Onsager's Wien Effect on a Lattice

The Second Wien Effect describes the non-linear, non-equilibrium response of a weak electrolyte in moderate to high electric fields. Onsager's 1934 electrodiffusion theory along with various extensions has been invoked for systems and phenomena as diverse as solar cells, surfactant solutions, water splitting reactions, dielectric liquids, electrohydrodynamic flow, water and ice physics, electrical double layers, non-Ohmic conduction in semiconductors and oxide glasses, biochemical nerve response and magnetic monopoles in spin ice. In view of this technological importance and the experimental ubiquity of such phenomena, it is surprising that Onsager's Wien effect has never been studied by numerical simulation. Here we present simulations of a lattice Coulomb gas, treating the widely applicable case of a double equilibrium for free charge generation. We obtain detailed characterisation of the Wien effect and confirm the accuracy of the analytical theories as regards the field evolution of the free charge density and correlations. We also demonstrate that simulations can uncover further corrections, such as how the field-dependent conductivity may be influenced by details of microscopic dynamics. We conclude that lattice simulation offers a powerful means by which to investigate system-specific corrections to the Onsager theory, and thus constitutes a valuable tool for detailed theoretical studies of the numerous practical applications of the Second Wien Effect.Comment: Main: 12 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary Information: 7 page

Neel order, ring exchange and charge fluctuations in the half-filled Hubbard model

We investigate the ground state properties of the two dimensional half-filled one band Hubbard model in the strong (large-U) to intermediate coupling limit ({\it i.e.} away from the strict Heisenberg limit) using an effective spin-only low-energy theory that includes nearest-neighbor exchange, ring exchange, and all other spin interactions to order t(t/U)^3. We show that the operator for the staggered magnetization, transformed for use in the effective theory, differs from that for the order parameter of the spin model by a renormalization factor accounting for the increased charge fluctuations as t/U is increased from the t/U -> 0 Heisenberg limit. These charge fluctuations lead to an increase of the quantum fluctuations over and above those for an S=1/2 antiferromagnet. The renormalization factor ensures that the zero temperature staggered moment for the Hubbard model is a monotonously decreasing function of t/U, despite the fact that the moment of the spin Hamiltonien, which depends on transverse spin fluctuations only, in an increasing function of t/U. We also comment on quantitative aspects of the t/U and 1/S expansions.Comment: 9 pages - 3 figures - References and details to help the reader adde

Crystal Shape-Dependent Magnetic Susceptibility and Curie Law Crossover in the Spin Ices Dy2Ti2O7 and Ho2Ti2O7

We present an experimental determination of the isothermal magnetic susceptibility of the spin ice materials Dy2Ti2O7 and Ho2Ti2O7 in the temperature range 1.8-300 K. The use of spherical crystals has allowed the accurate correction for demagnetizing fields and allowed the true bulk isothermal susceptibility X_T(T) to be estimated. This has been compared to a theoretical expression based on a Husimi tree approximation to the spin ice model. Agreement between experiment and theory is excellent at T > 10 K, but systematic deviations occur below that temperature. Our results largely resolve an apparent disagreement between neutron scattering and bulk measurements that has been previously noted. They also show that the use of non-spherical crystals in magnetization studies of spin ice may introduce very significant systematic errors, although we note some interesting - and possibly new - systematics concerning the demagnetizing factor in cuboidal samples. Finally, our results show how experimental susceptibility measurements on spin ices may be used to extract the characteristic energy scale of the system and the corresponding chemical potential for emergent magnetic monopoles.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures 1 table. Manuscript submitte

Origin of the approximate universality of distributions in equilibrium correlated systems

We propose an interpretation of previous experimental and numerical experiments, showing that for a large class of systems, distributions of global quantities are similar to a distribution originally obtained for the magnetization in the 2D-XY model . This approach, developed for the Ising model, is based on previous numerical observations. We obtain an effective action using a perturbative method, which successfully describes the order parameter fluctuations near the phase transition. This leads to a direct link between the D-dimensional Ising model and the XY model in the same dimension, which appears to be a generic feature of many equilibrium critical systems and which is at the heart of the above observations.Comment: To appear in Europhysics Letter

KIC 4768731: a bright long-period roAp star in theKeplerfield

We report the identification of 61.45 d−1 (711.2 μHz) oscillations, with amplitudes of 62.6 μmag, in KIC 4768731 (HD 225914) using Kepler photometry. This relatively bright (V = 9.17) chemically peculiar star with spectral type A5 Vp SrCr(Eu) has previously been found to exhibit rotational modulation with a period of 5.21 d. Fourier analysis reveals a simple dipole pulsator with an amplitude that has remained stable over a 4-yr time span, but with a frequency that is variable. Analysis of high-resolution spectra yields stellar parameters of Teff = 8100 ± 200 K, log g = 4.0 ± 0.2, [Fe/H] = +0.31 ± 0.24 and v sin i = 14.8 ± 1.6 km s−1. Line profile variations caused by rotation are also evident. Lines of Sr, Cr, Eu, Mg and Si are strongest when the star is brightest, while Y and Ba vary in antiphase with the other elements. The abundances of rare earth elements are only modestly enhanced compared to other roAp stars of similar Teff and log g. Radial velocities in the literature suggest a significant change over the past 30 yr, but the radial velocities presented here show no significant change over a period of 4 yr

Suppression of savanna ants alters invertebrate composition and influences key ecosystem processes

In almost every ecosystem, ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are the dominant terrestrial invertebrate group. Their functional value was highlighted by Wilson (1987) who famously declared that invertebrates are the “little things that run the world.” However, while it is generally accepted that ants fulfil important functions, few studies have tested these assumptions and demonstrated what happens in their absence. We report on a novel large‐scale field experiment in undisturbed savanna habitat where we examined how ants influence the abundance of other invertebrate taxa in the system, and affect the key processes of decomposition and herbivory. Our experiment demonstrated that ants suppressed the abundance and activity of beetles, millipedes, and termites, and also influenced decomposition rates and levels of herbivory. Our study is the first to show that top‐down control of termites by ants can have important ecosystem consequences. Further studies are needed to elucidate the effects ant communities have on other aspects of the ecosystem (e.g., soils, nutrient cycling, the microbial community) and how their relative importance for ecosystem function varies among ecosystem types (e.g., savanna vs. forest)

Reply to Comment on " Universal Fluctuations in Correlated Systems"

Reply to the comment, cond-mat/0209398 by by N.W. Watkins, S.C. Chapman, and G. RowlandsComment: To appear In Physical Review Letter

Dense colloidal suspensions under time-dependent shear

We consider the nonlinear rheology of dense colloidal suspensions under a time-dependent simple shear flow. Starting from the Smoluchowski equation for interacting Brownian particles advected by shearing (ignoring fluctuations in fluid velocity) we develop a formalism which enables the calculation of time-dependent, far-from-equilibrium averages. Taking shear-stress as an example we derive exactly a generalized Green-Kubo relation, and an equation of motion for the transient density correlator, involving a three-time memory function. Mode coupling approximations give a closed constitutive equation yielding the time-dependent stress for arbitrary shear rate history. We solve this equation numerically for the special case of a hard sphere glass subject to step-strain.Comment: 4 page

Universal Fluctuations in Correlated Systems

The probability density function (PDF) of a global measure in a large class of highly correlated systems has been suggested to be of the same functional form. Here, we identify the analytical form of the PDF of one such measure, the order parameter in the low temperature phase of the 2D-XY model. We demonstrate that this function describes the fluctuations of global quantities in other correlated, equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems. These include a coupled rotor model, Ising and percolation models, models of forest fires, sand-piles, avalanches and granular media in a self organized critical state. We discuss the relationship with both Gaussian and extremal statistics.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure