7,150 research outputs found
Geometry and Destiny
The recognition that the cosmological constant may be non-zero forces us to
re-evaluate standard notions about the connection between geometry and the fate
of our Universe. An open Universe can recollapse, and a closed Universe can
expand forever. As a corollary, we point out that there is no set of
cosmological observations we can perform that will unambiguously allow us to
determine what the ultimate destiny of the Universe will be.Comment: 7 pages, Gravity Research Foundation Essa
The Cosmological Constant is Back
A diverse set of observations now compellingly suggest that Universe
possesses a nonzero cosmological constant. In the context of quantum-field
theory a cosmological constant corresponds to the energy density of the vacuum,
and the wanted value for the cosmological constant corresponds to a very tiny
vacuum energy density. We discuss future observational tests for a cosmological
constant as well as the fundamental theoretical challenges---and
opportunities---that this poses for particle physics and for extending our
understanding of the evolution of the Universe back to the earliest moments.Comment: latex, 8 pages plus one ps figure available as separate compressed
uuencoded fil
Simulations of Electron Acceleration at Collisionless Shocks: The Effects of Surface Fluctuations
Energetic electrons are a common feature of interplanetary shocks and
planetary bow shocks, and they are invoked as a key component of models of
nonthermal radio emission, such as solar radio bursts. A simulation study is
carried out of electron acceleration for high Mach number, quasi-perpendicular
shocks, typical of the shocks in the solar wind. Two dimensional
self-consistent hybrid shock simulations provide the electric and magnetic
fields in which test particle electrons are followed. A range of different
shock types, shock normal angles, and injection energies are studied. When the
Mach number is low, or the simulation configuration suppresses fluctuations
along the magnetic field direction, the results agree with theory assuming
magnetic moment conserving reflection (or Fast Fermi acceleration), with
electron energy gains of a factor only 2 - 3. For high Mach number, with a
realistic simulation configuration, the shock front has a dynamic rippled
character. The corresponding electron energization is radically different:
Energy spectra display: (1) considerably higher maximum energies than Fast
Fermi acceleration; (2) a plateau, or shallow sloped region, at intermediate
energies 2 - 5 times the injection energy; (3) power law fall off with
increasing energy, for both upstream and downstream particles, with a slope
decreasing as the shock normal angle approaches perpendicular; (4) sustained
flux levels over a broader region of shock normal angle than for adiabatic
reflection. All these features are in good qualitative agreement with
observations, and show that dynamic structure in the shock surface at ion
scales produces effective scattering and can be responsible for making high
Mach number shocks effective sites for electron acceleration.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figure
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