7,042 research outputs found
Scalar Gravity and Higgs Mechanism
The role that the auxiliary scalar field played in Brans-Dicke
cosmology is discussed. If a constant vacuum energy is assumed to be the origin
of dark energy, then the corresponding density parameter would be a quantity
varying with ; and almost all of the fundamental components of our
universe can be unified into the dynamical equation for . As a
generalization of Brans-Dicke theory, we propose a new gravity theory with a
complex scalar field which is coupled to the cosmological curvature
scalar. Through such a coupling, the Higgs mechanism is naturally incorporated
into the evolution of the universe, and a running density of the field vacuum
energy is obtained which may release the particle standard model from the
rigorous cosmological constant problem in some sense. Our model predicts a
running mass scale of the fundamental particles in which the gauge symmetry
breaks spontaneously. The running speed of the mass scale in our case could
survive all existing experiments.Comment: 6 page
Reducing the Tension Between the BICEP2 and the Planck Measurements: A Complete Exploration of the Parameter Space
A large inflationary tensor-to-scalar ratio is reported by the BICEP2 team based on their B-mode
polarization detection, which is outside of the confidence level of the
Planck best fit model. We explore several possible ways to reduce the tension
between the two by considering a model in which ,
, and the neutrino parameters and
are set as free parameters. Using the Markov Chain
Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique to survey the complete parameter space with and
without the BICEP2 data, we find that the resulting constraints on
are consistent with each other and the apparent tension
seems to be relaxed. Further detailed investigations on those fittings suggest
that probably plays the most important role in reducing the
tension. We also find that the results obtained from fitting without adopting
the consistency relation do not deviate much from the consistency relation.
With available Planck, WMAP, BICEP2 and BAO datasets all together, we obtain
, ,
, and
; if the consistency relation is
adopted, we get .Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PL
Bond distortion effects and electric orders in spiral multiferroic magnets
We study in this paper bond distortion effect on electric polarization in
spiral multiferroic magnets based on cluster and chain models. The bond
distortion break inversion symmetry and modify the - hybridization.
Consequently, it will affect electric polarization which can be divided into
spin-current part and lattice-mediated part. The spin-current polarization can
be written in terms of and
the lattice-mediated polarization exists only when the M-O-M bond is distorted.
The electric polarization for three-atom M-O-M and four-atom M-O-M
clusters is calculated. We also study possible electric ordering in three kinds
of chains made of different clusters. We apply our theory to multiferroics
cuprates and find that the results are in agreement with experimental
observations.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure
Probing Transverse Momentum Broadening via Dihadron and Hadron-jet Angular Correlations in Relativistic Heavy-ion Collisions
Dijet, dihadron, hadron-jet angular correlations have been reckoned as
important probes of the transverse momentum broadening effects in relativistic
nuclear collisions. When a pair of high-energy jets created in hard collisions
traverse the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy-ion collisions, they become
de-correlated due to the vacuum soft gluon radiation associated with the
Sudakov logarithms and the medium-induced transverse momentum broadening. For
the first time, we employ the systematical resummation formalism and establish
a baseline calculation to describe the dihadron and hadron-jet angular
correlation data in and peripheral collisions where the medium effect
is negligible. We demonstrate that the medium-induced broadening and the so-called jet quenching parameter can be
extracted from the angular de-correlations observed in collisions. A
global analysis of dihadron and hadron-jet angular correlation data
renders the best fit for a
quark jet at RHIC top energy. Further experimental and theoretical efforts
along the direction of this work shall significantly advance the quantitative
understanding of transverse momentum broadening and help us acquire
unprecedented knowledge of jet quenching parameter in relativistic heavy-ion
collisions.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Associations between physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors among adolescents in 10 cities in China
BACKGROUND: Studies in western countries have revealed that excessive sedentary behavior is a major risk factor for physical inactivity in adolescents. This study was performed to investigate the association between sedentary behavior and physical inactivity in Chinese adolescents using a large-scale cross-sectional survey design. METHODS: This study was part of the 2011 Chinese Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Between March and September 2011, 10,214 11–18-year-olds were recruited for survey participation in 18 schools in 10 cities in China. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and the prevalences of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors, were examined. Correlations between sedentary behavior and physical inactivity were analyzed using baseline logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the final 9,901 students, physical inactivity (~80%) and sedentary behaviors (television viewing, 43%; computer use, 30.2%) were prevalent. More male than female students reported sedentary behaviors (television viewing > 2 h: 5.5% vs. 3.9%; computer use > 2 h: 7.2% vs. 3.5%; both p < 0.05), but more males were physically active than females (25.1% vs.14.6%; p < 0.05). Television viewing was associated with lower odds of no physical activity (No PA) in males [0–2 h: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68–0.96; >4 h: OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.18–0.64], but not in females. A similar pattern between insufficient physical activity and >4 h TV viewing (AOR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.23–0.76) and >4 h computer use (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.30–0.78) was observed in males. In females, 0–2 h daily computer use was associated with higher odds of physical inactivity (No PA: AOR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.10–1.82; Insufficient PA: AOR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.24–2.01), while TV viewing was not associated with No PA or Insufficient PA. The probability of physical inactivity significantly increased with grade and decreased with socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors were prevalent in Chinese adolescents. Further support, including parental guidance and the provision of publicly accessible facilities, is necessary to encourage Chinese youths to engage sufficiently in physical activities
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