Kinks in the Presence of Rapidly Varying Perturbations

Dynamics of sine-Gordon kinks in the presence of rapidly varying periodic perturbations of different physical origins is described analytically and numerically. The analytical approach is based on asymptotic expansions, and it allows to derive, in a rigorous way, an effective nonlinear equation for the slowly varying field component in any order of the asymptotic procedure as expansions in the small parameter $\omega^{-1}$, $\omega$ being the frequency of the rapidly varying ac driving force. Three physically important examples of such a dynamics, {\em i.e.}, kinks driven by a direct or parametric ac force, and kinks on rotating and oscillating background, are analysed in detail. It is shown that in the main order of the asymptotic procedure the effective equation for the slowly varying field component is {\em a renormalized sine-Gordon equation} in the case of the direct driving force or rotating (but phase-locked to an external ac force) background, and it is {\em the double sine-Gordon equation} for the parametric driving force. The properties of the kinks described by the renormalized nonlinear equations are analysed, and it is demonstrated analytically and numerically which kinds of physical phenomena may be expected in dealing with the renormalized, rather than the unrenormalized, nonlinear dynamics. In particular, we predict several qualitatively new effects which include, {\em e.g.}, the perturbation-inducedComment: New copy of the paper of the above title to replace the previous one, lost in the midst of the bulletin board. RevTeX 3.

Model- and calibration-independent test of cosmic acceleration

We present a calibration-independent test of the accelerated expansion of the universe using supernova type Ia data. The test is also model-independent in the sense that no assumptions about the content of the universe or about the parameterization of the deceleration parameter are made and that it does not assume any dynamical equations of motion. Yet, the test assumes the universe and the distribution of supernovae to be statistically homogeneous and isotropic. A significant reduction of systematic effects, as compared to our previous, calibration-dependent test, is achieved. Accelerated expansion is detected at significant level (4.3 sigma in the 2007 Gold sample, 7.2 sigma in the 2008 Union sample) if the universe is spatially flat. This result depends, however, crucially on supernovae with a redshift smaller than 0.1, for which the assumption of statistical isotropy and homogeneity is less well established.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, major change

Four-fermion interaction from torsion as dark energy

The observed small, positive cosmological constant may originate from a four-fermion interaction generated by the spin-torsion coupling in the Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble gravity if the fermions are condensing. In particular, such a condensation occurs for quark fields during the quark-gluon/hadron phase transition in the early Universe. We study how the torsion-induced four-fermion interaction is affected by adding two terms to the Dirac Lagrangian density: the parity-violating pseudoscalar density dual to the curvature tensor and a spinor-bilinear scalar density which measures the nonminimal coupling of fermions to torsion.Comment: 6 pages; published versio

Anisotropic dark energy stars

A model of compact object coupled to inhomogeneous anisotropic dark energy is studied. It is assumed a variable dark energy that suffers a phase transition at a critical density. The anisotropic Lambda-Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations are integrated to know the structure of these objects. The anisotropy is concentrated on a thin shell where the phase transition takes place, while the rest of the star remains isotropic. The family of solutions obtained depends on the coupling parameter between the dark energy and the fermion matter. The solutions share several features in common with the gravastar model. There is a critical coupling parameter that gives non-singular black hole solutions. The mass-radius relations are studied as well as the internal structure of the compact objects. The hydrodynamic stability of the models is analyzed using a standard test from the mass-radius relation. For each permissible value of the coupling parameter there is a maximum mass, so the existence of black holes is unavoidable within this model.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, final manuscript, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Reionization by active sources and its effects on the cosmic microwave background

We investigate the possible effects of reionization by active sources on the cosmic microwave background. We concentrate on the sources themselves as the origin of reionization, rather than early object formation, introducing an extra period of heating motivated by the active character of the perturbations. Using reasonable parameters, this leads to four possibilities depending on the time and duration of the energy input: delayed last scattering, double last scattering, shifted last scattering and total reionization. We show that these possibilities are only very weakly constrained by the limits on spectral distortions from the COBE FIRAS measurements. We illustrate the effects of these reionization possibilities on the angular power spectrum of temperature anisotropies and polarization for simple passive isocurvature models and simple coherent sources, observing the difference between passive and active models. Finally, we comment on the implications of this work for more realistic active sources, such as causal white noise and topological defect models. We show for these models that non-standard ionization histories can shift the peak in the CMB power to larger angular scales.Comment: 21 pages LaTeX with 11 eps figures; replaced with final version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Naked Singularity Formation In f(R) Gravity

We study the gravitational collapse of a star with barotropic equation of state $p=w\rho$ in the context of $f({\mathcal R})$ theories of gravity. Utilizing the metric formalism, we rewrite the field equations as those of Brans-Dicke theory with vanishing coupling parameter. By choosing the functionality of Ricci scalar as $f({\mathcal R})=\alpha{\mathcal R}^{m}$, we show that for an appropriate initial value of the energy density, if $\alpha$ and $m$ satisfy certain conditions, the resulting singularity would be naked, violating the cosmic censorship conjecture. These conditions are the ratio of the mass function to the area radius of the collapsing ball, negativity of the effective pressure, and the time behavior of the Kretschmann scalar. Also, as long as parameter $\alpha$ obeys certain conditions, the satisfaction of the weak energy condition is guaranteed by the collapsing configuration.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, to appear in GR

Light propagation in statistically homogeneous and isotropic universes with general matter content

We derive the relationship of the redshift and the angular diameter distance to the average expansion rate for universes which are statistically homogeneous and isotropic and where the distribution evolves slowly, but which have otherwise arbitrary geometry and matter content. The relevant average expansion rate is selected by the observable redshift and the assumed symmetry properties of the spacetime. We show why light deflection and shear remain small. We write down the evolution equations for the average expansion rate and discuss the validity of the dust approximation.Comment: 42 pages, no figures. v2: Corrected one detail about the angular diameter distance and two typos. No change in result

de Sitter gauge theories and induced gravities

Pure de Sitter, anti de Sitter, and orthogonal gauge theories in four-dimensional Euclidean spacetime are studied. It is shown that, if the theory is asymptotically free and a dynamical mass is generated, then an effective geometry may be induced and a gravity theory emerges. The asymptotic freedom and the running of the mass might account for an In\"on\"u-Wigner contraction which induces a breaking of the gauge group to the Lorentz group, while the mass itself is responsible for the coset sector of the gauge field to be identified with the effective vierbein. Furthermore, the resulting local isometries are Lorentzian for the anti de Sitter group and Euclidean for the de Sitter and orthogonal groups.Comment: Sections added. Text reviewed. References added. 14 pages, no figures. Final version to appear in EPJ

Recent Advances in Understanding Particle Acceleration Processes in Solar Flares

We review basic theoretical concepts in particle acceleration, with particular emphasis on processes likely to occur in regions of magnetic reconnection. Several new developments are discussed, including detailed studies of reconnection in three-dimensional magnetic field configurations (e.g., current sheets, collapsing traps, separatrix regions) and stochastic acceleration in a turbulent environment. Fluid, test-particle, and particle-in-cell approaches are used and results compared. While these studies show considerable promise in accounting for the various observational manifestations of solar flares, they are limited by a number of factors, mostly relating to available computational power. Not the least of these issues is the need to explicitly incorporate the electrodynamic feedback of the accelerated particles themselves on the environment in which they are accelerated. A brief prognosis for future advancement is offered.Comment: This is a chapter in a monograph on the physics of solar flares, inspired by RHESSI observations. The individual articles are to appear in Space Science Reviews (2011