3,275 research outputs found
Exploring the diffeomorphism invariant Hilbert space of a scalar field
As a toy model for the implementation of the diffeomorphism constraint, the
interpretation of the resulting states, and the treatment of ordering
ambiguities in loop quantum gravity, we consider the Hilbert space of spatially
diffeomorphism invariant states for a scalar field. We give a very explicit
formula for the scalar product on this space, and discuss its structure.
Then we turn to the quantization of a certain class of diffeomorphism
invariant quantities on that space, and discuss in detail the ordering issues
involved. On a technical level these issues bear some similarity to those
encountered in full loop quantum gravity.Comment: 20 pages, no figures; v3: corrected typos, added reference, some
clarifications added; version as published in CQ
Towards new background independent representations for Loop Quantum Gravity
Recently, uniqueness theorems were constructed for the representation used in
Loop Quantum Gravity. We explore the existence of alternate representations by
weakening the assumptions of the so called LOST uniqueness theorem. The
weakened assumptions seem physically reasonable and retain the key requirement
of explicit background independence. For simplicity, we restrict attention to
the case of gauge group U(1).Comment: 22 pages, minor change
Polymer quantization of the free scalar field and its classical limit
Building on prior work, a generally covariant reformulation of free scalar
field theory on the flat Lorentzian cylinder is quantized using Loop Quantum
Gravity (LQG) type `polymer' representations. This quantization of the {\em
continuum} classical theory yields a quantum theory which lives on a discrete
spacetime lattice. We explicitly construct a state in the polymer Hilbert space
which reproduces the standard Fock vacuum- two point functions for long
wavelength modes of the scalar field. Our construction indicates that the
continuum classical theory emerges under coarse graining. All our
considerations are free of the "triangulation" ambiguities which plague
attempts to define quantum dynamics in LQG. Our work constitutes the first
complete LQG type quantization of a generally covariant field theory together
with a semi-classical analysis of the true degrees of freedom and thus provides
a perfect infinite dimensional toy model to study open issues in LQG,
particularly those pertaining to the definition of quantum dynamics.Comment: 58 page
Submillimeter-wave emission of three Galactic red novae: cool molecular outflows produced by stellar mergers
Red novae are optical transients erupting at luminosities typically higher
than those of classical novae. Their outbursts are believed to be caused by
stellar mergers. We present millimeter/submillimeter-wave observations with
ALMA and SMA of the three best known Galactic red novae, V4332 Sgr, V1309 Sco,
and V838 Mon. The observations were taken 22, 8, and 14 yr after their
respective eruptions and reveal the presence of molecular gas at excitation
temperatures of 35-200 K. The gas displays molecular emission in rotational
transitions with very broad lines (full width 400 km\s). We found
emission of CO, SiO, SO, SO (in all three red novae), HS (covered only
in V838 Mon) and AlO (present in V4332 Sgr and V1309 Sco). No anomalies were
found in the isotopic composition of the molecular material and the chemical
(molecular) compositions of the three red novae appear similar to those of
oxygen-rich envelopes of classical evolved stars (RSGs, AGBs, post-AGBs). The
minimum masses of the molecular material that most likely was dispersed in the
red-nova eruptions are 0.1, 0.01, and 10 M for V838 Mon, V4332
Sgr, and V1309 Sco, respectively. The molecular outflows in V4332 Sgr and V1309
Sco are spatially resolved and appear bipolar. The kinematic distances to V1309
Sco and V4332 Sgr are 2.1 and 4.2 kpc, respectively. The kinetic energy stored
in the ejecta of the two older red-nova remnants of V838 Mon and V4332 Sgr is
of order erg, similar to values found for some post-AGB (pre-PN)
objects whose bipolar ejecta were also formed in a short-duration eruption. Our
observations strengthen the link between these post-AGB objects and red novae
and support the hypothesis that some of the post-AGB objects were formed in a
common-envelope ejection event or its most catastrophic outcome, a merger.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, accepted to A&
Impact of human population density on fire frequency at the global scale
Human impact on wildfires, a major earth system component, remains
poorly understood. While local studies have found more fires close
to settlements and roads, assimilated charcoal records and analyses
of regional fire patterns from remote-sensing observations point to
a decline in fire frequency with increasing human population. Here,
we present a global analysis using three multi-year satellite-based
burned-area products combined with a parameter estimation and
uncertainty analysis with a non-linear model. We show that at the
global scale, the impact of increasing population density is mainly
to reduce fire frequency. Only for areas with up to 0.1 people
per km2, we find that fire frequency increases by 10 to
20% relative to its value at no population. The results are
robust against choice of burned-area data set, and indicate that at
only very few places on earth, fire frequency is limited by human
ignitions. Applying the results to historical population estimates
results in a moderate but accelerating decline of global burned area
by around 14% since 1800, with most of the decline since 1950
Micropaleontological characterization of Cenozoic deep-sea fan deposits, Congo Fan, offshore Angola
Abstrac
Absolute properties of the main-sequence eclipsing binary FM Leo
First spectroscopic and new photometric observations of the eclipsing binary
FM Leo are presented. The main aims were to determine orbital and stellar
parameters of two components and their evolutionary stage. First spectroscopic
observations of the system were obtained with DDO and PST spectrographs. The
results of the orbital solution from radial velocity curves are combined with
those derived from the light-curve analysis (ASAS-3 photometry and
supplementary observations of eclipses with 1 m and 0.35 m telescopes) to
derive orbital and stellar parameters. JKTEBOP, Wilson-Devinney binary
modelling codes and a two-dimensional cross-correlation (TODCOR) method were
applied for the analysis. We find the masses to be M_1 = 1.318 0.007 and
M_2 = 1.287 0.007 M_sun, the radii to be R_1 = 1.648 0.043 and R_2
= 1.511 0.049 R_sun for primary and secondary stars, respectively. The
evolutionary stage of the system is briefly discussed by comparing physical
parameters with current stellar evolution models. We find the components are
located at the main sequence, with an age of about 3 Gyr.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in MNRA
On knottings in the physical Hilbert space of LQG as given by the EPRL model
We consider the EPRL spin foam amplitude for arbitrary embedded
two-complexes. Choosing a definition of the face- and edge amplitudes which
lead to spin foam amplitudes invariant under trivial subdivisions, we
investigate invariance properties of the amplitude under consistent
deformations, which are deformations of the embedded two-complex where faces
are allowed to pass through each other in a controlled way. Using this
surprising invariance, we are able to show that in the physical Hilbert space
as defined by the sum over all spin foams contains no knotting classes of
graphs anymore.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figure
The Proca-field in Loop Quantum Gravity
In this paper we investigate the Proca-field in the framework of Loop Quantum
Gravity. It turns out that the methods developed there can be applied to the
symplectically embedded Proca-field, giving a rigorous, consistent,
non-perturbative quantization of the theory. This can be achieved by
introducing a scalar field, which has completely different properties than the
one used in spontaneous symmetry breaking. The analysis of the kernel of the
Hamiltonian suggests that the mass term in the quantum theory has a different
role than in the classical theory.Comment: 15 pages. v2: 19 pages, amended sections 2 and 6, references added
v3: 20 pages, amended section 6 and minor correction
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