27,021 research outputs found
On the equivalence of Lambda(t) and gravitationally induced particle production cosmologies
The correspondence between cosmological models powered by a decaying vacuum
energy density and gravitationally induced particle production is investigated.
Although being physically different in the physics behind them we show that
both classes of cosmologies under certain conditions can exhibit the same
dynamic and thermodynamic behavior. Our method is applied to obtain three
specific models that may be described either as Lambda(t)CDM or gravitationally
induced particle creation cosmologies. In the point of view of particle
production models, the later class of cosmologies can be interpreted as a kind
of one-component unification of the dark sector. By using current type Ia
supernovae data, recent estimates of the cosmic microwave background shift
parameter and baryon acoustic oscillations measurements we also perform a
statistical analysis to test the observational viability within the two
equivalent classes of models and we obtain the best-fit of the free parameters.
By adopting the Akaike information criterion we also determine the rank of the
models considered here. Finally, the particle production cosmologies (and the
associated decaying Lambda(t)-models) are modeled in the framework of field
theory by a phenomenological scalar field model.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, new comments and 8 references added. Accepted for
publication in Physics Letters
On the q-deformation of the NJL model
Using a q-deformed fermionic algebra we perform explicitly a deformation of
the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) Hamiltonian. In the Bogoliubov-Valatin approach we
obtain the deformed version of the functional for the total energy, which is
minimized to obtain the corresponding gap equation. The breaking of chiral
symmetry and its restoration in the limit are then discussed.Comment: 5 eps figure
Black Hole Formation with an Interacting Vacuum Energy Density
We discuss the gravitational collapse of a spherically symmetric massive core
of a star in which the fluid component is interacting with a growing vacuum
energy density. The influence of the variable vacuum in the collapsing core is
quantified by a phenomenological \beta-parameter as predicted by dimensional
arguments and the renormalization group approach. For all reasonable values of
this free parameter, we find that the vacuum energy density increases the
collapsing time but it cannot prevent the formation of a singular point.
However, the nature of the singularity depends on the values of \beta. In the
radiation case, a trapped surface is formed for \beta<1/2 whereas for
\beta>1/2, a naked singularity is developed. In general, the critical value is
\beta=1-2/3(1+\omega), where the \omega-parameter describes the equation of
state of the fluid component.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
Clustering, Angular Size and Dark Energy
The influence of dark matter inhomogeneities on the angular size-redshift
test is investigated for a large class of flat cosmological models driven by
dark energy plus a cold dark matter component (XCDM model). The results are
presented in two steps. First, the mass inhomogeneities are modeled by a
generalized Zeldovich-Kantowski-Dyer-Roeder (ZKDR) distance which is
characterized by a smoothness parameter and a power index ,
and, second, we provide a statistical analysis to angular size data for a large
sample of milliarcsecond compact radio sources. As a general result, we have
found that the parameter is totally unconstrained by this sample of
angular diameter data.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted in Physical Review
Motion of falling object
A simple setup was assembled to study the motion of an object while it falls.
The setup was used to determine the instantaneous velocity, terminal velocity
and acceleration due to gravity. Also, since the whole project was done within
$20 it can easily be popularized.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figur
Healthy (and not so healthy) spaces: the importance of psycho-social variables
Health promotion strategies often focus on changing individual behavior. However, a growing literature shows that there is an important part of our physical and mental health status that is dependent on the space we live. In this paper we analyze research that illustrates both the negative impacts of the environment (e.g., noise, air pollution) and the positive ones (e.g., contact with nature). Based on studies conducted in Portugal, we present evidences of the negative psychological consequences of exposure to air pollution or to living close to an incinerator, and the positive consequences of living near the forest or walking in the nature. The paper also stresses the importance of social psychological variables that allow us to understand this process, including mediators (e.g., environmental annoyance, outdoor behaviors) and moderators (e.g., risk perception, local identity). In a whole, the paper tries to illustrate how the consideration of objective and subjective factors associated with the environment may influence key health outcomes.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Thermodynamics of Decaying Vacuum Cosmologies
The thermodynamic behavior of vacuum decaying cosmologies is investigated
within a manifestly covariant formulation. Such a process corresponds to a
continuous irreversible energy flow from the vacuum component to the created
matter constituents. It is shown that if the specific entropy per particle
remains constant during the process, the equilibrium relations are preserved.
In particular, if the vacuum decays into photons, the energy density and
average number density of photons scale with the temperature as and . The temperature law is determined and a generalized
Planckian type form of the spectrum, which is preserved in the course of the
evolution, is also proposed. Some consequences of these results for decaying
vacuum FRW type cosmologies as well as for models with ``adiabatic'' photon
creation are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, uses LATE
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