9,924 research outputs found
Comparing Infrared Dirac-Born-Infeld Brane Inflation to Observations
We compare the Infrared Dirac-Born-Infeld (IR DBI) brane inflation model to
observations using a Bayesian analysis. The current data cannot distinguish it
from the \LambdaCDM model, but is able to give interesting constraints on
various microscopic parameters including the mass of the brane moduli
potential, the fundamental string scale, the charge or warp factor of throats,
and the number of the mobile branes. We quantify some distinctive testable
predictions with stringy signatures, such as the large non-Gaussianity, and the
large, but regional, running of the spectral index. These results illustrate
how we may be able to probe aspects of string theory using cosmological
observations.Comment: 54 pages, 13 figures. v2: non-Gaussianity constraint has been applied
to the model; parameter constraints have tightened significantly, conclusions
unchanged. References added; v3, minor revision, PRD versio
Measuring α in the early Universe: cosmic microwave background polarization, re-ionization and the Fisher matrix analysis
We present a detailed analysis of present and future cosmic microwave background (CMB) constraints of the value of the fine-structure constant, α. We carry out a more detailed analysis of the WMAP first-year data, deriving state-of-the-art constraints on α and discussing various other issues, such as the possible hints for the running of the spectral index. We find, at 95 per cent confidence level, that 0.95 < αdec/α0 < 1.02. Setting dnS/d ln k= 0 yields 0.94 < αdec/α0 < 1.01 as previously reported. We find that a lower value of αdec/α0 makes a value of dnS/d ln k= 0 more compatible with the data. We also perform a thorough Fisher matrix analysis (including both temperature and polarization, as well as α and the optical depth τ), in order to estimate how future CMB experiments will be able to constrain α and other cosmological parameters. We find that Planck data alone can constrain τ with an accuracy of the order 4 per cent and that this constraint can be as small as 1.7 per cent for an ideal cosmic variance limited (CVL) experiment. Constraints on α are of the order of 0.3 per cent for Planck and can in principle be as small as 0.1 per cent using CMB data alone: tighter constraints will require further (non-CMB) prior
Quintessence and variation of the fine structure constant in the CMBR
We study dependence of the CMB temperature anisotropy spectrum on the value
of the fine structure constant and the equation of state of the dark
energy component of the total density of the universe. We find that bounds
imposed on the variation of from the analysis of currently available
CMB data sets can be significantly relaxed if one also allows for a change in
the equation of state.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Several references added and a few minor typos
corrected in the revised versio
Dynamics of Quintessence Models of Dark Energy with Exponential Coupling to the Dark Matter
We explore quintessence models of dark energy which exhibit non-minimal
coupling between the dark matter and the dark energy components of the cosmic
fluid. The kind of coupling chosen is inspired in scalar-tensor theories of
gravity. We impose a suitable dynamics of the expansion allowing to derive
exact Friedmann-Robertson-Walker solutions once the coupling function is given
as input. Self-interaction potentials of single and double exponential types
emerge as result of our choice of the coupling function. The stability and
existence of the solutions is discussed in some detail. Although, in general,
models with appropriated interaction between the components of the cosmic
mixture are useful to handle the coincidence problem, in the present study the
coincidence can not be evaded due to the choice of the solution generating
ansatz.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
Evolution of the fishtail-effect in pure and Ag-doped MG-YBCO
We report on magnetic measurements carried out in a textured
YBaCuO and YBa(CuAg)O (at
0.02) crystals. The so-called fishtail-effect (FE) or second
magnetization peak has been observed in a wide temperature range
0.4~~0.8 for . The origin of the FE arises for
the competition between surface barrier and bulk pinning. This is confirmed in
a non-monotonically behavior of the relaxation rate . The value
for Ag-doped crystals is larger than for the pure one due to the presence of
additional pinning centers, above all on silver atoms.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Weak Lensing Effects on the Galaxy Three-Point Correlation Function
We study the corrections to the galaxy three-point correlation function
(3PCF) induced by weak lensing magnification due to the matter distribution
along the line of sight. We consistently derive all the correction terms
arising up to second order in perturbation theory and provide analytic
expressions as well as order of magnitude estimates for their relative
importance. The magnification contributions depend on the geometry of the
projected triangle on the sky plane, and scale with different powers of the
number count slope and redshift of the galaxy sample considered. We evaluate
all terms numerically and show that, depending on the triangle configuration as
well as the galaxy sample considered, weak lensing can in general significantly
contribute to and alter the three-point correlation function observed through
galaxy and quasar catalogs.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures; version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
D; v2: typos corrected, figure caption clarifie
Absence of Meissner State and Robust Ferromagnetism in the Superconducting State of UCoGe: Possible Evidence of Spontaneous Vortex State
We report ac magnetic susceptibility and dc magnetization measurements on the
superconducting ferromagnet UCoGe (with superconducting and Curie temperatures
of ~K and ~K, respectively).
In the normal, ferromagnetic state (), the
magnetization curve exhibits a hysteresis loop similar to that of a regular
itinerant ferromagnet. Upon lowering the temperature below , the
spontaneous magnetization is unchanged, but the hysteresis is markedly
enhanced. Even deeply inside the superconducting state, ferromagnetism is not
completely shielded, and there is no Meissner region, a magnetic field region
of (a lower critical field). From these results, we suggest
that UCoGe is the first material in which ferromagnetism robustly survives in
the superconducting state and a spontaneous vortex state without the Meissner
state is realized.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
Calculation of minor hysteresis loops under metastable to stable transformations in vortex matter
We present a model in which metastable supercooled phase and stable
equilibrium phase of vortex matter coexist in different regions of a sample.
Minor hysteresis loops are calculated with the simple assumption of the two
phases of vortex matter having field-independent critical current densities. We
use our earlier published ideas that the free energy barrier separating the
metastable and stable phases reduces as the magnetic induction moves farther
from the first order phase transition line, and that metastable to stable
transformations occur in local regions of the sample when the local energy
dissipation exceeds a critical value. Previously reported anomalous features in
minor hysteresis loops are reproduced, and calculated field profiles are
presented.Comment: 9pages, 7 figure
Stable and Metastable vortex states and the first order transition across the peak effect region in weakly pinned 2H-NbSe_2
The peak effect in weakly pinned superconductors is accompanied by metastable
vortex states. Each metastable vortex configuration is characterized by a
different critical current density J_c, which mainly depends on the past
thermomagnetic history of the superconductor. A recent model [G. Ravikumar, et
al, Phys. Rev. B 61, R6479 (2000)] proposed to explain the history dependent
J_c postulates a stable state of vortex lattice with a critical current density
J_c^{st}, determined uniquely by the field and temperature. In this paper, we
present evidence for the existence of the stable state of the vortex lattice in
the peak effect region of 2H-NbSe_2. It is shown that this stable state can be
reached from any metastable vortex state by cycling the applied field by a
small amplitude. The minor magnetization loops obtained by repeated field
cycling allow us to determine the pinning and "equilibrium" properties of the
stable state of the vortex lattice at a given field and temperature
unambiguously. The data imply the occurence of a first order phase transition
from an ordered phase to a disordered vortex phase across the peak effect.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures. Corresponding author: S. Ramakrishna
Flux Creep and Flux Jumping
We consider the flux jump instability of the Bean's critical state arising in
the flux creep regime in type-II superconductors. We find the flux jump field,
, that determines the superconducting state stability criterion. We
calculate the dependence of on the external magnetic field ramp rate,
. We demonstrate that under the conditions typical for most of the
magnetization experiments the slope of the current-voltage curve in the flux
creep regime determines the stability of the Bean's critical state, {\it i.e.},
the value of . We show that a flux jump can be preceded by the
magneto-thermal oscillations and find the frequency of these oscillations as a
function of .Comment: 7 pages, ReVTeX, 2 figures attached as postscript file
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