362 research outputs found
On the discourse of construction competitiveness
It is contended that competitiveness is better understood as a discourse rather than as a characteristic that is supposedly possessed. The discourse of competitiveness derives its legitimacy from the enterprise culture that came to dominance during the 1980s. Current popularized theories of competitiveness are constituent parts of this broader discourse, which has had significant material implications for the UK construction sector. The dominant discourse of competitiveness amongst contracting firms is shaped by the need to achieve structural flexibility to cope with fluctuations in demand. Fashionable espoused improvement recipes such as total quality management, business process re-engineering, and lean construction legitimize and reinforce the material manifestations of the enterprise culture. In consequence, the UK industry is characterized by a plethora of hollowed-out firms that have failed to invest in their human capital. While the adopted model may be rational for individual firms, the systemic effect across the sector as a whole equates to a form of anorexia. However, the discourse of competitiveness is by no means monolithic and continues to be contested locally. There have also been numerous counter-discourses that have been mobilized in response to the undesirable externalities of unbridled enterprise. Currently, important counter-discourses promote the ideas of sustainability and corporate social responsibility
The Importance of Slow-roll Corrections During Multi-field Inflation
We re-examine the importance of slow-roll corrections during the evolution of
cosmological perturbations in models of multi-field inflation. We find that in
many instances the presence of light degrees of freedom leads to situations in
which next to leading order slow-roll corrections become significant. Examples
where we expect such corrections to be crucial include models in which modes
exit the Hubble radius while the inflationary trajectory undergoes an abrupt
turn in field space, or during a phase transition. We illustrate this with two
examples -- hybrid inflation and double quadratic inflation. Utilizing both
analytic estimates and full numerical results, we find that corrections can be
as large as 20%. Our results have implications for many existing models in the
literature, as these corrections must be included to obtain accurate
observational predictions -- particularly given the level of accuracy expected
from CMB experiments such as PlanckComment: v1: 21 pages, 3 figures, 1 appendix. v2: clarifications to
{\S}{\S}2.1, 3.1 and 4, {\S}5.3 added, references added, results unchanged.
Matches published version in JCA
Kahler moduli double inflation
We show that double inflation is naturally realized in K\"ahler moduli
inflation, which is caused by moduli associated with string compactification.
We find that there is a small coupling between the two inflatons which leads to
amplification of perturbations through parametric resonance in the intermediate
stage of double inflation. This results in the appearance of a peak in the
power spectrum of the primordial curvature perturbation. We numerically
calculate the power spectrum and show that the power spectrum can have a peak
on observationally interesing scales. We also compute the TT-spectrum of CMB
based on the power spectrum with a peak and see that it better fits WMAP
7-years data.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure
Running Spectral Index from Inflation with Modulations
We argue that a large negative running spectral index, if confirmed, might
suggest that there are abundant structures in the inflaton potential, which
result in a fairly large (both positive and negative) running of the spectral
index at all scales. It is shown that the center value of the running spectral
index suggested by the recent CMB data can be easily explained by an inflaton
potential with superimposed periodic oscillations. In contrast to cases with
constant running, the perturbation spectrum is enhanced at small scales, due to
the repeated modulations. We mention that such features at small scales may be
seen by 21 cm observations in the future.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, v2: published in JCA
Probing Cosmic Strings with Satellite CMB measurements
We study the problem of searching for cosmic string signal patterns in the
present high resolution and high sensitivity observations of the Cosmic
Microwave Background (CMB). This article discusses a technique capable of
recognizing Kaiser-Stebbins effect signatures in total intensity anisotropy
maps, and shows that the biggest factor that produces confusion is represented
by the acoustic oscillation features of the scale comparable to the size of
horizon at recombination. Simulations show that the distribution of null
signals for pure Gaussian maps converges to a distribution, with
detectability threshold corresponding to a string induced step signal with an
amplitude of about 100 \muK which corresponds to a limit of roughly . We study the statistics of spurious detections caused by
extra-Galactic and Galactic foregrounds. For diffuse Galactic foregrounds,
which represents the dominant source of contamination, we derive sky masks
outlining the available region of the sky where the Galactic confusion is
sub-dominant, specializing our analysis to the case represented by the
frequency coverage and nominal sensitivity and resolution of the Planck
experiment.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, to be published in JCA
Semiclassical relations and IR effects in de Sitter and slow-roll space-times
We calculate IR divergent graviton one-loop corrections to scalar correlators
in de Sitter space, and show that the leading IR contribution may be reproduced
via simple semiclassical consistency relations. One can likewise use such
semiclassical relations to calculate leading IR corrections to correlators in
slow-roll inflation. The regulated corrections shift the tensor/scalar ratio
and consistency relation of single field inflation, and non-gaussianity
parameters averaged over very large distances. For inflation of sufficient
duration, for example arising from a chaotic inflationary scenario, these
corrections become of order unity. First-order corrections of this size
indicate a breakdown of the perturbative expansion, and suggest the need for a
non-perturbative description of the corresponding regime. This is analogous to
a situation argued to arise in black hole evolution, and to interfere with a
sharp perturbative calculation of "missing information" in Hawking radiation.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figures; v2: running of spectral index included and other
minor changes; v3: minor changes to agree with published versio
The Topology and Size of the Universe from the Cosmic Microwave Background
We study the possibility that the universe has compact topologies T^3, T^2 x
R^1, or S^1 x R^2 using the seven-year WMAP data. The maximum likelihood 95%
confidence intervals for the size L of the compact direction are 1.7 < L/L_0 <
2.1, 1.8 < L/L_0 < 2.0, 1.2 < L/L_0 < 2.1 for the three cases, respectively,
where L_0=14.4 Gpc is the distance to the last scattering surface. An infinite
universe is compatible with the data at 4.3 sigma. We find using a Bayesian
analysis that the most probable universe has topology T^2 x R^1, with
L/L_0=1.9.Comment: Additional checks, Monte-Carlo skies, and study of dipole
contamination added. References added. 13 pages, 11 figure
No Go Theorem for Kinematic Self-Similarity with A Polytropic Equation of State
We have investigated spherically symmetric spacetimes which contain a perfect
fluid obeying the polytropic equation of state and admit a kinematic
self-similar vector of the second kind which is neither parallel nor orthogonal
to the fluid flow. We have assumed two kinds of polytropic equations of state
and shown in general relativity that such spacetimes must be vacuum.Comment: 5 pages, no figures. Revtex. One word added to the title. Final
version to appear in Physical Review D as a Brief Repor
Constraints from CMB in the intermediate Brans-Dicke inflation
We study an intermediate inflationary stage in a Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory.
In this scenario we analyze the quantum fluctuations corresponding to adiabatic
and isocurvature modes. Our model is compared to that described by using the
intermediate model in Einstein general relativity theory. We assess the status
of this model in light of the seven-year WMAP data.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure
- …