Non-Relativistic Gravitation: From Newton to Einstein and Back

We present an improvement to the Classical Effective Theory approach to the non-relativistic or Post-Newtonian approximation of General Relativity. The "potential metric field" is decomposed through a temporal Kaluza-Klein ansatz into three NRG-fields: a scalar identified with the Newtonian potential, a 3-vector corresponding to the gravito-magnetic vector potential and a 3-tensor. The derivation of the Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann Lagrangian simplifies such that each term corresponds to a single Feynman diagram providing a clear physical interpretation. Spin interactions are dominated by the exchange of the gravito-magnetic field. Leading correction diagrams corresponding to the 3PN correction to the spin-spin interaction and the 2.5PN correction to the spin-orbit interaction are presented.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. v2: published version. v3: Added a computation of Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann in higher dimensions within our improved ClEFT which partially confirms and partially corrects a previous computation. See notes added at end of introductio

GLT-1 promoter activity in astrocytes and neurons of mouse hippocampus and somatic sensory cortex

GLT-1 eGFP BAC reporter transgenic adult mice were used to detect GLT-1 gene expression in individual cells of CA1, CA3 and SI, and eGFP fl uorescence was measured to analyze quantitatively GLT-1 promoter activity in different cells of neocortex and hippocampus. Virtually all GFAP+ astrocytes were eGFP+; we also found that about 80% of neurons in CA3 pyramidal layer, 10-70% of neurons in I-VI layers of SI and rare neurons in all strata of CA1 and in strata oriens and radiatum of CA3 were eGFP+. Analysis of eGFP intensity showed that astrocytes had a higher GLT-1 promoter activity in SI than in CA1 and CA3, and that neurons had the highest levels of GLT-1 promoter activity in CA3 stratum pyramidale and in layer VI of SI. Finally, we observed that the intensity of GLT-1 promoter activity in neurons is 1-20% of that measured in astrocytes. These results showed that in the hippocampus and neocortex GLT-1 promoter activity is observed in astrocytes and neurons, detailed the distribution of GLT-1 expressing neurons, and indicated that GLT-1 promoter activity in both astrocytes and neurons varies in different brain regions. © 2010 de Vivo, Melone, Rothstein and Conti

High Energy Field Theory in Truncated AdS Backgrounds

In this letter we show that, in five-dimensional anti-deSitter space (AdS) truncated by boundary branes, effective field theory techniques are reliable at high energy (much higher than the scale suggested by the Kaluza-Klein mass gap), provided one computes suitable observables. We argue that in the model of Randall and Sundrum for generating the weak scale from the AdS warp factor, the high energy behavior of gauge fields can be calculated in a {\em cutoff independent manner}, provided one restricts Green's functions to external points on the Planck brane. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we calculate the one-loop correction to the Planck brane gauge propagator due to charged bulk fields. These effects give rise to non-universal logarithmic energy dependence for a range of scales above the Kaluza-Klein gap.Comment: LaTeX, 7 pages; minor typos fixe

Finite size corrections to the radiation reaction force in classical electrodynamics

We introduce an effective field theory approach that describes the motion of finite size objects under the influence of electromagnetic fields. We prove that leading order effects due to the finite radius $R$ of a spherically symmetric charge is order $R^2$ rather than order $R$ in any physical model, as widely claimed in the literature. This scaling arises as a consequence of Poincar\'e and gauge symmetries, which can be shown to exclude linear corrections. We use the formalism to calculate the leading order finite size correction to the Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac force.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Cech and de Rham Cohomology of Integral Forms

We present a study on the integral forms and their Cech/de Rham cohomology. We analyze the problem from a general perspective of sheaf theory and we explore examples in superprojective manifolds. Integral forms are fundamental in the theory of integration in supermanifolds. One can define the integral forms introducing a new sheaf containing, among other objects, the new basic forms delta(dtheta) where the symbol delta has the usual formal properties of Dirac's delta distribution and acts on functions and forms as a Dirac measure. They satisfy in addition some new relations on the sheaf. It turns out that the enlarged sheaf of integral and "ordinary" superforms contains also forms of "negative degree" and, moreover, due to the additional relations introduced, its cohomology is, in a non trivial way, different from the usual superform cohomology.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, we expanded the introduction, we add a complete analysis of the cohomology and we derive a new duality between cohomology group

South Atlantic mass transports obtained from subsurface float and hydrographic data

Mean total (barotropic + baroclinic) mass transports of the oceanic top 1000 dbar are estimated for two regions of the South Atlantic between 18°S and 47°S. These transports are obtained by using Gravest Empirical Mode (GEM) fields calculated from historical hydrography with temperature and position data from quasi-isobaric subsurface floats deployed from 1992 through 2001. The float-GEM-estimated total mass transports reveal a Brazil Current with a southward flow of 20.9 Sv at 30°S and 46 Sv at 35°S (1 Sverdrup, Sv = 106 m3 s–1). Two recirculation cells are identified in the southwest corner of the subtropical gyre north of 40°S, one centered at 48°W, 37°S recirculating 28.5 Sv and another centered at 40°W, 38°S recirculating 13.9 Sv. The South Atlantic Current (SAC) flows eastward with 50 Sv at 30°W and splits into two branches in the east, one north of 38°S transporting 19 Sv and one south of 41°S transporting 31 Sv. Of the 39.7 Sv of SAC transport that comes from the Malvinas Current/Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) system in the western basin, only 8.7 Sv flow with the northern branch and the remaining 31 Sv flow as the southern branch out of the South Atlantic rejoining the ACC directly (20.6 Sv) or interacting with the Agulhas Current Retroflection (10.4 Sv). From the northern branch, only 4.7 Sv of Malvinas Current/ACC origin and 10.3 Sv of Brazil Current origin (a total of 15 Sv) stays in the South Atlantic forming the Benguela Current, recirculating within the subtropical gyre. The Agulhas Current Retroflection reaches westward as far as 10°E with a transport of 48 Sv. In terms of mean total transport, the cold-water route carries 4.7 Sv in the upper 1000 dbar whereas the warm-water route carries 8.5 Sv. However, considering the interaction between waters from both origins, there is a total of 19.1 Sv of waters entering the Cape Basin from the Pacific Ocean and 18.5 Sv from the Indian Ocean

A nonlinear scalar model of extreme mass ratio inspirals in effective field theory I. Self force through third order

The motion of a small compact object in a background spacetime is investigated in the context of a model nonlinear scalar field theory. This model is constructed to have a perturbative structure analogous to the General Relativistic description of extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs). We apply the effective field theory approach to this model and calculate the finite part of the self force on the small compact object through third order in the ratio of the size of the compact object to the curvature scale of the background (e.g., black hole) spacetime. We use well-known renormalization methods and demonstrate the consistency of the formalism in rendering the self force finite at higher orders within a point particle prescription for the small compact object. This nonlinear scalar model should be useful for studying various aspects of higher-order self force effects in EMRIs but within a comparatively simpler context than the full gravitational case. These aspects include developing practical schemes for higher order self force numerical computations, quantifying the effects of transient resonances on EMRI waveforms and accurately modeling the small compact object's motion for precise determinations of the parameters of detected EMRI sources.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figure

Next to leading order spin-orbit effects in the motion of inspiralling compact binaries

Using effective field theory (EFT) techniques we calculate the next-to-leading order (NLO) spin-orbit contributions to the gravitational potential of inspiralling compact binaries. We use the covariant spin supplementarity condition (SSC), and explicitly prove the equivalence with previous results by Faye et al. in arXiv:gr-qc/0605139. We also show that the direct application of the Newton-Wigner SSC at the level of the action leads to the correct dynamics using a canonical (Dirac) algebra. This paper then completes the calculation of the necessary spin dynamics within the EFT formalism that will be used in a separate paper to compute the spin contributions to the energy flux and phase evolution to NLO.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, revtex4. v2: minor changes, refs. added. To appear in Class. Quant. Gra

Genome-wide association of familial late-onset alzheimer's disease replicates BIN1 and CLU and nominates CUGBP2 in interaction with APOE

Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. The National Institute of Aging-Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease Family Study and the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease conducted a joint genome-wide association study (GWAS) of multiplex LOAD families (3,839 affected and unaffected individuals from 992 families plus additional unrelated neurologically evaluated normal subjects) using the 610 IlluminaQuad panel. This cohort represents the largest family-based GWAS of LOAD to date, with analyses limited here to the European-American subjects. SNPs near APOE gave highly significant results (e.g., rs2075650, p = 3.2×10-81), but no other genome-wide significant evidence for association was obtained in the full sample. Analyses that stratified on APOE genotypes identified SNPs on chromosome 10p14 in CUGBP2 with genome-wide significant evidence for association within APOE ε4 homozygotes (e.g., rs201119, p = 1.5×10-8). Association in this gene was replicated in an independent sample consisting of three cohorts. There was evidence of association for recently-reported LOAD risk loci, including BIN1 (rs7561528, p = 0.009 with, and p = 0.03 without, APOE adjustment) and CLU (rs11136000, p = 0.023 with, and p = 0.008 without, APOE adjustment), with weaker support for CR1. However, our results provide strong evidence that association with PICALM (rs3851179, p = 0.69 with, and p = 0.039 without, APOE adjustment) and EXOC3L2 is affected by correlation with APOE, and thus may represent spurious association. Our results indicate that genetic structure coupled with ascertainment bias resulting from the strong APOE association affect genome-wide results and interpretation of some recently reported associations. We show that a locus such as APOE, with large effects and strong association with disease, can lead to samples that require appropriate adjustment for this locus to avoid both false positive and false negative evidence of association. We suggest that similar adjustments may also be needed for many other large multi-site studies. © 2011 Wijsman et al