7,727 research outputs found
Time delay of light signals in an energy-dependent spacetime metric
In this note we review the problem of time delay of photons propagating in a
spacetime with a metric that explicitly depends on the energy of the particles
(Gravity-Rainbow approach). We show that corrections due to this approach --
which is closely related to DSR proposal -- produce for small redshifts
() smaller time delays than in the generic Lorentz Invariance Violating
case.Comment: 5 pages. This version contains two new references with respect to the
published versio
Numerical simulations challenged on the prediction of massive subhalo abundance in galaxy clusters: the case of Abell 2142
In this Letter we compare the abundance of member galaxies of a rich, nearby
() galaxy cluster, Abell 2142, with that of halos of comparable virial
mass extracted from sets of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, both
collisionless at different resolutions and with the inclusion of baryonic
physics in the form of cooling, star formation, and feedback by active galactic
nuclei. We also use two semi-analytical models to account for the presence of
orphan galaxies. The photometric and spectroscopic information, taken from the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12) database, allows us to
estimate the stellar velocity dispersion of member galaxies of Abell 2142. This
quantity is used as proxy for the total mass of secure cluster members and is
properly compared with that of subhalos in simulations. We find that simulated
halos have a statistically significant ( sigma confidence level)
smaller amount of massive (circular velocity above )
subhalos, even before accounting for the possible incompleteness of
observations. These results corroborate the findings from a recent strong
lensing study of the Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACS J0416
\citep{grillo2015} and suggest that the observed difference is already present
at the level of dark matter (DM) subhalos and is not solved by introducing
baryonic physics. A deeper understanding of this discrepancy between
observations and simulations will provide valuable insights into the impact of
the physical properties of DM particles and the effect of baryons on the
formation and evolution of cosmological structures.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. Modified to match the version published in ApJ
Kirillov structures and reduction of Hamiltonian systems by scaling and standard symmetries
In this paper, we discuss the reduction of symplectic Hamiltonian systems by
scaling and standard symmetries which commute. We prove that such a reduction
process produces a so-called Kirillov Hamiltonian system. Moreover, we show
that if we reduce first by the scaling symmetries and then by the standard ones
or in the opposite order, we obtain equivalent Kirillov Hamiltonian systems. In
the particular case when the configuration space of the symplectic Hamiltonian
system is a Lie group G, which coincides with the symmetry group, the reduced
structure is an interesting Kirillov version of the Lie-Poisson structure on
the dual space of the Lie algebra of G. We also discuss a reconstruction
process for symplectic Hamiltonian systems which admit a scaling symmetry. All
the previous results are illustrated in detail with some interesting examples
Modified Special Relativity on a fluctuating spacetime
It was recently proposed that deformations of the relativistic symmetry, as
those considered in Deformed Special Relativity (DSR), can be seen as the
outcome of a measurement theory in the presence of non-negligible (albeit
small) quantum gravitational fluctuations [1,2]. In this paper we explicitly
consider the case of a spacetime described by a flat metric endowed with
stochastic fluctuations and, for a free particle, we show that DSR-like
nonlinear relations between the spaces of the measured and classical momenta,
can result from the average of the stochastic fluctuations over a scale set be
the de Broglie wavelength of the particle. As illustrative examples we consider
explicitly the averaging procedure for some simple stochastic processes and
discuss the physical implications of our results.Comment: 7 pages, no figure
Integrable mixing of A_{n-1} type vertex models
Given a family of monodromy matrices {T_u; u=0,1,...,K-1} corresponding to
integrable anisotropic vertex models of A_{(n_u)-1}-type, we build up a related
mixed vertex model by means of glueing the lattices on which they are defined,
in such a way that integrability property is preserved. Algebraically, the
glueing process is implemented through one dimensional representations of
rectangular matrix algebras A(R_p,R_q), namely, the `glueing matrices' zeta_u.
Here R_n indicates the Yang-Baxter operator associated to the standard Hopf
algebra deformation of the simple Lie algebra A_{n-1}. We show there exists a
pseudovacuum subspace with respect to which algebraic Bethe ansatz can be
applied. For each pseudovacuum vector we have a set of nested Bethe ansatz
equations identical to the ones corresponding to an A_{m-1} quasi-periodic
model, with m equal to the minimal range of involved glueing matrices.Comment: REVTeX 28 pages. Here we complete the proof of integrability for
mixed vertex models as defined in the first versio
On the asymptotic behaviour of solutions to the fractional porous medium equation with variable density
We are concerned with the long time behaviour of solutions to the fractional
porous medium equation with a variable spatial density. We prove that if the
density decays slowly at infinity, then the solution approaches the
Barenblatt-type solution of a proper singular fractional problem. If, on the
contrary, the density decays rapidly at infinity, we show that the minimal
solution multiplied by a suitable power of the time variable converges to the
minimal solution of a certain fractional sublinear elliptic equation.Comment: To appear in DCDS-
Large-scale multielectrode recording and stimulation of neural activity
Large circuits of neurons are employed by the brain to encode and process information. How this encoding and processing is carried out is one of the central questions in neuroscience. Since individual neurons communicate with each other through electrical signals (action potentials), the recording of neural activity with arrays of extracellular electrodes is uniquely suited for the investigation of this question. Such recordings provide the combination of the best spatial (individual neurons) and temporal (individual action-potentials) resolutions compared to other large-scale imaging methods. Electrical stimulation of neural activity in turn has two very important applications: it enhances our understanding of neural circuits by allowing active interactions with them, and it is a basis for a large variety of neural prosthetic devices. Until recently, the state-of-the-art in neural activity recording systems consisted of several dozen electrodes with inter-electrode spacing ranging from tens to hundreds of microns. Using silicon microstrip detector expertise acquired in the field of high-energy physics, we created a unique neural activity readout and stimulation framework that consists of high-density electrode arrays, multi-channel custom-designed integrated circuits, a data acquisition system, and data-processing software. Using this framework we developed a number of neural readout and stimulation systems: (1) a 512-electrode system for recording the simultaneous activity of as many as hundreds of neurons, (2) a 61-electrode system for electrical stimulation and readout of neural activity in retinas and brain-tissue slices, and (3) a system with telemetry capabilities for recording neural activity in the intact brain of awake, naturally behaving animals. We will report on these systems, their various applications to the field of neurobiology, and novel scientific results obtained with some of them. We will also outline future directions
Deformed Special Relativity as an effective theory of measurements on quantum gravitational backgrounds
In this article we elaborate on a recently proposed interpretation of DSR as
an effective measurement theory in the presence of non-negligible (albeit
small) quantum gravitational fluctuations. We provide several heuristic
arguments to explain how such a new theory can emerge and discuss the possible
observational consequences of this framework.Comment: 11 pages, no figure
Microscopic mechanism for mechanical polishing of diamond (110) surfaces
Mechanically induced degradation of diamond, as occurs during polishing, is
studied using total--energy pseudopotential calculations. The strong asymmetry
in the rate of polishing between different directions on the diamond (110)
surface is explained in terms of an atomistic mechanism for nano--groove
formation. The post--polishing surface morphology and the nature of the
polishing residue predicted by this mechanism are consistent with experimental
evidence.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
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