The Isospectral Dirac Operator on the 4-dimensional Orthogonal Quantum Sphere

Equivariance under the action of Uq(so(5)) is used to compute the left regular and (chiral) spinorial representations of the algebra of the orthogonal quantum 4-sphere S^4_q. These representations are the constituents of a spectral triple on this sphere with a Dirac operator which is isospectral to the canonical one on the round undeformed four-sphere and which gives metric dimension four for the noncommutative geometry. Non-triviality of the geometry is proved by pairing the associated Fredholm module with an `instanton' projection. We also introduce a real structure which satisfies all required properties modulo smoothing operators.Comment: 40 pages, no figures, Latex. v2: Title changed. Sect. 9 on real structure completely rewritten and results strengthened. Additional minor changes throughout the pape

Inhomogenized sudden future singularities

We find that sudden future singularities may also appear in spatially inhomogeneous Stephani models of the universe. They are temporal pressure singularities and may appear independently of the spatial finite density singularities already known to exist in these models. It is shown that the main advantage of the homogeneous sudden future singularities which is the fulfillment of the strong and weak energy conditions may not be the case for inhomogeneous models.Comment: REVTEX 4, 5 pages, no figures, a discussion of the most general case include

Local Index Formula on the Equatorial Podles Sphere

We discuss spectral properties of the equatorial Podles sphere. As a preparation we also study the `degenerate' (i.e. $q=0$) case (related to the quantum disk). We consider two different spectral triples: one related to the Fock representation of the Toeplitz algebra and the isopectral one. After the identification of the smooth pre-$C^*$-algebra we compute the dimension spectrum and residues. We check the nontriviality of the (noncommutative) Chern character of the associated Fredholm modules by computing the pairing with the fundamental projector of the $C^*$-algebra (the nontrivial generator of the $K_0$-group) as well as the pairing with the $q$-analogue of the Bott projector. Finally, we show that the local index formula is trivially satisfied.Comment: 18 pages, no figures; minor correction

Simple Dynamics on the Brane

We apply methods of dynamical systems to study the behaviour of the Randall-Sundrum models. We determine evolutionary paths for all possible initial conditions in a 2-dimensional phase space and we investigate the set of accelerated models. The simplicity of our formulation in comparison to some earlier studies is expressed in the following: our dynamical system is a 2-dimensional Hamiltonian system, and what is more advantageous, it is free from the degeneracy of critical points so that the system is structurally stable. The phase plane analysis of Randall-Sundrum models with isotropic Friedmann geometry clearly shows that qualitatively we deal with the same types of evolution as in general relativity, although quantitatively there are important differences.Comment: an improved version, 34 pages, 9 eps figure

Strings at future singularities

We discuss the behaviour of strings propagating in spacetimes which allow future singularities of either a sudden future or a Big-Rip type. We show that in general the invariant string size remains finite at sudden future singularities while it grows to infinity at a Big-Rip. This claim is based on the discussion of both the tensile and null strings. In conclusion, strings may survive a sudden future singularity, but not a Big-Rip where they are infinitely stretched.Comment: REVTEX 4.0, 4 pages, no figures, references adde

Noncommutative Geometry and the standard model with neutrino mixing

We show that allowing the metric dimension of a space to be independent of its KO-dimension and turning the finite noncommutative geometry F-- whose product with classical 4-dimensional space-time gives the standard model coupled with gravity--into a space of KO-dimension 6 by changing the grading on the antiparticle sector into its opposite, allows to solve three problems of the previous noncommutative geometry interpretation of the standard model of particle physics: The finite geometry F is no longer put in "by hand" but a conceptual understanding of its structure and a classification of its metrics is given. The fermion doubling problem in the fermionic part of the action is resolved. The spectral action of our joint work with Chamseddine now automatically generates the full standard model coupled with gravity with neutrino mixing and see-saw mechanism for neutrino masses. The predictions of the Weinberg angle and the Higgs scattering parameter at unification scale are the same as in our joint work but we also find a mass relation (to be imposed at unification scale).Comment: Typos removed, to appear in JHE

Strings in Homogeneous Background Spacetimes

The string equations of motion for some homogeneous (Kantowski-Sachs, Bianchi I and Bianchi IX) background spacetimes are given, and solved explicitly in some simple cases. This is motivated by the recent developments in string cosmology, where it has been shown that, under certain circumstances, such spacetimes appear as string-vacua. Both tensile and null strings are considered. Generally, it is much simpler to solve for the null strings since then we deal with the null geodesic equations of General Relativity plus some additional constraints. We consider in detail an ansatz corresponding to circular strings, and we discuss the possibility of using an elliptic-shape string ansatz in the case of homogeneous (but anisotropic) backgrounds.Comment: 25 pages, REVTE

The properties of \bar{K} in the nuclear medium

The self-energy of the K^- meson in nuclear matter is calculated in a self-consistent microscopic approach, using a \bar{K}N interaction obtained from the lowest-order meson-baryon chiral Lagrangian. The effective \bar{K}N interaction in the medium is derived by solving the coupled-channel Bethe-Salpeter equation including Pauli blocking on the nucleons, mean-field binding potentials for the baryons and the self-energy of the \pi and \bar{K} mesons. The incorporation of the self-consistent {\bar K} self-energy in the description, in addition to the Pauli blocking effects, yields a weaker attractive in-medium {\bar K}N interaction and a \Lambda(1405) which dissolves faster with increasing matter density, as a result of the {\bar K} spectral function being spread out over a wide range of energies. These effects are further magnified when the intermediate pions are dressed.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, ReVTe

Quantum teardrops

Algebras of functions on quantum weighted projective spaces are introduced, and the structure of quantum weighted projective lines or quantum teardrops are described in detail. In particular the presentation of the coordinate algebra of the quantum teardrop in terms of generators and relations and classification of irreducible *-representations are derived. The algebras are then analysed from the point of view of Hopf-Galois theory or the theory of quantum principal bundles. Fredholm modules and associated traces are constructed. C*-algebras of continuous functions on quantum weighted projective lines are described and their K-groups computed.Comment: 18 page

Kantowski-Sachs String Cosmologies

We present new exact solutions of the low-energy-effective-action string equations with both dilaton $\phi$ and axion $H$ fields non-zero. The background universe is of Kantowski-Sachs type. We consider the possibility of a pseudoscalar axion field $h$ ($H=e^\phi (dh)^{*}$) that can be either time or space dependent. The case of time-dependent $h$ reduces to that of a stiff perfect-fluid cosmology. For space-dependent $h$ there is just one non-zero time-space-space component of the axion field $H$, and this corresponds to a distinguished direction in space which prevents the models from isotropising. Also, in the latter case, both the axion field $H$ and its tensor potential $B$ ($H=dB$) are dependent on time and space yet the energy-momentum tensor remains time-dependent as required by the homogeneity of the cosmological model.Comment: 23 pages, REVTEX, 6 figures available on reques