281 research outputs found
More On The Connection Between Planar Field Theory And String Theory
We continue work on the connection between world sheet representation of the
planar phi^3 theory and string formation. The present article, like the earlier
work, is based on the existence of a solitonic solution on the world sheet, and
on the zero mode fluctuations around this solution. The main advance made in
this paper is the removal of the cutoff and the transition to the continuum
limit on the world sheet. The result is an action for the modes whose energies
remain finite in this limit (light modes). The expansion of this action about a
dense background of graphs on the world sheet leads to the formation of a
string.Comment: 27 pages, 3 figure
Field Theory On The World Sheet: Improvements And Generalizations
This article is the continuation of a project of investigating planar phi^3
model in various dimensions. The idea is to reformulate them on the world
sheet, and then to apply the classical (meanfield) approximation, with two
goals: To show that the ground state of the model is a solitonic configuration
on the world sheet, and the quantum fluctuations around the soliton lead to the
formation of a transverse string. After a review of some of the earlier work,
we introduce and discuss several generalizations and new results. In 1+2
dimensions, a rigorous upper bound on the solitonic energy is established. A
phi^4 interaction is added to stabilize the original phi^3 model. In 1+3 and
1+5 dimensions, an improved treatment of the ultraviolet divergences is given.
And significantly, we show that our approximation scheme can be imbedded into a
systematic strong coupling expansion. Finally, the spectrum of quantum
fluctuations around the soliton confirms earlier results: In 1+2 and 1+3
dimensions, a transverse string is formed on the world sheet.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures, several typos and eqs.(74) and (75) are
corrected, a comment added to section
Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsars
Accreting Millisecond X-Ray Pulsars (AMXPs) are astrophysical laboratories
without parallel in the study of extreme physics. In this chapter we review the
past fifteen years of discoveries in the field. We summarize the observations
of the fifteen known AMXPs, with a particular emphasis on the multi-wavelength
observations that have been carried out since the discovery of the first AMXP
in 1998. We review accretion torque theory, the pulse formation process, and
how AMXP observations have changed our view on the interaction of plasma and
magnetic fields in strong gravity. We also explain how the AMXPs have deepened
our understanding of the thermonuclear burst process, in particular the
phenomenon of burst oscillations. We conclude with a discussion of the open
problems that remain to be addressed in the future.Comment: Review to appear in "Timing neutron stars: pulsations, oscillations
and explosions", T. Belloni, M. Mendez, C.M. Zhang Eds., ASSL, Springer;
[revision with literature updated, several typos removed, 1 new AMXP added
The holographic principle
There is strong evidence that the area of any surface limits the information
content of adjacent spacetime regions, at 10^(69) bits per square meter. We
review the developments that have led to the recognition of this entropy bound,
placing special emphasis on the quantum properties of black holes. The
construction of light-sheets, which associate relevant spacetime regions to any
given surface, is discussed in detail. We explain how the bound is tested and
demonstrate its validity in a wide range of examples.
A universal relation between geometry and information is thus uncovered. It
has yet to be explained. The holographic principle asserts that its origin must
lie in the number of fundamental degrees of freedom involved in a unified
description of spacetime and matter. It must be manifest in an underlying
quantum theory of gravity. We survey some successes and challenges in
implementing the holographic principle.Comment: 52 pages, 10 figures, invited review for Rev. Mod. Phys; v2:
reference adde
Glioblastoma multiforme with oligodendroglial component (GBMO): favorable outcome after post-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy with nimustine (ACNU) and teniposide (VM26)
BACKGROUND: The presence of an oligodendroglial component within a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is considered a prognostically favorable factor, but the clinical outcome of patients with glioblastoma multiforme with oligodendroglial component (GBMO) after combined post-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy has rarely been reported. METHODS: We analyzed overall and progression-free survival in a group of ten consecutive patients initially diagnosed with GBMO between 1996 and 2004 (4.2% of all GBM patients). Median (range) age was 54 (34â73) years, 90% were resected and median radiotherapy dose was 54 (45â60.6) Gy. 80% of patients received post-operative chemotherapy with nimustine (ACNU) and VM26 (teniposide) for a median of 3.5 (1â6) cycles, the remainder were treated with post-operative radiotherapy alone. All specimens were reviewed by an experienced neuropathologist. RESULTS: Neuropathological re-evaluation revealed GBM with an oligodendroglial component of 30% or less in five cases, predominant oligoastrocytic tumors with focal areas of GBM in four patients and WHO grade III oligoastrocytoma with questionable transition to GBM in one patient. Four of ten patients were alive at at 40, 41, 41 and 82 months. The median overall survival (Kaplan-Meier) was 26 months, the 2-year survival rate was 60% (progression-free survival: 9.8 months and 40%, respectively). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, patients with GBMO treated with post-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy with ACNU/VM26 had a better prognosis than reported for GBM in modern chemoradiation series
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