3,408 research outputs found
Isolated Horizon, Killing Horizon and Event Horizon
We consider space-times which in addition to admitting an isolated horizon
also admit Killing horizons with or without an event horizon. We show that an
isolated horizon is a Killing horizon provided either (1) it admits a
stationary neighbourhood or (2) it admits a neighbourhood with two independent,
commuting Killing vectors. A Killing horizon is always an isolated horizon. For
the case when an event horizon is definable, all conceivable relative locations
of isolated horizon and event horizons are possible. Corresponding conditions
are given.Comment: 14 pages, Latex, no figures. Some arguments tightened. To appear in
Class. Quant. Gra
A search for varying fundamental constants using Hz-level frequency measurements of cold CH molecules
Many modern theories predict that the fundamental constants depend on time,
position, or the local density of matter. We develop a spectroscopic method for
pulsed beams of cold molecules, and use it to measure the frequencies of
microwave transitions in CH with accuracy down to 3 Hz. By comparing these
frequencies with those measured from sources of CH in the Milky Way, we test
the hypothesis that fundamental constants may differ between the high and low
density environments of the Earth and the interstellar medium. For the fine
structure constant we find \Delta\alpha/\alpha = (0.3 +/- 1.1)*10^{-7}, the
strongest limit to date on such a variation of \alpha. For the
electron-to-proton mass ratio we find \Delta\mu/\mu = (-0.7 +/- 2.2) * 10^{-7}.
We suggest how dedicated astrophysical measurements can improve these
constraints further and can also constrain temporal variation of the constants.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure
3-dimensional Cauchy-Riemann structures and 2nd order ordinary differential equations
The equivalence problem for second order ODEs given modulo point
transformations is solved in full analogy with the equivalence problem of
nondegenerate 3-dimensional CR structures. This approach enables an analog of
the Feffereman metrics to be defined. The conformal class of these (split
signature) metrics is well defined by each point equivalence class of second
order ODEs. Its conformal curvature is interpreted in terms of the basic point
invariants of the corresponding class of ODEs
Multipole Moments of Isolated Horizons
To every axi-symmetric isolated horizon we associate two sets of numbers,
and with , representing its mass and angular
momentum multipoles. They provide a diffeomorphism invariant characterization
of the horizon geometry. Physically, they can be thought of as the `source
multipoles' of black holes in equilibrium. These structures have a variety of
potential applications ranging from equations of motion of black holes and
numerical relativity to quantum gravity.Comment: 25 pages, 1 figure. Minor typos corrected, reference adde
Matrix Elements of Thiemann's Hamiltonian Constraint in Loop Quantum Gravity
We present an explicit computation of matrix elements of the hamiltonian
constraint operator in non-perturbative quantum gravity. In particular, we
consider the euclidean term of Thiemann's version of the constraint and compute
its action on trivalent states, for all its natural orderings. The calculation
is performed using graphical techniques from the recoupling theory of colored
knots and links. We exhibit the matrix elements of the hamiltonian constraint
operator in the spin network basis in compact algebraic form.Comment: 32 pages, 22 eps figures. LaTeX (Using epsfig.sty,ioplppt.sty and
bezier.sty). Submited to Classical and Quantum Gravit
Arecibo Timing and Single Pulse Observations of 18 Pulsars
We present new results of timing and single pulse measurements for 18 radio
pulsars discovered in 1993 - 1997 by the Penn State/NRL declination-strip
survey conducted with the 305-m Arecibo telescope at 430 MHz. Long-term timing
measurements have led to significant improvements of the rotational and the
astrometric parameters of these sources, including the millisecond pulsar, PSR
J1709+2313, and the pulsar located within the supernova remnant S147, PSR
J0538+2817. Single pulse studies of the brightest objects in the sample have
revealed an unusual "bursting" pulsar, PSR J1752+2359, two new drifting
subpulse pulsars, PSR J1649+2533 and PSR J2155+2813, and another example of a
pulsar with profile mode changes, PSR J1746+2540. PSR J1752+2359 is
characterized by bursts of emission, which appear once every 3-5 min. and decay
exponentially on a ~45 sec timescale. PSR J1649+2533 spends ~30% of the time in
a null state with no detectable radio emission.Comment: submitted to Ap
Flux-area operator and black hole entropy
We show that, for space-times with inner boundaries, there exists a natural
area operator different from the standard one used in loop quantum gravity.
This new flux-area operator has equidistant eigenvalues. We discuss the
consequences of substituting the standard area operator in the
Ashtekar-Baez-Corichi-Krasnov definition of black hole entropy by the new one.
Our choice simplifies the definition of the entropy and allows us to consider
only those areas that coincide with the one defined by the value of the level
of the Chern-Simons theory describing the horizon degrees of freedom. We give a
prescription to count the number of relevant horizon states by using spin
components and obtain exact expressions for the black hole entropy. Finally we
derive its asymptotic behavior, discuss several issues related to the
compatibility of our results with the Bekenstein-Hawking area law and the
relation with Schwarzschild quasi-normal modes.Comment: 25 page
Characterization of polar organosulfates in secondary organic aerosol from the unsaturated aldehydes 2-E-pentenal, 2-E-hexenal, and 3-Z-hexenal
We show in the present study that the unsaturated aldehydes 2-E-pentenal, 2-E-hexenal, and 3-Z-hexenal are biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) precursors for polar organosulfates with molecular weights (MWs) 230 and 214, which are also present in ambient fine aerosol from a forested site, i.e., K-puszta, Hungary. These results complement those obtained in a previous study showing that the green leaf aldehyde 3-Z-hexenal serves as a precursor for MW 226 organosulfates. Thus, in addition to isoprene, the green leaf volatiles (GLVs) 2-E-hexenal and 3-Z-hexenal, emitted due to plant stress (mechanical wounding or insect attack), and 2-E-pentenal, a photolysis product of 3-Z-hexenal, should be taken into account for secondary organic aerosol and organosulfate formation. Polar organosulfates are of climatic relevance because of their hydrophilic properties and cloud effects. Extensive use was made of organic mass spectrometry (MS) and detailed interpretation of MS data (i.e., ion trap MS and accurate mass measurements) to elucidate the chemical structures of the MW 230, 214 and 170 organosulfates formed from 2-E-pentenal and indirectly from 2-E-hexenal and 3-Z-hexenal. In addition, quantum chemical calculations were performed to explain the different mass spectral behavior of 2,3-dihydroxypentanoic acid sulfate derivatives, where only the isomer with the sulfate group at C-3 results in the loss of SO3. The MW 214 organosulfates formed from 2-E-pentenal are explained by epoxidation of the double bond in the gas phase and sulfation of the epoxy group with sulfuric acid in the particle phase through the same pathway as that proposed for 3-sulfooxy-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanoic acid from the isoprene-related alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde methacrolein in previous work (Lin et al., 2013). The MW 230 organosulfates formed from 2-E-pentenal are tentatively explained by a novel pathway, which bears features of the latter pathway but introduces an additional hydroxyl group at the C-4 position. Evidence is also presented that the MW 214 positional isomer, 2-sulfooxy-3-hydroxypentanoic acid, is unstable and decarboxylates, giving rise to 1-sulfooxy-2-hydroxybutane, a MW 170 organosulfate. Furthermore, evidence is obtained that lactic acid sulfate is generated from 2-E-pentenal. This chemistry could be important on a regional and local scale where GLV emissions such as from grasses and cereal crops are substantial
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