Constraints on Area Variables in Regge Calculus

We describe a general method of obtaining the constraints between area variables in one approach to area Regge calculus, and illustrate it with a simple example. The simplicial complex is the simplest tessellation of the 4-sphere. The number of independent constraints on the variations of the triangle areas is shown to equal the difference between the numbers of triangles and edges, and a general method of choosing independent constraints is described. The constraints chosen by using our method are shown to imply the Regge equations of motion in our example.Comment: Typographical errors correcte

Spacetime Foam Model of the Schwarzschild Horizon

We consider a spacetime foam model of the Schwarzschild horizon, where the horizon consists of Planck size black holes. According to our model the entropy of the Schwarzschild black hole is proportional to the area of its event horizon. It is possible to express geometrical arguments to the effect that the constant of proportionality is, in natural units, equal to one quarter.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, improved and extended version with some significant changes. Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Microscopic Black Hole Pairs in Highly-Excited States

We consider the quantum mechanics of a system consisting of two identical, Planck-size Schwarzschild black holes revolving around their common center of mass. We find that even in a very highly-excited state such a system has very sharp, discrete energy eigenstates, and the system performs very rapid transitions from a one stationary state to another. For instance, when the system is in the 100th excited state, the life times of the energy eigenstates are of the order of $10^{-30}$ s, and the energies of gravitons released in transitions between nearby states are of the order of $10^{22}$ eV.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures, uses RevTe

Quantum-mechanical model of the Kerr-Newman black hole

We consider a Hamiltonian quantum theory of stationary spacetimes containing a Kerr-Newman black hole. The physical phase space of such spacetimes is just six-dimensional, and it is spanned by the mass $M$, the electric charge $Q$ and angular momentum $J$ of the hole, together with the corresponding canonical momenta. In this six-dimensional phase space we perform a canonical transformation such that the resulting configuration variables describe the dynamical properties of Kerr-Newman black holes in a natural manner. The classical Hamiltonian written in terms of these variables and their conjugate momenta is replaced by the corresponding self-adjoint Hamiltonian operator and an eigenvalue equation for the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) mass of the hole, from the point of view of a distant observer at rest, is obtained. In a certain very restricted sense, this eigenvalue equation may be viewed as a sort of "Schr\"odinger equation of black holes". Our "Schr\"odinger equation" implies that the ADM mass, electric charge and angular momentum spectra of black holes are discrete, and the mass spectrum is bounded from below. Moreover, the spectrum of the quantity $M^2-Q^2-a^2$, where $a$ is the angular momentum per unit mass of the hole, is strictly positive when an appropriate self-adjoint extension is chosen. The WKB analysis yields the result that the large eigenvalues of $M$, $Q$ and $a$ are of the form $\sqrt{2n}$, where $n$ is an integer. It turns out that this result is closely related to Bekenstein's proposal on the discrete horizon area spectrum of black holes.Comment: 30 pages, 3 figures, RevTe

Explicit expressions for the topological defects of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

In this paper we first derive a general method which enables one to create expressions for vortices and monopoles. By using this method we construct several order-parameters describing the vortices and monopoles of Bose-Einstein condensates with hyperfine spin F=1 and F=2. We concentrate on defects which are topologically stable in the absence of an external magnetic field. In particular we show that in a ferromagnetic condensate there can be a vortex which does not produce any superfluid flow. We also point out that the order-parameter space of the cyclic phase of F=2 condensate consists of two disconnected sets. Finally we examine the effect of an external magnetic field on the vortices of a ferromagnetic F=1 condensate and discuss the experimental preparation of a vortex in this system.Comment: 17 pages, partly rewritten to improve clarity, conclusions unchange

Eliciting allergens and treatment of anaphylaxis : Report of the finnish national anaphylaxis registry

Non peer reviewe

Characterization of air ions in boreal forest air during BIOFOR III campaign

International audienceThe behavior of the concentration of positive small (or cluster) air ions and naturally charged nanometer aerosol particles (aerosol ions) has been studied on the basis of measurements carried out in a boreal forest at the Hyytiälä SMEAR station, Finland, during the BIOFOR III campaign in spring 1999. Statistical characteristics of the concentrations of cluster ions, two classes of aerosol ions of the sizes of 2.5?8 nm and 8?ca 20 nm and the quantities that determine the balance of small ions in the atmosphere have been given for the nucleation event days and non-event days. The dependence of small ion concentration on the ion loss (sink) due to aerosol particles was investigated applying a model of bipolar diffusion charging of particles by small ions. The small ion concentration and the ion sink were closely correlated (correlation coefficient 87%) when the fog events and the hours of high relative humidity (above 97%), as well as nocturnal calms and weak wind (wind speed-1 had been excluded. In the case of nucleation burst events, variations in the concentration of small positive ions were in accordance with the changes caused by the ion sink due to aerosols; no clear indication of positive ion depletion by ion-induced nucleation was found. The estimated average ionization rate of air at the Hyytiälä station in early spring, when the ground was partly covered with snow, was about 4.8 ion pairs cm-3 s-1. The study of the charging state of nanometer aerosol particles (2.5?8 nm) revealed a strong correlation (correlation coefficient 88%) between the concentrations of particles and their charged fraction (positive air ions) during nucleation bursts. The estimated charged fraction of particles, which varied from 3% to 6% considering various nucleation event days, confirms that these particles are almost quasi-steady state charged. Also the particles and air ions in the size range of 8?ca 20 nm showed a good qualitative consistency; the correlation coefficient was 92%

Interplanetary shocks lacking type II radio bursts

We report on the radio-emission characteristics of 222 interplanetary (IP) shocks. A surprisingly large fraction of the IP shocks (~34%) is radio quiet (i.e., the shocks lacked type II radio bursts). The CMEs associated with the RQ shocks are generally slow (average speed ~535 km/s) and only ~40% of the CMEs were halos. The corresponding numbers for CMEs associated with radio loud (RL) shocks are 1237 km/s and 72%, respectively. The RQ shocks are also accompanied by lower peak soft X-ray flux. CMEs associated with RQ (RL) shocks are generally accelerating (decelerating). The kinematics of CMEs associated with the km type II bursts is similar to those of RQ shocks, except that the former are slightly more energetic. Comparison of the shock The RQ shocks seem to be mostly subcritical and quasi-perpendicular. The radio-quietness is predominant in the rise phase and decreases through the maximum and declining phases of solar cycle 23. The solar sources of the shock-driving CMEs follow the sunspot butterfly diagram, consistent with the higher-energy requirement for driving shocks