23,229 research outputs found
Lorentz invariance violation and charge (non--)conservation: A general theoretical frame for extensions of the Maxwell equations
All quantum gravity approaches lead to small modifications in the standard
laws of physics which lead to violations of Lorentz invariance. One particular
example is the extended standard model (SME). Here, a general phenomenological
approach for extensions of the Maxwell equations is presented which turns out
to be more general than the SME and which covers charge non--conservation
(CNC), too. The new Lorentz invariance violating terms cannot be probed by
optical experiments but need, instead, the exploration of the electromagnetic
field created by a point charge or a magnetic dipole. Some scalar--tensor
theories and higher dimensional brane theories predict CNC in four dimensions
and some models violating Special Relativity have been shown to be connected
with CNC and its relation to the Einstein Equivalence Principle has been
discussed. Due to this upcoming interest, the experimental status of electric
charge conservation is reviewed. Up to now there seem to exist no unique tests
of charge conservation. CNC is related to the precession of polarization, to a
modification of the --Coulomb potential, and to a time-dependence of the
fine structure constant. This gives the opportunity to describe a dedicated
search for CNC.Comment: To appear in Physical Review
Learning to Control in Metric Space with Optimal Regret
We study online reinforcement learning for finite-horizon deterministic
control systems with {\it arbitrary} state and action spaces. Suppose that the
transition dynamics and reward function is unknown, but the state and action
space is endowed with a metric that characterizes the proximity between
different states and actions. We provide a surprisingly simple upper-confidence
reinforcement learning algorithm that uses a function approximation oracle to
estimate optimistic Q functions from experiences. We show that the regret of
the algorithm after episodes is where is a
smoothness parameter, and is the doubling dimension of the state-action
space with respect to the given metric. We also establish a near-matching
regret lower bound. The proposed method can be adapted to work for more
structured transition systems, including the finite-state case and the case
where value functions are linear combinations of features, where the method
also achieve the optimal regret
Direct Detection of the Primordial Inflationary Gravitational Waves
Inflationary cosmology is successful in explaining a number of outstanding
cosmological issues including the flatness, the horizon and the relic issues.
More spectacular is the experimental confirmation of the structure as arose
from the inflationary quantum fluctuations. However, the physics in the
inflationary era is unclear. Polarization observations of Cosmic Microwave
Background (CMB) missions may detect the tensor mode effects of inflationary
gravitational waves (GWs) and give an energy scale of inflation. To probe the
inflationary physics, direct observation of gravitational waves generated in
the inflationary era is needed. In this essay, we advocate that the direct
observation of these GWs with sensitivity Omega-gw down to 10**(-23) is
possible using present projected technology development if foreground could be
separated.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, received an honorable mention in the 2009 Essay
Competition of the Gravity Research Foundatio
Largest eigenvalue distribution in the double scaling limit of matrix models: A Coulomb fluid approach
Using thermodynamic arguments we find that the probability that there are no
eigenvalues in the interval (-s,\infty) in the double scaling limit of
Hermitean matrix models is O(exp(-s^{2m+1})) as s\to+\infty.Here m=1,2,3..
determine the m^{th} multi-critical point of the level density:\sigma(x)\sim
b[1-(x/b)^2]^{m-1/2} and b^2\sim N.Furthermore,the size of the transition zone
where the eigenvalue density becomes vanishingly small at the tail of the
spectrum is \sim N^{(m-3/2)/(2m+1)} in agreement with earlier work based on the
string equation.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, to appear in J.Phys. A Lett. 199
Q & A Experiment to Search for Vacuum Dichroism, Pseudoscalar-Photon Interaction and Millicharged Fermions
A number of experiments are underway to detect vacuum birefringence and
dichroism -- PVLAS, Q & A, and BMV. Recently, PVLAS experiment has observed
optical rotation in vacuum by a magnetic field (vacuum dichroism). Theoretical
interpretations of this result include a possible pseudoscalar-photon
interaction and the existence of millicharged fermions. Here, we report the
progress and first results of Q & A (QED [quantum electrodynamics] and Axion)
experiment proposed and started in 1994. A 3.5-m high-finesse (around 30,000)
Fabry-Perot prototype detector extendable to 7-m has been built and tested. We
use X-pendulums and automatic control schemes developed by the
gravitational-wave detection community for mirror suspension and cavity
control. To polarize the vacuum, we use a 2.3-T dipole permanent magnet, with
27-mm-diameter clear borehole and 0.6-m field length,. In the experiment, the
magnet is rotated at 5-10 rev/s to generate time-dependent polarization signal
with twice the rotation frequency. Our
ellipsometer/polarization-rotation-detection-system is formed by a pair of
Glan-Taylor type polarizing prisms with extinction ratio lower than 10-8
together with a polarization modulating Faraday Cell with/without a quarter
wave plate. We made an independent calibration of our apparatus by performing a
measurement of gaseous Cotton-Mouton effect of nitrogen. We present our first
experimental results and give a brief discussion of our experimental limit on
pseudo-scalar-photon interaction and millicharged fermions.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Modern Physics Letter
model and Higgs mass in standard model calculated by Gaussian effective potential approach with a new regularization-renormalization method
Basing on new regularization-renormalization method, the
model used in standard model is studied both perturbatively and
nonperturbatively (by Gaussian effective potential). The invariant property of
two mass scales is stressed and the existence of a (Landau) pole is emphasized.
Then after coupling with the SU(2)U(1) gauge fields, the Higgs mass in
standard model (SM) can be calculated as 138GeV. The critical
temperature () for restoration of symmetry of Higgs field, the critical
energy scale (, the maximum energy scale under which the lower
excitation sector of the GEP is valid) and the maximum energy scale
(, at which the symmetry of the Higgs field is restored) in the
standard model are 476 GeV, GeV
and GeVv respectively.Comment: 12 pages, LaTex, no figur
Suspension of the fiber mode-cleaner launcher and measurement of the high extinction-ratio (10^{-9}) ellipsometer for the Q & A experiment
The Q & A experiment, first proposed and started in 1994, provides a feasible
way of exploring the quantum vacuum through the detection of vacuum
birefringence effect generated by QED loop diagram and the detection of the
polarization rotation effect generated by photon-interacting (pseudo-)scalar
particles. Three main parts of the experiment are: (1) Optics System (including
associated Electronic System) based on a suspended 3.5-m high finesse
Fabry-Perot cavity, (2) Ellipsometer using ultra-high extinction-ratio
polarizer and analyzer, and (3) Magnetic Field Modulation System for generating
the birefringence and the polarization rotation effect. In 2002, the Q & A
experiment achieved the Phase I sensitivity goal. During Phase II, we set (i)
to improve the control system of the cavity mirrors for suppressing the
relative motion noise, (ii) to enhance the birefringence signal by setting-up a
60-cm long 2.3 T transverse permanent magnet rotatable to 10 rev/s, (iii) to
reduce geometrical noise by inserting a polarization-maintaining optical fiber
(PM fiber) as a mode cleaner, and (iv) to use ultra-high extinction-ratio
(10^{-9}) polarizer and analyzer for ellipsometry. Here we report on (iii) &
(iv); specifically, we present the properties of the PM-fiber mode-cleaner, the
transfer function of its suspension system, and the result of our measurement
of high extinction-ratio polarizer and analyzer.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, presented in the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on
Gravitational Waves, Okinawa, Japan, June 2005, and accepted by "Journal of
Physics: Conference Series". Modifications from version 2 were made based on
the referees' comments on figures. Ref. [31] were update
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