4,030 research outputs found
Vorton Formation
In this paper we present the first analytic model for vorton formation. We
start by deriving the microscopic string equations of motion in Witten's
superconducting model, and show that in the relevant chiral limit these
coincide with the ones obtained from the supersonic elastic models of Carter
and Peter. We then numerically study a number of solutions of these equations
of motion and thereby suggest criteria for deciding whether a given
superconducting loop configuration can form a vorton. Finally, using a recently
developed model for the evolution of currents in superconducting strings we
conjecture, by comparison with these criteria, that string networks formed at
the GUT phase transition should produce no vortons. On the other hand, a
network formed at the electroweak scale can produce vortons accounting for up
to 6% of the critical density. Some consequences of our results are discussed.Comment: 41 pages; color figures 3-6 not included, but available from authors.
To appear in Phys. Rev.
Current-carrying cosmic string loops 3D simulation: towards a reduction of the vorton excess problem
The dynamical evolution of superconducting cosmic string loops with specific
equations of state describing timelike and spacelike currents is studied
numerically. This analysis extends previous work in two directions: first it
shows results coming from a fully three dimensional simulation (as opposed to
the two dimensional case already studied), and it now includes fermionic as
well as bosonic currents. We confirm that in the case of bosonic currents,
shocks are formed in the magnetic regime and kinks in the electric regime. For
a loop endowed with a fermionic current with zero-mode carriers, we show that
only kinks form along the string worldsheet, therefore making these loops
slightly more stable against charge carrier radiation, the likely outcome of
either shocks or kinks. All these combined effects tend to reduce the number
density of stable loops and contribute to ease the vorton excess problem. As a
bonus, these effects also may provide new ways of producing high energy cosmic
rays.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX 4 format, 8 figures, submitted to PR
Superconducting String Texture
We present a detailed analytical and numerical study of a novel type of
static, superconducting, classically stable string texture in a renormalizable
topologically trivial massive U(1) gauge model with one charged and one neutral
scalar. An upper bound on the mass of the charged scalar as well as on the
current that the string can carry are established. A preliminary unsuccesful
search for stable solutions corresponding to large superconducting loops is
also reported.Comment: RevTex, 14 pages, 8 figure
Towards inflation and dark energy cosmologies from modified Gauss-Bonnet theory
We consider a physically viable cosmological model that has a field dependent
Gauss-Bonnet coupling in its effective action, in addition to a standard scalar
field potential. The presence of such terms in the four dimensional effective
action gives rise to several novel effects, such as a four dimensional flat
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe undergoing a cosmic inflation at early
epoch, as well as a cosmic acceleration at late times. The model predicts,
during inflation, spectra of both density perturbations and gravitational waves
that may fall well within the experimental bounds. Furthermore, this model
provides a mechanism for reheating of the early universe, which is similar to a
model with some friction terms added to the equation of motion of the scalar
field, which can imitate energy transfer from the scalar field to matterComment: 35 pages, 21 eps figs; section 6 expanded improving explanations,
refs added, final in JCA
F-term strings in the Bogomol'nyi limit are also BPS states
We derive the Bogomol'nyi equations for supersymmetric Abelian F-term cosmic
strings in four-dimensional flat space and show that, contrary to recent
statements in the literature, they are BPS states in the Bogomol'nyi limit, but
the partial breaking of supersymmetry is from N=2. The second supersymmetry is
not obvious in the N=1 formalism, so we give it explicitly in components and in
terms of a different set of N=1 chiral superfields. We also discuss the
appearance of a second supersymmetry in D-term models, and the relation to N=2
F-term models. The analysis sheds light on an apparent paradox raised by the
recent observation that D-term strings remain BPS when coupled to N=1
supergravity, whereas F-term strings break the supersymmetry completely, even
in the Bogomol'nyi limit. Finally, we comment on their semilocal extensions and
their relevance to cosmology.Comment: 11 pages; References added, minor corrections, matches published
versio
The Ellipticity and Orientation of Clusters of Galaxies from N-Body Experiments
In this study we use simulations of 128 particles to study the
ellipticity and orientation of clusters of galaxies in N-body simulations of
differing power-law initial spectra (P(k) \propto k^n ,n = +1, 0, -1, -2\Omega_0 = 0.2nD < 15 h^{-1}n-$dependent way.Comment: 22 pages, requires aaspp4.sty, flushrt.sty, and epsf.sty Revised
manuscript, accepted for publication in Ap
AEGIS-X: The Chandra Deep Survey of the Extended Groth Strip
We present the AEGIS-X survey, a series of deep Chandra ACIS-I observations
of the Extended Groth Strip. The survey comprises pointings at 8 separate
positions, each with nominal exposure 200ks, covering a total area of
approximately 0.67 deg2 in a strip of length 2 degrees. We describe in detail
an updated version of our data reduction and point source detection algorithms
used to analyze these data. A total of 1325 band-merged sources have been found
to a Poisson probability limit of 4e-6, with limiting fluxes of 5.3e-17
erg/cm2/s in the soft (0.5-2 keV) band and 3.8e-16 erg/cm2/s in the hard (2-10
keV) band. We present simulations verifying the validity of our source
detection procedure and showing a very small, <1.5%, contamination rate from
spurious sources. Optical/NIR counterparts have been identified from the DEEP2,
CFHTLS, and Spitzer/IRAC surveys of the same region. Using a likelihood ratio
method, we find optical counterparts for 76% of our sources, complete to
R(AB)=24.1, and, of the 66% of the sources that have IRAC coverage, 94% have a
counterpart to a limit of 0.9 microJy at 3.6 microns (m(AB)=23.8). After
accounting for (small) positional offsets in the 8 Chandra fields, the
astrometric accuracy of the Chandra positions is found to be 0.8 arcsec RMS,
however this number depends both on the off-axis angle and the number of
detected counts for a given source. All the data products described in this
paper are made available via a public website.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJS. Data products
are available at http://astro.imperial.ac.uk/research/aegis
Stealth Branes
We discuss the brane world model of Dvali, Gabadadze and Porrati in which
branes evolve in an infinite bulk and the brane curvature term is added to the
action. If Z_2 symmetry between the two sides of the brane is not imposed, we
show that the model admits the existence of "stealth branes" which follow the
standard 4D internal evolution and have no gravitational effect on the bulk
space. Stealth branes can nucleate spontaneosly in a Minkowski bulk. This
process is described by the standard 4D quantum cosmology formalism with
tunneling boundary conditions for the brane world wave function. The notorious
ambiguity in the choice of boundary conditions is fixed in this case due to the
presence of the embedding spacetime. We also point to some problematic aspects
of models admitting stealth brane solutions.Comment: 24 pages; Final version, to appear in Phys. Rev. D. The discussion of
"embeddability obstruction" is removed (thanks to Takahiro Tanaka who
convinced us that there is no such obstruction
Vortons in the SO(5) model of high temperature superconductivity
It has been shown that superconducting vortices with antiferromagnetic cores
arise within Zhang's SO(5) model of high temperature supercondictivity. Similar
phenomena where the symmetry is not restored in the core of the vortex was
discussed by Witten in the case of cosmic strings. It was also suggested that
such strings can form stable vortons, which are closed loops of such vortices.
Motivated by this analogy, in following we will show that loops of such
vortices in the SO(5) model of high T_c superconductivity can exist as
classically stable objects, stabilized by the presence of conserved charges
trapped on the vortex core. These objects carry angular momentum which
counteracts the effect of the string tension that causes the loops to shrink.
The existence of such quasiparticles, which are called vortons, could be
interesting for the physics of high temperature superconductors. We also
speculate that the phase transition between superconducting and
antiferromagnetic phases at zero external magnetic field when the doping
parameter changes is associated with vortons.Comment: 11 page
The practices of apartheid as a war crime: a critical analysis
The human suffering caused by the political ideology of apartheid in South Africa during the Apartheid era (1948-1994) prompted worldwide condemnation and a variety of diplomatic and legal responses. Amongst these responses was the attempt to have apartheid recognised both as a crime against humanity in the 1973 Apartheid Convention as well as a war crime in Article 85(4)(c) of Additional Protocol I. This article examines the origins, nature and current status of the practices of apartheid as a war crime and its possible application to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
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