5,095 research outputs found
Newtonian and Relativistic Cosmologies
Cosmological N-body simulations are now being performed using Newtonian
gravity on scales larger than the Hubble radius. It is well known that a
uniformly expanding, homogeneous ball of dust in Newtonian gravity satisfies
the same equations as arise in relativistic FLRW cosmology, and it also is
known that a correspondence between Newtonian and relativistic dust cosmologies
continues to hold in linearized perturbation theory in the marginally
bound/spatially flat case. Nevertheless, it is far from obvious that Newtonian
gravity can provide a good global description of an inhomogeneous cosmology
when there is significant nonlinear dynamical behavior at small scales. We
investigate this issue in the light of a perturbative framework that we have
recently developed, which allows for such nonlinearity at small scales. We
propose a relatively straightforward "dictionary"---which is exact at the
linearized level---that maps Newtonian dust cosmologies into general
relativistic dust cosmologies, and we use our "ordering scheme" to determine
the degree to which the resulting metric and matter distribution solve
Einstein's equation. We find that Einstein's equation fails to hold at "order
1" at small scales and at "order " at large scales. We then find the
additional corrections to the metric and matter distribution needed to satisfy
Einstein's equation to these orders. While these corrections are of some
interest in their own right, our main purpose in calculating them is that their
smallness should provide a criterion for the validity of the original
dictionary (as well as simplified versions of this dictionary). We expect that,
in realistic Newtonian cosmologies, these additional corrections will be very
small; if so, this should provide strong justification for the use of Newtonian
simulations to describe relativistic cosmologies, even on scales larger than
the Hubble radius.Comment: 35 pages; minor change
Measured pressure distributions inside nonaxisymmetric nozzles with partially deployed thrust reversers
An investigation was conducted in the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel at static conditions to measure the pressure distributions inside a nonaxisymmetric nozzle with simultaneous partial thrust reversing (50-percent deployment) and thrust vectoring of the primary (forward-thrust) nozzle flow. Geometric forward-thrust-vector angles of 0 and 15 deg. were tested. Test data were obtained at static conditions while nozzle pressure ratio was varied from 2.0 to 4.0. Results indicate that, unlike the 0 deg. vector angle nozzle, a complicated, asymmetric exhaust flow pattern exists in the primary-flow exhaust duct of the 15 deg. vectored nozzle
The Standard Model on a D-brane
We present a consistent string theory model which reproduces the Standard
Model, consisting of a D3-brane at a simple orbifold singularity. We study some
simple features of the phenomenology of the model. We find that the scale of
stringy physics must be in the multi-TeV range. There are natural hierarchies
in the fermion spectrum and there are several possible experimental signatures
of the model.Comment: 8 pages Latex, 1 fig. v2: discussion improved, added new reference
Too real for comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces
As virtual humans approach photorealistic perfection, they risk making real humans uncomfortable. This intriguing phenomenon, known as the uncanny valley, is well known but not well understood. In an effort to demystify the causes of the uncanny valley, this paper proposes several perceptual, cognitive, and social mechanisms that have already helped address riddles like empathy, mate selection, threat avoidance, cognitive dissonance, and psychological defenses. In the four studies described herein, a computer generated human character’s facial proportions, skin texture, and level of detail were varied to examine their effect on perceived eeriness, human likeness, and attractiveness. In Study I, texture photorealism and polygon count increased human likeness. In Study II, texture photorealism heightened the accuracy of human judgments of ideal facial proportions. In Study III, atypical facial proportions were shown to be more disturbing on photorealistic faces than on other faces. In Study IV, a mismatch in the size and texture of the eyes and face was especially prone to make a character eerie. These results contest the depiction of the uncanny valley as a simple relation between comfort level and human likeness. This paper concludes by introducing a set of design principles for bridging the uncanny valley
The Value of Singularities
We point out that spacetime singularities play a useful role in gravitational
theories by eliminating unphysical solutions. In particular, we argue that any
modification of general relativity which is completely nonsingular cannot have
a stable ground state. This argument applies both to classical extensions of
general relativity, and to candidate quantum theories of gravity.Comment: 5 pages, no figures; a few clarifying comments adde
The Implementation of Measuring What Matters in Research and Practice: Series Commentary
The joint American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) “Measuring What Matters” (MWM) initiative selected and recommended ten quality indicators for hospice and palliative care practice (1) (Table 1). These quality indicators were chosen after a systematic process, relying on the existing evidence base. The intent was identification of a core set of clinically relevant, cross-cutting performance measures for use by palliative care and hospice programs to drive quality improvement efforts
Localized compaction and doming to increase N-use efficiency and reduce leaching
Nitrate-nitrogen leaching from agricultural lands results in inefficient use of nitrogen-fertilizer as well as degradation of groundwater or surface water if leachate returns to the surf ace through artificial drainage or baseflow. Subsurface barriers placed above a fertilizer band have been shown to reduce anion leaching. Laboratory data suggest that compacted soil works well as a subsurface water-flow barrier (Kiuchi et al., 1992; Kiuchi et al., 1994). A field-scale implement has been designed and constructed to inject nitrate-nitrogen fertilizer below the soil surface and create a thin compacted strip of soil above the fertilizer band covered by a small dome of soil. Data from a field study indicate that nitrate-nitrogen placed beneath such a domed, compacted strip is less susceptible to leaching than nitrate-nitrogen placed below the soil surface without such a cover. In 1993, nitrate-nitrogen remaining in the upper soil profile (32 inches deep) after three months of the growing season was 56% of the total amount applied compared with 37% remaining where there was only the typical knife injection band. Grain weight and plant weight at black layer development were not significantly different between the two application methods. Overall grain yields at harvest were different, the conventional knife application technique yielding slightly more than the localized compaction and doming application technique
Structural and Financial Characteristics of U.S. Farms: 2001 Family Farm Report
Family farms vary widely in size and other characteristics, ranging from very small retirement and residential farms to establishments with sales in the millions of dollars. The farm typology developed by the Economic Research Service (ERS) categorizes farms into groups based primarily on occupation of the operator and sales class of the farm. The typology groups reflect operators' expectations from farming, position in the life cycle, and dependence on agriculture. The groups differ in their importance to the farm sector, product specialization, program participation, and dependence on farm income. These (and other) differences are discussed in this report.Agricultural Resource Management Study (ARMS), family farms, farm businesses, farm financial situation, farm operator household income, farm operators, farm structure, farm typology, female farm operators, government payments, spouses of farm operators, taxes, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,
Discovery of a z=4.93, X-ray selected quasar by the Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChamP)
We present X-ray and optical observations of CXOMP J213945.0-234655, a high
redshift (z=4.93) quasar discovered through the Chandra Multiwavelength Project
(ChaMP). This object is the most distant X-ray selected quasar published, with
an X-ray luminosity of L(X)=5.9x10^44 erg/s (measured in the 0.3-2.5 keV band
and corrected for Galactic absorption). CXOMP J213945.0-234655 is a g' dropout
object (>26.2), with r'=22.87 and i'=21.36. The rest-frame X-ray to optical
flux ratio is similar to quasars at lower redshifts and slightly X-ray bright
relative to z>4 optically-selected quasars observed with Chandra. The ChaMP is
beginning to acquire significant numbers of high redshift quasars to
investigate the unobscured X-ray luminosity function out to z~5.Comment: Published in ApJ Letters; 4 pages; 3 figures;
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/CHAMP
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