910 research outputs found
The planar spectrum in U(N)-invariant quantum mechanics by Fock space methods: I. The bosonic case
Prompted by recent results on Susy-U(N)-invariant quantum mechanics in the
large N limit by Veneziano and Wosiek, we have examined the planar spectrum in
the full Hilbert space of U(N)-invariant states built on the Fock vacuum by
applying any U(N)-invariant combinations of creation-operators. We present
results about 1) the supersymmetric model in the bosonic sector, 2) the
standard quartic Hamiltonian. This latter is useful to check our techniques
against the exact result of Brezin et al. The SuSy case is where Fock space
methods prove to be the most efficient: it turns out that the problem is
separable and the exact planar spectrum can be expressed in terms of the
single-trace spectrum. In the case of the anharmonic oscillator, on the other
hand, the Fock space analysis is quite cumbersome due to the presence of large
off-diagonal O(N) terms coupling subspaces with different number of traces;
these terms should be absorbed before taking the planar limit and recovering
the known planar spectrum. We give analytical and numerical evidence that good
qualitative information on the spectrum can be obtained this way.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, uses youngtab.sty. Final versio
Group Field Theory: An overview
We give a brief overview of the properties of a higher dimensional
generalization of matrix model which arises naturally in the context of a
background independent approach to quantum gravity, the so called group field
theory. We show that this theory leads to a natural proposal for the physical
scalar product of quantum gravity. We also show in which sense this theory
provides a third quantization point of view on quantum gravity.Comment: 10 page
The Phase Structure of the Polyakov--Quark-Meson Model
The relation between the deconfinement and chiral phase transition is
explored in the framework of an Polyakov-loop-extended two-flavor quark-meson
(PQM) model. In this model the Polyakov loop dynamics is represented by a
background temporal gauge field which also couples to the quarks. As a novelty
an explicit quark chemical potential and N_f-dependence in the Polyakov loop
potential is proposed by using renormalization group arguments. The behavior of
the Polyakov loop as well as the chiral condensate as function of temperature
and quark chemical potential is obtained by minimizing the grand canonical
thermodynamic potential of the system. The effect of the Polyakov loop dynamics
on the chiral phase diagram and on several thermodynamic bulk quantities is
presented.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, RevTex4; discussion of mu-dependence extended,
references added, version to be published in PR
Hamiltonian Analysis of non-chiral Plebanski Theory and its Generalizations
We consider non-chiral, full Lorentz group-based Plebanski formulation of
general relativity in its version that utilizes the Lagrange multiplier field
Phi with "internal" indices. The Hamiltonian analysis of this version of the
theory turns out to be simpler than in the previously considered in the
literature version with Phi carrying spacetime indices. We then extend the
Hamiltonian analysis to a more general class of theories whose action contains
scalars invariants constructed from Phi. Such theories have recently been
considered in the context of unification of gravity with other forces. We show
that these more general theories have six additional propagating degrees of
freedom as compared to general relativity, something that has not been
appreciated in the literature treating them as being not much different from
GR.Comment: 10 page
Exact and semiclassical approach to a class of singular integral operators arising in fluid mechanics and quantum field theory
A class of singular integral operators, encompassing two physically relevant
cases arising in perturbative QCD and in classical fluid dynamics, is presented
and analyzed. It is shown that three special values of the parameters allow for
an exact eigenfunction expansion; these can be associated to Riemannian
symmetric spaces of rank one with positive, negative or vanishing curvature.
For all other cases an accurate semiclassical approximation is derived, based
on the identification of the operators with a peculiar Schroedinger-like
operator.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, amslatex, bibtex (added missing label eq.11
Plebanski Theory and Covariant Canonical Formulation
We establish an equivalence between the Hamiltonian formulation of the
Plebanski action for general relativity and the covariant canonical formulation
of the Hilbert-Palatini action. This is done by comparing the symplectic
structures of the two theories through the computation of Dirac brackets. We
also construct a shifted connection with simplified Dirac brackets, playing an
important role in the covariant loop quantization program, in the Plebanski
framework. Implications for spin foam models are also discussed.Comment: 18 page
The unexpected survival of an ancient lineage of anseriform birds into the Neogene of Australia: the youngest record of Presbyornithidae
. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.Presbyornithids were the dominant birds in Palaeogene lacustrine assemblages, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, but are thought to have disappeared worldwide by the mid-Eocene. Now classified within Anseriformes (screamers, ducks, swans and geese), their relationships have long been obscured by their strange wader-like skeletal morphology. Reassessment of the late Oligocene South Australian material attributed to Wilaru tedfordi, long considered to be of a stone-curlew (Burhinidae, Charadriiformes), reveals that this taxon represents the first record of a presbyornithid in Australia. We also describe the larger Wilaru prideauxi sp. nov. from the early Miocene of South Australia, showing that presbyornithids survived in Australia at least until ca 22âMa. Unlike on other continents, where presbyornithids were replaced by aquatic crown-group anatids (ducks, swans and geese), species of Wilaru lived alongside these waterfowl in Australia. The morphology of the tarsometatarsus of these species indicates that, contrary to other presbyornithids, they were predominantly terrestrial birds, which probably contributed to their long-term survival in Australia. The morphological similarity between species of Wilaru and the Eocene South American presbyornithid Telmabates antiquus supports our hypothesis of a Gondwanan radiation during the evolutionary history of the Presbyornithidae. Teviornis gobiensis from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia is here also reassessed and confirmed as a presbyornithid. These findings underscore the temporal continuance of Australiaâs vertebrates and provide a new context in which the phylogeny and evolutionary history of presbyornithids can be examined
Modulation of LISA free-fall orbits due to the Earth-Moon system
We calculate the effect of the Earth-Moon (EM) system on the free-fall motion
of LISA test masses. We show that the periodic gravitational pulling of the EM
system induces a resonance with fundamental frequency 1 yr^-1 and a series of
periodic perturbations with frequencies equal to integer harmonics of the
synodic month (9.92 10^-7 Hz). We then evaluate the effects of these
perturbations (up to the 6th harmonics) on the relative motions between each
test masses couple, finding that they range between 3mm and 10pm for the 2nd
and 6th harmonic, respectively. If we take the LISA sensitivity curve, as
extrapolated down to 10^-6 Hz, we obtain that a few harmonics of the EM system
can be detected in the Doppler data collected by the LISA space mission. This
suggests that the EM system gravitational near field could provide an absolute
calibration for the LISA sensitivity at very low frequencies.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Consistently Solving the Simplicity Constraints for Spinfoam Quantum Gravity
We give an independent derivation of the Engle-Pereira-Rovelli spinfoam model
for quantum gravity which recently appeared in [arXiv:0705.2388]. Using the
coherent state techniques introduced earlier in [arXiv:0705.0674], we show that
the EPR model realizes a consistent imposition of the simplicity constraints
implementing general relativity from a topological BF theory.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, v2: typos correcte
The role of experienced teachers in the development of pre-service language teachersâ professional identity: Revisiting school memories and constructing future teacher selves
This paper examines how student teachers perceive the role of more experienced teachers in fostering their pedagogical cultural identities (Burgess, 2016). It reports on a project within the âPrograma Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Ă DocĂȘnciaâ (PIBID), a national programme in Brazil to promote teacher recruitment and encourage undergraduates to pursue a career in teaching. The study investigated in-school experiences of four pre-service teachers working in state schools located in peripheral urban areas in SĂŁo Paulo. Specifically, it examined the ways these student teachers conceptualise their pedagogical contexts and related them to the concrete or symbolic presence of other experienced professionals. The findings are expected to support professional development and inform the revision of teacher education programmes in Brazil
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