5,013 research outputs found
Supersymmetric Brane World Scenarios from Off-Shell Supergravity
Using N=2 off-shell supergravity in five dimensions, we supersymmetrize the
brane world scenario of Randall and Sundrum. We extend their construction to
include supersymmetric matter at the fixpoints.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, late
On the Mass-Period Correlation of the Extrasolar Planets
We report on a possible correlation between the masses and periods of the
extrasolar planets, manifested as a paucity of massive planets with short
orbital periods. Monte-Carlo simulations show the effect is significant, and is
not solely due to an observational selection effect. We also show the effect is
stronger than the one already implied by published models that assumed
independent power-law distributions for the masses and periods of the
extrasolar planets. Planets found in binary stellar systems may have an
opposite correlation. The difference is highly significant despite the small
number of planets in binary systems. We discuss the paucity of short-period
massive planets in terms of some theories for the close-in giant planets.
Almost all models can account for the deficit of massive planets with short
periods, in particular the model that assumes migration driven by a planet-disk
interaction, if the planet masses do not scale with their disk masses.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journal Letter
Stability of the Higgs mass in theories with extra dimensions
We analyze the ultraviolet stability of the Higgs mass in recently proposed
Kaluza-Klein models compactified on S_1/Z_2 or S_1/(Z_2\times Z_2'), both at
the field theory and string theory level. Fayet-Iliopoulos terms of U(1)
hypercharge are shown to be of vital importance for this discussion. Models
with a single Higgs doublet seem to be generically affected by quadratic
divergences.Comment: Contribution to the Proceedings of Durham IPPP meeting May 2001.(12
pages, LaTeX
Investigation of the New Local Group Galaxy VV 124
We present the results of our stellar photometry and spectroscopy for the new
Local Group galaxy VV 124 (UGC 4879) obtained with the 6-m BTA telescope. The
presence of a few bright supergiants in the galaxy indicates that the current
star formation process is weak. The apparent distribution of stars with
different ages in VV 124 does not differ from the analogous distributions of
stars in irregular galaxies, but the ratio of the numbers of young and old
stars indicates that VV 124 belongs to the rare Irr/Sph type of galaxies. The
old stars (red giants) form the most extended structure, a thick disk with an
exponential decrease in the star number density to the edge. Definitely, the
young population unresolvable in images makes a great contribution to the
background emission from the central galactic regions. The presence of young
stars is also confirmed by the [O III] emission line visible in the spectra
that belongs to extensive diffuse galactic regions. The mean radial velocity of
several components (two bright supergiants, the unresolvable stellar
population, and the diffuse gas) is v_h = -70+/-15 km/s and the velocity with
which VV 124 falls into the Local Group is v_LG = -12+/-15 km/s. We confirm the
distance to the galaxy D = 1.1+/-0.1 Mpc and the metallicity of red giants
([Fe/H] = -1.37) found by Kopylov et al. (2008).VV 124 is located on the
periphery of the Local Group approximately at the same distance from M 31 and
our Galaxy and is isolated from other galaxies. The galaxy LeoA nearest to it
is 0.5 Mpc away.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy Letters
(2010, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 309-318
Assessment of culture and environment in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study: Rationale, description of measures, and early data.
Neurodevelopmental maturation takes place in a social environment in addition to a neurobiological one. Characterization of social environmental factors that influence this process is therefore an essential component in developing an accurate model of adolescent brain and neurocognitive development, as well as susceptibility to change with the use of marijuana and other drugs. The creation of the Culture and Environment (CE) measurement component of the ABCD protocol was guided by this understanding. Three areas were identified by the CE Work Group as central to this process: influences relating to CE Group membership, influences created by the proximal social environment, influences stemming from social interactions. Eleven measures assess these influences, and by time of publication, will have been administered to well over 7,000 9-10 year-old children and one of their parents. Our report presents baseline data on psychometric characteristics (mean, standard deviation, range, skewness, coefficient alpha) of all measures within the battery. Effectiveness of the battery in differentiating 9-10 year olds who were classified as at higher and lower risk for marijuana use in adolescence was also evaluated. Psychometric characteristics on all measures were good to excellent; higher vs. lower risk contrasts were significant in areas where risk differentiation would be anticipated
Adaptive thermal compensation of test masses in advanced LIGO
As the first generation of laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors
near operation, research and development has begun on increasing the
instrument's sensitivity while utilizing the existing infrastructure. In the
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), significant
improvements are being planned for installation in ~2007, increasing strain
sensitivity through improved suspensions and test mass substrates, active
seismic isolation, and higher input laser power. Even with the highest quality
optics available today, however, finite absorption of laser power within
transmissive optics, coupled with the tremendous amount of optical power
circulating in various parts of the interferometer, result in critical
wavefront deformations which would cripple the performance of the instrument.
Discussed is a method of active wavefront correction via direct thermal
actuation on optical elements of the interferometer. A simple nichrome heating
element suspended off the face of an affected optic will, through radiative
heating, remove the gross axisymmetric part of the original thermal distortion.
A scanning heating laser will then be used to remove any remaining
non-axisymmetric wavefront distortion, generated by inhomogeneities in the
substrate's absorption, thermal conductivity, etc. A proof-of-principle
experiment has been constructed at MIT, selected data of which are presented.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit
Possibility of the new type phase transition
The scalar field theory and the scalar electrodynamics quantized in the flat
gap are considered. The dynamical effects arising due to the boundary presence
with two types of boundary conditions (BC) satisfied by scalar fields are
studied. It is shown that while the Neumann BC lead to the usual scalar field
mass generation, the Dirichlet BC give rise to the dynamical mechanism of
spontaneous symmetry breaking. Due to the later, there arises the possibility
of the new type phase transition from the normal to spontaneously broken phase.
The decreasing in the characteristic size of the quantization region (the gap
size here) and increasing in the temperature compete with each other, tending
to transport the system in the spontaneously broken and in the normal phase,
respectively. The system evolves with a combined parameter, simultaneously
reflecting the change in temperature and in the size. As a result, at the
critical value of this parameter there occurs the phase transition from the
normal phase to the spontaneously broken one. In particular, the usual massless
scalar electrodynamics transforms to the Higgs model
On orbifold theory and N=2, D=5 gauged supergravity
We have studied the most general N=2 supergravity in five dimensions in
context with the orbifold theory based on . Various ways to
treat the supersymmetry with singular sources placed in orbifold fixed points
were proposed in past. Supersymmetric branes were consistently introduced in a
bulk where a gauged supergravity was present. In this paper we find that in the
supergravity with general gauging, the possibility to obtain a
supersymmetric brane world is constrained. Imposing the compatibility of
supersymmetry transformation rules with the orbifold condition, we find the
necessary and sufficient condition to obtain supersymmetric branes and bulk
independently. We comment that the same condition guarantees naturally the
presence of singular BPS solutions.Comment: 16 page
Planetary Nebulae as a Probe of the Local Group Galaxies Evolution
We present the latest results from our study of PNe and HII regions in two Local Group dwarf irregular galaxies IC 10 and NGC 682
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