14,275 research outputs found
Singular sources in gravity and homotopy in the space of connections
Suppose a Lagrangian is constructed from its fields and their derivatives.
When the field configuration is a distribution, it is unambiguously defined as
the limit of a sequence of smooth fields. The Lagrangian may or may not be a
distribution, depending on whether there is some undefined product of
distributions. Supposing that the Lagrangian is a distribution, it is
unambiguously defined as the limit of a sequence of Lagrangians. But there
still remains the question: Is the distributional Lagrangian uniquely defined
by the limiting process for the fields themselves? In this paper a general
geometrical construction is advanced to address this question. We describe
certain types of singularities, not by distribution valued tensors, but by
showing that the action functional for the singular fields is (formally)
equivalent to another action built out of \emph{smooth} fields. Thus we manage
to make the problem of the lack of a derivative disappear from a system which
gives differential equations. Certain ideas from homotopy and homology theory
turn out to be of central importance in analyzing the problem and clarifying
finer aspects of it.
The method is applied to general relativity in first order formalism, which
gives some interesting insights into distributional geometries in that theory.
Then more general gravitational Lagrangians in first order formalism are
considered such as Lovelock terms (for which the action principle admits
space-times more singular than other higher curvature theories).Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, RevTe
A simple method for finite range decomposition of quadratic forms and Gaussian fields
We present a simple method to decompose the Green forms corresponding to a
large class of interesting symmetric Dirichlet forms into integrals over
symmetric positive semi-definite and finite range (properly supported) forms
that are smoother than the original Green form. This result gives rise to
multiscale decompositions of the associated Gaussian free fields into sums of
independent smoother Gaussian fields with spatially localized correlations. Our
method makes use of the finite propagation speed of the wave equation and
Chebyshev polynomials. It improves several existing results and also gives
simpler proofs.Comment: minor correction for t<
Bargaining over a finite set of alternatives
We analyze bilateral bargaining over a finite set of alternatives. We look for “good” ordinal solutions to such problems and show that Unanimity Compromise and Rational Compromise are the only bargaining rules that satisfy a basic set of properties. We then extend our analysis to admit problems with countably infinite alternatives. We show that, on this class, no bargaining rule choosing finite subsets of alternatives can be neutral. When rephrased in the utility framework of Nash (1950), this implies that there is no ordinal bargaining rule that is finite-valued
Modular Invariance of Finite Size Corrections and a Vortex Critical Phase
We analyze a continuous spin Gaussian model on a toroidal triangular lattice
with periods and where the spins carry a representation of the
fundamental group of the torus labeled by phases and . We find the
{\it exact finite size and lattice corrections}, to the partition function ,
for arbitrary mass and phases . Summing over phases gives
the corresponding result for the Ising model. The limits and
do not commute. With the model exhibits a {\it vortex
critical phase} when at least one of the is non-zero. In the continuum or
scaling limit, for arbitrary , the finite size corrections to are
{\it modular invariant} and for the critical phase are given by elliptic theta
functions. In the cylinder limit the ``cylinder charge''
is a non-monotonic function of that ranges from
for to zero for .Comment: 12 pages of Plain TeX with two postscript figure insertions called
torusfg1.ps and torusfg2.ps which can be obtained upon request from
[email protected]
Hot dense capsule implosion cores produced by z-pinch dynamic hohlraum radiation
Hot dense capsule implosions driven by z-pinch x-rays have been measured for
the first time. A ~220 eV dynamic hohlraum imploded 1.7-2.1 mm diameter
gas-filled CH capsules which absorbed up to ~20 kJ of x-rays. Argon tracer atom
spectra were used to measure the Te~ 1keV electron temperature and the ne ~ 1-4
x10^23 cm-3 electron density. Spectra from multiple directions provide core
symmetry estimates. Computer simulations agree well with the peak compression
values of Te, ne, and symmetry, indicating reasonable understanding of the
hohlraum and implosion physics.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Muscle Volume Increases Following 16 Weeks of Resistive Exercise Training with the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) and Free Weights
Space flight-induced muscle atrophy, particularly in the postural and locomotorymuscles, may impair task performance during long-duration space missions and planetary exploration. High intensity free weight (FW) resistive exercise training has been shown to prevent atrophy during bed rest, a space flight analog. NASA developed the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) to simulate the characteristics of FW exercise (i.e. constant mass, inertial force) and to be used as a countermeasure during International Space Station (ISS) missions. PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of ARED and FW training to induce hypertrophy in specific muscle groups in ambulatory subjects prior to deploying ARED on the ISS. METHODS: Twenty untrained subjects were assigned to either the ARED (8 males, 3 females) or FW (6 males, 3 females) group and participated in a periodizedtraining protocol consisting of squat (SQ), heel raise (HR), and deadlift(DL) exercises 3 d wk-1 for 16 wks. SQ, HR, and DL muscle strength (1RM) was measured before, after 8 wks, and after 16 wks of training to prescribe exercise and measure strength changes. Muscle volume of the vastigroup (V), hamstring group (H), hip adductor group (ADD), medial gastrocnemius(MG), lateral gastrocnemius(LG), and deep posterior muscles including soleus(DP) was measured using MRI pre-and post-training. Consecutive cross-sectional images (8 mm slices with a 2 mm gap) were analyzed and summed. Anatomical references insured that the same muscle sections were analyzed pre-and post-training. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs (p<0.05) were used to test for differences in muscle strength and volume between training devices. RESULTS: SQ, HR, and DL 1RM increased in both FW (SQ: 49+/-6%, HR: 12+/-2%, DL: 23+/-4%) and ARED (SQ: 31+/-4%, HR: 18+/-2%, DL: 23+/-3%) groups. Both groups increased muscle volume in the V (FW: 13+/-2%, ARED: 10+/-2%), H (FW: 3+/-1%, ARED: 3+/-1 %), ADD (FW: 15=/-2%, ARED: 10+/-1%), LG (FW: 7+/-2%, ARED: 4+/-1%), MG (FW: 7+/-2%, ARED: 5+/-2%), and DP (FW: 2+/-1%; ARED: 2+/-1%) after training. There were no between group differences in muscle strength or volume. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in muscle volume and strength following ARED training is not different than FW training. With the training effects similar to FW and a 600 lb load capacity, ARED likely will protect against muscle atrophy in microgravity
Switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings: comparison of programmes with and without viral load monitoring.
In high-income countries, viral load is routinely measured to detect failure of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and guide switching to second-line ART. Viral load monitoring is not generally available in resource-limited settings. We examined switching from nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based first-line regimens to protease inhibitor-based regimens in Africa, South America and Asia
A New Non-Perturbative Approach to Quantum Theory in Curved Spacetime Using the Wigner Function
A new non-perturbative approach to quantum theory in curved spacetime and to
quantum gravity, based on a generalisation of the Wigner equation, is proposed.
Our definition for a Wigner equation differs from what have otherwise been
proposed, and does not imply any approximations. It is a completely exact
equation, fully equivalent to the Heisenberg equations of motion. The approach
makes different approximation schemes possible, e.g. it is possible to perform
a systematic calculation of the quantum effects order by order. An iterative
scheme for this is also proposed. The method is illustrated with some simple
examples and applications. A calculation of the trace of the renormalised
energy-momentum tensor is done, and the conformal anomaly is thereby related to
non-conservation of a current in d=2 dimensions and a relationship between a
vector and an axial-vector current in d=4 dimensions.
The corresponding ``hydrodynamic equations'' governing the evolution of
macroscopic quantities are derived by taking appropriate moments. The emphasis
is put on the spin-1/2 case, but it is shown how to extend to arbitrary spins.
Gravity is treated first in the Palatini formalism, which is not very
tractable, and then more successfully in the Ashtekar formalism, where the
constraints lead to infinite order differential equations for the Wigner
functions.Comment: LaTeX2e (uses amssymb), 36 page
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