8,577 research outputs found
CMB in a box: causal structure and the Fourier-Bessel expansion
This paper makes two points. First, we show that the line-of-sight solution
to cosmic microwave anisotropies in Fourier space, even though formally defined
for arbitrarily large wavelengths, leads to position-space solutions which only
depend on the sources of anisotropies inside the past light-cone of the
observer. This happens order by order in a series expansion in powers of the
visibility , where is the optical depth to Thompson
scattering. We show that the CMB anisotropies are regulated by spacetime window
functions which have support only inside the past light-cone of the point of
observation. Second, we show that the Fourier-Bessel expansion of the physical
fields (including the temperature and polarization momenta) is an alternative
to the usual Fourier basis as a framework to compute the anisotropies. In that
expansion, for each multipole there is a discrete tower of momenta
(not a continuum) which can affect physical observables, with the
smallest momenta being . The Fourier-Bessel modes take into
account precisely the information from the sources of anisotropies that
propagates from the initial value surface to the point of observation - no
more, no less. We also show that the physical observables (the temperature and
polarization maps), and hence the angular power spectra, are unaffected by that
choice of basis. This implies that the Fourier-Bessel expansion is the optimal
scheme with which one can compute CMB anisotropies. (Abridged)Comment: 23 pages, 7 figure
Nonclassical rotational inertia for a supersolid under rotation
As proposed by Leggett [4], the supersolidity of a crystal is characterized
by the Non Classical Rotational Inertia (NCRI) property. Using a model of
quantum crystal introduced by Josserand, Pomeau and Rica [5], we prove that
NCRI occurs. This is done by analyzing the ground state of the aforementioned
model, which is related to a sphere packing problem, and then deriving a
theoretical formula for the inertia momentum. We infer a lower estimate for the
NCRI fraction, which is a landmark of supersolidity
Evidence for Ubiquitous Collimated Galactic-Scale Outflows along the Star-Forming Sequence at z~0.5
We present an analysis of the MgII 2796, 2803 and FeII 2586, 2600 absorption
line profiles in individual spectra of 105 galaxies at 0.3<z<1.4. The galaxies,
drawn from redshift surveys of the GOODS fields and the Extended Groth Strip,
fully sample the range in star formation rates (SFRs) occupied by the
star-forming sequence with stellar masses log M_*/M_sun > 9.5 at 0.3<z<0.7.
Using the Doppler shifts of the MgII and FeII absorption lines as tracers of
cool gas kinematics, we detect large-scale winds in 66+/-5% of the galaxies.
HST/ACS imaging and our spectral analysis indicate that the outflow detection
rate depends primarily on galaxy orientation: winds are detected in ~89% of
galaxies having inclinations (i) <30 degrees (face-on), while the wind
detection rate is only ~45% in objects having i>50 degrees (edge-on). Combined
with the comparatively weak dependence of the wind detection rate on intrinsic
galaxy properties, this suggests that biconical outflows are ubiquitous in
normal, star-forming galaxies at z~0.5. We find that the wind velocity is
correlated with host galaxy M_* at 3.4-sigma significance, while the equivalent
width of the flow is correlated with host galaxy SFR at 3.5-sigma significance,
suggesting that hosts with higher SFR may launch more material into outflows
and/or generate a larger velocity spread for the absorbing clouds. Assuming
that the gas is launched into dark matter halos with simple, isothermal density
profiles, the wind velocities measured for the bulk of the cool material
(~200-400 km/s) are sufficient to enable escape from the halo potentials only
for the lowest-M_* systems in the sample. However, the outflows typically carry
sufficient energy to reach distances of >50 kpc, and may therefore be a viable
source of cool material for the massive circumgalactic medium observed around
bright galaxies at z~0. [abridged]Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 61 pages, 25 figures, 4 tables, 4 appendices. Uses
emulateapj forma
Chiral Fermions and Quadratic Divergences
In an approach towards naturalness without supersymmetry, renormalization
properties of nonsupersymmetric abelian quiver gauge theories are studied. In
the construction based on cyclic groups Z_p the gauge group is U(N)^p, the
fermions are all in bifundamentals and the construction allows scalars in
adjoints and bifundamentals. Only models without adjoint scalars, however,
exhibit both chiral fermions and the absence of one-loop quadratic divergences
in the scalar propagator.Comment: 11 page
Lower bounds for several online variants of bin packing
We consider several previously studied online variants of bin packing and
prove new and improved lower bounds on the asymptotic competitive ratios for
them. For that, we use a method of fully adaptive constructions. In particular,
we improve the lower bound for the asymptotic competitive ratio of online
square packing significantly, raising it from roughly 1.68 to above 1.75.Comment: WAOA 201
Universality in Bacterial Colonies
The emergent spatial patterns generated by growing bacterial colonies have
been the focus of intense study in physics during the last twenty years. Both
experimental and theoretical investigations have made possible a clear
qualitative picture of the different structures that such colonies can exhibit,
depending on the medium on which they are growing. However, there are
relatively few quantitative descriptions of these patterns. In this paper, we
use a mechanistically detailed simulation framework to measure the scaling
exponents associated with the advancing fronts of bacterial colonies on hard
agar substrata, aiming to discern the universality class to which the system
belongs. We show that the universal behavior exhibited by the colonies can be
much richer than previously reported, and we propose the possibility of up to
four different sub-phases within the medium-to-high nutrient concentration
regime. We hypothesize that the quenched disorder that characterizes one of
these sub-phases is an emergent property of the growth and division of bacteria
competing for limited space and nutrients.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Finite dimensional quantizations of the (q,p) plane : new space and momentum inequalities
We present a N-dimensional quantization a la Berezin-Klauder or frame
quantization of the complex plane based on overcomplete families of states
(coherent states) generated by the N first harmonic oscillator eigenstates. The
spectra of position and momentum operators are finite and eigenvalues are
equal, up to a factor, to the zeros of Hermite polynomials. From numerical and
theoretical studies of the large behavior of the product of non null smallest positive and largest eigenvalues, we infer
the inequality (resp. ) involving, in suitable
units, the minimal () and maximal () sizes of
regions of space (resp. momentum) which are accessible to exploration within
this finite-dimensional quantum framework. Interesting issues on the
measurement process and connections with the finite Chern-Simons matrix model
for the Quantum Hall effect are discussed
Minimum Length from Quantum Mechanics and Classical General Relativity
We derive fundamental limits on measurements of position, arising from
quantum mechanics and classical general relativity. First, we show that any
primitive probe or target used in an experiment must be larger than the Planck
length, . This suggests a Planck-size {\it minimum ball} of uncertainty in
any measurement. Next, we study interferometers (such as LIGO) whose precision
is much finer than the size of any individual components and hence are not
obviously limited by the minimum ball. Nevertheless, we deduce a fundamental
limit on their accuracy of order . Our results imply a {\it device
independent} limit on possible position measurements.Comment: 8 pages, latex, to appear in the Physical Review Letter
An Observational Determination of the Proton to Electron Mass Ratio in the Early Universe
In an effort to resolve the discrepancy between two measurements of the
fundamental constant mu, the proton to electron mass ratio, at early times in
the universe we reanalyze the same data used in the earlier studies. Our
analysis of the molecular hydrogen absorption lines in archival VLT/UVES
spectra of the damped Lyman alpha systems in the QSOs Q0347-383 and Q0405-443
yields a combined measurement of a (Delta mu)/mu value of (-7 +/- 8) x 10^{-6},
consistent with no change in the value of mu over a time span of 11.5
gigayears. Here we define (Delta mu) as (mu_z - mu_0) where mu_z is the value
of mu at a redshift of z and mu_0 is the present day value. Our null result is
consistent with the recent measurements of King et al. 2009, (Delta mu)/u =
(2.6 +/- 3.0) x 10^{-6}, and inconsistent with the positive detection of a
change in mu by Reinhold et al. 2006. Both of the previous studies and this
study are based on the same data but with differing analysis methods.
Improvements in the wavelength calibration over the UVES pipeline calibration
is a key element in both of the null results. This leads to the conclusion that
the fundamental constant mu is unchanged to an accuracy of 10^{-5} over the
last 80% of the age of the universe, well into the matter dominated epoch. This
limit provides constraints on models of dark energy that invoke rolling scalar
fields and also limits the parameter space of Super Symmetric or string theory
models of physics. New instruments, both planned and under construction, will
provide opportunities to greatly improve the accuracy of these measurements.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
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