2,230 research outputs found
Nonlinear electrodynamics and the gravitational redshift of highly magnetised neutron stars
The idea that the nonlinear electromagnetic interaction, i. e., light
propagation in vacuum, can be geometrized was developed by Novello et al.
(2000) and Novello & Salim (2001). Since then a number of physical consequences
for the dynamics of a variety of systems have been explored. In a recent paper
Mosquera Cuesta & Salim (2003) presented the first astrophysical study where
such nonlinear electrodynamics (NLEDs) effects were accounted for in the case
of a highly magnetized neutron star or pulsar. In that paper the NLEDs was
invoked {\it a l\`a} Euler-Heisenberg, which is an infinite series expansion of
which only the first term was used for the analisys. The immediate consequence
of that study was an overall modification of the space-time geometry around the
pulsar, which is ``perceived'', in principle, only by light propagating out of
the star. This translates into an significant change in the surface redshift,
as inferred from absorption (emission) lines observed from a super magnetized
pulsar. The result proves to be even more dramatic for the so-called magnetars,
pulsars endowed with magnetic () fields higher then the Schafroth quantum
electrodynamics critical -field. Here we demonstrate that the same effect
still appears if one calls for the NLEDs in the form of the one rigorously
derived by Born & Infeld (1934) based on the special relativistic limit for the
velocity of approaching of an elementary particle to a pointlike electron [From
the mathematical point of view, the Born & Infeld (1934) NLEDs is described by
an exact Lagrangean, whose dynamics has been successfully studied in a wide set
of physical systems.].Comment: Accepted for publication in Month. Not. Roy. Ast. Soc. latex file,
mn-1.4.sty, 5 pages, 2 figure
A white dwarf-neutron star relativistic binary model for soft gamma-ray repeaters
A scenario for SGRs is introduced in which gravitational radiation reaction
effects drive the dynamics of an ultrashort orbital period X-ray binary
embracing a high-mass donor white dwarf (WD) to a rapidly rotating low
magnetised massive neutron star (NS) surrounded by a thick, dense and massive
accretion torus. Driven by GR reaction, sparsely, the binary separation
reduces, the WD overflows its Roche lobe and the mass transfer drives unstable
the accretion disk around the NS. As the binary circular orbital period is a
multiple integer number () of the period of the WD fundamental mode (Pons et
al. 2002), the WD is since long pulsating at its fundamental mode; and most of
its harmonics, due to the tidal interaction with its NS orbital companion.
Hence, when the powerful irradiation glows onto the WD; from the fireball
ejected as part of the disk matter slumps onto the NS, it is partially
absorbed. This huge energy excites other WD radial (-mode) pulsations
(Podsiadlowski 1991,1995). After each mass-transfer episode the binary
separation (and orbital period) is augmented significantly (Deloye & Bildsten
2003; Al\'ecyan & Morsink 2004) due to the binary's angular momentum
redistribution. Thus a new adiabatic inspiral phase driven by GR reaction
starts which brings the binary close again, and the process repeats. This model
allows to explain most of SGRs observational features: their recurrent
activity, energetics of giant superoutbursts and quiescent stages, and
particularly the intriguing subpulses discovered by BeppoSAX (Feroci et al.
1999), which are suggested here to be {\it overtones} of the WD radial
fundamental mode (see the accompanying paper: Mosquera Cuesta 2004b).Comment: This paper was submitted as a "Letter to the Editor" of MNRAS in July
17/2004. Since that time no answer or referee report was provided to the
Author [MNRAS publication policy limits reviewal process no longer than one
month (+/- half more) for the reviewal of this kind of submission). I hope
this contribution is not receiving a similar "peer-reviewing" as given to the
A. Dar and A. De Rujula's "Cannonball model for gamma-ray bursts", or to the
R.K. Williams' "Penrose process for energy extraction from rotating black
holes". The author welcomes criticisms and suggestions on this pape
What do emulsification failure and Bose-Einstein condensation have in common?
Ideal bosons and classical ring polymers formed via self-assembly, are known
to have the same partition function, and so analogous phase transitions. In
ring polymers, the analogue of Bose-Einstein condensation occurs when a ring
polymer of macroscopic size appears. We show that a transition of the same
general form occurs within a whole class of systems with self-assembly, and
illustrate it with the emulsification failure of a microemulsion phase of
water, oil and surfactant. As with Bose-Einstein condensation, the transition
occurs even in the absence of interactions.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, typeset with EUROTeX, uses epsfi
Imperfect Imitation Can Enhance Cooperation
The promotion of cooperation on spatial lattices is an important issue in
evolutionary game theory. This effect clearly depends on the update rule: it
diminishes with stochastic imitative rules whereas it increases with
unconditional imitation. To study the transition between both regimes, we
propose a new evolutionary rule, which stochastically combines unconditional
imitation with another imitative rule. We find that, surprinsingly, in many
social dilemmas this rule yields higher cooperative levels than any of the two
original ones. This nontrivial effect occurs because the basic rules induce a
separation of timescales in the microscopic processes at cluster interfaces.
The result is robust in the space of 2x2 symmetric games, on regular lattices
and on scale-free networks.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
A Cellular Automaton Model for Bi-Directionnal Traffic
We investigate a cellular automaton (CA) model of traffic on a bi-directional
two-lane road. Our model is an extension of the one-lane CA model of {Nagel and
Schreckenberg 1992}, modified to account for interactions mediated by passing,
and for a distribution of vehicle speeds. We chose values for the various
parameters to approximate the behavior of real traffic. The density-flow
diagram for the bi-directional model is compared to that of a one-lane model,
showing the interaction of the two lanes. Results were also compared to
experimental data, showing close agreement. This model helps bridge the gap
between simplified cellular automata models and the complexity of real-world
traffic.Comment: 4 pages 6 figures. Accepted Phys Rev
Dimensional crossover of the fundamental-measure functional for parallel hard cubes
We present a regularization of the recently proposed fundamental-measure
functional for a mixture of parallel hard cubes. The regularized functional is
shown to have right dimensional crossovers to any smaller dimension, thus
allowing to use it to study highly inhomogeneous phases (such as the solid
phase). Furthermore, it is shown how the functional of the slightly more
general model of parallel hard parallelepipeds can be obtained using the
zero-dimensional functional as a generating functional. The multicomponent
version of the latter system is also given, and it is suggested how to
reformulate it as a restricted-orientation model for liquid crystals. Finally,
the method is further extended to build a functional for a mixture of parallel
hard cylinders.Comment: 4 pages, no figures, uses revtex style files and multicol.sty, for a
PostScript version see http://dulcinea.uc3m.es/users/cuesta/cross.p
A theorem on the absence of phase transitions in one-dimensional growth models with onsite periodic potentials
We rigorously prove that a wide class of one-dimensional growth models with
onsite periodic potential, such as the discrete sine-Gordon model, have no
phase transition at any temperature . The proof relies on the spectral
analysis of the transfer operator associated to the models. We show that this
operator is Hilbert-Schmidt and that its maximum eigenvalue is an analytic
function of temperature.Comment: 6 pages, no figures, submitted to J Phys A: Math Ge
Phase diagram of a two-dimensional lattice gas model of a ramp system
Using Monte Carlo Simulation and fundamental measure theory we study the
phase diagram of a two-dimensional lattice gas model with a nearest neighbor
hard core exclusion and a next-to-nearest neighbors finite repulsive
interaction. The model presents two competing ranges of interaction and, in
common with many experimental systems, exhibits a low density solid phase,
which melts back to the fluid phase upon compression. The theoretical approach
is found to provide a qualitatively correct picture of the phase diagram of our
model system.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, uses RevTex
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