16,377 research outputs found
The Effect of Spatial Curvature on the Classical and Quantum Strings
We study the effects of the spatial curvature on the classical and quantum
string dynamics. We find the general solution of the circular string motion in
static Robertson-Walker spacetimes with closed or open sections. This is given
closely and completely in terms of elliptic functions. The physical properties,
string length, energy and pressure are computed and analyzed. We find the {\it
back-reaction} effect of these strings on the spacetime: the self-consistent
solution to the Einstein equations is a spatially closed spacetime with
a selected value of the curvature index (the scale f* is normalized to
unity). No self-consistent solutions with exist. We semi-classically
quantize the circular strings and find the mass in each case. For
the very massive strings, oscillating on the full hypersphere, have {\it independent} of and the level spacing {\it
grows} with while the strings oscillating on one hemisphere (without
crossing the equator) have and a {\it finite} number of
states For there are infinitely many string states
with masses that is, the level spacing grows {\it slower} than
The stationary string solutions as well as the generic string fluctuations
around the center of mass are also found and analyzed in closed form.Comment: 30 pages Latex + three tables and five figures (not included
Comment on "Formation of primordial black holes by cosmic strings"
We show that in a pioneering paper by Polnarev and Zembowicz, some
conclusions concerning the characteristics of the Turok-strings are generally
not correct. In addition we show that the probability of string collapse given
there, is off by a large prefactor (~1000).Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX and 1 figure, postscript. To appear in PR
Novel Techniques for Constraining Neutron-Capture Rates Relevant for r-Process Heavy-Element Nucleosynthesis
The rapid-neutron capture process ( process) is identified as the producer
of about 50\% of elements heavier than iron. This process requires an
astrophysical environment with an extremely high neutron flux over a short
amount of time ( seconds), creating very neutron-rich nuclei that are
subsequently transformed to stable nuclei via decay. One key
ingredient to large-scale -process reaction networks is radiative
neutron-capture () rates, for which there exist virtually no data for
extremely neutron-rich nuclei involved in the process. Due to the current
status of nuclear-reaction theory and our poor understanding of basic nuclear
properties such as level densities and average -decay strengths,
theoretically estimated () rates may vary by orders of magnitude and
represent a major source of uncertainty in any nuclear-reaction network
calculation of -process abundances. In this review, we discuss new
approaches to provide information on neutron-capture cross sections and
reaction rates relevant to the process. In particular, we focus on
indirect, experimental techniques to measure radiative neutron-capture rates.
While direct measurements are not available at present, but could possibly be
realized in the future, the indirect approaches present a first step towards
constraining neutron-capture rates of importance to the process.Comment: 62 pages, 24 figures, accepted for publication in Progress in
Particle and Nuclear Physic
Manganese-56 coincidence-counting facility precisely measures neutron-source strength
Precise measurement of neutron-source strength is provided by a manganese 56 coincidence-counting facility using the manganese-bath technique. This facility combines nuclear instrumentation with coincidence-counting techniques to handle a wide variety of radioisotope-counting requirements
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