657 research outputs found
Stable gravastars with generalised exteriors
New spherically symmetric gravastar solutions, stable to radial
perturbations, are found by utilising the construction of Visser and Wiltshire.
The solutions possess an anti--de Sitter or de Sitter interior and a
Schwarzschild--(anti)--de Sitter or Reissner--Nordstr\"{o}m exterior. We find a
wide range of parameters which allow stable gravastar solutions, and present
the different qualitative behaviours of the equation of state for these
parameters.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Graviton Vertices and the Mapping of Anomalous Correlators to Momentum Space for a General Conformal Field Theory
We investigate the mapping of conformal correlators and of their anomalies
from configuration to momentum space for general dimensions, focusing on the
anomalous correlators , - involving the energy-momentum tensor
with a vector or a scalar operator () - and the 3-graviton vertex
. We compute the , and one-loop vertex functions in
dimensional regularization for free field theories involving conformal scalar,
fermion and vector fields. Since there are only one or two independent tensor
structures solving all the conformal Ward identities for the or
vertex functions respectively, and three independent tensor structures for the
vertex, and the coefficients of these tensors are known for free fields,
it is possible to identify the corresponding tensors in momentum space from the
computation of the correlators for free fields. This works in general
dimensions for and correlators, but only in 4 dimensions for ,
since vector fields are conformal only in . In this way the general
solution of the Ward identities including anomalous ones for these correlators
in (Euclidean) position space, found by Osborn and Petkou is mapped to the
ordinary diagrammatic one in momentum space. We give simplified expressions of
all these correlators in configuration space which are explicitly Fourier
integrable and provide a diagrammatic interpretation of all the contact terms
arising when two or more of the points coincide. We discuss how the anomalies
arise in each approach [...]Comment: 57 pages, 7 figures. Refs adde
Gravastars must have anisotropic pressures
One of the very small number of serious alternatives to the usual concept of
an astrophysical black hole is the "gravastar" model developed by Mazur and
Mottola; and a related phase-transition model due to Laughlin et al. We
consider a generalized class of similar models that exhibit continuous pressure
-- without the presence of infinitesimally thin shells. By considering the
usual TOV equation for static solutions with negative central pressure, we find
that gravastars cannot be perfect fluids -- anisotropic pressures in the
"crust" of a gravastar-like object are unavoidable. The anisotropic TOV
equation can then be used to bound the pressure anisotropy. The transverse
stresses that support a gravastar permit a higher compactness than is given by
the Buchdahl--Bondi bound for perfect fluid stars. Finally we comment on the
qualitative features of the equation of state that gravastar material must have
if it is to do the desired job of preventing horizon formation.Comment: V1: 15 pages; 4 figures; uses iopart.cls; V2: 16 pages; added 3
references and brief discussio
Gravastar Solutions with Continuous Pressures and Equation of State
We study the gravitational vacuum star (gravastar) configuration as proposed
by other authors in a model where the interior de Sitter spacetime segment is
continuously extended to the exterior Schwarzschild spacetime. The multilayered
structure in previous papers is replaced by a continuous stress-energy tensor
at the price of introducing anisotropy in the (fluid) model of the gravastar.
Either with an ansatz for the equation of state connecting the radial and
tangential pressure or with a calculated equation of state with
non-homogeneous energy/fluid density, solutions are obtained which in all
aspects satisfy the conditions expected for an anisotropic gravastar. Certain
energy conditions have been shown to be obeyed and a polytropic equation of
state has been derived. Stability of the solution with respect to possible
axial perturbation is shown to hold.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures. Latest version contains new and updated
references along with some clarifying remarks in the stability analysi
Gravity a la Born-Infeld
A simple technique for the construction of gravity theories in Born-Infeld
style is presented, and the properties of some of these novel theories are
investigated. They regularize the positive energy Schwarzschild singularity,
and a large class of models allows for the cancellation of ghosts. The possible
correspondence to low energy string theory is discussed. By including curvature
corrections to all orders in alpha', the new theories nicely illustrate a
mechanism that string theory might use to regularize gravitational
singularities.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, new appendix B with corrigendum: Class. Quantum
Grav. 21 (2004) 529
The Resolved Asteroid Program - Size, shape, and pole of (52) Europa
With the adaptive optics (AO) system on the 10 m Keck-II telescope, we
acquired a high quality set of 84 images at 14 epochs of asteroid (52) Europa
on 2005 January 20. The epochs covered its rotation period and, by following
its changing shape and orientation on the plane of sky, we obtained its
triaxial ellipsoid dimensions and spin pole location. An independent
determination from images at three epochs obtained in 2007 is in good agreement
with these results. By combining these two data sets, along with a single epoch
data set obtained in 2003, we have derived a global fit for (52) Europa of
diameters (379x330x249) +/- (16x8x10) km, yielding a volume-equivalent
spherical-diameter of 315 +/- 7 km, and a rotational pole within 7 deg of [RA;
Dec] = [257,+12] in an Equatorial J2000 reference frame (ECJ2000: 255,+35).
Using the average of all mass determinations available forEuropa, we derive a
density of 1.5 +/- 0.4, typical of C-type asteroids. Comparing our images with
the shape model of Michalowski et al. (A&A 416, 2004), derived from optical
lightcurves, illustrates excellent agreement, although several edge features
visible in the images are not rendered by the model. We therefore derived a
complete 3-D description of Europa's shape using the KOALA algorithm by
combining our imaging epochs with 4 stellar occultations and 49 lightcurves. We
use this 3-D shape model to assess these departures from ellipsoidal shape.
Flat facets (possible giant craters) appear to be less distinct on (52) Europa
than on other C-types that have been imaged in detail. We show that fewer giant
craters, or smaller craters, is consistent with its expected impact history.
Overall, asteroid (52) Europa is still well modeled as a smooth triaxial
ellipsoid with dimensions constrained by observations obtained over several
apparitions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Icaru
Cosmological Dark Energy: Prospects for a Dynamical Theory
We present an approach to the problem of vacuum energy in cosmology, based on
dynamical screening of Lambda on the horizon scale. We review first the
physical basis of vacuum energy as a phenomenon connected with macroscopic
boundary conditions, and the origin of the idea of its screening by particle
creation and vacuum polarization effects. We discuss next the relevance of the
quantum trace anomaly to this issue. The trace anomaly implies additional terms
in the low energy effective theory of gravity, which amounts to a non-trivial
modification of the classical Einstein theory, fully consistent with the
Equivalence Principle. We show that the new dynamical degrees of freedom the
anomaly contains provide a natural mechanism for relaxing Lambda to zero on
cosmological scales. We consider possible signatures of the restoration of
conformal invariance predicted by the fluctuations of these new scalar degrees
of freedom on the spectrum and statistics of the CMB, in light of the latest
bounds from WMAP. Finally we assess the prospects for a new cosmological model
in which the dark energy adjusts itself dynamically to the cosmological horizon
boundary, and therefore remains naturally of order H^2 at all times without
fine tuning.Comment: 50 pages, Invited Contribution to New Journal of Physics Focus Issue
on Dark Energ
Quantum Diffeomorphisms and Conformal Symmetry
We analyze the constraints of general coordinate invariance for quantum
theories possessing conformal symmetry in four dimensions. The character of
these constraints simplifies enormously on the Einstein universe . The global conformal symmetry algebra of this space determines
uniquely a finite shift in the Hamiltonian constraint from its classical value.
In other words, the global Wheeler-De Witt equation is {\it modified} at the
quantum level in a well-defined way in this case. We argue that the higher
moments of should not be imposed on the physical states {\it a priori}
either, but only the weaker condition . We
present an explicit example of the quantization and diffeomorphism constraints
on for a free conformal scalar field.Comment: PlainTeX File, 37 page
Status of coronary disease and results from early endovascular aneurysm repair after preventive percutaneous coronary revascularization
Background: The incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is high in patients with
an aortic aneurysm but preoperative routine coronary angiography and preventive
coronary revascularization are not recommended to reduce cardiac events in patients with severe CAD.
Aim: This study evaluated the safeness and efficacy of preventive percutaneous
coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with severe CAD scheduled for endovascular
aneurysm repair (EVAR).
Methods: All patients with descending thoracic aneurysm (DTA) or abdominal aortic
aneurysm (AAA) scheduled for EVAR underwent preliminary coronary angiography.
Based on coronary angiography results, 917 patients (40.7%) had significant CAD
and were treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; CAD group) and
1337 patients (59.3%) were without or with mild/moderate CAD and were considered as controls (no‐CAD group). To evaluate the safeness and efficacy of preventive PCI in patients with severe CAD undergoing EVAR, groups were compared
for hospital and 12‐month cardiac adverse events.
Results: CAD was present in 1210 patients (53.6%): significant in 917 patients
(38%) and mild to moderate in 293 patients (5.3%). Hospital and 12‐month cardiac
events occurred in 15 (1.6%) and 13 (1.4%) CAD group patients and in 9 (0.7%) and
8 (0.4%) no‐CAD group patients (p = .05 and p = .08), respectively. Hospital and
12‐month cardiac deaths occurred in 3 (0.3%) and 2 (0.2%) CAD group patients and
in 3 (0.2%) and 2 (0.2%) no‐CAD group patients (p = .9 and p = .9), respectively.
Conclusion: The strategy to treat severe CAD preoperatively by PCI and early
subsequent EVAR brings a similar outcome to that in patients without or with mild/
moderate CAD
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