Noncommutative Quantum Hall Effect and Aharonov-Bohm Effect

We study a system of electrons moving on a noncommutative plane in the presence of an external magnetic field which is perpendicular to this plane. For generality we assume that the coordinates and the momenta are both noncommutative. We make a transformation from the noncommutative coordinates to a set of commuting coordinates and then we write the Hamiltonian for this system. The energy spectrum and the expectation value of the current can then be calculated and the Hall conductivity can be extracted. We use the same method to calculate the phase shift for the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Precession measurements could allow strong upper limits to be imposed on the noncommutativity coordinate and momentum parameters $\Theta$ and $\Xi$.Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX4, references added, small changes in the tex

'Rapid fire' spectroscopy of Kepler solar-like oscillators

The NASA Kepler mission has been continuously monitoring the same field of the sky since the successful launch in March 2009, providing high-quality stellar lightcurves that are excellent data for asteroseismology, far superior to any other observations available at the present. In order to make a meaningful analysis and interpretation of the asteroseismic data, accurate fundamental parameters for the observed stars are needed. The currently available parameters are quite uncertain as illustrated by e.g. Thygesen et al. (A&A 543, A160, 2012), who found deviations as extreme as 2.0 dex in [Fe/H] and log g, compared to catalogue values. Thus, additional follow-up observations for these targets are needed in order to put firm limits on the parameter space investigated by the asteroseismic modellers. Here, we propose a metod for deriving accurate metallicities of main sequence and subgiant solar-like oscillators from medium resolution spectra with a moderate S/N. The method takes advantage of the additional constraints on the fundamental parameters, available from asteroseismology and multi-color photometry. The approach enables us to reduce the analysis overhead significantly when doing spectral synthesis, which in turn will increases the efficiency of follow-up observations.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures. Proceedings from Asteroseismology of Stellar Populations in the Milky Way 2013 to appear in 'Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings

How much do helioseismological inferences depend upon the assumed reference model?

We investigate systematic uncertainties in determining the profiles of the solar sound speed, density, and adiabatic index by helioseismological techniques. We find that rms uncertainties-averaged over the sun of ~ 0.2%-0.4% are contributed to the sound speed profile by each of three sources: 1)the choice of assumed reference model, 2) the width of the inversion kernel, and 3) the measurements errors. The density profile is about an order of magnitude less well determined by the helioseismological measurements. The profile of the adiabatic index is determined to an accuracy of about 0.2% . We find that even relatively crude reference models yield reasonably accurate solar parameters.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ . Related material at http://www.sns.ias.edu/~jn

Gravity of higher-dimensional global defects

Solutions of Einstein's equations are found for global defects in a higher-dimensional spacetime with a nonzero cosmological constant Lambda. The defect has a (p-1)-dimensional core (brane) and a `hedgehog' scalar field configuration in the n extra dimensions. For Lambda = 0 and n > 2, the solutions are characterized by a flat brane worldsheet and a solid angle deficit in the extra dimensions. For Lambda > 0, one class of solutions describes spherical branes in an inflating higher-dimensional universe. Instantons obtained by a Euclidean continuation of such solutions describe quantum nucleation of the entire inflating brane-world, or of a spherical brane in an inflating higher-dimensional universe. For Lambda < 0, one class of solutions exhibits an exponential warp factor. It is similar to spacetimes previously discussed by Randall and Sundrum for n = 1 and by Gregory for n = 2.Comment: 18 pages, no figures, uses revte

Helioseismic analysis of the hydrogen partition function in the solar interior

The difference in the adiabatic gradient gamma_1 between inverted solar data and solar models is analyzed. To obtain deeper insight into the issues of plasma physics, the so-called ``intrinsic'' difference in gamma_1 is extracted, that is, the difference due to the change in the equation of state alone. Our method uses reference models based on two equations of state currently used in solar modeling, the Mihalas-Hummer-Dappen (MHD) equation of state, and the OPAL equation of state (developed at Livermore). Solar oscillation frequencies from the SOI/MDI instrument on board the SOHO spacecraft during its first 144 days in operation are used. Our results confirm the existence of a subtle effect of the excited states in hydrogen that was previously studied only theoretically (Nayfonov & Dappen 1998). The effect stems from internal partition function of hydrogen, as used in the MHD equation of state. Although it is a pure-hydrogen effect, it takes place in somewhat deeper layers of the Sun, where more than 90% of hydrogen is ionized, and where the second ionization zone of helium is located. Therefore, the effect will have to be taken into account in reliable helioseismic determinations of the astrophysically relevant helium-abundance of the solar convection zone.Comment: 30 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Revised version submitted to Ap

Phase structure of matrix quantum mechanics at finite temperature

We study matrix quantum mechanics at finite temperature by Monte Carlo simulation. The model is obtained by dimensionally reducing 10d U(N) pure Yang-Mills theory to 1d. Following Aharony et al., one can view the same model as describing the high temperature regime of (1+1)d U(N) super Yang-Mills theory on a circle. In this interpretation an analog of the deconfinement transition was conjectured to be a continuation of the black-hole/black-string transition in the dual gravity theory. Our detailed analysis in the critical regime up to N=32 suggests the existence of the non-uniform phase, in which the eigenvalue distribution of the holonomy matrix is non-uniform but gapless. The transition to the gapped phase is of second order. The internal energy is constant (giving the ground state energy) in the uniform phase, and rises quadratically in the non-uniform phase, which implies that the transition between these two phases is of third order.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, (v2) refined arguments in section 3 ; reference adde

Our Sun. IV. The Standard Model and Helioseismology: Consequences of Uncertainties in Input Physics and in Observed Solar Parameters

Helioseismology provides a powerful tool to explore the deep interior of the Sun: for example, the adiabatic sound speed can be inferred with an accuracy of a few parts in 10,000. This has become a serious challenge to theoretical models of the Sun. Therefore, we have undertaken a self-consistent, systematic study of sources of uncertainties in the standard solar model, which must be understood before the helioseismic observations can be used as constraints on theory. We find that the largest uncertainty in the sound speed in the solar interior, namely, 3 parts in 1000, arises from uncertainties in the observed photospheric abundances of the elements; uncertainties of 1 part in 1000 arise from (1) the 4% uncertainty in the OPAL opacities, (2) the 5% uncertainty in the basic pp nuclear reaction rate, (3) the 15% uncertainty in the diffusion constants for the gravitational settling of helium, and (4) the 50% uncertainties in diffusion constants for the heavier elements. (Other investigators have shown that similar uncertainties arise from uncertainties in the interior equation of state and in rotation-induced turbulent mixing.) The predicted pre-main-sequence solar lithium depletion is a factor of order 20 (an order of magnitude larger than that predicted by earlier models that neglected gravitational settling and used older opacities), and is uncertain by a factor of 2. The predicted neutrino capture rate is uncertain by 30% for the Cl-37 experiment and by 3% for the Ga-71 experiments (not including uncertainties in the capture cross sections), while the B-8 neutrino flux is uncertain by 30%.Comment: LaTeX, 38 pages (including 8 figures); ApJ, in press. Added figures/color figurea available at http://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~boothroy/sun4.htm

Solar Cycle Related Changes at the Base of the Convection Zone

The frequencies of solar oscillations are known to change with solar activity. We use Principal Component Analysis to examine these changes with high precision. In addition to the well-documented changes in solar normal mode oscillations with activity as a function of frequency, which originate in the surface layers of the Sun, we find a small but statistically significant change in frequencies with an origin at and below the base of the convection zone. We find that at r=(0.712^{+0.0097}_{-0.0029})R_sun, the change in sound speed is \delta c^2 / c^2 = (7.23 +/- 2.08) x 10^{-5} between high and low activity. This change is very tightly correlated with solar activity. In addition, we use the splitting coefficients to examine the latitudinal structure of these changes. We find changes in sound speed correlated with surface activity for r >~ 0.9R_sun.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Yangians in Deformed Super Yang-Mills Theories

We discuss the integrability structure of deformed, four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills theories using Yangians. We employ a recent procedure by Beisert and Roiban that generalizes the beta deformation of Lunin and Maldacena to produce N=1 superconformal gauge theories, which have the superalgebra SU(2,2|1)xU(1)xU(1). The deformed theories, including those with the more general twist, were shown to have retained their integrable structure. Here we examine the Yangian algebra of these deformed theories. In a five field subsector, we compute the two cases of SU(2)xU(1)xU(1)xU(1) and SU(2|1)xU(1)xU(1) as residual symmetries of SU(2,2|1)xU(1)xU(1). We compute a twisted coproduct for these theories, and show that only for the residual symmetry do we retain the standard coproduct. The twisted coproduct thus provides a method for symmetry breaking. However, the full Yangian structure of SU(2|3) is manifest in our subsector, albeit with twisted coproducts, and provides for the integrability of the theory.Comment: 17 page

Bessel Process and Conformal Quantum Mechanics

Different aspects of the connection between the Bessel process and the conformal quantum mechanics (CQM) are discussed. The meaning of the possible generalizations of both models is investigated with respect to the other model, including self adjoint extension of the CQM. Some other generalizations such as the Bessel process in the wide sense and radial Ornstein- Uhlenbeck process are discussed with respect to the underlying conformal group structure.Comment: 28 Page