1,752 research outputs found
Renormalization group improved gravitational actions: a Brans-Dicke approach
A new framework for exploiting information about the renormalization group
(RG) behavior of gravity in a dynamical context is discussed. The
Einstein-Hilbert action is RG-improved by replacing Newton's constant and the
cosmological constant by scalar functions in the corresponding Lagrangian
density. The position dependence of and is governed by a RG
equation together with an appropriate identification of RG scales with points
in spacetime. The dynamics of the fields and does not admit a
Lagrangian description in general. Within the Lagrangian formalism for the
gravitational field they have the status of externally prescribed
``background'' fields. The metric satisfies an effective Einstein equation
similar to that of Brans-Dicke theory. Its consistency imposes severe
constraints on allowed backgrounds. In the new RG-framework, and
carry energy and momentum. It is tested in the setting of homogeneous-isotropic
cosmology and is compared to alternative approaches where the fields and
do not carry gravitating 4-momentum. The fixed point regime of the
underlying RG flow is studied in detail.Comment: LaTeX, 72 pages, no figure
Fractal space-times under the microscope: A Renormalization Group view on Monte Carlo data
The emergence of fractal features in the microscopic structure of space-time
is a common theme in many approaches to quantum gravity. In this work we carry
out a detailed renormalization group study of the spectral dimension and
walk dimension associated with the effective space-times of
asymptotically safe Quantum Einstein Gravity (QEG). We discover three scaling
regimes where these generalized dimensions are approximately constant for an
extended range of length scales: a classical regime where , a
semi-classical regime where , and the UV-fixed point
regime where . On the length scales covered by
three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations, the resulting spectral dimension is
shown to be in very good agreement with the data. This comparison also provides
a natural explanation for the apparent puzzle between the short distance
behavior of the spectral dimension reported from Causal Dynamical
Triangulations (CDT), Euclidean Dynamical Triangulations (EDT), and Asymptotic
Safety.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure
Quantum Einstein Gravity
We give a pedagogical introduction to the basic ideas and concepts of the
Asymptotic Safety program in Quantum Einstein Gravity. Using the continuum
approach based upon the effective average action, we summarize the state of the
art of the field with a particular focus on the evidence supporting the
existence of the non-trivial renormalization group fixed point at the heart of
the construction. As an application, the multifractal structure of the emerging
space-times is discussed in detail. In particular, we compare the continuum
prediction for their spectral dimension with Monte Carlo data from the Causal
Dynamical Triangulation approach.Comment: 87 pages, 13 figures, review article prepared for the New Journal of
Physics focus issue on Quantum Einstein Gravit
Renormalization Group Flow in Scalar-Tensor Theories. II
We study the UV behaviour of actions including integer powers of scalar
curvature and even powers of scalar fields with Functional Renormalization
Group techniques. We find UV fixed points where the gravitational couplings
have non-trivial values while the matter ones are Gaussian. We prove several
properties of the linearized flow at such a fixed point in arbitrary dimensions
in the one-loop approximation and find recursive relations among the critical
exponents. We illustrate these results in explicit calculations in for
actions including up to four powers of scalar curvature and two powers of the
scalar field. In this setting we notice that the same recursive properties
among the critical exponents, which were proven at one-loop order, still hold,
in such a way that the UV critical surface is found to be five dimensional. We
then search for the same type of fixed point in a scalar theory with minimal
coupling to gravity in including up to eight powers of scalar curvature.
Assuming that the recursive properties of the critical exponents still hold,
one would conclude that the UV critical surface of these theories is five
dimensional.Comment: 14 pages. v.2: Minor changes, some references adde
Nonperturbative Evolution Equation for Quantum Gravity
A scale--dependent effective action for gravity is introduced and an exact
nonperturbative evolution equation is derived which governs its renormalization
group flow. It is invariant under general coordinate transformations and
satisfies modified BRS Ward--Identities. The evolution equation is solved for a
simple truncation of the space of actions. In 2+epsilon dimensions,
nonperturbative corrections to the beta--function of Newton's constant are
derived and its dependence on the cosmological constant is investigated. In 4
dimensions, Einstein gravity is found to be ``antiscreening'', i.e., Newton's
constant increases at large distances.Comment: 35 pages, late
Discovery of Radio Outbursts in the Active Nucleus of M81
The low-luminosity active galactic nucleus of M81 has been monitored at
centimeter wavelengths since early 1993 as a by-product of radio programs to
study the radio emission from Supernova 1993J. The extensive data sets reveal
that the nucleus experienced several radio outbursts during the monitoring
period. At 2 and 3.6 cm, the main outburst occurred roughly in the beginning of
1993 September and lasted for approximately three months; at longer
wavelengths, the maximum flux density decreases, and the onset of the burst is
delayed. These characteristics qualitatively resemble the standard model for
adiabatically expanding radio sources, although certain discrepancies between
the observations and the theoretical predictions suggest that the model is too
simplistic. In addition to the large-amplitude, prolonged variations, we also
detected milder changes in the flux density at 3.6 cm and possibly at 6 cm on
short (less than 1 day) timescales. We discuss a possible association between
the radio activity and an optical flare observed during the period that the
nucleus was monitored at radio wavelengths.Comment: To appear in The Astronomical Journal. Latex, 18 pages including
embedded figures and table
Ionization by bulk heating of electrons in capacitive radio frequency atmospheric pressure microplasmas
Electron heating and ionization dynamics in capacitively coupled radio
frequency (RF) atmospheric pressure microplasmas operated in helium are
investigated by Particle in Cell simulations and semi-analytical modeling. A
strong heating of electrons and ionization in the plasma bulk due to high bulk
electric fields are observed at distinct times within the RF period. Based on
the model the electric field is identified to be a drift field caused by a low
electrical conductivity due to the high electron-neutral collision frequency at
atmospheric pressure. Thus, the ionization is mainly caused by ohmic heating in
this "Omega-mode". The phase of strongest bulk electric field and ionization is
affected by the driving voltage amplitude. At high amplitudes, the plasma
density is high, so that the sheath impedance is comparable to the bulk
resistance. Thus, voltage and current are about 45{\deg} out of phase and
maximum ionization is observed during sheath expansion with local maxima at the
sheath edges. At low driving voltages, the plasma density is low and the
discharge becomes more resistive resulting in a smaller phase shift of about
4{\deg}. Thus, maximum ionization occurs later within the RF period with a
maximum in the discharge center. Significant analogies to electronegative low
pressure macroscopic discharges operated in the Drift-Ambipolar mode are found,
where similar mechanisms induced by a high electronegativity instead of a high
collision frequency have been identified
Sphaleron Effects Near the Critical Temperature
We discuss one-loop radiative corrections to the sphaleron-induced baryon
number-violating transition rate near the electroweak phase transition in the
standard model. We emphasize that in the case of a first-order transition a
rearrangement of the loop expansion is required close to the transition
temperature. The corresponding expansion parameter, the effective 3-dimensional
gauge coupling approaches a finite dependent value at the critical
temperature.
The
(Higgs mass) dependence of the 1-loop radiative corrections is discussed in
the framework of the heat kernel method. Radiative corrections are small
compared to the leading sphaleron contribution as long as the Higgs mass is
small compared to the W mass. To 1-loop accuracy, there is no Higgs mass range
compatible with experimental limits where washing-out of a B+L asymmetry could
be avoided for the minimal standard model with one Higgs doublet.Comment: 17 pages, RevTeX, (4 figures in a separate uuencoded file),
HD-THEP-93-23re
Cosmology of the Lifshitz universe
We study the ultraviolet complete non-relativistic theory recently proposed
by Horava. After introducing a Lifshitz scalar for a general background, we
analyze the cosmology of the model in Lorentzian and Euclidean signature.
Vacuum solutions are found and it is argued the existence of non-singular
bouncing profiles. We find a general qualitative agreement with both the
picture of Causal Dynamical Triangulations and Quantum Einstein Gravity.
However, inflation driven by a Lifshitz scalar field on a classical background
might not produce a scale-invariant spectrum when the principle of detailed
balance is assumed.Comment: 23 pages. v2: one reference and one equation added, main conclusions
unchanged; v3: matches published version, discussion improved, typos
correcte
First-principles study of the polar O-terminated ZnO surface in thermodynamic equilibrium with oxygen and hydrogen
Using density-functional theory in combination with a thermodynamic formalism
we calculate the relative stability of various structural models of the polar
O-terminated (000-1)-O surface of ZnO. Model surfaces with different
concentrations of oxygen vacancies and hydrogen adatoms are considered.
Assuming that the surfaces are in thermodynamic equilibrium with an O2 and H2
gas phase we determine a phase diagram of the lowest-energy surface structures.
For a wide range of temperatures and pressures we find that hydrogen will be
adsorbed at the surface, preferentially with a coverage of 1/2 monolayer. At
high temperatures and low pressures the hydrogen can be removed and a structure
with 1/4 of the surface oxygen atoms missing becomes the most stable one. The
clean, defect-free surface can only exist in an oxygen-rich environment with a
very low hydrogen partial pressure. However, since we find that the
dissociative adsorption of molecular hydrogen and water (if also the
Zn-terminated surface is present) is energetically very preferable, it is very
unlikely that a clean, defect-free (000-1)-O surface can be observed in
experiment.Comment: 10 pages, 4 postscript figures. Uses REVTEX and epsf macro
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