1,969 research outputs found
Numerical treatment of the hyperboloidal initial value problem for the vacuum Einstein equations. III. On the determination of radiation
We discuss the issue of radiation extraction in asymptotically flat
space-times within the framework of conformal methods for numerical relativity.
Our aim is to show that there exists a well defined and accurate extraction
procedure which mimics the physical measurement process. It operates entirely
intrisically within \scri^+ so that there is no further approximation
necessary apart from the basic assumption that the arena be an asymptotically
flat space-time. We define the notion of a detector at infinity by idealising
local observers in Minkowski space. A detailed discussion is presented for
Maxwell fields and the generalisation to linearised and full gravity is
performed by way of the similar structure of the asymptotic fields.Comment: LaTeX2e,13 pages,2 figure
Staying true with the help of others: doxastic self-control through interpersonal commitment
I explore the possibility and rationality of interpersonal mechanisms of doxastic self-control, that is, ways in which individuals can make use of other people in order to get themselves to stick to their beliefs. I look, in particular, at two ways in which people can make interpersonal epistemic commitments, and thereby willingly undertake accountability to others, in order to get themselves to maintain their beliefs in the face of anticipated “epistemic temptations”. The first way is through the avowal of belief, and the second is through the establishment of collective belief. I argue that both of these forms of interpersonal epistemic commitment can function as effective tools for doxastic self-control, and, moreover, that the control they facilitate should not be dismissed as irrational from an epistemic perspective
Goal Difficulty and Openness to Interpersonal Goal Support
When people pursue important goals, they are often surrounded by close others who could provide help and support for the achievement of these goals. The present work investigated whether people are more likely to be open to such interpersonal goal support from a romantic partner when they perceive their goals as being easy versus difficult. Using a multiple methods approach, three studies revealed that, compared with the pursuit of easy goals, when people pursue difficult goals, they are less likely to seek out and be open to support from their romantic partner. Studies 2 and 3 revealed that the effect of goal difficulty on openness to support was partially mediated by loss in self-efficacy. Finally, Study 3 revealed that lack of openness to support can have detrimental long-term consequences for the relationship, as it undermines relationship well-being
Dynamic scaling regimes of collective decision making
We investigate a social system of agents faced with a binary choice. We
assume there is a correct, or beneficial, outcome of this choice. Furthermore,
we assume agents are influenced by others in making their decision, and that
the agents can obtain information that may guide them towards making a correct
decision. The dynamic model we propose is of nonequilibrium type, converging to
a final decision. We run it on random graphs and scale-free networks. On random
graphs, we find two distinct regions in terms of the "finalizing time" -- the
time until all agents have finalized their decisions. On scale-free networks on
the other hand, there does not seem to be any such distinct scaling regions
Exact solution for scalar field collapse
We give an exact spherically symmetric solution for the Einstein-scalar field
system. The solution may be interpreted as an inhomogeneous dynamical scalar
field cosmology. The spacetime has a timelike conformal Killing vector field
and is asymptotically conformally flat. It also has black or white hole-like
regions containing trapped surfaces. We describe the properties of the apparent
horizon and comment on the relevance of the solution to the recently discovered
critical behaviour in scalar field collapse.Comment: 10 pages(Latex) (2 figures available upon request), Alberta-Thy-4-9
Exact solutions of Einstein and Einstein-scalar equations in 2 + 1 dimensions
A nonstatic and circularly symmetric exact solution of the Einstein equations
(with a cosmological constant and null fluid) in dimensions is
given. This is a nonstatic generalization of the uncharged spinless BTZ metric.
For , the spacetime is though not flat, the Kretschmann invariant
vanishes. The energy, momentum, and power output for this metric are obtained.
Further a static and circularly symmetric exact solution of the
Einstein-massless scalar equations is given, which has a curvature singularity
at and the scalar field diverges at as well as at infinity .Comment: 8 pages, Latex, no numbe
Interior of a Schwarzschild black hole revisited
The Schwarzschild solution has played a fundamental conceptual role in
general relativity, and beyond, for instance, regarding event horizons,
spacetime singularities and aspects of quantum field theory in curved
spacetimes. However, one still encounters the existence of misconceptions and a
certain ambiguity inherent in the Schwarzschild solution in the literature. By
taking into account the point of view of an observer in the interior of the
event horizon, one verifies that new conceptual difficulties arise. In this
work, besides providing a very brief pedagogical review, we further analyze the
interior Schwarzschild black hole solution. Firstly, by deducing the interior
metric by considering time-dependent metric coefficients, the interior region
is analyzed without the prejudices inherited from the exterior geometry. We
also pay close attention to several respective cosmological interpretations,
and briefly address some of the difficulties associated to spacetime
singularities. Secondly, we deduce the conserved quantities of null and
timelike geodesics, and discuss several particular cases in some detail.
Thirdly, we examine the Eddington-Finkelstein and Kruskal coordinates directly
from the interior solution. In concluding, it is important to emphasize that
the interior structure of realistic black holes has not been satisfactorily
determined, and is still open to considerable debate.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, Revtex4. V2: Version to appear in Foundations of
Physic
Entanglement transmission and generation under channel uncertainty: Universal quantum channel coding
We determine the optimal rates of universal quantum codes for entanglement
transmission and generation under channel uncertainty. In the simplest scenario
the sender and receiver are provided merely with the information that the
channel they use belongs to a given set of channels, so that they are forced to
use quantum codes that are reliable for the whole set of channels. This is
precisely the quantum analog of the compound channel coding problem. We
determine the entanglement transmission and entanglement-generating capacities
of compound quantum channels and show that they are equal. Moreover, we
investigate two variants of that basic scenario, namely the cases of informed
decoder or informed encoder, and derive corresponding capacity results.Comment: 45 pages, no figures. Section 6.2 rewritten due to an error in
equation (72) of the old version. Added table of contents, added section
'Conclusions and further remarks'. Accepted for publication in
'Communications in Mathematical Physics
Wormholes supported by chiral fields
We consider static, spherically symmetric solutions of general relativity
with a nonlinear sigma model (NSM) as a source, i.e., a set of scalar fields
(so-called chiral fields) parametrizing a target
space with a metric . For NSM with zero potential , it
is shown that the space-time geometry is the same as with a single scalar field
but depends on . If the matrix is positive-definite, we obtain
the Fisher metric, originally found for a canonical scalar field with positive
kinetic energy; otherwise we obtain metrics corresponding to a phantom scalar
field, including singular and nonsingular horizons (of infinite area) and
wormholes. In particular, the Schwarzschild metric can correspond to a
nontrivial chiral field configuration, which in this case has zero
stress-energy. Some explicit examples of chiral field configurations are
considered. Some qualitative properties of NSM configurations with nonzero
potentials are pointed out.Comment: 5 two-column pages, to appear in Grav. Cosmo
On Rationality
Rationality is an enduring topic of interest across the disciplines and has become even more so, given the current crises that are unfolding in our society. The four books reviewed here, which are written by academics working in economics, political science, political theory and philosophy, provide an interdisciplinary engagement with the idea of rationality and the way it has shaped the institutional frameworks and global political economy of our time. Rational choice theory has certainly proved to be a useful analytic tool in certain contexts, and instrumental reason has been a key tenet of human progress in several periods of history, including the industrial revolution and the modernity that emerged in the nineteenth century. Given the complexity of our current challenges, however, is it time to ask whether this paradigm might be better complemented by more holistic and heterodox approaches? Hindmoor A and Taylor TY (2015) Rational Choice (Political Analysis), 2nd edn. London; New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Massumi (2015) The Power at the End of the Economy. Durham: Duke University Press. Brown (2015) Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s Stealth Revolution. New York: Zone Books. Ludovisi SG (ed.) (2015) Critical Theory and the Challenge of Praxis: Beyond Reification. Farnham; Burlington, VT: Ashgate
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