330 research outputs found
Falloff of the Weyl scalars in binary black hole spacetimes
The peeling theorem of general relativity predicts that the Weyl curvature
scalars Psi_n (n=0...4), when constructed from a suitable null tetrad in an
asymptotically flat spacetime, fall off asymptotically as r^(n-5) along
outgoing radial null geodesics. This leads to the interpretation of Psi_4 as
outgoing gravitational radiation at large distances from the source. We have
performed numerical simulations in full general relativity of a binary black
hole inspiral and merger, and have computed the Weyl scalars in the standard
tetrad used in numerical relativity. In contrast with previous results, we
observe that all the Weyl scalars fall off according to the predictions of the
theorem.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, published versio
Leg ulcer and osteomyelitis due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection after fracture repair treatment: a case highlighting the potential role of prostaglandin Eâ vasodilator
Prostaglandins appear to reduce biofilm formation and chronicization of infections, and stimulate a rapid and effective clearance of infecting micro-organisms. We report a case of recovery from methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) osteomyelitis after multidisciplinary management with antibiotics, anti-thrombotics and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) vasodilator, in a patient with tibial plateau fracture repaired with internal fixation devices. A 47-year-old HIV-negative male with chronic ulcer on the proximal third of the left leg was admitted to the Orthopaedic Unit of the Orestano Clinic in Palermo, Italy, for suspected osteomyelitis. A biopsy of the skin ulcer and blood cultures were performed and resulted positive for MSSA. Labelled leukocyte scintigraphy confirmed osteomyelitis. No clinical improvement was observed after combined antibiotic treatment with rifampicin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The patient underwent a 4-day therapeutic cycle: PGE1 (alprostadil 60 mg/day IV) combined with nadroparin calcium plus gentamicin, followed by treatment with aminaftone plus sulodexide plus levofloxacin. At discharge, the patient's painful symptoms had completely resolved and the ulcer had cicatrized; recovery from osteomyelitis was confirmed by scintigraphy. This treatment protocol including PGE1 may result in a significant improvement in quality of life and functional status of patients with a reduction in direct and indirect costs and economic benefit for the National Health Service
Persistent black holes in bouncing cosmologies
In this paper we explore the idea that black holes can persist in a universe
that collapses to a big crunch and then bounces into a new phase of expansion.
We use a scalar field to model the matter content of such a universe {near the
time} of the bounce, and look for solutions that represent a network of black
holes within a dynamical cosmology. We find exact solutions to Einstein's
constraint equations that provide the geometry of space at the minimum of
expansion and that can be used as initial data for the evolution of
hyperspherical cosmologies. These solutions illustrate that there exist models
in which multiple distinct black holes can persist through a bounce, and allow
for concrete computations of quantities such as the black hole filling factor.
We then consider solutions in flat cosmologies, as well as in
higher-dimensional spaces (with up to nine spatial dimensions). We derive
conditions for the black holes to remain distinct (i.e. avoid merging) and
hence persist into the new expansion phase. Some potentially interesting
consequences of these models are also discussed.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figure
Recurrent COVID-19 pneumonia in the course of chemotherapy: consequence of a weakened immune system?
Letter to the Editor - We report a case of recurrent COVIDâ19 pneumonia in a
vulnerable patien
The Accelerated expansion of the Universe as a crossover phenomenon
We show that the accelerated expansion of the Universe can be viewed as a
crossover phenomenon where the Newton constant and the Cosmological constant
are actually scaling operators, dynamically evolving in the attraction basin of
a non-Gaussian infrared fixed point, whose existence has been recently
discussed. By linearization of the renormalized flow it is possible to evaluate
the critical exponents, and it turns out that the approach to the fixed point
is ruled by a marginal and a relevant direction. A smooth transition between
the standard Friedmann--Lemaitre--Robertson--Walker (FLRW) cosmology and the
observed accelerated expansion is then obtained, so that at late times.Comment: 12 pages, latex, use bibtex. In the final version, the presentation
has been improved, and new references have been adde
Evolution of a periodic eight-black-hole lattice in numerical relativity
The idea of black-hole lattices as models for the large-scale structure of
the universe has been under scrutiny for several decades, and some of the
properties of these systems have been elucidated recently in the context of the
problem of cosmological backreaction. The complete, three-dimensional and fully
relativistic evolution of these system has, however, never been tackled. We
explicitly construct the first of these solutions by numerically integrating
Einstein's equation in the case of an eight-black-hole lattice with the
topology of S3.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures. Corrected and clarified discussio
Piecewise Silence in Discrete Cosmological Models
20 pages, 1 figure20 pages, 1 figureWe consider a family of cosmological models in which all mass is confined to a regular lattice of identical black holes. By exploiting the reflection symmetry about planes that bisect these lattices into identical halves, we are able to consider the evolution of a number of geometrically distinguished surfaces that exist within each of them. We find that the evolution equations for the reflection symmetric surfaces can be written as a simple set of Friedmann-like equations, with source terms that behave like a set of interacting effective fluids. We then show that gravitational waves are effectively trapped within small chambers for all time, and are not free to propagate throughout the space-time. Each chamber therefore evolves as if it were in isolation from the rest of the universe. We call this phenomenon "piecewise silence"
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