4,702 research outputs found
Shock waves in a one-dimensional Bose gas: from a Bose-Einstein condensate to a Tonks gas
We derive and analyze shock-wave solutions of hydrodynamic equations
describing repulsively interacting one dimensional Bose gas. We also use the
number-conserving Bogolubov approach to verify accuracy of the Gross-Pitaevskii
equation in shock wave problems. We show that quantum corrections to dynamics
of shocks (dark-shock-originated solitons) in a Bose-Einstein condensate are
negligible (important) for a realistic set of system parameters. We point out
possible signatures of a Bose-Einstein condensate -- Tonks crossover in shock
dynamics. Our findings can be directly verified in different experimental
setups.Comment: 10 pages, small corrections with respect to the last submission,
version accepted in Phys. Rev.
A zone of preferential ion heating extends tens of solar radii from Sun
The extreme temperatures and non-thermal nature of the solar corona and solar
wind arise from an unidentified physical mechanism that preferentially heats
certain ion species relative to others. Spectroscopic indicators of unequal
temperatures commence within a fraction of a solar radius above the surface of
the Sun, but the outer reach of this mechanism has yet to be determined. Here
we present an empirical procedure for combining interplanetary solar wind
measurements and a modeled energy equation including Coulomb relaxation to
solve for the typical outer boundary of this zone of preferential heating.
Applied to two decades of observations by the Wind spacecraft, our results are
consistent with preferential heating being active in a zone extending from the
transition region in the lower corona to an outer boundary 20-40 solar radii
from the Sun, producing a steady state super-mass-proportional
-to-proton temperature ratio of . Preferential ion heating
continues far beyond the transition region and is important for the evolution
of both the outer corona and the solar wind. The outer boundary of this zone is
well below the orbits of spacecraft at 1 AU and even closer missions such as
Helios and MESSENGER, meaning it is likely that no existing mission has
directly observed intense preferential heating, just residual signatures. We
predict that {Parker Solar Probe} will be the first spacecraft with a perihelia
sufficiently close to the Sun to pass through the outer boundary, enter the
zone of preferential heating, and directly observe the physical mechanism in
action.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal on 1 August 201
Extended Gravity Theories and the Einstein-Hilbert Action
I discuss the relation between arbitrarily high-order theories of gravity and
scalar-tensor gravity at the level of the field equations and the action. I
show that -order gravity is dynamically equivalent to Brans-Dicke
gravity with an interaction potential for the Brans-Dicke field and further
scalar fields. This scalar-tensor action is then conformally equivalent to the
Einstein-Hilbert action with scalar fields. This clarifies the nature and
extent of the conformal equivalence between extended gravity theories and
general relativity with many scalar fields.Comment: 12 pages, Plain Latex, SUSSEX-AST-93/7-
The radiation environment near the lunar surface: CRaTER observations and Geant4 simulations
[1] At the start of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission in 2009, its Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation instrument measured the radiation environment near the Moon during the recent deep solar minimum, when galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) were at the highest level observed during the space age. We present observations that show the combined effects of GCR primaries, secondary particles (“albedo”) created by the interaction of GCRs with the lunar surface, and the interactions of these particles in the shielding material overlying the silicon solid-state detectors of the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation. We use Geant4 to model the energy and angular distribution of the albedo particles, and to model the response of the sensor to the various particle species reaching the 50 kilometer altitude of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Using simulations to gain insight into the observations, we are able to present preliminary energy-deposit spectra for evaluation of the radiation environment\u27s effects on other sensitive materials, whether biological or electronic, that would be exposed to a similar near-lunar environment
Mucosal Immunity in Toxoplasma Gondii Infection
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that frequently infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals. This parasite induces abortion and establishes both chronic and silent infections, particularly in the brain. Parasite penetration into the host activates a strong anti-parasite immune response. In the present paper, we will discuss the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity that occurs within the infected intestine to clear the parasite and to maintain intestinal homeostasis despite the exacerbation of an inflammatory immune response
On the Canonical Formalism for a Higher-Curvature Gravity
Following the method of Buchbinder and Lyahovich, we carry out a canonical
formalism for a higher-curvature gravity in which the Lagrangian density is given in terms of a function of the salar curvature as . The local Hamiltonian is obtained by a
canonical transformation which interchanges a pair of the generalized
coordinate and its canonical momentum coming from the higher derivative of the
metric.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, Latex fil
Some Trends in College Physics and Their Reflections on High School Physics
We are much struck with the desirable results that follow from introducing brief discussions of modern physics topics during the course of ordinary, relatively routine first courses in physics for college freshmen and sophomores. We propose in this paper that teachers of secondary physics courses might well also consider the incorporation of such discussions into their courses
Quantum Cosmology for a Quadratic Theory of Gravity
For pure fourth order () quantum cosmology the
Wheeler-DeWitt equation is solved exactly for the closed homogeneous and
isotropic model. It is shown that by imposing as boundary condition that at the origin of the universe the wave functions behave as suggested by
Vilenkin.Comment: 13 pages, latex,no figure
A Majority of Solar Wind Intervals Support Ion-Driven Instabilities
We perform a statistical assessment of solar wind stability at 1 AU against
ion sources of free energy using Nyquist's instability criterion. In contrast
to typically employed threshold models which consider a single free-energy
source, this method includes the effects of proton and He temperature
anisotropy with respect to the background magnetic field as well as relative
drifts between the proton core, proton beam, and He components on
stability. Of 309 randomly selected spectra from the Wind spacecraft,
are unstable when the ion components are modeled as drifting bi-Maxwellians;
only of the spectra are unstable to long-wavelength instabilities. A
majority of the instabilities occur for spectra where a proton beam is
resolved. Nearly all observed instabilities have growth rates slower
than instrumental and ion-kinetic-scale timescales. Unstable spectra are
associated with relatively-large He drift speeds and/or a departure of
the core proton temperature from isotropy; other parametric dependencies of
unstable spectra are also identified.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted in Physical Review Letters;
fixed typos in version
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