2,664 research outputs found
The Generalized Ricci Flow for 3D Manifolds with One Killing Vector
We consider 3D flow equations inspired by the renormalization group (RG)
equations of string theory with a three dimensional target space. By modifying
the flow equations to include a U(1) gauge field, and adding carefully chosen
De Turck terms, we are able to extend recent 2D results of Bakas to the case of
a 3D Riemannian metric with one Killing vector. In particular, we show that the
RG flow with De Turck terms can be reduced to two equations: the continual Toda
flow solved by Bakas, plus its linearizaton. We find exact solutions which flow
to homogeneous but not always isotropic geometries
Geophysical characteristics and crustal structure of greenstone terranes: Canadian Shield
Geophysical studies in the Canadian Shield have provided some insights into the tectonic setting of greenstone belts. Greenstone belts are not rooted in deep crustal structures. Geophysical techniques consistently indicate that greenstones are restricted to the uppermost 10 km or so of crust and are underlain by geophysically normal crust. Gravity models suggest that granitic elements are similarly restricted, although magnetic modelling suggests possible downward extension to the intermediate discontinuity around approx. 18 km. Seismic evidence demonstrates that steeply-dipping structure, which can be associated with the belts in the upper crust, is not present in the lower crust. Horizontal intermediate discontinuities mapped under adjacent greenstone and granitic components are not noticeably disrupted in the boundary zone. Geophysical evidence points to the presence of discontinuities between greenhouse-granite and adjacent metasedimentary erranes. Measured stratigraphic thicknesses of greenstone belts are often twice or more the vertical thicknesses determined from gravity modelling. Explantations advanced for the discrepancy include stratigraphy repeated by thrust faulting and/or listric normal faulting, mechanisms which are consistent with certain aspects of conceptual models of greenstone development. Where repetition is not a factor the gravity evidence points to removal of the root zones of greenstone belts. For one region, this has been attributed to magmatic stopping during resurgent caldera activity
Circles in the Sky: Finding Topology with the Microwave Background Radiation
If the universe is finite and smaller than the distance to the surface of
last scatter, then the signature of the topology of the universe is writ large
on the microwave background sky. We show that the microwave background will be
identified at the intersections of the surface of last scattering as seen by
different ``copies'' of the observer. Since the surface of last scattering is a
two-sphere, these intersections will be circles, regardless of the background
geometry or topology. We therefore propose a statistic that is sensitive to all
small, locally homogeneous topologies. Here, small means that the distance to
the surface of last scatter is smaller than the ``topology scale'' of the
universe.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, IOP format. This paper is a direct descendant
of gr-qc/9602039. To appear in a special proceedings issue of Class. Quant.
Grav. covering the Cleveland Topology & Cosmology Worksho
Hormonal Regulation of Glucocorticoid Inactivation and Reactivation in aT3-1 and LßT2 Gonadotroph Cells
The regulation of reproductive function by glucocorticoids occurs at all levels of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. Within the pituitary, glucocorticoids have been shown to directly alter gene expression in gonadotrophs, indicating that these cell types are sensitive to regulation by the glucocorticoid receptor. Whilst the major glucocorticoid metabolising enzymes, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD; HSD11B1 and HSD11B2), have been described in human pituitary adenomas, the activity of these enzymes within different pituitary cell types has not been reported. Radiometric conversion assays were performed in αT3-1, LβT2 (gonadotrophs), AtT-20 (corticotrophs) and GH3 (somatolactotrophs) anterior pituitary cell lines, using tritiated cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone or 11-dehydrocorticosterone as substrates. The net oxidation of cortisol/corticosterone and net reduction of cortisone/11-dehydrocorticosterone were significantly higher in the two gonadotroph cells lines compared with the AtT-20 and GH3 cells after 4 h. Whilst these enzyme activities remained the same in αT3-1 and LβT2 cells over a 24 h period, there was a significant increase in glucocorticoid metabolism in both AtT-20 and GH3 cells over this same period, suggesting cell-type specific activity of the 11βHSD enzyme(s). Stimulation of both gonadotroph cell lines with either 100 nM GnRH or PACAP (known physiological regulators of gonadotrophs) resulted in significantly increased 11β-dehydrogenase (11βDH) and 11-ketosteroid reductase (11KSR) activities, over both 4 and 24 h. These data reveal that gonadotroph 11βHSD enzyme activity can act to regulate local glucocorticoid availability to mediate the influence of the HPA axis on gonadotroph function
Quadri-tilings of the plane
We introduce {\em quadri-tilings} and show that they are in bijection with
dimer models on a {\em family} of graphs arising from rhombus
tilings. Using two height functions, we interpret a sub-family of all
quadri-tilings, called {\em triangular quadri-tilings}, as an interface model
in dimension 2+2. Assigning "critical" weights to edges of , we prove an
explicit expression, only depending on the local geometry of the graph ,
for the minimal free energy per fundamental domain Gibbs measure; this solves a
conjecture of \cite{Kenyon1}. We also show that when edges of are
asymptotically far apart, the probability of their occurrence only depends on
this set of edges. Finally, we give an expression for a Gibbs measure on the
set of {\em all} triangular quadri-tilings whose marginals are the above Gibbs
measures, and conjecture it to be that of minimal free energy per fundamental
domain.Comment: Revised version, minor changes. 30 pages, 13 figure
Measuring Topological Chaos
The orbits of fluid particles in two dimensions effectively act as
topological obstacles to material lines. A spacetime plot of the orbits of such
particles can be regarded as a braid whose properties reflect the underlying
dynamics. For a chaotic flow, the braid generated by the motion of three or
more fluid particles is computed. A ``braiding exponent'' is then defined to
characterize the complexity of the braid. This exponent is proportional to the
usual Lyapunov exponent of the flow, associated with separation of nearby
trajectories. Measuring chaos in this manner has several advantages, especially
from the experimental viewpoint, since neither nearby trajectories nor
derivatives of the velocity field are needed.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures. RevTeX 4 with PSFrag macro
Soft phonons and structural phase transitions in LaBaCuO
Soft phonon behavior associated with a structural phase transition from the
low-temperature-orthorhombic (LTO) phase ( symmetry) to the
low-temperature-tetragonal (LTT) phase ( symmetry) was investigated
in LaBaCuO using neutron scattering. As temperature
decreases, the TO-mode at -point softens and approaches to zero energy
around K, where the LTO -- LTT transition occurs. Below , the phonon hardens quite rapidly and it's energy almost saturates below
50 K. At , the energy dispersion of the soft phonon along in-plane
direction significantly changes while the dispersion along out-of-plane
direction is almost temperature independent. Coexistence between the LTO phase
and the LTT phase, seen in both the soft phonon spectra and the peak profiles
of Bragg reflection, is discussed in context of the order of structural phase
transitions.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure
Black Holes in Three Dimensional Topological Gravity
We investigate the black hole solution to (2+1)-dimensional gravity coupled
to topological matter, with a vanishing cosmological constant. We calculate the
total energy, angular momentum and entropy of the black hole in this model and
compare with results obtained in Einstein gravity. We find that the theory with
topological matter reverses the identification of energy and angular momentum
with the parameters in the metric, compared with general relativity, and that
the entropy is determined by the circumference of the inner rather than the
outer horizon. We speculate that this results from the contribution of the
topological matter fields to the conserved currents. We also briefly discuss
two new possible (2+1)-dimensional black holes.Comment: 14 pages, LateX, UNB Tech. Rep. 94-03, UCD- 94-3
Physical Conditions in the Narrow-Line Region of M51
We have investigated the physical conditions in the narrow-line region (NLR)
of M51 using long-slit spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and 3.6 cm radio
continuum observations obtained with the Very Large Array (VLA). Emission-line
diagnostics were employed for nine NLR clouds, which extend 2.5" (102 pc) from
the nucleus, to examine the electron density, temperature, and ionization state
of the NLR gas. The emission-line ratios are consistent with those typically
found in Seyfert nuclei and indicate that within the inner near-nuclear region
(r ~< 1") the ionization decreases with increasing radius. Upper-limits to the
[O III] electron temperature (T ~< 11,000 K) for the inner NLR clouds indicate
that photoionization is the dominant ionization mechanism close to the nucleus.
The emission-line fluxes for most of the NLR clouds can be reproduced
reasonably well by simple photoionization models using a central power-law
continuum source and supersolar nitrogen abundances. Shock+precursor models,
however, provide a better fit to the observed fluxes of an NLR cloud ~2.5"
south of the nucleus that is identified with the extra-nuclear cloud (XNC). The
large [O III] electron temperature of this cloud (T = 24,000 K) further
suggests the presence of shocks. This cloud is straddled by two radio knots and
lies near the location where a weak radio jet, ~2.5" (102pc) in extent,
connects the near-nuclear radio emission with a diffuse lobe structure spanning
\~4" (163 pc). It is plausible that this cloud represents the location where
the radio jet impinges on the disk ISM.Comment: 25 pages, 26 figures (9 color), 7 tables. Accepted for publication in
the Astrophysical Journa
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