Blowing up generalized Kahler 4-manifolds

We show that the blow-up of a generalized Kahler 4-manifold in a nondegenerate complex point admits a generalized Kahler metric. As with the blow-up of complex surfaces, this metric may be chosen to coincide with the original outside a tubular neighbourhood of the exceptional divisor. To accomplish this, we develop a blow-up operation for bi-Hermitian manifolds.Comment: 16 page

Generalised G2G_2-manifolds

We define new Riemannian structures on 7-manifolds by a differential form of mixed degree which is the critical point of a (possibly constrained) variational problem over a fixed cohomology class. The unconstrained critical points generalise the notion of a manifold of holonomy $G_2$, while the constrained ones give rise to a new geometry without a classical counterpart. We characterise these structures by the means of spinors and show the integrability conditions to be equivalent to the supersymmetry equations on spinors in supergravity theory of type IIA/B with bosonic background fields. In particular, this geometry can be described by two linear metric connections with skew torsion. Finally, we construct explicit examples by using the device of T-duality.Comment: 27 pages. v2: references added. v3: wrong argument (Theorem 3.3) and example (Section 4.1) removed, further examples added, notation simplified, all comments appreciated. v4:computation of Ricci tensor corrected, various minor changes, final version of the paper to appear in Comm. Math. Phy

Fresh and Spent Nuclear Fuel Repatriation from the IRT-2000 Research Reactor Facility, Sofia, Bulgaria

The IRT 2000 research reactor, operated by the Bulgarian Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE), safely shipped all of their Russian-origin nuclear fuel from the Republic of Bulgaria to the Russian Federation beginning in 2003 and completing in 2008. These fresh and spent fuel shipments removed all highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Bulgaria. The fresh fuel was shipped by air in December 2003 using trucks and a commercial cargo aircraft. One combined spent fuel shipment of HEU and low enriched uranium (LEU) was completed in July 2008 using high capacity VPVR/M casks transported by truck, barge, and rail. The HEU shipments were assisted by the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return Program (RRRFR) and the LEU spent fuel shipment was funded by Bulgaria. This report describes the work, approvals, organizations, equipment, and agreements required to complete these shipments and concludes with several major lessons learned

Terahertz transverse-magnetic-polarized waves localized on layered superconductor defect in photonic crystals

We theoretically study eigenstates of electromagnetic field inside a one-dimensional photonic crystal containing a defect slab of layered superconductor. Basing on the transfer matrix formalism along with the electrodynamics of Josephson plasma, we obtain the dispersion relations describing the THz electromagnetic modes localized on defect. We consider both symmetric and antisymmetric configuration of defect in photonic crystal. The comparison of the dispersion spectra of the localized states for the layered-superconducting defect and the pure insulating defect reveals the features of the studied system.Теоретически исследованы собственные состояния электромагнитного поля в одномерном фотонном кристалле, содержащем дефектную пластину из слоистого сверхпроводника. Основываясь на методе трансфер-матрицы, с использованием электродинамики джозефсоновской плазмы, получены дисперсионные соотношения, описывающие терагерцевые электромагнитные моды, локализованные на дефекте. Рассмотрены симметричная и антисимметричная конфигурации дефекта в фотонном кристалле. Сравнение дисперсионных спектров локализованных состояний для сверхпроводящего и диэлектрического дефектов позволяет выявить особенности изучаемой системы.Теоретично вивчені власні стани електромагнітного поля в одновимірному фотонному кристалі, що містить дефектну пластину з шаруватого надпровідника. Ґрунтуючись на методі трансфер-матриці, з використанням електродинаміки джозефсонівської плазми, отримані дисперсійні співвідношення, які описують терагерцові електромагнітні моди, що локалізовані на дефекті. Розглядаються симетрична і антисиметричну конфігурації дефекту в фотонному кристалі. Порівняння дисперсійних спектрів локалізованих станів для надпровідного і діелектричного дефектів дозволило виявити особливості системи, що досліджується

A Deformation of Sasakian Structure in the Presence of Torsion and Supergravity Solutions

We discuss a deformation of Sasakian structure in the presence of totally skew-symmetric torsion by introducing odd dimensional manifolds whose metric cones are K\"ahler with torsion. It is shown that such a geometry inherits similar properties to those of Sasakian geometry. As an example of them, we present an explicit expression of local metrics and see how Sasakian structure is deformed by the presence of torsion. We also demonstrate that our example of the metrics admits the existence of hidden symmetries described by non-trivial odd-rank generalized closed conformal Killing-Yano tensors. Furthermore, using these metrics as an {\it ansatz}, we construct exact solutions in five dimensional minimal (un-)gauged supergravity and eleven dimensional supergravity. Finally, we discuss the global structures of the solutions and obtain regular metrics on compact manifolds in five dimensions, which give natural generalizations of Sasaki--Einstein manifolds $Y^{p,q}$ and $L^{a,b,c}$. We also discuss regular metrics on non-compact manifolds in eleven dimensions.Comment: 38 pages, 1 table, v2: version to appear in Class. Quant. Gra

Signum Function Method for Generation of Correlated Dichotomic Chains

We analyze the signum-generation method for creating random dichotomic sequences with prescribed correlation properties. The method is based on a binary mapping of the convolution of continuous random numbers with some function originated from the Fourier transform of a binary correlator. The goal of our study is to reveal conditions under which one can construct binary sequences with a given pair correlator. Our results can be used in the construction of superlattices and waveguides with selective transport properties.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

M-theory on `toric' G_2 cones and its type II reduction

We analyze a class of conical G_2 metrics admitting two commuting isometries, together with a certain one-parameter family of G_2 deformations which preserves these symmetries. Upon using recent results of Calderbank and Pedersen, we write down the explicit G_2 metric for the most general member of this family and extract the IIA reduction of M-theory on such backgrounds, as well as its type IIB dual. By studying the asymptotics of type II fields around the relevant loci, we confirm the interpretation of such backgrounds in terms of localized IIA 6-branes and delocalized IIB 5-branes. In particular, we find explicit, general expressions for the string coupling and R-R/NS-NS forms in the vicinity of these objects. Our solutions contain and generalize the field configurations relevant for certain models considered in recent work of Acharya and Witten.Comment: 45 pages, references adde

Calibrated cycles and T-duality

For Hitchin's generalised geometries we introduce and analyse the concept of a structured submanifold which encapsulates the classical notion of a calibrated submanifold. Under a suitable integrability condition on the ambient geometry, these generalised calibrated cycles minimise a functional occurring as D-brane energy in type II string theories, involving both so-called NS-NS- and R-R-fields. Further, we investigate the behaviour of calibrated cycles under T-duality and construct non-trivial examples.Comment: 43 pages. v4: formalism and T-duality part considerably expande