The Pauli Exclusion Principle and SU(2) vs. SO(3) in Loop Quantum Gravity

Recent attempts to resolve the ambiguity in the loop quantum gravity description of the quantization of area has led to the idea that j=1 edges of spin-networks dominate in their contribution to black hole areas as opposed to j=1/2 which would naively be expected. This suggests that the true gauge group involved might be SO(3) rather than SU(2) with attendant difficulties. We argue that the assumption that a version of the Pauli principle is present in loop quantum gravity allows one to maintain SU(2) as the gauge group while still naturally achieving the desired suppression of spin-1/2 punctures. Areas come from j=1 punctures rather than j=1/2 punctures for much the same reason that photons lead to macroscopic classically observable fields while electrons do not.Comment: This paper received an "honorable mention" in the 2003 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation and should be appearing in a special issue of Int. J. Mod. Phys.

The inviscid stability of supersonic flow past a sharp cone

The laminar boundary layer which forms on a sharp cone in a supersonic freestream, where lateral curvature plays a key role in the physics of the problem is considered. This flow is then analyzed from the point of view of linear, temporal, inviscid stability. The basic, non-axisymmetric disturbance equations are derived for general flows of this class, and a so called triply generalized inflexion condition is found for the existence of subsonic neutral modes of instability. This condition is analogous to the well-known generalized inflexion condition found in planar flows, although in the present case the condition depends on both axial and aximuthal wavenumbers. Extensive numerical results are presented for the stability problem at a freestream Mach number of 3.8, for a range of streamwise locations. These results reveal that a new mode of instability may occur, peculiar to flows of this type involving curvature. Additionally, asymptotic analyses valid close to the tip of the cone, far downstream of the cone are presented, and these give a partial (asymptotic) description of this additional mode of instability

Boundary-layer receptivity due to a wall suction and control of Tollmien-Schlichting waves

A numerical study of the generation of Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) waves due to the interaction between a small free-stream disturbance and a small localized suction slot on an otherwise flat surface was carried out using finite difference methods. The nonlinear steady flow is of the viscous-inviscid interactive type while the unsteady disturbed flow is assumed to be governed by the Navier-Stokes equations linearized about this flow. Numerical solutions illustrate the growth or decay of T-S waves generated by the interaction between the free-stream disturbance and the suction slot, depending on the value of the scaled Strouhal number. An important result of this receptivity problem is the numerical determination of the amplitude of the T-S waves and the demonstration of the possible active control of the growth of T-S waves

Understanding the Role of Relationship Maintenance in Enduring Couple Partnerships in Later Adulthood

Intimate relationships in later adulthood are understudied despite their positive association with health and well-being. This cross-sectional mixed methods study sought to redress this gap by investigating relationship maintenance in later adulthood. Our international sub-sample comprised 1,565 participants aged 55 + and in an ongoing relationship. Results from hierarchical multiple regression indicated that overall happiness with the relationship had the largest effect size on relationship maintenance, with 53% of the variance explained. Content analyses of open-ended questions identified companionship and laughter as some of the “best liked” aspects of the relationship. Housework/cooking and saying “I love you” were among the behaviors that made participants feel appreciated. Results illustrated the types of maintenance behaviors adults in later adulthood who are in enduring partnerships employ

Relativistic Spin-Statistics Connection and Kaluza-Klein Space-Time

The non-relativistic formalism introduced by Berry and Robbins that naturally incorporates the spin-statistics connection is generalized relativistically. It is then extended to an arbitrary Kaluza-Klein space-time by a suitable generalization of the Schwinger treatment of angular momenta. This leads, in this approach, to the inclusion of the `internal' quantum numbers in the spin-statistics connection on an equal footing with spin.Comment: 15 pages, latex, no figures. Some minor corrections are made. Published in Physics Letters A 248 (1998) 124-13

On the growth (and suppression) of very short-scale disturbances in mixed forced-free convection boundary layers

The two-dimensional boundary-layer flow over a cooled/heated flat plate is investigated. A cooled plate (with a free-stream flow and wall temperature distribution which admit similarity solutions) is shown to support non-modal disturbances, which grow algebraically with distance downstream from the leading edge of the plate. In a number of flow regimes, these modes have diminishingly small wavelength, which may be studied in detail using asymptotic analysis. Corresponding non-self-similar solutions are also investigated. It is found that there are important regimes in which if the temperature of the plate varies (in such a way as to break self-similarity), then standard numerical schemes exhibit a breakdown at a finite distance downstream. This breakdown is analysed, and shown to be related to very short-scale disturbance modes, which manifest themselves in the spontaneous formation of an essential singularity at a finite downstream location. We show how these difficulties can be overcome by treating the problem in a quasi-elliptic manner, in particular by prescribing suitable downstream (in addition to upstream) boundary conditions.James P. Denier, Peter W. Duck and Jian L