588 research outputs found
Focusing of geodesic congruences in an accelerated expanding Universe
We study the accelerated expansion of the Universe through its consequences
on a congruence of geodesics. We make use of the Raychaudhuri equation which
describes the evolution of the expansion rate for a congruence of timelike or
null geodesics. In particular, we focus on the space-time geometry contribution
to this equation. By straightforward calculation from the metric of a
Robertson-Walker cosmological model, it follows that in an accelerated
expanding Universe the space-time contribution to the Raychaudhuri equation is
positive for the fundamental congruence, favoring a non-focusing of the
congruence of geodesics. However, the accelerated expansion of the present
Universe does not imply a tendency of the fundamental congruence to diverge. It
is shown that this is in fact the case for certain congruences of timelike
geodesics without vorticity. Therefore, the focusing of geodesics remains
feasible in an accelerated expanding Universe. Furthermore, a negative
contribution to the Raychaudhuri equation from space-time geometry which is
usually interpreted as the manifestation of the attractive character of gravity
is restored in an accelerated expanding Robertson-Walker space-time at high
speeds.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. Final version changed to match published version
in JCAP. References updated. Conclusions unchange
High resolution Compton scattering as a Probe of the Fermi surface in the Iron-based superconductor
We have carried out first principles all-electron calculations of the
(001)-projected 2D electron momentum density and the directional Compton
profiles along the [100], [001] and [110] directions in the Fe-based
superconductor LaOFeAs within the framework of the local density approximation.
We identify Fermi surface features in the 2D electron momentum density and the
directional Compton profiles, and discuss issues related to the observation of
these features via Compton scattering experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
The structural distortion in antiferromagnetic LaFeAsO investigated by a group-theoretical approach
As experimentally well established, undoped LaFeAsO is antiferromagnetic
below 137K with the magnetic moments lying on the Fe sites. We determine the
orthorhombic body-centered group Imma (74) as the space group of the
experimentally observed magnetic structure in the undistorted lattice, i.e., in
a lattice possessing no structural distortions in addition to the
magnetostriction. We show that LaFeAsO possesses a partly filled "magnetic
band" with Bloch functions that can be unitarily transformed into optimally
localized Wannier functions adapted to the space group Imma. This finding is
interpreted in the framework of a nonadiabatic extension of the Heisenberg
model of magnetism, the nonadiabatic Heisenberg model. Within this model,
however, the magnetic structure with the space group Imma is not stable but can
be stabilized by a (slight) distortion of the crystal turning the space group
Imma into the space group Pnn2 (34). This group-theoretical result is in
accordance with the experimentally observed displacements of the Fe and O atoms
in LaFeAsO as reported by Clarina de la Cruz et al. [nature 453, 899 (2008)]
Intra-annual patterns of tracheid size in the Mediterranean tree Juniperus thurifera as an indicator of seasonal water stress
Because climate can affect xylem cell anatomy, series of intra-annual cell anatomical features have the potential to retrospectively supply seasonal climatic information. In this study, we explored the ability to extract information about water stress conditions from tracheid features of the Mediterranean conifer Juniperus thurifera L. Tracheidograms of four climatic years from two drought-sensitive sites in Spain were compared to evaluate whether it is possible to link intra-annual cell size patterns to seasonal climatic conditions. Results indicated site-specific anatomical adjustment such as smaller and thicker tracheids at the dryer site but also showed a strong climatic imprint on the intra-annual pattern of tracheid size. Site differences in cell size reflected expected structural adjustments against cavitation failures. Differences between intra-annual patterns, however, indicated a response to seasonal changes in water availability whereby cells formed under drought conditions were smaller and thicker, and vice versa. This relationship was more manifest and stable at the dryer sit
The reason why doping causes superconductivity in LaFeAsO
The experimental observation of superconductivity in LaFeAsO appearing on
doping is analyzed with the group-theoretical approach that evidently led in a
foregoing paper (J. Supercond 24:2103, 2011) to an understanding of the cause
of both the antiferromagnetic state and the accompanying structural distortion
in this material. Doping, like the structural distortions, means also a
reduction of the symmetry of the pure perfect crystal. In the present paper we
show that this reduction modifies the correlated motion of the electrons in a
special narrow half-filled band of LaFeAsO in such a way that these electrons
produce a stable superconducting state
Desempenho de híbridos triplos de milho obtidos de top crosses em três locais do Estado de São Paulo
Uso da adubação orgânica e cobertura morta na cultura da calêndula (Calendula officinalis L.).
A calêndula representa fonte alternativa econômica principalmente para a agricultura familiar. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da adubação orgânica e do uso da cobertura morta sobre a produção de biomassa e teor de flavonóides totais em plantas de calêndula. O experimento foi realizado no Campus de Montes Claros da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, utilizando-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 2x2x4 com quatro repetições: duas épocas de colheita, presença ou ausência de cobertura morta e quatro doses de composto orgânico (0, 30, 60 e 90 t ha-1). As maiores produções de biomassa e flavonóides totais foram verificadas com o aumento das doses de composto orgânico. Para os flavonóides totais o maior teor foi obtido na segunda colheita na presença de cobertura morta
Relating the CMSSM and SUGRA models with GUT scale and Super-GUT scale Supersymmetry Breaking
While the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM) with
universal gaugino masses, m_{1/2}, scalar masses, m_0, and A-terms, A_0,
defined at some high energy scale (usually taken to be the GUT scale) is
motivated by general features of supergravity models, it does not carry all of
the constraints imposed by minimal supergravity (mSUGRA). In particular, the
CMSSM does not impose a relation between the trilinear and bilinear soft
supersymmetry breaking terms, B_0 = A_0 - m_0, nor does it impose the relation
between the soft scalar masses and the gravitino mass, m_0 = m_{3/2}. As a
consequence, tan(\beta) is computed given values of the other CMSSM input
parameters. By considering a Giudice-Masiero (GM) extension to mSUGRA, one can
introduce new parameters to the K\"ahler potential which are associated with
the Higgs sector and recover many of the standard CMSSM predictions. However,
depending on the value of A_0, one may have a gravitino or a neutralino dark
matter candidate. We also consider the consequences of imposing the
universality conditions above the GUT scale. This GM extension provides a
natural UV completion for the CMSSM.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures; added erratum correcting several equations and
results in Sec.2, Sec.3 and 4 remain unaffected and conclusions unchange
- …