6,210 research outputs found
Shear-Free Gravitational Waves in an Anisotropic Universe
We study gravitational waves propagating through an anisotropic Bianchi I
dust-filled universe (containing the Einstein-de-Sitter universe as a special
case). The waves are modeled as small perturbations of this background
cosmological model and we choose a family of null hypersurfaces in this
space-time to act as the histories of the wavefronts of the radiation. We find
that the perturbations we generate can describe pure gravitational radiation if
and only if the null hypersurfaces are shear-free. We calculate the
gauge-invariant small perturbations explicitly in this case. How these differ
from the corresponding perturbations when the background space-time is
isotropic is clearly exhibited.Comment: 32 pages, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Light-like Signals in General relativity and Cosmology
The modelling of light-like signals in General Relativity taking the form of
impulsive gravitational waves and light-like shells of matter is examined.
Systematic deductions from the Bianchi identities are made. These are based
upon Penrose's hierarchical classification of the geometry induced on the null
hypersurface history of the surface by its imbedding in the space-times to the
future and to the past of it. The signals are not confined to propagate in a
vacuum and thus their interaction with matter (a burst of radiation propagating
through a cosmic fluid, for example) is also studied. Results are accompanied
by illustrative examples using cosmological models, vacuum space-times, the de
sitter univers and Minkowskian space-time.Comment: 21 pages, latex, no figure
Peeling properties of lightlike signals in General Relativity
The peeling properties of a lightlike signal propagating through a general
Bondi-Sachs vacuum spacetime and leaving behind another Bondi-Sachs vacuum
space-time are studied. We demonstrate that in general the peeling behavior is
the conventional one which is associated with a radiating isolated system and
that it becomes unconventional if the asymptotically flat space-times on either
side of the history of the light-like signal tend to flatness at future null
infinity faster than the general Bondi-Sachs space-time. This latter situation
occurs if, for example, the space-times in question are static Bondi-Sachs
space- times.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX2
Gravitational Wave Propagation in Isotropic Cosmologies
We study the propagation of gravitational waves carrying arbitrary
information through isotropic cosmologies. The waves are modelled as small
perturbations of the background Robertson-Walker geometry. The perfect fluid
matter distribution of the isotropic background is, in general, modified by
small anisotropic stresses. For pure gravity waves, in which the perturbed Weyl
tensor is radiative (i.e. type N in the Petrov classification), we construct
explicit examples for which the presence of the anisotropic stress is shown to
be essential and the histories of the wave-fronts in the background
Robertson-Walker geometry are shear-free null hypersurfaces. The examples
derived in this case are analogous to the Bateman waves of electromagnetic
theory.Comment: 27 pages, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.
On Generating Gravity Waves with Matter and Electromagnetic Waves
If a homogeneous plane light-like shell collides head-on with a homogeneous
plane electromagnetic shock wave having a step-function profile then no
backscattered gravitational waves are produced. We demonstrate, by explicit
calculation, that if the matter is accompanied by a homogeneous plane
electromagnetic shock wave with a step-function profile then backscattered
gravitational waves appear after the collision.Comment: Latex file, 15 pages, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Multi-layer graphene as a selective detector for future lung cancer biosensing platforms
This is the final version. Available from the Royal Society of Chemistry via the DOI in this record.Highly selective, fast detection of specific lung-cancer biomarkers (CMs) in exhaled human breath is vital to the development of enhanced sensing devices. Today, e-nose is a promising approach for the diagnosis of lung cancer. Nevertheless, considerable challenges to early-stage disease diagnostics still remain: e.g. decrease in sensor sensitivities in the presence of water vapor, sensor drift leading to the inability to calibrate exactly, relatively short sensor lifetimes, and difficulty discriminating between multiple diseases. However, there is a wide scope for breath diagnostics techniques, and all advanced electrodes applicable to e-nose devices will benefit them. Here, we present the promising sensing capabilities of bare multi-layer graphene (MLG) as a proof of concept for advanced e-nose devices and demonstrate its utility for biomolecule discrimination of the most common lung CMs (ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone). We report on a comparative study involving exposure of the three CM solutions on flat MLG (f-MLG) and patterned MLG (p-MLG) electrodes, where the electrical conductivity of p-MLG is significantly increased while applying acetone. Based on sensitivity tests, we demonstrate the ability to monitor the electrical response of graphene electrodes employing graphene of various wettabilities. Specifically, the f-MLG electrode displays almost 2 times higher sheet resistance (30 Ω sq−1) compared to the hydrophilic p-MLG (12 Ω sq−1). We show significant sensitivity to selected specific molecules of pristine f-MLG and p-MLG while applying CM solutions with a 1.4 × 105 ppm concentration. Finally, we show the selectivity of f-MLG and p-MLG-based sensors when exposed to 2.0 × 105 ppm solutions containing different CM combinations. Both sensors were selective in particular to acetone, since the presence of acetone leads to a sheet resistance increase. We demonstrate that an advanced e-nose approach integrated with MLG electrodes has significant potential as a design concept for utilization of molecular detection at variable concentrations such as in early-stage disease diagnosis. This early-stage approach will provide convenient and reusable complex monitoring of CMs compared to typical contact sensors which require target analysis and are limited by disposable measuring. Moreover, further integration of the Internet of Things will introduce advanced e-nose devices as a biotechnological innovation for disease resilience with the potential for commercialization.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC
The Bell-Szekeres Solution and Related Solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell Equations
A novel technique for solving some head-on collisions of plane homogeneous
light-like signals in Einstein-Maxwell theory is described. The technique is a
by-product of a re-examination of the fundamental Bell-Szekeres solution in
this field of study. Extensions of the Bell-Szekeres collision problem to
include light-like shells and gravitational waves are described and a family of
solutions having geometrical and topological properties in common with the
Bell-Szekeres solution is derived.Comment: 18 pages, Latex fil
Some Physical Consequences of Abrupt Changes in the Multipole Moments of a Gravitating Body
The Barrab\`es-Israel theory of light-like shells in General Relativity is
used to show explicitly that in general a light-like shell is accompanied by an
impulsive gravitational wave. The gravitational wave is identified by its
Petrov Type N contribution to a Dirac delta-function term in the Weyl conformal
curvature tensor (with the delta-function singular on the null hypersurface
history of the wave and shell). An example is described in which an
asymptotically flat static vacuum Weyl space-time experiences a sudden change
across a null hypersurface in the multipole moments of its isolated axially
symmetric source. A light-like shell and an impulsive gravitational wave are
identified, both having the null hypersurface as history. The stress-energy in
the shell is dominated (at large distance from the source) by the jump in the
monopole moment (the mass) of the source with the jump in the quadrupole moment
mainly responsible for the stress being anisotropic. The gravitational wave
owes its existence principally to the jump in the quadrupole moment of the
source confirming what would be expected.Comment: 26 pages, tex, no figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.
Seeking the Ultraviolet Ionizing Background at z~3 with the Keck Telescope
We describe the initial results of a deep long-slit emission line search for
redshifted (2.7<z<4.1) Lyman-alpha. These observations are used to constrain
the fluorescent Ly-alpha emission from the population of clouds whose
absorption produces the higher-column-density component of the Ly-alpha forest
in quasar spectra. We use the results to set an upper limit on the ultraviolet
ionizing background. Our spectroscopic data obtained with the Keck II telescope
at lambda/(Delta lambda FWHM)~2000 reveals no candidate Ly-alpha emission over
the wavelength range of 4500-6200 Ang along a 3 arcmin slit in a 5400 s
integration. Our 3 sigma upper bound on the mean intensity of the ionizing
background at the Lyman limit is J(nu 0) < 2E-21 erg/s/cm**2/Hz/sr for
2.7<z<3.1 (where we are most sensitive), assuming Lyman limit systems have
typical radii of 70 kpc (q_0=0.5, H_0=50 km/s/Mpc). This constraint is more
than an order of magnitude more stringent than any previously published direct
limit. However, it is still a factor of three above the ultraviolet background
level expected due to the integrated light of known quasars at z~3. This pilot
study confirms the conclusion of Gould \& Weinberg (1996) that integrations of
several hours on a 10-m class telescope should be capable of measuring J(nu 0)
at high redshift.Comment: 22 pages, 2 postscipt figures. Latex requires aaspp4.sty and epsf.sty
(included). Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal (Nov 1998
Large-amplitude isothermal fluctuations and high-density dark-matter clumps
Large-amplitude isothermal fluctuations in the dark matter energy density,
parameterized by \Phi\equiv\delta\rhodm/\rhodm, are studied within the
framework of a spherical collapse model. For \Phi \ga 1, a fluctuation
collapses in the radiation-dominated epoch and produces a dense dark-matter
object. The final density of the virialized object is found to be \rho_F
\approx 140\, \Phi^3 (\Phi+1) \rhoeq, where \rhoeq is the matter density at
equal matter and radiation energy density. This expression is valid for the
entire range of possible values of , both for and . Some astrophysical consequences of high-density dark-matter clumps are
discussed.Comment: 15 pages plus 3 figures (included at the end as a uuencoded
postscript file), LaTeX, FNAL--PUB--94/055--
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