Massless Minimally Coupled Fields in De Sitter Space: O(4)-Symmetric States Versus De Sitter Invariant Vacuum

The issue of de Sitter invariance for a massless minimally coupled scalar field is revisited. Formally, it is possible to construct a de Sitter invariant state for this case provided that the zero mode of the field is quantized properly. Here we take the point of view that this state is physically acceptable, in the sense that physical observables can be computed and have a reasonable interpretation. In particular, we use this vacuum to derive a new result: that the squared difference between the field at two points along a geodesic observer's space-time path grows linearly with the observer's proper time for a quantum state that does not break de Sitter invariance. Also, we use the Hadamard formalism to compute the renormalized expectation value of the energy momentum tensor, both in the O(4) invariant states introduced by Allen and Follaci, and in the de Sitter invariant vacuum. We find that the vacuum energy density in the O(4) invariant case is larger than in the de Sitter invariant case.Comment: TUTP-92-1, to appear in Phys. Rev.

A multi-ancestry genome-wide study incorporating gene-smoking interactions identifies multiple new loci for pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure

Elevated blood pressure (BP), a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, is influenced by both genetic and lifestyle factors. Cigarette smoking is one such lifestyle factor. Across five ancestries, we performed a genome-wide gene–smoking interaction study of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) in 129 913 individuals in stage 1 and follow-up analysis in 480 178 additional individuals in stage 2. We report here 136 loci significantly associated with MAP and/or PP. Of these, 61 were previously published through main-effect analysis of BP traits, 37 were recently reported by us for systolic BP and/or diastolic BP through gene–smoking interaction analysis and 38 were newly identified (P < 5 × 10−8, false discovery rate < 0.05). We also identified nine new signals near known loci. Of the 136 loci, 8 showed significant interaction with smoking status. They include CSMD1 previously reported for insulin resistance and BP in the spontaneously hypertensive rats. Many of the 38 new loci show biologic plausibility for a role in BP regulation. SLC26A7 encodes a chloride/bicarbonate exchanger expressed in the renal outer medullary collecting duct. AVPR1A is widely expressed, including in vascular smooth muscle cells, kidney, myocardium and brain. FHAD1 is a long non-coding RNA overexpressed in heart failure. TMEM51 was associated with contractile function in cardiomyocytes. CASP9 plays a central role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Identified only in African ancestry were 30 novel loci. Our findings highlight the value of multi-ancestry investigations, particularly in studies of interaction with lifestyle factors, where genomic and lifestyle differences may contribute to novel findings

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol- increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

The effect of particle coalescence on the surface area of a coagulating aerosol.

The inital stage of particle formation in high temperature processes is characterized by a high density of very small particle undergoing rapid coagulation. When these particle are solid this leads to agglomerates with a high specific surface area. However at high gas temperatures particle coalescence which is very sensitive to the temperature may reduce the surface area and increase the size of the primary particle. In this paper we generalize the Smoluchowski equation to incorporate the coalescence rate into the aerosol dynamics. Individual agglomerates are characterized by their volume. v. and surface area. a. A Liouville term is added to the coagulation equation determining the movement of the distribution function through a-space due to coalescence. For the rate of coalescence a simple two sphere model has been used. Results for the surface area and the average diameter of the individual primary particle are presented for the case of a collision kernel which is independent of the particle structure. As an example. The theory is applied to fine particle formation in combustion processes under nonisothermal conditions

The coagulation of hydrosols by brownian motion and laminar shear flow

The coagulation of hydrosols was investigated theoretically and experimentally. A reduced form of the particle size distribution function, designated “self-preserving,” was found to satisfy Smoluchowski's equations of coagulation by Brownian motion and shear flow. Brownian motion coagulation experiments with two heterogeneous hydrosols showed that the distributions were self-preserving. The rate of coagulation for heterogeneous systems was found to be second order in total particle concentration, consistent with the self-preserving form of the distribution function. Coagulation experiments were carried out in a simple laminar shear field using a homogeneous Dow polystyrene latex dispersion. Smoluchowski's shear flow theory was confirmed for shear rates ranging from 1 to 80 sec.−1 The shear coagulation of a heterogeneous emulsion was studied at several shear rates, and the size distributions were self-preserving

Chemical and physicochemial properties of submicron aerosol agglomerates

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The formation of nanometer-sized aerosol particles in a premixed methane flame from both solid-phase aerosol precursors and gas-phase precursors was investigated. Techniques were developed to determine the distribution of the individual chemical species as a function of agglomerate size by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). To determine the distribution of chemical species both from particle to particle and within the particles on a nanometer scale, we used the analytical electron microscopy techniques of energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS) and electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS) coupled with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The observed distribution of individual chemical species as a function of agglomerate size was linked to the material properties of the solid-phase precursors. For aerosol formed from gas-phase precursors by gas-to-particle conversion, the distribution of species on a manometer scale was found to correspond to the equilibrium phase distribution expected from equilibrium for the system at the flame temperatures