String Pair Creations in D-brane Systems

We investigate the criterion, on the Born-Infeld background fields, for the open string pair creation to occur in D$p$-(anti-)D$p$-brane systems. Although the pair creation occurs generically in both D$p$-D$p$ and D$p$-anti-D$p$ systems for the cases which meet the criterion, it is more drastic in D$p$-anti-D$p$-brane systems by some exponential factor depending on the background fields. Various configurations exhibiting pair creations are obtained via duality transformations. These include the spacelike scissors and two D-strings (slanted at different angles) passing through each other. We raise the scissors paradox and suggest a resolution based on the triple junction in IIB setup.Comment: V2. 1+28 pages, 5 figures in JHEP3, minor changes, added reference

Hyperbolic Space Cosmologies

We present a systematic study of accelerating cosmologies obtained from M/string theory compactifications of hyperbolic spaces with time-varying volume. A set of vacuum solutions where the internal space is a product of hyperbolic manifolds is found to give qualitatively the same accelerating four-dimensional FLRW universe behavior as a single hyperbolic space. We also examine the possibility that our universe is a hyperbolic space and provide exact Milne type solutions, as well as intersecting S-brane solutions. When both the usual 4D spacetime and the m-dimensional internal space are hyperbolic, we find eternally accelerating cosmologies for $m\geq 7$, with and without form field backgrounds. In particular, the effective potential for a magnetic field background in the large 3 dimensions is positive definite with a local minimum and thus enhances the eternally accelerating expansion.Comment: 33 pages, 2 figures; v2 refs added; v3 minor change in text, JHEP versio

Net Fisher information measure versus ionization potential and dipole polarizability in atoms

The net Fisher information measure, defined as the product of position and momentum Fisher information measures and derived from the non-relativistic Hartree-Fock wave functions for atoms with Z=1-102, is found to correlate well with the inverse of the experimental ionization potential. Strong direct correlations of the net Fisher information are also reported for the static dipole polarizability of atoms with Z=1-88. The complexity measure, defined as the ratio of the net Onicescu information measure and net Fisher information, exhibits clearly marked regions corresponding to the periodicity of the atomic shell structure. The reported correlations highlight the need for using the net information measures in addition to either the position or momentum space analogues. With reference to the correlation of the experimental properties considered here, the net Fisher information measure is found to be superior than the net Shannon information entropy.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Fate of Z(N) walls in hot holographic QCD

We first study Z(N) walls in a deconfined phase of Witten's D4-brane background of pure SU(N) Yang-Mills theory, motivated by a recent work in the case of N=4 SYM. Similarly to it, we propose that for a large wall charge k ~ N, it is described by k D2-branes blown up into a NS5-brane wrapping S^3 inside S^4 via Myers effect, and we calculate the tension by suitable U-duality. We find a precise Casimir scaling for the tension formula. We then study the fate of Z(N)-vacua in a presence of fundamental flavors in quenched approximation via gauge/gravity correspondence. In the case of D3/D7 system where one can vary the mass m_q of flavors, we show that there is a phase transition at T_c ~ m_q, below which the Z(N)-vacua survive while they are lifted above the critical temperature. We analytically calculate the energy lift of k'th vacua in the massless case, both in the D3/D7 system and in the Sakai-Sugimoto model.Comment: 24 pages, v2: references updated, v3: A clarification on the meaning of Z(N) walls in Euclidean space added, citations update

Acid-sensing ion channel 3 mediates peripheral anti-hyperalgesia effects of acupuncture in mice inflammatory pain

Background: Peripheral tissue inflammation initiates hyperalgesia accompanied by tissue acidosis, nociceptor activation, and inflammation mediators. Recent studies have suggested a significantly increased expression of acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) in both carrageenan- and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammation. This study tested the hypothesis that acupuncture is curative for mechanical hyperalgesia induced by peripheral inflammation. Methods: Here we used mechanical stimuli to assess behavioral responses in paw and muscle inflammation induced by carrageenan or CFA. We also used immunohistochemistry staining and western blot methodology to evaluate the expression of ASIC3 in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Results: In comparison with the control, the inflammation group showed significant mechanical hyperalgesia with both intraplantar carrageenan and CFA-induced inflammation. Interestingly, both carrageenan- and CFA-induced hyperalgesia were accompanied by ASIC3 up-regulation in DRG neurons. Furthermore, electroacupuncture (EA) at the ST36 rescued mechanical hyperalgesia through down-regulation of ASIC3 overexpression in both carrageenan- and CFA-induced inflammation. Conclusions: In addition, electrical stimulation at the ST36 acupoint can relieve mechanical hyperalgesia by attenuating ASIC3 overexpression

Dynamics of Baryons from String Theory and Vector Dominance

We consider a holographic model of QCD from string theory, a la Sakai and Sugimoto, and study baryons. In this model, mesons are collectively realized as a five-dimensional \$U(N_F)=U(1)\times SU(N_F)$ Yang-Mills field and baryons are classically identified as $SU(N_F)$ solitons with a unit Pontryagin number and $N_c$ electric charges. The soliton is shown to be very small in the large 't Hooft coupling limit, allowing us to introduce an effective field ${\cal B}$. Its coupling to the mesons are dictated by the soliton structure, and consists of a direct magnetic coupling to the $SU(N_F)$ field strength as well as a minimal coupling to the $U(N_F)$ gauge field. Upon the dimensional reduction, this effective action reproduces all interaction terms between nucleons and an infinite tower of mesons in a manner consistent with the large $N_c$ expansion. We further find that all electromagnetic interactions, as inferred from the same effective action via a holographic prescription, are mediated by an infinite tower of vector mesons, rendering the baryon electromagnetic form factors completely vector-dominated as well. We estimate nucleon-meson couplings and also the anomalous magnetic moments, which compare well with nature.Comment: 65pages, 3 figures, vector mesons and axial-vector mesons are now canonically normalized (comparisons with data and conclusions unaffected

Time Evolution via S-branes

Using S(pacelike)-branes defined through rolling tachyon solutions, we show how the dynamical formation of D(irichlet)-branes and strings in tachyon condensation can be understood. Specifically we present solutions of S-brane actions illustrating the classical confinement of electric and magnetic flux into fundamental strings and D-branes. The role of S-branes in string theory is further clarified and their RR charges are discussed. In addition, by examining ``boosted'' S-branes, we find what appears to be a surprising dual S-brane description of strings and D-branes, which also indicates that the critical electric field can be considered as a self-dual point in string theory. We also introduce new tachyonic S-branes as Euclidean counterparts to non-BPS branes.Comment: 62 pages, 10 figures. v2 references adde

Gravitational waves from rapidly rotating neutron stars

Rapidly rotating neutron stars in Low Mass X-ray Binaries have been proposed as an interesting source of gravitational waves. In this chapter we present estimates of the gravitational wave emission for various scenarios, given the (electromagnetically) observed characteristics of these systems. First of all we focus on the r-mode instability and show that a 'minimal' neutron star model (which does not incorporate exotica in the core, dynamically important magnetic fields or superfluid degrees of freedom), is not consistent with observations. We then present estimates of both thermally induced and magnetically sustained mountains in the crust. In general magnetic mountains are likely to be detectable only if the buried magnetic field of the star is of the order of $B\approx 10^{12}$ G. In the thermal mountain case we find that gravitational wave emission from persistent systems may be detected by ground based interferometers. Finally we re-asses the idea that gravitational wave emission may be balancing the accretion torque in these systems, and show that in most cases the disc/magnetosphere interaction can account for the observed spin periods.Comment: To appear in 'Gravitational Waves Astrophysics: 3rd Session of the Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics, 2014', Editor: Carlos F. Sopuert

The Magnificent Seven: Magnetic fields and surface temperature distributions

Presently seven nearby radio-quiet isolated neutron stars discovered in ROSAT data and characterized by thermal X-ray spectra are known. They exhibit very similar properties and despite intensive searches their number remained constant since 2001 which led to their name ``The Magnificent Seven''. Five of the stars exhibit pulsations in their X-ray flux with periods in the range of 3.4 s to 11.4 s. XMM-Newton observations revealed broad absorption lines in the X-ray spectra which are interpreted as cyclotron resonance absorption lines by protons or heavy ions and / or atomic transitions shifted to X-ray energies by strong magnetic fields of the order of 10^13 G. New XMM-Newton observations indicate more complex X-ray spectra with multiple absorption lines. Pulse-phase spectroscopy of the best studied pulsars RX J0720.4-3125 and RBS 1223 reveals variations in derived emission temperature and absorption line depth with pulse phase. Moreover, RX J0720.4-3125 shows long-term spectral changes which are interpreted as due to free precession of the neutron star. Modeling of the pulse profiles of RX J0720.4-3125 and RBS 1223 provides information about the surface temperature distribution of the neutron stars indicating hot polar caps which have different temperatures, different sizes and are probably not located in antipodal positions.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Science, in the proceedings of "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to the Surface", edited by D. Page, R. Turolla and S. Zan