240 research outputs found
Can Quantum de Sitter Space Have Finite Entropy?
If one tries to view de Sitter as a true (as opposed to a meta-stable)
vacuum, there is a tension between the finiteness of its entropy and the
infinite-dimensionality of its Hilbert space. We invetsigate the viability of
one proposal to reconcile this tension using -deformation. After defining a
differential geometry on the quantum de Sitter space, we try to constrain the
value of the deformation parameter by imposing the condition that in the
undeformed limit, we want the real form of the (inherently complex) quantum
group to reduce to the usual SO(4,1) of de Sitter. We find that this forces
to be a real number. Since it is known that quantum groups have
finite-dimensional representations only for root of unity, this suggests
that standard -deformations cannot give rise to finite dimensional Hilbert
spaces, ruling out finite entropy for q-deformed de Sitter.Comment: 10 pages, v2: references added, v3: minor corrections, abstract and
title made more in-line with the result, v4: published versio
Noncommutative U(1) Instantons in Eight Dimensional Yang-Mills Theory
We study the noncommutative version of the extended ADHM construction in the
eight dimensional U(1) Yang-Mills theory. This construction gives rise to the
solutions of the BPS equations in the Yang-Mills theory, and these solutions
preserve at least 3/16 of supersymmetries. In a wide subspace of the extended
ADHM data, we show that the integer which appears in the extended ADHM
construction should be interpreted as the -brane charge rather than the
-brane charge by explicitly calculating the topological charges in the case
that the noncommutativity parameter is anti-self-dual. We also find the
relationship with the solution generating technique and show that the integer
can be interpreted as the charge of the -brane bound to the -brane
with the -field in the case that the noncommutativity parameter is
self-dual.Comment: 22 page
Memristive and neuromorphic behavior in a Li x CoO 2 nanobattery
International audienceThe phenomenon of resistive switching (RS), which was initially linked to non-volatile resistive memory applications, has recently also been associated with the concept of memristors, whose adjustable multilevel resistance characteristics open up unforeseen perspectives in cognitive computing. Herein, we demonstrate that the resistance states of Li(x)CoO2 thin film-based metal-insulator-metal (MIM) solid-state cells can be tuned by sequential programming voltage pulses, and that these resistance states are dramatically dependent on the pulses input rate, hence emulating biological synapse plasticity. In addition, we identify the underlying electrochemical processes of RS in our MIM cells, which also reveal a nanobattery-like behavior, leading to the generation of electrical signals that bring an unprecedented new dimension to the connection between memristors and neuromorphic systems. Therefore, these LixCoO2-based MIM devices allow for a combination of possibilities, offering new perspectives of usage in nanoelectronics and bio-inspired neuromorphic circuits
Seiberg-Witten Transforms of Noncommutative Solitons
We evaluate the Seiberg-Witten map for solitons and instantons in
noncommutative gauge theories in various dimensions. We show that solitons
constructed using the projection operators have delta-function supports when
expressed in the commutative variables. This gives a precise identification of
the moduli of these solutions as locations of branes. On the other hand, an
instanton solution in four dimensions allows deformation away from the
projection operator construction. We evaluate the Seiberg-Witten transform of
the U(2) instanton and show that it has a finite size determined by the
noncommutative scale and by the deformation parameter \rho. For large \rho, the
profile of the D0-brane density of the instanton agrees surprisingly well with
that of the BPST instanton on commutative space.Comment: 29 pages, LaTeX; comments added, typos corrected, and a reference
added; comments added, typos correcte
SR studies of the frustrated quasi-2d square-lattice spin system Cu(Cl,Br)La(Nb,Ta)O: evolution from spin-gap to antiferromagnetic state
We report muon spin relaxation (SR) and magnetic susceptibility
measurements on Cu(Cl,Br)La(Nb,Ta)O, which demonstrate: (a) the
absence of static magnetism in (CuCl)LaNbO down to 15 mK confirming
a spin-gapped ground state; (b) phase separation between partial volumes with a
spin-gap and static magnetism in (CuCl)La(Nb,Ta)O; (c)
history-dependent magnetization in the (Nb,Ta) and (Cl,Br) substitution
systems; (d) a uniform long-range collinear antiferromagnetic state in
(CuBr)LaNbO; and (e) a decrease of N\'eel temperature with
decreasing Br concentration in Cu(ClBr)LaNbO with
no change in the ordered Cu moment size for . Together with
several other SR studies of quantum phase transitions in
geometrically-frustrated spin systems, the present results reveal that the
evolution from a spin-gap to a magnetically ordered state is often associated
with phase separation and/or a first order phase transition.Comment: 10 pages 10 color figures; revised from letter paper style to full
paper style; Figs. 2, 4, 5, 7c, 10 newly adde
Type-specific herpes simplex virus-1 and herpes simplex virus-2 seroprevalence in Romania: comparison of prevalence and risk factors in women and men
AbstractObjectiveTo determine herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 and HSV-1 seroprevalence in women and men in Romania.MethodsA cross-sectional seroprevalence survey was conducted between 2004 and 2005 on a total of 1058 women and men representative of the population of Bucharest. All participants were aged 15–44 years and completed a structured questionnaire. A blood sample was collected to detect IgG anti-HSV-1 and HSV-2 serum antibodies using the HerpeSelect ELISA (Focus Diagnostics).ResultsA total of 761 women (median age 29 years) and 297 men (median age 29 years) were included. Overall, HSV-2 seroprevalence (15.2%) increased with age. Among women, HSV-2 seroprevalence increased from 11.0% in 15–19-year-olds to 38.3% in 40–44-year-olds. Among men, seroprevalence increased from 4.0% in 20–24-year-olds to 27.1% in 40–44-year-olds. HSV-2 seroprevalence was significantly higher among women than men (17.0% vs. 10.8%). HSV-1 seropositivity was high (87.2%) in all age groups, with no clear trend by age or by sex. In addition to older age and female sex, risk factors for HSV-2 included greater number of lifetime sexual partners, lower educational attainment, and history of genital vesicles. Lower educational level and rural residence were associated with a higher risk of HSV-1 seropositivity.ConclusionsIn Romania, HSV-2 seroprevalence was higher in women than men, and was within European limits and lower than that in Africa and the USA. In contrast, HSV-1 seroprevalence was generally higher than that previously recorded in similarly aged populations in Western Europe
Teleparallel Gravity and Dimensional Reductions of Noncommutative Gauge Theory
We study dimensional reductions of noncommutative electrodynamics on flat
space which lead to gauge theories of gravitation. For a general class of such
reductions, we show that the noncommutative gauge fields naturally yield a
Weitzenbock geometry on spacetime and that the induced diffeomorphism invariant
field theory can be made equivalent to a teleparallel formulation of gravity
which macroscopically describes general relativity. The Planck length is
determined in this setting by the Yang-Mills coupling constant and the
noncommutativity scale. The effective field theory can also contain
higher-curvature and non-local terms which are characteristic of string theory.
Some applications to D-brane dynamics and generalizations to include the
coupling of ordinary Yang-Mills theory to gravity are also described.Comment: 31 pages LaTeX; References adde
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