11,132 research outputs found
Decoherence of Macroscopic Closed Systems within Newtonian Quantum Gravity
A theory recently proposed by the author aims to explain decoherence and the
thermodynamical behaviour of closed systems within a conservative, unitary,
framework for quantum gravity by assuming that the operators tied to the
gravitational degrees of freedom are unobservable and equating physical entropy
with matter-gravity entanglement entropy. Here we obtain preliminary results on
the extent of decoherence this theory predicts. We treat first a static state
which, if one were to ignore quantum gravitational effects, would be a quantum
superposition of two spatially displaced states of a single classically well
describable ball of uniform mass density in empty space. Estimating the quantum
gravitational effects on this system within a simple Newtonian approximation,
we obtain formulae which predict e.g. that as long as the mass of the ball is
considerably larger than the Planck mass, such a would-be-coherent static
superposition will actually be decohered whenever the separation of the centres
of mass of the two ball-states excedes a small fraction (which decreases as the
mass of the ball increases) of the ball radius. We then obtain a formula for
the quantum gravitational correction to the would-be-pure density matrix of a
non-relativistic many-body Schroedinger wave function and argue that this
formula predicts decoherence between configurations which differ (at least) in
the "relocation" of a cluster of particles of Planck mass. We estimate the
entropy of some simple model closed systems, finding a tendency for it to
increase with "matter-clumping" suggestive of a link with existing
phenomenological discussions of cosmological entropy increase.Comment: 11 pages, plain TeX, no figures. Accepted for publication as a
"Letter to the Editor" in "Classical and Quantum Gravity
A Note on Hartle-Hawking Vacua
The purpose of this note is to establish the basic properties--- regularity
at the horizon, time independence, and thermality--- of the generalized
Hartle-Hawking vacua defined in static spacetimes with bifurcate Killing
horizon admitting a regular Euclidean section. These states, for free or
interacting fields, are defined by a path integral on half the Euclidean
section. The emphasis is on generality and the arguments are simple but formal.Comment: 5 pages, LaTe
Distributional Modes for Scalar Field Quantization
We propose a mode-sum formalism for the quantization of the scalar field
based on distributional modes, which are naturally associated with a slight
modification of the standard plane-wave modes. We show that this formalism
leads to the standard Rindler temperature result, and that these modes can be
canonically defined on any Cauchy surface.Comment: 15 pages, RevTe
Historical-institutionalist perspectives on the development of the EU budget system
The EU budget has only recently started to feature in theories of European integration. Studies typically adopt a historical-institutionalist framework, exploring notions such as path dependency. They have, however, generally been rather aggregated, or coarse-grained, in their approach. The EU budget has thus been treated as a single entity rather than a series of inter-linked institutions. This paper seeks to address these lacunae by adopting a fine-grained approach. This enables us to emphasize the connections that exist between EU budgetary institutions, in both time and space. We show that the initial set of budgetary institutions was unable, over time, to achieve consistently their treaty-based objectives. In response, rather than reform these institutions at potentially high political cost, additional institutions were layered on top of the extant structures. We thus demonstrate how some EU budgetary institutions have remained unchanged, whilst others have been added or changed over time
Visual subcircuit-specific dysfunction and input-specific mispatterning in the superior colliculus of fragile X mice
Abstract
Background
Sensory processing deficits are frequently co-morbid with neurodevelopmental disorders. For example, patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS), caused by a silencing of the FMR1 gene, exhibit impairments in visual function specific to the dorsal system, which processes motion information. However, the developmental and circuit mechanisms underlying this deficit remain unclear. Recently, the superior colliculus (SC), a midbrain structure regulating head and eye movements, has emerged as a model for dissecting visual circuit development and function. Previous studies have demonstrated a critical role for activity-dependent processes in the development of visual circuitry in the SC. Based on the known role of the FMR1 gene product in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, we explored the function and organization of visual circuits in the SC of a mouse model of FXS (Fmr1−/y).
Methods
We utilized in vivo extracellular electrophysiology in combination with computer-controlled visual stimuli to determine the receptive field properties of visual neurons in the SC of control and Fmr1−/y mice. In addition, we utilized anatomical tracing methods to assess the organization of visual inputs to the SC and along the retinogeniculocortical pathway.
Results
Receptive fields of visual neurons in the SC of Fmr1−/y mice were significantly larger than those found in control animals, though their shape and structure were unaffected. Further, selectivity for direction of movement was decreased, while selectivity to axis of movement was unchanged. Interestingly, axis-selective (AS) neurons exhibited a specific hyperexcitability in comparison to AS neurons in control SC and to direction-selective (DS) neurons in both control and Fmr1−/y SC. Anatomical tracings revealed that retinocollicular, retinogeniculate, and geniculocortical projections were normally organized in the absence of Fmr1. However, projections from primary visual cortex (V1) to the SC were poorly refined.
Conclusions
Fmr1 is required for the proper development of visual circuit organization and function in the SC. We find that visual dysfunction is heterogeneously manifested in a subcircuit-specific manner in Fmr1−/y mice, consistent with previous studies in human FXS patients. Further, we show a specific alteration of inputs to the SC from V1, but not the retina. Together, these data suggest that Fmr1 may function in distinct ways during the development of different visual subcircuits.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144523/1/11689_2018_Article_9241.pd
The thermal and two-particle stress-energy must be ill-defined on the 2-d Misner space chronology horizon
We show that an analogue of the (four dimensional) image sum method can be
used to reproduce the results, due to Krasnikov, that for the model of a real
massless scalar field on the initial globally hyperbolic region IGH of
two-dimensional Misner space there exist two-particle and thermal Hadamard
states (built on the conformal vacuum) such that the (expectation value of the
renormalised) stress-energy tensor in these states vanishes on IGH. However, we
shall prove that the conclusions of a general theorem by Kay, Radzikowski and
Wald still apply for these states. That is, in any of these states, for any
point b on the Cauchy horizon and any neighbourhood N of b, there exists at
least one pair of non-null related points (x,x'), with x and x' in the
intersection of IGH with N, such that (a suitably differentiated form of) its
two-point function is singular. (We prove this by showing that the two-point
functions of these states share the same singularities as the conformal vacuum
on which they are built.) In other words, the stress-energy tensor in any of
these states is necessarily ill-defined on the Cauchy horizon.Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX, RevTeX, no figure
Quantum field theory and time machines
We analyze the "F-locality condition" (proposed by Kay to be a mathematical
implementation of a philosophical bias related to the equivalence principle, we
call it the "GH-equivalence principle"), which is often used to build a
generalization of quantum field theory to non-globally hyperbolic spacetimes.
In particular we argue that the theorem proved by Kay, Radzikowski, and Wald to
the effect that time machines with compactly generated Cauchy horizons are
incompatible with the F-locality condition actually does not support the
"chronology protection conjecture", but rather testifies that the F-locality
condition must be modified or abandoned. We also show that this condition
imposes a severe restriction on the geometry of the world (it is just this
restriction that comes into conflict with the existence of a time machine),
which does not follow from the above mentioned philosophical bias. So, one need
not sacrifice the GH-equivalence principle to "emend" the F-locality condition.
As an example we consider a particular modification, the "MF-locality
condition". The theory obtained by replacing the F-locality condition with the
MF-locality condition possesses a few attractive features. One of them is that
it is consistent with both locality and the existence of time machines.Comment: Revtex, 14 pages, 1 .ps figure. To appear in Phys. Rev. D More
detailed discussion is given on the MF-locality condition. Minor corrections
in terminolog
Targeting Mr Average: Participation, gender equity and school sport partnerships
The School Sport Partnership Programme (SSPP) is one strand of the national strategy for physical education and school sport in England, the physical education and school sport Club Links Strategy (PESSCL). The SSPP aims to make links between school physical education (PE) and out of school sports participation, and has a particular remit to raise the participation levels of several identified under-represented groups, of which girls and young women are one. National evaluations of the SSPP show that it is beginning to have positive impacts on young people's activity levels by increasing the range and provision of extra curricular activities (Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), 2003, 2004, 2005; Loughborough Partnership, 2005, 2006). This paper contributes to the developing picture of the phased implementation of the programme by providing qualitative insights into the work of one school sport partnership with a particular focus on gender equity. The paper explores the ways in which gender equity issues have been explicitly addressed within the 'official texts' of the SSPP; how these have shifted over time and how teachers are responding to and making sense of these in their daily practice. Using participation observation, interview and questionnaire data, the paper explores how the coordinators are addressing the challenge of increasing the participation of girls and young women. The paper draws on Walby's (2000) conceptualisation of different kinds of feminist praxis to highlight the limitations of the coordinators' work. Two key themes from the data and their implications are addressed: the dominance of competitive sport practices and the PE professionals' views of targeting as a strategy for increasing the participation of under-represented groups. The paper concludes that coordinators work within an equality or difference discourse with little evidence of the transformative praxis needed for the programme to be truly inclusive. © 2008 Taylor & Francis
Clinician-targeted interventions to reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections in primary care:An overview of systematic reviews
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To systematically review the literature and appraise the existing evidence from systematic reviews regarding the effects of interventions, aimed at changing clinician behaviour, to reduce antibiotic prescribing for ARIs in primary care
Interaction of Hawking radiation with static sources outside a Schwarzschild black hole
We show that the response rate of (i) a static source interacting with
Hawking radiation of massless scalar field in Schwarzschild spacetime (with the
Unruh vacuum) and that of (ii) a uniformly accelerated source with the same
proper acceleration in Minkowski spacetime (with the Minkowski vacuum) are
equal. We show that this equality will not hold if the Unruh vacuum is replaced
by the Hartle-Hawking vacuum. It is verified that the source responds to the
Hawking radiation near the horizon as if it were at rest in a thermal bath in
Minkowski spacetime with the same temperature. It is also verified that the
response rate in the Hartle-Hawking vacuum approaches that in Minkowski
spacetime with the same temperature far away from the black hole. Finally, we
compare our results with others in the literature.Comment: 18 pages (REVTEX
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