Absorption of electromagnetic plane waves by rotating black holes

We study the absorption of monochromatic electromagnetic plane waves impinging upon a Kerr black hole, in the general case that the direction of incidence is not aligned with the black hole spin axis. We present numerical results that are in accord with low- and high-frequency approximations. We find that circularly polarized waves are distinguished by the black hole spin, with counter-rotating polarizations being more absorbed than co-rotating polarizations. At low frequencies and moderate incidence angles, there exists a narrow parameter window in which superradiant emission in the dipole mode can exceed absorption in the non-superradiant modes, allowing a planar electromagnetic wave to stimulate net emission from a black hole

On-axis scalar absorption cross section of Kerr–Newman black holes: Geodesic analysis, sinc and low-frequency approximations

We investigate null geodesics impinging parallel to the rotation axis of a Kerr–Newman black hole, and show that the absorption cross section for a massless scalar field in the eikonal limit can be described in terms of the photon orbit parameters. We compare our sinc and low-frequency approximations with numerical results, showing that they are in excellent agreement

Series reduction method for scattering of planar waves by Kerr black holes

We present a practical method for evaluating the scattering amplitude f8(θ,ϕ) that arises in the context of the scattering of scalar, electromagnetic, and gravitational planar waves by a rotating black hole. The partial-wave representation of f8 is a divergent series, but f8 itself diverges only at a single point on the sphere. Here we show that f8 can be expressed as the product of a reduced series and a prefactor that diverges only at this point. The coefficients of the reduced series are found iteratively as linear combinations of those in the original series, and the reduced series is shown to have amenable convergence properties. This series-reduction method has its origins in an approach originally used in electron scattering calculations in the 1950s, which we have extended to the axisymmetric context for all bosonic fields

Absorption and unbounded superradiance in a static regular black hole spacetime

Regular black holes (RBHs)—geometries free from curvature singularities—arise naturally in theories of nonlinear electrodynamics. Here we study the absorption and superradiant amplification of a monochromatic planar wave in a charged, massive scalar field impinging on the electrically charged Ayón-Beato-García (ABG) RBH. Comparisons are drawn with absorption and superradiance for the Reissner-Nordström (RN) black hole in linear electrodynamics. We find that, in a certain parameter regime, the ABG absorption cross section is negative, due to superradiance, and moreover it is unbounded from below as the momentum of the wave approaches zero; this phenomenon of “unbounded superradiance” is absent in the RN case. We show how the parameter space can be divided into regions, using the bounded/unbounded and absorption/amplification boundaries. After introducing a high-frequency approximation based on particle trajectories, we calculate the absorption cross section numerically, via the partial-wave expansion, as a function of wave frequency, and we present a gallery of results. The cross section of the ABG RBH is found to be larger (smaller) than in the RN case when the field charge has the same (opposite) sign as the black hole charge. We show that it is possible to find “mimics”: situations in which the cross sections of both black holes are very similar. We conclude with a discussion of unbounded superradiance and superradiant instabilities

Absorption of massless scalar field by rotating black holes

We compute the absorption cross-section of the Kerr black holes (BH) for the massless scalar field, and present a selection of numerical results, to complement the results of Ref.[C. F. B. Macedo, L. C. S. Leite, E. S. Oliveria, S. R. Dolan and L. C. B. Crispino, Phys. Rev. D 88 (2013) 064033.] We show that, in the high-frequency regime, the cross-section approaches the geodesic capture cross-section. We split the absorption cross-section into corotating and counterrotating contributions, and we show that the counterrotating contribution exceeds the corotating one

Diminuição do risco de infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (VIH) em pacientes em hemodiálise no estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Decreased risk for the acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in hemo-dialysis patients in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Os estudos iniciais sobre a soroprevalência de anticorpos anti-VIH-1 (Ac-VIH) em unidades de hemodiálise no Estado do Rio de Janeiro (RJ) foram feitos em 1985. Os números alarmantes, próximos a 14%, foram atribuídos à má qualidade do sangue obtido de "doadores profissionais" em troca de comida ou dinheiro. Recentemente uma série de medidas foram adotadas na tentativa de reduzir o tráfico de sangue. Nossa investigação objetivou avaliar o impacto destas na soroprevalência de Ac-VIH em duas unidades satélites no RJ. A Clínica Segumed foi uma das unidades estudadas em 1985. Em 1987 realizamos um segundo levantamento no mesmo grupo estudado previamente. A Casa de Saúde Grajaú, inaugurada em 1986 com a maioria dos pacientes novos em diálise, foi estudada em 1988. O teste ELISA HIV-1 foi utilizado como rastreamento. Os resultados positivos foram confirmados com Western blot. Os resultados na Segumed mostraram uma grande diferença entre os dois levantamentos (14,4% vs 3,6%). Os dois casos positivos em 1987 estavam entre os identificados em 1985. Nenhum paciente se infectou entre os dois levantamentos apesar de não se utilizarem medidas de isolamento para os portadores de VIH e do uso de transfusões ter aumentado no período. Na CS Grajaú apenas dois casos foram encontrados (soroprevalência 2,4%) embora um já fosse conhecido desde 1985 quando vivia com um transplante. Uma revisão de estudos semelhantes no RJ e São Paulo parece revelar uma tendência à diminuição das taxas nos últimos anos. Nós concluímos que a chance de contaminação com VIH é atualmente reduzida nos centros estudados e pode estar caindo globalmente no RJ. É possível que a maior vigilância, e até fechamento de bancos de sangue, tenha resultado na melhora da qualidade do sangue no RJ.<br>The initial surveys on the seroprevalence of anti-HIV-1 antibodies (HIV-Ab) in hemodialysis units in the State of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) were done in 1985. The alarming figures around 15% were ascribed to the poor quality of blood collected from "professional donors" in exchange for food or money. Recently a concerted effort has been launched to curtail the blood trade. We decided to investigate whether these measures have produced any impact on HIV-Ab seroprevalence in two satellite units in RJ. Segumed was among the units studied in 1985. We conducted another survey in 1987 on the same patients previously studied. CS Grajaú, a new unit where most of the patients were new on dialysis, was studied in 1988. A HIV-1 ELISA was used as screening. Positive results were confirmed by Western blot. Results in Segumed showed a marked difference in seroprevalence of HIV-Ab (14.4% vs 3.6%). The two cases identified in 1987 were among the ones identified in 1985. No patient became infected between the two surveys despite the lack of isolation of HIV carriers and the increase in blood use during the period. In CS Grajaú two cases were found (2.4% prevalence) but one of them was known since 1985 when living with a transplant. A review of all similar reports from RJ area suggest a trend towards lower figures in recent years. We conclude that the chance of acquiring HIV infection is currently low in the centers studied and may be falling in RJ. It is possible that the increased surveillance and even closure of blood banks has resulted in an improvement of the quality of blood available for transfusion in RJ

2019 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS expert consensus statement on catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias

Ventricular arrhythmias are an important cause of morbidity and mortality and come in a variety of forms, from single premature ventricular complexes to sustained ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Rapid developments have taken place over the past decade in our understanding of these arrhythmias and in our ability to diagnose and treat them. The field of catheter ablation has progressed with the development of new methods and tools, and with the publication of large clinical trials. Therefore, global cardiac electrophysiology professional societies undertook to outline recommendations and best practices for these procedures in a document that will update and replace the 2009 EHRA/HRS Expert Consensus on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias. An expert writing group, after reviewing and discussing the literature, including a systematic review and meta-analysis published in conjunction with this document, and drawing on their own experience, drafted and voted on recommendations and summarized current knowledge and practice in the field. Each recommendation is presented in knowledge byte format and is accompanied by supportive text and references. Further sections provide a practical synopsis of the various techniques and of the specific ventricular arrhythmia sites and substrates encountered in the electrophysiology lab. The purpose of this document is to help electrophysiologists around the world to appropriately select patients for catheter ablation, to perform procedures in a safe and efficacious manner, and to provide follow-up and adjunctive care in order to obtain the best possible outcomes for patients with ventricular arrhythmias.Cardiolog

2019 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS expert consensus statement on catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias: Executive summary

Ventricular arrhythmias are an important cause of morbidity and mortality and come in a variety of forms, from single premature ventricular complexes to sustained ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Rapid developments have taken place over the past decade in our understanding of these arrhythmias and in our ability to diagnose and treat them. The field of catheter ablation has progressed with the development of new methods and tools, and with the publication of large clinical trials. Therefore, global cardiac electrophysiology professional societies undertook to outline recommendations and best practices for these procedures in a document that will update and replace the 2009 EHRA/HRS Expert Consensus on Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias. An expert writing group, after reviewing and discussing the literature, including a systematic review and meta-analysis published in conjunction with this document, and drawing on their own experience, drafted and voted on recommendations and summarized current knowledge and practice in the field. Each recommendation is presented in knowledge byte format and is accompanied by supportive text and references. Further sections provide a practical synopsis of the various techniques and of the specific ventricular arrhythmia sites and substrates encountered in the electrophysiology lab. The purpose of this document is to help electrophysiologists around the world to appropriately select patients for catheter ablation, to perform procedures in a safe and efficacious manner, and to provide follow-up and adjunctive care in order to obtain the best possible outcomes for patients with ventricular arrhythmias.Cardiolog