14,861 research outputs found
A canonical transformation and the tunneling probability for the birth of an asymptotically DeSitter universe with dust
In the present work, we study the quantum cosmology description of closed
Friedmann-Robertson-Walker models in the presence of a positive cosmological
constant and a generic perfect fluid. We work in the Schutz's variational
formalism. If one uses the scale factor and its canonically conjugated momentum
as the phase space variables that describe the geometrical sector of these
models, one obtains Wheeler-DeWitt equations with operator ordering
ambiguities. In order to avoid those ambiguities and simplify the quantum
treatment of the models, we introduce new phase space variables. We explicitly
demonstrate that the transformation leading from the old set of variables to
the new one is canonical. In order to show that the above canonical
transformations simplify the quantum treatment of those models, we consider a
particular model where the perfect fluid is dust. We solve the Wheeler-DeWitt
equation numerically using the Crank-Nicholson scheme and determine the time
evolution of the initial wave function. Finally, we compare the results for the
present model with the ones for another model where the only difference is the
presence of a radiative perfect fluid, instead of dust.Comment: Revtex4, 18 pages, 2 EPS figure
Reply to "Comment on 'Quantization of FRW spacetimes in the presence of a cosmological constant and radiation'"
The Comment by Amore {\it et al.} [gr-qc/0611029] contains a valid criticism
of the numerical precision of the results reported in a recent paper of ours
[Phys. Rev. D {\bf 73}, 044022 (2006)], as well as fresh ideas on how to
characterize a quantum cosmological singularity. However, we argue that,
contrary to what is suggested in the Comment, the quantum cosmological models
we studied show hardly any sign of singular behavior.Comment: 4 pages, accepted by Physical Review
Bose-Einstein condensation in antiferromagnets close to the saturation field
At zero temperature and strong applied magnetic fields the ground sate of an
anisotropic antiferromagnet is a saturated paramagnet with fully aligned spins.
We study the quantum phase transition as the field is reduced below an upper
critical and the system enters a XY-antiferromagnetic phase. Using a
bond operator representation we consider a model spin-1 Heisenberg
antiferromagnetic with single-ion anisotropy in hyper-cubic lattices under
strong magnetic fields. We show that the transition at can be
interpreted as a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of magnons. The theoretical
results are used to analyze our magnetization versus field data in the organic
compound - (DTN) at very low temperatures. This is the
ideal BEC system to study this transition since is sufficiently low to
be reached with static magnetic fields (as opposed to pulsed fields). The
scaling of the magnetization as a function of field and temperature close to
shows excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. It allows
to obtain the quantum critical exponents and confirm the BEC nature of the
transition at .Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in PRB
Localized starbursts in dwarf galaxies produced by impact of low metallicity cosmic gas clouds
Models of galaxy formation predict that gas accretion from the cosmic web is
a primary driver of star formation over cosmic history. Except in very dense
environments where galaxy mergers are also important, model galaxies feed from
cold streams of gas from the web that penetrate their dark matter haloes.
Although these predictions are unambiguous, the observational support has been
indirect so far. Here we report spectroscopic evidence for this process in
extremely metal-poor galaxies (XMPs) of the local Universe, taking the form of
localized starbursts associated with gas having low metallicity. Detailed
abundance analyses based on Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) optical spectra of
ten XMPs show that the galaxy hosts have metallicities around 60 % solar on
average, while the large star-forming regions that dominate their integrated
light have low metallicities of some 6 % solar. Because gas mixes azimuthally
in a rotation timescale (a few hundred Myr), the observed metallicity
inhomogeneities are only possible if the metal-poor gas fell onto the disk
recently. We analyze several possibilities for the origin of the metal-poor
gas, favoring the metal-poor gas infall predicted by numerical models. If this
interpretation is correct, XMPs trace the cosmic web gas in their surroundings,
making them probes to examine its properties.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
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