How Stands Collapse II

I review ten problems associated with the dynamical wave function collapse program, which were described in the first of these two papers. Five of these, the \textit{interaction, preferred basis, trigger, symmetry} and \textit{superluminal} problems, were discussed as resolved there. In this volume in honor of Abner Shimony, I discuss the five remaining problems, \textit{tails, conservation law, experimental, relativity, legitimization}. Particular emphasis is given to the tails problem, first raised by Abner. The discussion of legitimization contains a new argument, that the energy density of the fluctuating field which causes collapse should exert a gravitational force. This force can be repulsive, since this energy density can be negative. Speculative illustrations of cosmological implications are offered.Comment: 37 page

Oblique amplitude modulation of dust-acoustic plasma waves

Theoretical and numerical studies are presented of the nonlinear amplitude modulation of dust-acoustic (DA) waves propagating in an unmagnetized three component, weakly-coupled, fully ionized plasma consisting of electrons, positive ions and charged dust particles, considering perturbations oblique to the carrier wave propagation direction. The stability analysis, based on a nonlinear Schroedinger-type equation (NLSE), shows that the wave may become unstable; the stability criteria depend on the angle $\theta$ between the modulation and propagation directions. Explicit expressions for the instability rate and threshold have been obtained in terms of the dispersion laws of the system. The possibility and conditions for the existence of different types of localized excitations have also been discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Physica Script

Cosmic censorship and spherical gravitational collapse with tangential pressure

We study the spherical gravitational collapse of a compact object under the approximation that the radial pressure is identically zero, and the tangential pressure is related to the density by a linear equation of state. It turns out that the Einstein equations can be reduced to the solution of an integral for the evolution of the area radius. We show that for positive pressure there is a finite region near the center which necessarily expands outwards, if collapse begins from rest. This region could be surrounded by an inward moving one which could collapse to a singularity - any such singularity will necessarily be covered by a horizon. For negative pressure the entire object collapses inwards, but any singularities that could arise are not naked. Thus the nature of the evolution is very different from that of dust, even when the ratio of pressure to density is infinitesimally small.Comment: 16 pages, Latex file, two figures, uses epsf.st

Visibility diagrams and experimental stripe structure in the quantum Hall effect

We analyze various properties of the visibility diagrams that can be used in the context of modular symmetries and confront them to some recent experimental developments in the Quantum Hall Effect. We show that a suitable physical interpretation of the visibility diagrams which permits one to describe successfully the observed architecture of the Quantum Hall states gives rise naturally to a stripe structure reproducing some of the experimental features that have been observed in the study of the quantum fluctuations of the Hall conductance. Furthermore, we exhibit new properties of the visibility diagrams stemming from the structure of subgroups of the full modular group.Comment: 8 pages in plain TeX, 7 figures in a single postscript fil

Dynamical generalization of a solvable family of two-electron model atoms with general interparticle repulsion

Holas, Howard and March [Phys. Lett. A {\bf 310}, 451 (2003)] have obtained analytic solutions for ground-state properties of a whole family of two-electron spin-compensated harmonically confined model atoms whose different members are characterized by a specific interparticle potential energy u($r_{12}$). Here, we make a start on the dynamic generalization of the harmonic external potential, the motivation being the serious criticism levelled recently against the foundations of time-dependent density-functional theory (e.g. [J. Schirmer and A. Dreuw, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 75}, 022513 (2007)]). In this context, we derive a simplified expression for the time-dependent electron density for arbitrary interparticle interaction, which is fully determined by an one-dimensional non-interacting Hamiltonian. Moreover, a closed solution for the momentum space density in the Moshinsky model is obtained.Comment: 5 pages, submitted to J. Phys.

Critical Exponents of the Three Dimensional Random Field Ising Model

The phase transition of the three--dimensional random field Ising model with a discrete ($\pm h$) field distribution is investigated by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Values of the critical exponents for the correlation length, specific heat, susceptibility, disconnected susceptibility and magnetization are determined simultaneously via finite size scaling. While the exponents for the magnetization and disconnected susceptibility are consistent with a first order transition, the specific heat appears to saturate indicating no latent heat. Sample to sample fluctuations of the susceptibilty are consistent with the droplet picture for the transition.Comment: Revtex, 10 pages + 4 figures included as Latex files and 1 in Postscrip

Cognition-Enhancing Drugs: Can We Say No?

Normative analysis of cognition-enhancing drugs frequently weighs the liberty interests of drug users against egalitarian commitments to a level playing field. Yet those who would refuse to engage in neuroenhancement may well find their liberty to do so limited in a society where such drugs are widespread. To the extent that unvarnished emotional responses are world-disclosive, neurocosmetic practices also threaten to provide a form of faulty data to their users. This essay examines underappreciated liberty-based and epistemic rationales for regulating cognition-enhancing drugs

Language of Lullabies: The Russification and De-Russification of the Baltic States

This article argues that the laws for promotion of the national languages are a legitimate means for the Baltic states to establish their cultural independence from Russia and the former Soviet Union

Gravitating defects of codimension-two

Thin gravitating defects with conical singularities in higher codimensions and with generalized Israel matching conditions are known to be inconsistent for generic energy-momentum. A way to remove this inconsistency is proposed and is realized for an axially symmetric gravitating codimension-two defect in six dimensional Einstein gravity. By varying with respect to the brane embedding fields, alternative matching conditions are derived, which are generalizations of the Nambu-Goto equations of motion of the defect, consistent with bulk gravity. For a maximally symmetric defect the standard picture is recovered. The four-dimensional perfect fluid cosmology coincides with conventional FRW in the case of radiation, but for dust it has rho^{4/3} instead of rho. A four-dimensional black hole solution is presented having the Schwarzschild form with a short-distance correction r^{-2}.Comment: Minor changes, to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit