2,981 research outputs found
General properties of cosmological models with an Isotropic Singularity
Much of the published work regarding the Isotropic Singularity is performed
under the assumption that the matter source for the cosmological model is a
barotropic perfect fluid, or even a perfect fluid with a -law equation
of state. There are, however, some general properties of cosmological models
which admit an Isotropic Singularity, irrespective of the matter source. In
particular, we show that the Isotropic Singularity is a point-like singularity
and that vacuum space-times cannot admit an Isotropic Singularity. The
relationships between the Isotropic Singularity, and the energy conditions, and
the Hubble parameter is explored. A review of work by the authors, regarding
the Isotropic Singularity, is presented.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur
Opening the Rome-Southampton window for operator mixing matrices
We show that the running of operators which mix under renormalization can be
computed fully non-perturbatively as a product of continuum step scaling
matrices. These step scaling matrices are obtained by taking the "ratio" of Z
matrices computed at different energies in an RI-MOM type scheme for which
twisted boundary conditions are an essential ingredient. Our method allows us
to relax the bounds of the Rome-Southampton window. We also explain why such a
method is important in view of the light quark physics program of the RBC-UKQCD
collaborations. To illustrate our method, using n_f=2+1 domain-wall fermions,
we compute the non-perturbative running matrix of four-quark operators needed
in K->pipi decay and neutral kaon mixing. Our results are then compared to
perturbation theory.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. v2: PRD version, minor changes and few references
adde
Sources of oscillation frequency increase with rising solar activity
We analyze and interpret SOHO/MDI data on oscillation frequency changes
between 1996 and 2004 focusing on differences between activity minimum and
maximum of solar cycle 23. We study only the behavior of the centroid
frequencies, which reflect changes averaged over spherical surfaces. Both the
f-mode and p-mode frequencies are correlated with general measures of the sun's
magnetic activity. However, the physics behind each of the two correlations is
quite different. We show that for the f-modes the dominant cause of the
frequency increase is the dynamical effect of the rising magnetic field. The
relevant rise must occur in subphotospheric layers reaching to some 0.5 - 0.7
kG at a depth of about 5 Mm. However, the implied constraints also require the
field change in the atmosphere to be so small that it has only a tiny dynamical
effect on p-mode frequencies. For p-modes, the most plausible explanation of
the frequency increase is a less than 2 percent decrease in the radial
component of the turbulent velocity in the outer layers. Lower velocity implies
a lower efficiency of the convective transport, hence lower temperature, which
also contributes to the p-mode frequency increase.Comment: ApJ, accepte
Properties of Umbral Dots as Measured from the New Solar Telescope Data and MHD Simulations
We studied bright umbral dots (UDs) detected in a moderate size sunspot and
compared their statistical properties to recent MHD models. The study is based
on high resolution data recorded by the New Solar Telescope at the Big Bear
Solar Observatory and 3D MHD simulations of sunspots. Observed UDs, living
longer than 150 s, were detected and tracked in a 46 min long data set, using
an automatic detection code. Total 1553 (620) UDs were detected in the
photospheric (low chromospheric) data. Our main findings are: i) none of the
analyzed UDs is precisely circular, ii) the diameter-intensity relationship
only holds in bright umbral areas, and iii) UD velocities are inversely related
to their lifetime. While nearly all photospheric UDs can be identified in the
low chromospheric images, some small closely spaced UDs appear in the low
chromosphere as a single cluster. Slow moving and long living UDs seem to exist
in both the low chromosphere and photosphere, while fast moving and short
living UDs are mainly detected in the photospheric images. Comparison to the 3D
MHD simulations showed that both types of UDs display, on average, very similar
statistical characteristics. However, i) the average number of observed UDs per
unit area is smaller than that of the model UDs, and ii) on average, the
diameter of model UDs is slightly larger than that of observed ones.Comment: Accepted by the AP
Are braneworlds born isotropic?
It has recently been suggested that an isotropic singularity may be a generic
feature of brane cosmologies, even in the inhomogeneous case. Using the
covariant and gauge-invariant approach we present a detailed analysis of linear
perturbations of the isotropic model which is a past attractor in
the phase space of homogeneous Bianchi models on the brane. We find that for
matter with an equation of state parameter , the dimensionless
variables representing generic anisotropic and inhomogeneous perturbations
decay as , showing that the model is asymptotically stable
in the past. We conclude that brane universes are born with isotropy naturally
built-in, contrary to standard cosmology. The observed large-scale homogeneity
and isotropy of the universe can therefore be explained as a consequence of the
initial conditions if the brane-world paradigm represents a description of the
very early universe.Comment: Changed to match published versio
Maximum Coronal Mass Ejection Speed as an Indicator of Solar and Geomagnetic Activities
We investigate the relationship between the monthly averaged maximal speeds
of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), international sunspot number (ISSN), and the
geomagnetic Dst and Ap indices covering the 1996-2008 time interval (solar
cycle 23). Our new findings are as follows. (1) There is a noteworthy
relationship between monthly averaged maximum CME speeds and sunspot numbers,
Ap and Dst indices. Various peculiarities in the monthly Dst index are
correlated better with the fine structures in the CME speed profile than that
in the ISSN data. (2) Unlike the sunspot numbers, the CME speed index does not
exhibit a double peak maximum. Instead, the CME speed profile peaks during the
declining phase of solar cycle 23. Similar to the Ap index, both CME speed and
the Dst indices lag behind the sunspot numbers by several months. (3) The CME
number shows a double peak similar to that seen in the sunspot numbers. The CME
occurrence rate remained very high even near the minimum of the solar cycle 23,
when both the sunspot number and the CME average maximum speed were reaching
their minimum values. (4) A well-defined peak of the Ap index between 2002 May
and 2004 August was co-temporal with the excess of the mid-latitude coronal
holes during solar cycle 23. The above findings suggest that the CME speed
index may be a useful indicator of both solar and geomagnetic activities. It
may have advantages over the sunspot numbers, because it better reflects the
intensity of Earth-directed solar eruptions
Structure formation in the Lemaitre-Tolman model
Structure formation within the Lemaitre-Tolman model is investigated in a
general manner. We seek models such that the initial density perturbation
within a homogeneous background has a smaller mass than the structure into
which it will develop, and the perturbation then accretes more mass during
evolution. This is a generalisation of the approach taken by Bonnor in 1956. It
is proved that any two spherically symmetric density profiles specified on any
two constant time slices can be joined by a Lemaitre-Tolman evolution, and
exact implicit formulae for the arbitrary functions that determine the
resulting L-T model are obtained. Examples of the process are investigated
numerically.Comment: LaTeX 2e plus 14 .eps & .ps figure files. 33 pages including figures.
Minor revisions of text and data make it more precise and consistent.
Currently scheduled for Phys Rev D vol 64, December 15 issu
Does the Sun Shrink with Increasing Magnetic Activity?
We have analyzed the full set of SOHO/MDI f- and p-mode oscillation
frequencies from 1996 to date in a search for evidence of solar radius
evolution during the rising phase of the current activity cycle. Like Antia et
al. (2000), we find that a significant fraction of the f-mode frequency changes
scale with frequency; and that if these are interpreted in terms of a radius
change, it implies a shrinking sun. Our inferred rate of shrinkage is about 1.5
km/y, which is somewhat smaller than found by Antia et al. We argue that this
rate does not refer to the surface, but rather to a layer extending roughly
from 4 to 8 Mm beneath the visible surface. The rate of shrinking may be
accounted for by an increasing radial component of the rms random magnetic
field at a rate that depends on its radial distribution. If it were uniform,
the required field would be ~7 kG. However, if it were inwardly increasing,
then a 1 kG field at 8 Mm would suffice.
To assess contribution to the solar radius change arising above 4Mm, we
analyzed the p-mode data. The evolution of the p-mode frequencies may be
explained by a magnetic^M field growing with activity. The implications of the
near-surface magnetic field changes depend on the anisotropy of the random
magnetic field. If the field change is predominantly radial, then we infer an
additional shrinking at a rate between 1.1-1.3 km/y at the photosphere. If on
the other hand the increase is isotropic, we find a competing expansion at a
rate of 2.3 km/y. In any case, variations in the sun's radius in the activity
cycle are at the level of 10^{-5} or less, hence have a negligible contribution
to the irradiance variations.Comment: 10 pages (ApJ preprint style), 4 figures; accepted for publication in
Ap
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