5,466 research outputs found
A light-cone gauge for black-hole perturbation theory
The geometrical meaning of the Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates of
Schwarzschild spacetime is well understood: (i) the advanced-time coordinate v
is constant on incoming light cones that converge toward r=0, (ii) the angles
theta and phi are constant on the null generators of each light cone, (iii) the
radial coordinate r is an affine-parameter distance along each generator, and
(iv) r is an areal radius, in the sense that 4 pi r^2 is the area of each
two-surface (v,r) = constant. The light-cone gauge of black-hole perturbation
theory, which is formulated in this paper, places conditions on a perturbation
of the Schwarzschild metric that ensure that properties (i)--(iii) of the
coordinates are preserved in the perturbed spacetime. Property (iv) is lost in
general, but it is retained in exceptional situations that are identified in
this paper. Unlike other popular choices of gauge, the light-cone gauge
produces a perturbed metric that is expressed in a meaningful coordinate
system; this is a considerable asset that greatly facilitates the task of
extracting physical consequences. We illustrate the use of the light-cone gauge
by calculating the metric of a black hole immersed in a uniform magnetic field.
We construct a three-parameter family of solutions to the perturbative
Einstein-Maxwell equations and argue that it is applicable to a broader range
of physical situations than the exact, two-parameter Schwarzschild-Melvin
family.Comment: 12 page
Bostonia. Volume 2
Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs
Light-cone coordinates based at a geodesic world line
Continuing work initiated in an earlier publication [Phys. Rev. D 69, 084007
(2004)], we construct a system of light-cone coordinates based at a geodesic
world line of an arbitrary curved spacetime. The construction involves (i) an
advanced-time or a retarded-time coordinate that labels past or future light
cones centered on the world line, (ii) a radial coordinate that is an affine
parameter on the null generators of these light cones, and (iii) angular
coordinates that are constant on each generator. The spacetime metric is
calculated in the light-cone coordinates, and it is expressed as an expansion
in powers of the radial coordinate in terms of the irreducible components of
the Riemann tensor evaluated on the world line. The formalism is illustrated in
two simple applications, the first involving a comoving world line of a
spatially-flat cosmology, the other featuring an observer placed on the axis of
symmetry of Melvin's magnetic universe.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur
Increasing the Verbal Response Rate of a Mentally Retarded Girl
This investigation was instigated to assess the effectiveness of a systematic application of reinforcement on the verbal response rate of a withdrawn, educable mentally retarded student in a junior high school special education class. The purpose of this study was to test the following hypothesis: There will be no statistically significant difference in the subject\u27s verbal response rate between the baseline average and under conditions of systematic application of reinforcement
Black (pyrogenic) carbon in boreal forests: a synthesis of current knowledge and uncertainties
International audienceThe carbon (C) cycle in boreal regions is strongly influenced by fire, which converts biomass and detrital C mainly to gaseous forms (CO2 and smaller proportions of CO and CH4), and some 1?7% of mass to pyrogenic C (PyC). PyC is mainly produced as solid charred residues, including visually-defined charcoal, and a black carbon (BC) fraction chemically defined by its resistance to laboratory oxidation, plus much lower proportions of volatile soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). All PyC is characterized by fused aromatic rings, but varying in cluster sizes, and presence of other elements (N, O) and functional groups. There are several reasons for current interest in defining more precisely the role of PyC in the C cycle of boreal regions. First, PyC is resistant to decomposition, and therefore contributes to very stable C pools in soils and sediments. Second, it influences soil processes, mainly through its sorption properties and cation exchange capacity, and third, soot aerosols absorb solar radiation and may contribute to global warming. However, there are large gaps in the basic information needed to address these topics. While charcoal is commonly defined by visual criteria, analytical methods for BC are mainly based on various measures of oxidation resistance, or on yield of benzenepolycarboxylic acids. These methods are still being developed, and capture different fractions of the PyC "continuum". There are few quantitative reports of PyC production and stocks in boreal forests (essentially none for boreal peatlands), and results are difficult to compare due to varying experimental goals and methods, as well as inconsistent terminology. There are almost no direct field measurements of BC aerosol production from boreal wildfires, and little direct information on rates and mechanisms for PyC loss. Structural characterization of charred biomass and forest floor from wildfires generally indicates a low level of thermal alteration, with the bulk of the material having H/C ratios still >0.2, and small aromatic cluster sizes. For the more chemically-recalcitrant BC fraction, a variety of mainly circumstantial evidence suggests very slow decomposition, with turnover on a millennium timescale (5000?10 000 y), depending on environmental conditions and PyC properties, but the main limitation to PyC storage in soil is likely consumption by subsequent fires. Degraded, functionalized PyC is also incorporated into humified soil organic matter, and is transported to sediments in dissolved and particulate form. Boreal production is estimated as 7?17 Tg BC y?1 of solid residues and 2?2.5 Tg BC y?1 as aerosols. Primary research needs include basic field data on PyC production and stocks in boreal forests and peatlands, suitable to support C budget modeling, and development of standardized analytical methods and of improved approaches to assess the chemical recalcitrance of typical chars from boreal wildfires. To accomplish these goals effectively will require much greater emphasis on interdisciplinary cooperation
Long-term storage and age‐biased export of fluvial organic carbon: field evidence from West Iceland
Terrestrial organic carbon (OC) plays an important role in the carbon cycle, but questions remain regarding the controls and timescale(s) over which atmospheric CO₂ remains sequestered as particulate OC (POC). Motivated by observations that terrestrial POC is physically stored within soils and other shallow sedimentary deposits, we examined the role that sediment storage plays in the terrestrial OC cycle. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that sediment storage impacts the age of terrestrial POC. We focused on the Efri Haukadalsá River catchment in Iceland as it lacks ancient sedimentary bedrock that would otherwise bias radiocarbon‐based determinations of POC storage duration by supplying pre‐aged “petrogenic” POC.
Our radiocarbon measurements of riverine suspended sediments and deposits implicated millennial‐scale storage times. Comparison between the sample types (suspended and deposits) suggested an age offset between transported (suspended sediments) and stored (deposits) POC at the time of sampling, which is predicted by theory for the sediment age distribution in floodplains. We also observed that POC in suspended sediments is younger than the predicted mean storage duration generated from independent geomorphological data, which suggested an additional role for OC cycling. Consistent with this, we observed interparticle heterogeneity in the composition of POC by imaging our samples at the microscale using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. Specifically, we found that particles within individual samples differed in their sulfur oxidation state, which is indicative of multiple origins and/or diagenetic histories. Altogether, our results support recent coupled sediment storage and OC cycling models and indicate that the physical drivers of sediment storage are important factors controlling the cadence of carbon cycling
The equivalence principle, uniformly accelerated reference frames, and the uniform gravitational field
The relationship between uniformly accelerated reference frames in flat
spacetime and the uniform gravitational field is examined in a relativistic
context. It is shown that, contrary to previous statements in the pages of this
journal, equivalence does not break down in this context. No restrictions to
Newtonian approximations or small enclosures are necessary
Searching for low mass objects around nearby dMe radio stars
Nearby M-dwarfs are best suited for searches of low mass companions. VLBI
phase-referencing observations with sensitive telescopes are able to detect
radio star flux-densities of tenths of mJy as well as to position the star on
the sky with submilliarcsecond precision. We have initiated a long-term
observational program, using EVN telescopes in combination with NASA DSN
dishes, to revisit the kinematics of nearby, single M dwarfs. The precision of
the astrometry allows us to search for possible companions with masses down to
1 Jupiter mass. In this contribution we report preliminary results of the first
observation epochs, in which we could detect some of the radio stars included
in our program.Comment: Proceedings of the 6th European VLBI Network Symposium, Ros E.,
Porcas R.W., Lobanov A.P., & Zensus J.A. (eds.), MPIfR, Bonn, Germany, p.
255-258 (2002). 4 pages, 3 figures, needs evn2002.cl
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