83 research outputs found
The Extreme Kerr Throat Geometry: A Vacuum Analog of AdS_2 x S^2
We study the near horizon limit of a four dimensional extreme rotating black
hole. The limiting metric is a completely nonsingular vacuum solution, with an
enhanced symmetry group SL(2,R) x U(1). We show that many of the properties of
this solution are similar to the AdS_2 x S^2 geometry arising in the near
horizon limit of extreme charged black holes. In particular, the boundary at
infinity is a timelike surface. This suggests the possibility of a dual quantum
mechanical description. A five dimensional generalization is also discussed.Comment: 21 page
The Microcanonical Functional Integral. I. The Gravitational Field
The gravitational field in a spatially finite region is described as a
microcanonical system. The density of states is expressed formally as a
functional integral over Lorentzian metrics and is a functional of the
geometrical boundary data that are fixed in the corresponding action. These
boundary data are the thermodynamical extensive variables, including the energy
and angular momentum of the system. When the boundary data are chosen such that
the system is described semiclassically by {\it any} real stationary
axisymmetric black hole, then in this same approximation is shown to
equal 1/4 the area of the black hole event horizon. The canonical and grand
canonical partition functions are obtained by integral transforms of that
lead to "imaginary time" functional integrals. A general form of the first law
of thermodynamics for stationary black holes is derived. For the simpler case
of nonrelativistic mechanics, the density of states is expressed as a real-time
functional integral and then used to deduce Feynman's imaginary-time functional
integral for the canonical partition function.Comment: 29 pages, plain Te
Inflation with a constant ratio of scalar and tensor perturbation amplitudes
The single scalar field inflationary models that lead to scalar and tensor
perturbation spectra with amplitudes varying in direct proportion to one
another are reconstructed by solving the Stewart-Lyth inverse problem to
next-to-leading order in the slow-roll approximation.
The potentials asymptote at high energies to an exponential form,
corresponding to power law inflation, but diverge from this model at low
energies, indicating that power law inflation is a repellor in this case. This
feature implies that a fine-tuning of initial conditions is required if such
models are to reproduce the observations. The required initial conditions might
be set through the eternal inflation mechanism.
If this is the case, it will imply that the spectral indices must be nearly
constant, making the underlying model observationally indistinguishable from
power law inflation.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. Major changes to the Introduction following
referee's comments. One figure added. Some other minor changes. No conclusion
was modifie
Self-consistent interface properties of d and s-wave superconductors
We develop a method to solve the Bogoliubov de Gennes equation for
superconductors self-consistently, using the recursion method. The method
allows the pairing interaction to be either local or non-local corresponding to
s and d-wave superconductivity, respectively. Using this method we examine the
properties of various S-N and S-S interfaces. In particular we calculate the
spatially varying density of states and order parameter for the following
geometries (i) s-wave superconductor to normal metal, (ii) d-wave
superconductor to normal metal, (iii) d-wave superconductor to s-wave
superconductor. We show that the density of states at the interface has a
complex structure including the effects of normal surface Friedel oscillations,
the spatially varying gap and Andeev states within the gap, and the subtle
effects associated with the interplay of the gap and the normal van Hove peaks
in the density of states. In the case of bulk d-wave superconductors the
surface leads to mixing of different order parameter symmetries near the
interface and substantial local filling in of the gap.Comment: 20 pages, Latex and 8 figure
Minimal Cooling of Neutron Stars: A New Paradigm
A new classification of neutron star cooling scenarios, involving either
``minimal'' cooling or ``enhanced'' cooling is proposed. The minimal cooling
scenario replaces and extends the so-called standard cooling scenario to
include neutrino emission from the Cooper pair breaking and formation process.
This emission dominates that due to the modified Urca process for temperatures
close to the critical temperature for superfluid pairing. Minimal cooling is
distinguished from enhanced cooling by the absence of neutrino emission from
any direct Urca process, due either to nucleons or to exotica. Within the
minimal cooling scenario, theoretical cooling models can be considered to be a
four parameter family involving the equation of state of dense matter,
superfluid properties of dense matter, the composition of the neutron star
envelope, and the mass of the neutron star. Consequences of minimal cooling are
explored through extensive variations of these parameters. Results are compared
with the inferred properties of thermally-emitting neutron stars in order to
ascertain if enhanced cooling occurs in any of them. All stars for which
thermal emissions have been clearly detected are at least marginally consistent
with the lack of enhanced cooling. The two pulsars PSR 0833-45 (Vela) and PSR
1706-44 would require enhanced cooling in case their ages and/or temperatures
are on the lower side of their estimated values whereas the four stars PSR
0656+14, PSR 1055-52, Geminga, and RX J0720.4-3125 may require some source of
internal heating in case their age and/or luminosity are on the upper side of
their estimated values. The new upper limits on the thermal luminosity of PSR
J0205+6449 and RX J0007.0+7302 are indicative of the occurrence of some
enhanced neutrino emission beyond the minimal scenario.Comment: Version to appear in ApJ Supplements. Minor modifications in text and
discussion of updated data with new figure
Inflationary and Deflationary Branches in Extended Pre--Big Bang Cosmology
The pre--big bang cosmological scenario is studied within the context of the
Brans--Dicke theory of gravity. An epoch of superinflationary expansion may
occur in the pre--big bang phase of the Universe's history in a certain region
of parameter space. Two models are considered that contain a cosmological
constant in the gravitational and matter sectors of the theory, respectively.
Classical pre-- and post--big bang solutions are found for both models. The
existence of a curvature singularity forbids a classical transition between the
two branches. On the other hand, a quantum cosmological approach based on the
tunneling boundary condition results in a non--zero transition probability. The
transition may be interpreted as a spatial reflection of the wavefunction in
minisuperspace.Comment: 20 pages, latex, 3 figures available on reques
Reconstructing the Inflaton Potential---in Principle and in Practice
Generalizing the original work by Hodges and Blumenthal, we outline a
formalism which allows one, in principle, to reconstruct the potential of the
inflaton field from knowledge of the tensor gravitational wave spectrum or the
scalar density fluctuation spectrum, with special emphasis on the importance of
the tensor spectrum. We provide some illustrative examples of such
reconstruction. We then discuss in some detail the question of whether one can
use real observations to carry out this procedure. We conclude that in
practice, a full reconstruction of the functional form of the potential will
not be possible within the foreseeable future. However, with a knowledge of the
dark matter components, it should soon be possible to combine
intermediate-scale data with measurements of large-scale cosmic microwave
background anisotropies to yield useful information regarding the potential.Comment: 39 pages plus 2 figures (upon request:[email protected]), LaTeX,
FNAL--PUB--93/029-A; SUSSEX-AST 93/3-
Inflation in Gauss-Bonnet Brane Cosmology
The effect of including a Gauss-Bonnet contribution in the bulk action is
investigated within the context of the steep inflationary scenario. When
inflation is driven by an exponential inflaton field, this Gauss-Bonnet term
allows the spectral index of the scalar perturbation spectrum to take values in
the range 0.944 and 0.989, thereby bringing the scenario in closer agreement
with the most recent observations. Once the perturbation spectrum is normalized
to the microwave background temperature anisotropies, the value of the spectral
index is determined by the Gauss-Bonnet coupling parameter and the tension of
the brane and is independent of the logarithmic slope of the potential.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures. Extended introduction. In press, Phys. Rev.
Dynamics of Barred Galaxies
Some 30% of disc galaxies have a pronounced central bar feature in the disc
plane and many more have weaker features of a similar kind. Kinematic data
indicate that the bar constitutes a major non-axisymmetric component of the
mass distribution and that the bar pattern tumbles rapidly about the axis
normal to the disc plane. The observed motions are consistent with material
within the bar streaming along highly elongated orbits aligned with the
rotating major axis. A barred galaxy may also contain a spheroidal bulge at its
centre, spirals in the outer disc and, less commonly, other features such as a
ring or lens. Mild asymmetries in both the light and kinematics are quite
common. We review the main problems presented by these complicated dynamical
systems and summarize the effort so far made towards their solution,
emphasizing results which appear secure. (Truncated)Comment: This old review appeared in 1993. Plain tex with macro file. 82 pages
18 figures. A pdf version with figures at full resolution (3.24MB) is
available at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~sellwood/bar_review.pd
Cosmological Constraints from the Clustering of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7 Luminous Red Galaxies
We present the power spectrum of the reconstructed halo density field derived
from a sample of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Seventh Data Release (DR7). The halo power spectrum has a direct connection to
the underlying dark matter power for k <= 0.2 h/Mpc, well into the quasi-linear
regime. This enables us to use a factor of ~8 more modes in the cosmological
analysis than an analysis with kmax = 0.1 h/Mpc, as was adopted in the SDSS
team analysis of the DR4 LRG sample (Tegmark et al. 2006). The observed halo
power spectrum for 0.02 < k < 0.2 h/Mpc is well-fit by our model: chi^2 = 39.6
for 40 degrees of freedom for the best fit LCDM model. We find \Omega_m h^2 *
(n_s/0.96)^0.13 = 0.141^{+0.009}_{-0.012} for a power law primordial power
spectrum with spectral index n_s and \Omega_b h^2 = 0.02265 fixed, consistent
with CMB measurements. The halo power spectrum also constrains the ratio of the
comoving sound horizon at the baryon-drag epoch to an effective distance to
z=0.35: r_s/D_V(0.35) = 0.1097^{+0.0039}_{-0.0042}. Combining the halo power
spectrum measurement with the WMAP 5 year results, for the flat LCDM model we
find \Omega_m = 0.289 +/- 0.019 and H_0 = 69.4 +/- 1.6 km/s/Mpc. Allowing for
massive neutrinos in LCDM, we find \sum m_{\nu} < 0.62 eV at the 95% confidence
level. If we instead consider the effective number of relativistic species Neff
as a free parameter, we find Neff = 4.8^{+1.8}_{-1.7}. Combining also with the
Kowalski et al. (2008) supernova sample, we find \Omega_{tot} = 1.011 +/- 0.009
and w = -0.99 +/- 0.11 for an open cosmology with constant dark energy equation
of state w.Comment: 26 pages, 19 figures, submitted to MNRAS. The power spectrum and a
module to calculate the likelihoods is publicly available at
http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/toolbox/lrgdr/ . v2 fixes abstract formatting
issu
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