25,351 research outputs found
Cosmic acceleration: Inhomogeneity versus vacuum energy
In this essay, I present an alternative explanation for the cosmic
acceleration which appears as a consequence of recent high redshift Supernova
data. In the usual interpretation, this cosmic acceleration is explained by the
presence of a positive cosmological constant or vacuum energy, in the
background of Friedmann models. Instead, I will consider a Local Rotational
Symmetric (LRS) inhomogeneous spacetime, with a barotropic equation of state
for the cosmic matter. Within this framework the kinematical acceleration of
the cosmic fluid or, equivalently, the inhomogeneity of matter, is just the
responsible of the SNe Ia measured cosmic acceleration. Although in our model
the Cosmological Principle is relaxed, it maintains local isotropy about our
worldline in agreement with the CBR experiments.Comment: LATEX, 7 pags, no figs, Honorable Mention in the 1999 Essay
Competition of the Gravity Research Foundatio
Bright and dark breathers in Fermi-Pasta-Ulam lattices
In this paper we study the existence and linear stability of bright and dark
breathers in one-dimensional FPU lattices. On the one hand, we test the range
of validity of a recent breathers existence proof [G. James, {\em C. R. Acad.
Sci. Paris}, 332, Ser. 1, pp. 581 (2001)] using numerical computations.
Approximate analytical expressions for small amplitude bright and dark
breathers are found to fit very well exact numerical solutions even far from
the top of the phonon band. On the other hand, we study numerically large
amplitude breathers non predicted in the above cited reference. In particular,
for a class of asymmetric FPU potentials we find an energy threshold for the
existence of exact discrete breathers, which is a relatively unexplored
phenomenon in one-dimensional lattices. Bright and dark breathers superposed on
a uniformly stressed static configuration are also investigated.Comment: 11 pages, 16 figure
Complex Scalar DM in a B-L Model
In this work, we implement a complex scalar Dark Matter (DM) candidate in a
gauge extension of the Standard Model. The model contains three
right handed neutrinos with different quantum numbers and a rich scalar sector,
with extra doublets and singlets. In principle, these extra scalars can have
VEVs ( and for the extra doublets and singlets,
respectively) belonging to different energy scales. In the context of
, which allows to obtain naturally
light active neutrino masses and mixing compatible with neutrino experiments,
the DM candidate arises by imposing a symmetry on a given complex
singlet, , in order to make it stable. After doing a study of the
scalar potential and the gauge sector, we obtain all the DM dominant processes
concerning the relic abundance and direct detection. Then, for a representative
set of parameters, we found that a complex DM with mass around GeV, for
example, is compatible with the current experimental constraints without
resorting to resonances. However, additional compatible solutions with heavier
masses can be found in vicinities of resonances. Finally, we address the issue
of having a light CP-odd scalar in the model showing that it is safe concerning
the Higgs and the boson invisible decay widths, and also the energy
loss in stars astrophysical constraints.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure
Interpretation of HINODE SOT/SP asymmetric Stokes profiles observed in quiet Sun network and internetwork
We present the first interpretation of the Stokes profile asymmetries
measured in the FeI 630 nm lines by SOT/SP, in both quiet Sun internetwork (IN)
and network regions. The inversion is carried out under the hypothesis of
MISMA, where the unresolved structure is assumed to be optically thin. We
analyze a 29.52"x31.70" subfield carefully selected to be representative of the
properties of a 302"x162" quiet Sun field-of-view at disk center. The inversion
code is able to reproduce the observed asymmetries in a very satisfactory way.
The inversion code interprets 25% of inverted profiles as emerging from pixels
in which both positive and negative polarities coexist. kG field strengths are
found at the base of the photosphere in both network and IN; in the case of the
latter, both kG fields and hG fields are admixed. When considering the magnetic
properties at the mid photosphere most kG fields are gone, and the statistics
is dominated by hG fields. We constrain the magnetic field of only 4.5% of the
analyzed photosphere (and this percentage reduces to 1.3% when referred to all
pixels, including those with low polarization not analyzed). The rest of the
plasma is consistent with the presence of weak fields not contributing to the
detected polarization signals. The average flux densities derived in the full
subfield and in IN regions are higher than the ones derived from the same
dataset by Milne-Eddington inversion. The existence of large asymmetries in
SOT/SP polarization profiles is uncovered. These are not negligible in quiet
Sun data. The MISMA inversion code reproduces them in a satisfactory way, and
provides a statistical description of the magnetized IN and network which
partly differs and complements the results obtained so far. From this it
follows the importance of having a complete interpretation of the line profile
shapes.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 1 table - Accepted for publication on A&
Preliminary data for a geoconservation strategy of impact structures in Brazil
Serie : Cuadernos del Museo Geominero, n.º 18Las estructuras de impacto son formaciones raras en el planeta. Son extremadamente importantes
para la comprensión de la evolución geológica y biológica de la Tierra porque son eventos catastróficos
que causaron las extinciones en masa y grandes cambios en la superficie del Planeta. En Brasil
son ocho cráteres de impacto reconocidos y aceptados por la comunidad científica; cuatro de ellos ya
están identificadas como sitios geológicos por el Servicio Geológico del Brasil. La geoconservación sigue
siendo un tema novedoso en el país, pero se está avanzando. Es necesario hacer un inventario de las
estructuras, seguido por la medida de su valor y el riesgo de degradación, con criterios e indicadores bien
definidos. Este artículo presenta un proyecto para el inventario de las estructuras de impacto en Brasil y
propuestas para su conservación y utilización potencial.Meteorite impact structures are rare features in the planet. Due to the fact that these features
have resulted of catastrophic events that caused mass extinctions and huge changes in the planet’s surface,
they are extremely important for the understanding of the geological and biological evolution of
the Earth. In Brazil there are eight impact craters recognized and accepted by the scientific community.
The Geological Survey of Brazil has already identified four of these craters as geological sites. In spite of
geoconservation is still a recent theme in the country, presently it is gaining an increasing recognition.
Therefore, it is necessary to do a systematic characterization of impact structures, followed by a quantitative
assessment of the values and risk of degradation using well-defined criteria and indicators. This work
presents an on going project aiming the inventory of impact structures in Brazil and proposals for their
potential use and conservation
Imperfect Imitation Can Enhance Cooperation
The promotion of cooperation on spatial lattices is an important issue in
evolutionary game theory. This effect clearly depends on the update rule: it
diminishes with stochastic imitative rules whereas it increases with
unconditional imitation. To study the transition between both regimes, we
propose a new evolutionary rule, which stochastically combines unconditional
imitation with another imitative rule. We find that, surprinsingly, in many
social dilemmas this rule yields higher cooperative levels than any of the two
original ones. This nontrivial effect occurs because the basic rules induce a
separation of timescales in the microscopic processes at cluster interfaces.
The result is robust in the space of 2x2 symmetric games, on regular lattices
and on scale-free networks.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Analyzing library collections with starfield visualizations
This paper presents a qualitative and formative study of the uses of a starfield-based visualization interface for analysis of library collections. The evaluation process has produced feedback that suggests ways to significantly improve starfield interfaces and the interaction process to improve their learnability and usability. The study also gave us clear indication of additional potential uses of starfield visualizations that can be exploited by further functionality and interface development.
We report on resulting implications for the design and use of starfield visualizations that will impact their graphical interface features, their use for managing data quality and their potential for various forms of visual data mining. Although the current implementation and analysis focuses on the collection of a physical library, the most important contributions of our work will be in digital libraries, in which volume, complexity and dynamism of collections are increasing dramatically and tools are needed for visualization and analysis
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