On the existence of conformally coupled scalar field hair for black holes in (anti-)de Sitter space

The Einstein-conformally coupled scalar field system is studied in the presence of a cosmological constant. We consider a massless or massive scalar field with no additional self-interaction, and spherically symmetric black hole geometries. When the cosmological constant is positive, no scalar hair can exist and the only solution is the Schwarzschild-de Sitter black hole. When the cosmological constant is negative, stable scalar field hair exists provided the mass of the scalar field is not too large.Comment: Minor changes, 32 pages, 11 figures, uses kluwer.cls, klucite.st

What’s the Hang Up? The Future of VoIP Regulation and Taxation in New Hampshire

Alice in Austria wishes to call her friend Bob in Boston, using a Boston area code to avoid charges for an international call. Using VoIP, Alice may initiate her call from any location in Austria where she may find Internet access. Once Alice connects to the Internet, she can transmit her call with the aid of a VoIP service provider, such as Skype. In order to hear and communicate with Bob, Alice can rely on a microphone and a headset that she can plug into her computer. Through VoIP, not only may Alice carry on a telephone conversation, but most service providers also allow her to record conversations and manage other information, such as voice mail. The rise of Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) services “means nothing less than the death of the traditional telephone business,” as the ability to make free calls over a high-speed Internet connection in the future “undermines the existing pricing model for telephony.” This disruptive, convergent technology is blurring the boundary between Internet services and telephone services because VoIP functions like the traditional telephone system, but travels as ones and zeros through a broadband Internet connection. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has questioned whether to classify VoIP as an information service, generally free from FCC regulation under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, or as a telecommunication service, subject to a comprehensive regulatory regime and common carrier obligations. This note discusses why most VoIP services, with the exception of phone-to-phone Internet Protocol (“IP”) telephony, should be classified as information services and, as such, should remain free from state taxation – focusing specifically on the taxation in New Hampshire. Part II focuses on the technology of VoIP and how it differs from traditional telephony. Part III discusses the distinction between information and telecommunication services in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, whether VoIP may qualify as Internet access in light of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (“ITFA”) of 1998, and the federal regulation of VoIP. Finally, Part IV addresses the debate over taxation of VoIP in New Hampshire and discusses why VoIP services should not yet be taxed by the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration in light of federal law and the best interests of local businesses and consumers

Using Food to Demonstrate Earth Science Concepts: a Review

Researchers categorized over one hundred print and web resources that use food to demonstrate earth science concepts. This article describes their findings: food-based activities are found in print and web-based resources with nearly equal frequency; most feature geologic themes; most are designed for primary and middle school audiences, but can be adapted for older students; and most of these activities meet the National Science Standard "Structure of the Earth" for middle school students. The authors suggest that food-based activities are a way to make subject matter more exciting and understandable, particularly for those with little or no background in science, and that food, which students consume daily, can serve as a reality based analogy to better understand many of the unfamiliar, abstract concepts taught in earth science classes. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Existence Theorems for Hairy Black Holes in su(N) Einstein-Yang-Mills theories

We establish the existence of hairy black holes in su(N) Einstein-Yang-Mills theories, described by N-1 parameters, corresponding to the nodes of the gauge field functions.Comment: 64 pages, latex2e, minor changes on the nature of the parameters, version to appear in J. Math. Phy

Infinitely Coloured Black Holes

We formulate the field equations for $SU(\infty)$ Einstein-Yang-Mills theory, and find spherically symmetric black-hole solutions. This model may be motivated by string theory considerations, given the enormous gauge symmetries which characterize string theory. The solutions simplify considerably in the presence of a negative cosmological constant, particularly for the limiting cases of a very large cosmological constant or very small gauge field. The situation of an arbitrarily small gauge field is relevant for holography and we comment on the AdS/CFT conjecture in this light. The black holes possess infinite amounts of gauge field hair, and we speculate on possible consequences of this for quantum decoherence, which, however, we do not tackle here.Comment: 23 pages latex2e, two ps figures incorporate