1,957 research outputs found
A Density Spike on Astrophysical Scales from an N-Field Waterfall Transition
Hybrid inflation models are especially interesting as they lead to a spike in
the density power spectrum on small scales, compared to the CMB, while also
satisfying current bounds on tensor modes. Here we study hybrid inflation with
waterfall fields sharing a global symmetry. The inclusion of many
waterfall fields has the obvious advantage of avoiding topologically stable
defects for . We find that it also has another advantage: it is easier to
engineer models that can simultaneously (i) be compatible with constraints on
the primordial spectral index, which tends to otherwise disfavor hybrid models,
and (ii) produce a spike on astrophysically large length scales. The latter may
have significant consequences, possibly seeding the formation of
astrophysically large black holes. We calculate correlation functions of the
time-delay, a measure of density perturbations, produced by the waterfall
fields, as a convergent power series in both and the field's correlation
function . We show that for large , the two-point function is
and the
three-point function is .
In accordance with the central limit theorem, the density perturbations on the
scale of the spike are Gaussian for large and non-Gaussian for small .Comment: 15 pages in double column format, 6 figures. V2: Further
clarifications, updated to coincide with version published in Physics Letters
Hysteresis in the de Haas-van Alphen Effect
A hysteresis loop is observed for the first time in the de Haas-van Alphen
(dHvA) effect of beryllium at low temperatures and quantizing magnetic field
applied parallel to the hexagonal axis of the single crystal. The irreversible
behavior of the magnetization occurs at the paramagnetic part of the dHvA
period in conditions of Condon domain formation arising by strong enough dHvA
amplitude. The resulting extremely nonlinear response to a very small
modulation field offers the possibility to find in a simple way the Condon
domain phase diagram. From a harmonic analysis, the shape and size of the
hysteresis loop is constructed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR
Direct Observation of Condon Domains in Silver by Hall Probes
Using a set of micro Hall probes for the detection of the local induction,
the inhomogeneous Condon domain structure has been directly observed at the
surface of a pure silver single crystal under strong Landau quantization in
magnetic fields up to 10 T. The inhomogeneous induction occurs in the
theoretically predicted part of the H-T Condon domain phase diagram.
Information about size, shape and orientation of the domains is obtained by
analyzing Hall probes placed along and across the long sample axis and by
tilting the sample. On a beryllium surface the induction inhomogeneity is
almost absent although the expected induction splitting here is at least ten
times higher than in silver.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PR
Model atmospheres and X-ray spectra of iron-rich bursting neutron stars. II. Iron rich Comptonized Spectra
This paper presents the set of plane-parallel model atmosphere equations for
a very hot neutron star (X-ray burst source). The model equations assume both
hydrostatic and radiative equilibrium, and the equation of state of an ideal
gas in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The equation of radiative
transfer includes terms describing Compton scattering of photons on free
electrons in fully relativistic thermal motion, for photon energies approaching
m_e *c^2. Model equations take into account many bound-free and free-free
energy-dependent opacities of hydrogen, helium, and the iron ions, and also a
dozen bound-bound opacities for the highest ions of iron. We solve model
equations by partial linearisation and the technique of variable Eddington
factors. Large grid of H-He-Fe model atmospheres of X-ray burst sources has
been computed for 10^7 < T_eff < 3*10^7 K, a wide range of surface gravity, and
various iron abundances. We demonstrate that the spectra of X-ray bursters with
iron present in the accreting matter differ significantly from pure H-He
spectra (published in an earlier paper), and also from blackbody spectra.
Comptonized spectra with significant iron abundance are generally closer to
blackbody spectra than spectra of H-He atmospheres. The ratio of color to
effective temperatures in our grid always remains in the range 1.2 < T_c/T_eff
< 1.85. The present grid of model atmospheres and theoretical X-ray spectra
will be used to determine the effective temperatures, radii and M/R ratios of
bursting neutron stars from observational data.Comment: A&A in prin
DAzLE: The Dark Ages z (redshift) Lyman-alpha Explorer
DAzLE is an near infrared narrowband differential imager being built by the
Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, in collaboration with the Anglo-Australian
observatory. It is a special purpose instrument designed with a sole aim; the
detection of redshifted Lyman-alpha emission from star forming galaxies at z>7.
DAzLE will use pairs of high resolution (R=1000) narrowband filters to exploit
low background `windows' in the near infrared sky emission spectrum. This will
enable it to reach sensitivities of ~2E-21 W/m^2, thereby allowing the
detection of z>7 galaxies with star formation rates as low as a few solar
masses per year. The design of the instrument, and in particular the crucial
narrowband filters, are presented. The predicted performance of DAzLE,
including the sensitivity, volume coverage and expected number counts, is
discussed. The current status of the DAzLE project, and its projected timeline,
are also presented.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5492,
Ground-based Instrumentation for Astronom
Multilevel analysis of nuclear dynamics in lamin perturbed fibroblasts
The nuclear lamina provides structural support to the nucleus and has a central role in defining nuclear organization. Defects in its filamentous constituents, the lamins, lead to a class of diseases collectively referred to as laminopathies. On the cellular level, lamin mutations affect the physical integrity of nuclei and nucleo-cytoskeletal interactions, resulting in increased susceptibility to mechanical stress and altered gene expression [1]. Most studies regarding the mechanical properties of the nucleus in laminopathic conditions are based on the induction of extracellular stress, such as strain or compression, and focus on nuclear integrity and/or nucleo-cytoskeletal interaction [2]. Far less is known about the role of nuclear organization and mobility under basal steady-state conditions.
In this study, we quantitatively compared nuclear organization, nuclear deformation and chromatin mobility of fibroblasts from a Hutchinson-Gilford progeria patient with cells from a lamin A/C-deficient patient and wild-type dermal fibroblasts. To this end, we created a toolbox in imageJ for automatically analyzing both nuclear as well as subnuclear dynamics in living cells. Simultaneously, we developed a workflow for comparing cellular morphology and subcellular protein distribution in a high content fashion.
We found that the absence of functional lamin A/C leads to increased nuclear plasticity on the hour and minute time scale but also to increased intranuclear mobility down to the seconds time scale. In contrast, progeria cells showed overall reduced nuclear dynamics. In addition, high content analysis revealed marked morphological and topological differences between different culture passages within a cell type and between different pathological variants of culture-age matched laminopathic cell types
The centrifugal force reversal and X-ray bursts
Heyl (2000) made an interesting suggestion that the observed shifts in QPO
frequency in type I X-ray bursts could be influenced by the same geometrical
effect of strong gravity as the one that causes centrifugal force reversal
discovered by Abramowicz and Lasota (1974). However, his main result contains a
sign error. Here we derive the correct formula and conclude that constraints on
the M(R) relation for neutron stars deduced from the rotational-modulation
model of QPO frequency shifts are of no practical interest because the correct
formula implies a weak condition R* > 1.3 Rs, where Rs is the Schwarzschild
radius. We also argue against the relevance of the rotational-modulation model
to the observed frequency modulations.Comment: 3 pages, Minor revisions, A&A Letters, in pres
Condon Domain Phase Diagram for Silver
We present the Condon domain phase diagram for a silver single crystal
measured in magnetic fields up to 28 T and temperatures down to 1.3 K. A
standard ac method with a pickup coil system is used at low frequency for the
measurements of the de Haas-van Alphen effect (dHvA). The transition point from
the state of homogeneous magnetization to the inhomogeneous Condon domain state
(CDS) is found as the point where a small irreversibility in the dHvA
magnetization arises, as manifested by an extremely nonlinear response in the
pickup voltage showing threshold character. The third harmonic content in the
ac response is used to determine with high precision the CDS phase boundary.
The experimentally determined Condon domain phase diagram is in good agreement
with the theoretical prediction calculated by the standard Lifshitz-Kosevich
(LK) formula
- …