7,721 research outputs found
Quasiconformality and mass
We identify universal quasiconformal (walking) behaviour in non-Abelian gauge
field theories based on the mass-dependent all-order beta-function introduced
in arXiv:0908.1364. We find different types of walking behaviour in the
presence of (partially) massive species. We employ our findings to the
construction of candidate theories for dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking
by walking technicolour.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures
Magnification relations in gravitational lensing via multidimensional residue integrals
We investigate the so-called magnification relations of gravitational lensing
models. We show that multidimensional residue integrals provide a simple
explanation for the existence of these relations, and an effective method of
computation. We illustrate the method with several examples, thereby deriving
new magnification relations for galaxy lens models and microlensing (point mass
lensing).Comment: 16 pages, uses revtex4, submitted to Journal of Mathematical Physic
Gravitational Lenses With More Than Four Images: I. Classification of Caustics
We study the problem of gravitational lensing by an isothermal elliptical
density galaxy in the presence of a tidal perturbation. When the perturbation
is fairly strong and oriented near the galaxy's minor axis, the lens can
produce image configurations with six or even eight highly magnified images
lying approximately on a circle. We classify the caustic structures in the
model and identify the range of models that can produce such lenses. Sextuple
and octuple lenses are likely to be rare because they require special lens
configurations, but a full calculation of the likelihood will have to include
both the existence of lenses with multiple lens galaxies and the strong
magnification bias that affects sextuple and octuple lenses. At optical
wavelengths these lenses would probably appear as partial or complete Einstein
rings, but at radio wavelengths the individual images could probably be
resolved.Comment: 30 pages, including 12 postscript figures; accepted for publication
in Ap
The Post-Newtonian Limit of f(R)-gravity in the Harmonic Gauge
A general analytic procedure is developed for the post-Newtonian limit of
-gravity with metric approach in the Jordan frame by using the harmonic
gauge condition. In a pure perturbative framework and by using the Green
function method a general scheme of solutions up to order is shown.
Considering the Taylor expansion of a generic function it is possible to
parameterize the solutions by derivatives of . At Newtonian order,
, all more important topics about the Gauss and Birkhoff theorem are
discussed. The corrections to "standard" gravitational potential
(-component of metric tensor) generated by an extended uniform mass
ball-like source are calculated up to order. The corrections, Yukawa
and oscillating-like, are found inside and outside the mass distribution. At
last when the limit is considered the -gravity converges
in General Relativity at level of Lagrangian, field equations and their
solutions.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure
Exotic Statistics for Ordinary Particles in Quantum Gravity
Objects exhibiting statistics other than the familiar Bose and Fermi ones are
natural in theories with topologically nontrivial objects including geons,
strings, and black holes. It is argued here from several viewpoints that the
statistics of ordinary particles with which we are already familiar are likely
to be modified due to quantum gravity effects. In particular, such
modifications are argued to be present in loop quantum gravity and in any
theory which represents spacetime in a fundamentally piecewise-linear fashion.
The appearance of unusual statistics may be a generic feature (such as the
deformed position-momentum uncertainty relations and the appearance of a
fundamental length scale) which are to be expected in any theory of quantum
gravity, and which could be testable.Comment: Awarded an honourable mention in the 2008 Gravity Research Foundation
Essay Competitio
Acupuncture randomized trials (ART) in patients with chronic low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee - Design and protocols
Background: We report on the study design and protocols of two randomized controlled trials (Acupuncture Randomized Trials = ART) that investigate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee, respectively. Objective: To investigate whether acupuncture is more efficacious than (a) no treatment or (b) minimal acupuncture in the treatment of low back pain and osteoarthritis. Design: Two randomized, controlled, multicenter trials with three treatment arms and a total follow-up time of 52 weeks. Setting: 30 practitioners and outpatient units in Germany specialized in acupuncture treatment. Patients: 300 patients will be included in each study. In the low back pain trial, patients will be included according to clinical diagnosis. In the osteoarthritis pain trial, patients will be included according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Interventions: Patients are randomly assigned to receive either (1) semi-standardized acupuncture (150 patients), (2) minimal acupuncture at non-acupuncture points (75 patients), or (3) no treatment for two months followed by semi-standardized acupuncture (75 patients, waiting list control). Acupuncture treatment consists of 12 sessions per patient over a period of 8 weeks. Main Outcome Measure: The main outcome measure is the difference between baseline and the end of the 8-week treatment period in the following parameters: pain intensity as measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-100 mm) in the low back pain trial and by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Score (WOMAC) in the osteoarthritis trial. Outlook: The results of these two studies (available in 2004) will provide health care providers and policy makers with the information needed to make scientifically sound assessments of acupuncture therapy
Monte Carlo simulations of the screening potential of the Yukawa one-component plasma
A Monte Carlo scheme to sample the screening potential H(r) of Yukawa plasmas
notably at short distances is presented. This scheme is based on an importance
sampling technique. Comparisons with former results for the Coulombic
one-component plasma are given. Our Monte Carlo simulations yield an accurate
estimate of H(r) as well for short range and long range interparticle
distances.Comment: to be published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Genera
Towards quantitative prediction of proteasomal digestion patterns of proteins
We discuss the problem of proteasomal degradation of proteins. Though
proteasomes are important for all aspects of the cellular metabolism, some
details of the physical mechanism of the process remain unknown. We introduce a
stochastic model of the proteasomal degradation of proteins, which accounts for
the protein translocation and the topology of the positioning of cleavage
centers of a proteasome from first principles. For this model we develop the
mathematical description based on a master-equation and techniques for
reconstruction of the cleavage specificity inherent to proteins and the
proteasomal translocation rates, which are a property of the proteasome specie,
from mass spectroscopy data on digestion patterns. With these properties
determined, one can quantitatively predict digestion patterns for new
experimental set-ups. Additionally we design an experimental set-up for a
synthetic polypeptide with a periodic sequence of amino acids, which enables
especially reliable determination of translocation rates.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, submitted to J. Stat. Mech. (Special issue for
proceedings of 5th Intl. Conf. on Unsolved Problems on Noise and Fluctuations
in Physics, Biology & High Technology, Lyon (France), June 2-6, 2008
The Heat Kernel Expansion on a Cone and Quantum Fields Near Cosmic Strings
An asymptotic expansion of the trace of the heat kernel on a cone where the
heat coefficients have a delta function behavior at the apex is obtained. It is
used to derive the renormalized effective action and total energy of a
self-interacting quantum scalar field on the cosmic string space-time. Analogy
is pointed out with quantum theory with boundaries. The surface infinities in
the effective action are shown to appear and are removed by renormalization of
the string tension. Besides, the total renormalized energy turns out to be
finite due to cancelation of the known non-integrable divergence in the energy
density of the field with a counterterm in the bare string tension.Comment: 20 pages, JINR preprint August, 1993, E2-93-291, LATEX fil
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