Unique characterization of the Bel-Robinson tensor

We prove that a completely symmetric and trace-free rank-4 tensor is, up to sign, a Bel-Robinson type tensor, i.e., the superenergy tensor of a tensor with the same algebraic symmetries as the Weyl tensor, if and only if it satisfies a certain quadratic identity. This may be seen as the first Rainich theory result for rank-4 tensors.Comment: extended version, 13 pages, shorter version published in Class.Quant.Gra

Algebraic Rainich theory and antisymmetrisation in higher dimensions

The classical Rainich(-Misner-Wheeler) theory gives necessary and sufficient conditions on an energy-momentum tensor $T$ to be that of a Maxwell field (a 2-form) in four dimensions. Via Einstein's equations these conditions can be expressed in terms of the Ricci tensor, thus providing conditions on a spacetime geometry for it to be an Einstein-Maxwell spacetime. One of the conditions is that $T^2$ is proportional to the metric, and it has previously been shown in arbitrary dimension that any tensor satisfying this condition is a superenergy tensor of a simple $p$-form. Here we examine algebraic Rainich conditions for general $p$-forms in higher dimensions and their relations to identities by antisymmetrisation. Using antisymmetrisation techniques we find new identities for superenergy tensors of these general (non-simple) forms, and we also prove in some cases the converse; that the identities are sufficient to determine the form. As an example we obtain the complete generalisation of the classical Rainich theory to five dimensions.Comment: 16 pages, LaTe

Cranial nerve injuries after carotid artery surgery. A prospective study of 663 operations

Objective:To establish the incidence of cranial nerve injuries caused by carotid artery surgery.Methods:During the years 1982 to 1992, 689 carotid artery operations were performed at Malmö General Hospital. Of these 656 were pre- and postoperatively examined at the Department of Phoniatrics concerning the function of the cranial nerves IX, X, and XII.Results:There was injury to one or more of the examined nerves after 75 operations (11.4%). In 70 (10.7%) operations the hypoglossal nerve was injured, in eight (1.2%) the recurrent laryngeal nerve, in two (0.3%) the glossopharyngeal nerve and in two (0.3%) the superior laryngeal nerve. Seven patients complained of postoperative hoarseness, but had no injuries. One hypoglossal and one recurrent nerve injury was permanent. Nerve injury was more frequent in operations performed with a shunt (p = 0.05), with patch closure (p = 0.01) and by a junior surgeon (p = 0.05).Conclusion:In a prospective series, the incidence of cranial nerve injuries after carotid surgery was significant but the vast majority were reversible

Two dimensional Sen connections and quasi-local energy-momentum

The recently constructed two dimensional Sen connection is applied in the problem of quasi-local energy-momentum in general relativity. First it is shown that, because of one of the two 2 dimensional Sen--Witten identities, Penrose's quasi-local charge integral can be expressed as a Nester--Witten integral.Then, to find the appropriate spinor propagation laws to the Nester--Witten integral, all the possible first order linear differential operators that can be constructed only from the irreducible chiral parts of the Sen operator alone are determined and examined. It is only the holomorphy or anti-holomorphy operator that can define acceptable propagation laws. The 2 dimensional Sen connection thus naturally defines a quasi-local energy-momentum, which is precisely that of Dougan and Mason. Then provided the dominant energy condition holds and the 2-sphere S is convex we show that the next statements are equivalent: i. the quasi-local mass (energy-momentum) associated with S is zero; ii.the Cauchy development $D(\Sigma)$ is a pp-wave geometry with pure radiation ($D(\Sigma)$ is flat), where $\Sigma$ is a spacelike hypersurface whose boundary is S; iii. there exist a Sen--constant spinor field (two spinor fields) on S. Thus the pp-wave Cauchy developments can be characterized by the geometry of a two rather than a three dimensional submanifold.Comment: 20 pages, Plain Tex, I

A Note on Matter Superenergy Tensors

We consider Bel-Robinson-like higher derivative conserved two-index tensors H_\mn in simple matter models, following a recently suggested Maxwell field version. In flat space, we show that they are essentially equivalent to the true stress-tensors. In curved Ricci-flat backgrounds it is possible to redefine H_\mn so as to overcome non-commutativity of covariant derivatives, and maintain conservation, but they become model- and dimension- dependent, and generally lose their simple "BR" form.Comment: 3 page

Dientes de Abelisauridae y Carcharodontosauridae cf. (Theropoda, Dinosauria) del Campaniano-Maastrichtiano Formación Presidente Prudente (Suroeste Provincia de São Paulo, Brasil)

Isolated theropod teeth referable to Abelisauridae indet., and Carcharodontosauridae cf., from the Campanian-Maastrichtian Presidente Prudente Formation of the western São Paulo State, Brazil, are described. They are compared to the Late Cretaceous Gondwanan theropod dinosaur teeth and their affinities are discussed. These teeth are significant because carnivorous dinosaur remains are poorly known from the Late Cretaceous beds of Western São Paulo State except for a few isolated elements.Se describen dientes aislados de terópodos referidos a Abelisauridae indet. y Carcharodontosauridae cf., procedentes de la Formación Presidente Prudente del Campaniano-Maastrichtiano, en el oeste del estado de San Pablo, Brasil. Los materiales son comparados con dientes de dinosaurios gondwánicos del Cretácico tardío, y cuyas afinidades son aquí discutidas. Estos dientes de dinosaurios carnívoros son significativos debido a que su presencia es pobremente conocida en el Cretácico tardío del oeste del estado del San Pablo, excepto por unos pocos huesos

Semimicroscopical description of the simplest photonuclear reactions accompanied by excitation of the giant dipole resonance in medium-heavy mass nuclei

A semimicroscopical approach is applied to describe photoabsorption and partial photonucleon reactions accompanied by the excitation of the giant dipole resonance (GDR). The approach is based on the continuum-RPA (CRPA) with a phenomenological description for the spreading effect. The phenomenological isoscalar part of the nuclear mean field, momentum-independent Landau-Migdal particle-hole interaction, and separable momentum-dependent forces are used as input quantities for the CRPA calculations. The experimental photoabsorption and partial $(n,\gamma)$-reaction cross sections in the vicinity of the GDR are satisfactorily described for $^{89}$Y, $^{140}$Ce and $^{208}$Pb target nuclei. The total direct-neutron-decay branching ratio for the GDR in $^{48}$Ca and $^{208}$Pb is also evaluated.Comment: 19 pages, 5 eps figure

The Chevreton Tensor and Einstein-Maxwell Spacetimes Conformal to Einstein Spaces

In this paper we characterize the source-free Einstein-Maxwell spacetimes which have a trace-free Chevreton tensor. We show that this is equivalent to the Chevreton tensor being of pure-radiation type and that it restricts the spacetimes to Petrov types \textbf{N} or \textbf{O}. We prove that the trace of the Chevreton tensor is related to the Bach tensor and use this to find all Einstein-Maxwell spacetimes with a zero cosmological constant that have a vanishing Bach tensor. Among these spacetimes we then look for those which are conformal to Einstein spaces. We find that the electromagnetic field and the Weyl tensor must be aligned, and in the case that the electromagnetic field is null, the spacetime must be conformally Ricci-flat and all such solutions are known. In the non-null case, since the general solution is not known on closed form, we settle with giving the integrability conditions in the general case, but we do give new explicit examples of Einstein-Maxwell spacetimes that are conformal to Einstein spaces, and we also find examples where the vanishing of the Bach tensor does not imply that the spacetime is conformal to a $C$-space. The non-aligned Einstein-Maxwell spacetimes with vanishing Bach tensor are conformally $C$-spaces, but none of them are conformal to Einstein spaces.Comment: 22 pages. Corrected equation (12

Kondo decoherence: finding the right spin model for iron impurities in gold and silver

We exploit the decoherence of electrons due to magnetic impurities, studied via weak localization, to resolve a longstanding question concerning the classic Kondo systems of Fe impurities in the noble metals gold and silver: which Kondo-type model yields a realistic description of the relevant multiple bands, spin and orbital degrees of freedom? Previous studies suggest a fully screened spin $S$ Kondo model, but the value of $S$ remained ambiguous. We perform density functional theory calculations that suggest $S = 3/2$. We also compare previous and new measurements of both the resistivity and decoherence rate in quasi 1-dimensional wires to numerical renormalization group predictions for $S=1/2,1$ and 3/2, finding excellent agreement for $S=3/2$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, shortened for PR