Neutron Star Properties with Hyperons

In the light of the recent discovery of a neutron star with a mass accurately determined to be almost two solar masses, it has been suggested that hyperons cannot play a role in the equation of state of dense matter in $\beta$-equilibrium. We re-examine this issue in the most recent development of the quark-meson coupling model. Within a relativistic Hartree-Fock approach and including the full tensor structure at the vector-meson-baryon vertices, we find that not only must hyperons appear in matter at the densities relevant to such a massive star but that the maximum mass predicted is completely consistent with the observation.Comment: Minor correction

The vacuum state of quantum gravity contains large virtual masses

In the functional integral approach to quantum gravity, the quantum configurations are usually treated to order hbar through a stationary phase approximation around the saddle point of the action where spacetime is flat. We show that from this point a "level line" in functional space departs, which comprises a family of static non-flat metrics with zero scalar curvature, depending on a continuous mass parameter. Furthermore, each of these metrics can be perturbed by an arbitrary function in such a way to still satisfy the condition Int(gR)d4x=0. We thus find a set of zero-modes of the gravitational action which has non-vanishing measure in the functional space. These metrics will contribute to the functional integral as vacuum fluctuations, on the same footing as those near the saddle point.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures; to appear in Class. Q. Gravit

On the Miura map between the dispersionless KP and dispersionless modified KP hierarchies

We investigate the Miura map between the dispersionless KP and dispersionless modified KP hierarchies. We show that the Miura map is canonical with respect to their bi-Hamiltonian structures. Moreover, inspired by the works of Takasaki and Takebe, the twistor construction of solution structure for the dispersionless modified KP hierarchy is given.Comment: 19 pages, Latex, no figure

Life events and hemodynamic stress reactivity in the middle-aged and elderly

Recent versions of the reactivity hypothesis, which consider it to be the product of stress exposure and exaggerated haemodynamic reactions to stress that confers cardiovascular disease risk, assume that reactivity is independent of the experience of stressful life events. This assumption was tested in two substantial cohorts, one middle-aged and one elderly. Participants had to indicate from a list of major stressful life events up to six they had experienced in the previous two years. They were also asked to rate how disruptive and stressful they were, at the time of occurrence and now. Blood pressure and pulse rate were measured at rest and in response to acute mental stress. Those who rated the events as highly disruptive at the time of exposure and currently exhibited blunted systolic blood pressure reactions to acute stress. The present results suggest that acute stress reactivity may not be independent of stressful life events experience

Simple generalizations of Anti-de Sitter space-time

We consider new cosmological solutions which generalize the cosmological patch of the Anti-de Sitter (AdS) space-time, allowing for fluids with equations of state such that $w\neq -1$. We use them to derive the associated full manifolds. We find that these solutions can all be embedded in flat five-dimensional space-time with $--+++$ signature, revealing deformed hyperboloids. The topology and causal-structure of these spaces is therefore unchanged, and closed time-like curves are identified, before a covering space is considered. However the structure of Killing vector fields is entirely different and so we may expect a different structure of Killing horizons in these solutions.Comment: 6 Pages, 5 Figures, Corrections and additions made for publication in Journal of Classical and Quantum Gravit

Surveying the solar system by measuring angles and times: from the solar density to the gravitational constant

A surprisingly large amount of information on our solar system can be gained from simple measurements of the apparent angular diameters of the sun and the moon. This information includes the average density of the sun, the distance between earth and moon, the radius of the moon, and the gravitational constant. In this note it is described how these and other quantities can be obtained by simple earthbound measurements of angles and times only, without using any explicit information on distances between celestial bodies. The pedagogical and historical aspects of these results are also discussed briefly.Comment: 12 pges, one figur

On certain classes of solutions of the Weierstrass-Enneper system inducing constant mean curvature surfaces

Analysis of the generalized Weierstrass-Enneper system includes the estimation of the degree of indeterminancy of the general analytic solution and the discussion of the boundary value problem. Several different procedures for constructing certain classes of solutions to this system, including potential, harmonic and separable types of solutions, are proposed. A technique for reduction of the Weierstrass-Enneper system to decoupled linear equations, by subjecting it to certain differential constraints, is presented as well. New elementary and doubly periodic solutions are found, among them kinks, bumps and multi-soliton solutions

The atmospheric effects of stratospheric aircraft: A current consensus

In the early 1970's, a fleet of supersonic aircraft flying in the lower stratosphere was proposed. A large fleet was never built for economic, political, and environmental reasons. Technological improvements may make it economically feasible to develop supersonic aircraft for current markets. Some key results of earlier scientific programs designed to assess the impact of aircraft emissions on stratospheric ozone are reviewed, and factors that must be considered to assess the environmental impact of aircraft exhaust are discussed. These include the amount of nitrogen oxides injected in the stratosphere, horizontal transport, and stratosphere/troposphere assessment models are presented. Areas in which improvements in scientific understanding and model representation must be made to reduce the uncertainty in model calculations are identified