Symmetry and the polar state of condensed molecular matter

Polar molecular crystals seem to contradict a quantum mechanical statement, according to which no stationary state of a system features a permanent electrical polarization. By stationary we understand here an ensemble for which thermal averaging applies. In the language of statistical mechanics we have thus to ask for the thermal expectation value of the polarization in molecular crystals. Nucleation aggregates and growing crystal surfaces can provide a single degree of freedom for polar molecules required to average the polarization. By means of group theoretical reasoning and Monte Carlo simulations we show that such systems thermalize into a bi-polar state featuring zero bulk polarity. A two domain, i.e. bipolar state is obtained because boundaries are setting up opposing effective electrical fields. Described phenomena can be understood as a process of partial ergodicity-restoring. Experimentally, a bi-polar state of molecular crystals was demonstrated using phase sensitive second harmonic generation and scanning pyroelectric microscopy

Litter breakdown and mineralization in a central African rain forest dominated by ectomycorrhizal trees

Based on litter mass and litterfall data, decomposition rates for leaves were found to be fast (k = 3.3) and the turnover times short (3.6 mo) on the low-nutrient sandy soils of Korup. Leaf litter of four ectomycorrhizal tree species (Berlinia bracteosa, Didelotia africana, Microberlinia bisulcata and Tetraberlinia bifoliolata) and of three non-ectomycorrhizal species (Cola verticillata, Oubanguia alata and Strephonema pseudocola) from Korup were left to decompose in 2-mm mesh bags on the forest floor in three plots of each of two forest types forest of low (LEM) and high (HEM) abundance of ectomycorrhizal (caesalp) trees. The litter of the ectomycorrhizal species decayed at a significantly slower rate than that of the non-ectomycorrhizal species, although the former were richer in P and N concentrations of the start. Disappearance rates of the litter layer showed a similar trend. Ectomycorrhizal species immobilized less N, but mineralized more P, than non-ectomycorrhizal species. Differences between species groups in K, Mg and Ca mineralization were negligible. Effect of forest type was clear only for Mg: mineralization of Mg was faster in the HEM than LEM plots, a pattern repeated across all species. This difference was attributed to a much more prolific fine root mat in the HEM than LEM forest. The relatively fast release of P from the litter of the ectomycorrhizal species suggests that the mat must allow an efficient uptake to maintain P in the forest ecosystem.

Effects of meaning and symmetry on judgments of size

Research has shown that people judge words as having bigger font size than non-words. This finding has been interpreted in terms of processing fluency, with higher fluency leading to judgments of bigger size. If so, symmetric numbers (e.g., 44) which can be processed more fluently are predicted to be judged as larger than asymmetric numbers (e.g., 43). However, recent research found that symmetric numbers were judged to be smaller than asymmetric numbers. This finding suggests that the mechanisms underlying size judgments may differ in meaningful and meaningless materials. Supporting this notion, we showed in Experiment 1 that meaning increased judged size, whereas symmetry decreased judged size. In the next two experiments, we excluded several alternative explanations for the differences in size judgments between meaningful and meaningless materials in earlier studies. This finding contradicts the notion that the mechanism underlying judgments of size is processing fluency.

Holes localized on a Skyrmion in a doped antiferromagnet on the honeycomb lattice: Symmetry analysis

Using the low-energy effective field theory for hole-doped antiferromagnets on the honeycomb lattice, we study the localization of holes on Skyrmions, as a potential mechanism for the preformation of Cooper pairs. In contrast to the square lattice case, for the standard radial profile of the Skyrmion on the honeycomb lattice, only holes residing in one of the two hole pockets can get localized. This differs qualitatively from hole pairs bound by magnon exchange, which is most attractive between holes residing in different momentum space pockets. On the honeycomb lattice, magnon exchange unambiguously leads to f-wave pairing, which is also observed experimentally. Using the collective-mode quantization of the Skyrmion, we determine the quantum numbers of the localized hole pairs. Again, f-wave symmetry is possible, but other competing pairing symmetries cannot be ruled out.

Gauged R-symmetry and its anomalies in 4D N=1 supergravity and phenomenological implications

We consider a class of models with gauged U(1) R symmetry in 4D N=1 super-gravity that have, at the classical level, a metastable ground state, an infinitesimally small (tunable) positive cosmological constant and a TeV gravitino mass. We analyse if these properties are maintained under the addition of visible sector (MSSM-like) and hidden sector state(s), where the latter may be needed for quantum consistency. We then discuss the anomaly cancellation conditions in supergravity as derived by Freedman, Elvang and Körs and apply their results to the special case of a U(1) R symmetry, in the presence of the Fayet-Iliopoulos term (ξ) and Green-Schwarz mechanism(s). We investigate the relation of these anomaly cancellation conditions to the “naive” field theory approach in global SUSY, in which case U(1) R cannot even be gauged. We show the two approaches give similar conditions. Their induced constraints at the phenomenological level, on the above models, remain strong even if one lifted the GUT-like conditions for the MSSM gauge couplings. In an anomaly-free model, a tunable, TeV-scale gravitino mass may remain possible provided that the U(1) R charges of additional hidden sector fermions (constrained by the cubic anomaly alone) do not conflict with the related values of U(1) R charges of their scalar superpartners, constrained by existence of a stable ground state. This issue may be bypassed by tuning instead the coefficients of the Kahler connection anomalies (b K , b CK ).

Breakdown voltage of metal-oxide resistors in liquid argon

We characterized a sample of metal-oxide resistors and measured their breakdown voltage in liquid argon by applying high voltage (HV) pulses over a 3 second period. This test mimics the situation in a HV-divider chain when a breakdown occurs and the voltage across resistors rapidly rise from the static value to much higher values. All resistors had higher breakdown voltages in liquid argon than their vendor ratings in air at room temperature. Failure modes range from full destruction to coating damage. In cases where breakdown was not catastrophic, subsequent breakdown voltages were lower in subsequent measuring runs. One resistor type withstands 131 kV pulses, the limit of the test setup.