1,555 research outputs found
Lifshitz/Schr\"odinger D-p-branes and dynamical exponents
We extend our earlier study of special double limits of `boosted'
black hole solutions to include all black D-branes of type II strings. We
find that Lifshitz solutions can be obtained in generality, with varied
dynamical exponents, by employing these limits. We then study such double
limits for `boosted' D-brane bubble solutions and find that the resulting
non-relativistic solutions instead describe Schr\"odinger like spacetimes,
having varied dynamical exponents. We get a simple map between these Lifshitz &
Schr\"odinger solutions and a relationship between two types of dynamical
exponents. We also discuss about the singularities of the Lifshitz solutions
and an intriguing thermodynamic duality.Comment: 20 pages; 3 figures; v3: similar to JHE
Vortex detection and quantum transport in mesoscopic graphene Josephson-junction arrays
We investigate mesoscopic Josephson junction arrays created by patterning
superconducting disks on monolayer graphene, concentrating on the high-
regime of these devices and the phenomena which contribute to the
superconducting glass state in diffusive arrays. We observe features in the
magnetoconductance at rational fractions of flux quanta per array unit cell,
which we attribute to the formation of flux-quantized vortices. The applied
fields at which the features occur are well described by Ginzburg-Landau
simulations that take into account the number of unit cells in the array. We
find that the mean conductance and universal conductance fluctuations are both
enhanced below the critical temperature and field of the superconductor, with
greater enhancement away from the graphene Dirac point.This work was financially supported by the Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research Council,
and an NPL/EPSRC Joint Postdoctoral Partnership
(RG61493).This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.245418
Radio pulsar populations
The goal of this article is to summarize the current state of play in the
field of radio pulsar statistics. Simply put, from the observed sample of
objects from a variety of surveys with different telescopes, we wish to infer
the properties of the underlying sample and to connect these with other
astrophysical populations (for example supernova remnants or X-ray binaries).
The main problem we need to tackle is the fact that, like many areas of
science, the observed populations are often heavily biased by a variety of
selection effects. After a review of the main effects relevant to radio
pulsars, I discuss techniques to correct for them and summarize some of the
most recent results. Perhaps the main point I would like to make in this
article is that current models to describe the population are far from complete
and often suffer from strong covariances between input parameters. That said,
there are a number of very interesting conclusions that can be made concerning
the evolution of neutron stars based on current data. While the focus of this
review will be on the population of isolated Galactic pulsars, I will also
briefly comment on millisecond and binary pulsars as well as the pulsar content
of globular clusters and the Magellanic Clouds.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Proceedings of ICREA Workshop on
The High-Energy Emission from Pulsars and their Systems, Sant Cugat, Spain,
2010 April 12-16 (Springer
Accretion Disks Around Black Holes: Twenty Five Years Later
We study the progress of the theory of accretion disks around black holes in
last twenty five years and explain why advective disks are the best bet in
explaining varied stationary and non-stationary observations from black hole
candidates. We show also that the recently proposed advection dominated flows
are incorrect.Comment: 30 Latex pages including figures. Kluwer Style files included.
Appearing in `Observational Evidence for Black Holes in the Universe', ed.
Sandip K. Chakrabarti, Kluwer Academic Publishers (DORDRECHT: Holland
Ultrahard carbon film from epitaxial two-layer graphene
Atomically thin graphene exhibits fascinating mechanical properties, although
its hardness and transverse stiffness are inferior to those of diamond. To
date, there hasn't been any practical demonstration of the transformation of
multi-layer graphene into diamond-like ultra-hard structures. Here we show that
at room temperature and after nano-indentation, two-layer graphene on SiC(0001)
exhibits a transverse stiffness and hardness comparable to diamond, resisting
to perforation with a diamond indenter, and showing a reversible drop in
electrical conductivity upon indentation. Density functional theory
calculations suggest that upon compression, the two-layer graphene film
transforms into a diamond-like film, producing both elastic deformations and
sp2-to-sp3 chemical changes. Experiments and calculations show that this
reversible phase change is not observed for a single buffer layer on SiC or
graphene films thicker than 3 to 5 layers. Indeed, calculations show that
whereas in two-layer graphene layer-stacking configuration controls the
conformation of the diamond-like film, in a multilayer film it hinders the
phase transformation.Comment: Published online on Nature Nanotechnology on December 18, 201
Lifshitz spacetimes from AdS null and cosmological solutions
We describe solutions of 10-dimensional supergravity comprising null
deformations of with a scalar field, which have
Lifshitz symmetries. The bulk Lifshitz geometry in 3+1-dimensions arises by
dimensional reduction of these solutions. The dual field theory in this case is
a deformation of the N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. We discuss the holographic
2-point function of operators dual to bulk scalars. We further describe
time-dependent (cosmological) solutions which have anisotropic Lifshitz scaling
symmetries. We also discuss deformations of in 11-dimensional
supergravity, which are somewhat similar to the solutions above. In some cases
here, we expect the field theory duals to be deformations of the Chern-Simons
theories on M2-branes stacked at singularities.Comment: Latex, 29pgs, v3. references, minor clarifications (subsection on
Lifshitz geometry seen by scalar probes) added, to appear in JHE
Holographic Fermi and Non-Fermi Liquids with Transitions in Dilaton Gravity
We study the two-point function for fermionic operators in a class of
strongly coupled systems using the gauge-gravity correspondence. The gravity
description includes a gauge field and a dilaton which determines the gauge
coupling and the potential energy. Extremal black brane solutions in this
system typically have vanishing entropy. By analyzing a charged fermion in
these extremal black brane backgrounds we calculate the two-point function of
the corresponding boundary fermionic operator. We find that in some region of
parameter space it is of Fermi liquid type. Outside this region no well-defined
quasi-particles exist, with the excitations acquiring a non-vanishing width at
zero frequency. At the transition, the two-point function can exhibit non-Fermi
liquid behaviour.Comment: 52 pages, 6 figures. v3: Appendix F added showing numerical
interpolation between the near-horizon region and AdS4. Additional minor
comments also adde
Vulval elephantiasis as a result of tubercular lymphadenitis: two case reports and a review of the literature
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Elephantiasis as a result of chronic lymphedema is characterized by gross enlargement of the arms, legs or genitalia, and occurs due to a variety of obstructive diseases of the lymphatic system. Genital elephantiasis usually follows common filariasis and lymphogranuloma venereum. It may follow granuloma inguinale, carcinomas, lymph node dissection or irradiation and tuberculosis but this happens rarely. Vulval elephantiasis as a consequence of extensive lymph node destruction by tuberculosis is very rare. We present two very unusual cases of vulval elephantiasis due to tuberculous destruction of the inguinal lymph nodes.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Two Indian women - one aged 40 years and the other aged 27 years, with progressively increasing vulval swellings over a period of five and four years respectively - presented to our hospital. In both cases, there was a significant history on presentation. Both women had previously taken a complete course of anti-tubercular treatment for generalized lymphadenopathy. The vulval swellings were extremely large: in the first case report, measuring 35 Ă— 25 cm on the right side and 45 Ă— 30 cm on the left side, weighing 20 lb and 16 lb respectively. Both cases were managed by surgical excision with reconstruction and the outcome was positive. Satisfactory results have been maintained during a follow-up period of six years in both cases.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Elephantiasis of the female genitalia is unusual and it has rarely been reported following tuberculosis. We report two cases of vulval elephantiasis as a consequence of extensive lymph node destruction by tuberculosis, in order to highlight this very rare clinical scenario.</p
BPS Spectrum, Indices and Wall Crossing in N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theories
BPS states in N=4 supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theories in four dimensions can
be represented as planar string networks with ends lying on D3-branes. We
introduce several protected indices which capture information on the spectrum
and various quantum numbers of these states, give their wall crossing formula
and describe how using the wall crossing formula we can compute all the indices
at all points in the moduli space.Comment: LaTeX file, 33 pages, 15 figure
Informing patients of familial diabetes mellitus risk: How do they respond? A cross-sectional survey
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A strong family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) confers increased DM risk. This survey analysis determined whether patients who were informed by their doctors of familial DM risk acknowledged that risk and took steps to reduce it.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted an analysis of the National <it>Health Styles 2004 </it>mail survey. All non-diabetic participants who responded to the question of whether their doctor had or had not informed them of their familial DM risk (<it>n </it>= 3,323) were compared for their risk-reducing behaviour and attitude to DM risk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Forty-one percent (<it>n </it>= 616) of the question responders that had DM family histories were informed by their doctors of their familial risk; the chance of being informed increased with the number of relatives that had the disease. Members of the informed group were more likely than those in the non-informed group to report lifestyle changes to prevent DM (odds ratio [OR] 4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5–5.2) and being tested for DM (OR 2.9, 95% CI 2.4–3.6), although no significant improvement occurred in their U.S.-recommended exercise activity (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7–1.1). Overall, informed responders recognised both their familial and personal DM risk; most discussed diabetes with their family (69%), though less so with friends (42%); however, 44% of them still did not consider themselves to be at risk.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Responders who were informed by their doctors of being at familial DM risk reported greater incidences of lifestyle changes, DM screening, and awareness of risk than non-informed responders. Doctors were more likely to inform patients with stronger DM family histories. Identifying this higher risk group, either in isolation or in combination with other recognised risk factors, offers doctors the opportunity to target limited health promotion resources efficiently for primary DM prevention.</p
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