An anisotropic cosmological model with isotropic background radiation

We present an exact solution of Einstein equations that describes a Bianchi type III spacetime with conformal expansion. The matter content is given by an anisotropic scalar field and two perfect fluids representing dust and isotropic radiation. Based on this solution, we construct a cosmological model that respects the evolution of the scale factor predicted in standard cosmology.Comment: 4 pages; contribution to the Proceedings of the 24th Spanish Relativity Meeting (ERE2001

The weight of matter

Einstein's traceless 1919 gravitational theory is analyzed from a variational viewpoint. It is shown to be equivalent to a transverse (invariant only under diffeomorphisms that preserve the Lebesgue measure) theory, with an additional Weyl symmetry, in which the gauge is partially fixed so that the metric becomes unimodular. In spite of the fact that this symmetry forbids direct coupling of the potential energy with the gravitational sector, the equivalence principle is recovered in the unimodular gauge owing to Bianchi's identities.Comment: LaTeX, 11 page

Asymptotic directional structure of radiation for fields of algebraic type D

The directional behavior of dominant components of algebraically special spin-s fields near a spacelike, timelike or null conformal infinity is studied. By extending our previous general investigations we concentrate on fields which admit a pair of equivalent algebraically special null directions, such as the Petrov type D gravitational fields or algebraically general electromagnetic fields. We introduce and discuss a canonical choice of the reference tetrad near infinity in all possible situations, and we present the corresponding asymptotic directional structures using the most natural parametrizations.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

Reply Comment: Comparison of Approaches to Classical Signature Change

We contrast the two approaches to ``classical" signature change used by Hayward with the one used by us (Hellaby and Dray). There is (as yet) no rigorous derivation of appropriate distributional field equations. Hayward's distributional approach is based on a postulated modified form of the field equations. We make an alternative postulate. We point out an important difference between two possible philosophies of signature change --- ours is strictly classical, while Hayward's Lagrangian approach adopts what amounts to an imaginary proper ``time" on one side of the signature change, as is explicitly done in quantum cosmology. We also explain why we chose to use the Darmois-Israel type junction conditions, rather than the Lichnerowicz type junction conditions favoured by Hayward. We show that the difference in results is entirely explained by the difference in philosophy (imaginary versus real Euclidean ``time"), and not by the difference in approach to junction conditions (Lichnerowicz with specific coordinates versus Darmois with general coordinates).Comment: 10 pages, latex, no figures. Replying to - "Comment on `Failure of Standard Conservation Laws at a Classical Change of Signature'", S.A. Hayward, Phys. Rev. D52, 7331-7332 (1995) (gr-qc/9606045

Exponential-Potential Scalar Field Universes I: The Bianchi I Models

We obtain a general exact solution of the Einstein field equations for the anisotropic Bianchi type I universes filled with an exponential-potential scalar field and study their dynamics. It is shown, in agreement with previous studies, that for a wide range of initial conditions the late-time behaviour of the models is that of a power-law inflating FRW universe. This property, does not hold, in contrast, when some degree of inhomogeneity is introduced, as discussed in our following paper II.Comment: 16 pages, Plain LaTeX, 1 Figure to be sent on request, to appear in Phys. Rev.

The Footprint of F-theory at the LHC

Recent work has shown that compactifications of F-theory provide a potentially attractive phenomenological scenario. The low energy characteristics of F-theory GUTs consist of a deformation away from a minimal gauge mediation scenario with a high messenger scale. The soft scalar masses of the theory are all shifted by a stringy effect which survives to low energies. This effect can range from 0 GeV up to ~ 500 GeV. In this paper we study potential collider signatures of F-theory GUTs, focussing in particular on ways to distinguish this class of models from other theories with an MSSM spectrum. To accomplish this, we have adapted the general footprint method developed recently for distinguishing broad classes of string vacua to the specific case of F-theory GUTs. We show that with only 5 fb^(-1) of simulated LHC data, it is possible to distinguish many mSUGRA models and low messenger scale gauge mediation models from F-theory GUTs. Moreover, we find that at 5 fb^(-1), the stringy deformation away from minimal gauge mediation produces observable consequences which can also be detected to a level of order ~ +/- 80 GeV. In this way, it is possible to distinguish between models with a large and small stringy deformation. At 50 fb^(-1), this improves to ~ +/- 10 GeV.Comment: 85 pages, 37 figure

Towards a transferable and cost-effective plant AFLP protocol

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) is a powerful fingerprinting technique that is widely applied in ecological and population genetic studies. However, its routine use has been limited by high costs associated with the optimization of fluorescently labelled markers, especially for individual study systems. Here we develop a low-cost AFLP protocol that can be easily transferred between distantly related plant taxa. Three fluorescently labelled EcoRI-primers with anchors that target interspecifically conserved genomic regions were used in combination with a single non-labelled primer in our AFLP protocol. The protocol was used to genotype one gymnosperm, two monocot and three eudicot plant genera representing four invasive and four native angiosperm species (Pinus pinaster (Pinaceae), Pennisetum setaceum and Poa annua (Poaceae), Lantana camara (Verbenaceae), Bassia diffusa (Chenopodiaceae), Salvia lanceolata, Salvia africana-lutea, and Salvia africanacaerulea (Lamiaceae)). Highly polymorphic and reproducible genotypic fingerprints (between 37–144 polymorphic loci per species tested) were obtained for all taxa tested. Our single protocol was easily transferred between distantly related taxa. Measures of expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.139 to 0.196 for P. annua and from 0.168 to 0.272 for L. camara which compared well with previously published reports. In addition to ease of transferability of a single AFLP protocol, our protocol reduces costs associated with commercial kits by almost half. The use of highly conserved but abundant anchor sequences reduces the need for laborious screening for usable primers that result in polymorphic fingerprints, and appears to be the main reason for ease of transferability of our protocol between distantly related taxa

Study of the dependence of 198Au half-life on source geometry

We report the results of an experiment to determine whether the half-life of \Au{198} depends on the shape of the source. This study was motivated by recent suggestions that nuclear decay rates may be affected by solar activity, perhaps arising from solar neutrinos. If this were the case then the $\beta$-decay rates, or half-lives, of a thin foil sample and a spherical sample of gold of the same mass and activity could be different. We find for \Au{198}, $(T_{1/2})_{\rm foil}/(T_{1/2})_{\rm sphere} = 0.999 \pm 0.002$, where $T_{1/2}$ is the mean half-life. The maximum neutrino flux at the sample in our experiments was several times greater than the flux of solar neutrinos at the surface of the Earth. We show that this increase in flux leads to a significant improvement in the limits that can be inferred on a possible solar contribution to nuclear decays.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Failure of Standard Conservation Laws at a Classical Change of Signature

The Divergence Theorem as usually stated cannot be applied across a change of signature unless it is re-expressed to allow for a finite source term on the signature change surface. Consequently all conservation laws must also be `modified', and therefore insistence on conservation of matter across such a surface cannot be physically justified. The Darmois junction conditions normally ensure conservation of matter via Israel's identities for the jump in the energy-momentum density, but not when the signature changes. Modified identities are derived for this jump when a signature change occurs, and the resulting surface effects in the conservation laws are calculated. In general, physical vector fields experience a jump in at least one component, and a source term may therefore appear in the corresponding conservation law. Thus current is also not conserved. These surface effects are a consequence of the change in the character of physical law. The only way to recover standard conservation laws is to impose restrictions that no realistic cosmological model can satisfy.Comment: 15pp, figures available on request from Charles Hellaby at [email protected]

Generalized Quantum Theory of Recollapsing Homogeneous Cosmologies

A sum-over-histories generalized quantum theory is developed for homogeneous minisuperspace type A Bianchi cosmological models, focussing on the particular example of the classically recollapsing Bianchi IX universe. The decoherence functional for such universes is exhibited. We show how the probabilities of decoherent sets of alternative, coarse-grained histories of these model universes can be calculated. We consider in particular the probabilities for classical evolution defined by a suitable coarse-graining. For a restricted class of initial conditions and coarse grainings we exhibit the approximate decoherence of alternative histories in which the universe behaves classically and those in which it does not. For these situations we show that the probability is near unity for the universe to recontract classically if it expands classically. We also determine the relative probabilities of quasi-classical trajectories for initial states of WKB form, recovering for such states a precise form of the familiar heuristic "J d\Sigma" rule of quantum cosmology, as well as a generalization of this rule to generic initial states.Comment: 41 pages, 4 eps figures, revtex 4. Modest revisions throughout. Physics unchanged. To appear in Phys. Rev.