Eldad Bettelheim

Normal random matrix ensemble as a growth problem

In general or normal random matrix ensembles, the support of eigenvalues of large size matrices is a planar domain (or several domains) with a sharp boundary. This domain evolves under a change of parameters of the potential and of the size of matrices. The boundary of the support of eigenvalues is a real section of a complex curve. Algebro-geometrical properties of this curve encode physical properties of random matrix ensembles. This curve can be treated as a limit of a spectral curve which is canonically defined for models of finite matrices. We interpret the evolution of the eigenvalue distribution as a growth problem, and describe the growth in terms of evolution of the spectral curve. We discuss algebro-geometrical properties of the spectral curve and describe the wave functions (normalized characteristic polynomials) in terms of differentials on the curve. General formulae and emergence of the spectral curve are illustrated by three meaningful examples.

Viscous Fingering and the Shape of an Electronic Droplet in the Quantum Hall Regime

We show that the semiclassical dynamics of an electronic droplet, confined in a plane in a quantizing inhomogeneous magnetic field in the regime where the electrostatic interaction is negligible, is similar to viscous (Saffman-Taylor) fingering on the interface between two fluids with different viscosities confined in a Hele-Shaw cell. Both phenomena are described by the same equations with scales differing by a factor of up to 10(-9). We also report the quasiclassical wave function of the droplet in an inhomogeneous magnetic field.

Integrable hydrodynamics of Calogero-Sutherland model : bidirectional Benjamin-Ono equation

We develop a hydrodynamic description of the classical Calogero-Sutherland liquid: a Calogero-Sutherland model with an infinite number of particles and a non-vanishing density of particles. The hydrodynamic equations, being written for the density and velocity fields of the liquid, are shown to be a bidirectional analogue of Benjamin-Ono equation. The latter is known to describe internal waves of deep stratified fluids. We show that the bidirectional Benjamin-Ono equation appears as a real reduction of the modified KP hierarchy. We derive the Chiral Non-linear Equation which appears as a chiral reduction of the bidirectional equation. The conventional Benjamin-Ono equation is a degeneration of the Chiral Non-Linear Equation at large density. We construct multi-phase solutions of the bidirectional Benjamin-Ono equations and of the Chiral Non-Linear equations.

Adaptation of autocatalytic fluctuations to diffusive noise.

Evolution of a system of diffusing and proliferating mortal reactants is analyzed in the presence of randomly moving catalysts. While the continuum description of the problem predicts reactant extinction as the average growth rate becomes negative, growth rate fluctuations induced by the discrete nature of the agents are shown to allow for an active phase, where reactants proliferate as their spatial configuration adapts to the fluctuations of the catalyst density. The model is explored by employing field theoretical techniques, numerical simulations, and strong coupling analysis. For d< or =2, the system is shown to exhibits an active phase at any growth rate, while for d>2 a kinetic phase transition is predicted. The applicability of this model as a prototype for a host of phenomena that exhibit self-organization is discussed.

Nonlinear quantum shock waves in fractional quantum Hall edge states.

Using the Calogero model as an example, we show that the transport in interacting non-dissipative electronic systems is essentially non-linear. Non-linear effects are due to the curvature of the electronic spectrum near the Fermi energy. As is typical for non-linear systems, propagating wave packets are unstable. At finite time shock wave singularities develop, the wave packet collapses, and oscillatory features arise. They evolve into regularly structured localized pulses carrying a fractionally quantized charge - {\it soliton trains}. We briefly discuss perspectives of observation of Quantum Shock Waves in edge states of Fractional Quantum Hall Effect and a direct measurement of the fractional charge.

Semi-classical analysis of the inner product of Bethe states

We study the inner product of two Bethe states, one of which is taken on-shell, in an inhomogeneous XXX chain in the Sutherland limit, where the number of magnons is comparable with the length L of the chain and the magnon rapidities arrange in a small number of macroscopically large Bethe strings. The leading order in the large L limit is known to be expressed through a contour integral of a dilogarithm. Here we derive the sub-leading term. Our analysis is based on a new contour-integral representation of the inner product in terms of a Fredholm determinant. We give two derivations of the sub-leading term. Besides a direct derivation by solving a Riemann–Hilbert problem, we give a less rigorous, but more intuitive derivation by field-theoretical methods. For that we represent the Fredholm determinant as an expectation value in a Fock space of chiral fermions and then bosonize. We construct a collective field for the bosonized theory, the short wave-length part of which may be evaluated exactly, while the long wave-length part is amenable to a 1/L expansion. Our treatment thus results in a systematic 1/L expansion of structure factors within the Sutherland limit.

Critical curves in conformally invariant statistical systems

We consider critical curves—conformally invariant curves—that appear at critical points of two-dimensional statistical mechanical systems. We show how to describe these curves in terms of the Coulomb gas formalism of conformal field theory (CFT). We also provide links between this description and the stochastic (Schramm–) Loewner evolution (SLE). The connection appears in the long-time limit of stochastic evolution of various SLE observables related to CFT primary fields. We show how the multifractal spectrum of harmonic measure and other fractal characteristics of critical curves can be obtained.

Bubble break-off in Hele–Shaw flows—singularities and integrable structures

Abstract Bubbles of inviscid fluid surrounded by a viscous fluid in a Hele–Shaw cell can merge and break off. During the process of break-off, a thinning neck pinches off to a universal self-similar singularity. We describe this process and reveal its integrable structure: it is a solution of the dispersionless limit of the AKNS hierarchy. The singular break-off patterns are universal, not sensitive to details of the process and can be seen experimentally. We briefly discuss the dispersive regularization of the Hele–Shaw problem and the emergence of the Painleve II equation at the break-off.

“Quantum phase transitions” in classical nonequilibrium processes☆

Abstract Diffusion-limited reaction of the Lotka–Volterra type is analyzed taking into account the discrete nature of the reactants. In the continuum approximation, the dynamics is dominated by an elliptic fixed point. This fixed point becomes unstable due to discretization effects, a scenario similar to quantum phase transitions. As a result, the long-time asymptotic behavior of the system changes and the dynamics flows into a limit cycle. The results are verified by numerical simulations.

Stochastic loewner evolution for conformal field theories with lie group symmetries

The stochastic Loewner evolution is a recent tool in the study of two-dimensional critical systems. We extend this approach to the case of critical systems with continuous symmetries, such as SU(2) Wess-Zumino-Witten models, where domain walls carry an additional spin-1/2 degree of freedom.