.; Ramshaw, B. J.; McDonald, R. D.; Balakirev, F. F.; Jaime, M.; Bauer, E. D.; Moll, P. J. W.

2017-08-01

Electronic nematic materials are characterized by a lowered symmetry of the electronic system compared to the underlying lattice, in analogy to the directional alignment without translational order in nematic liquid crystals. Such nematic phases appear in the copper- and iron-based high-temperature superconductors, and their role in establishing superconductivity remains an open question. Nematicity may take an active part, cooperating or competing with superconductivity, or may appear accidentally in such systems. Here we present experimental evidence for a phase of fluctuating nematic character in a heavy-fermion superconductor, CeRhIn5 (ref. 5). We observe a magnetic-field-induced state in the vicinity of a field-tuned antiferromagnetic quantum critical point at Hc ≈ 50 tesla. This phase appears above an out-of-plane critical field H* ≈ 28 tesla and is characterized by a substantial in-plane resistivity anisotropy in the presence of a small in-plane field component. The in-plane symmetry breaking has little apparent connection to the underlying lattice, as evidenced by the small magnitude of the magnetostriction anomaly at H*. Furthermore, no anomalies appear in the magnetic torque, suggesting the absence of metamagnetism in this field range. The appearance of nematic behaviour in a prototypical heavy-fermion superconductor highlights the interrelation of nematicity and unconventional superconductivity, suggesting nematicity to be common among correlated materials.

Higgs-like mechanism for spontaneous spacetime symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimura, Kimihide

2015-10-01

The study of spontaneous breakdown of spacetime symmetries leads to the discovery of another type of Higgs mechanism operating in a chiral SU(2) model. Some of the Nambu-Goldstone vector mesons emergent from simultaneous violations of gauge and Lorentz symmetries are, in this case, absorbed by a left-handed doublet and endow one of the fermions with a right-handed state, while another part becomes emergent as photons. Accordingly, this mechanism allows a chiral fermion to acquire a mass, and it may enable the emergent theory to reproduce the electromagnetism equivalent to the QED sector in the standard theory. It is also mentioned that the "fermion-boson puzzle" known in the presence of a 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole does not exist in our theory.

Experimental verification of orbital engineering at the atomic scale: Charge transfer and symmetry breaking in nickelate heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Patrick J.; Rui, Xue; Georgescu, Alexandru B.; Disa, Ankit S.; Longo, Paolo; Okunishi, Eiji; Walker, Fred; Ahn, Charles H.; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab; Klie, Robert F.

2017-05-01

Epitaxial strain, layer confinement, and inversion symmetry breaking have emerged as powerful new approaches to control the electronic and atomic-scale structural properties of complex metal oxides. Trivalent rare-earth (RE) nickelate R E NiO3 heterostructures have been shown to be exemplars since the orbital occupancy, degeneracy, and, consequently, electronic/magnetic properties can be altered as a function of epitaxial strain, layer thickness, and superlattice structure. One recent example is the tricomponent LaTiO3-LaNiO3-LaAlO3 superlattice which exhibits charge transfer and orbital polarization as the result of its interfacial dipole electric field. A crucial step towards control of these parameters for future electronic and magnetic device applications is to develop an understanding of both the magnitude and range of the octahedral network's response towards interfacial strain and electric fields. An approach that provides atomic-scale resolution and sensitivity towards the local octahedral distortions and orbital occupancy is therefore required. Here, we employ atomic-resolution imaging coupled with electron spectroscopies and first-principles theory to examine the role of interfacial charge transfer and symmetry breaking in a tricomponent nickelate superlattice system. We find that nearly complete charge transfer occurs between the LaTiO3 and LaNiO3 layers, resulting in a mixed Ni2 +/Ni3 + valence state. We further demonstrate that this charge transfer is highly localized with a range of about 1 unit cell within the LaNiO3 layers. We also show how Wannier-function-based electron counting provides a simple physical picture of the electron distribution that connects directly with formal valence charges. The results presented here provide important feedback to synthesis efforts aimed at stabilizing new electronic phases that are not accessible by conventional bulk or epitaxial film approaches.

Mirror Charge Radii and the Neutron Equation of State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, B. Alex

2017-09-01

The differences in the charge radii of mirror nuclei are shown to be proportional to the derivative of the neutron equation of state and the symmetry energy at nuclear matter saturation density. This derivative is important for constraining the neutron equation of state for use in astrophysics. The charge radii of several neutron-rich nuclei are already measured to the accuracy of about 0.005 fm. Experiments at isotope-separator and radioactive-beam facilities are needed to measure the charge radii of the corresponding proton-rich mirror nuclei to a similar accuracy. It is also shown that neutron skins of nuclei with N =Z depend upon the value of the symmetry energy at a density of 0.10 nucleons /fm3 .

Supersymmetric Higgs and radiative electroweak breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibáñez, Luis E.; Ross, Graham G.

2007-11-01

We review the mechanism of radiative electroweak symmetry breaking taking place in SUSY versions of the Standard Model. We further discuss different proposals for the origin of SUSY-breaking and the corresponding induced SUSY-breaking soft terms. Several proposals for the understanding of the little hierarchy problem are critically discussed. To cite this article: L.E. Ibáñez, G.G. Ross, C. R. Physique 8 (2007).

How good is μ- τ symmetry after results on non-zero θ 13?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Shivani; Joshipura, Anjan S.; Patel, Ketan M.

2013-09-01

Viability of the μ- τ interchange symmetry imposed as an approximate symmetry (1) on the neutrino mass matrix in the flavour basis (2) simultaneously on the charged lepton mass matrix M l and the neutrino mass matrix M ν and (3) on the underlying Lagrangian is discussed in the light of recent observation of a non-zero reactor mixing angle θ 13. In case (1), μ- τ symmetry breaking may be regarded as small (less than 20-30%) only for the inverted or quasidegenerate neutrino mass spectrum and the normal hierarchy would violate it by a large amount. The case (2) is more restrictive and the requirement of relatively small breaking allows only the quasidegenerate spectrum. If neutrinos obtain their masses from the type-I seesaw mechanism then small breaking of the μ- τ symmetry in the underlying Lagrangian may result in a large breaking in and even the hierarchical neutrino spectrum may also be consistent with mildly broken μ- τ symmetry of the Lagrangian. Neutrinoless double beta decay provides a good means of distinguishing above scenarios. In particular, non-observation of signal in future experiments such as GERDA would rule out scenarios (1) and (2).

Chiral symmetry breaking in QCD with two light flavors.

PubMed

Engel, Georg P; Giusti, Leonardo; Lottini, Stefano; Sommer, Rainer

2015-03-20

A distinctive feature of the presence of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in QCD is the condensation of low modes of the Dirac operator near the origin. The rate of condensation must be equal to the slope of M(π)(2)F(π)(2)/2 with respect to the quark mass m in the chiral limit, where M(π) and F(π) are the mass and the decay constant of the Nambu-Goldstone bosons. We compute the spectral density of the (Hermitian) Dirac operator, the quark mass, the pseudoscalar meson mass, and decay constant by numerical simulations of lattice QCD with two light degenerate Wilson quarks. We use lattices generated by the Coordinated Lattice Simulation (CLS) group at three values of the lattice spacing in the range 0.05-0.08 fm, and for several quark masses corresponding to pseudoscalar mesons masses down to 190 MeV. Thanks to this coverage of parameters space, we can extrapolate all quantities to the chiral and continuum limits with confidence. The results show that the low quark modes do condense in the continuum as expected by the Banks-Casher mechanism, and the rate of condensation agrees with the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation. For the renormalization-group-invariant ratios we obtain [Σ(RGI)](1/3)/F=2.77(2)(4) and Λ(M̅S)/F=3.6(2), which correspond to [Σ(M̅S)(2  GeV)](1/3)=263(3)(4)  MeV and F=85.8(7)(20)  MeV if F(K) is used to set the scale by supplementing the theory with a quenched strange quark.

Manipulating one-way space wave and its refraction by time-reversal and parity symmetry breaking

PubMed Central

Poo, Yin; He, Cheng; Xiao, Chao; Lu, Ming-Hui; Wu, Rui-Xin; Chen, Yan-Feng

2016-01-01

One-way transmission and negative refraction are the exotic wave properties founded in photonic crystals which attract a great attention due to their promising applications in photonic devices. How to integrate such two phenomena in one material or device is interesting and valuable. In this work, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that one-way electromagnetic space wave can be realized by means of two-dimensional magnetic photonic crystals. Simultaneously breaking the time-reversal and parity symmetries of the magnetic photonic crystals designed, we observe oblique incident space wave propagating one-way in the magnetic photonic crystals with positive or negative refraction occurring at interfaces, which can be manipulated upon the incident angle and operating frequency. Our work may offer a potential platform to realize some exotic photoelectronic and microwave devices such as one-way imaging and one-way cloaking. PMID:27387438

Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking and Consequent Physical Responses Induced by All-In-All-Out Type Magnetic Order on the Pyrochlore Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arima, Taka-Hisa

2014-03-01

Pyrochlore-type 5d transition-metal oxide compounds Cd2Os2O7 and R2Ir2O7 (R =rare earth) undergo a metal-insulator transition accompanied by a magnetic transition. Recently, the magnetic structures of Cd2Os2O7 and Eu2Ir2O7 were investigated by means of resonant x-ray magnetic scattering. The x-ray data indicated the all-in/all-out type magnetic order. The all-in/all-out order breaks the time-reversal symmetry, while the spontaneous magnetization is essentially absent. The magnetic order can be viewed as ferroic magnetic octupolar order. The magnetic order is expected to provide several unique physical properties like quadratic magnetization. linear magneto-capacitance, linear magneto-resistance, linear magneto-mechanical coupling and so on. The symmetry breaking results in two non-equivalent domains, ``all-in/all-out'' and ``all-out/all-in.'' Interestingly, some theoretical works predict that a peculiar metallic state would appear on the domain wall. The observation and control of the domain distribution are essential for studying verious exotic physical responses. We have developed an x-ray technique for domain imaging and started studying the effects of external stimuli on the domain distribution. This work was performed in collaboration with S. Tardif, S. Takeshita, H. Ohsumi, D. Uematsu, H. Sagayama, J. J. Ishikawa, S. Nakatsuji, J. Yamaura, and Z. Hiroi.

The generation of piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity in graphene by breaking the materials symmetries.

PubMed

Javvaji, Brahmanandam; He, Bo; Zhuang, Xiaoying

2018-06-01

Graphene is a non-piezoelectric material. Engineering the piezoelectricity in graphene is possible with the help of impurities, defects and structural modifications. This study reports the mechanism of strain induced polarization and the estimation of piezoelectric and flexoelectric coefficients for graphene system. The combination of charge-dipole potential and the strong many-body potential is employed for describing the inter-atomic interactions. The breaking of symmetry in graphene material is utilized to generate the polarization. Pristine graphene, graphene with circular defect, graphene with triangular defect and trapezium-shaped graphene are considered. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed for straining the graphene atomic systems. The optimization of charge-dipole potential functions measure the polarization for these systems. Pristine and circular defect graphene systems show a constant polarization with strain. The polarization is varying with strain for a triangular defected and trapezium-shaped graphene system. The local atomic deformation produces a change in polarization with respect to the strain gradient. Estimated piezo and flexo coefficients motivate the usage of graphene in electro-mechanical devices.

The generation of piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity in graphene by breaking the materials symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javvaji, Brahmanandam; He, Bo; Zhuang, Xiaoying

2018-06-01

Graphene is a non-piezoelectric material. Engineering the piezoelectricity in graphene is possible with the help of impurities, defects and structural modifications. This study reports the mechanism of strain induced polarization and the estimation of piezoelectric and flexoelectric coefficients for graphene system. The combination of charge-dipole potential and the strong many-body potential is employed for describing the inter-atomic interactions. The breaking of symmetry in graphene material is utilized to generate the polarization. Pristine graphene, graphene with circular defect, graphene with triangular defect and trapezium-shaped graphene are considered. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed for straining the graphene atomic systems. The optimization of charge-dipole potential functions measure the polarization for these systems. Pristine and circular defect graphene systems show a constant polarization with strain. The polarization is varying with strain for a triangular defected and trapezium-shaped graphene system. The local atomic deformation produces a change in polarization with respect to the strain gradient. Estimated piezo and flexo coefficients motivate the usage of graphene in electro-mechanical devices.

The glassy random laser: replica symmetry breaking in the intensity fluctuations of emission spectra

PubMed Central

Antenucci, Fabrizio; Crisanti, Andrea; Leuzzi, Luca

2015-01-01

The behavior of a newly introduced overlap parameter, measuring the correlation between intensity fluctuations of waves in random media, is analyzed in different physical regimes, with varying amount of disorder and non-linearity. This order parameter allows to identify the laser transition in random media and describes its possible glassy nature in terms of emission spectra data, the only data so far accessible in random laser measurements. The theoretical analysis is performed in terms of the complex spherical spin-glass model, a statistical mechanical model describing the onset and the behavior of random lasers in open cavities. Replica Symmetry Breaking theory allows to discern different kinds of randomness in the high pumping regime, including the most complex and intriguing glassy randomness. The outcome of the theoretical study is, eventually, compared to recent intensity fluctuation overlap measurements demonstrating the validity of the theory and providing a straightforward interpretation of qualitatively different spectral behaviors in different random lasers. PMID:26616194

Orbital-optimized third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory and its spin-component and spin-opposite scaled variants: Application to symmetry breaking problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozkaya, Uǧur

2011-12-01

In this research, orbital-optimized third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (OMP3) and its spin-component and spin-opposite scaled variants (SCS-OMP3 and SOS-OMP3) are introduced. Using a Lagrangian-based approach, an efficient, quadratically convergent algorithm for variational optimization of the molecular orbitals (MOs) for third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP3) is presented. Explicit equations for response density matrices, the MO gradient, and Hessian are reported in spin-orbital form. The OMP3, SCS-OMP3, and SOS-OMP3 approaches are compared with the second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), MP3, coupled-cluster doubles (CCD), optimized-doubles (OD), and coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) methods. All these methods are applied to the O4 +, O3, and seven diatomic molecules. Results demonstrate that the OMP3 and its variants provide significantly better vibrational frequencies than MP3, CCSD, and OD for the molecules where the symmetry-breaking problems are observed. For O4 +, the OMP3 prediction, 1343 cm-1, for ω6 (b3u) mode, where symmetry-breaking appears, is even better than presumably more reliable methods such as Brueckner doubles (BD), 1194 cm-1, and OD, 1193 cm-1, methods (the experimental value is 1320 cm-1). For O3, the predictions of SCS-OMP3 (1143 cm-1) and SOS-OMP3 (1165 cm-1) are remarkably better than the more robust OD method (1282 cm-1); the experimental value is 1089 cm-1. For the seven diatomics, again the SCS-OMP3 and SOS-OMP3 methods provide the lowest average errors, |Δωe| = 44 and |Δωe| = 35 cm-1, respectively, while for OD, |Δωe| = 161 cm-1and CCSD |Δωe| = 106 cm-1. Hence, the OMP3 and especially its spin-scaled variants perform much better than the MP3, CCSD, and more robust OD approaches for considered test cases. Therefore, considering both the computational cost and the reliability, SCS-OMP3 and SOS-OMP3 appear to be the best methods for the symmetry-breaking cases, based on

Orbital-optimized third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory and its spin-component and spin-opposite scaled variants: application to symmetry breaking problems.

PubMed

Bozkaya, Uğur

2011-12-14

In this research, orbital-optimized third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (OMP3) and its spin-component and spin-opposite scaled variants (SCS-OMP3 and SOS-OMP3) are introduced. Using a Lagrangian-based approach, an efficient, quadratically convergent algorithm for variational optimization of the molecular orbitals (MOs) for third-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP3) is presented. Explicit equations for response density matrices, the MO gradient, and Hessian are reported in spin-orbital form. The OMP3, SCS-OMP3, and SOS-OMP3 approaches are compared with the second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2), MP3, coupled-cluster doubles (CCD), optimized-doubles (OD), and coupled-cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) methods. All these methods are applied to the O(4)(+), O(3), and seven diatomic molecules. Results demonstrate that the OMP3 and its variants provide significantly better vibrational frequencies than MP3, CCSD, and OD for the molecules where the symmetry-breaking problems are observed. For O(4)(+), the OMP3 prediction, 1343 cm(-1), for ω(6) (b(3u)) mode, where symmetry-breaking appears, is even better than presumably more reliable methods such as Brueckner doubles (BD), 1194 cm(-1), and OD, 1193 cm(-1), methods (the experimental value is 1320 cm(-1)). For O(3), the predictions of SCS-OMP3 (1143 cm(-1)) and SOS-OMP3 (1165 cm(-1)) are remarkably better than the more robust OD method (1282 cm(-1)); the experimental value is 1089 cm(-1). For the seven diatomics, again the SCS-OMP3 and SOS-OMP3 methods provide the lowest average errors, ∣Δω(e)∣ = 44 and ∣Δω(e)∣ = 35 cm(-1), respectively, while for OD, ∣Δω(e)∣ = 161 cm(-1)and CCSD ∣Δω(e)∣ = 106 cm(-1). Hence, the OMP3 and especially its spin-scaled variants perform much better than the MP3, CCSD, and more robust OD approaches for considered test cases. Therefore, considering both the computational cost and the reliability, SCS-OMP3 and SOS-OMP3 appear to be the

Lorentz- and CPT-symmetry studies in subatomic physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, Ralf

2016-12-01

Subatomic systems provide an exquisite test bench for spacetime symmetries. This work motivates such measurements, reviews the effective field theory test framework for the description of Lorentz and CPT violation, and employs this framework to study the phenomenology of spacetime-symmetry breaking in various subatomic systems.

A spin-orbit coupling for a neutral particle from Lorentz symmetry breaking effects in the CPT-odd sector of the Standard Model Extension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belich, H.; Bakke, K.

2015-07-01

We start by investigating the arising of a spin-orbit coupling and a Darwin-type term that stem from Lorentz symmetry breaking effects in the CPT-odd sector of the Standard Model Extension. Then, we establish a possible scenario of the violation of the Lorentz symmetry that gives rise to a linear confining potential and an effective electric field in which determines the spin-orbit coupling for a neutral particle analogous to the Rashba coupling [E. I. Rashba, Sov. Phys. Solid State 2, 1109 (1960)]. Finally, we confine the neutral particle to a quantum dot [W.-C. Tan and J. C. Inkson, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 11, 1635 (1996)] and analyze the influence of the linear confining potential and the spin-orbit coupling on the spectrum of energy.

Predictions from a flavour GUT model combined with a SUSY breaking sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antusch, Stefan; Hohl, Christian

2017-10-01

We discuss how flavour GUT models in the context of supergravity can be completed with a simple SUSY breaking sector, such that the flavour-dependent (non-universal) soft breaking terms can be calculated. As an example, we discuss a model based on an SU(5) GUT symmetry and A 4 family symmetry, plus additional discrete "shaping symmetries" and a ℤ 4 R symmetry. We calculate the soft terms and identify the relevant high scale input parameters, and investigate the resulting predictions for the low scale observables, such as flavour violating processes, the sparticle spectrum and the dark matter relic density.

Symmetry Breaking in a random passive scalar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, Zeliha; McLaughlin, Richard; Camassa, Roberto

2017-11-01

We consider the evolution of a decaying passive scalar in the presence of a gaussian white noise fluctuating shear flow. We focus on deterministic initial data and establish the short, intermediate, and long time symmetry properties of the evolving point wise probability measure for the random passive scalar. Analytical results are compared directly to Monte Carlo simulations. Time permitting we will compare the predictions to experimental observations.

Aspects of Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Lattice QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horkel, Derek P.

In this thesis we describe two studies concerting lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD): first, an analysis of the phase structure of Wilson and twisted-mass fermions with isospin breaking effects, second a computational study measuring non-perturbative Greens functions. We open with a brief overview of the formalism of QCD and LQCD, focusing on the aspects necessary for understanding how a lattice computation is performed and how discretization effects can be understood. Our work in Wilson and twisted-mass fermions investigates an increasingly relevant regime where lattice simulations are performed with quarks at or near their physical masses and both the mass difference of the up and down quarks and their differing electric charges are included. Our computation of a non-perturbative Greens functions on the lattice serves as a first attempt to validate recent work by Dine et. al. [24] in which they calculate Greens functions which vanish in perturbation theory, yet have a contribution from the one instanton background. In chapter 2, we determine the phase diagram and pion spectrum for Wilson and twisted-mass fermions in the presence of non-degeneracy between the up and down quark and discretization errors, using Wilson and twisted-mass chiral perturbation theory. We find that the CP-violating phase of the continuum theory (which occurs for sufficiently large non-degeneracy) is continuously connected to the Aoki phase of the lattice theory with degenerate quarks. We show that discretization effects can, in some cases, push simulations with physical masses closer to either the CP-violating phase or another phase not present in the continuum, so that at sufficiently large lattice spacings physical-point simulations could lie in one of these phases. In chapter 3, we extend the work in chapter 2 to include the effects of electromagnetism, so that it is applicable to recent simulations incorporating all sources of isospin breaking. For Wilson fermions, we find that the

Uniform-load and actuator influence functions of a thin or thick annular mirror: application to active mirror support optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Luc

1996-03-01

Explicit analytical expressions are derived for the elastic deformation of a thin or thick mirror of uniform thickness and with a central hole. Thin-plate theory is used to derive the general influence function, caused by uniform and/or discrete loads, for a mirror supported by discrete points. No symmetry considerations of the locations of the points constrain the model. An estimate of the effect of the shear forces is added to the previous pure bending model to take into account the effect of the mirror thickness. Two particular cases of general influence are the uniform-load (equivalent to gravity in the case of a thin mirror) influence function for a ring support of k discrete points with k-fold symmetry. The influence of the size of the support pads is studied. A method for optimizing an active mirror cell is presented that couples the minimization of the gravity influence function with the optimization of the combined actuator influence functions to fit low-order aberrations. These low-spatial-frequency aberrations can be of elastic or optical origin. In the latter case they are due, for example, to great residual polishing errors corresponding to the soft polishing specifications relaxed for cost reductions. Results show that the correction range of the active cell can thus be noticeably enlarged, compared with an active cell designed as a passive cell, i.e., by minimizing only the deflection under gravitational loading. In the example treated here of the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope I show that the active correction range can be enlarged by approximately 50% in the case of third-order astigmatic correction.

Space-Group Symmetries Generate Chaotic Fluid Advection in Crystalline Granular Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turuban, R.; Lester, D. R.; Le Borgne, T.; Méheust, Y.

2018-01-01

The classical connection between symmetry breaking and the onset of chaos in dynamical systems harks back to the seminal theory of Noether [Transp. Theory Statist. Phys. 1, 186 (1918), 10.1080/00411457108231446]. We study the Lagrangian kinematics of steady 3D Stokes flow through simple cubic and body-centered cubic (bcc) crystalline lattices of close-packed spheres, and uncover an important exception. While breaking of point-group symmetries is a necessary condition for chaotic mixing in both lattices, a further space-group (glide) symmetry of the bcc lattice generates a transition from globally regular to globally chaotic dynamics. This finding provides new insights into chaotic mixing in porous media and has significant implications for understanding the impact of symmetries upon generic dynamical systems.

Experimental 64Zn(d⃗,t)63Zn spectroscopic factors: Guidance for isospin-symmetry-breaking calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leach, K. G.; Garrett, P. E.; Towner, I. S.; Ball, G. C.; Bildstein, V.; Brown, B. A.; Demand, G. A.; Faestermann, T.; Finlay, P.; Green, K. L.; Hertenberger, R.; Krücken, R.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Svensson, C. E.; Triambak, S.; Wirth, H.-F.; Wong, J.

2013-06-01

With the recent inclusion of core orbitals to the radial-overlap component of the isospin-symmetry-breaking (ISB) corrections for superallowed Fermi β decay, experimental data are needed to test the validity of the theoretical model. This work reports measurements of single-neutron pickup reaction spectroscopic factors into 63Zn, one neutron away from 62Zn, the superallowed daughter of 62Ga. The experiment was performed using a 22-MeV polarized deuteron beam, a Q3D magnetic spectrograph, and a cathode-strip focal-plane detector to analyze outgoing tritons at nine angles between 10∘ and 60∘. Angular distributions and vector analyzing powers were obtained for all 162 observed states in 63Zn, including 125 newly observed levels, up to an excitation energy of 4.8 MeV. Spectroscopic factors are extracted and compared to several shell-model predictions, and implications for the ISB calculations are discussed.

Noise focusing in neuronal tissues: Symmetry breaking and localization in excitable networks with quenched disorder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlandi, Javier G.; Casademunt, Jaume

2017-05-01

We introduce a coarse-grained stochastic model for the spontaneous activity of neuronal cultures to explain the phenomenon of noise focusing, which entails localization of the noise activity in excitable networks with metric correlations. The system is modeled as a continuum excitable medium with a state-dependent spatial coupling that accounts for the dynamics of synaptic connections. The most salient feature is the emergence at the mesoscale of a vector field V (r ) , which acts as an advective carrier of the noise. This entails an explicit symmetry breaking of isotropy and homogeneity that stems from the amplification of the quenched fluctuations of the network by the activity avalanches, concomitant with the excitable dynamics. We discuss the microscopic interpretation of V (r ) and propose an explicit construction of it. The coarse-grained model shows excellent agreement with simulations at the network level. The generic nature of the observed phenomena is discussed.

Effect of potassium doping on electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of topological crystalline insulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roychowdhury, Subhajit; Biswas, Kanishka, E-mail: kanishka@jncasr.ac.in; Sandhya Shenoy, U.

2016-05-09

Topological crystalline insulator (TCI), Pb{sub 0.6}Sn{sub 0.4}Te, exhibits metallic surface states protected by crystal mirror symmetry with negligibly small band gap. Enhancement of its thermoelectric performances needs tuning of its electronic structure particularly through engineering of its band gap. While physical perturbations tune the electronic structure of TCI by breaking of the crystal mirror symmetry, chemical means such as doping have been more attractive recently as they result in better thermoelectric performance in TCIs. Here, we demonstrate that K doping in TCI, Pb{sub 0.6}Sn{sub 0.4}Te, breaks the crystal mirror symmetry locally and widens electronic band gap, which is confirmed bymore » direct electronic absorption spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations. K doping in Pb{sub 0.6}Sn{sub 0.4}Te increases p-type carrier concentration and suppresses the bipolar conduction via widening a band gap, which collectively boosts the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) to 1 at 708 K.« less

Lightweight Deployable Mirrors with Tensegrity Supports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeiders, Glenn W.; Bradford, Larry J.; Cleve, Richard C.

2004-01-01

The upper part of Figure 1 shows a small-scale prototype of a developmental class of lightweight, deployable structures that would support panels in precise alignments. In this case, the panel is hexagonal and supports disks that represent segments of a primary mirror of a large telescope. The lower part of Figure 1 shows a complete conceptual structure containing multiple hexagonal panels that hold mirror segments. The structures of this class are of the tensegrity type, which was invented five decades ago by artist Kenneth Snelson. A tensegrity structure consists of momentfree compression members (struts) and tension members (cables). The structures of this particular developmental class are intended primarily as means to erect large segmented primary mirrors of astronomical telescopes or large radio antennas in outer space. Other classes of tensegrity structures could also be designed for terrestrial use as towers, masts, and supports for general structural panels. An important product of the present development effort is the engineering practice of building a lightweight, deployable structure as an assembly of tensegrity modules like the one shown in Figure 2. This module comprises two octahedral tensegrity subunits that are mirror images of each other joined at their plane of mirror symmetry. In this case, the plane of mirror symmetry is both the upper plane of the lower subunit and the lower plane of the upper subunit, and is delineated by the midheight triangle in Figure 2. In the configuration assumed by the module to balance static forces under mild loading, the upper and lower planes of each sub-unit are rotated about 30 , relative to each other, about the long (vertical) axis of the structure. Larger structures can be assembled by joining multiple modules like this one at their sides or ends. When the module is compressed axially (vertically), the first-order effect is an increase in the rotation angle, but by virtue of the mirror arrangement, the net

Symmetric development: transcriptional regulation of symmetry transition in plants.

PubMed

Dolan, Liam

2014-12-15

Symmetry breaking and re-establishment is an important developmental process that occurs during the development of multicellular organisms. A new report determines that transcription factors regulate a symmetry transition event in plants by modifying the direction of auxin transport. This provides one of the first mechanistic descriptions of a transition from bilateral to radial symmetry in plants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prethermal Phases of Matter Protected by Time-Translation Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Else, Dominic V.; Bauer, Bela; Nayak, Chetan

2017-01-01

In a periodically driven (Floquet) system, there is the possibility for new phases of matter, not present in stationary systems, protected by discrete time-translation symmetry. This includes topological phases protected in part by time-translation symmetry, as well as phases distinguished by the spontaneous breaking of this symmetry, dubbed "Floquet time crystals." We show that such phases of matter can exist in the prethermal regime of periodically driven systems, which exists generically for sufficiently large drive frequency, thereby eliminating the need for integrability or strong quenched disorder, which limited previous constructions. We prove a theorem that states that such a prethermal regime persists until times that are nearly exponentially long in the ratio of certain couplings to the drive frequency. By similar techniques, we can also construct stationary systems that spontaneously break continuous time-translation symmetry. Furthermore, we argue that for driven systems coupled to a cold bath, the prethermal regime could potentially persist to infinite time.

Creating 3, 4, 6 and 10-dimensional spacetime from W3 symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambjørn, J.; Watabiki, Y.

2017-07-01

We describe a model where breaking of W3 symmetry will lead to the emergence of time and subsequently of space. Surprisingly the simplest such models which lead to higher dimensional spacetimes are based on the four ;magical; Jordan algebras of 3 × 3 Hermitian matrices with real, complex, quaternion and octonion entries, respectively. The simplest symmetry breaking leads to universes with spacetime dimensions 3, 4, 6, and 10.

Near-field flat focusing mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yu-Chieh; Staliunas, Kestutis

2018-03-01

This article reviews recent progress towards the design of near-field flat focusing mirrors, focusing/imaging light patterns in reflection. An important feature of such flat focusing mirrors is their transverse invariance, as they do not possess any optical axis. We start with a review of the physical background to the different focusing mechanisms of near- and far-field focusing. These near-field focusing devices like flat lenses and the reviewed near-field focusing mirrors can implement planar focusing devices without any optical axis. In contrast, various types of far-field planar focusing devices, such as high-contrast gratings and metasurfaces, unavoidably break the transverse invariance due to their radially symmetrical structures. The particular realizations of near-field flat focusing mirrors including Bragg-like dielectric mirrors and dielectric subwavelength gratings are the main subjects of the review. The first flat focusing mirror was demonstrated with a chirped mirror and was shown to manage an angular dispersion for beam focusing, similar to the management of chromatic dispersion for pulse compression. Furthermore, the reviewed optimized chirped mirror demonstrated a long near-field focal length, hardly achieved by a flat lens or a planar hyperlens. Two more different configurations of dielectric subwavelength gratings that focus a light beam at normal or oblique incidence are also reviewed. We also summarize and compare focusing performance, limitations, and future perspectives between the reviewed flat focusing mirrors and other planar focusing devices including a flat lens with a negative-index material, a planar hyperlens, a high-contrast grating, and a metasurface.

Topological crystalline magnets: Symmetry-protected topological phases of fermions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Watanabe, Haruki; Fu, Liang

Here, we introduce a novel class of interaction-enabled topological crystalline insulators in two- and three-dimensional electronic systems, which we call “topological crystalline magnet.” It is protected by the product of the time-reversal symmetry T and a mirror symmetry or a rotation symmetry R. A topological crystalline magnet exhibits two intriguing features: (i) it cannot be adiabatically connected to any Slater insulator and (ii) the edge state is robust against coupling electrons to the edge. These features are protected by the anomalous symmetry transformation property ( RT) 2 = -1 of the edge state. Finally, an anisotropic response to the externalmore » magnetic field can be an experimental signature.« less

Topological crystalline magnets: Symmetry-protected topological phases of fermions

DOE PAGES

Watanabe, Haruki; Fu, Liang

2017-02-27

Here, we introduce a novel class of interaction-enabled topological crystalline insulators in two- and three-dimensional electronic systems, which we call “topological crystalline magnet.” It is protected by the product of the time-reversal symmetry T and a mirror symmetry or a rotation symmetry R. A topological crystalline magnet exhibits two intriguing features: (i) it cannot be adiabatically connected to any Slater insulator and (ii) the edge state is robust against coupling electrons to the edge. These features are protected by the anomalous symmetry transformation property ( RT) 2 = -1 of the edge state. Finally, an anisotropic response to the externalmore » magnetic field can be an experimental signature.« less

Electronic in-plane symmetry breaking at field-tuned quantum criticality in CeRhIn5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helm, T.; Bachmann, M.; Moll, P.J.W.

2017-03-23

Electronic nematicity appears in proximity to unconventional high-temperature superconductivity in the cuprates and iron-arsenides, yet whether they cooperate or compete is widely discussed. While many parallels are drawn between high-T c and heavy fermion superconductors, electronic nematicity was not believed to be an important aspect in their superconductivity. We have found evidence for a field-induced strong electronic in-plane symmetry breaking in the tetragonal heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn 5. At ambient pressure and zero field, it hosts an anti-ferromagnetic order (AFM) of nominally localized 4f electrons at TN=3.8K(1). Moderate pressure of 17kBar suppresses the AFM order and a dome of superconductivitymore » appears around the quantum critical point. Similarly, a density-wave-like correlated phase appears centered around the field-induced AFM quantum critical point. In this phase, we have now observed electronic nematic behavior.« less

Local symmetry breaking in SnO2 nanocrystals with cobalt doping and its effect on optical properties.

PubMed

Roy, S; Joshi, Amish G; Chatterjee, S; Ghosh, Anup K

2018-06-07

X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to study the structural and morphological characteristics of cobalt doped tin(iv) oxide (Sn1-xCoxO2; 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) nanocrystals synthesized by a chemical co-precipitation technique. Electronic structure analysis using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) shows the formation of tin interstitials (Sni) and reduction of oxygen vacancies (VO) in the host lattice on Co doping and that the doped Co exists in mixed valence states of +2 and +3. Using XRD, the preferential position of the Sni and doped Co in the unit cell of the nanocrystals have been estimated. Rietveld refinement of XRD data shows that samples are of single phase and variation of lattice constants follows Vegard's law. XRD and TEM measurements show that the crystallite size of the nanocrystals decrease with increase in Co doping concentration. SAED patterns confirm the monocrystalline nature of the samples. The study of the lattice dynamics using Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy shows the existence of many disorder activated forbidden optical phonon modes, along with the corresponding classical modes, signifying Co induced local symmetry breaking in the nanocrystals. UV-Vis spectroscopy shows that the optical band gap has red shifted with increase in doping concentration. The study of Urbach energy confirms the increase in disorder in the nanocrystals with Co doping. Local symmetry breaking induced UV emission along with violet, blue and green luminescence has been observed from the PL study. The spectral contribution of UV emission decreases and green luminescence increases with increase in doping. Using PL, in conjunction with Raman spectroscopy, the type of oxygen vacancy induced in the nanocrystals on Co doping has been confirmed and the position of the defect levels in the forbidden zone (w.r.t. the optical band gap) has been studied.

Broken rotational symmetry on the Fermi surface of a high-Tc superconductor

DOE PAGES

Ramshaw, B. J.; Harrison, N.; Sebastian, S. E.; ...

2017-02-13

Broken fourfold rotational (C 4) symmetry is observed in the experimental properties of several classes of unconventional superconductors. It has been proposed that this symmetry breaking is important for superconducting pairing in these materials, but in the high-T c cuprates this broken symmetry has never been observed on the Fermi surface. Here we report a pronounced anisotropy in the angle dependence of the interlayer magnetoresistance of the underdoped high transition temperature (high-T c) superconductor YBa 2Cu 3O 6.58, directly revealing broken C 4 symmetry on the Fermi surface. Moreover, we demonstrate that this Fermi surface has C 2 symmetry ofmore » the type produced by a uniaxial or anisotropic density-wave phase. This establishes the central role of C 4 symmetry breaking in the Fermi surface reconstruction of YBa 2Cu 3O 6+δ , and suggests a striking degree of universality among unconventional superconductors.« less

Modularity, quaternion-Kähler spaces, and mirror symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexandrov, Sergei; Banerjee, Sibasish

2013-10-15

We provide an explicit twistorial construction of quaternion-Kähler manifolds obtained by deformation of c-map spaces and carrying an isometric action of the modular group SL(2,Z). The deformation is not assumed to preserve any continuous isometry and therefore this construction presents a general framework for describing NS5-brane instanton effects in string compactifications with N= 2 supersymmetry. In this context the modular invariant parametrization of twistor lines found in this work yields the complete non-perturbative mirror map between type IIA and type IIB physical fields.

Symmetry Guide to Ferroaxial Transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hlinka, J.; Privratska, J.; Ondrejkovic, P.; Janovec, V.

2016-04-01

The 212 species of the structural phase transitions with a macroscopic symmetry breaking are inspected with respect to the occurrence of the ferroaxial order parameter, the electric toroidal moment. In total, 124 ferroaxial species are found, some of them being also fully ferroelectric (62) or fully ferroelastic ones (61). This ensures a possibility of electrical or mechanical switching of ferroaxial domains. Moreover, there are 12 ferroaxial species that are neither ferroelectric nor ferroelastic. For each species, we have also explicitly worked out a canonical form for a set of representative equilibrium property tensors of polar and axial nature in both high-symmetry and low-symmetry phases. This information was gathered into the set of 212 mutually different symbolic matrices, expressing graphically the presence of nonzero independent tensorial components and the symmetry-imposed links between them, for both phases simultaneously. Symmetry analysis reveals the ferroaxiality in several currently debated materials, such as VO2 , LuFe2 O4 , and URu2 Si2 .

Self-energy functional theory with symmetry breaking for disordered lattice bosons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hügel, Dario; Strand, Hugo U. R.; Pollet, Lode

2018-07-01

We extend the self-energy functional theory to the case of interacting lattice bosons in the presence of symmetry breaking and quenched disorder. The self-energy functional we derive depends only on the self-energies of the disorder-averaged propagators, allowing for the construction of general non-perturbative approximations. Using a simple single-site reference system with only three variational parameters, we are able to reproduce numerically exact quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) results on local observables of the Bose–Hubbard model with box disorder with high accuracy. At strong interactions, the phase boundaries are reproduced qualitatively but shifted with respect to the ones observed with QMC due to the extremely low condensate fraction in the superfluid phase. Deep in the strongly-disordered weakly-interacting regime, the simple reference system employed is insufficient and no stationary solutions can be found within its restricted variational subspace. By systematically analyzing thermodynamical observables and the spectral function, we find that the strongly interacting Bose glass is characterized by different regimes, depending on which local occupations are activated as a function of the disorder strength. We find that the particles delocalize into isolated superfluid lakes over a strongly localized background around maximally-occupied sites whenever these sites are particularly rare. Our results indicate that the transition from the Bose glass to the superfluid phase around unit filling at strong interactions is driven by the percolation of superfluid lakes which form around doubly occupied sites.

Symmetry breaking and excitonic effects on optical properties of defective nanographenes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Noguchi, Yoshifumi, E-mail: y.noguchi@issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Sugino, Osamu

2015-02-14

We investigate optical properties of the nanographene family and predict a defect induced effect by utilizing the all-electron first-principles GW+Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) method based on the many-body perturbation theory. As an accuracy check of the GW+BSE, photoabsorption spectra are calculated for a grossly warped nanographene (C{sub 80}H{sub 30}), which was very recently synthesized [Kawasumi et al., Nat. Chem. 5, 739–744 (2013)]. The calculated spectra are found to faithfully reproduce the shape, height, and position of the measured peaks. Then the method is applied to the flat nanographene without defect (C{sub 24}H{sub 12} and C{sub 38}H{sub 16}), the curved ones withmore » single defect (C{sub 20}H{sub 10}, C{sub 28}H{sub 14}, and C{sub 32}H{sub 16}), and fragments of C{sub 80}H{sub 30} with double defect (C{sub 36}H{sub 16} and C{sub 42}H{sub 20}). The existence of the defects significantly changes the optical spectra. In particular, the interaction between the defects is found to break the symmetry of the atomic geometries and enhance the excitonic effect, thereby generating the extra peaks at the lower photon energy side of the main peak. The present results might help explain the origin of the first two peaks experimentally observed for C{sub 80}H{sub 30}.« less

Hopf bifurcation with dihedral group symmetry - Coupled nonlinear oscillators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golubitsky, Martin; Stewart, Ian

1986-01-01

The theory of Hopf bifurcation with symmetry developed by Golubitsky and Stewart (1985) is applied to systems of ODEs having the symmetries of a regular polygon, that is, whose symmetry group is dihedral. The existence and stability of symmetry-breaking branches of periodic solutions are considered. In particular, these results are applied to a general system of n nonlinear oscillators coupled symmetrically in a ring, and the generic oscillation patterns are described. It is found that the symmetry can force some oscillators to have twice the frequency of others. The case of four oscillators has exceptional features.

Gauge B-L model with residual Z 3 symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma, Ernest; Pollard, Nicholas; Srivastava, Rahul

We study a gauge B–L extension of the standard model of quarks and leptons with unconventional charges for the singlet right-handed neutrinos, and extra singlet scalars, such that a residual Z 3 symmetry remains after the spontaneous breaking of B–L. The phenomenological consequences of this scenario, including the possibility of long-lived self-interacting dark matter and Z' collider signatures is discussed. Lepton number L is a familiar concept. It is usually defined as a global U (1) symmetry, under which the leptons of the standard model (SM), i.e. e,μ,τ together with their neutrinos ν e,ν μ,ν τ have L=1, and allmore » other SM particles have L=0. In the case of nonzero Majorana neutrino masses, this continuous symmetry is broken to a discrete Z 2 symmetry, i.e. (-1) L or lepton parity. In this paper, we consider a gauge B–L extension of the SM, such that a residual Z 3 symmetry remains after the spontaneous breaking of B–L. This is then a realization of the unusual notion of Z 3 lepton symmetry. It has specific phenomenological consequences, including the possibility of a long-lived particle as a dark-matter candidate.« less

Gauge B-L model with residual Z 3 symmetry

DOE PAGES

Ma, Ernest; Pollard, Nicholas; Srivastava, Rahul; ...

2016-09-07

We study a gauge B–L extension of the standard model of quarks and leptons with unconventional charges for the singlet right-handed neutrinos, and extra singlet scalars, such that a residual Z 3 symmetry remains after the spontaneous breaking of B–L. The phenomenological consequences of this scenario, including the possibility of long-lived self-interacting dark matter and Z' collider signatures is discussed. Lepton number L is a familiar concept. It is usually defined as a global U (1) symmetry, under which the leptons of the standard model (SM), i.e. e,μ,τ together with their neutrinos ν e,ν μ,ν τ have L=1, and allmore » other SM particles have L=0. In the case of nonzero Majorana neutrino masses, this continuous symmetry is broken to a discrete Z 2 symmetry, i.e. (-1) L or lepton parity. In this paper, we consider a gauge B–L extension of the SM, such that a residual Z 3 symmetry remains after the spontaneous breaking of B–L. This is then a realization of the unusual notion of Z 3 lepton symmetry. It has specific phenomenological consequences, including the possibility of a long-lived particle as a dark-matter candidate.« less

Rotational symmetry breaking toward a string-valence bond solid phase in frustrated J1 -J2 transverse field Ising model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadrzadeh, M.; Langari, A.

2018-06-01

We study the effect of quantum fluctuations by means of a transverse magnetic field (Γ) on the highly degenerate ground state of antiferromagnetic J1 -J2 Ising model on the square lattice, at the limit J2 /J1 = 0.5 . We show that harmonic quantum fluctuations based on single spin flips can not lift such degeneracy, however an-harmonic quantum fluctuations based on multi spin cluster flip excitations lift the degeneracy toward a unique ground state with string-valence bond solid (VBS) nature. A cluster operator formalism has been implemented to incorporate an-harmonic quantum fluctuations. We show that cluster-type excitations of the model lead not only to lower the excitation energy compared with a single-spin flip but also to lift the extensive degeneracy in favor of a string-VBS state, which breaks lattice rotational symmetry with only two fold degeneracy. The tendency toward the broken symmetry state is justified by numerical exact diagonalization. Moreover, we introduce a map to find the relation between the present model on the checkerboard and square lattices.

Wave induced supersonic rotation in mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fetterman, Abraham

2010-11-01

Wave-particle interactions in ExB supersonically rotating plasmas feature an unusual effect: particles are diffused by waves in both potential energy and kinetic energy [1]. This wave-particle interaction generalizes the alpha channeling effect, in which radio frequency waves are used to remove alpha particles collisionlessly at low energy. In rotating plasmas, the alpha particles may be removed at low energy through the loss cone, and the energy lost may be transferred to the radial electric field. This eliminates the need for electrodes in the mirror throat, which have presented serious technical issues in past rotating plasma devices. A particularly simple way to achieve this effect is to use a high azimuthal mode number perturbation on the magnetic field [2]. In the rotating frame, this perturbation is seen as a wave near the alpha particle cyclotron harmonic, and can break the azimuthal symmetry and magnetic moment conservation without changing the particle's total energy. The particle may exit if it reduces its kinetic energy and becomes more trapped if it gains kinetic energy, leading to a steady state current that maintains the field. Simulations of single particles in rotating mirrors show that a stationary wave can extract enough energy from alpha particles for a reactor to be self-sustaining. Rotation can also be sustained by waves in plasmas without a kinetic energy source. This type of wave has been considered for plasma centrifuges used for isotope separation [3]. [4pt] [1] A. J. Fetterman and N. J. Fisch, Phys Rev Lett 101, 205003 (2008). [0pt] [2] A. J. Fetterman and N. J. Fisch, Phys. Plasmas 17, 042112 (2010). [0pt] [3] A. J. Fetterman and N. J. Fisch, Plasma Sources Sci. Tech. 18, 045003 (2009).

Pure gravity mediation and spontaneous B–L breaking from strong dynamics

DOE PAGES

Babu, Kaladi S.; Schmitz, Kai; Yanagida, Tsutomu T.

2016-04-01

In pure gravity mediation (PGM), the most minimal scheme for the mediation of supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking to the visible sector, soft masses for the standard model gauginos are generated at one loop rather than via direct couplings to the SUSY-breaking field. In any concrete implementation of PGM, the SUSY-breaking field is therefore required to carry nonzero charge under some global or local symmetry. As we point out in this note, a prime candidate for such a symmetry might be B–L, the Abelian gauge symmetry associated with the difference between baryon number Band lepton number L. The F-term of the SUSY-breakingmore » field then not only breaks SUSY, but also B–L, which relates the respective spontaneous breaking of SUSY and B–Lat a fundamental level. As a particularly interesting consequence, we find that the heavy Majorana neutrino mass scale ends up being tied to the gravitino mass, Λ N~m 3/2. Furthermore, assuming nonthermal leptogenesis to be responsible for the generation of the baryon asymmetry of the universe, this connection may then explain why SUSY necessarily needs to be broken at a rather high energy scale, so that m 3/2≳1000 TeV in accord with the concept of PGM. We illustrate our idea by means of a minimal model of dynamical SUSY breaking, in which B–Lis identified as a weakly gauged flavor symmetry. We also discuss the effect of the B–L gauge dynamics on the superparticle mass spectrum as well as the resulting constraints on the parameter space of our model. In particular, we comment on the role of the B–LD-term.« less

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking Facilitates Metal-to-Ligand Charge Transfer: A Quantitative Two-Photon Absorption Study of Ferrocene-phenyleneethynylene Oligomers.

PubMed

Mikhaylov, Alexander; Uudsemaa, Merle; Trummal, Aleksander; Arias, Eduardo; Moggio, Ivana; Ziolo, Ronald; Cooper, Thomas M; Rebane, Aleksander

2018-04-19

Change of the permanent molecular electric dipole moment, Δμ, in a series of nominally centrosymmetric and noncentrosymmteric ferrocene-phenyleneethynylene oligomers was estimated by measuring the two-photon absorption cross-section spectra of the lower energy metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions using femtosecond nonlinear transmission method and was found to vary in the range up to 12 D, with the highest value corresponding to the most nonsymmetric system. Calculations of the Δμ performed by the TD-DFT method show quantitative agreement with the experimental values and reveal that facile rotation of the ferrocene moieties relative to the organic ligand breaks the ground-state inversion symmetry in the nominally symmetric structures.

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Y.; Nikitin, A. M.; Araizi, G. K.; Huang, Y. K.; Matsushita, Y.; Naka, T.; de Visser, A.

2016-06-01

Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms.

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments.

PubMed

Pan, Y; Nikitin, A M; Araizi, G K; Huang, Y K; Matsushita, Y; Naka, T; de Visser, A

2016-06-28

Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms.

Rotational symmetry breaking in the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3 probed by upper-critical field experiments

PubMed Central

Pan, Y.; Nikitin, A. M.; Araizi, G. K.; Huang, Y. K.; Matsushita, Y.; Naka, T.; de Visser, A.

2016-01-01

Recently it was demonstrated that Sr intercalation provides a new route to induce superconductivity in the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Topological superconductors are predicted to be unconventional with an odd-parity pairing symmetry. An adequate probe to test for unconventional superconductivity is the upper critical field, Bc2. For a standard BCS layered superconductor Bc2 shows an anisotropy when the magnetic field is applied parallel and perpendicular to the layers, but is isotropic when the field is rotated in the plane of the layers. Here we report measurements of the upper critical field of superconducting SrxBi2Se3 crystals (Tc = 3.0 K). Surprisingly, field-angle dependent magnetotransport measurements reveal a large anisotropy of Bc2 when the magnet field is rotated in the basal plane. The large two-fold anisotropy, while six-fold is anticipated, cannot be explained with the Ginzburg-Landau anisotropic effective mass model or flux flow induced by the Lorentz force. The rotational symmetry breaking of Bc2 indicates unconventional superconductivity with odd-parity spin-triplet Cooper pairs (Δ4-pairing) recently proposed for rhombohedral topological superconductors, or might have a structural nature, such as self-organized stripe ordering of Sr atoms. PMID:27350295

Role of Symmetry in the Mirror-Image Confusions of Preschoolers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel, Juliet M.; Loughlin, Kathleen A.

1978-01-01

Preschool children copied peg locations with standardized comparison pegboards aligned horizontally and diagonally and with three levels of pegboard complexity. Error patterns varied with type of alignment and display complexity. Results failed to support Bryant's hypothesis that mirror image confusions are no more frequent than other in-line…

Flavored gauge mediation with discrete non-Abelian symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everett, Lisa L.; Garon, Todd S.

2018-05-01

We explore the model building and phenomenology of flavored gauge-mediation models of supersymmetry breaking in which the electroweak Higgs doublets and the S U (2 ) messenger doublets are connected by a discrete non-Abelian symmetry. The embedding of the Higgs and messenger fields into representations of this non-Abelian Higgs-messenger symmetry results in specific relations between the Standard Model Yukawa couplings and the messenger-matter Yukawa interactions. Taking the concrete example of an S3 Higgs-messenger symmetry, we demonstrate that, while the minimal implementation of this scenario suffers from a severe μ /Bμ problem that is well known from ordinary gauge mediation, expanding the Higgs-messenger field content allows for the possibility that μ and Bμ can be separately tuned, allowing for the possibility of phenomenologically viable models of the soft supersymmetry-breaking terms. We construct toy examples of this type that are consistent with the observed 125 GeV Higgs boson mass.

A symmetry breaking phase transition-triggered high-temperature solid-state quadratic nonlinear optical switch coupled with a switchable dielectric constant in an organic-inorganic hybrid compound.

PubMed

Mei, Guang-Quan; Zhang, Han-Yue; Liao, Wei-Qiang

2016-09-25

An organic-inorganic hybrid compound, [NH3(CH2)5NH3]SbCl5, exhibits a switchable second harmonic generation (SHG) effect between SHG-OFF and SHG-ON states and tunable dielectric behaviors between high and low dielectric states, connected with the changes in the dynamics of 1,5-pentanediammonium cations during its centrosymmetric-to-noncentrosymmetric symmetry breaking phase transition at 365.4 K.

a Heavy Higgs Boson from Flavor and Electroweak Symmetry Unification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabbrichesi, Marco

2005-08-01

We present a unified picture of flavor and electroweak symmetry breaking based on a nonlinear sigma model spontaneously broken at the TeV scale. Flavor and Higgs bosons arise as pseudo-Goldstone modes. Explicit collective symmetry breaking yields stable vacuum expectation values and masses protected at one loop by the little-Higgs mechanism. The coupling to the fermions generates well-definite mass textures--according to a U(1) global flavor symmetry--that correctly reproduce the mass hierarchies and mixings of quarks and leptons. The model is more constrained than usual little-Higgs models because of bounds on weak and flavor physics. The main experimental signatures testable at the LHC are a rather large mass mh0 = 317 ± 80 GeV for the (lightest) Higgs boson.

Symmetry remnants in the face of competing interactions in nuclei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leviatan, A., E-mail: ami@phys.huji.ac.il; Macek, M., E-mail: michal.macek@yale.edu

2015-10-15

Detailed description of nuclei necessitates model Hamiltonians which break most dynamical symmetries. Nevertheless, generalized notions of partial and quasi dynamical symmetries may still be applicable to selected subsets of states, amidst a complicated environment of other states. We examine such scenarios in the context of nuclear shape-phase transitions.

Spontaneous time reversal symmetry breaking in atomically confined two-dimensional impurity bands in silicon and germanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Arindam

Three-dimensional bulk-doped semiconductors, in particular phosphorus (P)-doped silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), are among the best studied systems for many fundamental concepts in solid state physics, ranging from the Anderson metal-insulator transition to the many-body Coulomb interaction effects on quantum transport. Recent advances in material engineering have led to vertically confined doping of phosphorus (P) atoms inside bulk crystalline silicon and germanium, where the electron transport occurs through one or very few atomic layers, constituting a new and unique platform to investigate many of these phenomena at reduced dimensions. In this talk I shall present results of extensive quantum transport experiments in delta-doped silicon and germanium epilayers, over a wide range of doping density that allow independent tuning of the on-site Coulomb interaction and hopping energy scales. We find that low-frequency flicker noise, or the 1 / f noise, in the electrical conductance of these systems is exceptionally low, and in fact among the lowest when compared with other low-dimensional materials. This is attributed to the physical separation of the conduction electrons, embedded inside the crystalline semiconductor matrix, from the charged fluctuators at the surface. Most importantly, we find a remarkable suppression of weak localization effects, including the quantum correction to conductivity and universal conductance fluctuations, with decreasing doping density or, equivalently, increasing effective on-site Coulomb interaction. In-plane magneto-transport measurements indicate the presence of intrinsic local spin fluctuations at low doping although no signatures of long range magnetic order could be identified. We argue that these results indicate a spontaneous breakdown of time reversal symmetry, which is one of the most fundamental and robust symmetries of nonmagnetic quantum systems. While the microscopic origin of this spontaneous time reversal symmetry

Mimicking glide symmetry dispersion with coupled slot metasurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camacho, Miguel; Mitchell-Thomas, Rhiannon C.; Hibbins, Alastair P.; Sambles, J. Roy; Quevedo-Teruel, Oscar

2017-09-01

In this letter, we demonstrate that the dispersion properties associated with glide symmetry can be achieved in systems that only possess reflection symmetry by balancing the influence of two sublattices. We apply this approach to a pair of coupled slots cut into an infinite perfectly conducting plane. Each slot is notched on either edge, with the complete two-slot system having only mirror symmetry. By modifying the relative size of the notches on either side of the slots, we show that a linear dispersion relation with a degeneracy with non-zero group velocity at the Brillouin zone boundary can be achieved. These properties, until now, only found in systems with glide symmetry are numerically and experimentally validated. We also show that these results can be used for the design of ultra-wideband one-dimensional leaky wave antennas in coplanar waveguide technology.

Gauge U (1) dark symmetry and radiative light fermion masses

DOE PAGES

Kownacki, Corey; Ma, Ernest

2016-06-22

A gauge U (1) family symmetry is proposed, spanning the quarks and leptons as well as particles of the dark sector. The breaking of U (1) to Z(2) divides the two sectors and generates one-loop radiative masses for the first two families of quarks and leptons, as well as all three neutrinos. We study the phenomenological implications of this new connection between family symmetry and dark matter. In particular, a scalar or pseudoscalar particle associated with this U (1) breaking may be identified with the 750 GeV diphoton resonance recently observed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Symmetry breaking in (gravitating) scalar field models describing interacting boson stars and Q-balls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brihaye, Yves; Caebergs, Thierry; Hartmann, Betti

2009-09-15

We investigate the properties of interacting Q-balls and boson stars that sit on top of each other in great detail. The model that describes these solutions is essentially a (gravitating) two-scalar field model where both scalar fields are complex. We construct interacting Q-balls or boson stars with arbitrarily small charges but finite mass. We observe that in the interacting case--where the interaction can be either due to the potential or due to gravity--two types of solutions exist for equal frequencies: one for which the two-scalar fields are equal, but also one for which the two-scalar fields differ. This constitutes amore » symmetry breaking in the model. While for Q-balls asymmetric solutions have always corresponding symmetric solutions and are thus likely unstable to decay to symmetric solutions with lower energy, there exists a parameter regime for interacting boson stars, where only asymmetric solutions exist. We present the domain of existence for two interacting nonrotating solutions as well as for solutions describing the interaction between rotating and nonrotating Q-balls and boson stars, respectively.« less

Symmetry breaking, Josephson oscillation and self-trapping in a self-bound three-dimensional quantum ball.

PubMed

Adhikari, S K

2017-11-22

We study spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), Josephson oscillation, and self-trapping in a stable, mobile, three-dimensional matter-wave spherical quantum ball self-bound by attractive two-body and repulsive three-body interactions. The SSB is realized by a parity-symmetric (a) one-dimensional (1D) double-well potential or (b) a 1D Gaussian potential, both along the z axis and no potential along the x and y axes. In the presence of each of these potentials, the symmetric ground state dynamically evolves into a doubly-degenerate SSB ground state. If the SSB ground state in the double well, predominantly located in the first well (z > 0), is given a small displacement, the quantum ball oscillates with a self-trapping in the first well. For a medium displacement one encounters an asymmetric Josephson oscillation. The asymmetric oscillation is a consequence of SSB. The study is performed by a variational and a numerical solution of a non-linear mean-field model with 1D parity-symmetric perturbations.

Sequential actin-based pushing forces drive meiosis I chromosome migration and symmetry breaking in oocytes.

PubMed

Yi, Kexi; Rubinstein, Boris; Unruh, Jay R; Guo, Fengli; Slaughter, Brian D; Li, Rong

2013-03-04

Polar body extrusion during oocyte maturation is critically dependent on asymmetric positioning of the meiotic spindle, which is established through migration of the meiosis I (MI) spindle/chromosomes from the oocyte interior to a subcortical location. In this study, we show that MI chromosome migration is biphasic and driven by consecutive actin-based pushing forces regulated by two actin nucleators, Fmn2, a formin family protein, and the Arp2/3 complex. Fmn2 was recruited to endoplasmic reticulum structures surrounding the MI spindle, where it nucleated actin filaments to initiate an initially slow and poorly directed motion of the spindle away from the cell center. A fast and highly directed second migration phase was driven by actin-mediated cytoplasmic streaming and occurred as the chromosomes reach a sufficient proximity to the cortex to activate the Arp2/3 complex. We propose that decisive symmetry breaking in mouse oocytes results from Fmn2-mediated perturbation of spindle position and the positive feedback loop between chromosome signal-induced Arp2/3 activation and Arp2/3-orchestrated cytoplasmic streaming that transports the chromosomes.

Correlational signatures of time-reversal symmetry breaking in two-dimensional flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogg, Charlie; Ouellette, Nicholas

2015-11-01

Classical turbulence theories posit that broken spatial symmetries should be (statistically) restored at small scales. But since turbulent flows are inherently dissipative, time reversal symmetry is expected to remain broken throughout the cascade. However, the precise dynamical signature of this broken symmetry is not well understood. Recent work has shed new light on this fundamental question by considering the Lagrangian structure functions of power. Here, we take a somewhat different approach by studying the Lagrangian correlation functions of velocity and acceleration. We measured these correlations using particle tracking velocimetry in a quasi-two-dimensional electromagnetically driven flow that displayed net inverse energy transfer. We show that the correlation functions of the velocity and acceleration magnitudes are not symmetric in time, and that the degree of asymmetry can be related to the flux of energy between scales, suggesting that the asymmetry has a dynamical origin.

Optical diametric drive acceleration through action-reaction symmetry breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimmer, Martin; Regensburger, Alois; Bersch, Christoph; Miri, Mohammad-Ali; Batz, Sascha; Onishchukov, Georgy; Christodoulides, Demetrios N.; Peschel, Ulf

2013-12-01

Newton's third law of motion is one of the pillars of classical physics. This fundamental principle states that the forces two bodies exert on each other are equal and opposite. Had the resulting accelerations been oriented in the same direction, this would have instead led to a counterintuitive phenomenon, that of diametric drive. In such a hypothetical arrangement, two interacting particles constantly accelerate each other in the same direction through a violation of the action-reaction symmetry. Although in classical mechanics any realization of this process requires one of the two particles to have a negative mass and hence is strictly forbidden, it could nevertheless be feasible in periodic structures where the effective mass can also attain a negative sign. Here we report the first experimental observation of such diametric drive acceleration for pulses propagating in a nonlinear optical mesh lattice. The demonstrated reversal of action-reaction symmetry could enable altogether new possibilities for frequency conversion and pulse-steering applications.

Higgs boson from the metastable supersymmetric breaking sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Yang; Fan, Jiji; Han, Zhenyu

2007-09-01

We construct a calculable model of electroweak symmetry breaking in which the Higgs doublet emerges from the metastable SUSY breaking sector as a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson. The Higgs boson mass is further protected by the little Higgs mechanism, and naturally suppressed by a two-loop factor from the SUSY breaking scale of 10 TeV. Gaugino and sfermion masses arise from standard gauge mediation, but the Higgsino obtains a tree-level mass at the SUSY breaking scale. At 1 TeV, aside from new gauge bosons and fermions similar to other little Higgs models and their superpartners, our model predicts additional electroweak triplets and doublets from the SUSY breaking sector.

Precision Branching Ratio Measurement for the Superallowed β+ Emitter Ga62 and Isospin-Symmetry-Breaking Corrections in A≥62 Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyland, B.; Svensson, C. E.; Ball, G. C.; Leslie, J. R.; Achtzehn, T.; Albers, D.; Andreoiu, C.; Bricault, P.; Churchman, R.; Cross, D.; Dombsky, M.; Finlay, P.; Garrett, P. E.; Geppert, C.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hackman, G.; Hanemaayer, V.; Lassen, J.; Lavoie, J. P.; Melconian, D.; Morton, A. C.; Pearson, C. J.; Pearson, M. R.; Phillips, A. A.; Schumaker, M. A.; Smith, M. B.; Towner, I. S.; Valiente-Dobón, J. J.; Wendt, K.; Zganjar, E. F.

2006-09-01

A high-precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ decay of Ga62 was performed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator radioactive ion beam facility. Nineteen γ rays emitted following β+ decay of Ga62 were identified, establishing the dominant superallowed branching ratio to be (99.861±0.011)%. Combined with recent half-life and Q-value measurements, this branching ratio yields a superallowed ft value of 3075.6±1.4s for Ga62 decay. These results demonstrate the feasibility of high-precision superallowed branching ratio measurements in the A≥62 mass region and provide the first stringent tests of the large isospin-symmetry-breaking effects predicted for these decays.

Second-order topological insulators and superconductors with an order-two crystalline symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, Max; Trifunovic, Luka; Hoskam, Max; Brouwer, Piet W.

2018-05-01

Second-order topological insulators and superconductors have a gapped excitation spectrum in bulk and along boundaries, but protected zero modes at corners of a two-dimensional crystal or protected gapless modes at hinges of a three-dimensional crystal. A second-order topological phase can be induced by the presence of a bulk crystalline symmetry. Building on Shiozaki and Sato's complete classification of bulk crystalline phases with an order-two crystalline symmetry [Phys. Rev. B 90, 165114 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.165114], such as mirror reflection, twofold rotation, or inversion symmetry, we classify all corresponding second-order topological insulators and superconductors. The classification also includes antiunitary symmetries and antisymmetries.

Achiral symmetry breaking and positive Gaussian modulus lead to scalloped colloidal membranes

PubMed Central

Gibaud, Thomas; Kaplan, C. Nadir; Sharma, Prerna; Zakhary, Mark J.; Ward, Andrew; Oldenbourg, Rudolf; Meyer, Robert B.; Kamien, Randall D.; Powers, Thomas R.; Dogic, Zvonimir

2017-01-01

In the presence of a nonadsorbing polymer, monodisperse rod-like particles assemble into colloidal membranes, which are one-rod-length–thick liquid-like monolayers of aligned rods. Unlike 3D edgeless bilayer vesicles, colloidal monolayer membranes form open structures with an exposed edge, thus presenting an opportunity to study elasticity of fluid sheets. Membranes assembled from single-component chiral rods form flat disks with uniform edge twist. In comparison, membranes composed of a mixture of rods with opposite chiralities can have the edge twist of either handedness. In this limit, disk-shaped membranes become unstable, instead forming structures with scalloped edges, where two adjacent lobes with opposite handedness are separated by a cusp-shaped point defect. Such membranes adopt a 3D configuration, with cusp defects alternatively located above and below the membrane plane. In the achiral regime, the cusp defects have repulsive interactions, but away from this limit we measure effective long-ranged attractive binding. A phenomenological model shows that the increase in the edge energy of scalloped membranes is compensated by concomitant decrease in the deformation energy due to Gaussian curvature associated with scalloped edges, demonstrating that colloidal membranes have positive Gaussian modulus. A simple excluded volume argument predicts the sign and magnitude of the Gaussian curvature modulus that is in agreement with experimental measurements. Our results provide insight into how the interplay between membrane elasticity, geometrical frustration, and achiral symmetry breaking can be used to fold colloidal membranes into 3D shapes. PMID:28411214

Minimal S U ( 3 ) × S U ( 3 ) symmetry breaking patterns

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, Yang; Dobrescu, Bogdan A.

Here, we study the vacua of anmore » $$SU(3)\\times SU(3)$$-symmetric model with a bifundamental scalar. Structures of this type appear in various gauge theories such as the Renormalizable Coloron Model, which is an extension of QCD, or the Trinification extension of the electroweak group. In other contexts, such as chiral symmetry, $$SU(3)\\times SU(3)$$ is a global symmetry. As opposed to more general $$SU(N)\\times SU(N)$$ symmetric models, the $N=3$ case is special due to the presence of a trilinear scalar term in the potential. We find that the most general tree-level potential has only three types of minima: one that preserves the diagonal $SU(3)$ subgroup, one that is $$SU(2)\\times SU(2)\\times U(1)$$ symmetric, and a trivial one where the full symmetry remains unbroken. The phase diagram is complicated, with some regions where there is a unique minimum, and other regions where two minima coexist.« less

Minimal S U ( 3 ) × S U ( 3 ) symmetry breaking patterns

DOE PAGES

Bai, Yang; Dobrescu, Bogdan A.

2018-03-16

Here, we study the vacua of anmore » $$SU(3)\\times SU(3)$$-symmetric model with a bifundamental scalar. Structures of this type appear in various gauge theories such as the Renormalizable Coloron Model, which is an extension of QCD, or the Trinification extension of the electroweak group. In other contexts, such as chiral symmetry, $$SU(3)\\times SU(3)$$ is a global symmetry. As opposed to more general $$SU(N)\\times SU(N)$$ symmetric models, the $N=3$ case is special due to the presence of a trilinear scalar term in the potential. We find that the most general tree-level potential has only three types of minima: one that preserves the diagonal $SU(3)$ subgroup, one that is $$SU(2)\\times SU(2)\\times U(1)$$ symmetric, and a trivial one where the full symmetry remains unbroken. The phase diagram is complicated, with some regions where there is a unique minimum, and other regions where two minima coexist.« less

Topological phases protected by point group symmetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Song, Hao; Huang, Sheng -Jie; Fu, Liang

We consider symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases with crystalline point group symmetry, dubbed point group SPT (pgSPT) phases. We show that such phases can be understood in terms of lower-dimensional topological phases with on-site symmetry and that they can be constructed as stacks and arrays of these lower-dimensional states. This provides the basis for a general framework to classify and characterize bosonic and fermionic pgSPT phases, which can be applied for arbitrary crystalline point group symmetry and in arbitrary spatial dimensions. We develop and illustrate this framework by means of a few examples, focusing on three-dimensional states. We classify bosonic pgSPTmore » phases and fermionic topological crystalline superconductors with Z P 2 (reflection) symmetry, electronic topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) with U(1)×Z P 2 symmetry, and bosonic pgSPT phases with C 2v symmetry, which is generated by two perpendicular mirror reflections. We also study surface properties, with a focus on gapped, topologically ordered surface states. For electronic TCIs, we find a Z 8 × Z 2 classification, where the Z 8 corresponds to known states obtained from noninteracting electrons, and the Z 2 corresponds to a “strongly correlated” TCI that requires strong interactions in the bulk. Lastly, our approach may also point the way toward a general theory of symmetry-enriched topological phases with crystalline point group symmetry.« less

Tunable spin splitting and spin lifetime in polar WSTe monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhib Ulil Absor, Moh.; Kotaka, Hiroki; Ishii, Fumiyuki; Saito, Mineo

2018-04-01

The established spin splitting with out-of-plane Zeeman spin polarizations in the monolayer (ML) of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is dictated by inversion symmetry breaking together with mirror symmetry in the surface plane. Here, by density functional theory calculations, we find that mirror symmetry breaking in the polar WSTe ML leads to large spin splitting exhibiting in-plane Rashba spin polarizations. We also find that the interplay between the out-of-plane Zeeman- and in-plane Rashba spin-polarized states sensitively affects the spin lifetime, which can be effectively controlled by in-plane strain. In addition, the tunability of spin splitting using an external electric field is also demonstrated. Our study clarifies that the use of in-plane strain and an external electric field is effective for tuning the spin splitting and spin lifetime of the polar WSTe ML; thus, it is useful for designing spintronic devices.

Production Cross-Section Estimates for Strongly-Interacting Electroweak-Symmetry Breaking Sector Resonances at Particle Colliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobado, Antonio; Guo, Feng-Kun; Llanes-Estrada, Felipe J.

2015-12-01

We are exploring a generic strongly-interacting Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Sector (EWSBS) with the low-energy effective field theory for the four experimentally known particles (W±L, ZL, h) and its dispersion-relation based unitary extension. In this contribution we provide simple estimates for the production cross-section of pairs of the EWSBS bosons and their resonances at proton-proton colliders as well as in a future e-e+ (or potentially a μ-μ+) collider with a typical few-TeV energy. We examine the simplest production mechanisms, tree-level production through a W (dominant when quantum numbers allow) and the simple effective boson approximation (in which the electroweak bosons are considered as collinear partons of the colliding fermions). We exemplify with custodial isovector and isotensor resonances at 2 TeV, the energy currently being discussed because of a slight excess in the ATLAS 2-jet data. We find it hard, though not unthinkable, to ascribe this excess to one of these WLWL rescattering resonances. An isovector resonance could be produced at a rate smaller than, but close to earlier CMS exclusion bounds, depending on the parameters of the effective theory. The ZZ excess is then problematic and requires additional physics (such as an additional scalar resonance). The isotensor one (that would describe all charge combinations) has smaller cross-section. Supported by the Spanish Excellence Network on Hadronic Physics FIS2014-57026-REDT, by Spanish Grants Universidad Complutense UCM:910309 and Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad MINECO:FPA2011-27853-C02-01, MINECO:FPA2014-53375-C2-1-P, by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and National Natural Science Foundation of China through Funds Provided to the Sino-German CRC 110 “Symmetries and the Emergence of Structure in QCD” (NSFC Grant No. 11261130311) and by NSFC (Grant No. 11165005)

Generic Friedberg-Lee symmetry of Dirac neutrinos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo Shu; Xing Zhizhong; Li Xin

2008-12-01

We write out the generic Dirac neutrino mass operator which possesses the Friedberg-Lee symmetry and find that its corresponding neutrino mass matrix is asymmetric. Following a simple way to break the Friedberg-Lee symmetry, we calculate the neutrino mass eigenvalues and show that the resultant neutrino mixing pattern is nearly tri-bimaximal. Imposing the Hermitian condition on the neutrino mass matrix, we also show that the simplified ansatz is consistent with current experimental data and favors the normal neutrino mass hierarchy.

AXAF VETA-I mirror ring focus measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tananbaum, H. D.; Zhao, P.

1994-01-01

The AXAF VETA-I mirror ring focus measurements were made with an HRI (microchannel plate) X-ray detector. The ring focus is a sharply focused ring formed by X-rays before they reach the VEAT-I focal plane. It is caused by spherical aberrations due to the finite source distance and the despace in the VETA-I test. The ring focus test reveals some aspects fo the test system distortions and the mirror surface figure which are difficult or impossible to detect at the focal plane. The test results show periodic modulations of the ring radius and width which could be caused by gravity, thermal, and/or epoxy shrinkage distortions. The strongest component of the modulation had a 12-fold symmetry, because these distortions were exerted on the mirror through 12 flexures of the VETA-I mount. Ring focus models were developed to simulate the ring image. The models were compared with the data to understand the test system distortions and the mirror glass imperfection. Further studies will be done to complete this work. The ring focus measurement is a very powerful test. We expect that a similar test for the finally assembled mirror of AXAD-I will be highly valuable.

Bulk Rotational Symmetry Breaking in Kondo Insulator SmB 6

DOE PAGES

Xiang, Z.; Lawson, B.; Asaba, T.; ...

2017-09-25

The Kondo insulator samarium hexaboride (SmB 6) has been intensely studied in recent years as a potential candidate of a strongly correlated topological insulator. One of the most exciting phenomena observed in SmB 6 is the clear quantum oscillations appearing in magnetic torque at a low temperature despite the insulating behavior in resistance. These quantum oscillations show multiple frequencies and varied effective masses. The origin of quantum oscillation is, however, still under debate with evidence of both two-dimensional Fermi surfaces and three-dimensional Fermi surfaces. Here, we carry out angle-resolved torque magnetometry measurements in a magnetic field up to 45 Tmore » and a temperature range down to 40 mK. With the magnetic field rotated in the (010) plane, the quantum oscillation frequency of the strongest oscillation branch shows a fourfold rotational symmetry. However, in the angular dependence of the amplitude of the same branch, this fourfold symmetry is broken and, instead, a twofold symmetry shows up, which is consistent with the prediction of a two-dimensional Lifshitz-Kosevich model. No deviation of Lifshitz-Kosevich behavior is observed down to 40 mK. Our results suggest the existence of multiple light-mass surface states in SmB 6, with their mobility significantly depending on the surface disorder level.« less

Possible realization of interacting symmetry-protected topological phases in topological crystalline insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isobe, Hiroki; Fu, Liang

2015-03-01

The effects of electron-electron interaction in edge states of mirror-symmetry protected topological crystalline insulators (TCI's) are discussed. The analysis is performed by using bosonized Hamiltonian following the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid theory. When two pairs of helical edge states exist, electron-electron interaction could gap out one edge mode, which is a possible realization of interacting symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. This type of SPT phase is closely related to a Luther-Emery liquid in spinful 1D system. We also propose a method of detecting the SPT phases by STM. The other focus of the study is the classification of SPT phases in mirror-symmetry protected TCI's. By adopting the Chern-Simons theory, we find that electron-electron interaction reduces the classification from Z to Z4. It means that the edge states can be gapped out when four pairs of edge states exist. In other cases, the edge modes cannot be fully gapped. Each of these states corresponds to a different SPT phase depending on the relevant interaction process.

Symmetries and Boundary Conditions with a Twist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawadzki, Krissia; D'Amico, Irene; Oliveira, Luiz N.

2017-10-01

Interest in finite-size systems has risen in the last decades, due to the focus on nanotechnological applications and because they are convenient for numerical treatment that can subsequently be extrapolated to infinite lattices. Independently of the envisioned application, special attention must be given to boundary condition, which may or may not preserve the symmetry of the infinite lattice. Here, we present a detailed study of the compatibility between boundary conditions and conservation laws. The conflict between open boundary conditions and momentum conservation is well understood, but we examine other symmetries, as well: we discuss gauge invariance, inversion, spin, and particle-hole symmetry and their compatibility with open, periodic, and twisted boundary conditions. In the interest of clarity, we develop the reasoning in the framework of the one-dimensional half-filled Hubbard model, whose Hamiltonian displays a variety of symmetries. Our discussion includes analytical and numerical results. Our analytical survey shows that, as a rule, boundary conditions break one or more symmetries of the infinite-lattice Hamiltonian. The exception is twisted boundary condition with the special torsion Θ = πL/2, where L is the lattice size. Our numerical results for the ground-state energy at half-filling and the energy gap for L = 2-7 show how the breaking of symmetry affects the convergence to the L → ∞ limit. We compare the computed energies and gaps with the exact results for the infinite lattice drawn from the Bethe-Ansatz solution. The deviations are boundary-condition dependent. The special torsion yields more rapid convergence than open or periodic boundary conditions. For sizes as small as L = 7, the numerical results for twisted condition are very close to the L → ∞ limit. We also discuss the ground-state electronic density and magnetization at half filling under the three boundary conditions.

Direct observation of temperature-driven magnetic symmetry transitions by vectorial resolved MOKE magnetometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuñado, Jose Luis F.; Pedrosa, Javier; Ajejas, Fernando; Perna, Paolo; Miranda, Rodolfo; Camarero, Julio

2017-10-01

Angle- and temperature-dependent vectorial magnetometry measurements are necessary to disentangle the effective magnetic symmetry in magnetic nanostructures. Here we present a detailed study on an Fe(1 0 0) thin film system with competing collinear biaxial (four-fold symmetry) and uniaxial (two-fold) magnetic anisotropies, carried out with our recently developed full angular/broad temperature range/vectorial-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometer, named TRISTAN. The data give direct views on the angular and temperature dependence of the magnetization reversal pathways, from which characteristic axes, remanences, critical fields, domain wall types, and effective magnetic symmetry are obtained. In particular, although the remanence shows four-fold angular symmetry for all investigated temperatures (15 K-400 K), the critical fields show strong temperature and angular dependencies and the reversal mechanism changes for specific angles at a given (angle-dependent) critical temperature, showing signatures of an additional collinear two-fold symmetry. This symmetry-breaking is more relevant as temperature increases to room temperature. It originates from the competition between two anisotropy contributions with different symmetry and temperature evolution. The results highlight the importance of combining temperature and angular studies, and the need to look at different magnetic parameters to unravel the underlying magnetic symmetries and temperature evolutions of the symmetry-breaking effects in magnetic nanostructures.

Importance of d-wave contributions in the charge symmetry breaking reaction dd →4Heπ0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adlarson, P.; Augustyniak, W.; Bardan, W.; Bashkanov, M.; Bergmann, F. S.; Berłowski, M.; Bondar, A.; Büscher, M.; Calén, H.; Ciepał, I.; Clement, H.; Czerwiński, E.; Demmich, K.; Engels, R.; Erven, A.; Erven, W.; Eyrich, W.; Fedorets, P.; Föhl, K.; Fransson, K.; Goldenbaum, F.; Goswami, A.; Grigoryev, K.; Gullström, C.-O.; Hanhart, C.; Heijkenskjöld, L.; Hejny, V.; Hüsken, N.; Jarczyk, L.; Johansson, T.; Kamys, B.; Kemmerling, G.; Khatri, G.; Khoukaz, A.; Khreptak, O.; Kirillov, D. A.; Kistryn, S.; Kleines, H.; Kłos, B.; Krzemień, W.; Kulessa, P.; Kupść, A.; Kuzmin, A.; Lalwani, K.; Lersch, D.; Lorentz, B.; Magiera, A.; Maier, R.; Marciniewski, P.; Mariański, B.; Morsch, H.-P.; Moskal, P.; Ohm, H.; Parol, W.; Perez del Rio, E.; Piskunov, N. M.; Prasuhn, D.; Pszczel, D.; Pysz, K.; Pyszniak, A.; Ritman, J.; Roy, A.; Rudy, Z.; Rundel, O.; Sawant, S.; Schadmand, S.; Schätti-Ozerianska, I.; Sefzick, T.; Serdyuk, V.; Shwartz, B.; Sitterberg, K.; Skorodko, T.; Skurzok, M.; Smyrski, J.; Sopov, V.; Stassen, R.; Stepaniak, J.; Stephan, E.; Sterzenbach, G.; Stockhorst, H.; Ströher, H.; Szczurek, A.; Trzciński, A.; Wolke, M.; Wrońska, A.; Wüstner, P.; Yamamoto, A.; Zabierowski, J.; Zieliński, M. J.; Złomańczuk, J.; Żuprański, P.; Żurek, M.; WASA-at-COSY Collaboration

2018-06-01

This letter reports a first quantitative analysis of the contribution of higher partial waves in the charge symmetry breaking reaction dd →4Heπ0 using the WASA-at-COSY detector setup at an excess energy of Q = 60MeV. The determined differential cross section can be parametrized as d σ /d Ω = a + bcos2 ⁡θ*, where θ* is the production angle of the pion in the center-of-mass coordinate system, and the results for the parameters are a = (1.55 ± 0.46(stat) + 0.32 - 0.8 (syst)) pb /sr and b = (13.1 ± 2.1 (stat)-2.7+1.0 (syst)) pb /sr. The data are compatible with vanishing p-waves and a sizable d-wave contribution. This finding should strongly constrain the contribution of the Δ isobar to the dd →4Heπ0 reaction and is, therefore, crucial for a quantitative understanding of quark mass effects in nuclear production reactions.

Magnetic order induces symmetry breaking in the single-crystalline orthorhombic CuMnAs semimetal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Emmanouilidou, Eve; Cao, Huibo; Tang, Peizhe

2017-12-04

Recently, orthorhombic CuMnAs has been proposed to be a magnetic material where topological fermions exist around the Fermi level. Here we report the magnetic structure of the orthorhombic Cu 0.95MnAs and Cu 0.98Mn 0.96As single crystals. While Cu 0.95MnAs is a commensurate antiferromagnet below 360 K with a propagation vector of k = 0,Cu 0.98Mn 0.96As undergoes a second-order paramagnetic to incommensurate antiferromagnetic phase transition at 320 K with k = (0.1,0,0), followed by a second-order incommensurate to commensurate antiferromagnetic phase transition at 230 K. In the commensurate antiferromagnetic state, the Mn spins order parallel to the crystallographic b axismore » but antiparallel to their nearest neighbors, with the spin orientation along the b axis. This magnetic order breaks S 2z, the two-fold rotational symmetry around the c axis, resulting in finite band gaps at the crossing point and the disappearance of the massless topological fermions. Furthermore, our first-principles calculations suggest that orthorhombic CuMnAs can still host spin-polarized surface states and signature induced by nontrivial topology, which makes it a promising candidate for antiferromagnetic spintronics.« less

Sequential actin-based pushing forces drive meiosis I chromosome migration and symmetry breaking in oocytes

PubMed Central

Yi, Kexi; Rubinstein, Boris; Unruh, Jay R.; Guo, Fengli; Slaughter, Brian D.

2013-01-01

Polar body extrusion during oocyte maturation is critically dependent on asymmetric positioning of the meiotic spindle, which is established through migration of the meiosis I (MI) spindle/chromosomes from the oocyte interior to a subcortical location. In this study, we show that MI chromosome migration is biphasic and driven by consecutive actin-based pushing forces regulated by two actin nucleators, Fmn2, a formin family protein, and the Arp2/3 complex. Fmn2 was recruited to endoplasmic reticulum structures surrounding the MI spindle, where it nucleated actin filaments to initiate an initially slow and poorly directed motion of the spindle away from the cell center. A fast and highly directed second migration phase was driven by actin-mediated cytoplasmic streaming and occurred as the chromosomes reach a sufficient proximity to the cortex to activate the Arp2/3 complex. We propose that decisive symmetry breaking in mouse oocytes results from Fmn2-mediated perturbation of spindle position and the positive feedback loop between chromosome signal-induced Arp2/3 activation and Arp2/3-orchestrated cytoplasmic streaming that transports the chromosomes. PMID:23439682

Interocular high-order corneal wavefront aberration symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardo, Marco; Lombardo, Giuseppe; Serrao, Sebastiano

2006-04-01

The interocular symmetry of the high-order corneal wavefront aberration (WA) in a population of myopic eyes was analyzed before and after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The preoperative and one-year postoperative corneal aberration data (from third to seventh Zernike orders) for 4- and 7-mm pupils from right and left eyes were averaged after correcting for the effects of enantiomorphism to test for mirror symmetry. Also, the mean corneal point-spread function (PSF) for right and left eyes was calculated. Preoperatively, a moderate and high degree of correlation in the high-order corneal WA between eyes was found for 4- and 7-mm pupils, respectively. Myopic PRK did not significantly change the interocular symmetry of corneal high-order aberrations. No discernible differences in the orientation PSF between eyes were observed one year after surgery in comparison with the preoperative state over the two analyzed pupils.

Field-induced cluster spin glass and inverse symmetry breaking enhanced by frustration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, M.; Zimmer, F. M.; Magalhaes, S. G.

2018-03-01

We consider a cluster disordered model to study the interplay between short- and long-range interactions in geometrically frustrated spin systems under an external magnetic field (h). In our approach, the intercluster long-range disorder (J) is analytically treated to get an effective cluster model that is computed exactly. The clusters follow a checkerboard lattice with first-neighbor (J1) and second-neighbor (J2) interactions. We find a reentrant transition from the cluster spin-glass (CSG) state to a paramagnetic (PM) phase as the temperature decreases for a certain range of h. This inverse symmetry breaking (ISB) appears as a consequence of both quenched disorder with frustration and h, that introduce a CSG state with higher entropy than the polarized PM phase. The competitive scenario introduced by antiferromagnetic (AF) short-range interactions increases the CSG state entropy, leading to continuous ISB transitions and enhancing the ISB regions, mainly in the geometrically frustrated case (J1 =J2). Remarkably, when strong AF intracluster couplings are present, field-induced CSG phases can be found. These CSG regions are strongly related to the magnetization plateaus observed in this cluster disordered system. In fact, it is found that each field-induced magnetization jump brings a CSG region. We notice that geometrical frustration, as well as cluster size, play an important role in the magnetization plateaus and, therefore, are also relevant in the field-induced glassy states. Our findings suggest that competing interactions support ISB and field-induced CSG phases in disordered cluster systems under an external magnetic field.

Surface field theories of point group symmetry protected topological phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Sheng-Jie; Hermele, Michael

2018-02-01

We identify field theories that describe the surfaces of three-dimensional bosonic point group symmetry protected topological (pgSPT) phases. The anomalous nature of the surface field theories is revealed via a dimensional reduction argument. Specifically, we study three different surface field theories. The first field theory is quantum electrodynamics in three space-time dimensions (QED3) with four flavors of fermions. We show this theory can describe the surfaces of a majority of bosonic pgSPT phases protected by a single mirror reflection, or by Cn v point group symmetry for n =2 ,3 ,4 ,6 . The second field theory is a variant of QED3 with charge-1 and charge-3 Dirac fermions. This field theory can describe the surface of a reflection symmetric pgSPT phase built by placing an E8 state on the mirror plane. The third field theory is an O (4 ) nonlinear sigma model with a topological theta term at θ =π , or, equivalently, a noncompact CP1 model. Using a coupled wire construction, we show this is a surface theory for bosonic pgSPT phases with U (1 ) ×Z2P symmetry. For the latter two field theories, we discuss the connection to gapped surfaces with topological order. Moreover, we conjecture that the latter two field theories can describe surfaces of more general bosonic pgSPT phases with Cn v point group symmetry.

CP Symmetry, Lee-Yang zeros and Phase Transitions