The phase transition in the anisotropic Heisenberg model with long range dipolar interactions

In this work we have used extensive Monte Carlo calculations to study the planar to paramagnetic phase transition in the two-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model with dipolar interactions (AHd) considering the true long-range character of the dipolar interactions by means of the Ewald summation. Our results are consistent with an order-disorder phase transition with unusual critical exponents in agreement with our previous results for the Planar Rotator model with dipolar interactions. Nevertheless, our results disagrees with the Renormalization Group results of Maier and Schwabl [PRB, 70, 134430 (2004)] and the results of Rapini et. al. [PRB, 75, 014425 (2007)], where the AHd was studied using a cut-off in the evaluation of the dipolar interactions. We argue that besides the long-range character of dipolar interactions their anisotropic character may have a deeper effect in the system than previously believed. Besides, our results shows that the use of a cut-off radius in the evaluation of dipolar interactions must be avoided when analyzing the critical behavior of magnetic systems, since it may lead to erroneous results.

Phase diagram of the antiferromagnetic XY model in two dimensions in a magnetic field

The phase diagram of the quasi-two-dimensional easy-plane antiferromagnetic model, with a magnetic field applied in the easy plane, is studied using the self-consistent harmonic approximation. We found a linear dependence of the transition temperature as a function of the field for large values of the field. Our results are in agreement with experimental data for the spin-1 honeycomb compound BaNi_2V_2O_3

Static and dynamic simulation in the classical two-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model

By using a simulated annealing approach, Monte Carlo and molecular-dynamics techniques we have studied static and dynamic behavior of the classical two-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model. We have obtained numerically that the vortex developed in such a model exhibit two different behaviors depending if the value of the anisotropy $lambda$ lies below or above a critical value $lambda_c$ . The in-plane and out-of-plane correlation functions ($S^{xx}$ and $S^{zz}$) were obtained numerically for $lambda < lambda_c$ and $lambda > lambda_c$ . We found that the out-of-plane dynamical correlation function exhibits a central peak for $lambda > lambda_c$ but not for $lambda < lambda_c$ at temperatures above $T_{BKT}$ .

Improvements in the X-ray luminosity function and constraints on the Cosmological parameters from X-ray luminous clusters

We show how to improve constraints on Omega_m, sigma_8, and the dark-energy equation-of-state parameter, w, obtained by Mantz et al. (2008) from measurements of the X-ray luminosity function of galaxy clusters, namely MACS, the local BCS and the REFLEX galaxy cluster samples with luminosities L> 3 times 10^{44} erg/s in the 0.1--2.4 keV band. To this aim, we use Tinker et al. (2008) mass function instead of Jenkins et al. (2001) and the M-L relationship obtained from Del Popolo (2002) and Del Popolo et al. (2005). Using the same methods and priors of Mantz et al. (2008), we find, for a Lambda$CDM universe, Omega_m=0.28^{+0.05}_{-0.04} and sigma_8=0.78^{+0.04}_{-0.05}$ while the result of Mantz et al. (2008) gives less tight constraints $Omega_m=0.28^{+0.11}_{-0.07}$ and sigma_8=0.78^{+0.11}_{-0.13}. In the case of a wCDM model, we find Omega_m=0.27^{+0.07}_{-0.06}, $sigma_8=0.81^{+0.05}_{-0.06}$ and $w=-1.3^{+0.3}_{-0.4}$, while in Mantz et al. (2008) they are again less tight Omega_m=0.24^{+0.15}_{-0.07}, sigma_8=0.85^{+0.13}_{-0.20} and w=-1.4^{+0.4}_{-0.7}. Combining the XLF analysis with the f_{gas}+CMB+SNIa data set results in the constraint Omega_m=0.269 pm 0.012, sigma_8=0.81 pm 0.021 and w=-1.02 pm 0.04, to be compared with Mantz et al. (2008), Omega_m=0.269 pm 0.016, sigma_8=0.82 pm 0.03 and w=-1.02 pm 0.06. The tightness of the last constraints obtained by Mantz et al. (2008), are fundamentally due to the tightness of the $f_{gas}$+CMB+SNIa constraints and not to their XLF analysis. Our findings, consistent with w=-1, lend additional support to the cosmological-constant model.

Phase transition in the two-dimensional dipolar Planar Rotator model

In this work we have used extensive Monte Carlo simulations and finite size scaling theory to study the phase transition in the dipolar Planar Rotator model (dPRM), also known as dipolar XY model. The true long-range character of the dipolar interactions were taken into account by using the Ewald summation technique. Our results for the critical exponents does not fit those from known universality classes. We observed that the specific heat is apparently non-divergent and the critical exponents are $ u=1.277(2)$, $beta=0.2065(4)$ and $gamma=2.218(5)$. The critical temperature was found to be $T_c=1.201(1)$. Our results are clearly distinct from those of a recent Renormalization Group study from Maier and Schwabl [PRB 70, 134430 (2004)] and agrees with the results from a previous study of the anisotropic Heisenberg model with dipolar interactions in a bilayer system using a cut-off in the dipolar interactions [PRB 79, 054404 (2009)].

Sources of uncertainties in the s-process in massive stars: convection and reaction rates

Current models of s-nucleosynthesis in massive stars ($Msim15 M_{odot}$ to $sim 30 M_{odot}$) are able to reproduce some main features of the abundance distributions of heavy isotopes in the solar system, at least in the $Asim 60-90$ mass range. The efficiency of the process and the above specified mass range for the s-nuclei are still heavily uncertain due to both nuclear reaction rates and stellar models uncertainties. A series of s-process simulations with stellar models in the $15-30 M_{odot}$ (mass at ZAMS) and metallicity $Z=0.02$ mass have been performed to analyse the impact of the overshooting model used on the s-process yields. As in a previous exploratory work performed with stellar models having $M_{ZAMS}=25 M_{odot}$ and $Z=0.02$, enhancements factors in the range 2-5 are found in the final s-process efficiency when overshooting is inserted in the models.