Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy最新文献

We explore the possibility that domain wall networks generate the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) observed as a strong common power-law process in the Data Release-2 of Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We find that a broad range of parameters, specifically wall tension around σ_DW ∼ (29–414 TeV)³ and wall-decay temperature within T_d ∼ 20–257 MeV, can explain this phenomenon at a 68% credible level. Meanwhile, the same parameters could ease the Hubble tension if particles from these domain wall networks decay into dark radiation. We establish a direct analytical relationship, Ω_GW(f_p, T₀)h² ∼ Ω_radh²(Ω_vΔN_eff)², to illustrate this coincidence, underlining its importance in the underlying physics and potential applicability to a wider range of models and data. Conversely, if the common power-law process is not attributed to domain wall networks, our findings impose tight limits on the wall tension and decay temperature.

Dark matter (DM) is a major constituent of the Universe. However, no definite evidence of DM particles (denoted as “χ”) has been found in DM direct detection (DD) experiments to date. There is a novel concept of detecting χ from evaporating primordial black holes (PBHs). We search for χ emitted from PBHs by investigating their interaction with target electrons. The examined PBH masses range from 1 × 10¹⁵ to 7 × 10¹⁶ g under the current limits of PBH abundance f_PBH. Using 205.4 kg·day data obtained from the CDEX-10 experiment conducted in the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, we exclude the χ-electron (χ-e) elastic-scattering cross section (sigma_{{chi}^{e}}) ∼ 5 × 10⁻²⁹ cm² for χ with a mass m_χ ≲ 0.1 keV from our results. With the higher radiation background but lower energy threshold (160 eV), CDEX-10 fills a part of the gap in the previous work. If ((m_{chi}, sigma_{{chi}^{e}})) can be determined in the future, DD experiments are expected to impose strong constraints on f_PBH for large M_PBHs.

While non-Hermiticity provokes intriguing phenomena without Hermitian counterparts, e.g., the skin effect and the breakdown of bulk-boundary correspondence, attracting extensive attention both in fundamental physics and device engineering, the role of finite sizes therein remains elusive. Here, we propose a class of finite-size-induced non-Hermitian phase transitions, relying upon higher-order topological invariants associated with real-space wave functions. The phase diagrams for general non-Hermitian chiral models are further acquired to demonstrate our topological definition. Such phase transitions are elucidated qualitatively by an effective intercell coupling alteration that depends on finite sizes in respective directions. Besides, we mimic these phenomena by analogizing the circuit Laplacian in finite-size electric circuits with nonreciprocal couplings. The resultant admittance spectra agree with our theoretical predictions. Our findings shed light on the finite-size mechanism of non-Hermitian topological phase transitions and pave the way for applications in switching and sensing.

Kármán Vortex Street, a fascinating phenomenon of fluid dynamics, has intrigued the scientific community for a long time. Many researchers have dedicated their efforts to unraveling the essence of this intriguing flow pattern. Here, we apply the lattice Boltzmann method with curved boundary conditions to simulate flows around a circular cylinder and study the emergence of Kármán Vortex Street using the eigen microstate approach, which can identify phase transition and its order-parameter. At low Reynolds number, there is only one dominant eigen microstate W¹ of laminar flow. At Re ¹_c = 53.6, there is a phase transition with the emergence of an eigen microstate pair W^2,3 of pressure and velocity fields. Further at Re ²_c . = 56, there is another phase transition with the emergence of two eigen microstate pairs W^4,5 and W^6,7. Using the renormalization group theory of eigen microstate, both phase transitions are determined to be first-order. The two-dimensional energy spectrum of eigen microstate for W¹, W^2,3 after Re_c¹, W^4–7 after Re ²_c exhibit −5/3 power-law behavior of Kolnogorov’s K41 theory. These results reveal the complexity and provide an analysis of the Kármán Vortex Street from the perspective of phase transitions.

We explore the generation of topological defects in the course of a dynamical phase transition in a ring with a weak link, i.e., a SSS Josephson junction, from the AdS/CFT correspondence. By setting different parameters of the junction (width, steepness, depth) and the final temperature of the quench, the configurations of the charge density and condensate of the order parameters of the dual field theory are presented. Meanwhile, we observe that in the final equilibrium state, variations in parameters of the junctions only affect the configurations of the charge density and condensate of the order parameters, without altering their values outside the junction. However, variations in the final temperature will directly affect the values of the charge density and condensate of the order parameters outside of the junction. Moreover, in the final equilibrium state, we propose an analytic relation between the gauge-invariant velocity in the two superconducting states in the SSS Josephson junction, which agrees well with the numerical results.

The successful observation of gravitational waves has provided humanity with an additional method to explore the universe, particularly black holes. In this study, we utilize data from LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observations to test the first law of black hole mechanics, employing two different approaches. We consider the secondary compact object as a perturbation to the primary black hole before the merger, and the remnant black hole as a stationary black hole after the merger. In the pre-merger and post-merger analysis, our results demonstrate consistency with the first law, with an error level of approximate 25% at a 68% credibility level for GW190403_051519. In the full inspiral-merger-ringdown analysis, our results show consistency with the first law of black hole mechanics, with an error level of about 6% at a 68% credibility level and 10% at a 95% credibility level for GW191219_163120. Additionally, we observe that the higher the mass ratio of the gravitational wave source, the more consistent our results are with the first law of black hole mechanics. Overall, our study sheds light on the nature of compact binary coalescence and their implications for black hole mechanics.

We treat two identical and mutually independent two-level atoms that are coupled to a quantum field as an open quantum system. The master equation that governs their evolution is derived by tracing over the degree of freedom of the field. With this, we compare the entanglement dynamics of the two atoms moving with different trajectories in κ-deformed and Minkowski spacetimes. Notably, when the environment-induced interatomic interaction does not exist, the entanglement dynamics of two static atoms in κ-deformed spacetime are reduced to that in Minkowski spacetime in the case that the spacetime deformation parameter κ is sufficiently large as theoretically predicted. However, if the atoms undergo relativistic motion, regardless of whether inertial or non-inertial, their entanglement dynamics in κ-deformed spacetime behave differently from that in Minkowski spacetime even when κ is large. We investigate various types of entanglement behavior, such as decay and generation, and discuss how different relativistic motions, such as uniform motion in a straight line and circular motion, amplify the differences in the entanglement dynamics between the κ-deformed and Minkowski spacetime cases. In addition, when the environment-induced interatomic interaction is considered, we find that it may also enhance the differences in the entanglement dynamics between these two spacetimes. Thus, in principle, one can tell whether she/he is in κ-deformed or Minkowski spacetime by checking the entanglement behavior between two atoms in certain circumstances.