18,130 research outputs found
Scalar Field as Dark Matter in the Universe
We investigate the hypothesis that the scalar field is the dark matter and
the dark energy in the Cosmos, wich comprises about 95% of the matter of the
Universe. We show that this hypothesis explains quite well the recent
observations on type Ia supernovae.Comment: 4 pages REVTeX, 1 eps figure. Minor changes. To appear in Classical
and Quantum Gravit
Spreading of Block Copolymer Films and Domain Alignment at Moving Terrace Steps
We investigate spreading of phase separated copolymer films, where domain
walls and thickness steps influence polymer flow. We show that at early stages
of spreading its rate is determined by slow activated flow at terrace steps
(i.e. thickness steps). At late stages of spreading, on the other hand, the
rate is determined by the flow along terraces, with diffusion-like time
dependence . This dependence is similar to de Gennes and Cazabat's
prediction for generic layered liquids, as opposed to the classical Tanner's
law of drop spreading. We also argue that chain hopping at the spreading
terrace steps should lead to the formation of aligned, defect-free domain
patterns on the growing terraces.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to J. Chem. Phy
A model of the Universe including Dark Energy accounted for by both a Quintessence Field and a (negative) Cosmological Constant
In this work we present a model of the universe in which dark energy is
modelled explicitely with both a dynamical quintessence field and a
cosmological constant. Our results confirm the possibility of a future
collapsing universe (for a given region of the parameter space), which is
necessary for a consistent formulation of string theory and quantum field
theory. We have also reproduced the measurements of modulus distance from
supernovae with good accuracy.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, only the results for the single exponential
potential are preserved. One author added. Some changes in the reference
section. Submitted to Physical Review
Quintessence duality
We join quintessence cosmological scenarios with the duality simmetry
existing in string dilaton cosmologies. Actually, we consider the tracker
potential type and show that duality is only
established if .Comment: 6 LaTex Pages, submitted to Physics Letters A; completely revised
version: majior changes in the last par
Cosmological scaling solutions of minimally coupled scalar fields in three dimensions
We examine Friedmann-Robertson-Walker models in three spacetime dimensions.
The matter content of the models is composed of a perfect fluid, with a
-law equation of state, and a homogeneous scalar field minimally
coupled to gravity with a self-interacting potential whose energy density
red-shifts as , where a denotes the scale factor. Cosmological
solutions are presented for different range of values of and .
The potential required to agree with the above red-shift for the scalar field
energy density is also calculated.Comment: LaTeX2e, 11 pages, 4 figures. To be published in Classical and
Quantum Gravit
Supernovae as a probe of particle physics and cosmology
It has very recently been demonstrated by Csaki, Kaloper and Terning (CKT)
that the faintness of supernovae at high redshift can be accommodated by mixing
of a light axion with the photon in the presence of an intergalactic magnetic
field, as opposed to the usual explanation of an accelerating universe by a
dark energy component. In this paper we analyze further aspects of the CKT
mechanism and its generalizations. The CKT mechanism also passes various
cosmological constraints from the fluctuations of the CMB and the formation of
structure at large scales, without requiring an accelerating phase in the
expansion of the Universe. We investigate the statistical significance of
current supernova data for pinning down the different components of the
cosmological energy-momentum tensor and for probing physics beyond the standard
models.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX, 4 figures; v2: typos corrected, minor changes,
references added; v3: updated figures, details regarding fits include
Modes of Growth in Dynamic Systems
Regardless of a system's complexity or scale, its growth can be considered to
be a spontaneous thermodynamic response to a local convergence of down-gradient
material flows. Here it is shown how growth can be constrained to a few
distinct modes that depend on the availability of material and energetic
resources. These modes include a law of diminishing returns, logistic behavior
and, if resources are expanding very rapidly, super-exponential growth. For a
case where a system has a resolved sink as well as a source, growth and decay
can be characterized in terms of a slightly modified form of the predator-prey
equations commonly employed in ecology, where the perturbation formulation of
these equations is equivalent to a damped simple harmonic oscillator. Thus, the
framework presented here suggests a common theoretical under-pinning for
emergent behaviors in the physical and life sciences. Specific examples are
described for phenomena as seemingly dissimilar as the development of rain and
the evolution of fish stocks.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, including appendi
A New Comprehensive 2-D Model of the Point Spread Functions of the XMM-Newton EPIC Telescopes : Spurious Source Suppression and Improved Positional Accuracy
We describe here a new full 2-D parameterization of the PSFs of the three
XMM-Newton EPIC telescopes as a function of instrument, energy, off-axis angle
and azimuthal angle, covering the whole field-of-view of the three EPIC
detectors. It models the general PSF envelopes, the primary and secondary
spokes, their radial dependencies, and the large-scale azimuthal variations.
This PSF model has been constructed via the stacking and centering of a large
number of bright, but not significantly piled-up point sources from the full
field-of-view of each EPIC detector, and azimuthally filtering the resultant
PSF envelopes to form the spoke structures and the gross azimuthal shapes
observed. This PSF model is available for use within the XMM-Newton Science
Analysis System via the usage of Current Calibration Files XRTi_XPSF_0011.CCF
and later versions. Initial source-searching tests showed substantial
reductions in the numbers of spurious sources being detected in the wings of
bright point sources. Furthermore, we have uncovered a systematic error in the
previous PSF system, affecting the entire mission to date, whereby returned
source RA and Dec values are seen to vary sinusoidally about the true position
(amplitude ~0.8") with source azimuthal position. The new PSF system is now
available and is seen as a major improvement with regard to the detection of
spurious sources. The new PSF also largely removes the discovered astrometry
error and is seen to improve the positional accuracy of EPIC. The modular
nature of the PSF system allows for further refinements in the future.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 15 pages, 13 figures (some of
reduced quality). A full-resolution version is available at
http://www.star.le.ac.uk/~amr30/amr_PSFpaper.pd
Modeling of Dislocation Structures in Materials
A phenomenological model of the evolution of an ensemble of interacting
dislocations in an isotropic elastic medium is formulated. The line-defect
microstructure is described in terms of a spatially coarse-grained order
parameter, the dislocation density tensor. The tensor field satisfies a
conservation law that derives from the conservation of Burgers vector.
Dislocation motion is entirely dissipative and is assumed to be locally driven
by the minimization of plastic free energy. We first outline the method and
resulting equations of motion to linear order in the dislocation density
tensor, obtain various stationary solutions, and give their geometric
interpretation. The coupling of the dislocation density to an externally
imposed stress field is also addressed, as well as the impact of the field on
the stationary solutions.Comment: RevTeX, 19 pages. Also at http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~vinals/jeff1.p
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