4,831 research outputs found
The Cosmological Constant in the Quantum Multiverse
Recently, a new framework for describing the multiverse has been proposed
which is based on the principles of quantum mechanics. The framework allows for
well-defined predictions, both regarding global properties of the universe and
outcomes of particular experiments, according to a single probability formula.
This provides complete unification of the eternally inflating multiverse and
many worlds in quantum mechanics. In this paper we elucidate how cosmological
parameters can be calculated in this framework, and study the probability
distribution for the value of the cosmological constant. We consider both
positive and negative values, and find that the observed value is consistent
with the calculated distribution at an order of magnitude level. In particular,
in contrast to the case of earlier measure proposals, our framework prefers a
positive cosmological constant over a negative one. These results depend only
moderately on how we model galaxy formation and life evolution therein.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures; matches the version published in Phys. Rev.
Temporal meson correlators at finite temperature on quenched anisotropic lattice
We study charmonium correlators at finite temperature in quenched anisotropic
lattice QCD. The smearing technique is applied to enhance the low energy part
of the correlator. We use two analysis procedures: the maximum entropy method
for extraction of the spectral function without assuming specific form, as an
estimate of the shape of spectral function, and the fit assuming
typical forms as quantitative evaluation of the parameters associated to the
forms. We find that at the ground state peak has almost the
same mass as at T=0 and almost vanishing width. At , our result
suggests that the correlator still has nontrivial peak structure at almost the
same position as below with finite width.Comment: Lattice 2002 Nonzero temperature 3page
Incommensurability and edge states in the one-dimensional S=1 bilinear-biquadratic model
Commensurate-incommensurate change on the one-dimensional S=1
bilinear-biquadratic model () is examined. The gapped
Haldane phase has two subphases (the commensurate Haldane subphase and the
incommensurate Haldane subphase) and the commensurate-incommensurate change
point (the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki point, ). There have been
two different analytical predictions about the static structure factor in the
neighborhood of this point. By using the S{\o}rensen-Affleck prescription,
these static structure factors are related to the Green functions, and also to
the energy gap behaviors. Numerical calculations support one of the
predictions. Accordingly, the commensurate-incommensurate change is recognized
as a motion of a pair of poles in the complex plane.Comment: 29 pages, 15 figure
Fast algorithm for calculating two-photon absorption spectra
We report a numerical calculation of the two-photon absorption coefficient of
electrons in a binding potential using the real-time real-space higher-order
difference method. By introducing random vector averaging for the intermediate
state, the task of evaluating the two-dimensional time integral is reduced to
calculating two one-dimensional integrals. This allows the reduction of the
computation load down to the same order as that for the linear response
function. The relative advantage of the method compared to the straightforward
multi-dimensional time integration is greater for the calculation of non-linear
response functions of higher order at higher energy resolution.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. It will be published in Phys. Rev. E on 1, March,
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Association Between Homocysteine and Vascular Calcification Incidence, Prevalence, and Progression in the MESA Cohort.
Background While elevated homocysteine has been associated with calcification in several studies, its importance as a cardiovascular risk factor remains unclear. This study examines the relationship between homocysteine and vascular and valve calcification in the MESA (Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) cohort. Methods and Results MESA participants with baseline homocysteine measurements and cardiac computed tomography scans were included (N=6789). Baseline and follow-up assessment of vascular (coronary artery [CAC], descending thoracic aorta [DTAC]) and valve (aortic valve [AVC], mitral annular [MAC]) calcification was performed. Prevalence ratio/relative risk regression was used to assess the relationship of homocysteine with prevalent and incident calcification, and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between homocysteine and calcification progression. Elevated homocysteine was associated with greater relative risk of prevalent and incident CAC and incident DTAC. We also identified a strong association between elevated homocysteine and CAC and DTAC progression. Elevated homocysteine was found to confer a >2-fold increased risk of severe CAC progression (defined as ΔCAC ≥100/year) and an ≈1.5-fold increased risk for severe DTAC progression (defined as ΔDTAC ≥100/year). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating an association between elevated homocysteine and both incidence and progression of coronary and extra-coronary vascular calcification. Our findings suggest a potential role for elevated homocysteine as a risk factor for severe vascular calcification progression. Future studies are warranted to further assess the utility of homocysteine as a biomarker for vascular calcification incidence and progression. Clinical Trial Registration https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT00005487
Reconstructing the origin and dispersal patterns of village chickens across East Africa: insights from autosomal markers
Unravelling the genetic history of any livestock species is central to understanding the origin, development and expansion of agricultural societies and economies. Domestic village chickens are widespread in Africa. Their close association with, and reliance on, humans for long-range dispersal makes the species an important biological marker in tracking cultural and trading contacts between human societies and civilizations across time. Archaezoological and linguistic evidence suggest a complex history of arrival and dispersion of the species on the continent, with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop analysis revealing the presence of five distinct haplogroups in East African village chickens. It supports the importance of the region in understanding the history of the species and indirectly of human interactions. Here, through a detailed analysis of 30 autosomal microsatellite markers genotyped in 657 village chickens from four East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan), we identify three distinct autosomal gene pools (I, II and III). Gene pool I is predominantly found in Ethiopia and Sudan, while II and III occur in both Kenya and Uganda. A gradient of admixture for gene pools II and III between the Kenyan coast and Uganda's hinterland (P = 0.001) is observed, while gene pool I is clearly separated from the other two. We propose that these three gene pools represent genetic signatures of separate events in the history of the continent that relate to the arrival and dispersal of village chickens and humans across the region. Our results provide new insights on the history of chicken husbandry which has been shaped by terrestrial and maritime contacts between ancient and modern civilizations in Asia and East Africa
Weak-Coupling Theory for Multiband Superconductivity Induced by Jahn-Teller Phonons
Emergence of superconductivity in a two-band system coupled with breathing
and Jahn-Teller phonons is discussed in a weak-coupling limit. With the use of
a standard quantum mechanical procedure, the phonon-mediated attraction is
derived. From the analysis of the model including such attraction, a BCS-like
formula for a superconducting transition temperature is obtained.
When only the breathing phonon is considered, is the same as that
of the one-band model. On the other hand, when Jahn-Teller phonons are active,
is significantly enhanced by the interband attraction even within
the weak-coupling limit. Relevance of the present result to actual materials
such as iron pnictides is briefly commented.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures
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