Eccentric inflation and WMAP

For uniform arrangements of magnetic fields, strings, or domain walls (together with the cosmological constant and non-relativistic matter), exact solutions to the Einstein equations are shown to lead to a universe with ellipsoidal expansion. We argue the results can be used to explain some features in the WMAP data. The magnetic field case is the easiest to motivate and has the highest possibility of yielding reliable constraints on observational cosmology.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Decomposition of geometric perturbations

For an infinitesimal deformation of a Riemannian manifold, we prove that the scalar, vector, and tensor modes in decompositions of perturbations of the metric tensor, the scalar curvature, the Ricci tensor, and the Einstein tensor decouple if and only if the manifold is Einstein. Four-dimensional space-time satisfying the condition of the theorem is homogeneous and isotropic. Cosmological applications are discussed.Comment: 7 page

Discreteness and the origin of probability in quantum mechanics

Attempts to derive the Born rule, either in the Many Worlds or Copenhagen interpretation, are unsatisfactory for systems with only a finite number of degrees of freedom. In the case of Many Worlds this is a serious problem, since its goal is to account for apparent collapse phenomena, including the Born rule for probabilities, assuming only unitary evolution of the wavefunction. For finite number of degrees of freedom, observers on the vast majority of branches would not deduce the Born rule. However, discreteness of the quantum state space, even if extremely tiny, may restore the validity of the usual arguments.Comment: 5 pages, revtex, 1 figure. Revised version, to appear in Physics Letters B. (Small clarifcation, references added.

Construction of multi-instantons in eight dimensions

We consider an eight-dimensional local octonionic theory with the seven-sphere playing the role of the gauge group. Duality conditions for two- and four-forms in eight dimensions are related. Dual fields--octonionic instantons--solve an 8D generalization of the Yang-Mills equation. Modifying the ADHM construction of 4D instantons, we find general $k$-instanton 8D solutions which depends on $16k-7$ effective parameters

Higher order topological actions

In classical mechanics, an action is defined only modulo additive terms which do not modify the equations of motion; in certain cases, these terms are topological quantities. We construct an infinite sequence of higher order topological actions and argue that they play a role in quantum mechanics, and hence can be accessed experimentally.Comment: 7 page

The Generalized Counting Rule and Oscillatory Scaling

We have studied the energy dependence of the $pp$ elastic scattering data and the pion-photoproduction data at 90$^\circ$ c.m. angle in light of the new generalized counting rule derived for exclusive processes. We show that by including the helicity flipping amplitudes (with energy dependence given by the generalized counting rule) and their interference with the Landshoff amplitude, we are able to reproduce the energy dependence of all cross-section and spin-correlation (A$_{NN}$) data available above the resonance region. The pion-photoproduction data can also be described by this approach, but in this case data with much finer energy spacing is needed to confirm the oscillations about the scaling behavior.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figs, submitted to PRC rapid com