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Full-Text Articles in Condensed Matter Physics
Topology Of The O(3) Non-Linear Sigma Model Under The Gradient Flow, Stuart Thomas, Christopher Monahan
Topology Of The O(3) Non-Linear Sigma Model Under The Gradient Flow, Stuart Thomas, Christopher Monahan
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Quantum field theory is an extraordinarily successful framework that describes phenomena in particle physics and condensed matter. The O(3) non-linear sigma model (NLSM) is a specific theory used in both of these fields, describing ferromagnets and acting as a prototype for the strong nuclear force. It features topologically stable configurations known as instantons which cannot continuously evolve to the ground state. The topological susceptibility is a parameter that describes this stability and is predicted to vanish in physical theories, however numerical simulations find that the topological susceptibility diverges in the continuum limit. This issue has motivated the application of the …
Radiation-Induced Luminescence In Terbium-Doped Silicate Glasses, Michael Stuart West
Radiation-Induced Luminescence In Terbium-Doped Silicate Glasses, Michael Stuart West
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this study is to characterize radiation-induced luminescence of terbium-doped silicate glasses. Experiments performed investigated the optical properties, isothermal time-evolution, and temperature dependence of the radiation-induced luminescence of two commercially available terbium-doped glasses. A problem common to this type of glass is the persistent luminescence, or afterglow, that occurs following the end of excitation from an external source of radiation. While the processes that govern characteristic luminescence of rare earth ions, including terbium, are well understood, the processes that give rise to afterglow in doped glasses are not. Identifying the source of long-term luminescence is essential for controlling …