Effective Geometry

We introduce the concept of effective geometry by studying several systems in which it arises naturally. As an example of the power and conciseness of the method, it is shown that a flowing dielectric medium with a linear response to an external electric field can be used to generate an analog geometry that has many of the formal properties of a \Sch black hole for light rays, in spite of birefringence. The surface gravity of this analog black hole has a contribution that depends only on the dielectric properties of the fluid (in addition to the usual term dependent on the acceleration). This term may be give a hint to a new mechanism to increase the temperature of Hawking radiation.Comment: 13 pages, RevTex4, Contribution to the Proceedings of the Xth Brazilian School of Gravitation and Cosmology, to be published by AI

Coherent States of Accelerated Relativistic Quantum Particles, Vacuum Radiation and the Spontaneous Breakdown of the Conformal SU(2,2) Symmetry

We give a quantum mechanical description of accelerated relativistic particles in the framework of Coherent States (CS) of the (3+1)-dimensional conformal group SU(2,2), with the role of accelerations played by special conformal transformations and with the role of (proper) time translations played by dilations. The accelerated ground state $\tilde\phi_0$ of first quantization is a CS of the conformal group. We compute the distribution function giving the occupation number of each energy level in $\tilde\phi_0$ and, with it, the partition function Z, mean energy E and entropy S, which resemble that of an "Einstein Solid". An effective temperature T can be assigned to this "accelerated ensemble" through the thermodynamic expression dE/dS, which leads to a (non linear) relation between acceleration and temperature different from Unruh's (linear) formula. Then we construct the corresponding conformal-SU(2,2)-invariant second quantized theory and its spontaneous breakdown when selecting Poincar\'e-invariant degenerated \theta-vacua (namely, coherent states of conformal zero modes). Special conformal transformations (accelerations) destabilize the Poincar\'e vacuum and make it to radiate.Comment: 25 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures. Additional information (resulting in four extra pages) and a slight change of focus has been introduced in order to make the line of arguments more clear. Title changed accordingl

Physics at high Q^2 and p^2_t: Summary of DIS 2000

We summarize the experimental and theoretical results presented in the "Physics at the Highest Q^2 and p^2_t" working group at the DIS 2000 Workshop. High Q^2 and p^2_t processes measured at current and future colliders allow to improve our knowledge of Standard Model (SM) physics, by providing precise measurements of the SM parameters and, consequently, consistency checks of the SM. Moreover, they give information on key quantities for the calculation of the SM expectations in a yet unexplored domain, such as the parton densities of the proton or the photon. In addition to these experimental inputs, higher-order calculations are also needed to obtain precise expectations for SM processes, which are a key ingredient for the searches for new phenomena in high Q^2 and p^2_t processes at current and future experiments. The experimental and theoretical status of SM physics at high Q^2 and p^2_t is reviewed in the first part of this summary, with the remaining being dedicated to physics beyond the Standard Model.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Typos correcte

VLT and GTC observations of SDSS J0123+00: a type 2 quasar triggered in a galaxy encounter?

We present long-slit spectroscopy, continuum and [OIII]5007 imaging data obtained with the Very Large Telescope and the Gran Telescopio Canarias of the type 2 quasar SDSS J0123+00 at z=0.399. The quasar lies in a complex, gas-rich environment. It appears to be physically connected by a tidal bridge to another galaxy at a projected distance of ~100 kpc, which suggests this is an interacting system. Ionized gas is detected to a distance of at least ~133 kpc from the nucleus. The nebula has a total extension of ~180 kpc. This is one of the largest ionized nebulae ever detected associated with an active galaxy. Based on the environmental properties, we propose that the origin of the nebula is tidal debris from a galactic encounter, which could as well be the triggering mechanism of the nuclear activity. SDSS J0123+00 demonstrates that giant, luminous ionized nebulae can exist associated with type 2 quasars of low radio luminosities, contrary to expectations based on type 1 quasar studies.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter