1,484 research outputs found
Theory of flux anisotropies in a guiding center plasma
The one particle distribution function f on the scale of the bounce motion of particles in a magnetic field B is considered. The Vlasov equation is expanded through O(epsilon) in the adiabatic parameter which is the ratio of particle gyroradius to scale length of the magnetic field. Because f is directly proportional to particle flux differential in kinetic energy and solid angle, f is in principle measurable in space experiments, and the analysis is tailored to be explicitly applicable to space problems. To O(1), f is gyrotropic; its first velocity moment is (if non-vanishing) parallel to B, and hence macroscopic parallel flow is included in this term. The O(epsilon) contribution is non-gyrotropic and macroscopic flow parallel to B plus additional parallel flow results from these terms. The degree of non-gyrotropy and the amount of cross-field macroscopic flow depend on the perpendicular component of the electric field, on curvature and shear in the magnetic field, and on the spatial gradient, pitch angle derivative, and speed derivative of the lowest order distribution function
On Dijkgraaf-Witten Type Invariants
We explicitly construct a series of lattice models based upon the gauge group
which have the property of subdivision invariance, when the coupling
parameter is quantized and the field configurations are restricted to satisfy a
type of mod- flatness condition. The simplest model of this type yields the
Dijkgraaf-Witten invariant of a -manifold and is based upon a single link,
or -simplex, field. Depending upon the manifold's dimension, other models
may have more than one species of field variable, and these may be based on
higher dimensional simplices.Comment: 18 page
Jupiter's radiation belts: Can Pioneer 10 survive?
Model calculations of Jupiter's electron and proton radiation belts indicate that the Galilean satellites can reduce particle fluxes in certain regions of the inner magnetosphere by as much as six orders of magnitude. Average fluxes should be reduced by a factor of 100 or more along the Pioneer 10 trajectory through the heart of Jupiter's radiation belts in early December. This may be enough to prevent serious radiation damage to the spacecraft
Absorption of trapped particles by Jupiter's moons
Absorption effects of the four innermost moons in the radial transport equations for electrons and protons in Jupiter's magnetosphere are presented. The phase space density n at 2 R sub J for electrons with equatorial pitch angles less than 69 deg is reduced by a factor of 4.2 x 1000 when lunar absorption is included in the calculation. For protons with equatorial pitch angles less than 69 deg, the corresponding reduction factor is 3.2 x 100000. The effect of the satellites becomes progressively weaker for both electrons and protons as equatorial pitch angles of pi/2 are approached, because the likelihood of impacting a satellite becomes progressively smaller. The large density decreases which we find at the orbits of Io, Europa, and Ganymede result in corresponding particle flux decreases that should be observed by spacecraft making particle measurements in Jupiter's magnetosphere. The characteristic signature of satellite absorption should be a downward pointing cusp in the flux versus radius curve at the L-value corresponding to each satellite
Applications of numerical codes to space plasma problems
Solar wind, earth's bowshock, and magnetospheric convection and substorms were investigated. Topics discussed include computational physics, multifluid codes, ionospheric irregularities, and modeling laser plasmas
Gauge symmetry breaking on orbifolds
We discuss a new method for gauge symmetry breaking in theories with one
extra dimension compactified on the orbifold S^1/Z_2. If we assume that fields
and their derivatives can jump at the orbifold fixed points, we can implement a
generalized Scherk-Schwarz mechanism that breaks the gauge symmetry. We show
that our model with discontinuous fields is equivalent to another with
continuous but non periodic fields; in our scheme localized lagrangian terms
for bulk fields appear.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Talk given at the XXXVIIth Rencontres de Moriond,
"Electroweak interactions and unified theories", Les Arcs, France, 9-16 Mar
2002. Minor changes, one reference adde
A Closed Contour of Integration in Regge Calculus
The analytic structure of the Regge action on a cone in dimensions over a
boundary of arbitrary topology is determined in simplicial minisuperspace. The
minisuperspace is defined by the assignment of a single internal edge length to
all 1-simplices emanating from the cone vertex, and a single boundary edge
length to all 1-simplices lying on the boundary. The Regge action is analyzed
in the space of complex edge lengths, and it is shown that there are three
finite branch points in this complex plane. A closed contour of integration
encircling the branch points is shown to yield a convergent real wave function.
This closed contour can be deformed to a steepest descent contour for all sizes
of the bounding universe. In general, the contour yields an oscillating wave
function for universes of size greater than a critical value which depends on
the topology of the bounding universe. For values less than the critical value
the wave function exhibits exponential behaviour. It is shown that the critical
value is positive for spherical topology in arbitrary dimensions. In three
dimensions we compute the critical value for a boundary universe of arbitrary
genus, while in four and five dimensions we study examples of product manifolds
and connected sums.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, To appear in Gen. Rel. Gra
Non-Quasinormal Modes and Black Hole Physics
The near-horizon geometry of a large class of extremal and near-extremal
black holes in string and M theory contains three-dimensional asymptotically
anti-de Sitter space. Motivated by this structure, we are led naturally to a
discrete set of complex frequencies defined in terms of the monodromy at the
inner and outer horizons of the black hole. We show that the correspondence
principle, whereby the real part of these ``non-quasinormal frequencies'' is
identified with certain fundamental quanta, leads directly to the correct
quantum behavior of the near-horizon Virasoro algebra, and thus the black hole
entropy. Remarkably, for the rotating black hole in five dimensions we also
reproduce the fractionization of conformal weights predicted in string theory.Comment: 4 pages, revtex4; v2: reference added; v3: more references, minor
typo corrected; v4: minor rewording to adjust size (ugh!); v5: some small
clarifications at referees' suggestio
Birmingham’s Eastside story: making steps towards sustainability?
Sustainability has come to play a dominant discursive role in the UK planning system, particularly relating to urban regeneration. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role that sustainability plays in a major regeneration
programme, known as Eastside, currently underway in Birmingham, the UK. That this ÂŁ6 billion redevelopment is now widely talked about by such key players as Birmingham City Council and the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, as having a central sustainability agenda points to the growing importance of the ideal of sustainability in planning and regeneration agendas. In this paper, we investigate in detail how and why sustainability has become part of the planning discourse for Eastside and critically evaluate what impact, if any, this is having on public policy decision-making
State Sum Models and Simplicial Cohomology
We study a class of subdivision invariant lattice models based on the gauge
group , with particular emphasis on the four dimensional example. This
model is based upon the assignment of field variables to both the - and
-dimensional simplices of the simplicial complex. The property of
subdivision invariance is achieved when the coupling parameter is quantized and
the field configurations are restricted to satisfy a type of mod- flatness
condition. By explicit computation of the partition function for the manifold
, we establish that the theory has a quantum Hilbert space
which differs from the classical one.Comment: 28 pages, Latex, ITFA-94-13, (Expanded version with two new sections
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