34,617 research outputs found
Gravitational Entropy and Quantum Cosmology
We investigate the evolution of different measures of ``Gravitational
Entropy'' in Bianchi type I and Lema\^itre-Tolman universe models.
A new quantity behaving in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics
is introduced. We then go on and investigate whether a quantum calculation of
initial conditions for the universe based upon the Wheeler-DeWitt equation
supports Penrose's Weyl Curvature Conjecture, according to which the Ricci part
of the curvature dominates over the Weyl part at the initial singularity of the
universe. The theory is applied to the Bianchi type I universe models with dust
and a cosmological constant and to the Lema\^itre-Tolman universe models. We
investigate two different versions of the conjecture. First we investigate a
local version which fails to support the conjecture. Thereafter we construct a
non-local entity which shows more promising behaviour concerning the
conjecture.Comment: 20 pages, 7 ps figure
The Energy-Momentum Tensor in Fulling-Rindler Vacuum
The energy density in Fulling-Rindler vacuum, which is known to be negative
"everywhere" is shown to be positive and singular on the horizons in such a
fashion as to guarantee the positivity of the total energy. The mechanism of
compensation is displayed in detail.Comment: 9 pages, ULB-TH-15/9
Knowledge tree: Putting discourse into computerâbased learning
Most CBL materials currently in use model only the declarative aspects of the learning process. If such courseware is used without careful planning, this can be dangerous because one of the most fundamental aspects of education is the dialogue that occurs between teachers and the students. Traditionally, this has taken place in informal discussions as well as in formal smallâgroup learning sessions such as the conventional tutorial. However, as the studentâstaff ratio increases, so does the opportunity for this type of personal dialogue decrease. Modern networking technology offers a huge potential to add discourse to CBL, but there are many pedagogical problems involved with the intrinsically ephemeral and anarchic nature both of the Internet and of most conferencing or bulletinâboard systems. In this paper we describe a software system called Knowledge Tree (KT) which we have developed to address some of these issues. KT combines a hierarchical conceptâoriented database functionality with that of a Usenetâstyle bulletin board Using this, a knowledge garden may be developed for any subject area. These each contain a hypermedia database of frequently asked questions, together with answers provided by subject experts. There is provision for interâstudent discussions of problems and issues. When students ask new questions these are automatically emailed to a relevant subject expert (determined by a subjectâspecific concept thesaurus). The answer is then placed in the database which eventually grows to become a valuable teaching resource. KT is disciplineâindependent as the concept thesaurus can be changed to encapsulate any domain of knowledge. We have used it in support of conventional lecture courses, as an important component of a multimedia course, and for general IT support. These examples illustrate the role that this system can play both in basic information provision, and in facilitating the discussion of deep issues
Black hole versus cosmological horizon entropy
The generalized second law of thermodynamics states that entropy always
increases when all event horizons are attributed with an entropy proportional
to their area. We test the generalized second law by investigating the change
in entropy when dust, radiation and black holes cross a cosmological event
horizon. We generalize for flat, open and closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker
universes by using numerical calculations to determine the cosmological horizon
evolution. In most cases the loss of entropy from within the cosmological
horizon is more than balanced by an increase in cosmological event horizon
entropy, maintaining the validity of the generalized second law of
thermodynamics. However, an intriguing set of open universe models show an
apparent entropy decrease when black holes disappear over the cosmological
event horizon. We anticipate that this apparent violation of the generalized
second law will disappear when solutions are available for black holes embedded
in arbitrary backgrounds.Comment: 14 pages, including 6 figures, to appear in Classical and Quantum
Gravity, reference adde
Effect of dislocations on charge carrier mobility-lifetime product in synthetic single crystal diamond
The authors report correlations between variations in charge transport of electrons and holes in synthetic single crystal diamond and the presence of nitrogen impurities and dislocations. The spatial distribution of these defects was imaged using their characteristic luminescence emission and compared with maps of carrier drift length measured by ion beam induced charge imaging. The images indicate a reduction of electron and hole mobility-lifetime product due to nitrogen impurities and dislocations. Very good charge transport is achieved in selected regions where the dislocation density is minimal
Particles and energy fluxes from a CFT perspective
We analyze the creation of particles in two dimensions under the action of
conformal transformations. We focus our attention on Mobius transformations and
compare the usual approach, based on the Bogolubov coefficients, with an
alternative but equivalent viewpoint based on correlation functions. In the
latter approach the absence of particle production under full Mobius
transformations is manifest. Moreover, we give examples, using the
moving-mirror analogy, to illustrate the close relation between the production
of quanta and energy.Comment: Revised version. To appear in Phys.Rev.
Uniformly Accelerated Mirrors. Part 1: Mean Fluxes
The Davies-Fulling model describes the scattering of a massless field by a
moving mirror in 1+1 dimensions. When the mirror travels under uniform
acceleration, one encounters severe problems which are due to the infinite blue
shift effects associated with the horizons. On one hand, the Bogoliubov
coefficients are ill-defined and the total energy emitted diverges. On the
other hand, the instantaneous mean flux vanishes. To obtained well-defined
expressions we introduce an alternative model based on an action principle. The
usefulness of this model is to allow to switch on and off the interaction at
asymptotically large times. By an appropriate choice of the switching function,
we obtain analytical expressions for the scattering amplitudes and the fluxes
emitted by the mirror. When the coupling is constant, we recover the vanishing
flux. However it is now followed by transients which inevitably become singular
when the switching off is performed at late time. Our analysis reveals that the
scattering amplitudes (and the Bogoliubov coefficients) should be seen as
distributions and not as mere functions. Moreover, our regularized amplitudes
can be put in a one to one correspondence with the transition amplitudes of an
accelerated detector, thereby unifying the physics of uniformly accelerated
systems. In a forthcoming article, we shall use our scattering amplitudes to
analyze the quantum correlations amongst emitted particles which are also
ill-defined in the Davies-Fulling model in the presence of horizons.Comment: 23 pages, 7 postscript figure
The Semi-Classical Back Reaction to Black Hole Evaporation
The semi-classical back reaction to black hole evaporation (wherein the
renormalized energy momentum tensor is taken as source of Einstein's equations)
is analyzed in detail. It is proven that the mass of a Schwarzshild black hole
decreases according to Hawking's law where is a constant
of order one and that the particles are emitted with a thermal spectrum at
temperature .Comment: 10 pages, LATE
Performance of the Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON)
The Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) has been operating with a
full complement of six stations since 1992. Over 20 years later, we look back
on the network history. The meta-data from the sites have been analysed to
assess performance in terms of site insolation, with a brief look at the
challenges that have been encountered over the years. We explain how the
international community can gain easy access to the ever-growing dataset
produced by the network, and finally look to the future of the network and the
potential impact of nearly 25 years of technology miniaturisation.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures. Accepted by Solar Physics: 2015 October 20.
First online: 2015 December 7. Open Acces
Hawking radiation by effective two-dimensional theories
Recently proposed 2D anomaly induced effective actions for the matter-gravity
system are critically reviewed. Their failure to correctly reproduce Hawking's
black hole radiation or the stability of Minkowski space-time led us to a
modification of the relevant ``quantum'' matter stress energy tensor that
allows physically meaningful results to be extracted.Comment: 26 pages, plain late
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