2,475 research outputs found
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
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