8,065 research outputs found
Cosmological and Solar-System Tests of f(R) Modified Gravity
We investigate the cosmological and the local tests of the f(R) theory of
modified gravity via the observations of (1) the cosmic expansion and (2) the
cosmic structures and via (3) the solar-system experiments. To fit the possible
cosmic expansion histories under consideration, for each of them we reconstruct
f(R), known as "designer f(R)". We then test the designer f(R) via the
cosmic-structure constraints on the metric perturbation ratio Psi/Phi and the
effective gravitational coupling G_eff and via the solar-system constraints on
the Brans-Dicke theory with the chameleon mechanism. We find that among the
designer f(R) models specified by the CPL effective equation of state w_eff,
only the model closely mimicking general relativity with a cosmological
constant (LambdaCDM) can survive all the tests. Accordingly, these tests rule
out the frequently studied "w_eff = -1" designer f(R) models which are distinct
in cosmic structures from LambdaCDM. When considering only the cosmological
tests, we find that the surviving designer f(R) models, although exist for a
variety of w_eff, entail fine-tuning.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, LaTe
Angular Momentum Transport in Particle and Fluid Disks
We examine the angular momentum transport properties of disks composed of
macroscopic particles whose velocity dispersions are externally enhanced
(``stirred''). Our simple Boltzmann equation model serves as an analogy for
unmagnetized fluid disks in which turbulence may be driven by thermal
convection. We show that interparticle collisions in particle disks play the
same role as fluctuating pressure forces and viscous dissipation in turbulent
disks: both transfer energy in random motions associated with one direction to
those associated with another, and convert kinetic energy into heat. The
direction of angular momentum transport in stirred particle and fluid disks is
determined by the direction of external stirring and by the properties of the
collision term in the Boltzmann equation (or its analogue in the fluid
problem). In particular, our model problem yields inward transport for
vertically or radially stirred disks, provided collisions are suitably
inelastic; the transport is outwards in the elastic limit. Numerical
simulations of hydrodynamic turbulence driven by thermal convection find inward
transport; this requires that fluctuating pressure forces do little to no work,
and is analogous to an externally stirred particle disk in which collisions are
highly inelastic.Comment: 15 pages; final version accepted by ApJ; minor changes, some
clarificatio
Keck Pencil-Beam Survey for Faint Kuiper Belt Objects
We present the results of a pencil-beam survey of the Kuiper Belt using the
Keck 10-m telescope. A single 0.01 square degree field is imaged 29 times for a
total integration time of 4.8 hr. Combining exposures in software allows the
detection of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) having visual magnitude V < 27.9. Two
new KBOs are discovered. One object having V = 25.5 lies at a probable
heliocentric distance d = 33 AU. The second object at V = 27.2 is located at d
= 44 AU. Both KBOs have diameters of about 50 km, assuming comet-like albedos
of 4%.
Data from all surveys are pooled to construct the luminosity function from
red magnitude R = 20 to 27. The cumulative number of objects per square degree,
N (< R), is fitted to a power law of the form log_(10) N = 0.52 (R - 23.5).
Differences between power laws reported in the literature are due mainly to
which survey data are incorporated, and not to the method of fitting. The
luminosity function is consistent with a power-law size distribution for
objects having diameters s = 50 to 500 km; dn ~ s^(-q) ds, where the
differential size index q = 3.6 +/- 0.1. The distribution is such that the
smallest objects possess most of the surface area, but the largest bodies
contain the bulk of the mass. Though our inferred size index nearly matches
that derived by Dohnanyi (1969), it is unknown whether catastrophic collisions
are responsible for shaping the size distribution. Implications of the absence
of detections of classical KBOs beyond 50 AU are discussed.Comment: Accepted to AJ. Final proof-edited version: references added,
discussion of G98 revised in sections 4.3 and 5.
Dimerized and trimerized phases for spin-2 Bosons in a one-dimensional optical lattice
We study the phase diagram for spin-2 bosons loaded in a one-dimensional
optical lattice. By using non-Abelian density matrix renormalization group
(DMRG) method we identify three possible phases: ferromagnetic, dimerized, and
trimerized phases. We sketch the phase boundaries based on DMRG. We illustrate
two methods for identifying the phases. The first method is based on the
spin-spin correlation function while in the second method one observes the
excitation gap as a dimerization or a trimerization superlattice is imposed.
The advantage of the second method is that it can also be easily implemented in
experiments. By using the scattering lengths in the literature we estimate that
Rb, Na, and Rb be ferromagnetic, dimerized, and trimerized
respectively.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Add acknowledgemen
Magnetotransport in a two-dimensional electron system in dc electric fields
We report on nonequilibrium transport measurements in a high-mobility
two-dimensional electron system subject to weak magnetic field and dc
excitation. Detailed study of dc-induced magneto-oscillations, first observed
by Yang {\em et al}., reveals a resonant condition that is qualitatively
different from that reported earlier. In addition, we observe dramatic
reduction of resistance induced by a weak dc field in the regime of separated
Landau levels. These results demonstrate similarity of transport phenomena in
dc-driven and microwave-driven systems and have important implications for
ongoing experimental search for predicted quenching of microwave-induced
zero-resistance states by a dc current.Comment: Revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Apsidal Alignment in Upsilon Andromedae
One of the parameters fitted by Doppler radial velocity measurements of
extrasolar planetary systems is omega, the argument of pericenter of a given
planet's orbit referenced to the plane of the sky. Curiously, the omega's of
the outer two planets orbiting Upsilon Andromedae are presently nearly
identical: Delta-omega = omega_D - omega_C = 4.8 deg +/- 4.8 deg (1 sigma).
This observation is least surprising if planets C and D occupy orbits that are
seen close to edge-on (sin i_C, sin i_D > 0.5) and whose mutual inclination
Theta does not exceed 20 deg. In this case, planets C and D inhabit a secular
resonance in which Delta-omega librates about 0 deg with an amplitude of 30 deg
and a period of 4000 yr. The resonant configuration spends about one-third of
its time with |Delta-omega| 40 deg, either Delta-omega
circulates or the system is unstable. This instability is driven by the Kozai
mechanism which couples the eccentricity of planet C to Theta to drive the
former quantity to values approaching unity. Our expectation that Theta < 20
deg suggests that planets C and D formed in a flattened, circumstellar disk,
and may be tested by upcoming astrometric measurements with the FAME satellite.Comment: Refereed version, accepted by AJ, to appear in September 2001 issu
Quantum Critical Spin-2 Chain with Emergent SU(3) Symmetry
We study the quantum critical phase of a SU(2) symmetric spin-2 chain
obtained from spin-2 bosons in a one-dimensional lattice. We obtain the scaling
of the entanglement entropy and finite-size energies by exact diagonalization
and density-matrix renormalization group methods. From the numerical results of
the energy spectrum, central charge, and scaling dimension we identify the
conformal field theory describing the whole critical phase to be the SU(3)
Wess-Zumino-Witten model. We find that while in the whole critical phase the
Hamiltonian is only SU(2) invariant, there is an emergent SU(3) symmetry in the
thermodynamic limit
Bose-Einstein condensation in an optical lattice: A perturbation approach
We derive closed analytical expressions for the order parameter
and for the chemical potential of a Bose-Einstein Condensate loaded into
a harmonically confined, one dimensional optical lattice, for sufficiently
weak, repulsive or attractive interaction, and not too strong laser
intensities. Our results are compared with exact numerical calculations in
order to map out the range of validity of the perturbative analytical approach.
We identify parameter values where the optical lattice compensates the
interaction-induced nonlinearity, such that the condensate ground state
coincides with a simple, single particle harmonic oscillator wave function
Hitting Time of Quantum Walks with Perturbation
The hitting time is the required minimum time for a Markov chain-based walk
(classical or quantum) to reach a target state in the state space. We
investigate the effect of the perturbation on the hitting time of a quantum
walk. We obtain an upper bound for the perturbed quantum walk hitting time by
applying Szegedy's work and the perturbation bounds with Weyl's perturbation
theorem on classical matrix. Based on the definition of quantum hitting time
given in MNRS algorithm, we further compute the delayed perturbed hitting time
(DPHT) and delayed perturbed quantum hitting time (DPQHT). We show that the
upper bound for DPQHT is actually greater than the difference between the
square root of the upper bound for a perturbed random walk and the square root
of the lower bound for a random walk.Comment: 9 page
Aspects of Horava-Lifshitz cosmology
We review some general aspects of Horava-Lifshitz cosmology. Formulating it
in its basic version, we extract the cosmological equations and we use
observational data in order to constrain the parameters of the theory. Through
a phase-space analysis we extract the late-time stable solutions, and we show
that eternal expansion, and bouncing and cyclic behavior can arise naturally.
Concerning the effective dark energy sector we show that it can describe the
phantom phase without the use of a phantom field. However, performing a
detailed perturbation analysis, we see that Horava-Lifshitz gravity in its
basic version suffers from instabilities. Therefore, suitable generalizations
are required in order for this novel theory to be a candidate for the
description of nature.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, invited talk given at the 2nd International
Workshop on Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Matter-Antimatter Assymetry,
National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, November 5-6, 201
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