741 research outputs found
A Lorentzian Gromov-Hausdoff notion of distance
This paper is the first of three in which I study the moduli space of
isometry classes of (compact) globally hyperbolic spacetimes (with boundary). I
introduce a notion of Gromov-Hausdorff distance which makes this moduli space
into a metric space. Further properties of this metric space are studied in the
next papers. The importance of the work can be situated in fields such as
cosmology, quantum gravity and - for the mathematicians - global Lorentzian
geometry.Comment: 20 pages, 0 figures, submitted to Classical and quantum gravity,
seriously improved presentatio
FRW cosmologies between chaos and integrability
A recent paper by Castagnino, Giacomini and Lara concludes that there is no
chaos in a conformally coupled closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe,
which is in apparent contradiction with previous works. We point out that
although nonchaotic the quoted system is nonintegrable.Comment: Revtex, 2 pages, no figure
The Big Bang as a Phase Transition
We study a five-dimensional cosmological model, which suggests that the
universe bagan as a discontinuity in a (Higgs-type) scalar field, or
alternatively as a conventional four-dimensional phase transition.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures; typo corrected in equation (18); 1 reference
added; version to appear in International Journal of Modern Physics
Tinted Semi-Transparent Solar Panels Allow Concurrent Production of Crops and Electricity on the Same Cropland
Agrivoltaics describes concurrent agricultural production of crops and photovoltaic generation of electricity on the same cropland. By using tinted semi-transparent solar panels, this study introduces a novel element to transform the concept of agrivoltaics from just solar-sharing to selective utilisation of different light wavelengths. Agrivoltaic growth of basil and spinach was tested. When compared with classical agriculture, and based on the feed-in-tariff of the experimental location, agrivoltaic co-generation of biomass and electricity is calculated to result in an estimated financial gross gain up to +2.5% for basil and +35% for spinach. Marketable biomass yields did not change significantly for basil, while a statistically significant loss was observed for spinach. This was accompanied by a relative increase in the protein content for both plants grown under agrivoltaic conditions.
Agrivoltaics implemented with tinted solar panels improved the biomass production per unit amount of solar radiation up to 68%, with up to 63% increase in the ratio of leaf and stem biomass to root. Agrivoltaics can enrich the portfolio of farmers, mitigate risks associated with climate, and vastly enhance global photovoltaics capacity without compromising agricultural production.Leverhulme Trust RPG-2015-393
Italian Ministry of University and Research (to co-author A Schievano
Evidence for a continuum limit in causal set dynamics
We find evidence for a continuum limit of a particular causal set dynamics
which depends on only a single ``coupling constant'' and is easy to
simulate on a computer. The model in question is a stochastic process that can
also be interpreted as 1-dimensional directed percolation, or in terms of
random graphs.Comment: 24 pages, 19 figures, LaTeX, adjusted terminolog
The moduli space of isometry classes of globally hyperbolic spacetimes
This is the last article in a series of three initiated by the second author.
We elaborate on the concepts and theorems constructed in the previous articles.
In particular, we prove that the GH and the GGH uniformities previously
introduced on the moduli space of isometry classes of globally hyperbolic
spacetimes are different, but the Cauchy sequences which give rise to
well-defined limit spaces coincide. We then examine properties of the strong
metric introduced earlier on each spacetime, and answer some questions
concerning causality of limit spaces. Progress is made towards a general
definition of causality, and it is proven that the GGH limit of a Cauchy
sequence of , path metric Lorentz spaces is again a
, path metric Lorentz space. Finally, we give a
necessary and sufficient condition, similar to the one of Gromov for the
Riemannian case, for a class of Lorentz spaces to be precompact.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Class. Quant. Gra
On the "renormalization" transformations induced by cycles of expansion and contraction in causal set cosmology
We study the ``renormalization group action'' induced by cycles of cosmic
expansion and contraction, within the context of a family of stochastic
dynamical laws for causal sets derived earlier. We find a line of fixed points
corresponding to the dynamics of transitive percolation, and we prove that
there exist no other fixed points and no cycles of length two or more. We also
identify an extensive ``basin of attraction'' of the fixed points but find that
it does not exhaust the full parameter space. Nevertheless, we conjecture that
every trajectory is drawn toward the fixed point set in a suitably weakened
sense.Comment: 22 pages, 1 firgure, submitted to Phys. Rev.
On alternative approaches to Lorentz violation in loop quantum gravity inspired models
Recent claims point out that possible violations of Lorentz symmetry
appearing in some semiclassical models of extended matter dynamics motivated by
loop quantum gravity can be removed by a different choice of canonically
conjugated variables. In this note we show that such alternative is
inconsistent with the choice of variables in the underlying quantum theory
together with the semiclassical approximation, as long as the correspondence
principle is maintained. A consistent choice will violate standard Lorentz
invariance. Thus, to preserve a relativity principle in this framework, the
linear realization of Lorentz symmetry should be extended or superseded.Comment: 4 pages, revtex4, no figures, references adde
Fractal Scales in a Schwarzschild Atmosphere
Recently, Glass and Krisch have extended the Vaidya radiating metric to
include both a radiation fluid and a string fluid [1999 Class. Quantum Grav.
vol 16, 1175]. Mass diffusion in the extended Schwarzschild atmosphere was
studied. The continuous solutions of classical diffusive transport are believed
to describe the envelope of underlying fractal behavior. In this work we
examine the classical picture at scales on which fractal behavior might be
evident.Comment: to appear in Class. Quantum Gra
Enhancing plasma membrane NADPH oxidase activity increases current output by diatoms in biophotovoltaic devices
Biophotovoltaic (BPV) devices employ the photosynthetic activity of microalgae or cyanobacteria to harvest light energy and generate electrical current directly as a result of the release of electrons from the algal cells. NADPH oxidases (NOX) are plasma-membrane enzymes that transport electrons from the cytosol to generate extracellular superoxide anions, and have been implicated in BPV output. In this study, we investigated NOX activity in the diatoms, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana in an attempt to understand and enhance NOX and BPV function. We found that NOX activity was linked to defined growth regimes and growth phases, and was light dependent. Crucially, current output in a BPV device correlated with NOX activity, and levels of up to 14 ÎŒA per 106 cells (approximately 500 mA.m-2) were obtained. Expression of two putative P. tricornutum NOX genes (PtNOX1 and PtNOX2) was found to correspond with the observed growth patterns of superoxide anion production and power output, suggesting these are responsible for the observed patterns of NOX activity. Crucially, we demonstrate that NOX activity levels could be enhanced via semi-continuous culturing, pointing to the possibility of maintaining long-term power output in BPV devices.This work was supported by the United Kingdom Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), grant reference EP/F047940/1.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2015.08.00
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