Triangle-generation in topological D-brane categories

Tachyon condensation in topological Landau-Ginzburg models can generally be studied using methods of commutative algebra and properties of triangulated categories. The efficiency of this approach is demonstrated by explicitly proving that every D-brane system in all minimal models of type ADE can be generated from only one or two fundamental branes.Comment: 34 page

Brane Boxes: Bending and Beta Functions

We study the type IIB brane box configurations recently introduced by Hanany and Zaffaroni. We show that even at finite string coupling, one can construct smooth configurations of branes with fairly arbitrary gauge and flavor structure. Limiting our attention to the better understood case where NS-branes do not intersect over a four dimensional surface gives some restrictions on the theories, but still permits many examples, both anomalous and non-anomalous. We give several explicit examples of such configurations and discuss what constraints can be imposed on brane-box theories from bending considerations. We also discuss the relation between brane bending and beta-functions for brane-box configurations.Comment: latex, 18 pages, 8 figure

Tree-Level Stability Without Spacetime Fermions: Novel Examples in String Theory

Is perturbative stability intimately tied with the existence of spacetime fermions in string theory in more than two dimensions? Type 0'B string theory in ten-dimensional flat space is a rare example of a non-tachyonic, non-supersymmetric string theory with a purely bosonic closed string spectrum. However, all known type 0' constructions exhibit massless NSNS tadpoles signaling the fact that we are not expanding around a true vacuum of the theory. In this note, we are searching for perturbatively stable examples of type 0' string theory without massless tadpoles in backgrounds with a spatially varying dilaton. We present two examples with this property in non-critical string theories that exhibit four- and six-dimensional Poincare invariance. We discuss the D-branes that can be embedded in this context and the type of gauge theories that can be constructed in this manner. We also comment on the embedding of these non-critical models in critical string theories and their holographic (Little String Theory) interpretation and propose a general conjecture for the role of asymptotic supersymmetry in perturbative string theory.Comment: harvmac, 29 pages; v2 minor changes, version to appear in JHE

Probing Orientifold Behavior Near NS Branes

The effect of NS 5 branes on an orientifold is studied. The orientifold is allowed to pass through a pile of k NS branes forming a regularized CHS geometry. Its effect on open strings in its vicinity is used to study the change in the orientifold charge induced by the NS branes.Comment: Important references added, 30 pages, 8 figure

DBI analysis of generalised permutation branes

We investigate D-branes on the product GxG of two group manifolds described as Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten models. When the levels of the two groups coincide, it is well known that there exist permutation D-branes which are twisted by the automorphism exchanging the two factors. When the levels are different, the D-brane charge group demands that there should be generalisations of these permutation D-branes, and a geometric construction for them was proposed in hep-th/0509153. We give further evidence for this proposal by showing that the generalised permutation D-branes satisfy the Dirac-Born-Infeld equations of motion for arbitrary compact, simply connected and simple Lie groups G.Comment: 19 pages, computation in section 3.5.1 corrected, conclusions unchange

BNCI systems as a potential assistive technology: ethical issues and participatory research in the BrainAble project

This paper highlights aspects related to current research and thinking about ethical issues in relation to Brain Computer Interface (BCI) and Brain-Neuronal Computer Interfaces (BNCI) research through the experience of one particular project, BrainAble, which is exploring and developing the potential of these technologies to enable people with complex disabilities to control computers. It describes how ethical practice has been developed both within the multidisciplinary research team and with participants. Results: The paper presents findings in which participants shared their views of the project prototypes, of the potential of BCI/BNCI systems as an assistive technology, and of their other possible applications. This draws attention to the importance of ethical practice in projects where high expectations of technologies, and representations of “ideal types” of disabled users may reinforce stereotypes or drown out participant “voices”. Conclusions: Ethical frameworks for research and development in emergent areas such as BCI/BNCI systems should be based on broad notions of a “duty of care” while being sufficiently flexible that researchers can adapt project procedures according to participant needs. They need to be frequently revisited, not only in the light of experience, but also to ensure they reflect new research findings and ever more complex and powerful technologies

Supersymmetric Orientifolds of Gepner Models

Supersymmetric orientifolds of four dimensional Gepner Models are constructed in a systematic way. For all levels of the Gepner model being odd the generic expression for both the A-type and the B-type Klein bottle amplitude is derived. The appearing massless tadpoles are canceled by introducing appropriate boundary states of Recknagel/Schomerus(RS). After determining the Moebius strip amplitude we extract general expressions for the tadpole cancellation conditions. We discuss the issue of chirality for such supersymmetric orientifold models and finally present a couple of examples in detail.Comment: 38 pages, TeX harvmac, ref. adde

Observation of anomalous decoherence effect in a quantum bath at room temperature

Decoherence of quantum objects is critical to modern quantum sciences and technologies. It is generally believed that stronger noises cause faster decoherence. Strikingly, recent theoretical research discovers the opposite case for spins in quantum baths. Here we report experimental observation of the anomalous decoherence effect for the electron spin-1 of a nitrogen-vacancy centre in high-purity diamond at room temperature. We demonstrate that under dynamical decoupling, the double-transition can have longer coherence time than the single-transition, even though the former couples to the nuclear spin bath as twice strongly as the latter does. The excellent agreement between the experimental and the theoretical results confirms the controllability of the weakly coupled nuclear spins in the bath, which is useful in quantum information processing and quantum metrology.Comment: 22 pages, related paper at http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.557

High-Redshift Quasars Found in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Commissioning Data IV: Luminosity Function from the Fall Equatorial Stripe Sampl

This is the fourth paper in a series aimed at finding high-redshift quasars from five-color imaging data taken along the Celestial Equator by the SDSS. during its commissioning phase. In this paper, we use the color-selected sample of 39 luminous high-redshift quasars presented in Paper III to derive the evolution of the quasar luminosity function over the range of 3.6<z<5.0, and -27.5<M_1450<-25.5 (Omega=1, H_0=50 km s^-1 Mpc^-1). We use the selection function derived in Paper III to correct for sample incompleteness. The luminosity function is estimated using three different methods: (1) the 1/V_a estimator; (2) a maximum likelihood solution, assuming that the density of quasars depends exponentially on redshift and as a power law in luminosity and (3) Lynden-Bell's non-parametric C^- estimator. All three methods give consistent results. The luminous quasar density decreases by a factor of ~ 6 from z=3.5 to z=5.0, consistent with the decline seen from several previous optical surveys at z<4.5. The luminosity function follows psi(L) ~ L^{-2.5} for z~4 at the bright end, significantly flatter than the bright end luminosity function psi(L) \propto L^{-3.5} found in previous studies for z<3, suggesting that the shape of the quasar luminosity function evolves with redshift as well, and that the quasar evolution from z=2 to 5 cannot be described as pure luminosity evolution. Possible selection biases and the effect of dust extinction on the redshift evolution of the quasar density are also discussed.Comment: AJ accepted, with minor change

Adrenocortical, autonomic, and inflammatory causes of the metabolic syndrome: nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The causes of metabolic syndrome (MS), which may be a precursor of coronary disease, are uncertain. We hypothesize that disturbances in neuroendocrine and cardiac autonomic activity (CAA) contribute to development of MS. We examine reversibility and the power of psychosocial and behavioral factors to explain the neuroendocrine adaptations that accompany MS. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a double-blind case-control study of working men aged 45 to 63 years drawn from the Whitehall II cohort. MS cases (n=30) were compared with healthy controls (n=153). Cortisol secretion, sensitivity, and 24-hour cortisol metabolite and catecholamine output were measured over 2 days. CAA was obtained from power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) recordings. Twenty-four-hour cortisol metabolite and normetanephrine (3-methoxynorepinephrine) outputs were higher among cases than controls (+ 0.49, +0.45 SD, respectively). HRV and total power were lower among cases (both -0.72 SD). Serum interleukin-6, plasma C-reactive protein, and viscosity were higher among cases (+0.89, +0.51, and +0.72 SD). Lower HRV was associated with higher normetanephrine output (r=-0.19; P=0.03). Among former cases (MS 5 years previously, n=23), cortisol output, heart rate, and interleukin-6 were at the level of controls. Psychosocial factors accounted for 37% of the link between MS and normetanephrine output, and 7% to 19% for CAA. Health-related behaviors accounted for 5% to 18% of neuroendocrine differences. CONCLUSIONS: Neuroendocrine stress axes are activated in MS. There is relative cardiac sympathetic predominance. The neuroendocrine changes may be reversible. This case-control study provides the first evidence that chronic stress may be a cause of MS. Confirmatory prospective studies are required