124 research outputs found
The Form Factors and Quantum Equation of Motion in the sine-Gordon Model
Using the methods of the 'form factor program' exact expressions of all
matrix elements are obtained for several operators of the quantum sine-Gordon
model alias the massive Thirring model. A general formula is presented which
provides form factors in terms of an integral representation. In particular
charge-less operators as for example the current of the topological charge, the
energy momentum tensor and all higher currents are considered. In the breather
sector it is found the quantum sine-Gordon field equation holds with an exact
relation between the 'bare' mass and the normalized mass. Also a relation for
the trace of the energy momentum is obtained. All results are compared with
Feynman graph expansion and full agreement is found.Comment: TCI-LaTeX, 21 pages with 2 figur
Scale without Conformal Invariance at Three Loops
We carry out a three-loop computation that establishes the existence of scale
without conformal invariance in dimensional regularization with the MS scheme
in d=4-epsilon spacetime dimensions. We also comment on the effects of scheme
changes in theories with many couplings, as well as in theories that live on
non-conformal scale-invariant renormalization group trajectories. Stability
properties of such trajectories are analyzed, revealing both attractive and
repulsive directions in a specific example. We explain how our results are in
accord with those of Jack & Osborn on a c-theorem in d=4 (and d=4-epsilon)
dimensions. Finally, we point out that limit cycles with turning points are
unlike limit cycles with continuous scale invariance.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, Erratum adde
g-Functions and gluon scattering amplitudes at strong coupling
We study gluon scattering amplitudes/Wilson loops in N=4 super Yang-Mills
theory at strong coupling by calculating the area of the minimal surfaces in
AdS_3 based on the associated thermodynamic Bethe ansatz system. The remainder
function of the amplitudes is computed by evaluating the free energy, the T-
and Y-functions of the homogeneous sine-Gordon model. Using conformal field
theory (CFT) perturbation, we examine the mass corrections to the free energy
around the CFT point corresponding to the regular polygonal Wilson loop. Based
on the equivalence between the T-functions and the g-functions, which measure
the boundary entropy, we calculate corrections to the T- and Y-functions as
well as express them at the CFT point by the modular S-matrix. We evaluate the
remainder function around the CFT point for 8 and 10-point amplitudes
explicitly and compare these analytic expressions with the 2-loop formulas. The
two rescaled remainder functions show very similar power series structures.Comment: 51 pages, 4 figures, v2: some comments and references added, based on
the published version, v3: minor change
Bi-local Construction of Sp(2N)/dS Higher Spin Correspondence
We derive a collective field theory of the singlet sector of the Sp(2N) sigma
model. Interestingly the hamiltonian for the bilocal collective field is the
same as that of the O(N) model. However, the large-N saddle points of the two
models differ by a sign. This leads to a fluctuation hamiltonian with a
negative quadratic term and alternating signs in the nonlinear terms which
correctly reproduces the correlation functions of the singlet sector. Assuming
the validity of the connection between O(N) collective fields and higher spin
fields in AdS, we argue that a natural interpretation of this theory is by a
double analytic continuation, leading to the dS/CFT correspondence proposed by
Anninos, Hartman and Strominger. The bi-local construction gives a map into the
bulk of de Sitter space-time. Its geometric pseudospin-representation provides
a framework for quantization and definition of the Hilbert space. We argue that
this is consistent with finite N grassmanian constraints, establishing the
bi-local representation as a nonperturbative framework for quantization of
Higher Spin Gravity in de Sitter space.Comment: 1 figur
A study of indoor carbon dioxide levels and sick leave among office workers
BACKGROUND: A previous observational study detected a strong positive relationship between sick leave absences and carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentrations in office buildings in the Boston area. The authors speculated that the observed association was due to a causal effect associated with low dilution ventilation, perhaps increased airborne transmission of respiratory infections. This study was undertaken to explore this association. METHODS: We conducted an intervention study of indoor CO(2) levels and sick leave among hourly office workers employed by a large corporation. Outdoor air supply rates were adjusted periodically to increase the range of CO(2) concentrations. We recorded indoor CO(2) concentrations every 10 minutes and calculated a CO(2) concentration differential as a measure of outdoor air supply per person by subtracting the 1–3 a.m. average CO(2) concentration from the same-day 9 a.m. – 5 a.m. average concentration. The metric of CO(2) differential was used as a surrogate for the concentration of exhaled breath and for potential exposure to human source airborne respiratory pathogens. RESULTS: The weekly mean, workday, CO(2) concentration differential ranged from 37 to 250 ppm with a peak CO(2) concentration above background of 312 ppm as compared with the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommended maximum differential of 700 ppm. We determined the frequency of sick leave among 294 hourly workers scheduled to work approximately 49,804.2 days in the study areas using company records. We found no association between sick leave and CO(2) differential CONCLUSIONS: The CO(2) differential was in the range of very low values, as compared with the ASHRAE recommended maximum differential of 700 ppm. Although no effect was found, this study was unable to test whether higher CO(2) differentials may be associated with increased sick leave
Generalized Toda Theory from Six Dimensions and the Conifold
Recently, a physical derivation of the Alday-Gaiotto-Tachikawa correspondence
has been put forward. A crucial role is played by the complex Chern-Simons
theory arising in the 3d-3d correspondence, whose boundary modes lead to Toda
theory on a Riemann surface. We explore several features of this derivation and
subsequently argue that it can be extended to a generalization of the AGT
correspondence. The latter involves codimension two defects in six dimensions
that wrap the Riemann surface. We use a purely geometrical description of these
defects and find that the generalized AGT setup can be modeled in a pole region
using generalized conifolds. Furthermore, we argue that the ordinary conifold
clarifies several features of the derivation of the original AGT
correspondence.Comment: 27+2 pages, 3 figure
Ultra-violet radiation is responsible for the differences in global epidemiology of chickenpox and the evolution of varicella-zoster virus as man migrated out of Africa
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Of the eight human herpes viruses, varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and zoster, has a unique epidemiology. Primary infection is much less common in children in the tropics compared with temperate areas. This results in increased adult susceptibility causing outbreaks, for example in health-care workers migrating from tropical to temperate countries. The recent demonstration that there are different genotypes of varicella-zoster virus and their geographic segregation into tropical and temperate areas suggests a distinct, yet previously unconsidered climatic factor may be responsible for both the clinical and molecular epidemiological features of this virus infection.</p> <p>Presentation of the hypothesis</p> <p>Unlike other human herpes viruses, varicella-zoster virus does not require intimate contact for infection to occur indicating that transmission may be interrupted by a geographically restricted climatic factor. The factor with the largest difference between tropical and temperate zones is ultra-violet radiation. This could reduce the infectiousness of chickenpox cases by inactivating virus in vesicles, before or after rupture. This would explain decreased transmissibility in the tropics and why the peak chickenpox incidence in temperate zones occurs during winter and spring, when ultra-violet radiation is at its lowest. The evolution of geographically restricted genotypes is also explained by ultra-violet radiation driving natural selection of different virus genotypes with varying degrees of resistance to inactivation, tropical genotypes being the most resistant. Consequently, temperate viruses should be more sensitive to its effects. This is supported by the observation that temperate genotypes are found in the tropics only in specific circumstances, namely where ultra-violet radiation has either been excluded or significantly reduced in intensity.</p> <p>Testing the Hypothesis</p> <p>The hypothesis is testable by exposing different virus genotypes to ultra-violet radiation and quantifying virus survival by plaque forming units or quantitative mRNA RT-PCR.</p> <p>Implications of the hypothesis</p> <p>The ancestral varicella-zoster virus, most probably a tropical genotype, co-migrated with man as he left Africa approximately 200,000 years ago. For this virus to have lost the selective advantage of resistance to ultra-violet radiation, the hypothesis would predict that the temperate, ultra-violet sensitive virus should have acquired another selective advantage as an evolutionary trade-off. One obvious advantage could be an increased reactivation rate as zoster to set up more rounds of chickenpox transmission. If this were so, the mechanism responsible for resistance to ultra-violet radiation might also be involved in reactivation and latency. This could then provide the first insight into a genetic correlate of the survival strategy of this virus.</p
Dynamics and transport near quantum-critical points
The physics of non-zero temperature dynamics and transport near
quantum-critical points is discussed by a detailed study of the O(N)-symmetric,
relativistic, quantum field theory of a N-component scalar field in spatial
dimensions. A great deal of insight is gained from a simple, exact solution of
the long-time dynamics for the N=1 d=1 case: this model describes the critical
point of the Ising chain in a transverse field, and the dynamics in all the
distinct, limiting, physical regions of its finite temperature phase diagram is
obtained. The N=3, d=1 model describes insulating, gapped, spin chain
compounds: the exact, low temperature value of the spin diffusivity is
computed, and compared with NMR experiments. The N=3, d=2,3 models describe
Heisenberg antiferromagnets with collinear N\'{e}el correlations, and
experimental realizations of quantum-critical behavior in these systems are
discussed. Finally, the N=2, d=2 model describes the superfluid-insulator
transition in lattice boson systems: the frequency and temperature dependence
of the the conductivity at the quantum-critical coupling is described and
implications for experiments in two-dimensional thin films and inversion layers
are noted.Comment: Lectures presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Dynamical
properties of unconventional magnetic systems", Geilo, Norway, April 2-12,
1997, edited by A. Skjeltorp and D. Sherrington, Kluwer Academic, to be
published. 46 page
On supersymmetric quantum mechanics
This paper constitutes a review on N=2 fractional supersymmetric Quantum
Mechanics of order k. The presentation is based on the introduction of a
generalized Weyl-Heisenberg algebra W_k. It is shown how a general Hamiltonian
can be associated with the algebra W_k. This general Hamiltonian covers various
supersymmetrical versions of dynamical systems (Morse system, Poschl-Teller
system, fractional supersymmetric oscillator of order k, etc.). The case of
ordinary supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics corresponds to k=2. A connection
between fractional supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics and ordinary supersymmetric
Quantum Mechanics is briefly described. A realization of the algebra W_k, of
the N=2 supercharges and of the corresponding Hamiltonian is given in terms of
deformed-bosons and k-fermions as well as in terms of differential operators.Comment: Review paper (31 pages) to be published in: Fundamental World of
Quantum Chemistry, A Tribute to the Memory of Per-Olov Lowdin, Volume 3, E.
Brandas and E.S. Kryachko (Eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 200
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