32,099 research outputs found
Observational Bounds on Modified Gravity Models
Modified gravity provides a possible explanation for the currently observed
cosmic accelaration. In this paper, we study general classes of modified
gravity models. The Einstein-Hilbert action is modified by using general
functions of the Ricci and the Gauss-Bonnet scalars, both in the metric and in
the Palatini formalisms. We do not use an explicit form for the functions, but
a general form with a valid Taylor expansion up to second order about redshift
zero in the Riemann-scalars. The coefficients of this expansion are then
reconstructed via the cosmic expansion history measured using current
cosmological observations. These are the quantities of interest for theoretical
considerations relating to ghosts and instabilities. We find that current data
provide interesting constraints on the coefficients. The next-generation dark
energy surveys should shrink the allowed parameter space for modifed gravity
models quite dramatically.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, uses RevTe
Collective behavior of heterogeneous neural networks
We investigate a network of integrate-and-fire neurons characterized by a
distribution of spiking frequencies. Upon increasing the coupling strength, the
model exhibits a transition from an asynchronous regime to a nontrivial
collective behavior. At variance with the Kuramoto model, (i) the macroscopic
dynamics is irregular even in the thermodynamic limit, and (ii) the microscopic
(single-neuron) evolution is linearly stable.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Model-independent Study of Electric Dipole Transitions in Quarkonium
The paper contains a systematic, model-independent treatment of electric
dipole (E1) transitions in heavy quarkonium. Within the effective field theory
framework of potential non-relativistic QCD (pNRQCD), we derive the complete
set of relativistic corrections of relative order v^2 both for weakly and
strongly-coupled quarkonia. The result supports and complements former results
from potential model calculations.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figure
Enhancement of the advanced Fenton process (Fe0/H2O2) by ultrasound for the mineralization of phenol
In this study, a successful mineralization of phenol was achieved by means of coupling zero-valent iron (ZVI) particles, hydrogen peroxide and a short input of ultrasonic irradiation. This short sono-advanced Fenton process (AFP) provided a better performance of ZVI in a subsequent silent degradation stage, which involves neither extra cost of energy nor additional oxidant. The short input of ultrasound (US) irradiation enhanced the activity of the Fe0/H2O2 system in terms of the total organic carbon (TOC) removal. Then, the TOC mineralization continued during the silent stage, even after the total consumption of hydrogen peroxide, reaching values of ca. 90% TOC conversions over 24 h. This remarkable activity is attributed to the capacity of the ZVI/iron oxide composite formed during the degradation for the generation of oxidizing radical species and to the formation of another reactive oxidant species, such as the ferryl ion. The modification of the initial conditions of the sono-AFP system such as the ultrasonic irradiation time and the hydrogen peroxide dosage, showed significant variations in terms of TOC mineralization for the ongoing silent degradation stage. An appropriate selection of operation conditions will lead to an economical and highly efficient technology with eventual large-scale commercial applications for the degradation organic pollutants in aqueous effluents
Ground States for Diffusion Dominated Free Energies with Logarithmic Interaction
Replacing linear diffusion by a degenerate diffusion of porous medium type is
known to regularize the classical two-dimensional parabolic-elliptic
Keller-Segel model. The implications of nonlinear diffusion are that solutions
exist globally and are uniformly bounded in time. We analyse the stationary
case showing the existence of a unique, up to translation, global minimizer of
the associated free energy. Furthermore, we prove that this global minimizer is
a radially decreasing compactly supported continuous density function which is
smooth inside its support, and it is characterized as the unique compactly
supported stationary state of the evolution model. This unique profile is the
clear candidate to describe the long time asymptotics of the diffusion
dominated classical Keller-Segel model for general initial data.Comment: 30 pages, 2 figure
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