Estimating the parameters of the Sgr A* black hole

The measurement of relativistic effects around the galactic center may allow in the near future to strongly constrain the parameters of the supermassive black hole likely present at the galactic center (Sgr A*). As a by-product of these measurements it would be possible to severely constrain, in addition, also the parameters of the mass-density distributions of both the innermost star cluster and the dark matter clump around the galactic center.Comment: Accepted for publication on General Relativity and Gravitation, 2010. 11 Pages, 1 Figur

Comparing user and community co-production approaches in local 'welfare' and 'law and order' services : does the governance mode matter?

This paper analyses the relationship between modes of governance at local level and the adoption of user and community co-production approaches in public safety and social care services, based on a German case study. The findings draw on a series of intensive focus groups with managers and staff of public services in four different regions in Germany, exploring existing levels of co-production and its potential in social care and public safety services, with particular focus on older and young people. The paper provides the first clear research evidence on how approaches to co-production are specific to the modes of governance within which they take place. The paper concludes with policy conclusions, both in the two programme areas concerned and in local public services more generally

The iron KαK_\alpha lines as a tool for magnetic field estimations in non-flat accretion flows

Observations of AGNs and microquasars by ASCA, RXTE, Chandra and XMM-Newton indicate the existence of broad X-ray emission lines of ionized heavy elements in their spectra. Such spectral lines were discovered also in X-ray spectra of neutron stars and X-ray afterglows of GRBs. Recently, Zakharov et al. (MNRAS, 2003, 342, 1325) described a procedure to estimate an upper limit of the magnetic fields in regions from which X-ray photons are emitted. The authors simulated typical profiles of the iron $K_\alpha$ line in the presence of magnetic field and compared them with observational data in the framework of the widely accepted accretion disk model. Here we further consider typical Zeeman splitting in the framework of a model of non-flat accretion flows, which is a generalization of previous consideration into non-equatorial plane motion of particles emitting X-ray photons. Using perspective facilities of space borne instruments (e.g. Constellation-X mission) a better resolution of the blue peak structure of iron $K_\alpha$ line will allow to evaluate the magnetic fields with higher accuracy.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure

Conformal Hamiltonian Dynamics of General Relativity

The General Relativity formulated with the aid of the spin connection coefficients is considered in the finite space geometry of similarity with the Dirac scalar dilaton. We show that the redshift evolution of the General Relativity describes the vacuum creation of the matter in the empty Universe at the electroweak epoch and the dilaton vacuum energy plays a role of the dark energy.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, submitted to PL

Profiles of emission lines generated by rings orbiting braneworld Kerr black holes

In the framework of the braneworld models, rotating black holes can be described by the Kerr metric with a tidal charge representing the influence of the non-local gravitational (tidal) effects of the bulk space Weyl tensor onto the black hole spacetime. We study the influence of the tidal charge onto profiled spectral lines generated by radiating tori orbiting in vicinity of a rotating black hole. We show that with lowering the negative tidal charge of the black hole, the profiled line becomes to be flatter and wider keeping their standard character with flux stronger at the blue edge of the profiled line. The extension of the line grows with radius falling and inclination angle growing. With growing inclination angle a small hump appears in the profiled lines due to the strong lensing effect of photons coming from regions behind the black hole. For positive tidal charge ($b>0$) and high inclination angles two small humps appear in the profiled lines close to the red and blue edge of the lines due to the strong lensing effect. We can conclude that for all values of $b$, the strongest effect on the profiled lines shape (extension) is caused by the changes of the inclination angle.Comment: Accepted by General Relativity and Gravitatio

Hamiltonian Cosmological Perturbation Theory

The Hamiltonian approach to cosmological perturbations in general relativity in finite space-time is developed, where a cosmological scale factor is identified with spatial averaging the metric determinant logarithm. This identification preserves the number of variables and leads to a cosmological perturbation theory with the scalar potential perturbations in contrast to the kinetic perturbations in the Lifshitz version which are responsible for the ``primordial power spectrum'' of CMB in the inflationary model. The Hamiltonian approach enables to explain this ``spectrum'' in terms of scale-invariant variables and to consider other topical problem of modern cosmology in the context of quantum cosmological creation of both universes and particles from the stable Bogoliubov vacuum.Comment: 10 pages, text was changed according to the version accepted for publication in Physics Letters

Magnetized Particle Capture Cross Section for Braneworld Black Hole

Capture cross section of magnetized particle (with nonzero magnetic moment) by braneworld black hole in uniform magnetic field is considered. The magnetic moment of particle was chosen as it was done by \citet{rs99} and for the simplicity particle with zero electric charge is chosen. It is shown that the spin of particle as well as the brane parameter are to sustain the stability of particles circularly orbiting around the black hole in braneworld i.e. spin of particles and brane parameter try to prevent the capture by black hole.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Search for exoplanets in M31 with pixel-lensing and the PA-99-N2 event revisited

Several exoplanets have been detected towards the Galactic bulge with the microlensing technique. We show that exoplanets in M31 may also be detected with the pixel-lensing method, if telescopes making high cadence observations of an ongoing microlensing event are used. Using a Monte Carlo approach we find that the mean mass for detectable planetary systems is about $2 M_{\rm {J}}$. However, even small mass exoplanets ($M_{\rm P} < 20 M_{\oplus}$) can cause significant deviations, which are observable with large telescopes. We reanalysed the POINT-AGAPE microlensing event PA-99-N2. First, we test the robustness of the binary lens conclusion for this light curve. Second, we show that for such long duration and bright microlensing events, the efficiency for finding planetary-like deviations is strongly enhanced with respect to that evaluated for all planetary detectable events.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures. Paper presented at the "II Italian-Pakistani Workshop on Relativistic Astrophysics, Pescara, July 8-10, 2009. To be published in a special issue of General Relativity and Gravitation (eds. F. De Paolis, G.F.R. Ellis, A. Qadir and R. Ruffini

Orbital resonances in discs around braneworld Kerr black holes

Rotating black holes in the brany universe of the Randall-Sundrum type are described by the Kerr geometry with a tidal charge b representing the interaction of the brany black hole and the bulk spacetime. For b<0 rotating black holes with dimensionless spin a>1 are allowed. We investigate the role of the tidal charge b in the orbital resonance model of QPOs in black hole systems. The orbital Keplerian, the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies of the equatorial, quasicircular geodetical motion are given and their radial profiles are discussed. The resonant conditions are given in three astrophysically relevant situations: for direct (parametric) resonances, for the relativistic precession model, and for some trapped oscillations of the warped discs, with resonant combinational frequencies. It is shown, how b could influence matching of the observational data indicating the 3:2 frequency ratio observed in GRS 1915+105 microquasar with prediction of the orbital resonance model; limits on allowed range of the black hole parameters a and b are established. The "magic" dimensionless black hole spin enabling presence of strong resonant phenomena at the radius where \nu_K:\nu_{\theta}:\nu_r=3:2:1 is determined in dependence on b. Such strong resonances could be relevant even in sources with highly scattered resonant frequencies, as those expected in Sgr A*. The specific values of a and b are given also for existence of specific radius where \nu_K:\nu_{\theta}:\nu_r=s:t:u with 5>=s>t>u being small natural numbers. It is shown that for some ratios such situation is impossible in the field of black holes. We can conclude that analysing the microquasars high-frequency QPOs in the framework of orbital resonance models, we can put relevant limits on the tidal charge of brany Kerr black holes.Comment: 31 pages, 19 figures, to appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Instantons and the endpoint of the lepton energy spectrum in charmless semileptonic BB decays

A recent calculation by Chay and Rey has shown that instantons may make a significant contribution to the lepton energy spectrum near its endpoint. Using an ansatz borrowed from the study of high energy baryon number violating processes, we investigate whether these corrections could spoil the relation between the nonperturbative contributions to this spectrum and to the photon energy spectrum in radiative $B$ decays. We find, in general, that this universality may well fail unless the spectrum is smeared over a region which is considerably larger than had previously been thought necessary. This result affects the possibility of performing a reliable measurement of $V_{ub}$ using inclusive decays.Comment: Slightly revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev. D. A few additional comments have been added on the approximations which are used. 13 pages, 2 embedded uuencoded figures, uses REVTe