Dilaton Domain Walls and Dynamical Systems

Domain wall solutions of $d$-dimensional gravity coupled to a dilaton field $\sigma$ with an exponential potential $\Lambda e^{-\lambda\sigma}$ are shown to be governed by an autonomous dynamical system, with a transcritical bifurcation as a function of the parameter $\lambda$ when $\Lambda<0$. All phase-plane trajectories are found exactly for $\lambda=0$, including separatrices corresponding to walls that interpolate between $adS_d$ and adS_{d-1} \times\bR, and the exact solution is found for $d=3$. Janus-type solutions are interpreted as marginal bound states of these ``separatrix walls''. All flat domain wall solutions, which are given exactly for any $\lambda$, are shown to be supersymmetric for some superpotential $W$, determined by the solution.Comment: 30 pp, 11 figs, significant revision of original. Minor additional corrections in version to appear in journa

Classical resolution of singularities in dilaton cosmologies

For models of dilaton-gravity with a possible exponential potential, such as the tensor-scalar sector of IIA supergravity, we show how cosmological solutions correspond to trajectories in a 2D Milne space (parametrized by the dilaton and the scale factor). Cosmological singularities correspond to points at which a trajectory meets the Milne horizon, but the trajectories can be smoothly continued through the horizon to an instanton solution of the Euclidean theory. We find some exact cosmology/instanton solutions that lift to black holes in one higher dimension. For one such solution, the singularities of a big crunch to big bang transition mediated by an instanton phase lift to the black hole and cosmological horizons of de Sitter Schwarzschild spacetimes.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figure

Supersymmetric Electrovacs In Gauged Supergravities

We show that the D=6 SU(2) gauged supergravity of van Nieuwenhuizen et al, obtained by dimensional reduction of the D=7 topologically massive gauged supergravity and previously thought not to be dimensionally reducible, can be further reduced to five and four dimensions. On reduction to D=4 one recovers the special case of the SU(2)XSU(2) gauged supergravity of Freedman and Schwarz for which one of the SU(2) coupling constants vanishes. Previously known supersymmetric electrovacs of this model then imply new ground states in 7-D. We construct a supersymmetric electrovac solution of N=2 SU(2) gauged supergravity in 7-D. We also investigate the domain wall solutions of these theories and show they preserve a half of the supersymmetry.Comment: 29 pages, TeX, no figures. Introduction and conclusion rewritten. New references added. Minor changes to all section

Cosmology as Relativistic Particle Mechanics: From Big Crunch to Big Bang

Cosmology can be viewed as geodesic motion in an appropriate metric on an `augmented' target space; here we obtain these geodesics from an effective relativistic particle action. As an application, we find some exact (flat and curved) cosmologies for models with N scalar fields taking values in a hyperbolic target space for which the augmented target space is a Milne universe. The singularities of these cosmologies correspond to points at which the particle trajectory crosses the Milne horizon, suggesting a novel resolution of them, which we explore via the Wheeler-deWitt equation.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, references and comments adde

Conformal Theory of M2, D3, M5 and `D1+D5' Branes

The bosonic actions for M2, D3 and M5 branes in their own d-dimensional near-horizon background are given in a manifestly SO(p+1,2) x SO(d-p-1) invariant form (p=2,3,5). These symmetries result from a breakdown of ISO(d,2) (with d=10 for D3 and d=11 for M2 and M5) symmetry by the Wess-Zumino term and constraints. The new brane actions, reduce after gauge-fixing and solving constraints to (p+1) dimensional interacting field theories with a non-linearly realized SO(p+1,2) conformal invariance. We also present an interacting two-dimensional conformal field theory on a D-string in the near-horizon geometry of a D1+D5 configuration.Comment: 32 pages, two figures, Latex. A version to appear in JHEP. A comment is added on infinite dimensional Kac-Moody type symmetry of D1+D5 system observed by Brandt, Gomis, Sim'o

Cosmological D-instantons and Cyclic Universes

For models of gravity coupled to hyperbolic sigma models, such as the metric-scalar sector of IIB supergravity, we show how smooth trajectories in the `augmented target space' connect FLRW cosmologies to non-extremal D-instantons through a cosmological singularity. In particular, we find closed cyclic universes that undergo an endless sequence of big-bang to big-crunch cycles separated by instanton `phases'. We also find `big-bounce' universes in which a collapsing closed universe bounces off its cosmological singularity to become an open expanding universe.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. v2: minor change

A Rigid-Field Hydrodynamics approach to modeling the magnetospheres of massive stars

We introduce a new Rigid-Field Hydrodynamics approach to modeling the magnetospheres of massive stars in the limit of very-strong magnetic fields. Treating the field lines as effectively rigid, we develop hydrodynamical equations describing the 1-dimensional flow along each, subject to pressure, radiative, gravitational, and centrifugal forces. We solve these equations numerically for a large ensemble of field lines, to build up a 3-dimensional time-dependent simulation of a model star with parameters similar to the archetypal Bp star sigma Ori E. Since the flow along each field line can be solved for independently of other field lines, the computational cost of this approach is a fraction of an equivalent magnetohydrodynamical treatment. The simulations confirm many of the predictions of previous analytical and numerical studies. Collisions between wind streams from opposing magnetic hemispheres lead to strong shock heating. The post-shock plasma cools initially via X-ray emission, and eventually accumulates into a warped, rigidly rotating disk defined by the locus of minima of the effective (gravitational plus centrifugal) potential. But a number of novel results also emerge. For field lines extending far from the star, the rapid area divergence enhances the radiative acceleration of the wind, resulting in high shock velocities (up to ~3,000 km/s) and hard X-rays. Moreover, the release of centrifugal potential energy continues to heat the wind plasma after the shocks, up to temperatures around twice those achieved at the shocks themselves. Finally, in some circumstances the cool plasma in the accumulating disk can oscillate about its equilibrium position, possibly due to radiative cooling instabilities in the adjacent post-shock regions.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures w/ color, accepted by MNRA

Symmetry considerations in the scattering of identical composite bodies

Previous studies of the interactions between composite particles were extended to the case in which the composites are identical. The form of the total interaction potential matrix elements was obtained, and guidelines for their explicit evaluation were given. For the case of elastic scattering of identical composites, the matrix element approach was shown to be equivalent to the scattering amplitude method

Second quantization techniques in the scattering of nonidentical composite bodies

Second quantization techniques for describing elastic and inelastic interactions between nonidentical composite bodies are presented and are applied to nucleus-nucleus collisions involving ground-state and one-particle-one-hole excitations. Evaluations of the resultant collision matrix elements are made through use of Wick's theorem

A T-matrix theory of galactic heavy-ion fragmentation

The theory of galactic heavy ion fragmentation is furthered by incorporating a T matrix approach into the description of the three step process of abrasion, ablation, and final state interations. The connection between this T matrix and the interaction potential is derived. For resonant states, the substitution of complex energies for real energies in the transition rate is formerly justified for up to third order processes. The previously developed abrasion-ablation fragmentation theory is rederived from first principles and is shown to result from time ordering, classical probability, and zero width resonance approximations. Improvements in the accuracy of the total fragmentation cross sections require an alternative to the latter two approximations. A Lorentz invariant differential abrasion-ablation cross section is derived which explicitly includes the previously derived abrasion total cross sections. It is demonstrated that spectral and angular distributions can be obtained from the general Lorentz invariant form