528 research outputs found
Estrogen and neuroprotection: from clinical observations to molecular mechanisms
We now appreciate that estrogen is a pleiotropic gonadal steroid that exerts profound effects on the plasticity and cell survival of the adult brain. Over the past century, the life span of women has increased, but the age of the menopause remains constant. This means that women may now live over one third of their lives in a hypoestrogenic, postmenopausal state. The impact of prolonged hypoestrogenicity on the brain is now a critical health concern as we realize that these women may suffer an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction and neurodegeneration due to a variety of diseases. Accumulating evidence from both clinical and basic science studies indicates that estrogen exerts critical protective actions against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Here, we review the discoveries that comprise our current understanding of estrogen action against neurodegeneration. These findings carry far-reaching possibilities for improving the quality of life in our aging population
Synchrotron Self-Compton Model for Rapid Nonthermal Flares in Blazars with Frequency-Dependent Time Lags
We model rapid variability of multifrequency emission from blazars occurring
across the electromagnetic spectrum (from radio to gamma-rays). Lower energy
emission is produced by the synchrotron mechanism, whereas higher energy
emission is due to inverse Compton scattering of the synchrotron emission. We
take into account energy stratification established by particle acceleration at
shock fronts and energy losses due to synchrotron emission. We also consider
the effect of light travel delays for the synchrotron emission that supplies
the seed photons for inverse Compton scattering. The production of a flare is
caused by the collision between a relativistic shock wave and a stationary
feature in the jet (e.g., a Mach disk). The collision leads to the formation of
forward and reverse shocks, which confine two contiguous emission regions
resulting in complex profiles of simulated flares. Simulations of
multifrequency flares indicate that relative delays between the inverse Compton
flares and their synchrotron counterparts are dominated by energy
stratification and geometry of the emitting regions, resulting in both negative
and positive time delays depending on the frequency of observation. Light
travel effects of the seed photons may lead to a noticeable delay of the
inverse Compton emission with respect to synchrotron variability if the line of
sight is almost perfectly aligned with the jet. We apply the model to a flare
in 3C 273 and derive the properties of shocked plasma responsible for the
flare. We show that the pronounced negative time delay between the X-ray and IR
light curves (X-rays peak after the maximum in the synchrotron emission) can be
accounted for if both forward and reverse shocks are considered.Comment: 48 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
Geodesic Deviation in Regge Calculus
Geodesic deviation is the most basic manifestation of the influence of
gravitational fields on matter. We investigate geodesic deviation within the
framework of Regge calculus, and compare the results with the continuous
formulation of general relativity on two different levels. We show that the
continuum and simplicial descriptions coincide when the cumulative effect of
the Regge contributions over an infinitesimal element of area is considered.
This comparison provides a quantitative relation between the curvature of the
continuous description and the deficit angles of Regge calculus. The results
presented might also be of help in developing generic ways of including matter
terms in the Regge equations.Comment: 9 pages. Latex 2e with 5 EPS figures. Submitted to CQ
Apparent horizons in simplicial Brill wave initial data
We construct initial data for a particular class of Brill wave metrics using
Regge calculus, and compare the results to a corresponding continuum solution,
finding excellent agreement. We then search for trapped surfaces in both sets
of initial data, and provide an independent verification of the existence of an
apparent horizon once a critical gravitational wave amplitude is passed. Our
estimate of this critical value, using both the Regge and continuum solutions,
supports other recent findings.Comment: 7 pages, 6 EPS figures, LaTeX 2e. Submitted to Class. Quant. Gra
Cauchy-characteristic Evolution of Einstein-Klein-Gordon Systems
A Cauchy-characteristic initial value problem for the Einstein-Klein-Gordon
system with spherical symmetry is presented. Initial data are specified on the
union of a space-like and null hypersurface. The development of the data is
obtained with the combination of a constrained Cauchy evolution in the interior
domain and a characteristic evolution in the exterior, asymptotically flat
region. The matching interface between the space-like and characteristic
foliations is constructed by imposing continuity conditions on metric,
extrinsic curvature and scalar field variables, ensuring smoothness across the
matching surface. The accuracy of the method is established for all ranges of
, most notably, with a detailed comparison of invariant observables
against reference solutions obtained with a calibrated, global, null algorithm.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. D, 16 pages, revtex, 7 figures available at
http://nr.astro.psu.edu:8080/preprints.htm
Topological Lattice Gravity Using Self-Dual Variables
Topological gravity is the reduction of general relativity to flat
space-times. A lattice model describing topological gravity is developed
starting from a Hamiltonian lattice version of B\w F theory. The extra
symmetries not present in gravity that kill the local degrees of freedom in
theory are removed. The remaining symmetries preserve the
geometrical character of the lattice. Using self-dual variables, the conditions
that guarantee the geometricity of the lattice become reality conditions. The
local part of the remaining symmetry generators, that respect the
geometricity-reality conditions, has the form of Ashtekar's constraints for GR.
Only after constraining the initial data to flat lattices and considering the
non-local (plus local) part of the constraints does the algebra of the symmetry
generators close. A strategy to extend the model for non-flat connections and
quantization are discussed.Comment: 22 pages, revtex, no figure
Cauchy-characteristic Evolution of Einstein-Klein-Gordon Systems: The Black Hole Regime
The Cauchy+characteristic matching (CCM) problem for the scalar wave equation
is investigated in the background geometry of a Schwarzschild black hole.
Previously reported work developed the CCM framework for the coupled
Einstein-Klein-Gordon system of equations, assuming a regular center of
symmetry. Here, the time evolution after the formation of a black hole is
pursued, using a CCM formulation of the governing equations perturbed around
the Schwarzschild background. An extension of the matching scheme allows for
arbitrary matching boundary motion across the coordinate grid. As a proof of
concept, the late time behavior of the dynamics of the scalar field is
explored. The power-law tails in both the time-like and null infinity limits
are verified.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. D, 9 pages, revtex, 5 figures available at
http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/nr/preprints.htm
A fully (3+1)-D Regge calculus model of the Kasner cosmology
We describe the first discrete-time 4-dimensional numerical application of
Regge calculus. The spacetime is represented as a complex of 4-dimensional
simplices, and the geometry interior to each 4-simplex is flat Minkowski
spacetime. This simplicial spacetime is constructed so as to be foliated with a
one parameter family of spacelike hypersurfaces built of tetrahedra. We
implement a novel two-surface initial-data prescription for Regge calculus, and
provide the first fully 4-dimensional application of an implicit decoupled
evolution scheme (the ``Sorkin evolution scheme''). We benchmark this code on
the Kasner cosmology --- a cosmology which embodies generic features of the
collapse of many cosmological models. We (1) reproduce the continuum solution
with a fractional error in the 3-volume of 10^{-5} after 10000 evolution steps,
(2) demonstrate stable evolution, (3) preserve the standard deviation of
spatial homogeneity to less than 10^{-10} and (4) explicitly display the
existence of diffeomorphism freedom in Regge calculus. We also present the
second-order convergence properties of the solution to the continuum.Comment: 22 pages, 5 eps figures, LaTeX. Updated and expanded versio
Reaction mechanism and characteristics of T_{20} in d + ^3He backward elastic scattering at intermediate energies
For backward elastic scattering of deuterons by ^3He, cross sections \sigma
and tensor analyzing power T_{20} are measured at E_d=140-270 MeV. The data are
analyzed by the PWIA and by the general formula which includes virtual
excitations of other channels, with the assumption of the proton transfer from
^3He to the deuteron. Using ^3He wave functions calculated by the Faddeev
equation, the PWIA describes global features of the experimental data, while
the virtual excitation effects are important for quantitative fits to the
T_{20} data. Theoretical predictions on T_{20}, K_y^y (polarization transfer
coefficient) and C_{yy} (spin correlation coefficient) are provided up to GeV
energies.Comment: REVTEX+epsfig, 17 pages including 6 eps figs, to be published in
Phys. Rev.
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