7,049 research outputs found
On reference frames in spacetime and gravitational energy in freely falling frames
We consider the interpretation of tetrad fields as reference frames in
spacetime. Reference frames may be characterized by an antisymmetric
acceleration tensor, whose components are identified as the inertial
accelerations of the frame (the translational acceleration and the frequency of
rotation of the frame). This tensor is closely related to
gravitoelectromagnetic field quantities. We construct the set of tetrad fields
adapted to observers that are in free fall in the Schwarzschild spacetime, and
show that the gravitational energy-momentum constructed out of this set of
tetrad fields, in the framework of the teleparallel equivalent of general
relatrivity, vanishes. This result is in agreement with the principle of
equivalence, and may be taken as a condition for a viable definition of
gravitational energy.Comment: 19 pages, no figures, accepted by Classical and Quantum Gravit
Symmetric vacuum scalar--tensor cosmology
The existence of point symmetries in the cosmological field equations of
generalized vacuum scalar--tensor theories is considered within the context of
the spatially homogeneous cosmologies. It is found that such symmetries only
occur in the Brans--Dicke theory when the dilaton field self--interacts.
Moreover, the interaction potential of the dilaton must take the form of a
cosmological constant. For the spatially flat, isotropic model, it is shown how
this point symmetry may be employed to generate a discrete scale factor duality
in the Brans--Dicke action.Comment: 10 pages, latex, To appear in Class. Quantum Gra
Torsion and the Gravitational Interaction
By using a nonholonomous-frame formulation of the general covariance
principle, seen as an active version of the strong equivalence principle, an
analysis of the gravitational coupling prescription in the presence of
curvature and torsion is made. The coupling prescription implied by this
principle is found to be always equivalent with that of general relativity, a
result that reinforces the completeness of this theory, as well as the
teleparallel point of view according to which torsion does not represent
additional degrees of freedom for gravity, but simply an alternative way of
representing the gravitational field.Comment: Version 2: minor presentation changes, a reference added, 11 pages
(IOP style
Estimativas de componentes de (co)variância e herdabilidade direta e materna de pesos corporais em ovinos da raça Santa Inês.
Resumo: Um total de 3971 registros de pesos de crias da raca Santa Ines, filhas de 114 reprodutores e 758 ovelhas, foi analisado, obtido de rebanhos experimentais do SNPA da Embrapa, no periodo de 1983 a 1995. Componentes de covariancia e parametros geneticos resultantes de efeito genetico aditivo direto, efeitos genetico materno e de ambiente permanente, bem como a covariancia entre esses efeitos, para peso ao nascer(PN), aos 112(P112), e 196 dias de idade(P196), foram estimados pelo metodo da maxima verossimilhanca restrita(REML), usando o aplicativo MTDFREML sob modelo animal. Incluindo ou nao efeitos geneticos materno ou de ambiente materno permanente, bem como a covariancia genetica entre os efeitos direto e materno, cinco diferentes modelos de analises foram usados para determinar o modelo mais apropriado para descrever cada uma das caracteristicas. Em geral, o modelo mais completo(modelo 4) foi o que apresentou maior valor para logaritimo da funcao de verossimilhanca(log de L) para todas as caracteristicas estudadas. Quando efeitos maternos foram excluidos, estimativas de herdabilidade direta foram substancialmente inflacionadas(0,31 a 0,37). Efeitos maternos foram importantes para todas as caracteristicas, mesmo as medidas apos o desmame. Correlacoes geneticas entre os efeitos direto e materno para PN e P112 foram negativas e de baixa magnitude(-0,31 a -0,10), porem, para P196, estes valores foram positivos e de alta magnitude(0,67 a 0,98). A exclusao dos efeitos maternos, resultou em superestimativa das herdabilidade. [Estimates of (Co) Variance Components and Direct and Maternal Heritability for Growth Traits in Santa InĂŞs Sheep Breed]. Abstract: The objective of this work was to estimate the (co) variance components and direct and maternal heritability of the body weights of sheep of Santa InĂŞs breed. A total of 3,771 lambs weights records of the Santa InĂŞs hair sheep breed, progenies of 114 sires, and 758 ewes were analyzed, obtained from experimental herds of EMBRAPA - SNPA from 1985 to 1995. The covariance components and genetic parameters from additive genetic effects, maternal and permanent environmental effects, as well as the covariance between those effects for birth weight (BW), weight at 112 (W112) and weight at 196 days of age (W196), were estimated by Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) using MTDFREML program, under animal model. Including or not the maternal genetic effect or permanent environmental effect, as well as the genetic covariance between the direct and maternal effects, five different animal models were used to determine the most appropriate model for each trait. In general, the most comprehensive model (Model 4) was the one that presented the greatest value for the maximum log likelihood function (log of L) for all studied traits. When maternal effects were excluded, estimates of direct heritabilities were substantially inflated (.31 to .37). The maternal effects were important for all traits, even those that were measured after weaning. Genetic correlation between direct and maternal effects for BW and W112 were negative and low (from -.31 to -.10), however, for W196 this value was positive and high (from .67 to .98). The exclusion of the maternal effects, when they are important, resulted in overestimates of heritability
Magnetoresistance of proximity coupled Au wires
We report measurements of the magnetoresistance (MR) of narrow Au wires
coupled to a superconducting Al contact on one end, and a normal Au contact on
the other. The MR at low magnetic field is quadratic in , with a
characteristic field scale determined by phase coherent paths which
encompass not only the wire, but also the two contacts. is essentially
temperature independent at low temperatures, indicating that the area of the
phase coherent paths is not determined by the superconducting coherence length
in the normal metal, which is strongly temperature dependent at low
temperatures. We identify the relevant length scale as a combination of the
electron phase coherence length in the normal metal and the coherence
length in the superconductor
Lepton number violating interactions and their effects on neutrino oscillation experiments
Mixing between bosons that transform differently under the standard model
gauge group, but identically under its unbroken subgroup, can induce
interactions that violate the total lepton number. We discuss four-fermion
operators that mediate lepton number violating neutrino interactions both in a
model-independent framework and within supersymmetry (SUSY) without R-parity.
The effective couplings of such operators are constrained by: i) the upper
bounds on the relevant elementary couplings between the bosons and the
fermions, ii) by the limit on universality violation in pion decays, iii) by
the data on neutrinoless double beta decay and, iv) by loop-induced neutrino
masses. We find that the present bounds imply that lepton number violating
neutrino interactions are not relevant for the solar and atmospheric neutrino
problems. Within SUSY without R-parity also the LSND anomaly cannot be
explained by such interactions, but one cannot rule out an effect
model-independently. Possible consequences for future terrestrial neutrino
oscillation experiments and for neutrinos from a supernova are discussed.Comment: 28 pages, 2 figures, Late
Degradation of human kininogens with the release of kinin peptides by extracellular proteinases of Candida spp.
The secretion of proteolytic enzymes by pathogenic microorganisms is one of the most successful strategies used by pathogens to colonize and infect the host organism. The extracellular microbial proteinases can seriously deregulate the homeostatic proteolytic cascades of the host, including the kinin-forming system, repeatedly reported to he activated during bacterial infection. The current study assigns a kinin-releasing activity to secreted proteinases of Candida spp. yeasts, the major fungal pathogens of humans. Of several Candida species studied, C. parapsilosis and C. albicans in their invasive filamentous forms are shown to produce proteinases which most effectively degrade proteinaceous kinin precursors, the kininogens. These enzymes, classified as aspartyl proteinases, have the highest kininogen-degrading activity at low pH (approx. 3.5), but the associated production of bradykinin-related peptides from a small fraction of kininogen molecules is optimal at neutral pH (6.5). The peptides effectively interact with cellular B2-type kinin receptors. Moreover, kinin-related peptides capable of interacting with inflammation-induced B1-type receptors are also formed, but with a reversed pH dependence. The presented variability of the potential extracellular kinin production by secreted aspartyl proteinases of Candida spp. is consistent with the known adaptability of these opportunistic pathogens to different niches in the host organism
Epitaxy and magnetotransport of Sr_2FeMoO_6 thin films
By pulsed-laser deposition epitaxial thin films of Sr_2FeMoO_6 have been pre-
pared on (100) SrTiO_3 substrates. Already for a deposition temperature of 320
C epitaxial growth is achieved. Depending on deposition parameters the films
show metallic or semiconducting behavior. At high (low) deposition temperature
the Fe,Mo sublattice has a rock-salt (random) structure. The metallic samples
have a large negative magnetoresistance which peaks at the Curie temperature.
The magnetic moment was determined to 4 mu_B per formula unit (f.u.), in
agreement with the expected value for an ideal ferrimagnetic arrangement. We
found an ordinary Hall coefficient of -6.01x10^{-10} m^3/As at 300 K,
corresponding to an electronlike charge-carrier density of 1.3 per Fe,Mo-pair.
In the semiconducting films the magnetic moment is reduced to 1 mu_B/f.u. due
to disorder in the Fe,Mo sublattice. In low fields an anomalous holelike
contribution dominates the Hall voltage, which vanishes at low temperatures for
the metallic films only.Comment: Institute of Physics, University of Mainz, Germany, 4 pages,
including 5 pictures and 1 Table, submitted to Phys. Rev.
A New Spin-Orbit Induced Universality Class in the Quantum Hall Regime ?
Using heuristic arguments and numerical simulations it is argued that the
critical exponent describing the localization length divergence at the
quantum Hall transition is modified in the presence of spin-orbit scattering
with short range correlations. The exponent is very close to , the
percolation correlation length exponent, the prediction of a semi-classical
argument. In addition, a region of weakly localized regime, where the
localization length is exponentially large, is conjectured.Comment: 4 two-column pages including 4 eps figure
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