790 research outputs found
Separability of Rotational Effects on a Gravitational Lens
We derive the deflection angle up to due to a Kerr gravitational
lens with mass and specific angular momentum . It is known that at the
linear order in and the Kerr lens is observationally equivalent to the
Schwarzschild one because of the invariance under the global translation of the
center of the lens mass. We show, however, nonlinear couplings break the
degeneracy so that the rotational effect becomes in principle separable for
multiple images of a single source. Furthermore, it is distinguishable also for
each image of an extended source and/or a point source in orbital motion. In
practice, the correction at becomes for the
supermassive black hole in our galactic center. Hence, these nonlinear
gravitational lensing effects are too small to detect by near-future
observations.Comment: 12 pages (RevTeX); accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
The normative underpinnings of population-level alcohol use: An individual-level simulation model
Background. By defining what is “normal,” appropriate, expected, and unacceptable, social norms shape human behavior. However, the individual-level mechanisms through which social norms impact population-level trends in health-relevant behaviors are not well understood. Aims. To test the ability of social norms mechanisms to predict changes in population-level drinking patterns. Method. An individual-level model was developed to simulate dynamic normative mechanisms and behavioral rules underlying drinking behavior over time. The model encompassed descriptive and injunctive drinking norms and their impact on frequency and quantity of alcohol use. A microsynthesis initialized in 1979 was used as a demographically representative synthetic U.S. population. Three experiments were performed in order to test the modelled normative mechanisms. Results. Overall, the experiments showed limited influence of normative interventions on population-level alcohol use. An increase in the desire to drink led to the most meaningful changes in the population’s drinking behavior. The findings of the experiments underline the importance of autonomy, that is, the degree to which an individual is susceptible to normative influence. Conclusion. The model was able to predict theoretically plausible changes in drinking patterns at the population level through the impact of social mechanisms. Future applications of the model could be used to plan norms interventions pertaining to alcohol use as well as other health behaviors
Binary Collisions and the Slingshot Effect
We derive the equations for the gravity assist manoeuvre in the general 2D
case without the constraints of circular planetary orbits or widely different
masses as assumed by Broucke, and obtain the slingshot conditions and maximum
energy gain for arbitrary mass ratios of two colliding rigid bodies. Using the
geometric view developed in an earlier paper by the authors the possible
trajectories are computed for both attractive or repulsive interactions
yielding a further insight on the slingshot mechanics and its parametrization.
The general slingshot manoeuvre for arbitrary masses is explained as a
particular case of the possible outcomes of attractive or repulsive binary
collisions, and the correlation between asymptotic information and orbital
parameters is obtained in general.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication Dec'07, Celestial
Mechanics and Dynamical Astronom
Protecting the conformal symmetry via bulk renormalization on Anti deSitter space
The problem of perturbative breakdown of conformal symmetry can be avoided,
if a conformally covariant quantum field phi on d-dimensional Minkowski
spacetime is viewed as the boundary limit of a quantum field Phi on
d+1-dimensional anti-deSitter spacetime (AdS). We study the boundary limit in
renormalized perturbation theory with polynomial interactions in AdS, and point
out the differences as compared to renormalization directly on the boundary. In
particular, provided the limit exists, there is no conformal anomaly. We
compute explicitly the "fish diagram" on AdS_4 by differential renormalization,
and calculate the anomalous dimension of the composite boundary field phi^2
with bulk interaction Phi^4.Comment: 40 page
On the algorithmic construction of classifying spaces and the isomorphism problem for biautomatic groups
We show that the isomorphism problem is solvable in the class of central
extensions of word-hyperbolic groups, and that the isomorphism problem for
biautomatic groups reduces to that for biautomatic groups with finite centre.
We describe an algorithm that, given an arbitrary finite presentation of an
automatic group , will construct explicit finite models for the skeleta
of and hence compute the integral homology and cohomology of
.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure
A bacterial-based algorithm to simulate complex adaptive systems
Following a bacterial-based modeling approach, we want to model and analyze the impact of both decentralization and heterogeneity on group behavior and collective learning. Inspired by bacterial conjugation, we have defined an artificial society in which agents' strategies adapt to changes in resources location, allowing migration and survival in a dynamic sugarscape-like scenario. To study the impact of these variables we have simulated a scenario in which resources are limited and localized. We also have defined three constraints in genetic information processing (inhibition of plasmid conjugation, inhibition of plasmid reproduction and inhibition of plasmid mutation). Our results affirmed the hypothesis that efficiency of group adaptation to dynamic environments is better when societies are varied and distributed than when they are homogeneous and centralized
Fuchsian convex bodies: basics of Brunn--Minkowski theory
The hyperbolic space \H^d can be defined as a pseudo-sphere in the
Minkowski space-time. In this paper, a Fuchsian group is a group of
linear isometries of the Minkowski space such that \H^d/\Gamma is a compact
manifold. We introduce Fuchsian convex bodies, which are closed convex sets in
Minkowski space, globally invariant for the action of a Fuchsian group. A
volume can be associated to each Fuchsian convex body, and, if the group is
fixed, Minkowski addition behaves well. Then Fuchsian convex bodies can be
studied in the same manner as convex bodies of Euclidean space in the classical
Brunn--Minkowski theory. For example, support functions can be defined, as
functions on a compact hyperbolic manifold instead of the sphere.
The main result is the convexity of the associated volume (it is log concave
in the classical setting). This implies analogs of Alexandrov--Fenchel and
Brunn--Minkowski inequalities. Here the inequalities are reversed
Dynamic Scaling and Two-Dimensional High-Tc Superconductors
There has been ongoing debate over the critical behavior of two-dimensional
superconductors; in particular for high Tc superconductors. The conventional
view is that a Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition occurs as long as
finite size effects do not obscure the transition. However, there have been
recent suggestions that a different transition actually occurs which
incorporates aspects of both the dynamic scaling theory of Fisher, Fisher, and
Huse and the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition. Of general interest is
that this modified transition apparently has a universal dynamic critical
exponent. Some have countered that this apparent universal behavior is rooted
in a newly proposed finite-size scaling theory; one that also incorporates
scaling and conventional two-dimensional theory. To investigate these issues we
study DC voltage versus current data of a 12 angstrom thick YBCO film. We find
that the newly proposed scaling theories have intrinsic flexibility that is
relevant to the analysis of the experiments. In particular, the data scale
according to the modified transition for arbitrarily defined critical
temperatures between 0 K and 19.5 K, and the temperature range of a successful
scaling collapse is related directly to the sensitivity of the measurement.
This implies that the apparent universal exponent is due to the intrinsic
flexibility rather than some real physical property. To address this intrinsic
flexibility, we propose a criterion which would give conclusive evidence for
phase transitions in two-dimensional superconductors. We conclude by reviewing
results to see if our criterion is satisfied.Comment: 14 page
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