Constant Backgrounds Research Articles

Asymmetric Rogue Waves, Breather-to-Soliton Conversion, and Nonlinear Wave Interactions in the Hirota–Maxwell–Bloch System

We study the nonlinear localized waves on constant backgrounds of the Hirota–Maxwell–Bloch (HMB) system arising from the erbium doped fibers. We derive the asymmetric breather, rogue wave (RW) and semirational solutions of the HMB system. We show that the breather and RW solutions can be converted into various soliton solutions. Under different conditions of parameters, we calculate the locus of the eigenvalues on the complex plane which converts the breathers or RWs into solitons. Based on the second-order solutions, we investigate the interactions among different types of nonlinear waves including the breathers, RWs and solitons.

Breather-to-soliton transitions, nonlinear wave interactions, and modulational instability in a higher-order generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

We study the nonlinear waves on constant backgrounds of the higher-order generalized nonlinear Schrödinger (HGNLS) equation describing the propagation of ultrashort optical pulse in optical fibers. We derive the breather, rogue wave, and semirational solutions of the HGNLS equation. Our results show that these three types of solutions can be converted into the nonpulsating soliton solutions. In particular, we present the explicit conditions for the transitions between breathers and solitons with different structures. Further, we investigate the characteristics of the collisions between the soliton and breathers. Especially, based on the semirational solutions of the HGNLS equation, we display the novel interactions between the rogue waves and other nonlinear waves. In addition, we reveal the explicit relation between the transition and the distribution characteristics of the modulation instability growth rate.

An optimization approach for the localization of defects in an inhomogeneous medium from acoustic far-field measurements at a fixed frequency

We are interested in the localization of defects in non-homogeneous non-absorbing media, with far-field measurements, generated by plane waves. We present here a way to handle the inhomogeneous background problem by the means of a constrained optimization approach; in the lines of the inf criterion from the factorization method for constant backgrounds. We show that both cost function and constraints present a simple form that is easy to compute. They can thus be treated by many well-known optimization methods, and we numerically illustrate four of them.

AdS pure spinor superstring in constant backgrounds

In this paper we study the pure spinor formulation of the superstring in $AdS_5\times S^5$ around point particle solutions of the classical equations of motion. As a particular example we quantize the pure spinor string in the BMN background.

Local CP-violation and electric charge separation by magnetic fields from lattice QCD

We study local CP-violation on the lattice by measuring the local correlation between the topological charge density and the electric dipole moment of quarks, induced by a constant external magnetic field. This correlator is found to increase linearly with the external field, with the coefficient of proportionality depending only weakly on temperature. Results are obtained on lattices with various spacings, and are extrapolated to the continuum limit after the renormalization of the observables is carried out. This renormalization utilizes the gradient flow for the quark and gluon fields. Our findings suggest that the strength of local CP-violation in QCD with physical quark masses is about an order of magnitude smaller than a model prediction based on nearly massless quarks in domains of constant gluon backgrounds with topological charge. We also show numerical evidence that the observed local CP-violation correlates with spatially extended electric dipole structures in the QCD vacuum.

Breathers and localized solitons for the Hirota–Maxwell–Bloch system on constant backgrounds in erbium doped fibers

In nonlinear erbium doped fibers, the Hirota–Maxwell–Bloch system with higher order effects usually governs the propagation of ultrashort pulses. New soliton solutions for this system are constructed on the constant backgrounds including one and two breathers and first and higher order localized soliton solutions. Considering the influence of higher order effects, propagation properties of those soliton solutions are discussed.

Worldsheet realization of the refined topological string

A worldsheet realization of the refined topological string is proposed in terms of physical string amplitudes that compute generalized N=2 F-terms of the form Fg,nW2gϒ2n in the effective supergravity action. These terms involve the chiral Weyl superfield W and a superfield ϒ defined as an N=2 chiral projection of a particular anti-chiral T¯-vector multiplet. In Heterotic and Type I theories, obtained upon compactification on the six-dimensional manifold K3×T2, T is the usual Kähler modulus of the T2 torus. These amplitudes are computed exactly at the one-loop level in string theory. They are shown to reproduce the correct perturbative part of the Nekrasov partition function in the field theory limit when expanded around an SU(2) enhancement point of the string moduli space. The two deformation parameters ϵ− and ϵ+ of the Ω supergravity background are then identified with the constant field strength backgrounds for the anti-self-dual graviphoton and self-dual gauge field of the T¯ vector multiplet, respectively.

Background field formalism and construction of effective action for N = 2, d = 3 supersymmetric gauge theories

We review the background field method for three-dimensional Yang-Mills and Chern-Simons models in N = 2 superspace. Superfield proper time (heat kernel) techniques are developed and exact expressions of heat kernels for constant backgrounds are presented. The background field method and heat kernel techniques are applied for evaluating the low-energy effective actions in N = 2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills and Chern-Simons models as well as in N = 4 and N = 8 SYM theories.

Weyl gauging of topologically massive gravity

We construct a Weyl-invariant extension of topologically massive gravity which, remarkably, turns out to include topologically massive electrodynamics, with a Proca mass term, conformally coupled to a scalar field. The action has no dimensionful parameters, therefore, the masses are generated via symmetry breaking either radiatively in flat backgrounds or spontaneously in constant curvature backgrounds. The broken phase of the theory, generically, has a single massive spin-2 and a massive spin-1 excitation. Chiral gravity in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes does not arise as a low energy theory, while chiral gravity in de Sitter spacetime is not ruled out.

All unitary cubic curvature gravities in D dimensions

We construct all the unitary cubic curvature gravity theories built on the contractions of the Riemann tensor in D-dimensional (anti)-de Sitter spacetimes. Our construction is based on finding the equivalent quadratic action for the general cubic curvature theory and imposing ghost and tachyon freedom, which greatly simplifies the highly complicated problem of finding the propagator of cubic curvature theories in constant curvature backgrounds. To carry out the procedure we have also classified all the unitary quadratic models. We use our general results to study the recently found cubic curvature theories using different techniques and the string generated cubic curvature gravity model. We also study the scattering in critical gravity and give its cubic curvature extensions.

String Theory and the Velo–Zwanziger problem

We examine the behavior of the leading Regge trajectory of the open bosonic string in a uniform electromagnetic background and present a consistent set of Fierz–Pauli conditions for these symmetric tensors that generalizes the Argyres–Nappi spin-2 result. These equations indicate that String Theory does bypass the Velo–Zwanziger problem, i.e. the loss of causality experienced by a massive high-spin field minimally coupled to electromagnetism. Moreover, we provide some evidence that only the first Regge trajectory can be described in isolation and show that the open-string spectrum is free of ghosts in weak constant backgrounds. Finally, we comment on the roles of the critical dimension and of the gyromagnetic ratio.

Unitarity analysis of general Born-Infeld gravity theories

We develop techniques of analyzing the unitarity of general Born-Infeld gravity actions in $D$-dimensional spacetimes. The determinantal form of the action allows us to find a compact expression quadratic in the metric fluctuations around constant curvature backgrounds. This is highly nontrivial since for the Born-Infeld actions, in principle, infinitely many terms in the curvature expansion should contribute to the quadratic action in the metric fluctuations around constant curvature backgrounds, which would render the unitarity analysis intractable. Moreover in even dimensions, unitarity of the theory depends only on finite number of terms built from the powers of the curvature tensor. We apply our techniques to some four-dimensional examples.

Duality symmetry of string theory: A worldsheet perspective

We study duality and local symmetries of closed bosonic string from the perspectives of worldsheet approach in the phase space path integral formalism. It is shown that the Ward identities reflecting the local symmetries associated with massless excitations such as graviton and antisymmetric tensor can be cast in a duality covariant form. It is shown how the manifestly O(d,d) invariant Hamiltonian can be obtained in the Hassan–Sen toroidal compactification scheme, d being the number of compact dimensions. It is proposed that massive excited states possess a T-duality symmetry for constant (tensor) backgrounds. This conjecture is verified for the first massive level.

Deformations of Maxwell superalgebras and their applications

We describe the Lie algebra deformations of D=4 Maxwell superalgebra that was recently introduced as the symmetry algebra of a kappa-symmetric massless superparticle in a supersymmetric constant electromagnetic backgrounds. Further we introduce the D=3 Maxwell superalgebra and present all its possible deformations. Finally, the deformed superalgebras are used to derive via a contraction procedure the complete set of Casimir operators for D=4 and D=3 Maxwell superalgebras.

Strong Field, Noncommutative QED

We review the effects of strong background fields in noncommutative QED. Beginning with the noncommutative Maxwell and Dirac equations, we describe how combined noncommutative and strong field effects modify the propagation of fermions and photons. We extend these studies beyond the case of constant backgrounds by giving a new and revealing interpretation of the photon dispersion relation. Considering scattering in background fields, we then show that the noncommutative photon is primarily responsible for generating deviations from strong field QED results. Finally, we propose a new method for constructing gauge invariant variables in noncommutative QED, and use it to analyse the physics of our null background fields.

Maxwell Superalgebra and Superparticles in Constant Gauge Backgrounds

We present the Maxwell superalgebra, an N=1, D=4 algebra with two Majorana supercharges, obtained as the minimal enlargement of a Poincaré superalgebra containing the Maxwell algebra as a subalgebra. The new superalgebra describes the supersymmetries of generalized N=1, D=4 superspace in the presence of a constant Abelian supersymmetric field strength background. Applying the techniques of nonlinear coset realization to the Maxwell supergroup we propose a new kappa-invariant massless superparticle model providing a dynamical realization of the Maxwell superalgebra.

Fluorescence tomographic imaging using a handheld-probe-based optical imager: extensive phantom studies

Handheld-probe-based optical imagers are a popular approach toward breast imaging because of their potential portability and maximum patient comfort. A novel handheld-probe-based optical imager has been developed and its feasibility for three-dimensional fluorescence tomographic imaging demonstrated. Extensive tomography studies were performed on large slab phantoms (650 ml) to assess the performance limits of the handheld imager. Experiments were performed by using different target volumes (0.1-0.45 cm3), target depths (1-3 cm), and fluorescence (Indocyanine Green) absorption contrast ratios in a nonfluorescing (1:0) and constant fluorescing backgrounds (1000:1 to 5:1). The estimated sensitivity and specificity of the handheld imager are 43% and 95%, respectively.

One-loop masses of open-string scalar fields in string theory

In phenomenological models with D-branes, there are in general open-string massless scalar fields, in addition to closed-string massless moduli fields corresponding to the compactification. It is interesting to focus on the fate of such scalar fields in models with broken supersymmetry, because no symmetry forbids their masses. The one-loop effect may give non-zero masses to them, and in some cases mass squared may become negative, which means the radiative gauge symmetry breaking. In this article we investigate and propose a simple method for calculating the one-loop corrections using the boundary state formalism. There are two categories of massless open-string scalar fields. One consists the gauge potential fields corresponding to compactified directions, which can be understood as scalar fields in uncompactified space-time (related with Wilson line degrees of freedom). The other consists "gauge potential fields" corresponding to transverse directions of D-brane, which emerge as scalar fields in D-brane world-volume (related with brane moduli fields). The D-brane boundary states with constant backgrounds of these scalar fields are constructed, and one-loop scalar masses are calculated in the closed string picture. Explicit calculations are given in the following four concrete models: one D25-brane with a circle compactification in bosonic string theory, one D9-brane with a circle compactification in superstring theory, D3-branes at a supersymmetric C^3/Z_3 orbifold singularity, and a model of brane supersymmetry breaking with D3-branes and anti-D7-branes at a supersymmetric C^3/Z_3 orbifold singularity. We show that the sign of the mass squared has a strong correlation with the sign of the related open-string one-loop vacuum amplitude.

Are Auditory-Evoked Frequency and Duration Mismatch Negativity Deficits Endophenotypic for Schizophrenia? High-Density Electrical Mapping in Clinically Unaffected First-Degree Relatives and First-Episode and Chronic Schizophrenia

Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a negative-going event-related potential (ERP) component that occurs in response to intermittent changes in constant auditory backgrounds. A consistent finding across a large number of studies has been impaired MMN generation in schizophrenia, which has been interpreted as evidence for fundamental deficits in automatic auditory sensory processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which dysfunction in MMN generation might represent an endophenotypic marker for schizophrenia. We measured MMN to deviants in duration (25 msec, 1000 Hz) and deviants in pitch (50 msec, 1200 Hz) relative to standard tones (50 msec, 1000 Hz) in 45 chronic schizophrenia patients, 25 of their first-degree unaffected biological relatives, 12 first-episode patients, and 27 healthy control subjects. In line with previous work, MMN amplitudes to duration deviants (but not to pitch deviants) were significantly reduced in patients with chronic schizophrenia compared with control subjects. However, both duration and pitch MMNs were completely unaffected in the first-degree biological relatives and this was also the case for the first-episode patients. Furthermore, length of illness did not predict the extent of MMN deficit. These findings suggest that the MMN deficit seen in schizophrenia patients is most likely a consequence of the disease and that MMN, at least to basic auditory feature deviants, is at best only weakly endophenotypic for schizophrenia.

Light propagation effects in QED: Effective action approach

The effects of light propagation in constant magnetic and electric backgrounds are considered in the framework of the effective action approach. We use the exact analytic series representation for the one-loop effective action of QED and apply it to the birefringence effect. Analytical results for the light velocity modes are obtained for weak and strong field regime. We present asymptotic formulae for the light velocity modes for the ultra strong magnetic field which can be realized in some neutron stars.