Magnetic and Structural Studies of the Quasi-Two-Dimensional Spin-Gap System (CuCl)LaNb2O7

We report magnetization, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies on the quasi-two-dimensional spin-gap system (CuCl)LaNb2O7, a possible candidate for the J1-J2 model on a square lattice. A sharp single NQR line is observed at the Cu and Cl sites, indicating that both Cu and Cl atoms occupy a unique site. However, the electric field gradient tensors at the Cu, Cl, and La sites do not have axial symmetry. This is incompatible with the reported crystal structure. Thus the J1-J2 model has to be modified. We propose alternative two-dimensional dimer models based on the NMR, NQR, and TEM results. The value of the hyperfine coupling constant at the Cu sites indicates that the spin density is mainly on the d(3z2-r2) orbital (z parallel c). At 1.5 K, Cu- and Nb-NMR signals disappear above the critical field Bc1 = 10.3 T determined from the onset of the magnetization, indicating a field-induced magnetic phase transition at Bc1.Comment: 9 pages, 16 figure

Intermediate inflation and the slow-roll approximation

It is shown that spatially homogeneous solutions of the Einstein equations coupled to a nonlinear scalar field and other matter exhibit accelerated expansion at late times for a wide variety of potentials $V$. These potentials are strictly positive but tend to zero at infinity. They satisfy restrictions on $V'/V$ and $V''/V'$ related to the slow-roll approximation. These results generalize Wald's theorem for spacetimes with positive cosmological constant to those with accelerated expansion driven by potentials belonging to a large class.Comment: 19 pages, results unchanged, additional backgroun

Accelerated cosmological expansion due to a scalar field whose potential has a positive lower bound

In many cases a nonlinear scalar field with potential $V$ can lead to accelerated expansion in cosmological models. This paper contains mathematical results on this subject for homogeneous spacetimes. It is shown that, under the assumption that $V$ has a strictly positive minimum, Wald's theorem on spacetimes with positive cosmological constant can be generalized to a wide class of potentials. In some cases detailed information on late-time asymptotics is obtained. Results on the behaviour in the past time direction are also presented.Comment: 16 page

Closed cosmologies with a perfect fluid and a scalar field

Closed, spatially homogeneous cosmological models with a perfect fluid and a scalar field with exponential potential are investigated, using dynamical systems methods. First, we consider the closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker models, discussing the global dynamics in detail. Next, we investigate Kantowski-Sachs models, for which the future and past attractors are determined. The global asymptotic behaviour of both the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker and the Kantowski-Sachs models is that they either expand from an initial singularity, reach a maximum expansion and thereafter recollapse to a final singularity (for all values of the potential parameter kappa), or else they expand forever towards a flat power-law inflationary solution (when kappa^2<2). As an illustration of the intermediate dynamical behaviour of the Kantowski-Sachs models, we examine the cases of no barotropic fluid, and of a massless scalar field in detail. We also briefly discuss Bianchi type IX models.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure

Late-time oscillatory behaviour for self-gravitating scalar fields

This paper investigates the late-time behaviour of certain cosmological models where oscillations play an essential role. Rigorous results are proved on the asymptotics of homogeneous and isotropic spacetimes with a linear massive scalar field as source. Various generalizations are obtained for nonlinear massive scalar fields, $k$-essence models and $f(R)$ gravity. The effect of adding ordinary matter is discussed as is the case of nonlinear scalar fields whose potential has a degenerate zero.Comment: 17 pages, additional reference

Global Analysis of Predicted G Protein-Coupled Receptor Genes in the Filamentous Fungus, Neurospora crassa.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate facets of growth, development, and environmental sensing in eukaryotes, including filamentous fungi. The largest predicted GPCR class in these organisms is the Pth11-related, with members similar to a protein required for disease in the plant pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. However, the Pth11-related class has not been functionally studied in any filamentous fungal species. Here, we analyze phenotypes in available mutants for 36 GPCR genes, including 20 Pth11-related, in the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. We also investigate patterns of gene expression for all 43 predicted GPCR genes in available datasets. A total of 17 mutants (47%) possessed at least one growth or developmental phenotype. We identified 18 mutants (56%) with chemical sensitivity or nutritional phenotypes (11 uniquely), bringing the total number of mutants with at least one defect to 28 (78%), including 15 mutants (75%) in the Pth11-related class. Gene expression trends for GPCR genes correlated with the phenotypes observed for many mutants and also suggested overlapping functions for several groups of co-transcribed genes. Several members of the Pth11-related class have phenotypes and/or are differentially expressed on cellulose, suggesting a possible role for this gene family in plant cell wall sensing or utilization

Can Gravitational Waves Prevent Inflation?

To investigate the cosmic no hair conjecture, we analyze numerically 1-dimensional plane symmetrical inhomogeneities due to gravitational waves in vacuum spacetimes with a positive cosmological constant. Assuming periodic gravitational pulse waves initially, we study the time evolution of those waves and the nature of their collisions. As measures of inhomogeneity on each hypersurface, we use the 3-dimensional Riemann invariant ${\cal I}\equiv {}~^{(3)\!}R_{ijkl}~^{(3)\!}R^{ijkl}$ and the electric and magnetic parts of the Weyl tensor. We find a temporal growth of the curvature in the waves' collision region, but the overall expansion of the universe later overcomes this effect. No singularity appears and the result is a ``no hair" de Sitter spacetime. The waves we study have amplitudes between $0.020\Lambda \leq {\cal I}^{1/2} \leq 125.0\Lambda$ and widths between $0.080l_H \leq l \leq 2.5l_H$, where $l_H=(\Lambda/3)^{-1/2}$, the horizon scale of de Sitter spacetime. This supports the cosmic no hair conjecture.Comment: LaTeX, 11 pages, 3 figures are available on request <To [email protected] (Hisa-aki SHINKAI)>, WU-AP/29/9

Energy Density of Non-Minimally Coupled Scalar Field Cosmologies

Scalar fields coupled to gravity via $\xi R {\Phi}^2$ in arbitrary Friedmann-Robertson-Walker backgrounds can be represented by an effective flat space field theory. We derive an expression for the scalar energy density where the effective scalar mass becomes an explicit function of $\xi$ and the scale factor. The scalar quartic self-coupling gets shifted and can vanish for a particular choice of $\xi$. Gravitationally induced symmetry breaking and de-stabilization are possible in this theory.Comment: 18 pages in standard Late

Can induced gravity isotropize Bianchi I, V, or IX Universes?

We analyze if Bianchi I, V, and IX models in the Induced Gravity (IG) theory can evolve to a Friedmann--Roberson--Walker (FRW) expansion due to the non--minimal coupling of gravity and the scalar field. The analytical results that we found for the Brans-Dicke (BD) theory are now applied to the IG theory which has $\omega \ll 1$ ($\omega$ being the square ratio of the Higgs to Planck mass) in a cosmological era in which the IG--potential is not significant. We find that the isotropization mechanism crucially depends on the value of $\omega$. Its smallness also permits inflationary solutions. For the Bianch V model inflation due to the Higgs potential takes place afterwads, and subsequently the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) ends with an effective FRW evolution. The ordinary tests of successful cosmology are well satisfied.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. D1