1,130 research outputs found
Collective dynamics of molecular motors pulling on fluid membranes
The collective dynamics of weakly coupled processive molecular motors are
considered theoretically. We show, using a discrete lattice model, that the
velocity-force curves strongly depend on the effective dynamic interactions
between motors and differ significantly from a simple mean field prediction.
They become essentially independent of if it is large enough. For strongly
biased motors such as kinesin this occurs if . The study of a
two-state model shows that the existence of internal states can induce
effective interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Black holes and Higgs stability
We study the effect of primordial black holes on the classical rate of
nucleation of AdS regions within the standard electroweak vacuum. We find that
the energy barrier for transitions to the new vacuum, which characterizes the
exponential suppression of the nucleation rate, can be reduced significantly in
the black-hole background. A precise analysis is required in order to determine
whether the the existence of primordial black holes is compatible with the form
of the Higgs potential at high temperature or density in the Standard Model or
its extensions.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, conclusions expanded, to appear in JCA
Transient Nucleation near the Mean-Field Spinodal
Nucleation is considered near the pseudospinodal in a one-dimensional
model with a non-conserved order parameter and long-range
interactions. For a sufficiently large system or a system with slow relaxation
to metastable equilibrium, there is a non-negligible probability of nucleation
occurring before reaching metastable equilibrium. This process is referred to
as transient nucleation. The critical droplet is defined to be the
configuration of maximum likelihood that is dynamically balanced between the
metastable and stable wells. Time-dependent droplet profiles and nucleation
rates are derived, and theoretical results are compared to computer simulation.
The analysis reveals a distribution of nucleation times with a distinct peak
characteristic of a nonstationary nucleation rate. Under the quench conditions
employed, transient critical droplets are more compact than the droplets found
in metastable equilibrium simulations and theoretical predictions.Comment: 7 Pages, 5 Figure
Two-meson cloud contribution to the baryon antidecuplet binding
We study the two-meson virtual cloud contribution to the self-energy of the
SU(3) antidecuplet, to which the Theta+ pentaquark is assumed to belong. This
is motivated by the large branching ratio of the N(1710) decay into two pions
and one nucleon. We derive effective Lagrangians that describe the N(1710)
decay into N-pi-pi with two pions in s or p wave. We obtain increased binding
for all members of the antidecuplet and a contribution to the mass splitting
between states with different strangeness which is at least 20 % of the
empirical one. We also provide predictions for three-body decays of the
pentaquark antidecuplet.Comment: 13 pages, To appear in Phys. Rev.
Percolation Analysis of a Wiener Reconstruction of the IRAS 1.2 Jy Redshift Catalog
We present percolation analyses of Wiener Reconstructions of the IRAS 1.2 Jy
Redshift Survey. There are ten reconstructions of galaxy density fields in real
space spanning the range to , where
, is the present dimensionless density and
is the bias factor. Our method uses the growth of the largest cluster
statistic to characterize the topology of a density field, where Gaussian
randomized versions of the reconstructions are used as standards for analysis.
For the reconstruction volume of radius, Mpc,
percolation analysis reveals a slight `meatball' topology for the real space,
galaxy distribution of the IRAS survey.
cosmology-galaxies:clustering-methods:numericalComment: Revised version accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journal, January 10, 1997 issue, Vol.47
On the small-scale stability of thermonuclear flames in Type Ia supernovae
We present a numerical model which allows us to investigate thermonuclear
flames in Type Ia supernova explosions. The model is based on a finite-volume
explicit hydrodynamics solver employing PPM. Using the level-set technique
combined with in-cell reconstruction and flux-splitting schemes we are able to
describe the flame in the discontinuity approximation. We apply our
implementation to flame propagation in Chandrasekhar-mass Type Ia supernova
models. In particular we concentrate on intermediate scales between the flame
width and the Gibson-scale, where the burning front is subject to the
Landau-Darrieus instability. We are able to reproduce the theoretical
prediction on the growth rates of perturbations in the linear regime and
observe the stabilization of the flame in a cellular shape. The increase of the
mean burning velocity due to the enlarged flame surface is measured. Results of
our simulation are in agreement with semianalytical studies.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, Uses AASTEX, emulateapj5.sty, onecolfloat.sty.
Replaced with accepted version (ApJ), Figures 1 and 3 are ne
Distance-Redshift in Inhomogeneous Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker Cosmology
Distance--redshift relations are given in terms of associated Legendre
functions for partially filled beam observations inspatially flat
Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmologies. These models are
dynamically pressure-free, flat FLRW on large scales but, due to mass
inhomogeneities, differ in their optical properties. The partially filled beam
area-redshift equation is a Lame equation for arbitrary FLRW and is
shown to simplify to the associated Legendre equation for the spatially flat,
i.e. case. We fit these new analytic Hubble curves to recent
supernovae (SNe) data in an attempt to determine both the mass parameter
and the beam filling parameter . We find that current data are
inadequate to limit . However, we are able to estimate what limits are
possible when the number of observed SNe is increased by factor of 10 or 100,
sample sizes achievable in the near future with the proposed SuperNova
Acceleration Probe satellite.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure
Heterogeneous condensation of the Lennard-Jones vapor onto a nanoscale seed particle
The heterogeneous condensation of a Lennard-Jones vapor onto a nanoscale seed
particle is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. Measuring the
nucleation rate and the height of the free energy barrier using the mean first
passage time method shows that the presence of a weakly interacting seed has
little effect on the work of forming very small cluster embryos but accelerates
the rate by lowering the barrier for larger clusters. We suggest that this
results from a competition between the energetic and entropic features of
cluster formation in the bulk and at the heterogeneity. As the interaction is
increased, the free energy of formation is reduced for all cluster sizes. We
also develop a simple phenomenological model of film formation on a small seed
that captures the general features of the nucleation process for small
heterogeneities. A comparison of our simulation results with the model shows
that heterogeneous classical nucleation theory provides a good estimate of the
critical size of the film but significantly over-estimates the size of the
barrier.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, In Print J. Chem. Phy
Chaplygin gas dominated anisotropic brane world cosmological models
We present exact solutions of the gravitational field equations in the
generalized Randall-Sundrum model for an anisotropic brane with Bianchi type I
geometry, with a generalized Chaplygin gas as matter source. The generalized
Chaplygin gas, which interpolates between a high density relativistic era and a
non-relativistic matter phase, is a popular dark energy candidate. For a
Bianchi type I space-time brane filled with a cosmological fluid obeying the
generalized Chaplygin equation of state the general solution of the
gravitational field equations can be expressed in an exact parametric form,
with the comoving volume taken as parameter. In the limiting cases of a stiff
cosmological fluid, with pressure equal to the energy density, and for a
pressureless fluid, the solution of the field equations can be expressed in an
exact analytical form. The evolution of the scalar field associated to the
Chaplygin fluid is also considered and the corresponding potential is obtained.
The behavior of the observationally important parameters like shear, anisotropy
and deceleration parameter is considered in detail.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in PR
Relic gravitational waves from light primordial black holes
The energy density of relic gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by primordial
black holes (PBHs) is calculated. We estimate the intensity of GWs produced at
quantum and classical scattering of PBHs, the classical graviton emission from
the PBH binaries in the early Universe, and the graviton emission due to PBH
evaporation. If nonrelativistic PBHs dominated the cosmological energy density
prior to their evaporation, the probability of formation of dense clusters of
PBHs and their binaries in such clusters would be significant and the energy
density of the generated gravitational waves in the present day universe could
exceed that produced by other known mechanisms. The intensity of these
gravitational waves would be maximal in the GHz frequency band of the spectrum
or higher and makes their observation very difficult by present detectors but
also gives a rather good possibility to investigate it by present and future
high frequency gravitational waves electromagnetic detectors. However, the low
frequency part of the spectrum in the range Hz may be detectable
by the planned space interferometers DECIGO/BBO. For sufficiently long duration
of the PBH matter dominated stage the cosmological energy fraction of GWs from
inflation would be noticeably diluted.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures; according to the referee comments some
inaccurate statements are corrected and high frequency detectors of
gravitational waves are briefly discusse
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