Charm meson scattering cross sections by pion and rho meson

Using the local flavor SU(4) gauge invariance in the limit of vanishing vector meson masses, we extend our previous study of charm meson scattering cross sections by pion and rho meson, which is based only on the pseudoscalar-pseudoscalar-vector meson couplings, to include also contributions from the couplings among three vector mesons and among four particles. We find that diagrams with light meson exchanges usually dominate the cross sections. For the processes considered previously, the additional interactions lead only to diagrams involving charm meson exchanges and contact interactions, and the cross sections for these processes are thus not much affected. Nevertheless, these additional interactions introduce new processes with light meson exchanges and increase significantly the total scattering cross sections of charm mesons by pion and rho meson.Comment: 14 pages, revtex, 6 figures, added a figure on the effects of on-shell divergence, final version to appear in Nucl. Phys.

Low-mass dileptons and dropping rho meson mass

Using the transport model, we have studied dilepton production from heavy-ion collisions at Bevalac energies. It is found that the enhanced production of low-mass dileptons observed in the experiment by the DLS collaboration cannot be explained by the dropping of hadron masses, in particular the $\rho$-meson mass, in dense matter.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, including 1 postscript figure, to appear in Phys. Lett.

Gravitational dipole radiations from binary systems

We investigate the possibility of generating sizeable dipole radiations in relativistic theories of gravity. Optimal parameters to observe their effects through the orbital period decay of binary star systems are discussed. Constraints on gravitational couplings beyond general relativity are derived.Comment: One comment added, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Photoproduction of mesons in nuclei at GeV energies

In a transport model that combines initial state interactions of the photon with final state interactions of the produced particles we present a calculation of inclusive photoproduction of mesons in nuclei in the energy range from 1 to 7 GeV. We give predictions for the photoproduction cross sections of pions, etas, kaons, antikaons, and $\pi^+\pi^-$ invariant mass spectra in ^{12}C and ^{208}Pb. The effects of nuclear shadowing and final state interaction of the produced particles are discussed in detail.Comment: Text added in summary in general reliability of the method, references updated. Phys. Rev. C (2000) in pres

Gravitational waves from inspiralling compact binaries: Parameter estimation using second-post-Newtonian waveforms

The parameters of inspiralling compact binaries can be estimated using matched filtering of gravitational-waveform templates against the output of laser-interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. Using a recently calculated formula, accurate to second post-Newtonian (2PN) order [order $(v/c)^4$, where $v$ is the orbital velocity], for the frequency sweep ($dF/dt$) induced by gravitational radiation damping, we study the statistical errors in the determination of such source parameters as the ``chirp mass'' $\cal M$, reduced mass $\mu$, and spin parameters $\beta$ and $\sigma$ (related to spin-orbit and spin-spin effects, respectively). We find that previous results using template phasing accurate to 1.5PN order actually underestimated the errors in $\cal M$, $\mu$, and $\beta$. For two inspiralling neutron stars, the measurement errors increase by less than 16 percent.Comment: 14 pages, ReVTe

Avalanche dynamics, surface roughening and self-organized criticality - experiments on a 3 dimensional pile of rice

We present a two-dimensional system which exhibits features of self-organized criticality. The avalanches which occur on the surface of a pile of rice are found to exhibit finite size scaling in their probability distribution. The critical exponents are $\tau$ = 1.21(2) for the avalanche size distribution and $D$ = 1.99(2) for the cut-off size. Furthermore the geometry of the avalanches is studied leading to a fractal dimension of the active sites of $d_B$ = 1.58(2). Using a set of scaling relations, we can calculate the roughness exponent $\alpha = D - d_B$ = 0.41(3) and the dynamic exponent $z = D(2 - \tau)$ = 1.56(8). This result is compared with that obtained from a power spectrum analysis of the surface roughness, which yields $\alpha$ = 0.42(3) and $z$ = 1.5(1) in excellent agreement with those obtained from the scaling relations.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Phi Meson Production in Heavy-Ion Collisions at SIS Energies

Phi meson production in heavy-ion collisions at SIS/GSI energies ($\sim 2$ GeV/nucleon) is studied in the relativistic transport model. We include contributions from baryon-baryon, pion-baryon, and kaon-antikaon collisions. The cross sections for the first two processes are obtained in an one-boson-exchange model, while that for the last process is taken to be of Breit-Wigner form through the phi meson resonance. The dominant contribution to phi meson production in heavy ion collisions at these energies is found to come from secondary pion-nucleon collisions. Effects due to medium modifications of kaon masses are also studied and are found to reduce the phi meson yield by about a factor of two, mainly because of increased phi decay width as a result of dropping kaon-antikaon masses. In this case, the $\phi/K^-$ ratio is about 4%, which is a factor of 2-3 below preliminary experimental data from the FOPI collaboration at GSI. Including also the reduction of phi meson mass in medium increases this ratio to about 8%, which is then in reasonable agreement with the data.Comment: 46 pages, including 21 postscript figure

A Model for the Development of the Rhizobial and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses in Legumes and Its Use to Understand the Roles of Ethylene in the Establishment of these two Symbioses

We propose a model depicting the development of nodulation and arbuscular mycorrhizae. Both processes are dissected into many steps, using Pisum sativum L. nodulation mutants as a guideline. For nodulation, we distinguish two main developmental programs, one epidermal and one cortical. Whereas Nod factors alone affect the cortical program, bacteria are required to trigger the epidermal events. We propose that the two programs of the rhizobial symbiosis evolved separately and that, over time, they came to function together. The distinction between these two programs does not exist for arbuscular mycorrhizae development despite events occurring in both root tissues. Mutations that affect both symbioses are restricted to the epidermal program. We propose here sites of action and potential roles for ethylene during the formation of the two symbioses with a specific hypothesis for nodule organogenesis. Assuming the epidermis does not make ethylene, the microsymbionts probably first encounter a regulatory level of ethylene at the epidermis–outermost cortical cell layer interface. Depending on the hormone concentrations there, infection will either progress or be blocked. In the former case, ethylene affects the cortex cytoskeleton, allowing reorganization that facilitates infection; in the latter case, ethylene acts on several enzymes that interfere with infection thread growth, causing it to abort. Throughout this review, the difficulty of generalizing the roles of ethylene is emphasized and numerous examples are given to demonstrate the diversity that exists in plants

Pulsar Timing and its Application for Navigation and Gravitational Wave Detection

Pulsars are natural cosmic clocks. On long timescales they rival the precision of terrestrial atomic clocks. Using a technique called pulsar timing, the exact measurement of pulse arrival times allows a number of applications, ranging from testing theories of gravity to detecting gravitational waves. Also an external reference system suitable for autonomous space navigation can be defined by pulsars, using them as natural navigation beacons, not unlike the use of GPS satellites for navigation on Earth. By comparing pulse arrival times measured on-board a spacecraft with predicted pulse arrivals at a reference location (e.g. the solar system barycenter), the spacecraft position can be determined autonomously and with high accuracy everywhere in the solar system and beyond. We describe the unique properties of pulsars that suggest that such a navigation system will certainly have its application in future astronautics. We also describe the on-going experiments to use the clock-like nature of pulsars to "construct" a galactic-sized gravitational wave detector for low-frequency (f_GW ~1E-9 - 1E-7 Hz) gravitational waves. We present the current status and provide an outlook for the future.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures. To appear in Vol 63: High Performance Clocks, Springer Space Science Review