105,689 research outputs found
Observational Bounds on Modified Gravity Models
Modified gravity provides a possible explanation for the currently observed
cosmic accelaration. In this paper, we study general classes of modified
gravity models. The Einstein-Hilbert action is modified by using general
functions of the Ricci and the Gauss-Bonnet scalars, both in the metric and in
the Palatini formalisms. We do not use an explicit form for the functions, but
a general form with a valid Taylor expansion up to second order about redshift
zero in the Riemann-scalars. The coefficients of this expansion are then
reconstructed via the cosmic expansion history measured using current
cosmological observations. These are the quantities of interest for theoretical
considerations relating to ghosts and instabilities. We find that current data
provide interesting constraints on the coefficients. The next-generation dark
energy surveys should shrink the allowed parameter space for modifed gravity
models quite dramatically.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, uses RevTe
Environmental factors influencing the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in wild birds in Europe
A large number of occurrences of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus in wild birds were reported in Europe. The relationship between the occurrence pattern and environmental factors has, however, not yet been explored. This research uses logistic regression to quantify the relationships between anthropogenic or physical environmental factors and HPAI H5N1 occurrences. Our results indicate that HPAI H5N1 occurrences are highly correlated with the following: the increased normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in December; intermediate NDVI in March; lower elevations; increased minimum temperatures in January; and reduced precipitation in January. A predictive risk map of HPAI H5N1 occurrences in wild birds in Europe was generated on the basis of five key environmental factors. Independent validation of the risk map showed the predictive model to be of high accuracy (79%). The analysis suggests that HPAI H5N1 occurrences in wild birds are strongly influenced by the availability of food resources and are facilitated by increased temperatures and reduced precipitation. We therefore deduced that HPAI H5N1 occurrences in wild birds in Europe are probably caused by contact with other wild birds and not by contact with domestic poultry. These findings are important considerations for the global surveillance of HPAI H5N1 occurrences in wild birds
Rayleigh-Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy of nitrous oxide (NO)
High signal-to-noise and high-resolution light scattering spectra are
measured for nitrous oxide (NO) gas at an incident wavelength of 403.00 nm,
at 90 scattering, at room temperature and at gas pressures in the range
bar. The resulting Rayleigh-Brillouin light scattering spectra are
compared to a number of models describing in an approximate manner the
collisional dynamics and energy transfer in this gaseous medium of this
polyatomic molecular species. The Tenti-S6 model, based on macroscopic gas
transport coefficients, reproduces the scattering profiles in the entire
pressure range at less than 2\% deviation at a similar level as does the
alternative kinetic Grad's 6-moment model, which is based on the internal
collisional relaxation as a decisive parameter. A hydrodynamic model fails to
reproduce experimental spectra for the low pressures of 0.5-1 bar, but yields
very good agreement (\%) in the pressure range bar. While these
three models have a different physical basis the internal molecular relaxation
derived can for all three be described in terms of a bulk viscosity of Pas. A 'rough-sphere' model, previously
shown to be effective to describe light scattering in SF gas, is not found
to be suitable, likely in view of the non-sphericity and asymmetry of the N-N-O
structured linear polyatomic molecule
Ground state magnetic structure of MnGe
We have used spherical neutron polarimetry to investigate the magnetic
structure of the Mn spins in the hexagonal semimetal MnGe, which exhibits a
large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect. Our analysis of the polarimetric data
finds a strong preference for a spin structure with symmetry relative
to the point group. We show that weak ferromagnetism is an inevitable
consequence of the symmetry of the observed magnetic structure, and that sixth
order anisotropy is needed to select a unique ground state
Equilibrium Times for the Multicanonical Method
This work measures the time to equilibrium for the multicanonical method on
the 2D-Ising system by using a new criterion, proposed here, to find the time
to equilibrium, teq, of any sampling procedure based on a Markov process. Our
new procedure gives the same results that the usual one, based on the
magnetization, for the canonical Metropolis sampling on a 2D-Ising model at
several temperatures. For the multicanonical method we found a power-law
relationship with the system size, L, of teq=0.27(15) L^2.80(13), and with the
number of energy levels to explore, kE, of teq=0.7(13) kE^1.40(11), in perfect
agreement with the result just above. In addition, some kind of critical
slowing down was observed around the critical energy. Our new procedure is
completely general, and can be applied to any sampling method based on a Markov
process.Comment: 7 pages, 5 eps figures, to be published in Int. J. Mod. Phys.
Dynamical renormalization group approach to the Altarelli-Parisi-Lipatov equations
The Altarelli-Parisi-Lipatov equations for the parton distribution functions
are rederived using the dynamical renormalization group approach to quantum
kinetics. This method systematically treats the ln Q^2 corrections that arises
in perturbation theory as a renormalization of the parton distribution function
and unambiguously indicates that the strong coupling must be allowed to run
with the scale in the evolution kernel. To leading logarithmic accuracy the
evolution equation is Markovian and the logarithmic divergences in the
perturbative expansion are identified with the secular divergences (terms that
grow in time) that emerge in a perturbative treatment of the kinetic equations
in nonequilibrium systems. The resummation of the leading logarithms by the
Altarelli-Parisi-Lipatov equation is thus similar to the resummation of the
leading secular terms by the Boltzmann kinetic equation.Comment: 8 pages, version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Possible observation of phase separation near a quantum phase transition in doubly connected ultrathin superconducting cylinders of aluminum
The kinetic energy of superconducting electrons in an ultrathin, doubly
connected superconducting cylinder, determined by the applied flux, increases
as the cylinder diameter decreases, leading to a destructive regime around
half-flux quanta and a superconductor to normal metal quantum phase transition
(QPT). Regular step-like features in resistance vs. temperature curves taken at
fixed flux values were observed near the QPT in ultrathin Al cylinders. It is
proposed that these features are most likely resulted from a phase separation
near the QPT in which normal regions nucleate in a homogeneous superconducting
cylinder.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Scaling of Anisotropic Flows and Nuclear Equation of State in Intermediate Energy Heavy Ion Collisions
Elliptic flow () and hexadecupole flow () of light clusters have
been studied in details for 25 MeV/nucleon Kr + Sn at large
impact parameters by Quantum Molecular Dynamics model with different potential
parameters. Four parameter sets which include soft or hard equation of state
(EOS) with/without symmetry energy term are used. Both number-of-nucleon ()
scaling of the elliptic flow versus transverse momentum () and the scaling
of versus have been demonstrated for the light clusters
in all above calculation conditions. It was also found that the ratio of
keeps a constant of 1/2 which is independent of for all the
light fragments. By comparisons among different combinations of EOS and
symmetry potential term, the results show that the above scaling behaviors are
solid which do not depend the details of potential, while the strength of flows
is sensitive to EOS and symmetry potential term.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
- …