Loop Variables for a Class of Conical Spacetimes

Loop variables are used to describe the presence of topological defects in spacetime. In particular we study the dependence of the holonomy transformation on angular momentum and torsion for a multi-chiral cone. We also compute the holonomies for multiple moving crossed cosmic strings and two plane topological defects-crossed by a cosmic string.Comment: 17 pages, LATE

Dirac equation in the magnetic-solenoid field

We consider the Dirac equation in the magnetic-solenoid field (the field of a solenoid and a collinear uniform magnetic field). For the case of Aharonov-Bohm solenoid, we construct self-adjoint extensions of the Dirac Hamiltonian using von Neumann's theory of deficiency indices. We find self-adjoint extensions of the Dirac Hamiltonian in both above dimensions and boundary conditions at the AB solenoid. Besides, for the first time, solutions of the Dirac equation in the magnetic-solenoid field with a finite radius solenoid were found. We study the structure of these solutions and their dependence on the behavior of the magnetic field inside the solenoid. Then we exploit the latter solutions to specify boundary conditions for the magnetic-solenoid field with Aharonov-Bohm solenoid.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, LaTex fil

Quantum properties of general gauge theories with composite and external fields

The generating functionals of Green's functions with composite and external fields are considered in the framework of BV and BLT quantization methods for general gauge theories. The corresponding Ward identities are derived and the gauge dependence is investigatedComment: 24 pages, LATEX, slightly changed to clarify the essential new aspect concerning composite fields depending on external ones; added formulas showing lack of (generalized) nilpotence of operators appearing in the Ward identitie

Structure and Properties of Graphite-Molybdenum Brazed Joints

The paper presents the results of X-ray microspectral studies of dissimilar brazed joints of molybdenum with graphite. It is shown that during active brazing of graphite with molybdenum, mutual diffusion processes occur, and the adhesion-active brazing filler metals penetrates into graphite, and interacts with it, which leads to the formation of carbide phases. When using the Ti-Cr-V and Cu-Ti-Ni systems brazing filler metals, titanium carbides are formed. The zirconium carbides are formed, when using the brazing filler metals based on the Zr-Pd(Mo) systems and the CxMey(Mo, Cr) carbides  are formed using the brazing filler metals of the Pd-Ni-Cr-Ge system. The results of tests for three-point bending showed that the using of Pd-Ni-Cr-Ge brazing filler metals provides stable strength at the level of 34-37 MPa, destruction occurs along graphite

Acoustic emission and methods of its registration (review)

Lately a tendency is observed for the steady growth of requirements applied both to construction materials as well as to the methods of estimation of their reliability and quality. Particular attention is paid to the development of new, physically reasonable criteria of structural durability of materials, based on comprehensive study of the phenomena, which form the basis of processes of deformation and fracture. Such approach is supposed to enhance our understanding of the nature of durability and mechanisms of fracture of materials on different scale levels. This is possible only when analysis of these phenomena is accomplished by means of modern physical research methods as well as applying acoustic emission techniques for diagnostics of the fractures

Higher Derivative Quantum Gravity with Gauss-Bonnet Term

Higher derivative theory is one of the important models of quantum gravity, renormalizable and asymptotically free within the standard perturbative approach. We consider the $4-\epsilon$ renormalization group for this theory, an approach which proved fruitful in $2-\epsilon$ models. A consistent formulation in dimension $n=4-\epsilon$ requires taking quantum effects of the topological term into account, hence we perform calculation which is more general than the ones done before. In the special $n=4$ case we confirm a known result by Fradkin-Tseytlin and Avramidi-Barvinsky, while contributions from topological term do cancel. In the more general case of $4-\epsilon$ renormalization group equations there is an extensive ambiguity related to gauge-fixing dependence. As a result, physical interpretation of these equations is not universal unlike we treat $\epsilon$ as a small parameter. In the sector of essential couplings one can find a number of new fixed points, some of them have no analogs in the $n=4$ case.Comment: LaTeX file, 30 pages, 5 figures. Several misprints in the intermediate expressions correcte

The Path Integral Quantization And The Construction Of The S-matrix In The Abelian And Non-Abelian Chern-Simons Theories

The cvariant path integral quantization of the theory of the scalar and spinor particles interacting through the abelian and non-Abelian Chern-Simons gauge fields is carried out and is shown to be mathematically ill defined due to the absence of the transverse components of these gauge fields. This is remedied by the introduction of the Maxwell or the Maxwell-type (in the non-Abelian case)term which makes the theory superrenormalizable and guarantees its gauge-invariant regularization and renormalization. The generating functionals are constructed and shown to be formally the same as those of QED (or QCD) in 2+1 dimensions with the substitution of the Chern-Simons propagator for the photon (gluon) propagator. By constructing the propagator in the general case, the existence of two limits; pure Chern-Simons and QED (QCD) after renormalization is demonstrated. By carrying out carefully the path integral quantization of the non-Abelian Chern-Simons theories using the De Witt-Fadeev-Popov and the Batalin-Fradkin- Vilkovisky methods it is demonstrated that there is no need to quantize the dimensionless charge of the theory. The main reason is that the action in the exponent of the path integral is BRST-invariant which acquires a zero winding number and guarantees the BRST renormalizability of the model. The S-matrix operator is constructed, and starting from this S-matrix operator novel topological unitarity identities are derived that demand the vanishing of the gauge-invariant sum of the imaginary parts of the Feynman diagrams with a given number of intermediate on-shell topological photon lines in each order of perturbation theory. These identities are illustrated by an explicit example.Comment: LaTex file, 31 pages, two figure

Coherent states of non-relativistic electron in magnetic-solenoid field

We construct coherent states of a nonrelativistic electron in the magnetic-solenoid field, which is a superposition of the Aharonov-Bohm field and a collinear uniform magnetic field. In the problem under consideration there are two kind of coherent states, the first kind corresponds to classical trajectories which embrace the solenoid and the second one to trajectories which do not. Mean coordinates in the constructed coherent states are moving along classical trajectories, the coherent states maintain their form under the time evolution, and represent a complete set of functions, which can be useful in semi classical calculations. In the absence of the Aharonov-Bohm filed these states are reduced to the well-known in the case of uniform magnetic field Malkin-Man'ko coherent states.Comment: 11 pages, version accepted for publication in J. Phys. A, 3 figures adde

Effectiveness research of the new learning elements, initiated by the change to competency-based education model in Russia

Within the article the main principles for developing competency-based education, the principles for identifying competencies and the list of competencies that must be developed in a learner according to competency-based model, are analyzed. The new learning elements, initiated by the change to the competency-based education model in Russian Federation and by the new demands of Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, have been included. The new learning elements have been analyzed for the compliance with the considered principles of developing competencies. The competencies, which are developed by each particular learning element, have been identified. The results of an experiment on developing competencies in two groups of students - taught with the use of new learning elements, and taught by traditional means, have been considered. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd