11,613 research outputs found
Cosmological Density Perturbations with a Scale-Dependent Newton's G
We explore possible cosmological consequences of a running Newton's constant
, as suggested by the non-trivial ultraviolet fixed point
scenario in the quantum field-theoretic treatment of Einstein gravity with a
cosmological constant term. In particular we focus here on what possible
effects the scale-dependent coupling might have on large scale cosmological
density perturbations. Starting from a set of manifestly covariant effective
field equations derived earlier, we systematically develop the linear theory of
density perturbations for a non-relativistic, pressure-less fluid. The result
is a modified equation for the matter density contrast, which can be solved and
thus provides an estimate for the growth index parameter in the
presence of a running . We complete our analysis by comparing the fully
relativistic treatment with the corresponding results for the non-relativistic
(Newtonian) case, the latter also with a weakly scale dependent .Comment: 54 pages, 4 figure
Cosmic Evolution and Primordial Black Hole Evaporation
A cosmological model in which primordial black holes (PBHs) are present in
the cosmic fluid at some instant t=t_0 is investigated. The time t_0 is
naturally identified with the end of the inflationary period. The PBHs are
assumed to be nonrelativistic in the comoving fluid, to have the same mass, and
may be subject to evaporation for t>t_0. Our present work is related to an
earlier paper of Zimdahl and Pavon [Phys. Rev. D {\bf 58}, 103506 (1998)], but
in contradistinction to these authors we assume that the (negative) production
rate of the PBHs is zero. This assumption appears to us to be more simple and
more physical. Consequences of the formalism are worked out. In particular, the
four-divergence of the entropy four-vector in combination with the second law
in thermodynamics show in a clear way how the the case of PBH evaporation
corresponds to a production of entropy. Accretion of radiation onto the black
holes is neglected. We consider both a model where two different sub-fluids
interact, and a model involving one single fluid only. In the latter case an
effective bulk viscosity naturally appears in the formalism.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, no figures. Extended discussion of the black hole
evaporation process. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.
A Magellanic Origin for the Warp of the Galaxy
We show that a Magellanic Cloud origin for the warp of the Milky Way can
explain most quantitative features of the outer HI layer recently identified by
Levine, Blitz & Heiles (2005). We construct a model similar to that of Weinberg
(1998) that produces distortions in the dark matter halo, and we calculate the
combined effect of these dark-halo distortions and the direct tidal forcing by
the Magellanic Clouds on the disk warp in the linear regime. The interaction of
the dark matter halo with the disk and resonances between the orbit of the
Clouds and the disk account for the large amplitudes observed for the vertical
m=0,1,2 harmonics. The observations lead to six constraints on warp forcing
mechanisms and our model reasonably approximates all six. The disk is shown to
be very dynamic, constantly changing its shape as the Clouds proceed along
their orbit. We discuss the challenges to MOND placed by the observations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to ApJ Letters. Additional graphics, 3d
visualizations and movies available at
http://www.astro.umass.edu/~weinberg/lm
Oxidation of carbon monoxide over Ag (111) by preadsorbed active oxygen studied by XPS and UPS
N/
A note on the analogy between superfluids and cosmology
A new analogy between superfluid systems and cosmology is here presented,
which relies strongly on the following ingredient: the back-reaction of the
vacuum to the quanta of sound waves. We show how the presence of thermal
phonons, the excitations above the quantum vacuum for , enable us to
deduce an hydrodynamical equation formally similar to the one obtained for a
perfect fluid in a Universe obeying the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric.Comment: Accepted for publication in Modern Physics Letters
Gravity in Brans-Dicke theory with Born-Infeld scalar field and the Pioneer anomaly
In this paper we discuss a model which can be considered as a generalization
of the well-known scalar-tensor Brans-Dicke theory. This model possesses an
interesting feature: due to Born-Infeld type non-linearity of the scalar field
the properties of the interaction between two test bodies depend significantly
on their masses. It is shown that the model can be interesting in view of the
Pioneer 10, 11 spacecraft anomaly.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, partially changed conten
Nonlocal Effective Field Equations for Quantum Cosmology
The possibility that the strength of gravitational interactions might slowly
increase with distance, is explored by formulating a set of effective field
equations, which incorporate the gravitational, vacuum-polarization induced,
running of Newton's constant . The resulting long distance (or large time)
behaviour depends on only one adjustable parameter , and the implications
for the Robertson-Walker universe are calculated, predicting an accelerated
power-law expansion at later times .Comment: 9 page
Limits on MeV Dark Matter from the Effective Number of Neutrinos
Thermal dark matter that couples more strongly to electrons and photons than
to neutrinos will heat the electron-photon plasma relative to the neutrino
background if it becomes nonrelativistic after the neutrinos decouple from the
thermal background. This results in a reduction in N_eff below the
standard-model value, a result strongly disfavored by current CMB observations.
Taking conservative lower bounds on N_eff and on the decoupling temperature of
the neutrinos, we derive a bound on the dark matter particle mass of m_\chi >
3-9 MeV, depending on the spin and statistics of the particle. For p-wave
annihilation, our limit on the dark matter particle mass is stronger than the
limit derived from distortions to the CMB fluctuation spectrum produced by
annihilations near the epoch of recombination.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, discussion added, references added and updated,
labels added to figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.
A Classical Instability of Reissner-Nordstrom Solutions and the Fate of Magnetically Charged Black Holes
Working in the context of spontaneously broken gauge theories, we show that
the magnetically charged Reissner-Nordstrom solution develops a classical
instability if the horizon is sufficiently small. This instability has
significant implications for the evolution of a magnetically charged black
hole. In particular, it leads to the possibility that such a hole could
evaporate completely, leaving in its place a nonsingular magnetic monopole.Comment: (10 pages
Reciprocal relativity of noninertial frames: quantum mechanics
Noninertial transformations on time-position-momentum-energy space {t,q,p,e}
with invariant Born-Green metric ds^2=-dt^2+dq^2/c^2+(1/b^2)(dp^2-de^2/c^2) and
the symplectic metric -de/\dt+dp/\dq are studied. This U(1,3) group of
transformations contains the Lorentz group as the inertial special case. In the
limit of small forces and velocities, it reduces to the expected Hamilton
transformations leaving invariant the symplectic metric and the nonrelativistic
line element ds^2=dt^2. The U(1,3) transformations bound relative velocities by
c and relative forces by b. Spacetime is no longer an invariant subspace but is
relative to noninertial observer frames. Born was lead to the metric by a
concept of reciprocity between position and momentum degrees of freedom and for
this reason we call this reciprocal relativity.
For large b, such effects will almost certainly only manifest in a quantum
regime. Wigner showed that special relativistic quantum mechanics follows from
the projective representations of the inhomogeneous Lorentz group. Projective
representations of a Lie group are equivalent to the unitary reprentations of
its central extension. The same method of projective representations of the
inhomogeneous U(1,3) group is used to define the quantum theory in the
noninertial case. The central extension of the inhomogeneous U(1,3) group is
the cover of the quaplectic group Q(1,3)=U(1,3)*s H(4). H(4) is the
Weyl-Heisenberg group. A set of second order wave equations results from the
representations of the Casimir operators
- …