Time-Delayed transfer functions simulations for LMXBs

Recent works (Steeghs & Casares 2002, Casares et al. 2003, Hynes et al. 2003) have demonstrated that Bowen flourescence is a very efficient tracer of the companion star in LMXBs. We present a numerical code to simulate time-delayed transfer functions in LMXBs, specific to the case of reprocessing in emission lines. The code is also able to obtain geometrical and binary parameters by fitting observed (X-ray + optical) light curves using simulated annealing methods. In this work we present the geometrical model for the companion star and the analytical model for the disc and show synthetic time-delay transfer functions for different orbital phases and system parameters.Comment: Contribution presented at the conference "Interacting Binaries: Accretion, Evolution and Outcomes", held in Cefalu, Sicily (Italy) in July 2004. To be published by AIP (American Institute of Physics), eds. L. A. Antonelli, L. Burderi, F. D'Antona, T. Di Salvo, G.L. Israel, L. Piersanti, O. Straniero, A. Tornambe. 4 pages, 4 figure

Effect of the Gribov horizon on the Polyakov loop and vice versa

We consider finite temperature SU(2) gauge theory in the continuum formulation, which necessitates the choice of a gauge fixing. Choosing the Landau gauge, the existing gauge copies are taken into account by means of the Gribov-Zwanziger (GZ) quantization scheme, which entails the introduction of a dynamical mass scale (Gribov mass) directly influencing the Green functions of the theory. Here, we determine simultaneously the Polyakov loop (vacuum expectation value) and Gribov mass in terms of temperature, by minimizing the vacuum energy w.r.t. the Polyakov loop parameter and solving the Gribov gap equation. Inspired by the Casimir energy-style of computation, we illustrate the usage of Zeta function regularization in finite temperature calculations. Our main result is that the Gribov mass directly feels the deconfinement transition, visible from a cusp occurring at the same temperature where the Polyakov loop becomes nonzero. In this exploratory work we mainly restrict ourselves to the original Gribov-Zwanziger quantization procedure in order to illustrate the approach and the potential direct link between the vacuum structure of the theory (dynamical mass scales) and (de)confinement. We also present a first look at the critical temperature obtained from the Refined Gribov-Zwanziger approach. Finally, a particular problem for the pressure at low temperatures is reported.Comment: 19 pages, 8 .pdf figures. v2: extended section 3 + extra references; version accepted for publication in EPJ

Feminization of labour, defeminization of time banks: Digital time banking and unpaid virtual work

This article addresses the notion of post-Fordism and the feminization of labour in order to provide deeper insight into the shifting boundaries of work in the Digital Age and how new forms of virtual work emerge. Specifically, this paper approaches digital time banking as a specific form of unpaid virtual work. We analyse six case studies to reveal the different gendered natures of digital and non-digital time banks (TBs) and to suggest that the defeminization (understood fundamentally, but not only, as the lack of presence and involvement of women and affective labour) of digital time banking may be connected with the so-called third gender digital divide. This leads us to discuss the underrepresentation of women in other digitally mediated and sharing economy initiatives, to suggest some possible explanations, and warn against the post-feminization of culture.European Cooperation in Science and Technology _ Cost Action5

Contrasting roles of axonal (pyramidal cell) and dendritic (interneuron) electrical coupling in the generation of neuronal network oscillations

Electrical coupling between pyramidal cell axons, and between interneuron dendrites, have both been described in the hippocampus. What are the functional roles of the two types of coupling? Interneuron gap junctions enhance synchrony of γ oscillations (25-70 Hz) in isolated interneuron networks and also in networks containing both interneurons and principal cells, as shown in mice with a knockout of the neuronal (primarily interneuronal) connexin36. We have recently shown that pharmacological gap junction blockade abolishes kainate-induced γ oscillations in connexin36 knockout mice; without such gap junction blockade, γ oscillations do occur in the knockout mice, albeit at reduced power compared with wild-type mice. As interneuronal dendritic electrical coupling is almost absent in the knockout mice, these pharmacological data indicate a role of axonal electrical coupling in generating the γ oscillations. We construct a network model of an experimental γ oscillation, known to be regulated by both types of electrical coupling. In our model, axonal electrical coupling is required for the γ oscillation to occur at all; interneuron dendritic gap junctions exert a modulatory effect

Double non-perturbative gluon exchange: an update on the soft Pomeron contribution to pp scattering

We employ a set of recent, theoretically motivated, fits to non-perturbative unquenched gluon propagators to check in how far double gluon exchange can be used to describe the soft sector of pp scattering data (total and differential cross section). In particular, we use the refined Gribov--Zwanziger gluon propagator (as arising from dealing with the Gribov gauge fixing ambiguity) and the massive Cornwall-type gluon propagator (as motivated from Dyson-Schwinger equations) in conjunction with a perturbative quark-gluon vertex, next to a model based on the non-perturbative quark-gluon Maris-Tandy vertex, popular from Bethe-Salpeter descriptions of hadronic bound states. We compare the cross sections arising from these models with "older" ISR and more recent TOTEM and ATLAS data. The lower the value of total energy \sqrt{s}, the better the results appear to be.Comment: 14 pages, 8 .pdf figures. To appear in Phys.Rev.