22,213 research outputs found
Tachyon Defect Formation and Reheating in Brane-Antibrane Inflation
We study analytically the dynamical formation of lower dimensional branes at
the endpoint of brane-antibrane inflation through the condensation of
topological defects of the tachyon field which describes the instability of the
initial state. We then use this information to quantify the efficiency of the
reheating which is due to the coupling of time dependent tachyon background to
massless gauge fields which will be localized on the final state branes. We
improve upon previous estimates indicating that this can be an efficient
reheating mechanism for observers on the brane.Comment: 9 pages. Talk given at the 26th annual
Montreal-Rochester-Syracuse-Toronto Conference on High-Energy Physics: MRST
200
False memory ≠false memory: DRM errors are unrelated to the misinformation effect
The DRM method has proved to be a popular and powerful, if controversial, way to study 'false memories'. One reason for the controversy is that the extent to which the DRM effect generalises to other kinds of memory error has been neither satisfactorily established nor subject to much empirical attention. In the present paper we contribute data to this ongoing debate. One hundred and twenty participants took part in a standard misinformation effect experiment, in which they watched some CCTV footage, were exposed to misleading post-event information about events depicted in the footage, and then completed free recall and recognition tests. Participants also completed a DRM test as an ostensibly unrelated filler task. Despite obtaining robust misinformation and DRM effects, there were no correlations between a broad range of misinformation and DRM effect measures (mean r  = -.01). This was not due to reliability issues with our measures or a lack of power. Thus DRM 'false memories' and misinformation effect 'false memories' do not appear to be equivalent
The curatorial consequences of being moved, moveable or portable: the case of carved stones
It matters whether a carved stone is moved, moveable or portable. This influences perceptions of significance and of form and nature – is it a monument or an artefact? This duality may in turn affect understanding and appreciation of the resource. It has implications for how and if carved stones can be legally protected, who owns them, where and how they are administered, and by whom. The complexities of the legislation mean that all too often this is also a grey area. This paper explores these curatorial issues and their impact
GRO J1744-28, search for the counterpart: infrared photometry and spectroscopy
Using VLT/ISAAC, we detected 2 candidate counterparts to the bursting pulsar
GRO J1744-28, one bright and one faint, within the X-ray error circles of
XMM-Newton and Chandra. In determining the spectral types of the counterparts
we applied 3 different extinction corrections; one for an all-sky value, one
for a Galactic Bulge value and one for a local value. We find the local value,
with an extinction law of alpha = 3.23 +- 0.01 is the only correction that
results in colours and magnitudes for both bright and faint counterparts
consistent with a small range of spectral types, and for the bright
counterpart, consistent with the spectroscopic identification. Photometry of
the faint candidate indicates it is a K7/M0 V star at a distance of 3.75 +- 1
kpc. This star would require a very low inclination angle (i < 9deg) to satisfy
the mass function constraints; however it cannot be excluded as the counterpart
without follow-up spectroscopy to detect emission signatures of accretion.
Photometry and spectroscopy of the bright candidate indicate it is most likely
a G/K III star. The spectrum does not show Br-gamma emission, a known indicator
of accretion. The bright star's magnitudes are in agreement with the
constraints placed on a probable counterpart by the calculations of Rappaport &
Joss (1997) for an evolved star that has had its envelope stripped. The mass
function indicates the counterpart should have M < 0.3 Msol for an inclination
of i >= 15deg; a stripped giant, or a main sequence M3+ V star are consistent
with this mass-function constraint. In both cases mass-transfer, if present,
will be by wind-accretion as the counterpart will not fill its Roche lobe given
the observed orbital period. The derived magnetic field of 2.4 x 10^{11} G will
inhibit accretion by the propeller effect, hence its quiescent state.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 4 table, MNRAS accepted Changes to the content
and an increased analysis of the Galactic centre extinctio
Water-propellant resistojets for man-tended platforms
The selection of a propulsion system for a man-tended platform has been influenced by the planned use of resistojets for drag make-up on the manned space station. For that application a resistojet has been designed that is capable of operation with a wide variety of propellants, including water. The reasons for the selection of water as the propellant and the performance of water as a propellant are discussed. The man-tended platform and its mission requirements are described
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