1,341 research outputs found
Interpretations of the Accelerating Universe
It is generally argued that the present cosmological observations support the
accelerating models of the universe, as driven by the cosmological constant or
`dark energy'. We argue here that an alternative model of the universe is
possible which explains the current observations of the universe. We
demonstrate this with a reinterpretation of the magnitude-redshift relation for
Type Ia supernovae, since this was the test that gave a spurt to the current
trend in favour of the cosmological constant.Comment: 12 pages including 2 figures, minor revision, references added, a
paragraph on the interpretation of the CMB anisotropy in the QSSC added in
conclusion, general results unchanged. To appear in the October 2002 issue of
the "Publications of the Astronmical Society of the Pacific
Astrophysical implications of hypothetical stable TeV-scale black holes
We analyze macroscopic effects of TeV-scale black holes, such as could
possibly be produced at the LHC, in what is regarded as an extremely
hypothetical scenario in which they are stable and, if trapped inside Earth,
begin to accrete matter. We examine a wide variety of TeV-scale gravity
scenarios, basing the resulting accretion models on first-principles, basic,
and well-tested physical laws. These scenarios fall into two classes, depending
on whether accretion could have any macroscopic effect on the Earth at times
shorter than the Sun's natural lifetime. We argue that cases with such effect
at shorter times than the solar lifetime are ruled out, since in these
scenarios black holes produced by cosmic rays impinging on much denser white
dwarfs and neutron stars would then catalyze their decay on timescales
incompatible with their known lifetimes. We also comment on relevant lifetimes
for astronomical objects that capture primordial black holes. In short, this
study finds no basis for concerns that TeV-scale black holes from the LHC could
pose a risk to Earth on time scales shorter than the Earth's natural lifetime.
Indeed, conservative arguments based on detailed calculations and the
best-available scientific knowledge, including solid astronomical data,
conclude, from multiple perspectives, that there is no risk of any significance
whatsoever from such black holes.Comment: Version2: Minor corrections/fixed typos; updated reference
Modeling Repulsive Gravity with Creation
There is a growing interest in the cosmologists for theories with negative
energy scalar fields and creation, in order to model a repulsive gravity. The
classical steady state cosmology proposed by Bondi, Gold and Hoyle in 1948, was
the first such theory which used a negative kinetic energy creation field to
invoke creation of matter. We emphasize that creation plays very crucial role
in cosmology and provides a natural explanation to the various explosive
phenomena occurring in local (z<0.1) and extra galactic universe. We exemplify
this point of view by considering the resurrected version of this theory - the
quasi-steady state theory, which tries to relate creation events directly to
the large scale dynamics of the universe and supplies more natural explanations
of the observed phenomena. Although the theory predicts a decelerating universe
at the present era, it explains successfully the recent SNe Ia observations
(which require an accelerating universe in the standard cosmology), as we show
in this paper by performing a Bayesian analysis of the data.Comment: The paper uses an old SNeIa dataset. With the new improved data, for
example the updated gold sample (Riess et al, astro-ph/0611572), the fit
improves considerably (\chi^2/DoF=197/180 and a probability of
goodness-of-fit=18%
The Wolf effect and the Redshift of Quasars
We consider a simple model, based on currently accepted models for active
galactic nuclei, for a quasi-stellar object (QSO or ``quasar'') and examine the
influence that correlation- induced spectral changes (``The Wolf Effect'') may
have upon the redshifts of the optical emission lines.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. To be published in J. European Optical Soc. A:
Pure and Applied Optic
Dynamical Friction in a Gaseous Medium
Using time-dependent linear perturbation theory, we evaluate the dynamical
friction force on a massive perturber M_p traveling at velocity V through a
uniform gaseous medium of density rho_0 and sound speed c_s. This drag force
acts in the direction -\hat V, and arises from the gravitational attraction
between the perturber and its wake in the ambient medium. For supersonic motion
(M=V/c_s>1), the enhanced-density wake is confined to the Mach cone trailing
the perturber; for subsonic motion (M<1), the wake is confined to a sphere of
radius c_s t centered a distance V t behind the perturber. Inside the wake,
surfaces of constant density are hyperboloids or oblate spheroids for
supersonic or subsonic perturbers, respectively, with the density maximal
nearest the perturber. The dynamical drag force has the form F_df= - I 4\pi (G
M_p)^2\rho_0/V^2. We evaluate I analytically; its limits are I\to M^3/3 for
M>1. We compare our results to the
Chandrasekhar formula for dynamical friction in a collisionless medium, noting
that the gaseous drag is generally more efficient when M>1 but less efficient
when M<1. To allow simple estimates of orbit evolution in a gaseous protogalaxy
or proto-star cluster, we use our formulae to evaluate the decay times of a
(supersonic) perturber on a near-circular orbit in an isothermal \rho\propto
r^{-2} halo, and of a (subsonic) perturber on a near-circular orbit in a
constant-density core. We also mention the relevance of our calculations to
protoplanet migration in a circumstellar nebula.Comment: 17 pages, 5 postscript figures, to appear in ApJ 3/1/9
Cosmological scalar fields that mimic the cosmological model
We look for cosmologies with a scalar field (dark energy without cosmological
constant), which mimic the standard cosmological model yielding
exactly the same large-scale geometry described by the evolution of the Hubble
parameter (i.e. photometric distance and angular diameter distance as functions
on ). Asymptotic behavior of the field solutions is studied in the case of
spatially flat Universe with pressureless matter and separable scalar field
Lagrangians (power-law kinetic term + power-law potential). Exact analytic
solutions are found in some special cases. A number of models have the field
solutions with infinite behavior in the past or even singular behavior at
finite redshifts. We point out that introduction of the cosmological scalar
field involves some degeneracy leading to lower precision in determination of
. To remove this degeneracy additional information is needed beyond
the data on large-scale geometry.Comment: VIII International Conference "Relativistic Astrophysics, Gravitation
and Cosmology": May 21-23, 2008, Kyiv, Ukrain
Using Muonic Hydrogen in Optical Spectroscopy Experiment to Detect Extra Dimensions
Considering that gravitational force might deviate from Newton's
inverse-square law (ISL) and become much stronger in small scale, we propose a
kind of optical spectroscopy experiment to detect this possible deviation and
take electronic, muonic and tauonic hydrogen atoms as examples. This experiment
might be used to indirectly detect the deviation of ISL down to nanometer scale
and to explore the possibility of three extra dimensions in ADD's model, while
current direct gravity tests cannot break through micron scale and go beyond
two extra dimensions scenario.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. To appear in IJT
Cosmology and Cosmogony in a Cyclic Universe
In this paper we discuss the properties of the quasi-steady state
cosmological model (QSSC) developed in 1993 in its role as a cyclic model of
the universe driven by a negative energy scalar field. We discuss the origin of
such a scalar field in the primary creation process first described by F. Hoyle
and J. V. Narlikar forty years ago. It is shown that the creation processes
which takes place in the nuclei of galaxies are closely linked to the high
energy and explosive phenomena, which are commonly observed in galaxies at all
redshifts.
The cyclic nature of the universe provides a natural link between the places
of origin of the microwave background radiation (arising in hydrogen burning in
stars), and the origin of the lightest nuclei (H, D, He and He). It
also allows us to relate the large scale cyclic properties of the universe to
events taking place in the nuclei of galaxies. Observational evidence shows
that ejection of matter and energy from these centers in the form of compact
objects, gas and relativistic particles is responsible for the population of
quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) and gamma-ray burst sources in the universe.
In the later parts of the paper we briefly discuss the major unsolved
problems of this integrated cosmological and cosmogonical scheme. These are the
understanding of the origin of the intrinsic redshifts, and the periodicities
in the redshift distribution of the QSOs.Comment: 51 pages including 1 figur
The Power of Brane-Induced Gravity
We study the role of the brane-induced graviton kinetic term in theories with
large extra dimensions. In five dimensions we construct a model with a
TeV-scale fundamental Planck mass and a {\it flat} extra dimension the size of
which can be astronomically large. 4D gravity on the brane is mediated by a
massless zero-mode, whereas the couplings of the heavy Kaluza-Klein modes to
ordinary matter are suppressed. The model can manifest itself through the
predicted deviations from Einstein theory in long distance precision
measurements of the planetary orbits. The bulk states can be a rather exotic
form of dark matter, which at sub-solar distances interact via strong 5D
gravitational force. We show that the induced term changes dramatically the
phenomenology of sub-millimeter extra dimensions. For instance, high-energy
constraints from star cooling or cosmology can be substantially relaxed.Comment: 24 pages, 4 eps figures; v2 typos corrected; v3 1 ref. added; PRD
versio
Constraints on new interactions from neutron scattering experiments
Constraints for the constants of hypothetical Yukawa-type corrections to the
Newtonian gravitational potential are obtained from analysis of neutron
scattering experiments. Restrictions are obtained for the interaction range
between 10^{-12} and 10^{-7} cm, where Casimir force experiments and atomic
force microscopy are not sensitive. Experimental limits are obtained also for
non-electromagnetic inverse power law neutron-nucleus potential. Some
possibilities are discussed to strengthen these constraints.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figure
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