64 research outputs found
Gauged Gravity via Spectral Asymptotics of non-Laplace type Operators
We construct invariant differential operators acting on sections of vector
bundles of densities over a smooth manifold without using a Riemannian metric.
The spectral invariants of such operators are invariant under both the
diffeomorphisms and the gauge transformations and can be used to induce a new
theory of gravitation. It can be viewed as a matrix generalization of Einstein
general relativity that reproduces the standard Einstein theory in the weak
deformation limit. Relations with various mathematical constructions such as
Finsler geometry and Hodge-de Rham theory are discussed.Comment: Version accepted by J. High Energy Phys. Introduction and Discussion
significantly expanded. References added and updated. (41 pages, LaTeX: JHEP3
class, no figures
Thermal and Chemical Equilibration in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions
We investigate the thermalization and the chemical equilibration of a parton
plasma created from Au+Au collision at LHC and RHIC energies starting from the
early moment when the particle momentum distributions in the central region
become for the first time isotropic due to longitudinal cooling. Using the
relaxation time approximation for the collision terms in the Boltzmann
equations for gluons and for quarks and the real collision terms constructed
from the simplest QCD interactions, we show that the collision times have the
right behaviour for equilibration. The magnitude of the quark (antiquark)
collision time remains bigger than the gluon collision time throughout the
lifetime of the plasma so that gluons are equilibrating faster than quarks both
chemically and kinetically. That is we have a two-stage equilibration scenario
as has been pointed out already by Shuryak sometimes ago. Full kinetic
equilibration is however slow and chemical equilibration cannot be completed
before the onset of the deconfinement phase transition assumed to be at
MeV. By comparing the collision entropy density rates of the
different processes, we show explicitly that inelastic processes, and
\emph{not} elastic processes as is commonly assumed, are dominant in the
equilibration of the plasma and that gluon branching leads the other processes
in entropy generation. We also show that, within perturbative QCD, processes
with higher power in \alpha_s need not be less important for the purpose of
equilibration than those with lower power. The state of equilibration of the
system has also a role to play. We compare our results with those of the parton
cascade model.Comment: 17 pages, revtex+psfig style with 14 embedded postscript figures, to
appear in Phys. Rev.
Connecting Numerical Relativity and Data Analysis of Gravitational Wave Detectors
Gravitational waves deliver information in exquisite detail about
astrophysical phenomena, among them the collision of two black holes, a system
completely invisible to the eyes of electromagnetic telescopes. Models that
predict gravitational wave signals from likely sources are crucial for the
success of this endeavor. Modeling binary black hole sources of gravitational
radiation requires solving the Eintein equations of General Relativity using
powerful computer hardware and sophisticated numerical algorithms. This
proceeding presents where we are in understanding ground-based gravitational
waves resulting from the merger of black holes and the implications of these
sources for the advent of gravitational-wave astronomy.Comment: Appeared in the Proceedings of 2014 Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics.
Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, ed. C.Sopuerta (Berlin:
Springer-Verlag
Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19
Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genesâincluding reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)âin critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease
Thermal conductivity of selenium doped with indium and iodine in the solid and liquid states
Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power of AgInSe2 in the solid and liquid states
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