339 research outputs found
The importance of precession in modelling the direction of the final spin from a black-hole merger
The prediction of the spin of the black hole resulting from the merger of a
generic black-hole binary system is of great importance to study the
cosmological evolution of supermassive black holes. Several attempts have been
recently made to model the spin via simple expressions exploiting the results
of numerical-relativity simulations. Here, I first review the derivation of a
formula, proposed in Barausse & Rezzolla, Apj 704 L40, which accurately
predicts the final spin magnitude and direction when applied to binaries with
separations of hundred or thousands of gravitational radii. This makes my
formula particularly suitable for cosmological merger-trees and N-body
simulations, which provide the spins and angular momentum of the two black
holes when their separation is of thousands of gravitational radii. More
importantly, I investigate the physical reason behind the good agreement
between my formula and numerical relativity simulations, and nail it down to
the fact that my formula takes into account the post-Newtonian precession of
the spins and angular momentum in a consistent manner.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Panel added to fig 2, discussion extended to
comply with referee's comments. Version accepted for publication as
proceeding of the 8th Amaldi International Conference on Gravitational Waves,
NYC, 21-26 June 200
Hamiltonian of a spinning test-particle in curved spacetime [Erratum: Phys. Rev. D 80, 104025 (2009)]
Using a Legendre transformation, we compute the unconstrained Hamiltonian of a spinning test-particle in a curved spacetime at linear order in the particle spin. The equations of motion of this unconstrained Hamiltonian coincide with the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Pirani equations. We then use the formalism of Dirac brackets to derive the constrained Hamiltonian and the corresponding phase-space algebra in the Newton-Wigner spin supplementary condition (SSC), suitably generalized to curved spacetime, and find that the phase-space algebra (q,p,S) is canonical at linear order in the particle spin. We provide explicit expressions for this Hamiltonian in a spherically symmetric spacetime, both in isotropic and spherical coordinates, and in the Kerr spacetime in Boyer-Lindquist coordinates. Furthermore, we find that our Hamiltonian, when expanded in Post-Newtonian (PN) orders, agrees with the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) canonical Hamiltonian computed in PN theory in the test-particle limit. Notably, we recover the known spin-orbit couplings through 2.5PN order and the spin-spin couplings of type S_Kerr S (and S_Kerr^2) through 3PN order, S_Kerr being the spin of the Kerr spacetime. Our method allows one to compute the PN Hamiltonian at any order, in the test-particle limit and at linear order in the particle spin. As an application we compute it at 3.5PN order
Two phase galaxy formation: The Evolutionary Properties of Galaxies
We use our model for the formation and evolution of galaxies within a
two-phase galaxy formation scenario, showing that the high-redshift domain
typically supports the growth of spheroidal systems, whereas at low redshifts
the predominant baryonic growth mechanism is quiescent and may therefore
support the growth of a disc structure. Under this framework we investigate the
evolving galaxy population by comparing key observations at both low and
high-redshifts, finding generally good agreement. By analysing the evolutionary
properties of this model, we are able to recreate several features of the
evolving galaxy population with redshift, naturally reproducing number counts
of massive star-forming galaxies at high redshifts, along with the galaxy
scaling relations, star formation rate density and evolution of the stellar
mass function. Building upon these encouraging agreements, we make model
predictions that can be tested by future observations. In particular, we
present the expected evolution to z=2 of the super-massive black hole mass
function, and we show that the gas fraction in galaxies should decrease with
increasing redshift in a mass, with more and more evolution going to higher and
higher masses. Also, the characteristic transition mass from disc to bulge
dominated system should decrease with increasing redshift.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Version polished for publication in MNRA
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PREVENT THE EROSION OF SALT MARSHES IN THE LAGOON OF VENICE
The loss of coastal habitats is a widespread problem in Europe. To
protect the intertidal salt marshes of the lagoon of Venice from the
erosion due to natural and human causes which is diffusely and intensely
impacting them, the European Commission has funded the demonstrative
project LIFE VIMINE. LIFE VIMINE aims to protect the most interior,
hard-to-access salt marshes in the northern lagoon of Venice through an
integrated approach, whose core is the prevention of erosion through
numerous, small but spatially-diffuse soil-bioengineering protections
works, mainly placed through semi-manual labour and with low impact on
the environment and the landscape. The effectiveness of protection works
in the long term is ensured through routine, temporally-continuous and
spatially-diffuse actions of monitoring and maintenance. This method
contrasts the common approach to managing hydraulic risk and erosion in
Italy which is based on large, one-off and irreversible protection
actions. The sustainability of the LIFE VIMINE approach is ensured by
the participatory involvement of stakeholders and the recognition that
protecting salt marshes means defending the benefits they provide to
society through their ecological functions, as well as protecting the
jobs linked to the existence or conservation of this habitat
Non-singular Universes a la Palatini
It has recently been shown that f(R) theories formulated in the Palatini
variational formalism are able to avoid the big bang singularity yielding
instead a bouncing solution. The mechanism responsible for this behavior is
similar to that observed in the effective dynamics of loop quantum cosmology
and an f(R) theory exactly reproducing that dynamics has been found. I will
show here that considering more general actions, with quadratic contributions
of the Ricci tensor, results in a much richer phenomenology that yields
bouncing solutions even in anisotropic (Bianchi I) scenarios. Some implications
of these results are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, no figures. Contribution to the Spanish Relativity Meeting
(ERE2010), 6-10 Sept. Granada, Spai
Post-Newtonian expansion for Gauss-Bonnet Gravity
The Parametrized Post-Newtonian expansion of gravitational theories with a
scalar field coupled to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant is performed and
confrontation of such theories with Solar system experiments is discussed.Comment: 4 pages; typos corrected, published versio
Neutron star sensitivities in Ho\u159ava gravity after GW170817
Horava gravity breaks boost invariance in the gravitational sector by introducing a preferred time foliation. The dynamics of this preferred slicing is governed, in the low-energy limit suitable for most astrophysical applications, by three dimensionless parameters , and . The first two of these parameters are tightly bound by solar system and gravitational wave propagation experiments, but remains relatively unconstrained (). We restrict here to the parameter space region defined by (with kept generic), which in a previous paper we showed to be the only one where black hole solutions are non-pathological at the universal horizon, and we focus on possible violations of the strong equivalence principle in systems involving neutron stars. We compute neutron star 'sensitivities', which parametrize violations of the strong equivalence principle at the leading post-Newtonian order, and find that they vanish identically, like in the black hole case, for and generic . This implies that no violations of the strong equivalence principle (neither in the conservative sector nor in gravitational wave fluxes) can occur at the leading post-Newtonian order in binaries of compact objects, and that data from binary pulsars and gravitational interferometers are unlikely to further constrain
Extreme Mass-Ratio Inspirals in the Effective-One-Body Approach: Quasi-Circular, Equatorial Orbits around a Spinning Black Hole
We construct effective-one-body waveform models suitable for data analysis
with LISA for extreme-mass ratio inspirals in quasi-circular, equatorial orbits
about a spinning supermassive black hole. The accuracy of our model is
established through comparisons against frequency-domain, Teukolsky-based
waveforms in the radiative approximation. The calibration of eight high-order
post-Newtonian parameters in the energy flux suffices to obtain a phase and
fractional amplitude agreement of better than 1 radian and 1 % respectively
over a period between 2 and 6 months depending on the system considered. This
agreement translates into matches higher than 97 % over a period between 4 and
9 months, depending on the system. Better agreements can be obtained if a
larger number of calibration parameters are included. Higher-order mass ratio
terms in the effective-one-body Hamiltonian and radiation-reaction introduce
phase corrections of at most 30 radians in a one year evolution. These
corrections are usually one order of magnitude larger than those introduced by
the spin of the small object in a one year evolution. These results suggest
that the effective-one-body approach for extreme mass ratio inspirals is a good
compromise between accuracy and computational price for LISA data analysis
purposes.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
A no-go theorem for slowly rotating black holes in Horava-Lifshitz gravity
We consider slowly rotating, stationary, axisymmetric black holes in the
infrared limit of Horava-Lifshitz gravity. We show that such solutions do not
exist, provided that they are regular everywhere apart from the central
singularity. This has profound implications for the viability of the theory,
considering the astrophysical evidence for the existence of black holes with
non-zero spin.
NOTE ADDED: A subtlety in the dynamical equivalence between Horava-Lifshitz
gravity and Einstein-aether theory has been missed and this has seriously
affected the conclusions of this paper. Please see arXiv:1212.1334 for a full
discussionComment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Very minor changes to text (results unchanged) to
match version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Enucleation of a multilocular odontogenic keratocyst using sagittal osteotomy: A case report
Odontogenic keratocysts are significant cysts of the jaw that are characterized by aggressive behavior and a high tendency to recur. The treatments of choice may be radical or conservative, and in the literature a debate is still open about the gold standard in the treatment of OKCs.This report describes a wide multilocular OKC extended in the right mandibular ramus and illustrates atypical behavior of a cystic lobe after marsupialization, not found to our knowledge in the previous literature. Moreover, an orthognathic procedure, consisting of sagittal osteotomy was chosen for the excision of the cyst to preserve as much bone as possible and the integrity of the inferior alveolar nerve
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