5,169 research outputs found
Quantum black holes from null expansion operators
Using a recently developed quantization of spherically symmetric gravity
coupled to a scalar field, we give a construction of null expansion operators
that allow a definition of general, fully dynamical quantum black holes. These
operators capture the intuitive idea that classical black holes are defined by
the presence of trapped surfaces, that is surfaces from which light cannot
escape outward. They thus provide a mechanism for classifying quantum states of
the system into those that describe quantum black holes and those that do not.
We find that quantum horizons fluctuate, confirming long-held heuristic
expectations. We also give explicit examples of quantum black hole states. The
work sets a framework for addressing the puzzles of black hole physics in a
fully quantized dynamical setting.Comment: 5 pages, version to appear in CQ
Anomalous magneto-oscillations and spin precession
A semiclassical analysis based on concepts developed in quantum chaos reveals
that anomalous magneto-oscillations in quasi two-dimensional systems with
spin-orbit interaction reflect the non-adiabatic spin precession of a classical
spin vector along the cyclotron orbits.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Coupling of Surface and Volume Dipole Oscillations in C-60 Molecules
We first give a short review of the ``local-current approximation'' (LCA),
derived from a general variation principle, which serves as a semiclassical
description of strongly collective excitations in finite fermion systems
starting from their quantum-mechanical mean-field ground state. We illustrate
it for the example of coupled translational and compressional dipole
excitations in metal clusters. We then discuss collective electronic dipole
excitations in C molecules (Buckminster fullerenes). We show that the
coupling of the pure translational mode (``surface plasmon'') with
compressional volume modes in the semiclasscial LCA yields semi-quantitative
agreement with microscopic time-dependent density functional (TDLDA)
calculations, while both theories yield qualitative agreement with the recent
experimental observation of a ``volume plasmon''.Comment: LaTeX, 12 pages, 5 figures (8 *.eps files); Contribution to XIV-th
Nuclear Physics Workshop at Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, Sept. 26-29, 200
COMPTEL Observations of AGN at MeV-Energies
The COMPTEL experiment aboard CGRO, exploring the previously unknown sky at
MeV-energies, has so far detected 10 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN): 9 blazars
and the radio galaxy Centaurus A. No Seyfert galaxy has been found yet. With
these results COMPTEL has opened the field of extragalactic Gamma-ray astronomy
in the MeV-band.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures including 1 color plot, to appear in the
Proceedings of the 3rd INTEGRAL Workshop "The Extreme Universe", held in
Taormina, Italy, 14-18 September 199
COMPTEL measurements of MeV gamma-ray burst spectra
We present results from the on-going spectral analysis of gamma-ray bursts measured by the COMPTEL instrument in its main Compton âTelescopeâ observing mode (0.75â30 MeV). Thus far, 18 bursts have been analyzed from three years (April 1991âApril 1994) of observations. The time-averaged spectra of these events above 1 MeV are all consistent with a simple power law model with spectral index in the range 1.5â3.5. Exponential, thermal bremsstrahlung and thermal synchrotron models are statistically inconsistent with the burst sample, although they can adequately describe some of the individual burst spectra. We find good agreement between burst spectra measured simultaneously by BATSE, COMPTEL and EGRET, which typically show a spectral transition or âbreakâ in the BATSE energy range around a few hundred keV followed by simple power law emission extending to hundreds of MeV. However, the temporal relation between MeV and GeV (e.g., as measured by EGRET) burst emission is still unclear. Measurement of rapid variability at MeV energies in the stronger bursts provides evidence that either the sources are nearby (within the Galaxy) or the gamma-ray emission is relativistically beamed
The all-sky distribution of 511 keV electron-positron annihilation emission
We present a map of 511 keV electron-positron annihilation emission, based on
data accumulated with the SPI spectrometer aboard ESA's INTEGRAL gamma-ray
observatory, that covers approximately 95% of the celestial sphere. 511 keV
line emission is significantly detected towards the galactic bulge region and,
at a very low level, from the galactic disk. The bulge emission is highly
symmetric and is centred on the galactic centre with an extension of 8 deg. The
emission is equally well described by models that represent the stellar bulge
or halo populations. The disk morphology is only weakly constrained by the
present data, being compatible with both the distribution of young and old
stellar populations. The 511 keV line flux from the bulge and disk components
is 1.05e-3 ph cm-2 s-1 and 0.7e-3 ph cm-2 s-1, respectively, corresponding to a
bulge-to-disk flux ratio in the range 1-3. Assuming a positronium fraction of
0.93 this translates into annihilation rates of 1.5e43 s-1 and 3e42 s-1,
respectively. The ratio of the bulge luminosity to that of the disk is in the
range 3-9. We find no evidence for a point-like source in addition to the
diffuse emission, down to a typical flux limit of 1e-4 ph cm-2 s-1. We also
find no evidence for the positive latitude enhancement that has been reported
from OSSE measurements; our 3 sigma upper flux limit for this feature is 1.5e-4
ph cm-2 s-1. The disk emission can be attributed to the beta+ decay of the
radioactive species 26Al and 44Ti. The bulge emission arises from a different
source which has only a weak or no disk component. We suggest that Type Ia
supernovae and/or low-mass X-ray binaries are the prime candidates for the
source of the galactic bulge positrons. Light dark matter annihilation could
also explain the observed 511 keV bulge emission characteristics.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
Electron spin-orbit splitting in InGaAs/InP quantum well studied by means of the weak antilocalization and spin-zero effects in tilted magnetic fields
The coupling between Zeeman spin splitting and Rashba spin-orbit terms has
been studied experimentally in a gated InGaAs/InP quantum well structure by
means of simultaneous measurements of the weak antilocalization (WAL) effect
and beating in the SdH oscillations. The strength of the Zeeman splitting was
regulated by tilting the magnetic field with the spin-zeros in the SdH
oscillations, which are not always present, being enhanced by the tilt. In
tilted fields the spin-orbit and Zeeman splittings are not additive, and a
simple expression is given for the energy levels. The Rashba parameter and the
electron g-factor were extracted from the position of the spin zeros in tilted
fields. A good agreement is obtained for the spin-orbit coupling strength from
the spin-zeros and weak antilocalization measurements.Comment: Accepted for publication in Semiconductors Science and Technolog
Comptel observations of the quasar PKS 0528+134
During Phase I and Phase II of the CGROâmission, the quasar PKS 0528+134 was in the field of view of the COMPTEL instrument during several viewing periods. The quasar was detected by COMPTEL mainly at energies above 10 MeV. Below 10 MeV there is evidence for the source during some CGRO viewing periods, while below 3 MeV no signal is detected. The detections and nonâdetections during different viewing periods follow the trend seen by EGRET, thereby indicating a timeâvariable MEVâflux of the quasar. The COMPTEL spectral results together with the simultaneously measured EGRET spectrum, indicate a spectral break in the upper part of the COMPTEL energy range at energies between 10 MeV and 30 MeV
Quantum Structure of Space Near a Black Hole Horizon
We describe a midi-superspace quantization scheme for generic single horizon
black holes in which only the spatial diffeomorphisms are fixed. The remaining
Hamiltonian constraint yields an infinite set of decoupled eigenvalue
equations: one at each spatial point. The corresponding operator at each point
is the product of the outgoing and ingoing null convergences, and describes the
scale invariant quantum mechanics of a particle moving in an attractive
potential. The variable that is analoguous to particle position is the
square root of the conformal mode of the metric. We quantize the theory via
Bohr quantization, which by construction turns the Hamiltonian constraint
eigenvalue equation into a finite difference equation. The resulting spectrum
gives rise to a discrete spatial topology exterior to the horizon. The spectrum
approaches the continuum in the asymptotic region.Comment: References added and typos corrected. 21 pages, 1 figur
The angular distribution of COMPTEL Gamma-Ray bursts
The superior burst location capability of the COMPTEL instrument aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory allows us to study the small-scale angular distribution of burst sources with good sensitivity even though the number of burst detections is small. We accumulate four years (April 1991âApril 1995) of observations to form a catalog of 27 burst locations whose mean 1Ï uncertainty is âŒ1°. We find that the COMPTEL bursts are consistent with an isotropic distribution of sources, yet the spatial coincidence of two of the bursts within COMPTELâs angular resolution indicates the possibility of repetition. This possibility is studied using the two-point angular correlation function and the nearest neighbor statistic. Model dependent upper limits on the fraction of repeating sources are derived
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