Splitting Sensitivity of the Ground and 7.6 eV Isomeric States of 229Th

The lowest-known excited state in nuclei is the 7.6 eV isomer of 229Th. This energy is within the range of laser-based investigations that could allow accurate measurements of possible temporal variation of this energy splitting. This in turn could probe temporal variation of the fine-structure constant or other parameters in the nuclear Hamiltonian. We investigate the sensitivity of this transition energy to these quantities. We find that the two states are predicted to have identical deformations and thus the same Coulomb energies within the accuracy of the model (viz., within roughly 30 keV). We therefore find no enhanced sensitivity to variation of the fine-structure constant. In the case of the strong interaction the energy splitting is found to have a complicated dependence on several parameters of the interaction, which makes an accurate prediction of sensitivity to temporal changes of fundamental constants problematical. Neither the strong- nor Coulomb-interaction contributions to the energy splitting of this doublet can be constrained within an accuracy better than a few tens of keV, so that only upper limits can be set on the possible sensitivity to temporal variations of the fundamental constants.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Scalar field theory on kappa-Minkowski spacetime and translation and Lorentz invariance

We investigate the properties of kappa-Minkowski spacetime by using representations of the corresponding deformed algebra in terms of undeformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebra. The deformed algebra consists of kappa-Poincare algebra extended with the generators of the deformed Weyl algebra. The part of deformed algebra, generated by rotation, boost and momentum generators, is described by the Hopf algebra structure. The approach used in our considerations is completely Lorentz covariant. We further use an adventages of this approach to consistently construct a star product which has a property that under integration sign it can be replaced by a standard pointwise multiplication, a property that was since known to hold for Moyal, but not also for kappa-Minkowski spacetime. This star product also has generalized trace and cyclic properties and the construction alone is accomplished by considering a classical Dirac operator representation of deformed algebra and by requiring it to be hermitian. We find that the obtained star product is not translationally invariant, leading to a conclusion that the classical Dirac operator representation is the one where translation invariance cannot simultaneously be implemented along with hermiticity. However, due to the integral property satisfied by the star product, noncommutative free scalar field theory does not have a problem with translation symmetry breaking and can be shown to reduce to an ordinary free scalar field theory without nonlocal features and tachionic modes and basicaly of the very same form. The issue of Lorentz invariance of the theory is also discussed.Comment: 22 pages, no figures, revtex4, in new version comments regarding translation invariance and few references are added, accepted for publication in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

The Sightline to Q2343-BX415: Clues to Galaxy Formation in a Quasar Environment

(Abridged) We have discovered a strong DLA coincident in redshift with the faint QSO Q2343-BX415 (R = 20.2, z_em = 2.57393). Follow-up observations at intermediate spectral resolution reveal that the metal lines associated with this 'proximate' DLA consist of two sets of absorption components. One set is moving towards the quasar with velocities of ~ 150-600 km/s; this gas is highly ionized and does not fully cover the continuum source, suggesting that it is physically close to the active nucleus. The other, which accounts for most of the neutral gas, is blueshifted relative to the QSO, with the strongest component at ~ -160 km/s. We consider the possibility that the PDLA arises in the outflowing interstellar medium of the host galaxy of Q2343-BX415, an interpretation supported by strong C IV and N V absorption at nearby velocities, and by the intense radiation field longward of the Lyman limit implied by the high C II*/H I ratio. If Q2343-BX415 is the main source of these UV photons, then the PDLA is located at either ~ 8 or ~ 37 kpc from the active nucleus. Alternatively, the absorber may be a foreground star-forming galaxy unrelated to the quasar and coincidentally at the same redshift, but our deep imaging and follow-up spectroscopy of the field of Q2343-BX415 has not yet produced a likely candidate. We measure the abundances of 14 elements in the PDLA, finding an overall metallicity of ~ 1/5 solar and a normal pattern of relative element abundances for this metallicity. Thus, in this PDLA there is no evidence for the super-solar metallicities that have been claimed for some proximate, high ionization, systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 27 pages, 8 tables, 21 postscript figure

Energy Momentum Pseudo-Tensor of Relic Gravitational Wave in Expanding Universe

We study the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor of gravitational wave, and examine the one introduced by Landau-Lifshitz for a general gravitational field and the effective one recently used in literature. In short wavelength limit after Brill-Hartle average, both lead to the same gauge invariant stress tensor of gravitational wave. For relic gravitational waves in the expanding universe, we examine two forms of pressure, $p_{gw}$ and $\mathcal{P}_{gw}$, and trace the origin of their difference to a coupling between gravitational waves and the background matter. The difference is shown to be negligibly small for most of cosmic expansion stages starting from inflation. We demonstrate that the wave equation is equivalent to the energy conservation equation using the pressure $\mathcal{P}_{gw}$ that includes the mentioned coupling.Comment: 15 pages, no figure, Accepted by PR

Mathisson's helical motions for a spinning particle --- are they unphysical?

It has been asserted in the literature that Mathisson's helical motions are unphysical, with the argument that their radius can be arbitrarily large. We revisit Mathisson's helical motions of a free spinning particle, and observe that such statement is unfounded. Their radius is finite and confined to the disk of centroids. We argue that the helical motions are perfectly valid and physically equivalent descriptions of the motion of a spinning body, the difference between them being the choice of the representative point of the particle, thus a gauge choice. We discuss the kinematical explanation of these motions, and we dynamically interpret them through the concept of hidden momentum. We also show that, contrary to previous claims, the frequency of the helical motions coincides, even in the relativistic limit, with the zitterbewegung frequency of the Dirac equation for the electron

The clock paradox in a static homogeneous gravitational field

The gedanken experiment of the clock paradox is solved exactly using the general relativistic equations for a static homogeneous gravitational field. We demonstrate that the general and special relativistic clock paradox solutions are identical and in particular that they are identical for finite acceleration. Practical expressions are obtained for proper time and coordinate time by using the destination distance as the key observable parameter. This solution provides a formal demonstration of the identity between the special and general relativistic clock paradox with finite acceleration and where proper time is assumed to be the same in both formalisms. By solving the equations of motion for a freely falling clock in a static homogeneous field elapsed times are calculated for realistic journeys to the stars.Comment: Revision: Posted with the caption included with the figure

Using Gravitational Lensing to study HI clouds at high redshift

We investigate the possibility of detecting HI emission from gravitationally lensed HI clouds (akin to damped Lyman-$\alpha$ clouds) at high redshift by carrying out deep radio observations in the fields of known cluster lenses. Such observations will be possible with present radio telescopes only if the lens substantially magnifies the flux of the HI emission. While at present this holds the only possibility of detecting the HI emission from such clouds, it has the disadvantage of being restricted to clouds that lie very close to the caustics of the lens. We find that observations at a detection threshold of 50 micro Jy at 320 MHz (possible with the GMRT) have a greater than 20% probability of detecting an HI cloud in the field of a cluster, provided the clouds have HI masses in the range 5 X 10^8 M_{\odot} < M_{HI} < 2.5 X 10^{10} M_{\odot}. The probability of detecting a cloud increases if they have larger HI masses, except in the cases where the number of HI clouds in the cluster field becomes very small. The probability of a detection at 610 MHz and 233 MHz is comparable to that at 320 MHz, though a definitive statement is difficult owing to uncertainties in the HI content at the redshifts corresponding to these frequencies. Observations at a detection threshold of 2 micro Jy (possible in the future with the SKA) are expected to detect a few HI clouds in the field of every cluster provided the clouds have HI masses in the range 2 X 10^7 M_{\odot} < M_{HI} < 10^9 M_{\odot}. Even if such observations do not result in the detection of HI clouds, they will be able to put useful constraints on the HI content of the clouds.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, minor changes in figures, accepted for publication in Ap

The Properties of Field Elliptical Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift. I: Empirical Scaling Laws

We present measurements of the Fundamental Plane (FP) parameters (the effective radius, the mean effective surface brightness, and the central velocity dispersion) of six field elliptical galaxies at intermediate redshift. The imaging is taken from the Medium Deep Survey of the Hubble Space Telescope, while the kinematical data are obtained from long-slit spectroscopy using the 3.6-m ESO telescope. The Fundamental Plane appears well defined in the field even at redshift $\approx$ 0.3. The data show a shift in the FP zero point with respect to the local relation, possibly indicating modest evolution, consistent with the result found for intermediate redshift cluster samples. The FP slopes derived for our field data, plus other cluster ellipticals at intermediate redshift taken from the literature, differ from the local ones, but are still consistent with the interpretation of the FP as a result of homology, of the virial theorem and of the existence of a relation between luminosity and mass, $L \propto M^{\eta}$. We also derive the surface brightness vs. effective radius relation for nine galaxies with redshift up to $z \approx0.6$, and data from the literature; the evolution that can be inferred is consistent with what is found using the FP.Comment: 17 pages, including 9 figures, MNRAS, accepte

Modelling elliptical galaxies: phase-space constraints on two-component (gamma1,gamma2) models

In the context of the study of the properties of the mutual mass distribution of the bright and dark matter in elliptical galaxies, present a family of two-component, spherical, self-consistent galaxy models, where one density distribution follows a gamma_1 profile, and the other a gamma_2 profile [(gamma_1,gamma_2) models], with different total masses and ``core'' radii. A variable amount of Osipkov-Merritt (radial) orbital anisotropy is allowed in both components. For these models, I derive analytically the necessary and sufficient conditions that the model parameters must satisfy in order to correspond to a physical system. Moreover, the possibility of adding a black hole at the center of radially anisotropic gamma models is discussed, determining analytically a lower limit of the anisotropy radius as a function of gamma. The analytical phase-space distribution function for (1,0) models is presented, together with the solution of the Jeans equations and the quantities entering the scalar virial theorem. It is proved that a globally isotropic gamma=1 component is consistent for any mass and core radius of the superimposed gamma=0 model; on the contrary, only a maximum value of the core radius is allowed for the gamma=0 model when a gamma=1 density distribution is added. The combined effects of mass concentration and orbital anisotropy are investigated, and an interesting behavior of the distribution function of the anisotropic gamma=0 component is found: there exists a region in the parameter space where a sufficient amount of anisotropy results in a consistent model, while the structurally identical but isotropic model would be inconsistent.Comment: 29 pages, LaTex, plus 5 .eps figures and macro aaspp4.sty - accepted by ApJ, main journa