Supercurvaton

We discuss observational consequences of the curvaton scenario, which naturally appears in the context of the simplest model of chaotic inflation in supergravity. The non-gaussianity parameter f_NL in this scenario can take values in the observationally interesting range from O(10) to O(100). These values may be different in different parts of the universe. The regions where f_NL is particularly large form a curvaton web resembling a net of thick domain walls, strings, or global monopoles.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure. Non-perturbative effects related to non-gaussianity in the curvaton scenario are discussed, some references are added. This is the version accepted in JCA

Self-consistent description of nuclear compressional modes

Isoscalar monopole and dipole compressional modes are computed for a variety of closed-shell nuclei in a relativistic random-phase approximation to three different parametrizations of the Walecka model with scalar self-interactions. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of self-consistency which by itself, and with little else, guarantees the decoupling of the spurious isoscalar-dipole strength from the physical response and the conservation of the vector current. A powerful new relation is introduced to quantify the violation of the vector current in terms of various ground-state form-factors. For the isoscalar-dipole mode two distinct regions are clearly identified: (i) a high-energy component that is sensitive to the size of the nucleus and scales with the compressibility of the model and (ii) a low-energy component that is insensitivity to the nuclear compressibility. A fairly good description of both compressional modes is obtained by using a ``soft'' parametrization having a compression modulus of K=224 MeV.Comment: 28 pages and 10 figures; submitted to PR

Limits on the gravity wave contribution to microwave anisotropies

We present limits on the fraction of large angle microwave anisotropies which could come from tensor perturbations. We use the COBE results as well as smaller scale CMB observations, measurements of galaxy correlations, abundances of galaxy clusters, and Lyman alpha absorption cloud statistics. Our aim is to provide conservative limits on the tensor-to-scalar ratio for standard inflationary models. For power-law inflation, for example, we find T/S<0.52 at 95% confidence, with a similar constraint for phi^p potentials. However, for models with tensor amplitude unrelated to the scalar spectral index it is still currently possible to have T/S>1.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D. Calculations extended to blue spectral index, Fig. 6 added, discussion of results expande

Isoscalar Giant Dipole Resonance and Nuclear Matter Incompressibility Coefficient

We present results of microscopic calculations of the strength function, S(E), and alpha-particle excitation cross sections sigma(E) for the isoscalar giant dipole resonance (ISGDR). An accurate and a general method to eliminate the contributions of spurious state mixing is presented and used in the calculations. Our results provide a resolution to the long standing problem that the nuclear matter incompressibility coefficient, K, deduced from sigma(E) data for the ISGDR is significantly smaller than that deduced from data for the isoscalar giant monopole resonance (ISGMR).Comment: 4 pages using revtex 3.0, 3 postscript figures created by Mathematica 4.

The Importance of Slow-roll Corrections During Multi-field Inflation

We re-examine the importance of slow-roll corrections during the evolution of cosmological perturbations in models of multi-field inflation. We find that in many instances the presence of light degrees of freedom leads to situations in which next to leading order slow-roll corrections become significant. Examples where we expect such corrections to be crucial include models in which modes exit the Hubble radius while the inflationary trajectory undergoes an abrupt turn in field space, or during a phase transition. We illustrate this with two examples -- hybrid inflation and double quadratic inflation. Utilizing both analytic estimates and full numerical results, we find that corrections can be as large as 20%. Our results have implications for many existing models in the literature, as these corrections must be included to obtain accurate observational predictions -- particularly given the level of accuracy expected from CMB experiments such as PlanckComment: v1: 21 pages, 3 figures, 1 appendix. v2: clarifications to {\S}{\S}2.1, 3.1 and 4, {\S}5.3 added, references added, results unchanged. Matches published version in JCA

CMB polarization from secondary vector and tensor modes

We consider a novel contribution to the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background induced by vector and tensor modes generated by the non-linear evolution of primordial scalar perturbations. Our calculation is based on relativistic second-order perturbation theory and allows to estimate the effects of these secondary modes on the polarization angular power-spectra. We show that a non-vanishing B-mode polarization unavoidably arises from pure scalar initial perturbations, thus limiting our ability to detect the signature of primordial gravitational waves generated during inflation. This secondary effect dominates over that of primordial tensors for an inflationary tensor-to-scalar ratio $r<10^{-6}$. The magnitude of the effect is smaller than the contamination produced by the conversion of polarization of type E into type B, by weak gravitational lensing. However the lensing signal can be cleaned, making the secondary modes discussed here the actual background limiting the detection of small amplitude primordial gravitational waves.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, minor changes matching the version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Light Lambda-Lambda Hypernuclei and the Onset of Stability for Lambda-Xi Hypernuclei

New Faddeev-Yakubovsky calculations for light Lambda-Lambda hypernuclei are presented in order to assess the self consistency of the Lambda-Lambda hypernuclear binding-energy world data and the implied strength of the Lambda-Lambda interaction, in the wake of recent experimental reports on Lambda-Lambda-4H and Lambda-Lambda-6He. Using Gaussian soft-core simulations of Nijmegen one-boson-exchange model interactions, the Nijmegen soft-core model NSC97 simulations are found close to reproducing the recently reported binding energy of Lambda-Lambda-6He, but not those of other species. For stranger systems, Faddeev calculations of light Lambda-Xi hypernuclei, using a simulation of the strongly attractive Lambda-Xi interactions due to the same model, suggest that Lambda-Xi-6He marks the onset of nuclear stability for Xi hyperons.Comment: 5 pages, 3 postscript figures; fig.2 replaced, minor changes, accepted as Rapid Communication in PR

Archaeological Landscapes during the 10–8 ka Lake Stanley Lowstand on the Alpena‐Amberley Ridge, Lake Huron

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136243/1/gea21590.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136243/2/gea21590_am.pd

Home range and diving behaviour of Heaviside's dolphins monitored by satellite off the west coast of South Africa

Three Heaviside’s dolphins Cephalorhynchus heavisidii were fitted with satellite depth recorders off the west coast of South Africa during February–April 1997 and monitored for 51, 73 and 130 days, respectively. In total, 345 locations were received from the three animals, but only 27 from one male. Using -local convex hull and minimum convex polygon methods, respectively, the home range for the remaining male was estimated at 1 520 and 2 347 km2, with corresponding core-area estimates (50% of locations) of 134 and 123 km2. For the female, the home range estimates were 672 and 1 027 km2, and those for the core area were 71 and 230 km2. The female’s home range was the smallest yet described for this species, and the animal was resighted nearly three years later within 13 km of the tagging site. Binned dive data were received at 6-hourly intervals. From comparison of maximum dive depth and time-at-depth data, we concluded that dives <4 m deep were associated with surfacing bouts. Dives to below 4 m occurred throughout 24 h but were shallower during the day and deepest either at dusk or at night. This pattern was consistent with earlier descriptions of offshore movement during the day and may be related to the diel vertical migration of its principal prey, shallow-water hake Merluccius capensis.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tams202015-12-30hb201