Extracting the three- and four-graviton vertices from binary pulsars and coalescing binaries

Using a formulation of the post-Newtonian expansion in terms of Feynman graphs, we discuss how various tests of General Relativity (GR) can be translated into measurement of the three- and four-graviton vertices. In problems involving only the conservative dynamics of a system, a deviation of the three-graviton vertex from the GR prediction is equivalent, to lowest order, to the introduction of the parameter beta_{PPN} in the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism, and its strongest bound comes from lunar laser ranging, which measures it at the 0.02% level. Deviation of the three-graviton vertex from the GR prediction, however, also affects the radiative sector of the theory. We show that the timing of the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar provides a bound on the deviation of the three-graviton vertex from the GR prediction at the 0.1% level. For coalescing binaries at interferometers we find that, because of degeneracies with other parameters in the template such as mass and spin, the effects of modified three- and four-graviton vertices is just to induce an error in the determination of these parameters and, at least in the restricted PN approximation, it is not possible to use coalescing binaries for constraining deviations of the vertices from the GR prediction.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; v2: an error corrected; references adde

Ageing, dynamical scaling and its extensions in many-particle systems without detailed balance

Recent studies on the phenomenology of ageing in certain many-particle systems which are at a critical point of their non-equilibrium steady-states, are reviewed. Examples include the contact process, the parity-conserving branching-annihilating random walk, two exactly solvable particle-reaction models and kinetic growth models. While the generic scaling descriptions known from magnetic system can be taken over, some of the scaling relations between the ageing exponents are no longer valid. In particular, there is no obvious generalization of the universal limit fluctuation-dissipation ratio. The form of the scaling function of the two-time response function is compared with the prediction of the theory of local scale-invariance.Comment: Latex2e with IOP macros, 32 pages; extended discussion on contact process and new section on kinetic growth processe

Ground State Phase Diagram of S=1 XXZ Chains with Uniaxial Single-Ion-Type Anisotropy

One dimensional S=1 XXZ chains with uniaxial single-ion-type anisotropy are studied by numerical exact diagonalization of finite size systems. The numerical data are analyzed using conformal field theory, the level spectroscopy, phenomenological renormalization group and finite size scaling method. We thus present the first quantitatively reliable ground state phase diagram of this model. The ground states of this model contain the Haldane phase, large-D phase, N\'{e}el phase, two XY phases and the ferromagnetic phase. There are four different types of transitions between these phases: the Brezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type transitions, the Gaussian type transitions, the Ising type transitions and the first order transitions. The location of these critical lines are accurately determined.Comment: 8 pages, 19 figure

Effective field theory analysis of the self-interacting chameleon

We analyse the phenomenology of a self-interacting scalar field in the context of the chameleon scenario originally proposed by Khoury and Weltman. In the absence of self-interactions, this type of scalar field can mediate long range interactions and simultaneously evade constraints from violation of the weak equivalence principle. By applying to such a scalar field the effective field theory method proposed for Einstein gravity by Goldberger and Rothstein, we give a thorough perturbative evaluation of the importance of non-derivative self-interactions in determining the strength of the chameleon mediated force in the case of orbital motion. The self-interactions are potentially dangerous as they can change the long range behaviour of the field. Nevertheless, we show that they do not lead to any dramatic phenomenological consequence with respect to the linear case and solar system constraints are fulfilled.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. Final version accepted for publication on General Relativity and Gravitatio

The Costs of Climate Change: A Study of Cholera in Tanzania

Increased temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns as a result of climate change are widely recognized to entail potentially serious consequences for human health, including an increased risk of diarrheal diseases. This study integrates historical data on temperature and rainfall with the burden of disease from cholera in Tanzania and uses socioeconomic data to control for the impacts of general development on the risk of cholera. The results show a significant relationship between temperature and the incidence of cholera. For a 1 degree Celsius temperature increase the initial relative risk of cholera increases by 15 to 29 percent. Based on the modeling results, we project the number and costs of additional cases of cholera that can be attributed to climate change by 2030 in Tanzania for a 1 and 2 degree increase in temperatures, respectively. The total costs of cholera attributable to climate change are shown to be in the range of 0.32 to 1.4 percent of GDP in Tanzania 2030. The results provide useful insights into national-level estimates of the implications of climate change on the health sector and offer information which can feed into both national and international debates on financing and planning adaptation

Hygiene, Sanitation, and Water: Forgotten Foundations of Health

As the first article in a four-part PLoS Medicine series on water and sanitation, Jamie Bartram and Sandy Cairncross argue that the massive burden of ill health associated with poor hygiene, sanitation, and water supply demands more attention from health professionals and policymakers

Glassy behaviours in a-thermal systems, the case of granular media: A tentative review

International audienceno abstrac

The role of anthropometric, performance and psychological attributes in predicting selection into an elite development programme in older adolescent rugby league players

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This study aimed to identify attributes that discriminate selected from non-selected players and predict selection into a rugby league development programme in older adolescent players. Anthropometric, performance and psychological attributes were measured in under-16 (N = 100) and under-18 (N = 60) rugby league players trialling for selection into a development programme with a professional Australian club. Sprint times (P  <  0.001), predicted VO 2max (P = 0.002) and push-ups 1   min (P = 0.004) were superior in selected under-16 players, and sprint times (P ≤ 0.045), push-ups 1   min (P  <  0.001) and chin-ups 1   min (P = 0.013) were superior in selected under-18 players. Further, 10-m sprint (β = −7.706, standard error [SE] = 2.412), VO 2max (β = 0.168, SE = 0.052) and body mass (β = 0.071, SE = 0.023) significantly predicted selection (R 2  = 0.339) in under-16 players, while push-ups 1   min (β = 0.564, SE = 0.250), 10-m sprint (β = −68.477, SE = 28.107), body mass (β = 0.360, SE = 0.155) and chronological age (β = −3.577, SE = 1.720) significantly predicted selection (R 2  = 0.894) in under-18 players. These findings emphasise the importance of performance attributes in junior rugby league and indicate talent identification test batteries should be age-specific in older adolescent players