10,744 research outputs found
Sub-Microarcsecond Astrometry and New Horizons in Relativistic Gravitational Physics
Attaining the limit of sub-microarcsecond optical resolution will completely
revolutionize fundamental astrometry by merging it with relativistic
gravitational physics. Beyond the sub-microarcsecond threshold, one will meet
in the sky a new population of physical phenomena caused by primordial
gravitational waves from early universe and/or different localized astronomical
sources, space-time topological defects, moving gravitational lenses, time
variability of gravitational fields of the solar system and binary stars, and
many others. Adequate physical interpretation of these yet undetectable
sub-microarcsecond phenomena can not be achieved on the ground of the
"standard" post-Newtonian approach (PNA), which is valid only in the near-zone
of astronomical objects having a time-dependent gravitational field. We
describe a new, post-Minkowskian relativistic approach for modeling astrometric
observations having sub-microarcsecond precision and briefly discuss the
light-propagation effects caused by gravitational waves and other phenomena
related to time-dependent gravitational fields. The domain of applicability of
the PNA in relativistic space astrometry is explicitly outlined.Comment: 5 pages, the talk given at the IAU Colloquium 180 "Towards Models and
Constants for Sub-Microarcsecond Astrometry", Washington DC, March 26 - April
2, 200
Geometrical Lorentz Violation and Quantum Mechanical Physics
On the basis of the results of some experiments dealing with the violation of
Local Lorentz Invariance (LLI) and on the formalism of the Deformed Special
Relativity (DSR), we examine the connections between the local geometrical
structure of space-time and the foundation of Quantum Mechanics. We show that
Quantum Mechanics, beside being an axiomatic theory, can be considered also a
deductive physical theory, deducted from the primary physical principle of
Relativistic Correlation. This principle is synonym of LLI and of a rigid and
at minkowskian space-time. The results of the experiments mentioned above show
the breakdown of LLI and hence the violation of the principle of Relativistic
Correlation. The formalism of DSR allows to highlight the deep meaning of LLI
breakdown in terms of the geometrical structure of local space-time which, far
from being rigid and at, is deformed by the energy of the physical phenomena
that take place and in this sense it has an active part in the dynamics of the
whole physical process. This perspective has a far reaching physical meaning
that extends its consequences to the foundations of Quantum Mechanics according
to the interpretation of Copenhagen. It provides a 'real' explanation and
description of quantum phenomena enriching, by the concept of deformed
space-time, the realistic interpretation in terms of pilot wave and hence it
uncovers the reality hidden below the probabilistic interpretation and
dualistic nature of quantum objects.Comment: 4 figures, 15 page
A note on Dolby and Gull on radar time and the twin "paradox"
Recently a suggestion has been made that standard textbook representations of
hypersurfaces of simultaneity for the travelling twin in the twin "paradox" are
incorrect. This suggestion is false: the standard textbooks are in agreement
with a proper understanding of the relativity of simultaneity.Comment: LaTeX, 3 pages, 2 figures. Update: added new section V and updated
reference
Tuning a Schottky barrier in a photoexcited topological insulator with transient Dirac cone electron-hole asymmetry
The advent of Dirac materials has made it possible to realize two dimensional
gases of relativistic fermions with unprecedented transport properties in
condensed matter. Their photoconductive control with ultrafast light pulses is
opening new perspectives for the transmission of current and information. Here
we show that the interplay of surface and bulk transient carrier dynamics in a
photoexcited topological insulator can control an essential parameter for
photoconductivity - the balance between excess electrons and holes in the Dirac
cone. This can result in a strongly out of equilibrium gas of hot relativistic
fermions, characterized by a surprisingly long lifetime of more than 50 ps, and
a simultaneous transient shift of chemical potential by as much as 100 meV. The
unique properties of this transient Dirac cone make it possible to tune with
ultrafast light pulses a relativistic nanoscale Schottky barrier, in a way that
is impossible with conventional optoelectronic materials.Comment: Nature Communications, in press (12 pages, 6 figures
Bethe-Salpeter bound-state structure in Minkowski space
The quantitative investigation of the scalar Bethe-Salpeter equation in
Minkowski space, within the ladder-approximation framework, is extended to
include the excited states. This study has been carried out for an interacting
system composed by two massive bosons exchanging a massive scalar, by adopting
(i) the Nakanishi integral representation of the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude, and
(ii) the formally exact projection onto the null plane. Our analysis, on one
hand, confirms the reliability of the method already applied to the ground
state and, on the other one, extends the investigation from the valence
distribution in momentum space to the corresponding quantity in the
impact-parameter space, pointing out some relevant features, like (i) the
equivalence between Minkowski and Euclidean transverse-momentum amplitudes, and
(ii) the leading exponential fall-off of the valence wave function in the
impact-parameter space.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
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