525 research outputs found
Comparison of electromagnetic and gravitational radiation: What we can learn about each from the other
We compare the nature of electromagnetic fields and gravitational fields in linearized general relativity. We carry out this comparison both mathematically and visually. In particular, the âlines of forceâ visualizations of electromagnetism are contrasted with the recently introduced tendex/vortex eigenline technique for visualizing gravitational fields. Specific solutions, visualizations, and comparisons are given for an oscillating point quadrupole source. Among the similarities illustrated are the quasistatic nature of the near fields, the transverse 1/r nature of the far fields, and the interesting intermediate field structures connecting these two limiting forms. Among the differences illustrated are the meaning of field line motion and of the flow of energy
A Self-Consistent Vacuum for Misner Space and the Chronology Protection Conjecture
In this paper we find a self-consistent vacuum for Misner space. For this
"adapted" Rindler vacuum the renormalized stress-energy tensor is zero
throughout the Misner space. A point-like particle detector traveling on a
timelike geodesic in a Misner space with this vacuum detects nothing. Misner
space with this vacuum thus creates no problems for time travel in and of
itself but a time traveler may pose a danger to himself and to the spacetime.Comment: 5 pages, received September 5, 1997, with a note added November 24,
199
Detectability of gravitational wave events by spherical resonant-mass antennas
We have calculated signal-to-noise ratios for eight spherical resonant-mass
antennas interacting with gravitational radiation from inspiralling and
coalescing binary neutron stars and from the dynamical and secular bar-mode
instability of a rapidly rotating star. We find that by using technology that
could be available in the next several years, spherical antennas can detect
neutron star inspiral and coalescence at a distance of 15 Mpc and the dynamical
bar-mode instability at a distance of 2 Mpc.Comment: 39 pages, 4 EPS Figures, some additional SNRs for secular
instabilities, some changes to LIGO SNRs, Appendix added on the asymptotic
expansion of energy sensitivity, corrected supernova rates. Results available
at http://www.physics.umd.edu/rgroups/gen_rel_exp/snr.html Submitted to Phys.
Rev.
Generation of unusually low frequency plasmaspheric hiss
It has been reported from Van Allen Probe observations that plasmaspheric hiss intensification in the outer plasmasphere, associated with a substorm injection on 30 September 2012, occurred with a peak frequency near 100 Hz, well below the typical plasmaspheric hiss frequency range, extending down to âŒ20 Hz. We examine this event of unusually low frequency plasmaspheric hiss to understand its generation mechanism. Quantitative analysis is performed by simulating wave raypaths via the HOTRAY ray tracing code with measured plasma density and calculating raypath-integrated wave gain evaluated using the measured energetic electron distribution. We demonstrate that the growth rate due to substorm-injected electrons is positive but rather weak, leading to small wave gain (âŒ10 dB) during a single equatorial crossing. Propagation characteristics aided by the sharp density gradient associated with the plasmapause, however, can enable these low-frequency waves to undergo cyclic raypaths, which return to the unstable region leading to repeated amplification to yield sufficient net wave gain (>40 dB) to allow waves to grow from the thermal noise
Tidal interaction in binary black hole inspiral
In rotating viscous fluid stars, tidal torque leads to an exchange of spin
and orbital angular momentum. The horizon of a black hole has an effective
viscosity that is large compared to that of stellar fluids, and an effective
tidal torque may lead to important effects in the strong field interaction at
the endpoint of the inspiral of two rapidly rotating holes. In the most
interesting case both holes are maximally rotating and all angular momenta
(orbital and spins) are aligned. We point out here that in such a case (i) the
transfer of angular momentum may have an important effect in modifying the
gravitational wave ``chirp'' at the endpoint of inspiral. (ii) The tidal
transfer of spin energy to orbital energy may increase the amount of energy
being radiated. (iii) Tidal transfer in such systems may provide a mechanism
for shedding excess angular momentum. We argue that numerical relativity, the
only tool for determining the importance of tidal torque, should be more
specifically focused on binary configurations with aligned, large, angular
momenta.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Excitation of the odd-parity quasi-normal modes of compact objects
The gravitational radiation generated by a particle in a close unbounded
orbit around a neutron star is computed as a means to study the importance of
the modes of the neutron star. For simplicity, attention is restricted to
odd parity (``axial'') modes which do not couple to the neutron star's fluid
modes. We find that for realistic neutron star models, particles in unbounded
orbits only weakly excite the modes; we conjecture that this is also the
case for astrophysically interesting sources of neutron star perturbations. We
also find that for cases in which there is significant excitation of quadrupole
modes, there is comparable excitation of higher multipole modes.Comment: 18 pages, 21 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Head-on collisions of black holes: the particle limit
We compute gravitational radiation waveforms, spectra and energies for a
point particle of mass falling from rest at radius into a
Schwarzschild hole of mass . This radiation is found to lowest order in
with the use of a Laplace transform. In contrast with numerical
relativity results for head-on collisions of equal-mass holes, the radiated
energy is found not to be a monotonically increasing function of initial
separation; there is a local radiated-energy maximum at . The
present results, along with results for infall from infinity, provide a
complete catalog of waveforms and spectra for particle infall. We give a
representative sample from that catalog and an interesting observation: Unlike
the simple spectra for other head-on collisions (either of particle and hole,
or of equal mass holes) the spectra for show a series of
evenly spaced bumps. A simple explanation is given for this. Lastly, our energy
vs. results are compared with approximation methods used elsewhere, for
small and for large initial separation.Comment: 15 pages, REVTeX, 25 figure
Cauchy-perturbative matching and outer boundary conditions: computational studies
We present results from a new technique which allows extraction of
gravitational radiation information from a generic three-dimensional numerical
relativity code and provides stable outer boundary conditions. In our approach
we match the solution of a Cauchy evolution of the nonlinear Einstein field
equations to a set of one-dimensional linear equations obtained through
perturbation techniques over a curved background. We discuss the validity of
this approach in the case of linear and mildly nonlinear gravitational waves
and show how a numerical module developed for this purpose is able to provide
an accurate and numerically convergent description of the gravitational wave
propagation and a stable numerical evolution.Comment: 20 pages, RevTe
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Life-Expectancy Disparities Among Adults With HIV in the United States and Canada: The Impact of a Reduction in Drug- and Alcohol-Related Deaths Using the Lives Saved Simulation Model.
Improvements in life expectancy among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) receiving antiretroviral treatment in the United States and Canada might differ among key populations. Given the difference in substance use among key populations and the current opioid epidemic, drug- and alcohol-related deaths might be contributing to the disparities in life expectancy. We sought to estimate life expectancy at age 20 years in key populations (and their comparison groups) in 3 time periods (2004-2007, 2008-2011, and 2012-2015) and the potential increase in expected life expectancy with a simulated 20% reduction in drug- and alcohol-related deaths using the novel Lives Saved Simulation model. Among 92,289 PLWH, life expectancy increased in all key populations and comparison groups from 2004-2007 to 2012-2015. Disparities in survival of approximately a decade persisted among black versus white men who have sex with men and people with (vs. without) a history of injection drug use. A 20% reduction in drug- and alcohol-related mortality would have the greatest life-expectancy benefit for black men who have sex with men, white women, and people with a history of injection drug use. Our findings suggest that preventing drug- and alcohol-related deaths among PLWH could narrow disparities in life expectancy among some key populations, but other causes of death must be addressed to further narrow the disparities
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