259 research outputs found
Pseudo-Schwarzschild Spherical Accretion as a Classical Black Hole Analogue
We demonstrate that a spherical accretion onto astrophysical black holes,
under the influence of Newtonian or various post-Newtonian pseudo-Schwarzschild
gravitational potentials, may constitute a concrete example of classical
analogue gravity naturally found in the Universe. We analytically calculate the
corresponding analogue Hawking temperature as a function of the minimum number
of physical parameters governing the accretion flow. We study both the
polytropic and the isothermal accretion. We show that unlike in a general
relativistic spherical accretion, analogue white hole solutions can never be
obtained in such post-Newtonian systems. We also show that an isothermal
spherical accretion is a remarkably simple example in which the only one
information--the temperature of the fluid, is sufficient to completely describe
an analogue gravity system. For both types of accretion, the analogue Hawking
temperature may become higher than the usual Hawking temperature. However, the
analogue Hawking temperature for accreting astrophysical black holes is
considerably lower compared with the temperature of the accreting fluid.Comment: Final Version to appear in the journal General Relativity &
Gravitation, Volume 27, Issue 11, 2005. 17 pages, Two colour and one black
and white figures. Typos corrected. Recent reference on analogue effect in
relativistic accretion disc adde
Random close packing of granular matter
We propose an interpretation of the random close packing of granular
materials as a phase transition, and discuss the possibility of experimental
verification.Comment: 6 page
Dilatancy transition in a granular model
We introduce a model of granular matter and use a stress ensemble to analyze
shearing. Monte Carlo simulation shows the model to exhibit a second order
phase transition, associated with the onset of dilatancy.Comment: Future versions can be obtained from:
http://www.ma.utexas.edu/users/radin/papers/shear2.pd
Measurement of W Polarisation at LEP
The three different helicity states of W bosons produced in the reaction e+
e- -> W+ W- -> l nu q q~ at LEP are studied using leptonic and hadronic W
decays. Data at centre-of-mass energies \sqrt s = 183-209 GeV are used to
measure the polarisation of W bosons, and its dependence on the W boson
production angle. The fraction of longitudinally polarised W bosons is measured
to be 0.218 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.016 where the first uncertainty is statistical and
the second systematic, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation
Search for Anomalous Couplings in the Higgs Sector at LEP
Anomalous couplings of the Higgs boson are searched for through the processes
e^+ e^- -> H gamma, e^+ e^- -> e^+ e^- H and e^+ e^- -> HZ. The mass range 70
GeV < m_H < 190 GeV is explored using 602 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity
collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies
sqrt(s)=189-209 GeV. The Higgs decay channels H -> ffbar, H -> gamma gamma, H
-> Z\gamma and H -> WW^(*) are considered and no evidence is found for
anomalous Higgs production or decay. Limits on the anomalous couplings d, db,
Delta(g1z), Delta(kappa_gamma) and xi^2 are derived as well as limits on the H
-> gamma gamma and H -> Z gamma decay rates
Measurement of W Polarisation at LEP
The three different helicity states of W bosons produced in the reaction e+
e- -> W+ W- -> l nu q q~ at LEP are studied using leptonic and hadronic W
decays. Data at centre-of-mass energies \sqrt s = 183-209 GeV are used to
measure the polarisation of W bosons, and its dependence on the W boson
production angle. The fraction of longitudinally polarised W bosons is measured
to be 0.218 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.016 where the first uncertainty is statistical and
the second systematic, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation
Bose-Einstein Correlations of Neutral and Charged Pions in Hadronic Z Decays
Bose-Einstein correlations of both neutral and like-sign charged pion pairs
are measured in a sample of 2 million hadronic Z decays collected with the L3
detector at LEP. The analysis is performed in the four-momentum difference
range 300 MeV < Q < 2 GeV. The radius of the neutral pion source is found to be
smaller than that of charged pions. This result is in qualitative agreement
with the string fragmentation model
Z Boson Pair-Production at LEP
Events stemming from the pair-production of Z bosons in e^+e^- collisions are
studied using 217.4 pb^-1 of data collected with the L3 detector at
centre-of-mass energies from 200 GeV up to 209 GeV. The special case of events
with b quarks is also investigated.
Combining these events with those collected at lower centre-of-mass energies,
the Standard Model predictions for the production mechanism are verified. In
addition, limits are set on anomalous couplings of neutral gauge bosons and on
effects of extra space dimensions
Neutral-Current Four-Fermion Production in e+e- Interactions at LEP
Neutral-current four-fermion production, e+e- -> ffff is studied in 0.7/fb of
data collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies
root(s)=183-209GeV. Four final states are considered: qqvv, qqll, llll and
llvv, where l denotes either an electron or a muon. Their cross sections are
measured and found to agree with the Standard Model predictions. In addition,
the e+e- -> Zgamma* -> ffff process is studied and its total cross section at
the average centre-of-mass energy 196.6GeV is found to be 0.29 +/- 0.05 +/-
0.03 pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic,
in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.22 pb. Finally, the mass
spectra of the qqll final states are analysed to search for the possible
production of a new neutral heavy particle, for which no evidence is found
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