Gravitational multi-NUT solitons, Komar masses and charges

Generalising expressions given by Komar, we give precise definitions of gravitational mass and solitonic NUT charge and we apply these to the description of a class of Minkowski-signature multi-Taub-NUT solutions without rod singularities. A Wick rotation then yields the corresponding class of Euclidean-signature gravitational multi-instantons.Comment: Some references adde

No-horizon theorem for vacuum gravity with spacelike G1 isometry groups

We show that (3+1) vacuum spacetimes admitting a global, spacelike, one-parameter Lie group of isometries of translational type cannot contain apparent horizons. The only assumption made is that of the existence of a global spacelike Killing vector field with infinite open orbits; the four-dimensional vacuum spacetime metric is otherwise arbitrary. This result may thus be viewed as a hoop conjecture theorem for vacuum gravity with one spacelike translational Killing symmetry.Comment: 6 pages, revtex4; published in Phys. Rev. D Rapid Com

Binary data corruption due to a Brownian agent

We introduce a model of binary data corruption induced by a Brownian agent (active random walker) on a d-dimensional lattice. A continuum formulation allows the exact calculation of several quantities related to the density of corrupted bits \rho; for example the mean of \rho, and the density-density correlation function. Excellent agreement is found with the results from numerical simulations. We also calculate the probability distribution of \rho in d=1, which is found to be log-normal, indicating that the system is governed by extreme fluctuations.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figures, RevTe

Lense-Thirring Precession in Pleba\'nski-Demia\'nski spacetimes

An exact expression of Lense-Thirring precession rate is derived for non-extremal and extremal Pleba\'nski-Demia\'nski spacetimes. This formula is used to find the exact Lense-Thirring precession rate in various axisymmetric spacetimes, like: Kerr, Kerr-Newman, Kerr-de Sitter etc. We also show, if the Kerr parameter vanishes in Pleba\'nski-Demia\'nski(PD) spacetime, the Lense-Thirring precession does not vanish due to the existence of NUT charge. To derive the LT precession rate in extremal Pleba\'nski-Demia\'nski we first derive the general extremal condition for PD spacetimes. This general result could be applied to get the extremal limit in any stationary and axisymmetric spacetimes.Comment: 9 pages, Some special modifications are mad

External Electromagnetic Fields of a Slowly Rotating Magnetized Star with Gravitomagnetic Charge

We study Maxwell equations in the external background spacetime of a slowly rotating magnetized NUT star and find analytical solutions for the exterior electric fields after separating the equations of electric field into angular and radial parts in the lowest order approximation. The star is considered isolated and in vacuum, with dipolar magnetic field aligned with the axis of rotation. The contribution to the external electric field of star from the NUT charge is considered in detail.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Pre-market version of a commercially available hearing instrument with a tinnitus sound generator: feasibility of evaluation in a clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: This report considers feasibility of conducting a UK trial of combination devices for tinnitus, using data from the study which evaluated different listener programmes available within the pre-market version of Oticon Alta with Tinnitus Sound Generator. DESIGN: Open and closed questions addressed the following feasibility issues: (1) Participant recruitment; (2) Device acceptability; (3) Programme preferences in different self-nominated listening situations; (4) Usability; (5) Compliance; (6) Adverse events. STUDY SAMPLE: Eight current combination hearing aid users (all males) aged between 62-72 years (mean age 67.25 years, SD = 3.8). RESULTS: All eight participants reported the physical aspects and noise options on the experimental device to be acceptable. Programmes with amplification and masking features were equally preferred over the basic amplification-only programme. Individual preferences for the different programme options varied widely, both across participants and across listening situations. CONCLUSIONS: A set of recommendations for future trials were formulated which calls for more "real world" trial design rather than tightly controlling the fitting procedure

Gaussian coordinate systems for the Kerr metric

We present the whole class of Gaussian coordinate systems for the Kerr metric. This is achieved through the uses of the relationship between Gaussian observers and the relativistic Hamilton-Jacobi equation. We analyze the completeness of this coordinate system. In the appendix we present the equivalent JEK formulation of General Relativity -- the so-called quasi-Maxwellian equations -- which acquires a simpler form in the Gaussian coordinate system. We show how this set of equations can be used to obtain the internal metric of the Schwazschild solution, as a simple example. We suggest that this path can be followed to the search of the internal Kerr metric

Exact Hypersurface-Homogeneous Solutions in Cosmology and Astrophysics

A framework is introduced which explains the existence and similarities of most exact solutions of the Einstein equations with a wide range of sources for the class of hypersurface-homogeneous spacetimes which admit a Hamiltonian formulation. This class includes the spatially homogeneous cosmological models and the astrophysically interesting static spherically symmetric models as well as the stationary cylindrically symmetric models. The framework involves methods for finding and exploiting hidden symmetries and invariant submanifolds of the Hamiltonian formulation of the field equations. It unifies, simplifies and extends most known work on hypersurface-homogeneous exact solutions. It is shown that the same framework is also relevant to gravitational theories with a similar structure, like Brans-Dicke or higher-dimensional theories.Comment: 41 pages, REVTEX/LaTeX 2.09 file (don't use LaTeX2e !!!) Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Self-Similar Scalar Field Collapse: Naked Singularities and Critical Behaviour

Homothetic scalar field collapse is considered in this article. By making a suitable choice of variables the equations are reduced to an autonomous system. Then using a combination of numerical and analytic techniques it is shown that there are two classes of solutions. The first consists of solutions with a non-singular origin in which the scalar field collapses and disperses again. There is a singularity at one point of these solutions, however it is not visible to observers at finite radius. The second class of solutions includes both black holes and naked singularities with a critical evolution (which is neither) interpolating between these two extremes. The properties of these solutions are discussed in detail. The paper also contains some speculation about the significance of self-similarity in recent numerical studies.Comment: 27 pages including 5 encapsulated postcript figures in separate compressed file, report NCL94-TP1

Mean-field analysis of the q-voter model on networks

We present a detailed investigation of the behavior of the nonlinear q-voter model for opinion dynamics. At the mean-field level we derive analytically, for any value of the number q of agents involved in the elementary update, the phase diagram, the exit probability and the consensus time at the transition point. The mean-field formalism is extended to the case that the interaction pattern is given by generic heterogeneous networks. We finally discuss the case of random regular networks and compare analytical results with simulations.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figure