116 research outputs found
Stability of charged particles inside a Paul trap with spontaneous localization dynamics
Paul traps are ion traps that are widely used in spectroscopic experiments to
confine and stabilize a charged particle within a small region using
oscillating electric fields. The dynamics of the particle inside a Paul trap is
described by Mathieu equations. It has been proposed that such traps can be
used to detect the effects produced by spontaneous collapse of the associated
wavefunction, as described by the model of CSL (Continuous Spontaneous
Localization). This model is a non-linear, stochastic and non-relativistic
modification to the Schr\"{o}dinger equation which predicts an additional
random motion of particles other than environmental effects. In this paper, we
discuss the possibility that such a random motion can throw a particle out of
its stable configuration within the Paul trap. We study the changes in the
stability diagram of a Paul trap in the presence of CSL. We also constrain the
CSL parameter space by assuming the fact that the stability diagram is not
significantly altered. The bounds thus obtained are weaker than those coming
from X-ray emission from Ge slab.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Cosmic Hysteresis
Cosmological hysteresis, has interesting and vivid implications in the
scenario of a cyclic bouncy universe. This, purely thermodynamical in nature,
is caused by the asymmetry in the equation of state parameter during expansion
and contraction phase of the universe, due to the presence of a single scalar
field. When applied to variants of modified gravity models this phenomenon
leads to the increase in amplitude of the consecutive cycles of the universe,
provided we have physical mechanisms to make the universe bounce and
turnaround. This also shows that the conditions which creates a universe with
an ever increasing expansion, depend on the signature of and on
model parameters.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, To appear in the Proceedings of the Fourteenth
Marcel Grossman Meeting on General Relativity at University of Rome "La
Sapienza" - Rome, July 12-18, 201
Hysteresis in the Sky
Hysteresis is a phenomenon occurring naturally in several magnetic and
electric materials in condensed matter physics. When applied to cosmology, aka
cosmological hysteresis, has interesting and vivid implications in the scenario
of a cyclic bouncy universe. Most importantly, this physical prescription can
be treated as an alternative proposal to inflationary paradigm. Cosmological
hysteresis is caused by the asymmetry in the equation of state parameter during
expansion and contraction phase of the universe, due to the presence of a
single scalar field. This process is purely thermodynamical in nature, results
in a non-vanishing hysteresis loop integral in cosmology. When
applied to variants of modified gravity models -1) Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati
(DGP) brane world gravity, 2) Cosmological constant dominated Einstein gravity,
3) Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG), 4) Einstien-Gauss-Bonnet brane world gravity and
5) Randall Sundrum single brane world gravity (RSII), under certain
circumstances, this phenomenon leads to the increase in amplitude of the
consecutive cycles and to a universe with older and larger successive cycles,
provided we have physical mechanisms to make the universe bounce and
turnaround. This inculcates an arrow of time in a dissipationless cosmology.
Remarkably, this phenomenon appears to be widespread in several cosmological
potentials in variants of modified gravity background, which we explicitly
study for- i) Hilltop, ii) Natural and iii) Colemann-Weinberg potentials, in
this paper. Semi-analytical analysis of these models, for different potentials
with minimum/minima, show that the conditions which creates a universe with an
ever increasing expansion, depend on the signature of the hysteresis loop
integral as well as on the variants of model parameters.Comment: 180 pages, 31 figures, 1 table, Final version, Accepted for
publication in Astroparticle Physic
Cosmological hysteresis in cyclic universe from membrane paradigm
Cosmological hysteresis is a purely thermodynamical phenomenon caused by the
gradient in pressure, hence the characteristic equation of state during the
expansion and contraction phases of the universe are different, provided that
the universe bounces and recollapses. During hysteresis pressure asymmetry is
created due to the presence of a single scalar field in the dynamical process.
Also such an interesting scenario has vivid implications in cosmology when
applied to variants of modified gravity models described within the framework
of membrane paradigm. Cyclic universe along with scalar field leads to the
increase in the amplitude of the cosmological scale factor at each consecutive
cycles of the universe. Detailed analysis shows that the conditions which
creates a universe with an ever increasing expansion, depend on the signature
of the hysteresis loop integral and on membrane model parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:1506.0226
Bounce and cyclic cosmology in weakly broken galileon theories
We investigate the bounce and cyclicity realization in the framework of
weakly broken galileon theories. We study bouncing and cyclic solutions at the
background level, reconstructing the potential and the galileon functions that
can give rise to a given scale factor, and presenting analytical expressions
for the bounce requirements. We proceed to a detailed investigation of the
perturbations, which after crossing the bouncing point give rise to various
observables, such as the scalar and tensor spectral indices and the
tensor-to-scalar ratio. Although the scenario at hand shares the disadvantage
of all bouncing models, namely that it provides a large tensor-to-scalar ratio,
introducing an additional light scalar significantly reduces it through the
kinetic amplification of the isocurvature fluctuations.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures,version published in Phys. Rev.
Constraints on fourth order gravity from binary pulsar and gravitational waves
We have earlier proposed a fourth order gravity model as a possible
explanation for late time cosmic acceleration, and for flattened galaxy
rotation curves. The model has a free length parameter whose value depends on
the scale of the system under study (e.g. the whole Universe, a galaxy, or a
compact binary pulsar). In the present work, we investigate the constraints
imposed on the free model parameter by Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar data:
periastron advance; and emission of gravitational waves and consequent period
decay. It is shown that the model is consistent with these observations,
provided the length parameter is bounded from above.Comment: 11 pages plus appendices (total 18 pages), 1 figure, 1 table, text
modified, new calculations and references added, conclusions unchange
Cosmic Acceleration in a Model of Fourth Order Gravity
We investigate a fourth order model of gravity, having a free length
parameter, and no cosmological constant or dark energy. We consider
cosmological evolution of a flat Friedmann universe in this model for the case
that the length parameter is of the order of present Hubble radius. By making a
suitable choice for the present value of the Hubble parameter, and value of
third derivative of the scale factor (the jerk) we find that the model can
explain cosmic acceleration to the same degree of accuracy as the standard
concordance model. If the free length parameter is assumed to be
time-dependent, and of the order of the Hubble parameter of the corresponding
epoch, the model can still explain cosmic acceleration, and provides a possible
resolution of the cosmic coincidence problem. We work out the effective
equation of state, and its time evolution, in our model. We also compare
redshift drift in our model, with that in the standard model. The equation of
state and the redshift drift serve to discriminate our model from the standard
model.Comment: 29 pages, 19 figures, original Figs. 3 and 12 (b) removed; new Figs.
2(b), 8(b), 9, 10 (b), 12 (b) added; discussion added in Section V on
covariant conservation of field equations, conclusions unchanged, accepted
for publication in Phys. Rev.
Quantum nonlocality, and the end of classical space-time
Quantum non-local correlations and the acausal, spooky action at a distance
suggest a discord between quantum theory and special relativity. We propose a
resolution for this discord by first observing that there is a problem of time
in quantum theory. There should exist a reformulation of quantum theory which
does not refer to classical time. Such a reformulation is obtained by
suggesting that space-time is fundamentally non-commutative. Quantum theory
without classical time is the equilibrium statistical thermodynamics of the
underlying non-commutative relativity. Stochastic fluctuations about
equilibrium give rise to the classical limit and ordinary space-time geometry.
However, measurement on an entangled state can be correctly described only in
the underlying non-commutative space-time, where there is no causality
violation, nor a spooky action at a distance.Comment: 6 pages. Honorable mention in GRF Essay Contest 201
Quantum discord as a tool for comparing collapse models and decoherence
The quantum to classical transition maybe caused by decoherence or by
dynamical collapse of the wave-function. We propose quantum discord as a tool,
1) for comparing and contrasting the role of a collapse model (Continuous
Spontaneous Localization) and various sources of decoherence (environmental and
fundamental), 2) for detecting collapse model and fundamental decoherence for
an experimentally demonstrated macroscopic entanglement. We discuss the
experimental times which will lead to the detection of either Continuous
Spontaneous Localization or fundamental decoherence. We further put bounds on
the collapse parameters from this experiment for quantum discord.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures (both newly added), 1 table; abstract, table and
conclusions modified, new results added to section 4, references added,
matches with published versio
Cosmological Constant, Quantum Measurement, and the Problem of Time
Three of the big puzzles of theoretical physics are the following: (i) There
is apparently no time evolution in the dynamics of quantum general relativity,
because the allowed quantum states must obey the Hamiltonian constraint. (ii)
During a quantum measurement, the state of the quantum system randomly
collapses from being in a linear superposition of the eigenstates of the
measured observable, to just one of the eigenstates, in apparent violation of
the predictions of the deterministic, linear Schr\"{o}dinger equation. (iii)
The observed value of the cosmological constant is exceedingly small, compared
to its natural value, creating a serious fine-tuning problem. In this essay we
propose a novel idea to show how the three problems help solve each other.Comment: 5 pages, honorable mention in Gravity Research Foundation essay
contest 201
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