1,347 research outputs found
Axion-photon Couplings in Invisible Axion Models
We reexamine the axion-photon couplings in various invisible axion models
motivated by the recent proposal of using optical interferometry at the ASST
facility in the SSCL to search for axion. We illustrate that the assignment of
charges for the fermion fields plays an important role in
determining the couplings. Several simple non-minimal invisible axion models
with suppressed and enhanced axion-photon couplings are constructed,
respectively. We also discuss the implications of possible new experiments to
detect solar axions by conversion to -rays in a static magnetic apparatus
tracking the sun.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX fil
Chasing the identification of ASCA Galactic Objects (ChIcAGO): An X-ray survey of unidentified sources in the galactic plane. I : Source sample and initial results
We present the Chasing the Identification of ASCA Galactic Objects (ChIcAGO) survey, which is designed to identify the unknown X-ray sources discovered during the ASCA Galactic Plane Survey (AGPS). Little is known about most of the AGPS sources, especially those that emit primarily in hard X-rays (2-10 keV) within the Fx 10-13 to 10-11 erg cm -2 s-1 X-ray flux range. In ChIcAGO, the subarcsecond localization capabilities of Chandra have been combined with a detailed multiwavelength follow-up program, with the ultimate goal of classifying the >100 unidentified sources in the AGPS. Overall to date, 93 unidentified AGPS sources have been observed with Chandra as part of the ChIcAGO survey. A total of 253 X-ray point sources have been detected in these Chandra observations within 3′ of the original ASCA positions. We have identified infrared and optical counterparts to the majority of these sources, using both new observations and catalogs from existing Galactic plane surveys. X-ray and infrared population statistics for the X-ray point sources detected in the Chandra observations reveal that the primary populations of Galactic plane X-ray sources that emit in the Fx 10-13 to 10-11 erg cm -2 s-1 flux range are active stellar coronae, massive stars with strong stellar winds that are possibly in colliding wind binaries, X-ray binaries, and magnetars. There is also another primary population that is still unidentified but, on the basis of its X-ray and infrared properties, likely comprises partly Galactic sources and partly active galactic nuclei.Peer reviewedSubmitted Versio
A Symmetry for the Cosmological Constant
We study a symmetry, schematically Energy -> - Energy, which suppresses
matter contributions to the cosmological constant. The requisite negative
energy fluctuations are identified with a "ghost" copy of the Standard Model.
Gravity explicitly, but weakly, violates the symmetry, and naturalness requires
General Relativity to break down at short distances with testable consequences.
If this breakdown is accompanied by gravitational Lorentz-violation, the decay
of flat spacetime by ghost production is acceptably slow. We show that
inflation works in our scenario and can lead to the initial conditions required
for standard Big Bang cosmology.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, References correcte
Depression and anxiety in sterilised women in Iran
Sterilisation is an effective and convenient means of contraception and has become increasingly popular as a birth control technique throughout the world during the past 40 years. However some women who choose sterilisation may suffer a neurotic syndrome, which is manifested in the form of pain, depression and loss of libido.1We undertook a study designed to investigate depression, anxiety and post-operation regret rate in sterilised women referred to health centres in Tabriz, Iran in 2006. The study design was descriptive-analytical. The study participants comprised 300 women in the age range 25–45 years, of whom 150 women were sterilized between 1 and 10 years ago and 150 were a control group of non-sterilised women who used condoms, withdrawal or safe period methods for contraception. The control group was selected by a cluster random sampling method. Fifteen health centres were selected as a cluster from 96 health centres located in Tabriz. Ten women were selected randomly from each health centre using health documents. Women were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were aged between 25 and 45 years at the time of sampling, and if they had no history of psychological disorders and no recent sorrowful events. There were no differences between the two groups as regards the number of children, income or demographic characteristics. The women were contacted by telephone at
their last known address and were asked to complete questionnaires. Data collection was done using Zung’s self-rating depression and anxiety scale in addition to questions about post-sterilisation regret. Data were collected from the subjects anonymously and analysed using SPSS (v. 11.5) statistics software. Analysis employed t-test, Chi-square test and
descriptive statistics. The comparison of the means for depression in the two groups was not significantly different
(p = 0.96), however the mean of anxiety in the case group was remarkably greater than the control group (p = 0.03). Insufficient poststerilisation rest was a significant risk factor for depression and anxiety (p = 0.008 and p = 0.02,
respectively). Requesting information about reversal after tubal sterilisation was 2.7% and the post-sterilisation regret rate was 6%, which was significantly related to women’s conflict with their husbands about the decision-making process
prior to sterilisation (p<0.001). The study findings as regards psychological disorders of sterilisation suggested that women undergoing sterilisation should ensure that they have a good rest after their operation in order to reduce the extent of psychological disorders. Unlike studies undertaken in other countries,2–4 women’s age, parity, marriage duration and the timing of sterilisation was unrelated to the women’s regret in our study. The earlier the sterilisation is carried out, the longer the woman’s remaining period of fertile life and the greater the chances of changes in her marital status and/or
the loss of a child, both circumstances that may lead to a change in the desired family size and expression of regret. In our study, probably one of the reasons why women’s regret did not appear to be significantly related to young age of
sterilisation was the infrequency of divorce or remarriage in our study population. Consistent with our study, Jamieson et al. reported that women who had substantial conflict with their husbands or partners prior to sterilisation were
more than three times as likely to regret their decision and more than five times more likely to request a reversal than women who did not report such conflict.5 In our study, pre-sterilisation counseling was reported by 29.3% of subjects. With respect to personality and adaptability differences in facing the changes, pre-sterilisation counseling and post-sterilisation follow-up systems have an important role to play in women’s psychological and psychosexual health promotion
Pion and kaon physics with improved staggered quarks
We compute pseudoscalar meson masses and decay constants using staggered
quarks on lattices with three flavors of sea quarks and lattice spacings
fm and fm. We fit partially quenched results to
``staggered chiral perturbation theory'' formulae, thereby taking into account
the effects of taste-symmetry violations. Chiral logarithms are observed. From
the fits we calculate and , extract Gasser-Leutwyler parameters of
the chiral Lagrangian, and (modulo rather large perturbative errors) find the
light and strange quark masses.Comment: Lattice2003(spectrum); 3 pages, 1 eps figur
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
Isocurvature forecast in the anthropic axion window
We explore the cosmological sensitivity to the amplitude of isocurvature
fluctuations that would be caused by axions in the "anthropic window" where the
axion decay constant f_a >> 10^12 GeV and the initial misalignment angle
Theta_i << 1. In a minimal Lambda-CDM cosmology extended with subdominant
scale-invariant isocurvature fluctuations, existing data constrain the
isocurvature fraction to alpha < 0.09 at 95% C.L. If no signal shows up, Planck
can improve this constraint to 0.042 while an ultimate CMB probe limited only
by cosmic variance in both temperature and E-polarisation can reach 0.017,
about a factor of five better than the current limit. In the parameter space of
f_a and H_I (Hubble parameter during inflation) we identify a small region
where axion detection remains within the reach of realistic cosmological
probes.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures; v2: matches published versio
Supersymmetric Model of Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment and Neutrino Masses
We propose the novel lepton-number relationship , which
is uniquely realized by the interaction in supersymmetry and may account for a possibly large
muon anomalous magnetic moment. Neutrino masses (with bimaximal mixing) may be
generated from the spontaneous and soft breaking of this lepton symmetry.Comment: 10 pages, including 2 figure
Search for Solar Axions Produced in the Reaction
A search for the axioelectric absorption of 5.5-MeV solar axions produced in
the reaction was performed with
two BGO detectors placed inside a low-background setup. A model independent
limit on axion-photon and axion-nucleon couplings was obtained: . Constraints on the axion-electron
coupling constant were obtained for axions with masses in the MeV
range: . The solar positron flux from
decay was determined for axions with masses . Using the existing experimental data on the interplanetary positron
flux, a new constraint on the axion-electron coupling constant for axions with
masses in the MeV range was obtained: .Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Electronic Structure of Te and As Covered Si(211)
Electronic and atomic structures of the clean, and As and Te covered Si(211)
surface are studied using pseudopotential density functional method. The clean
surface is found to have (2 X 1) and rebonded (1 X 1) reconstructions as stable
surface structures, but no \pi-bonded chain reconstruction. Binding energies of
As and Te adatoms at a number of symmetry sites on the ideal and (2 X 1)
reconstructed surfaces have been calculated because of their importance in the
epitaxial growth of CdTe and other materials on the Si(211) surface. The
special symmetry sites on these surfaces having the highest binding energies
for isolated As and Te adatoms are identified. But more significantly, several
sites are found to be nearly degenerate in binding energy values. This has
important consequences for epitaxial growth processes. Optimal structures
calculated for 0.5 ML of As and Te coverage reveal that the As adatoms dimerize
on the surface while the Te adatoms do not. However, both As and Te covered
surfaces are found to be metallic in nature.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
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