Bulk viscosity driving the acceleration of the Universe

The possibility that the present acceleration of the universe is driven by a kind of viscous fluid is exploited. At background level this model is similar to the generalized Chaplygin gas model (GCGM). But, at perturbative level, the viscous fluid exhibits interesting properties. In particular the oscillations in the power spectrum that plagues the GCGM are not present. Possible fundamental descriptions for this viscous dark energy are discussed.Comment: Latex file, 8 pages, 3 eps figure

Quantum cosmological perfect fluid model and its classical analogue

The quantization of gravity coupled to a perfect fluid model leads to a Schr\"odinger-like equation, where the matter variable plays the role of time. The wave function can be determined, in the flat case, for an arbitrary barotropic equation of state $p = \alpha\rho$; solutions can also be found for the radiative non-flat case. The wave packets are constructed, from which the expectation value for the scale factor is determined. The quantum scenarios reveal a bouncing Universe, free from singularity. We show that such quantum cosmological perfect fluid models admit a universal classical analogue, represented by the addition, to the ordinary classical model, of a repulsive stiff matter fluid. The meaning of the existence of this universal classical analogue is discussed. The quantum cosmological perfect fluid model is, for a flat spatial section, formally equivalent to a free particle in ordinary quantum mechanics, for any value of $\alpha$, while the radiative non-flat case is equivalent to the harmonic oscillator. The repulsive fluid needed to reproduce the quantum results is the same in both cases.Comment: Latex file, 13 page

Dissipation curve of imazapyr in irrigation water drain subsequently to its application to control cattail

O herbicida sistêmico imazapyr foi usado no controle da taboa (Typha subulata Crespo & Peres-Moreau f.) em drenos de irrigação, como alternativa ao controle mecânico. O resíduo do princípio ativo do herbicida na água foi analisado por cromatografia líquida de alta performance (HPLC). A curva de dissipação de imazapyr mostrou que o herbicida pode ser usado para o controle de taboa em drenos de irrigação, sem causar danos a culturas vizinhas, desde que a água seja usada, no mínimo, depois de 1,6 a 3,7 dias da aplicação das doses de 500 a 1500 g ha-1, respectivamente.Imazapyr, a systemic herbicide, was used to control cattail (Typha subulata Crespo & Peres-Moreau f.) in irrigation project drains as an alternative for mechanical control. Residue of this herbicide was analysed in water by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Imazapyr dissipation curve with applied doses ranging from 500 to 1500 g ha-1 showed that it could be used to control cattail without injuring neighbor crops, as long as water drain be used at least 1.6 to 3.7 days after application

The Sigma 13 (10-14) twin in alpha-Al2O3: A model for a general grain boundary

The atomistic structure and energetics of the Sigma 13 (10-14)[1-210] symmetrical tilt grain boundary in alpha-Al2O3 are studied by first-principles calculations based on the local-density-functional theory with a mixed-basis pseudopotential method. Three configurations, stable with respect to intergranular cleavage, are identified: one Al-terminated glide-mirror twin boundary, and two O-terminated twin boundaries, with glide-mirror and two-fold screw-rotation symmetries, respectively. Their relative energetics as a function of axial grain separation are described, and the local electronic structure and bonding are analysed. The Al-terminated variant is predicted to be the most stable one, confirming previous empirical calculations, but in contrast with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations on high-purity diffusion-bonded bicrystals, which resulted in an O-terminated structure. An explanation of this discrepancy is proposed, based on the different relative energetics of the internal interfaces with respect to the free surfaces

Bianchi VIIAVII_A solutions of quadratic gravity

It is believed that soon after the Planck time, Einstein's general relativity theory should be corrected to an effective quadratic theory. Numerical solutions for the anisotropic generalization of the Friedmann "open" model $H^ 3$ for this effective gravity are given. It must be emphasized that although numeric, these solutions are exact in the sense that they depend only on the precision of the machine. The solutions are identified asymptotically in a certain way. It is found solutions which asymptote de Sitter space, Riemann flat space and a singularity. The question of isotropisation of an initially anisotropic Universe is of great importance in the context of cosmology. Although isotropisation is not directly discussed in this present work, we show that sufficiently small anisotropies, do not increase indefinitely according to particular quadratic gravity theories. It can be understood as weak isotropisation, and we stress that this result is strongly dependent on initial conditions.Comment: version accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitation. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1203.688

Wormholes and Ringholes in a Dark-Energy Universe

The effects that the present accelerating expansion of the universe has on the size and shape of Lorentzian wormholes and ringholes are considered. It is shown that, quite similarly to how it occurs for inflating wormholes, relative to the initial embedding-space coordinate system, whereas the shape of the considered holes is always preserved with time, their size is driven by the expansion to increase by a factor which is proportional to the scale factor of the universe. In the case that dark energy is phantom energy, which is not excluded by present constraints on the dark-energy equation of state, that size increase with time becomes quite more remarkable, and a rather speculative scenario is here presented where the big rip can be circumvented by future advanced civilizations by utilizing sufficiently grown up wormholes and ringholes as time machines that shortcut the big-rip singularity.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Rip/singularity free cosmology models with bulk viscosity

In this paper we present two concrete models of non-perfect fluid with bulk viscosity to interpret the observed cosmic accelerating expansion phenomena, avoiding the introduction of exotic dark energy. The first model we inspect has a viscosity of the form ${\zeta} = {\zeta}_0 + ({\zeta}_1-{\zeta}_2q)H$ by taking into account of the decelerating parameter q, and the other model is of the form ${\zeta} = {\zeta}_0 + {\zeta}_1H + {\zeta}_2H^2$. We give out the exact solutions of such models and further constrain them with the latest Union2 data as well as the currently observed Hubble-parameter dataset (OHD), then we discuss the fate of universe evolution in these models, which confronts neither future singularity nor little/pseudo rip. From the resulting curves by best fittings we find a much more flexible evolution processing due to the presence of viscosity while being consistent with the observational data in the region of data fitting. With the bulk viscosity considered, a more realistic universe scenario is characterized comparable with the {\Lambda}CDM model but without introducing the mysterious dark energy.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, submitted to EPJ-

X-ray fluorescence from the element with atomic number Z = 120

Accepted for publication in Physical Review LettersAn atomic clock based on X-ray fluorescence yields has been used to estimate the mean characteristic time for fusion followed by fission in reactions 238U + 64Ni at 6.6 MeV/A. Inner shell vacancies are created during the collisions in the electronic structure of the possibly formed Z=120 compound nuclei. The filling of these vacancies accompanied by X-ray emission with energies characteristic of Z=120 can take place only if the atomic transitions occur before nuclear fission. Therefore, the X-ray yield characteristic of the united atom with 120 protons is strongly related to the fission time and to the vacancy lifetimes. K X-rays from the element with Z = 120 have been unambiguously identified from a coupled analysis of the involved nuclear reaction mechanisms and of the measured photon spectra. A minimum mean fission time $\tau$_f$ = 2.5×10−18s has been deduced for Z=120 from the measured X-ray multiplicity

On exact solutions for quintessential (inflationary) cosmological models with exponential potentials

We first study dark energy models with a minimally-coupled scalar field and exponential potentials, admitting exact solutions for the cosmological equations: actually, it turns out that for this class of potentials the Einstein field equations exhibit alternative Lagrangians, and are completely integrable and separable (i.e. it is possible to integrate the system analytically, at least by quadratures). We analyze such solutions, especially discussing when they are compatible with a late time quintessential expansion of the universe. As a further issue, we discuss how such quintessential scalar fields can be connected to the inflationary phase, building up, for this class of potentials, a quintessential inflationary scenario: actually, it turns out that the transition from inflation toward late-time exponential quintessential tail admits a kination period, which is an indispensable ingredient of this kind of theoretical models. All such considerations have also been done by including radiation into the model.Comment: Revtex4, 10 figure