2,143 research outputs found
A realisation of Lorentz algebra in Lorentz violating theory
A Lorentz non-invariant higher derivative effective action in flat spacetime,
characterised by a constant vector, can be made invariant under infinitesimal
Lorentz transformations by restricting the allowed field configurations. These
restricted fields are defined as functions of the background vector in such a
way that background dependance of the dynamics of the physical system is no
longer manifest. We show here that they also provide a field basis for the
realisation of Lorentz algebra and allow the construction of a Poincar\'e
invariant symplectic two form on the covariant phase space of the theory.Comment: text body edited, reference adde
The (1+1)-dimensional Massive sine-Gordon Field Theory and the Gaussian Wave-functional Approach
The ground, one- and two-particle states of the (1+1)-dimensional massive
sine-Gordon field theory are investigated within the framework of the Gaussian
wave-functional approach. We demonstrate that for a certain region of the
model-parameter space, the vacuum of the field system is asymmetrical.
Furthermore, it is shown that two-particle bound state can exist upon the
asymmetric vacuum for a part of the aforementioned region. Besides, for the
bosonic equivalent to the massive Schwinger model, the masses of the one boson
and two-boson bound states agree with the recent second-order results of a
fermion-mass perturbation calculation when the fermion mass is small.Comment: Latex, 11 pages, 8 figures (EPS files
Chameleon field and the late time acceleration of the universe
In the present work, it is shown that a chameleon scalar field having a
nonminimal coupling with dark matter can give rise to a smooth transition from
a decelerated to an accelerated phase of expansion for the universe. It is
surprising to note that the coupling with the chameleon scalar field hardly
affects the evolution of the dark matter sector, which still redshifts as
.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
B fields in OB stars (BOB): on the detection of weak magnetic fields in the two early B-type stars beta CMa and epsilon CMa
Within the context of the "B fields in OB stars (BOB)" collaboration, we used
the HARPSpol spectropolarimeter to observe the early B-type stars beta CMa
(HD44743; B1 II/III) and epsilon CMa (HD52089; B1.5 II). For both stars, we
consistently detected the signature of a weak (<30 G in absolute value)
longitudinal magnetic field. We determined the physical parameters of both
stars and characterise their X-ray spectrum. For beta CMa, our mode
identification analysis led to determining a rotation period of 13.6+/-1.2 days
and of an inclination angle of the rotation axis of 57.6+/-1.7 degrees, with
respect to the line of sight. On the basis of these measurements and assuming a
dipolar field geometry, we derived a best fitting obliquity of ~22 degrees and
a dipolar magnetic field strength (Bd) of ~100 G (60<Bd<230 G within 1 sigma),
below what is typically found for other magnetic massive stars. For epsilon CMa
we could only determine a lower limit on the dipolar magnetic field strength of
13 G. For this star, we determine that the rotation period ranges between 1.3
and 24 days. Both stars are expected to have a dynamical magnetosphere. We also
conclude that both stars are most likely core hydrogen burning and that they
have spent more than 2/3 of their main sequence lifetime. A histogram of the
distribution of the dipolar magnetic field strength for the magnetic massive
stars known to date does not show the magnetic field "desert" observed instead
for intermediate-mass stars. The biases involved in the detection of (weak)
magnetic fields in massive stars with the currently available instrumentation
and techniques imply that weak fields might be more common than currently
observed. Our results show that, if present, even relatively weak magnetic
fields are detectable in massive stars and that more observational effort is
probably still needed to properly access the magnetic field incidence.Comment: Accepted for publication on A&A. The astroph abstract has been
shortened compared to that of the pdf fil
Magnetic operations: a little fuzzy physics?
We examine the behaviour of charged particles in homogeneous, constant and/or
oscillating magnetic fields in the non-relativistic approximation. A special
role of the geometric center of the particle trajectory is elucidated. In
quantum case it becomes a 'fuzzy point' with non-commuting coordinates, an
element of non-commutative geometry which enters into the traditional control
problems. We show that its application extends beyond the usually considered
time independent magnetic fields of the quantum Hall effect. Some simple cases
of magnetic control by oscillating fields lead to the stability maps differing
from the traditional Strutt diagram.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figure
The -essence scalar field in the context of Supernova Ia Observations
A -essence scalar field model having (non canonical) Lagrangian of the
form where
with constant is shown to be consistent with luminosity
distance-redshift data observed for type Ia Supernova. For constant ,
satisfies a scaling relation which is used to set up a differential
equation involving the Hubble parameter , the scale factor and the
-essence field . and are extracted from SNe Ia data and using
the differential equation the time dependence of the field is found to
be: . The constants
have been determined. The time dependence is similar to that of the
quintessence scalar field (having canonical kinetic energy) responsible for
homogeneous inflation. Furthermore, the scaling relation and the obtained time
dependence of the field is used to determine the -dependence of the
function .Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, Late
Understanding Galaxy Formation and Evolution
The old dream of integrating into one the study of micro and macrocosmos is
now a reality. Cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics intersect in a
scenario (but still not a theory) of cosmic structure formation and evolution
called Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model. This scenario emerged mainly to
explain the origin of galaxies. In these lecture notes, I first present a
review of the main galaxy properties, highlighting the questions that any
theory of galaxy formation should explain. Then, the cosmological framework and
the main aspects of primordial perturbation generation and evolution are
pedagogically detached. Next, I focus on the ``dark side'' of galaxy formation,
presenting a review on LCDM halo assembling and properties, and on the main
candidates for non-baryonic dark matter. It is shown how the nature of
elemental particles can influence on the features of galaxies and their
systems. Finally, the complex processes of baryon dissipation inside the
non-linearly evolving CDM halos, formation of disks and spheroids, and
transformation of gas into stars are briefly described, remarking on the
possibility of a few driving factors and parameters able to explain the main
body of galaxy properties. A summary and a discussion of some of the issues and
open problems of the LCDM paradigm are given in the final part of these notes.Comment: 50 pages, 10 low-resolution figures (for normal-resolution, DOWNLOAD
THE PAPER (PDF, 1.9 Mb) FROM http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/~avila/avila.pdf).
Lectures given at the IV Mexican School of Astrophysics, July 18-25, 2005
(submitted to the Editors on March 15, 2006
Oxidation of SQSTM1/p62 mediates the link between redox state and protein homeostasis.
Cellular homoeostatic pathways such as macroautophagy (hereinafter autophagy) are regulated by basic mechanisms that are conserved throughout the eukaryotic kingdom. However, it remains poorly understood how these mechanisms further evolved in higher organisms. Here we describe a modification in the autophagy pathway in vertebrates, which promotes its activity in response to oxidative stress. We have identified two oxidation-sensitive cysteine residues in a prototypic autophagy receptor SQSTM1/p62, which allow activation of pro-survival autophagy in stress conditions. The Drosophila p62 homologue, Ref(2)P, lacks these oxidation-sensitive cysteine residues and their introduction into the protein increases protein turnover and stress resistance of flies, whereas perturbation of p62 oxidation in humans may result in age-related pathology. We propose that the redox-sensitivity of p62 may have evolved in vertebrates as a mechanism that allows activation of autophagy in response to oxidative stress to maintain cellular homoeostasis and increase cell survival
Crime as risk taking
Engagement in criminal activity may be viewed as risk-taking behaviour as it has both benefits and drawbacks that are probabilistic. In two studies, we examined how individuals' risk perceptions can inform our understanding of their intentions to engage in criminal activity. Study 1 measured youths' perceptions of the value and probability of the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in three common crimes (i.e. shoplifting, forgery, and buying illegal drugs), and examined how well these perceptions predicted youths' forecasted engagement in these crimes, controlling for their past engagement. We found that intentions to engage in criminal activity were best predicted by the perceived value of the benefits that may be obtained, irrespective of their probabilities or the drawbacks that may also be incurred. Study 2 specified the benefit and drawback that youth thought about and examined another crime (i.e. drinking and driving). The findings of Study 1 were replicated under these conditions. The present research supports a limited rationality perspective on criminal intentions, and can have implications for crime prevention/intervention strategies
Direct Detection of Structurally Resolved Dynamics in a Multiconformation Receptor−Ligand Complex
Structure-based drug design relies on static protein structures despite significant evidence for the need to include protein dynamics as a serious consideration. In practice, dynamic motions are neglected because they are not understood well enough to model – a situation resulting from a lack of explicit experimental examples of dynamic receptor-ligand complexes. Here, we report high-resolution details of pronounced ~1 ms timescale motions of a receptor-small molecule complex using a combination of NMR and X-ray crystallography. Large conformational dynamics in Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase are driven by internal switching motions of the drug-like, nanomolar-affinity inhibitor. Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill relaxation dispersion experiments and NOEs revealed the crystal structure to contain critical elements of the high energy protein-ligand conformation. The availability of accurate, structurally resolved dynamics in a protein-ligand complex should serve as a valuable benchmark for modeling dynamics in other receptor-ligand complexes and prediction of binding affinities
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