42,188 research outputs found
Asymptotic iteration method for eigenvalue problems
An asymptotic interation method for solving second-order homogeneous linear
differential equations of the form y'' = lambda(x) y' + s(x) y is introduced,
where lambda(x) \neq 0 and s(x) are C-infinity functions. Applications to
Schroedinger type problems, including some with highly singular potentials, are
presented.Comment: 14 page
Cosmological Constraints on Theories with Large Extra Dimensions
In theories with large extra dimensions, constraints from cosmology lead to
non-trivial lower bounds on the fundamental scale M_F, corresponding to upper
bounds on the radii of the compact extra dimensions. These constraints are
especially relevant to the case of two extra dimensions, since only if M_F is
10 TeV or less do deviations from the standard gravitational force law become
evident at distances accessible to planned sub-mm gravity experiments. By
examining the graviton decay contribution to the cosmic diffuse gamma
radiation, we derive, for the case of two extra dimensions, a conservative
bound M_F > 110 TeV, corresponding to r_2 < 5.1 times 10^-5 mm, well beyond the
reach of these experiments. We also consider the constraint coming from
graviton overclosure of the universe and derive an independent bound M_F > 6.5
h^(-1/2) TeV, or r_2 < .015 h mm.Comment: 10 pages, references adde
Cosmological Constraints on Dissipative Models of Inflation
(Abridged) We study dissipative inflation in the regime where the dissipative
term takes a specific form, \Gamma=\Gamma(\phi), analyzing two models in the
weak and strong dissipative regimes with a SUSY breaking potential. After
developing intuition about the predictions from these models through analytic
approximations, we compute the predicted cosmological observables through full
numerical evolution of the equations of motion, relating the mass scale and
scale of dissipation to the characteristic amplitude and shape of the
primordial power spectrum. We then use Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to
constrain a subset of the models with cosmological data from the cosmic
microwave background (WMAP three-year data) and large scale structure (SDSS
Luminous Red Galaxy power spectrum). We find that the posterior distributions
of the dissipative parameters are highly non-Gaussian and their allowed ranges
agree well with the expectations obtained using analytic approximations. In the
weak regime, only the mass scale is tightly constrained; conversely, in the
strong regime, only the dissipative coefficient is tightly constrained. A lower
limit is seen on the inflation scale: a sub-Planckian inflaton is disfavoured
by the data. In both weak and strong regimes, we reconstruct the limits on the
primordial power spectrum and show that these models prefer a {\it red}
spectrum, with no significant running of the index. We calculate the reheat
temperature and show that the gravitino problem can be overcome with large
dissipation, which in turn leads to large levels of non-Gaussianity: if
dissipative inflation is to evade the gravitino problem, the predicted level of
non-Gaussianity might be seen by the Planck satellite.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by JCAP without text changes,
References adde
Secondary gamma-ray production in a coded aperture mask
The application of the coded aperture mask to high energy gamma-ray astronomy will provide the capability of locating a cosmic gamma-ray point source with a precision of a few arc-minutes above 20 MeV. Recent tests using a mask in conjunction with drift chamber detectors have shown that the expected point spread function is achieved over an acceptance cone of 25 deg. A telescope employing this technique differs from a conventional telescope only in that the presence of the mask modifies the radiation field in the vicinity of the detection plane. In addition to reducing the primary photon flux incident on the detector by absorption in the mask elements, the mask will also be a secondary radiator of gamma-rays. The various background components in a CAMTRAC (Coded Aperture Mask Track Chamber) telescope are considered. Monte-Carlo calculations are compared with recent measurements obtained using a prototype instrument in a tagged photon beam line
Operating characteristics of a prototype high energy gamma-ray telescope
The field of gamma-ray astronomy in the energy range from ten to several hundred MeV is severely limited by the angular resolution that can be achieved by present instruments. The identification of some of the point sources found by the COS-B mission and the resolution of detailed structure existing in those sources may depend on the development of a new class of instrument. The coded aperture mask telescope, used successfully at X-ray energies hold the promise of being such an instrument. A prototype coded aperture telescope was operated in a tagged photon beam ranging in energy from 23 to 123 MeV. The purpose of the experiment was to demonstrate the feasibility of operating a coded aperture mask telescope in this energy region. Some preliminary results and conclusions drawn from some of the data resulting from this experiment are presented
Homothetic perfect fluid space-times
A brief summary of results on homotheties in General Relativity is given,
including general information about space-times admitting an r-parameter group
of homothetic transformations for r>2, as well as some specific results on
perfect fluids. Attention is then focussed on inhomogeneous models, in
particular on those with a homothetic group (acting multiply
transitively) and . A classification of all possible Lie algebra
structures along with (local) coordinate expressions for the metric and
homothetic vectors is then provided (irrespectively of the matter content), and
some new perfect fluid solutions are given and briefly discussed.Comment: 27 pages, Latex file, Submitted to Class. Quantum Gra
Conservation of long-range synteny and microsynteny between the genomes of two distantly related nematodes
BACKGROUND: Comparisons between the genomes of the closely related nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae reveal high rates of rearrangement, with a bias towards within-chromosome events. To assess whether this pattern is true of nematodes in general, we have used genome sequence to compare two nematode species that last shared a common ancestor approximately 300 million years ago: the model C. elegans and the filarial parasite Brugia malayi. RESULTS: An 83 kb region flanking the gene for Bm-mif-1 (macrophage migration inhibitory factor, a B. malayi homolog of a human cytokine) was sequenced. When compared to the complete genome of C. elegans, evidence for conservation of long-range synteny and microsynteny was found. Potential C. elegans orthologs for II of the 12 protein-coding genes predicted in the B. malayi sequence were identified. Ten of these orthologs were located on chromosome I, with eight clustered in a 2.3 Mb region. While several, relatively local, intrachromosomal rearrangements have occurred, the order, composition, and configuration of two gene clusters, each containing three genes, was conserved. Comparison of B. malayi BAC-end genome survey sequence to C. elegans also revealed a bias towards intrachromosome rearrangements. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that intrachromosomal rearrangement is a major force driving chromosomal organization in nematodes, but is constrained by the interdigitation of functional elements of neighboring genes
Formation of Episodic Magnetically Driven Radiatively Cooled Plasma Jets in the Laboratory
We report on experiments in which magnetically driven radiatively cooled
plasma jets were produced by a 1 MA, 250 ns current pulse on the MAGPIE pulsed
power facility. The jets were driven by the pressure of a toroidal magnetic
field in a ''magnetic tower'' jet configuration. This scenario is characterized
by the formation of a magnetically collimated plasma jet on the axis of a
magnetic ''bubble'', confined by the ambient medium. The use of a radial
metallic foil instead of the radial wire arrays employed in our previous work
allows for the generation of episodic magnetic tower outflows which emerge
periodically on timescales of ~30 ns. The subsequent magnetic bubbles propagate
with velocities reaching ~300 km/s and interact with previous eruptions leading
to the formation of shocks.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space
Scienc
Upper bounds on all R-parity-violating \lambda\lambda'' combinations from proton stability
In an R-parity-violating supersymmetric theory, we derive upper bounds on all
the \lambda''_{ijk}\lambda_{i'j'k'}-type combinations from the consideration of
proton stability, where \lambda''_{ijk} are baryon-number-violating couplings
involving three baryonic fields and \lambda_{i'j'k'} are
lepton-number-violating couplings involving three leptonic fields.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, uses axodraw.sty; minor changes in the text. Final
versio
- …