Exact Primordial Black Strings in Four Dimensions

A solution of effective string theory in four dimensions is presented which admits interpretation of a rotating black cosmic string. It is constructed by tensoring the three dimensional black hole, extended with the Kalb-Ramond axion, with a flat direction. The physical interpretation of the solution is discussed, with special attention on the axion, which is found to play a role very similar to a Higgs field. Finally, it is pointed out that the solution represents an exact WZWN $\sigma$ model on the string world sheet, to all orders in the inverse string tension $\alpha'$.Comment: 11 pages plain TeX, Univ. of Alberta preprint Alberta-THY-14-199

Black Rings, Supertubes, and a Stringy Resolution of Black Hole Non-Uniqueness

In order to address the issues raised by the recent discovery of non-uniqueness of black holes in five dimensions, we construct a solution of string theory at low energies describing a five-dimensional spinning black ring with three charges that can be interpreted as D1-brane, D5-brane, and momentum charges. The solution possesses closed timelike curves (CTCs) and other pathologies, whose origin we clarify. These pathologies can be avoided by setting any one of the charges, e.g. the momentum, to zero. We argue that the D1-D5-charged black ring, lifted to six dimensions, describes the thermal excitation of a supersymmetric D1-D5 supertube, which is in the same U-duality class as the D0-F1 supertube. We explain how the stringy microscopic description of the D1-D5 system distinguishes between a spherical black hole and a black ring with the same asymptotic charges, and therefore provides a (partial) resolution of the non-uniqueness of black holes in five dimensions.Comment: 33 pages, 1 figur

Observations of quasi-periodic solar X-ray emission as a result of MHD oscillations in a system of multiple flare loops

We investigate the solar flare of 20 October 2002. The flare was accompanied by quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) of both thermal and nonthermal hard X-ray emissions (HXR) observed by RHESSI in the 3-50 keV energy range. Analysis of the HXR time profiles in different energy channels made with the Lomb periodogram indicates two statistically significant time periods of about 16 and 36 seconds. The 36-second QPP were observed only in the nonthermal HXR emission in the impulsive phase of the flare. The 16-second QPP were more pronounced in the thermal HXR emission and were observed both in the impulsive and in the decay phases of the flare. Imaging analysis of the flare region, the determined time periods of the QPP and the estimated physical parameters of magnetic loops in the flare region allow us to interpret the observations as follows. 1) In the impulsive phase energy was released and electrons were accelerated by successive acts with the average time period of about 36 seconds in different parts of two spatially separated, but interacting loop systems of the flare region. 2) The 36-second periodicity of energy release could be caused by the action of fast MHD oscillations in the loops connecting these flaring sites. 3) During the first explosive acts of energy release the MHD oscillations (most probably the sausage mode) with time period of 16 seconds were excited in one system of the flare loops. 4) These oscillations were maintained by the subsequent explosive acts of energy release in the impulsive phase and were completely damped in the decay phase of the flare.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Waardevolle perspectieven voor vlees

Dit rapport doet verslag van een onderzoek waarin is gekeken hoe vlees in de keten op een andere manier tot waarde kan worden gebracht zodat dit lonend is voor de partijen in de keten. Hierbij geldt: de beloning komt zo veel mogelijk toe aan degene die de toegevoegde waarde levert. Dit initiatief richt zich daarbij op het ontwikkelen en beoordelen van alternatieve businessmodellen met een ander 'waarde(n)perspectief' voor pluimvee- en varkensvlees(producten)

Topology, Entropy and Witten Index of Dilaton Black Holes

We have found that for extreme dilaton black holes an inner boundary must be introduced in addition to the outer boundary to give an integer value to the Euler number. The resulting manifolds have (if one identifies imaginary time) topology $S^1 \times R \times S^2$ and Euler number $\chi = 0$ in contrast to the non-extreme case with $\chi=2$. The entropy of extreme $U(1)$ dilaton black holes is already known to be zero. We include a review of some recent ideas due to Hawking on the Reissner-Nordstr\"om case. By regarding all extreme black holes as having an inner boundary, we conclude that the entropy of {\sl all} extreme black holes, including $[U(1)]^2$ black holes, vanishes. We discuss the relevance of this to the vanishing of quantum corrections and the idea that the functional integral for extreme holes gives a Witten Index. We have studied also the topology of ``moduli space'' of multi black holes. The quantum mechanics on black hole moduli spaces is expected to be supersymmetric despite the fact that they are not HyperK\"ahler since the corresponding geometry has torsion unlike the BPS monopole case. Finally, we describe the possibility of extreme black hole fission for states with an energy gap. The energy released, as a proportion of the initial rest mass, during the decay of an electro-magnetic black hole is 300 times greater than that released by the fission of an ${}^{235} U$ nucleus.Comment: 51 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX. Considerably extended version. New sections include discussion of the Witten index, topology of the moduli space, black hole sigma model, and black hole fission with huge energy releas

Supersymmetry and Integrability in Planar Mechanical Systems

We present an N=2-supersymmetric mechanical system whose bosonic sector, with two degrees of freedom, stems from the reduction of an SU(2) Yang-Mills theory with the assumption of spatially homogeneous field configurations and a particular ansatz imposed on the gauge potentials in the dimensional reduction procedure. The Painleve test is adopted to discuss integrability and we focus on the role of supersymmetry and parity invariance in two space dimensions for the attainment of integrable or chaotic models. Our conclusion is that the relationships among the parameters imposed by supersymmetry seem to drastically reduce the number of possibilities for integrable interaction potentials of the mechanical system under consideration.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure

Active Galaxies in the UV

In this article we present different aspects of AGN studies demonstrating the importance of the UV spectral range. Most important diagnostic lines for studying the general physical conditions as well as the metalicities in the central broad line region in AGN are emitted in the UV. The UV/FUV continuum in AGN excites not only the emission lines in the immediate surrounding but it is responsible for the ionization of the intergalactic medium in the early stages of the universe. Variability studies of the emission line profiles of AGN in the UV give us information on the structure and kinematics of the immediate surrounding of the central supermassive black hole as well as on its mass itself.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, Ap&SS in pres

On Some New Black String Solutions in Three Dimensions

We derive several new solutions in three-dimensional stringy gravity. The solutions are obtained with the help of string duality transformations. They represent stationary configurations with horizons, and are surrounded by (quasi) topologically massive Abelian gauge hair, in addition to the dilaton and the Kalb-Ramond axion. Our analysis suggests that there exists a more general family, where our solutions are special limits. Finally, we use the generating technique recently proposed by Garfinkle to construct a traveling wave on the extremal variant of one of our solutions.Comment: revtex, 38 pages including 3 figure