88 research outputs found
Density Perturbations in the Brans-Dicke Theory
We analyse the fate of density perturbation in the Brans-Dicke Theory, giving
a general classification of the solutions of the perturbed equations when the
scale factor of the background evolves as a power law. We study with details
the cases of vacuum, inflation, radiation and incoherent matter. We find, for
the a negative Brans-Dicke parameter, a significant amplification of
perturbations.Comment: 26 pages, latex fil
Illusions of general relativity in Brans-Dicke gravity
Contrary to common belief, the standard tenet of Brans-Dicke theory reducing
to general relativity when omega tends to infinity is false if the trace of the
matter energy-momentum tensor vanishes. The issue is clarified in a new
approach using conformal transformations. The otherwise unaccountable limiting
behavior of Brans-Dicke gravity is easily understood in terms of the conformal
invariance of the theory when the sources of gravity have radiation-like
properties. The rigorous computation of the asymptotic behavior of the
Brans-Dicke scalar field is straightforward in this new approach.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, to appear in Physical Review
Brain Plasticity and Intellectual Ability Are Influenced by Shared Genes
Although the adult brain is considered to be fully developed and stable until senescence when its size steadily decreases, such stability seems at odds with continued human (intellectual) development throughout life. Moreover, although variation in human brain size is highly heritable, we do not know the extent to which genes contribute to individual differences in brain plasticity. In this longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study in twins, we report considerable thinning of the frontal cortex and thickening of the medial temporal cortex with increasing age and find this change to be heritable and partly related to cognitive ability. Specifically, adults with higher intelligence show attenuated cortical thinning and more pronounced cortical thickening over time than do subjects with average or below average IQ. Genes influencing variability in both intelligence and brain plasticity partly drive these associations. Thus, not only does the brain continue to change well into adulthood, these changes are functionally relevant because they are related to intelligence. Copyright©2010 the authors
Assessment of Financial Risk Prediction Models with Multi-criteria Decision Making Methods
A wide range of classification models have been explored for financial risk prediction, but conclusions on which technique behaves better may vary when different performance evaluation measures are employed. Accordingly, this paper proposes the use of multiple criteria decision making tools in order to give a ranking of algorithms. More specifically, the selection of the most appropriate credit risk prediction method is here modeled as a multi-criteria decision making problem that involves a number of performance measures (criteria) and classification techniques (alternatives). An empirical study is carried out to evaluate the performance of ten algorithms over six real-life credit risk data sets. The results reveal that the use of a unique performance measure may lead to unreliable conclusions, whereas this situation can be overcome by the application of multi-criteria decision making techniques
Semi-Analytic Stellar Structure in Scalar-Tensor Gravity
Precision tests of gravity can be used to constrain the properties of
hypothetical very light scalar fields, but these tests depend crucially on how
macroscopic astrophysical objects couple to the new scalar field. We develop
quasi-analytic methods for solving the equations of stellar structure using
scalar-tensor gravity, with the goal of seeing how stellar properties depend on
assumptions made about the scalar coupling at a microscopic level. We
illustrate these methods by applying them to Brans-Dicke scalars, and their
generalization in which the scalar-matter coupling is a weak function of the
scalar field. The four observable parameters that characterize the fields
external to a spherically symmetric star (the stellar radius, R, mass, M,
scalar `charge', Q, and the scalar's asymptotic value, phi_infty) are subject
to two relations because of the matching to the interior solution, generalizing
the usual mass-radius, M(R), relation of General Relativity. We identify how
these relations depend on the microscopic scalar couplings, agreeing with
earlier workers when comparisons are possible. Explicit analytical solutions
are obtained for the instructive toy model of constant-density stars, whose
properties we compare to more realistic equations of state for neutron star
models.Comment: 39 pages, 9 figure
WMAP constraints on scalar-tensor cosmology and the variation of the gravitational constant
We present observational constraints on a scalar-tensor gravity theory by
test for CMB anisotropy spectrum. We compare the WMAP temperature
power spectrum with the harmonic attractor model, in which the scalar field has
its harmonic effective potential with curvature in the Einstein
conformal frame and the theory relaxes toward Einstein gravity with time. We
found that the present value of the scalar coupling, i.e. the present level of
deviation from Einstein gravity , is bounded to be smaller than
(), and () for . This constraint is much stronger than the bound from the solar
system experiments for large models, i.e., and 0.3 in
and limits, respectively. Furthermore, within the framework
of this model, the variation of the gravitational constant at the recombination
epoch is constrained as , and
.Comment: 7 page
FRW Cosmology From Five Dimensional Vacuum Brans-Dicke Theory
We follow approach of induced matter theory for 5D vacuum BD, introduce
induced matter and potential in 4D hypersurfaces, and employ generalized FRW
type solution. We confine ourselves to scalar field and scale factors be
functions of the time. This makes the induced potential, by its definition,
vanishes. When the scale factor of fifth dimension and scalar field are not
constants, 5D eqs for any geometry admit a power law relation between scalar
field and scale factor of fifth dimension. Hence the procedure exhibits that 5D
vacuum FRW like eqs are equivalent, in general, to corresponding 4D vacuum ones
with the same spatial scale factor but new scalar field and coupling constant.
We show that 5D vacuum FRW like eqs or its equivalent 4D vacuum ones admit
accelerated solutions. For constant scalar field, eqs reduce to usual FRW eqs
with typical radiation dominated universe. For this situation we obtain
dynamics of scale factors for any geometry without any priori assumption. For
nonconstant scalar fields and spatially flat geometries, solutions are found to
be power law and exponential ones. We also employ weak energy condition for
induced matter, that allows negative/positive pressures. All types of solutions
fulfill WEC in different ranges. The power law solutions with negative/positive
pressures admit both decelerating and accelerating ones. Some solutions accept
shrinking extra dimension. By considering nonghost scalar fields and recent
observational measurements, solutions are more restricted. We illustrate that
accelerating power law solutions, which satisfy WEC and have nonghost fields,
are compatible with recent observations in ranges -4/3 < \omega </- -1.3151 and
1.5208 </- n < 1.9583 for dependence of fifth dimension scale factor with usual
scale factor. These ranges also fulfill condition nonghost fields in the
equivalent 4D vacuum BD eqs.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures, 11 table
Perturbation evolution with a non-minimally coupled scalar field
We recently proposed a simple dilaton-derived quintessence model in which the
scalar field was non-minimally coupled to cold dark matter, but not to
`visible' matter. Such couplings can be attributed to the dilaton in the low
energy limit of string theory, beyond tree level. In this paper we discuss the
implications of such a model on structure formation, looking at its impact on
matter perturbations and CMB anisotropies. We find that the model only deviates
from CDM and minimally coupled theories at late times, and is well
fitted to current observational data. The signature left by the coupling, when
it breaks degeneracy at late times, presents a valuable opportunity to
constrain non-minimal couplings given the wealth of new observational data
promised in the near future.Comment: Version appearing in Physical Review D. 10 pages, 9 figs. Comparison
with SN1a and projected MAP results, and appendix adde
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