The field of phase transitions and critical phenomena continues to be active in research, producing a steady stream of interesting and fruitful results. It has moved into a central place in condensed matter studies. Statistical physics, and more specifically, the theory of transitions between states of matter, more or less defines what we know about 'everyday' matter and its transformations. The major aim of this serial is to provide review articles that can serve as standard references for research workers in the field, and for graduate students and others wishing to obtain reliable information on important recent developments.

Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena

Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Phd by thesis

Spintronics, or spin electronics, involves the study of active control and manipulation of spin degrees of freedom in solid-state systems. This article reviews the current status of this subject, including both recent advances and well-established results. The primary focus is on the basic physical principles underlying the generation of carrier spin polarization, spin dynamics, and spin-polarized transport in semiconductors and metals. Spin transport differs from charge transport in that spin is a nonconserved quantity in solids due to spin-orbit and hyperfine coupling. The authors discuss in detail spin decoherence mechanisms in metals and semiconductors. Various theories of spin injection and spin-polarized transport are applied to hybrid structures relevant to spin-based devices and fundamental studies of materials properties. Experimental work is reviewed with the emphasis on projected applications, in which external electric and magnetic fields and illumination by light will be used to control spin and charge dynamics to create new functionalities not feasible or ineffective with conventional electronics.

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Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications

This paper reviews recent experimental and theoretical progress concerning many-body phenomena in dilute, ultracold gases. It focuses on effects beyond standard weak-coupling descriptions, such as the Mott-Hubbard transition in optical lattices, strongly interacting gases in one and two dimensions, or lowest-Landau-level physics in quasi-two-dimensional gases in fast rotation. Strong correlations in fermionic gases are discussed in optical lattices or near-Feshbach resonances in the BCS-BEC crossover.

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Many-Body Physics with Ultracold Gases

An introductory review of the central ideas in the modern theory of dynamic critical phenomena is followed by a more detailed account of recent developments in the field. The concepts of the conventional theory, mode-coupling, scaling, universality, and the renormalization group are introduced and are illustrated in the context of a simple example---the phase separation of a symmetric binary fluid. The renormalization group is then developed in some detail, and applied to a variety of systems. The main dynamic universality classes are identified and characterized. It is found that the mode-coupling and renormalization group theories successfully explain available experimental data at the critical point of pure fluids, and binary mixtures, and at many magnetic phase transitions, but that a number of discrepancies exist with data at the superfluid transition of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$.

Theory of Dynamic Critical Phenomena

A ν-dimensional classical particle system in a torus, i.e., in a rectangular box with periodic boundary conditions, is considered in a canonical ensemble. Subject to mild restrictions over and above the usual stability and tempering conditions it is proved that the thermodynamic limit for the torus exists and is identical with that for systems contained in normal domains with boundaries or walls. If, in addition, the pair interaction potential ϕ(r) decreases sufficiently rapidly (so thatr∣ϕ(r)∣ is integrable at ∞), and satisfies some further regularity conditions, then the difference between the free energies of the torus and of the corresponding box is at most of the order of a surface term. Somewhat stronger results are indicated for the grand canonical pressure.

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Asymptotic free energy of a system with periodic boundary conditions

Debye-H\"uckel theory for spheres of diameter $a$ with charges $^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}q$ is extended to general dimension $d$. Explicit results include Bjerrum association of +/- ions and the dipole-ionic solvation energy. For all $dg2$ a critical point terminates conducting-liquid-conducting-vapor coexistence: The critical density ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}^{*}={\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}{a}^{d}$ falls with $d\ensuremath{\searrow}2$, but ${T}_{c}^{*}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{{k}_{B}{T}_{c}{a}^{d\ensuremath{-}2}}{{q}^{2}}$ rises. When $d=2$, an insulating vapor appears for ${T}^{*}\ensuremath{\le}\frac{1}{4}$ (the Kosterlitz-Thouless point), separated from conducting fluid by an infinite-order critical line ending at a tricritical point: ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{t}^{*}={\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}^{*}(d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2)\ensuremath{\simeq}0.004$, ${T}_{t}^{*}={T}_{c}^{*}(d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2)\ensuremath{\lesssim}\frac{1}{4}\mathrm{for}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{*}g{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{t}^{*}$ the transition is first order.

Coulombic criticality in general dimensions

University in Analytic Corrections to Scaling for Planar Ising Models

The derivation of effective interface Hamiltonians on the basis of an underlying noncritical bulk order-parameter theory is critically examined for use in studying critical wetting transitions in (d=3)-dimensional systems with short-range forces. A crossing constraint on the interfacial profile is used to define the fluctuating interface location l(y) and exact general expressions are obtained for the effective wall-interface potential W[l(y)] and for the wall-modified interfacial stiffness Σ[l(y)] in terms of a constrained planar order-parameter profile. Previous discussions in the literature are shown to be inadequate

Effective interface Hamiltonians for short-range critical wetting

Inspired by the need for effective stochastic models to describe the complex behavior of biological motor proteins that move on linear tracks, exact results are derived for the velocity and dispersion of simple linear sequential models (or one-dimensional random walks) with general waiting-time distributions. The concept of “mechanicity” is introduced to conveniently quantify departures from simple “chemical,” kinetic rate processes, and its significance is briefly indicated. The results are extended to more elaborate models that have finite side branches and include death processes (to represent the detachment of a motor from the track).

Michael E. Fisher

Papers

Asymptotic free energy of a system with periodic boundary conditions

Coulombic criticality in general dimensions

University in Analytic Corrections to Scaling for Planar Ising Models

Effective interface Hamiltonians for short-range critical wetting

Extended kinetic models with waiting-time distributions: Exact results