Gravitational Capture and Scattering of Straight Test Strings with Large Impact Parameters

The capture or scattering of an initially straight infinite test cosmic string by a Kerr-Newman black hole, or by any other small source of an electrovac gravitational field, is analyzed analytically when the string moves with initial velocity v and large impact parameter b >> M so that the string stays very nearly straight (except during the final capture process, if that occurs, or except far behind the gravitating object, if b is not much greater than the energy of the object in the frame of the string). The critical impact parameter for capture at low velocities is shown to be [(pi/2)(M^2-Q^2)/v]^{1/2}. For all larger b, the displacement of the string from the plane of the gravitating object after the scattering approaches the final value [b^2 - (pi/2)(M^2-Q^2)/v]^{1/2} - 2 pi M v/(1-v^2)^{1/2}, for any v, so long as b >> M.Comment: 27 pages, no figures, Late

Aspects of Quantum Cosmology

Quantum mechanics may be formulated as SENSIBLE QUANTUM MECHANICS (SQM) so that it contains nothing probabilistic, except, in a certain frequency sense, conscious perceptions. Sets of these perceptions can be deterministically realized with measures given by expectation values of positive-operator-valued AWARENESS OPERATORS in a quantum state of the universe which never jumps or collapses. Ratios of the measures for these sets of perceptions can be interpreted as frequency-type probabilities for many actually existing sets rather than as propensities for potentialities to be actualized, so there is nothing indeterministic in SQM. These frequency-type probabilities generally cannot be given by the ordinary quantum "probabilities" for a single set of alternatives. PROBABILISM, or ascribing probabilities to unconscious aspects of the world, may be seen to be an AESTHEMAMORPHIC MYTH. No fundamental correlation or equivalence is postulated between different perceptions (each being the entirety of a single conscious experience and thus not in direct contact with any other), so SQM, a variant of Everett's "many-worlds" framework, is a "many-perceptions" framework but not a "many-minds" framework. Different detailed SQM theories may be tested against experienced perceptions by the TYPICALITIES (defined herein) they predict for these perceptions. One may adopt the CONDITIONAL AESTHEMIC PRINCIPLE: among the set of all conscious perceptions, our perceptions are likely to be typical.Comment: LaTeX, 18 pages, September 1995 Erice lecture