391 research outputs found
Respiratory hospital admission risk near large composting facilities
AbstractBackgroundLarge-scale composting can release bioaerosols in elevated quantities, but there are few studies of health effects on nearby communities.MethodsA cross-sectional ecological small area design was used to examine risk of respiratory hospital admissions within 2500m of all 148 English large-scale composting facilities in 2008–10. Statistical analyses used a random intercept Poisson regression model at Census Output Area (COA) level (mean population 310). Models were adjusted for age, sex, deprivation and tobacco sales.ResultsAnalysing 34,963 respiratory hospital admissions in 4656 COAs within 250–2500m of a site, there were no significant trends using pre-defined distance bands of >250–750m, >750–1500m and >1500–2500m. Using a continuous measure of distance, there was a small non-statistically significant (p=0.054) association with total respiratory admissions corresponding to a 1.5% (95% CI: 0.0–2.9%) decrease in risk if moving from 251m to 501m. There were no significant associations for subgroups of respiratory infections, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.ConclusionThis national study does not provide evidence for increased risks of respiratory hospital admissions in those living beyond 250m of an outdoor composting area perimeter. Further work using better measures of exposure and exploring associations with symptoms and disease prevalence, especially in vulnerable groups, is recommended to support regulatory approaches
A Radiation Scalar for Numerical Relativity
This letter describes a scalar curvature invariant for general relativity
with a certain, distinctive feature. While many such invariants exist, this one
vanishes in regions of space-time which can be said unambiguously to contain no
gravitational radiation. In more general regions which incontrovertibly support
non-trivial radiation fields, it can be used to extract local,
coordinate-independent information partially characterizing that radiation.
While a clear, physical interpretation is possible only in such radiation
zones, a simple algorithm can be given to extend the definition smoothly to
generic regions of space-time.Comment: 4 pages, 1 EPS figur
Static axisymmetric spacetimes with non-generic world-line SUSY
The conditions for the existence of Killing-Yano tensors, which are closely
related to the appearance of non-generic world-line SUSY, are presented for
static axisymmetric spacetimes. Imposing the vacuum Einstein equation, the set
of solutions admitting Killing-Yano tensors is considered. In particular, it is
shown that static, axisymmetric and asymptotically flat vacuum solutions
admitting Killing-Yano tensors are only the Schwarzschild solution.Comment: 10 pages (RevTeX), TIT/HEP-253/COSMO-4
U-Duality and Symplectic Formulation of Dilaton-Axion Gravity
We study a bosonic four--dimensional effective action corresponding to the
heterotic string compactified on a 6--torus (dilaton--axion gravity with one
vector field) on a curved space--time manifold possessing a time--like Killing
vector field. Previously an existence of the global
symmetry (--duality) as well as the symmetric space property of the
corresponding --model have been established following Neugebauer and
Kramer approach. Here we present an explicit form of the generators
in terms of coset variables and construct a representation of the coset in
terms of the physical target space coordinates. Complex symmetric
matrix (``matrix dilaton --axion'') is introduced for which --duality
takes the matrix valued form. In terms of this matrix the theory is
further presented as a K\"ahler --model. This leads to a more concise
formulation which opens new ways to construct exact classical
solutions. New solution (corresponding to constant ) is obtained
which describes the system of point massless magnetic monopoles endowed with
axion charges equal to minus monopole charges. In such a system mutual magnetic
repulsion is exactly balanced by axion attraction so that the resulting space
time is locally flat but possesses multiple Taub--NUT singularities.Comment: LATEX, 20 pages, no figure
3D heterotic string theory: new approach and extremal solutions
We develop a new formalism for the bosonic sector of low-energy heterotic
string theory toroidally compactified to three dimensions. This formalism is
based on the use of some single non-quadratic real matrix potential which
transforms linearly under the action of subgroup of the three-dimensional
charging symmetries. We formulate a new charging symmetry invariant approach
for the symmetry generation and straightforward construction of asymptotically
flat solutions. Finally, using the developed approach and the established
formal analogy between the heterotic and Einstein-Maxwell theories, we
construct a general class of the heterotic string theory extremal solutions of
the Israel-Wilson-Perjes type. This class is asymptotically flat and charging
symmetry complete; it includes the extremal solutions constructed before and
possesses the non-trivial bosonic string theory limit.Comment: 20 pages in Late
Observables for spacetimes with two Killing field symmetries
The Einstein equations for spacetimes with two commuting spacelike Killing
field symmetries are studied from a Hamiltonian point of view. The complexified
Ashtekar canonical variables are used, and the symmetry reduction is performed
directly in the Hamiltonian theory. The reduced system corresponds to the field
equations of the SL(2,R) chiral model with additional constraints.
On the classical phase space, a method of obtaining an infinite number of
constants of the motion, or observables, is given. The procedure involves
writing the Hamiltonian evolution equations as a single `zero curvature'
equation, and then employing techniques used in the study of two dimensional
integrable models. Two infinite sets of observables are obtained explicitly as
functionals of the phase space variables. One set carries sl(2,R) Lie algebra
indices and forms an infinite dimensional Poisson algebra, while the other is
formed from traces of SL(2,R) holonomies that commute with one another. The
restriction of the (complex) observables to the Euclidean and Lorentzian
sectors is discussed.
It is also shown that the sl(2,R) observables can be associated with a
solution generating technique which is linked to that given by Geroch.Comment: 23 pages (LateX-RevTeX), Alberta-Thy-55-9
Hawking Radiation of Dirac Particles in a Variable-mass Kerr Space-time
Hawking effect of Dirac particles in a variable-mass Kerr space-time is
investigated by using a method called as the generalized tortoise coordinate
transformation. The location and the temperature of the event horizon of the
non-stationary Kerr black hole are derived. It is shown that the temperature
and the shape of the event horizon depend not only on the time but also on the
angle. However, the Fermi-Dirac spectrum displays a residual term which is
absent from that of Bose-Einstein distribution.Comment: 12 pages in 12pt Revtex, no figure, to appear in Gen. Rel. Grav.
Vol.33, No.7 (2001
Principal null directions of perturbed black holes
The properties of principal null directions of a perturbed black hole are
investigated. It shown that principal null directions are directly observable
quantities characterizing the space-time. A definition of a perturbed
space-time, generalizing that given by Stewart and Walker is proposed. This
more general framework allows one to include descriptions of a given space-time
other than by a pair where is a four-dimensional differential
manifold and a Lorentz metric. Examples of alternative characterizations
are the curvature representation of Karlhede and others, the Newman-Penrose
representation or observable quantities involving principal null directions.
The conditions are studied under which the various alternative choices of
observables provide equivalent descriptions of the space-time.Comment: To appear in Class. Quantum Gra
A Generalization of the Goldberg-Sachs Theorem and its Consequences
The Goldberg-Sachs theorem is generalized for all four-dimensional manifolds
endowed with torsion-free connection compatible with the metric, the treatment
includes all signatures as well as complex manifolds. It is shown that when the
Weyl tensor is algebraically special severe geometric restrictions are imposed.
In particular it is demonstrated that the simple self-dual eigenbivectors of
the Weyl tensor generate integrable isotropic planes. Another result obtained
here is that if the self-dual part of the Weyl tensor vanishes in a Ricci-flat
manifold of (2,2) signature the manifold must be Calabi-Yau or symplectic and
admits a solution for the source-free Einstein-Maxwell equations.Comment: 14 pages. This version matches the published on
Constants of motion for vacuum general relativity
The 3+1 Hamiltonian Einstein equations, reduced by imposing two commuting
spacelike Killing vector fields, may be written as the equations of the
principal chiral model with certain `source' terms. Using this
formulation, we give a procedure for generating an infinite number of non-local
constants of motion for this sector of the Einstein equations. The constants of
motion arise as explicit functionals on the phase space of Einstein gravity,
and are labelled by sl(2,R) indices.Comment: 10 pages, latex, version to appear in Phys. Rev. D
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