11,538 research outputs found
Bimetric varying speed of light theories and primordial fluctuations
We exhibit a varying speed of light (VSL) theory that implements the recently
proposed decaying speed of sound mechanism for generating density fluctuations.
We avail ourselves of bimetric VSL theories, where the speed of gravity differs
from that of light. We first show that a Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) type of
-essence has the necessary speed of sound profile to produce (near)
scale-invariant fluctuations. We then examine the map between bimetric and
-essence models: typically the bi-scalar connecting the two metrics is a
-essence field in one of them. Remarkably, the DBI model is found to
perturbatively represent the minimal bimetric model, where the bi-scalar is
Klein-Gordon in the matter frame. But the full non-perturbative bimetric
structure is even simpler: the bi-scalar dynamics should be simply driven by a
cosmological constant in the matter frame, balanced by an opposite cosmological
constant in the gravity frame. Thus the problem of structure formation receives
an elegant and universal solution within bimetric VSL theories, which are known
to also solve the flatness and entropy problems and evade a plethora of
causality concerns
Structure Formation Inside Triaxial Dark Matter Halos: Galactic Disks, Bulges and Bars
We investigate the formation and evolution of galactic disks immersed in
assembling live DM halos. Disk/halo components have been evolved from the
cosmological initial conditions and represent the collapse of an isolated
density perturbation. The baryons include gas (which participates in star
formation [SF]) and stars. The feedback from the stellar energy release onto
the ISM has been implemented. We find that (1) The growing triaxial halo figure
tumbling is insignificant and the angular momentum (J) is channeled into the
internal circulation; (2) Density response of the disk is out of phase with the
DM, thus diluting the inner halo flatness and washing out its prolateness; (3)
The total J is neathly conserved, even in models accounting for feedback; (4)
The specific J for the DM is nearly constant, while that for baryons is
decreasing; (5) Early stage of disk formation resembles the cat's cradle -- a
small amorphous disk fueled via radial string patterns; (6) The initially
puffed up gas component in the disk thins when the SF rate drops below ~5
Mo/yr; (7) About 40%-60% of the baryons remain outside the SF region; (8)
Rotation curves appear to be flat and account for the observed disk/halo
contributions; (9) A range of bulge-dominated to bulgeless disks was obtained;
Lower density threshold for SF leads to a smaller, thicker disk; Gravitational
softening in the gas has a substantial effect on various aspects of galaxy
evolution and mimics a number of intrinsic processes within the ISM; (10) The
models are characterized by an extensive bar-forming activity; (11) Nuclear
bars, dynamically coupled and decoupled form in response to the gas inflow
along the primary bars.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures, accepted by the Astrophysical Journal. Minor
revisions. The high-resolution figures can be found at
http://www.pa.uky.edu/~shlosman/research/galdyn/figs07a
Evolution of Phase-Space Density in Dark Matter Halos
The evolution of the phase-space density profile in dark matter (DM) halos is
investigated by means of constrained simulations, designed to control the
merging history of a given DM halo. Halos evolve through a series of quiescent
phases of a slow accretion intermitted by violent events of major mergers. In
the quiescent phases the density of the halo closely follows the NFW profile
and the phase-space density profile, Q(r), is given by the Taylor & Navarro
power law, r^{-beta}, where beta ~ 1.9 and stays remarkably stable over the
Hubble time. Expressing the phase-space density by the NFW parameters, Q(r)=Qs
(r/Rs)^{-beta}, the evolution of Q is determined by Qs. We have found that the
effective mass surface density within Rs, Sigma_s = rhos Rs, remains constant
throughout the evolution of a given DM halo along the main branch of its
merging tree. This invariance entails that Qs ~ Rs^{-5/2} and Q(r) ~
Sigma_s^{-1/2} Rs^{-5/2} (r/ Rs)^{-beta}. It follows that the phase-space
density remains constant, in the sense of Qs=const., in the quiescent phases
and it decreases as Rs^{-5/2} in the violent ones. The physical origin of the
NFW density profile and the phase-space density power law is still unknown.
Yet, the numerical experiments show that halos recover these relations after
the violent phases. The major mergers drive Rs to increase and Qs to decrease
discontinuously while keeping Qs Rs^{5/2} = const. The virial equilibrium in
the quiescent phases implies that a DM halos evolves along a sequence of NFW
profiles with constant energy per unit volume (i.e., pressure) within Rs.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted by the Astrophysical Journal. Revised, 2
figures adde
Direct imaging of a massive dust cloud around R Coronae Borealis
We present recent polarimetric images of the highly variable star R CrB using
ExPo and archival WFPC2 images from the HST. We observed R CrB during its
current dramatic minimum where it decreased more than 9 mag due to the
formation of an obscuring dust cloud. Since the dust cloud is only in the
line-of-sight, it mimics a coronograph allowing the imaging of the star's
circumstellar environment. Our polarimetric observations surprisingly show
another scattering dust cloud at approximately 1.3" or 2000 AU from the star.
We find that to obtain a decrease in the stellar light of 9 mag and with 30% of
the light being reemitted at infrared wavelengths (from R CrB's SED) the grains
in R CrB's circumstellar environment must have a very low albedo of
approximately 0.07%. We show that the properties of the dust clouds formed
around R CrB are best fitted using a combination of two distinct populations of
grains size. The first are the extremely small 5 nm grains, formed in the low
density continuous wind, and the second population of large grains (~0.14
{\mu}m) which are found in the ejected dust clouds. The observed scattering
cloud, not only contains such large grains, but is exceptionally massive
compared to the average cloud.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures published in A&
Gamma ray constraints on the Galactic supernova rate
We perform Monte Carlo simulations of the expected gamma ray signatures of Galactic supernovae of all types to estimate the significance of the lack of a gamma ray signal due to supernovae occurring during the last millenium. Using recent estimates of the nuclear yields, we determine mean Galactic supernova rates consistent with the historic supernova record and the gamma ray limits. Another objective of these calculations of Galactic supernova histories is their application to surveys of diffuse Galactic gamma ray line emission
Re-caching by Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) cannot be attributed to stress.
Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) live double lives, storing food for the future while raiding the stores of other birds. One tactic scrub-jays employ to protect stores is "re-caching"-relocating caches out of sight of would-be thieves. Recent computational modelling work suggests that re-caching might be mediated not by complex cognition, but by a combination of memory failure and stress. The "Stress Model" asserts that re-caching is a manifestation of a general drive to cache, rather than a desire to protect existing stores. Here, we present evidence strongly contradicting the central assumption of these models: that stress drives caching, irrespective of social context. In Experiment (i), we replicate the finding that scrub-jays preferentially relocate food they were watched hiding. In Experiment (ii) we find no evidence that stress increases caching. In light of our results, we argue that the Stress Model cannot account for scrub-jay re-caching
Gamma ray constraints on the galactic supernova rate
Monte Carlo simulations of the expected gamma-ray signatures of galactic supernovae of all types are performed in order to estimate the significance of the lack of a gamma-ray signal due to supernovae occurring during the last millenium. Using recent estimates of nuclear yields, we determine galactic supernova rates consistent with the historic supernova record and the gamma-ray limits. Another objective of these calculations of galactic supernova histories is their application to surveys of diffuse galactic gamma-ray line emission
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