29,053 research outputs found
The Cosmological Time Function
Let be a time oriented Lorentzian manifold and the Lorentzian
distance on . The function is the cosmological
time function of , where as usual means that is in the causal
past of . This function is called regular iff for all
and also along every past inextendible causal curve. If the
cosmological time function of a space time is regular it has
several pleasant consequences: (1) It forces to be globally hyperbolic,
(2) every point of can be connected to the initial singularity by a
rest curve (i.e., a timelike geodesic ray that maximizes the distance to the
singularity), (3) the function is a time function in the usual sense, in
particular (4) is continuous, in fact locally Lipschitz and the second
derivatives of exist almost everywhere.Comment: 19 pages, AEI preprint, latex2e with amsmath and amsth
The Feynman-Wilson gas and the Lund model
We derive a partition function for the Lund fragmentation model and compare
it with that of a classical gas. For a fixed rapidity ``volume'' this partition
function corresponds to a multiplicity distribution which is very close to a
binomial distribution. We compare our results with the multiplicity
distributions obtained from the JETSET Monte Carlo for several scenarios.
Firstly, for the fragmentation vertices of the Lund string. Secondly, for the
final state particles both with and without decays.Comment: Latex, 21+1 pages, 11 figure
Second look at the spread of epidemics on networks
In an important paper, M.E.J. Newman claimed that a general network-based
stochastic Susceptible-Infectious-Removed (SIR) epidemic model is isomorphic to
a bond percolation model, where the bonds are the edges of the contact network
and the bond occupation probability is equal to the marginal probability of
transmission from an infected node to a susceptible neighbor. In this paper, we
show that this isomorphism is incorrect and define a semi-directed random
network we call the epidemic percolation network that is exactly isomorphic to
the SIR epidemic model in any finite population. In the limit of a large
population, (i) the distribution of (self-limited) outbreak sizes is identical
to the size distribution of (small) out-components, (ii) the epidemic threshold
corresponds to the phase transition where a giant strongly-connected component
appears, (iii) the probability of a large epidemic is equal to the probability
that an initial infection occurs in the giant in-component, and (iv) the
relative final size of an epidemic is equal to the proportion of the network
contained in the giant out-component. For the SIR model considered by Newman,
we show that the epidemic percolation network predicts the same mean outbreak
size below the epidemic threshold, the same epidemic threshold, and the same
final size of an epidemic as the bond percolation model. However, the bond
percolation model fails to predict the correct outbreak size distribution and
probability of an epidemic when there is a nondegenerate infectious period
distribution. We confirm our findings by comparing predictions from percolation
networks and bond percolation models to the results of simulations. In an
appendix, we show that an isomorphism to an epidemic percolation network can be
defined for any time-homogeneous stochastic SIR model.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figure
Equilibrium spin pulsars unite neutron star populations
Many pulsars are formed with a binary companion from which they can accrete
matter. Torque exerted by accreting matter can cause the pulsar spin to
increase or decrease, and over long times, an equilibrium spin rate is
achieved. Application of accretion theory to these systems provides a probe of
the pulsar magnetic field. We compare the large number of recent torque
measurements of accreting pulsars with a high-mass companion to the standard
model for how accretion affects the pulsar spin period. We find that many long
spin period (P > 100 s) pulsars must possess either extremely weak (B < 10^10
G) or extremely strong (B > 10^14 G) magnetic fields. We argue that the
strong-field solution is more compelling, in which case these pulsars are near
spin equilibrium. Our results provide evidence for a fundamental link between
pulsars with the slowest spin periods and strong magnetic fields around
high-mass companions and pulsars with the fastest spin periods and weak fields
around low-mass companions. The strong magnetic fields also connect our pulsars
to magnetars and strong-field isolated radio/X-ray pulsars. The strong field
and old age of our sources suggests their magnetic field penetrates into the
superconducting core of the neutron star.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; to appear in MNRA
Asymptotically Hyperbolic Non Constant Mean Curvature Solutions of the Einstein Constraint Equations
We describe how the iterative technique used by Isenberg and Moncrief to
verify the existence of large sets of non constant mean curvature solutions of
the Einstein constraints on closed manifolds can be adapted to verify the
existence of large sets of asymptotically hyperbolic non constant mean
curvature solutions of the Einstein constraints.Comment: 19 pages, TeX, no figure
R-mode oscillations and rocket effect in rotating superfluid neutron stars. I. Formalism
We derive the hydrodynamical equations of r-mode oscillations in neutron
stars in presence of a novel damping mechanism related to particle number
changing processes. The change in the number densities of the various species
leads to new dissipative terms in the equations which are responsible of the
{\it rocket effect}. We employ a two-fluid model, with one fluid consisting of
the charged components, while the second fluid consists of superfluid neutrons.
We consider two different kind of r-mode oscillations, one associated with
comoving displacements, and the second one associated with countermoving, out
of phase, displacements.Comment: 10 page
Optimal minimum-cost quantum measurements for imperfect detection
Knowledge of optimal quantum measurements is important for a wide range of
situations, including quantum communication and quantum metrology. Quantum
measurements are usually optimised with an ideal experimental realisation in
mind. Real devices and detectors are, however, imperfect. This has to be taken
into account when optimising quantum measurements. In this paper, we derive the
optimal minimum-cost and minimum-error measurements for a general model of
imperfect detection.Comment: 5 page
Closed Universes With Black Holes But No Event Horizons As a Solution to the Black Hole Information Problem
We show it is possible for the information paradox in black hole evaporation
to be resolved classically. Using standard junction conditions, we attach the
general closed spherically symmetric dust metric to a spacetime satisfying all
standard energy conditions but with a single point future c-boundary. The
resulting Omega Point spacetime, which has NO event horizons, nevertheless has
black hole type trapped surfaces and hence black holes. But since there are no
event horizons, information eventually escapes from the black holes. We show
that a scalar quintessence field with an appropriate exponential potential near
the final singularity would give rise to an Omega Point final singularity.Comment: 27 pages in LaTex2e, no figure
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