Dynamical Confinement Research Articles

Numerical indication that center vortices drive dynamical mass generation in QCD

The first calculation of the response of the momentum space quark propagator to center vortices in the ground state fields of QCD is presented. Center vortices are identified on 2+1-flavor dynamical gauge fields with mπ≃156 MeV to obtain the vortex-removed and vortex-only quark propagator. Dynamical mass generation is found to vanish upon vortex removal, while the vortex-only field is able to generate dynamical mass. These new signatures strengthen the lattice QCD evidence indicating that center vortices underpin both dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and quark confinement. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Chaos-Assisted Dynamical Tunneling in Flat Band Superwires.

Recent theoretical investigations have revealed unconventional transport mechanisms within high Brillouin zones of two-dimensional superlattices. Electrons can navigate along channels we call superwires, gently guided without brute force confinement. Such dynamical confinement is caused by weak superlattice deflections, markedly different from the static or energetic confinement observed in traditional wave guides or one-dimensional electron wires. The quantum properties of superwires give rise to elastic dynamical tunneling, linking disjoint regions of the corresponding classical phase space, and enabling the emergence of several parallel channels. This paper provides the underlying theory and mechanisms that facilitate dynamical tunneling assisted by chaos in periodic lattices. Moreover, we show that the mechanism of dynamical tunneling can be effectively conceptualized through the lens of a paraxial approximation. Our results further reveal that superwires predominantly exist within flat bands, emerging from eigenstates that represent linear combinations of conventional degenerate Bloch states. Finally, we quantify tunneling rates across various lattice configurations and demonstrate that tunneling can be suppressed in a controlled fashion, illustrating potential implications in future nanodevices.

Dynamical confinement for Schrödinger operators with magnetic potential and Aharonov–Bohm effect

A magnetic potential is included in the so-called (quantum) dynamical confinement to open sets of Rd; gauge transformations are also discussed. Then, the results are applied to the Aharonov–Bohm model in the plane (the solenoid is a disk of radius greater than zero) in order to get some examples of operators confining the electron outside the solenoid.

Confined Dynamics in Spherical Polymer Brushes.

We investigate the dynamics of polymers grafted to spherical nanoparticles in solution using hybrid molecular dynamics simulations with a coarse-grained solvent modeled via the multiparticle collision dynamics algorithm. The mean-square displacements of monomers near the surface of the nanoparticle exhibit a plateau on intermediate time scales, indicating confined dynamics reminiscent of those reported in neutron spin-echo experiments. The confined dynamics vanish beyond a specific radial distance from the nanoparticle surface that depends on the polymer grafting density. We show that this dynamical confinement transition follows theoretical predictions for the critical distance associated with the structural transition from confined to semidilute brush regimes. These findings suggest the existence of a hitherto unreported dynamic length scale connected with theoretically predicted static fluctuations in spherical polymer brushes and provide new insights into recent experimental observations.

Investigation of the confinement in massive QED3

By the application of the Schwinger function, the deconfinement in massive quantum electrodynamics in [Formula: see text]-dimensional (QED3) is investigated. It is shown that oscillating behavior of the Schwinger function gradually disappears with fermion mass increasing based on coupled Dyson–Schwinger equations in massive QED3. On the other hand, we have shown that the confined fermion transfers gradually into the phase of deconfinement with the increasing boson mass, which is consistent with the result in the case of massless QED3. Finally, we emphasized that dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and confinement always appear simultaneously in massive QED3.

Unexpected self-lofting and dynamical confinement of volcanic plumes: the Raikoke 2019 case

Recent research has provided evidence of the self-lofting capacity of smoke aerosols in the stratosphere and their self-confinement by persistent anticyclones, which prolongs their atmospheric residence time and radiative effects. By contrast, the volcanic aerosols—composed mostly of non-absorptive sulphuric acid droplets—were never reported to be subject of dynamical confinement. Here we use high-resolution satellite observations to show that the eruption of Raikoke volcano in June 2019 produced a long-lived stratospheric anticyclone containing 24% of the total erupted mass of sulphur dioxide. The anticyclone persisted for more than 3 months, circumnavigated the globe three times, and ascended diabatically to 27 km altitude through radiative heating of volcanic ash contained by the plume. The mechanism of dynamical confinement has important implications for the planetary-scale transport of volcanic emissions, their stratospheric residence time, and atmospheric radiation balance. It also provides a challenge or “out of sample test” for weather and climate models that should be capable of reproducing similar structures.

Tailoring Structure‐Borne Sound through Bandgap Engineering in Phononic Crystals and Metamaterials: A Comprehensive Review

AbstractIn solid state physics, a bandgap (BG) refers to a range of energies where no electronic states can exist. This concept was extended to classical waves, spawning the entire fields of photonic and phononic crystals where BGs are frequency (or wavelength) intervals where wave propagation is prohibited. For elastic waves, BGs are found in periodically alternating mechanical properties (i.e., stiffness and density). This gives birth to phononic crystals and later elastic metamaterials that have enabled unprecedented functionalities for a wide range of applications. Planar metamaterials are built for vibration shielding, while a myriad of works focus on integrating phononic crystals in microsystems for filtering, waveguiding, and dynamical strain energy confinement in optomechanical systems. Furthermore, the past decade has witnessed the rise of topological insulators, which leads to the creation of elastodynamic analogs of topological insulators for robust manipulation of mechanical waves. Meanwhile, additive manufacturing has enabled the realization of 3D architected elastic metamaterials, which extends their functionalities. This review aims to comprehensively delineate the rich physical background and the state‐of‐the art in elastic metamaterials and phononic crystals that possess engineered BGs for different functionalities and applications, and to provide a roadmap for future directions of these manmade materials.

Dynamical triplet unraveling : A quantum Monte Carlo algorithm for reversible dynamics

We introduce a quantum Monte Carlo method to simulate the reversible dynamics of correlated many-body systems. Our method is based on the Laplace transform of the time-evolution operator which, as opposed to most quantum Monte Carlo methods, makes it possible to access the dynamics at longer times. The Monte Carlo trajectories are realised through a piece-wise stochastic-deterministic reversible evolution where free dynamics is interspersed with two-process quantum jumps. The dynamical sign problem is bypassed via the so-called deadweight approximation, which stabilizes the many-body phases at longer times. We benchmark our method by simulating spin excitation propagation in the XXZ model and dynamical confinement in the quantum Ising chain, and show how to extract dynamical information from the Laplace representation.

Flavor, temperature and magnetic field dependence of the QCD phase diagram: magnetic catalysis and its inverse

We study dynamical chiral symmetry breaking for quarks in the fundamental representation of SU(N c) for the N f number of light quark flavors. We also investigate the phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics at finite temperature T and/or in the presence of a constant external magnetic field eB. The unified formalism for this analysis is provided by a symmetry-preserving Schwinger–Dyson equation treatment of a vector × vector contact interaction model which encodes several well-established features of quantum chromodynamics to mimic the latter as closely as possible. Deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration are triggered above a critical value of N f at T = 0 = eB. On the other hand, increasing temperature itself screens strong interactions, thus ensuring that a smaller value of N f is sufficient to restore chiral symmetry at higher temperatures. We also observe the well-known phenomenon of magnetic catalysis for a strong enough magnetic field. However, we note that if the effective coupling strength of the model decreases as a function of magnetic field, it can trigger inverse magnetic catalysis in a certain window of this functional dependence. Our model allows for the simultaneous onset of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and confinement for each case. Qualitative as well as quantitative predictions of our simple but effective model are in reasonably satisfactory agreement with lattice results and other reliable and refined predictions based upon intricate continuum studies of quantum chromodynamics.

Injection of Inner Oort Cloud Objects into the Distant Kuiper Belt by Planet Nine

Abstract The outer solar system exhibits an anomalous pattern of orbital clustering, characterized by an approximate alignment of the apsidal lines and angular momentum vectors of distant, long-term stable Kuiper Belt objects. One explanation for this dynamical confinement is the existence of a yet-undetected planetary-mass object, “Planet Nine (P9).” Previous work has shown that trans-Neptunian objects, that originate within the scattered disk population of the Kuiper Belt, can be corralled into orbital alignment by Planet Nine’s gravity over ∼Gyr timescales, and characteristic P9 parameters have been derived by matching the properties of a synthetic Kuiper Belt generated within numerical simulations to the available observational data. In this work, we show that an additional dynamical process is in play within the framework of the Planet Nine hypothesis, and demonstrate that P9-induced dynamical evolution facilitates orbital variations within the otherwise dynamically frozen inner Oort cloud. As a result of this evolution, inner Oort cloud bodies can acquire orbits characteristic of the distant scattered disk, implying that if Planet Nine exists, the observed census of long-period trans-Neptunian objects is comprised of a mixture of Oort cloud and Kuiper Belt objects. Our simulations further show that although inward-injected inner Oort cloud objects exhibit P9-driven orbital confinement, the degree of clustering is weaker than that of objects originating within the Kuiper Belt. Cumulatively, our results suggest that a more eccentric Planet Nine is likely necessary to explain the data than previously thought.

Amorphous polymer dynamics and free volume element size distributions from ultrafast IR spectroscopy

A method for measuring the size and size probability distribution of free volume regions in polymeric materials using ultrafast infrared (IR) polarization-selective pump-probe experiments is presented. Measurements of the ultrafast dynamics of a vibrational probe (the CN stretch of phenyl selenocyanate) in poly(methyl methacrylate) show that the probe dynamics are highly confined. The degree of confinement was found to be both time-dependent and dependent on the vibrational frequency of the probe molecule. The experiments demonstrate that different vibrational frequencies correspond to distinct subensembles of probe molecules that have different dynamic properties determined by their local structural environments. By combining the degree of dynamical confinement with the molecular size of the probe molecule, the free volume element size probability distribution was determined and found to be in good agreement with the best established experimental measure of free volume. The relative probability of a free volume element size is determined by the amplitude of the nitrile absorption spectrum at the frequency of the measurement. The inhomogeneous broadening of the spectrum was linked to the vibrational Stark effect, which permits site selectivity. The observed dynamics at each frequency were then associated with a different size free volume element and distinct local electric field. The multiple timescales observed in the pump-probe experiments were connected to local structural fluctuations of the free volume elements.

Hilbert space partitioning for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians: From off-resonance to Zeno subspaces

Effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians describing decaying systems are derived and analyzed in connection with the occurrence of possible Hilbert space partitioning, resulting in a confinement of the dynamics. In some cases, this fact can be interpreted properly as Zeno effect or Zeno dynamics, according to the dimension of the subspace one focuses on; in some other cases, the interpretation is more complicated and traceable back to a mix of Zeno phenomena and lack of resonance. Depending on the complex phases of the diagonal terms of the Hamiltonian, the system reacts in different ways, requiring larger moduli for the dynamical confinement to occur when the complex phase is close to π/2.

Evolution of the structure and dynamics of bovine serum albumin induced by thermal denaturation.

Protein denaturation in concentrated solutions consists of the unfolding of the native protein structure, and subsequent cross-linking into clusters or gel networks. While the kinetic evolution of structure has been studied for some cases, the underlying microscopic dynamics of proteins has so far been neglected. However, protein dynamics is essential to understand the specific nature of assembly processes, such as diffusion-limited growth, or vitrification of dense liquids. Here, we present a study on thermal denaturation of concentrated solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in D2O with and without NaCl. Using small-angle scattering, we provide information on structure before, during and after denaturation. Using quasi-elastic neutron scattering, we monitor in real-time the microscopic dynamics and dynamical confinement throughout the entire denaturation process covering protein unfolding and cross-linking. After denaturation, the protein dynamics is slowed down in salty solutions compared to those in pure water, while the stability and dynamics of the native solution appears unaffected by salt. The approach presented here opens opportunities to link microscopic dynamics to emerging structural properties, with implications for assembly processes in soft and biological matter.

Partial topological Zak phase and dynamical confinement in a non-Hermitian bipartite system

Unlike a Chern number in $2$D and $3$D topological system, Zak phase takes a subtle role to characterize the topological phase in $1$D. On the one hand, it is not a gauge invariant, on the other hand, the Zak phase difference between two quantum phases can be used to identify the topological phase transitions. A non-Hermitian system may inherit some characters of a Hermitian system, such as entirely real spectrum, unitary evolution, topological energy band, etc. In this paper, we study the influence of non-Hermitian term on the Zak phase for a class of non-Hermitian systems. We show exactly that the real part of the Zak phase remains unchanged in a bipartite lattice. In a concrete example, $1$D Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, we find that the real part of Zak phase can be obtained by an adiabatic process. To demonstrate this finding, we investigate a scattering problem for a time-dependent scattering center, which is a magnetic-flux-driven non-Hermitian SSH ring. Owing to the nature of the Zak phase, the intriguing features of this design are the wave-vector independence and allow two distinct behaviors, perfect transmission or confinement, depending on the timing of a flux impulse threading the ring. When the flux is added during a wavepacket travelling within the ring, the wavepacket is confined in the scatter partially. Otherwise, it exhibits perfect transmission through the scatter. Our finding extends the understanding and broaden the possible application of geometric phase in a non-Hermitian system.

Quantum dynamics of a hydrogen-like atom in a time-dependent box: non-adiabatic regime

We consider a hydrogen atom confined in time-dependent trap created by a spherical impenetrable box with time-dependent radius. For such model we study the behavior of atomic electron under the (non-adiabatic) dynamical confinement caused by the rapidly moving wall of the box. The expectation values of the total and kinetic energy, average force, pressure and coordinate are analyzed as a function of time for linearly expanding, contracting and harmonically breathing boxes. It is shown that linearly extending box leads to de-excitation of the atom, while the rapidly contracting box causes the creation of very high pressure on the atom and transition of the atomic electron into the unbound state. In harmonically breathing box diffusive excitation of atomic electron may occur in analogy with that for atom in a microwave field.

Probing interfacial dynamics of water in confined nanoporous systems by NMRD

The confined dynamics of water molecules inside a pore involves an intermittence between adsorption steps near the interface and surface diffusion and excursions in the pore network. Depending on the strength of the interaction in the layer(s) close to the surface and the dynamical confinement of the distal bulk liquid, exchange dynamics can vary significantly. The average time spent in the surface proximal region (also called the adsorption layer) between a first entry and a consecutive exit allows estimating the level of ‘nanowettablity’ of water. As shown in several seminal works, NMRD is an efficient experimental method to follow such intermittent dynamics close to an interface. In this paper, the intermittent dynamics of a confined fluid inside nanoporous materials is discussed. Special attention is devoted to the interplay between bulk diffusion, adsorption and surface diffusion on curved pore interfaces. Considering the nano or meso length scale confinement of the pore network, an analytical model for calculating the inter-dipolar spin–lattice relaxation dispersion curves is proposed. In the low-frequency regime (50 KHz–100 MHz), this model is successfully compared with numerical simulations performed using a 3D-off lattice reconstruction of Vycor glass. Comparison with experimental data available in the literature is finally discussed.

Brownian motion of a circle swimmer in a harmonic trap.

We study the dynamics of a Brownian circle swimmer with a time-dependent self-propulsion velocity in an external temporally varying harmonic potential. For several situations, the noise-free swimming paths, the noise-averaged mean trajectories, and the mean-square displacements are calculated analytically or by computer simulation. Based on our results, we discuss optimal swimming strategies in order to explore a maximum spatial range around the trap center. In particular, we find a resonance situation for the maximum escape distance as a function of the various frequencies in the system. Moreover, the influence of the Brownian noise is analyzed by comparing noise-free trajectories at zero temperature with the corresponding noise-averaged trajectories at finite temperature. The latter reveal various complex self-similar spiral or rosette-like patterns. Our predictions can be tested in experiments on artificial and biological microswimmers under dynamical external confinement.

Influence of chemistry, interfacial width, and non-isothermal conditions on spatially heterogeneous activated relaxation and elasticity in glass-forming free standing films.

We employ the Elastically Collective Nonlinear Langevin Equation (ECNLE) theory of activated relaxation to study several questions in free standing thin films of glass-forming molecular and polymer liquids. The influence of non-universal chemical aspects on dynamical confinement effects is found to be relatively weak, but with the caveat that for the systems examined, the bulk ECNLE polymer theory does not predict widely varying fragilities. Allowing the film model to have a realistic vapor interfacial width significantly enhances the reduction of the film-averaged glass transition temperature, Tg, in a manner that depends on whether a dynamic or pseudo-thermodynamic averaging of the spatial mobility gradient is adopted. The nature of film thickness effects on the spatial profiles of the alpha relaxation time and elastic modulus is studied under non-isothermal conditions and contrasted with the corresponding isothermal behavior. Modest differences are found if a film-thickness dependent Tg is defined in a dynamical manner. However, adopting a pseudo-thermodynamic measure of Tg leads to a qualitatively new form of the alpha relaxation time gradient where highly mobile layers near the film surface coexist with strongly vitrified regions in the film interior. As a consequence, the film-averaged shear modulus can increase with decreasing film thickness, despite the Tg reduction and presence of a mobile surface layer. Such a behavior stands in qualitative contrast to the predicted mechanical softening under isothermal conditions. Spatial gradients of the elastic modulus are studied as a function of temperature, film thickness, probing frequency, and experimental protocol, and a rich behavior is found.

Relativistic and Nuclear Medium Effects on the Coulomb Sum Rule.

In light of the forthcoming high precision quasielastic electron scattering data from Jefferson Lab, it is timely for the various approaches to nuclear structure to make robust predictions for the associated response functions. With this in mind, we focus here on the longitudinal response function and the corresponding Coulomb sum rule for isospin-symmetric nuclear matter at various baryon densities. Using a quantum field-theoretic quark-level approach which preserves the symmetries of quantum chromodynamics, as well as exhibiting dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and quark confinement, we find a dramatic quenching of the Coulomb sum rule for momentum transfers |q|≳0.5 GeV. The main driver of this effect lies in changes to the proton Dirac form factor induced by the nuclear medium. Such a dramatic quenching of the Coulomb sum rule was not seen in a recent quantum MonteCarlo calculation for carbon, suggesting that the Jefferson Lab data may well shed new light on the explicit role of QCD in nuclei.

Numerical model of electron cyclotron resonance ion source

Important features of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) operation are accurately reproduced with a numerical code. The code uses the particle-in-cell technique to model a dynamics of ions in ECRIS plasma. It is shown that gas dynamical ion confinement mechanism is sufficient to provide the ion production rates in ECRIS close to the experimentally observed values. Extracted ion currents are calculated and compared to the experiment for few sources. Changes in the extracted ion currents are obtained with varying the gas flow into the source chamber and the microwave power. Empirical scaling laws for ECRIS design are studied and the underlying physical effects are discussed.