Monte Carlo simulations of 4d simplicial quantum gravity

Dynamical triangulations of four-dimensional Euclidean quantum gravity give rise to an interesting, numerically accessible model of quantum gravity. We give a simple introduction to the model and discuss two particularly important issues. One is that contrary to recent claims there is strong analytical and numerical evidence for the existence of an exponential bound that makes the partition function well-defined. The other is that there may be an ambiguity in the choice of the measure of the discrete model which could even lead to the existence of different universality classes.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, epsf, 4 uuencoded figures; contribution to the JMP special issue on "Quantum Geometry and Diffeomorphism-Invariant Quantum Field Theory

Effect of atomic scale plasticity on hydrogen diffusion in iron: Quantum mechanically informed and on-the-fly kinetic Monte Carlo simulations

We present an off-lattice, on-the-fly kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model for simulating stress-assisted diffusion and trapping of hydrogen by crystalline defects in iron. Given an embedded atom (EAM) potential as input, energy barriers for diffusion are ascertained on the fly from the local environments of H atoms. To reduce computational cost, on-the-fly calculations are supplemented with precomputed strain-dependent energy barriers in defect-free parts of the crystal. These precomputed barriers, obtained with high-accuracy density functional theory calculations, are used to ascertain the veracity of the EAM barriers and correct them when necessary. Examples of bulk diffusion in crystals containing a screw dipole and vacancies are presented. Effective diffusivities obtained from KMC simulations are found to be in good agreement with theory. Our model provides an avenue for simulating the interaction of hydrogen with cracks, dislocations, grain boundaries, and other lattice defects, over extended time scales, albeit at atomistic length scales

Mostly Harmless Simulations? Using Monte Carlo Studies for Estimator Selection

We consider two recent suggestions for how to perform an empirically motivated Monte Carlo study to help select a treatment effect estimator under unconfoundedness. We show theoretically that neither is likely to be informative except under restrictive conditions that are unlikely to be satisfied in many contexts. To test empirical relevance, we also apply the approaches to a real-world setting where estimator performance is known. Both approaches are worse than random at selecting estimators which minimise absolute bias. They are better when selecting estimators that minimise mean squared error. However, using a simple bootstrap is at least as good and often better. For now researchers would be best advised to use a range of estimators and compare estimates for robustness

Exomoon simulations

We introduce and describe our newly developed code that simulates light curves and radial velocity curves for arbitrary transiting exoplanets with a satellite. The most important feature of the program is the calculation of radial velocity curves and the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect in such systems. We discuss the possibilities for detecting the exomoons taking the abilities of Extremely Large Telescopes into account. We show that satellites may be detected also by their RM effect in the future, probably using less accurate measurements than promised by the current instrumental developments. Thus, RM effect will be an important observational tool in the exploration of exomoons.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures with 9 figure panels, accepted by EM&

Separate Universe Simulations

The large-scale statistics of observables such as the galaxy density are chiefly determined by their dependence on the local coarse-grained matter density. This dependence can be measured directly and efficiently in N-body simulations by using the fact that a uniform density perturbation with respect to some fiducial background cosmology is equivalent to modifying the background and including curvature, i.e., by simulating a "separate universe". We derive this mapping to fully non-linear order, and provide a step-by-step description of how to perform and analyse the separate universe simulations. This technique can be applied to a wide range of observables. As an example, we calculate the response of the non-linear matter power spectrum to long-wavelength density perturbations, which corresponds to the angle-averaged squeezed limit of the matter bispectrum and higher $n$-point functions. Using only a modest simulation volume, we obtain results with percent-level precision over a wide range of scales.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, submitted to MNRAS. References added, typos corrected. Added a paragraph on DE perturbation

Simulations of the Magellanic Stream in a First Infall Scenario

Recent high precision proper motions from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) suggest that the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC, respectively) are either on their first passage or on an eccentric long period (>6 Gyr) orbit about the Milky Way (MW). This differs markedly from the canonical picture in which the Clouds travel on a quasi-periodic orbit about the MW (period of ~2 Gyr). Without a short period orbit about the MW, the origin of the Magellanic Stream, a young (1-2 Gyr old) coherent stream of HI gas that trails the Clouds ~150 degrees across the sky, can no longer be attributed to stripping by MW tides and/or ram pressure stripping by MW halo gas. We propose an alternative formation mechanism in which material is removed by LMC tides acting on the SMC before the system is accreted by the MW. We demonstrate the feasibility and generality of this scenario using an N-body/SPH simulation with cosmologically motivated initial conditions constrained by the observations. Under these conditions we demonstrate that it is possible to explain the origin of the Magellanic Stream in a first infall scenario. This picture is generically applicable to any gas-rich dwarf galaxy pair infalling towards a massive host or interacting in isolation.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures,1 table, submitted to apj