3,084 research outputs found
Conserved masses in GHS Einstein and string black holes
We analyze the relationship between quasilocal masses calculated for
solutions of conformally related theories. We show that the ADM mass of a
static, spherically symmetric solution is conformally invariant (up to a
constant factor) only if the background action functional is conformally
invariant. Thus, the requirement of conformal invariance places restrictions on
the choice of reference spacetimes. We calculate the mass of the black hole
solutions obtained by Garfinkle, Horowitz, and Strominger (GHS) for both the
string and the Einstein metrics. In addition, the quasilocal thermodynamic
quantities in the string metrics are computed and discussed.Comment: 16 pages REVTeX with packages amsfonts and amssym
Tumbleweeds and airborne gravitational noise sources for LIGO
Gravitational-wave detectors are sensitive not only to astrophysical
gravitational waves, but also to the fluctuating Newtonian gravitational forces
of moving masses in the ground and air around the detector. This paper studies
the gravitational effects of density perturbations in the atmosphere, and from
massive airborne objects near the detector. These effects were previously
considered by Saulson; in this paper I revisit these phenomena, considering
transient atmospheric shocks, and the effects of sound waves or objects
colliding with the ground or buildings around the test masses. I also consider
temperature perturbations advected past the detector as a source of
gravitational noise. I find that the gravitational noise background is below
the expected noise floor even of advanced interferometric detectors, although
only by an order of magnitude for temperature perturbations carried along
turbulent streamlines. I also find that transient shockwaves in the atmosphere
could potentially produce large spurious signals, with signal-to-noise ratios
in the hundreds in an advanced interferometric detector. These signals could be
vetoed by means of acoustic sensors outside of the buildings. Massive
wind-borne objects such as tumbleweeds could also produce gravitational signals
with signal-to-noise ratios in the hundreds if they collide with the
interferometer buildings, so it may be necessary to build fences preventing
such objects from approaching within about 30m of the test masses.Comment: 15 pages, 10 PostScript figures, uses REVTeX4.cls and epsfig.st
Response of the Brazilian gravitational wave detector to signals from a black hole ringdown
It is assumed that a black hole can be disturbed in such a way that a
ringdown gravitational wave would be generated. This ringdown waveform is well
understood and is modelled as an exponentially damped sinusoid. In this work we
use this kind of waveform to study the performance of the SCHENBERG
gravitational wave detector. This first realistic simulation will help us to
develop strategies for the signal analysis of this Brazilian detector. We
calculated the signal-to-noise ratio as a function of frequency for the
simulated signals and obtained results that show that SCHENBERG is expected to
be sensitive enough to detect this kind of signal up to a distance of .Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Amaldi 5 Conference Proceedings contribution.
Submitted to Class. Quantum Gra
Bubble Raft Model for a Paraboloidal Crystal
We investigate crystalline order on a two-dimensional paraboloid of
revolution by assembling a single layer of millimeter-sized soap bubbles on the
surface of a rotating liquid, thus extending the classic work of Bragg and Nye
on planar soap bubble rafts. Topological constraints require crystalline
configurations to contain a certain minimum number of topological defects such
as disclinations or grain boundary scars whose structure is analyzed as a
function of the aspect ratio of the paraboloid. We find the defect structure to
agree with theoretical predictions and propose a mechanism for scar nucleation
in the presence of large Gaussian curvature.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Multidisciplinary approach to the management of children with female genital mutilation (FGM) or suspected FGM: service description and case series
OBJECTIVE: To describe the first dedicated clinic in the UK for children with suspected or confirmed female genital mutilation (FGM) including referral patterns, clinical findings and subsequent management. DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective study of all children seen in a dedicated multidisciplinary FGM clinic for children over a 1-year period. POPULATION: Patients aged under 18 years referred for clinical assessment or for a second opinion on Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) images. METHODS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were collected on reasons for referral, demography, genital examination findings including FGM type, and clinical recommendations. RESULTS: 38 children were referred of whom 18 (47%) had confirmed FGM; most frequently type 4 (61%). Social care and police referred 78% of cases. According to UK law FGM had been performed illegally in three cases. Anonymous information given to the police led to the referral of six children, none of whom had had FGM. CONCLUSIONS: Mandatory reporting and increased media attention may increase the numbers of referrals of children with suspected FGM. This patient group have complex needs and management in a dedicated multidisciplinary service is essential. Paediatricians and gynaecologists should have the skills to carry out the consultation and detect all types of FGM including type 4 which was the most common type seen in this series. This is the first dedicated FGM service for children in the UK and similar clinics in high-prevalence areas should be established
Leaf litter decomposition rates increase with rising mean annual temperature in Hawaiian tropical montane wet forests
Decomposing litter in forest ecosystems supplies nutrients to plants, carbon to heterotrophic soil microorganisms and is a large source of CO2 to the atmosphere.
Despite its essential role in carbon and nutrient cycling, the temperature sensitivity
of leaf litter decay in tropical forest ecosystems remains poorly resolved, especially in
tropical montane wet forests where the warming trend may be amplified compared
to tropical wet forests at lower elevations. We quantified leaf litter decomposition
rates along a highly constrained 5.2 ◦C mean annual temperature (MAT) gradient in
tropical montane wet forests on the Island ofHawaii. Dominant vegetation, substrate
type and age, soil moisture, and disturbance history are all nearly constant across this
gradient, allowing us to isolate the effect of rising MAT on leaf litter decomposition
and nutrient release. Leaf litter decomposition rates were a positive linear function
of MAT, causing the residence time of leaf litter on the forest floor to decline by ∼31
days for each 1 ◦C increase in MAT. Our estimate of the Q10 temperature coefficient
for leaf litter decomposition was 2.17, within the commonly reported range
for heterotrophic organic matter decomposition (1.5–2.5) across a broad range of
ecosystems. The percentage of leaf litter nitrogen (N) remaining after six months
declined linearly with increasing MAT from ∼88% of initial N at the coolest site to
∼74% at the warmest site. The lack of net N immobilization during all three litter
collection periods at all MAT plots indicates that N was not limiting to leaf litter
decomposition, regardless of temperature. These results suggest that leaf litter decay
in tropical montane wet forests may be more sensitive to rising MAT than in tropical
lowland wet forests, and that increased rates of N release from decomposing litter
could delay or prevent progressive N limitation to net primary productivity with
climate warming
Data analysis strategies for the detection of gravitational waves in non-Gaussian noise
In order to analyze data produced by the kilometer-scale gravitational wave
detectors that will begin operation early next century, one needs to develop
robust statistical tools capable of extracting weak signals from the detector
noise. This noise will likely have non-stationary and non-Gaussian components.
To facilitate the construction of robust detection techniques, I present a
simple two-component noise model that consists of a background of Gaussian
noise as well as stochastic noise bursts. The optimal detection statistic
obtained for such a noise model incorporates a natural veto which suppresses
spurious events that would be caused by the noise bursts. When two detectors
are present, I show that the optimal statistic for the non-Gaussian noise model
can be approximated by a simple coincidence detection strategy. For simulated
detector noise containing noise bursts, I compare the operating characteristics
of (i) a locally optimal detection statistic (which has nearly-optimal behavior
for small signal amplitudes) for the non-Gaussian noise model, (ii) a standard
coincidence-style detection strategy, and (iii) the optimal statistic for
Gaussian noise.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX, 4 figure
The Spartan 1 mission
The first Spartan mission is documented. The Spartan program, an outgrowth of a joint Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) development effort, was instituted by NASA for launching autonomous, recoverable payloads from the space shuttle. These payloads have a precise pointing system and are intended to support a wide range of space-science observations and experiments. The first Spartan, carrying an NRL X-ray astronomy instrument, was launched by the orbiter Discovery (STS51G) on June 20, 1985 and recovered successfully 45 h later, on June 22. During this period, Spartan 1 conducted a preprogrammed series of observations of two X-ray sources: the Perseus cluster of galaxies and the center of our galaxy. The mission was successful from both on engineering and a scientific viewpoint. Only one problem was encountered, the attitude control system (ACS) shut down earlier than planned because of high attitude control system gas consumption. A preplanned emergency mode then placed Spartan 1 into a stable, safe condition and allowed a safe recovery. The events are described of the mission and presents X-ray maps of the two observed sources, which were produced from the flight data
Finite size effects on thermal denaturation of globular proteins
Finite size effects on the cooperative thermal denaturation of proteins are
considered. A dimensionless measure of cooperativity, Omega, scales as N^zeta,
where N is the number of amino acids. Surprisingly, we find that zeta is
universal with zeta = 1 + gamma, where the exponent gamma characterizes the
divergence of the susceptibility for a self-avoiding walk. Our lattice model
simulations and experimental data are consistent with the theory. Our finding
rationalizes the marginal stability of proteins and substantiates the earlier
predictions that the efficient folding of two-state proteins requires the
folding transition temperature to be close to the collapse temperature.Comment: 3 figures. Physical Review Letters (in press
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