Music in advertising and consumer identity: The search for Heideggerian authenticity

This study discusses netnographic findings involving 472 YouTube postings categorized to identify themes regarding consumers’ experience of music in advertisements. Key themes relate to musical taste, musical indexicality, musical repetition and musical authenticity. Postings reveal how music conveys individual taste and is linked to personal memories and Heidegger’s coincidental time where moments of authenticity may be triggered in a melee of emotions, memories and projections. Identity protection is enabled as consumers frequently resist advertisers’ attempts to use musical repetition to impose normative identity. Critiques of repetition in the music produce Heideggerian anxiety leading to critically reflective resistance. Similarly, where advertising devalues the authenticity of iconic pieces of music, consumers often resist such authenticity transgressions as a threat to their own identity. The Heideggerian search for meaning in life emphasizes the significance of philosophically driven ideological authenticity in consumers’ responses to music in advertisements

Rheological Chaos in a Scalar Shear-Thickening Model

We study a simple scalar constitutive equation for a shear-thickening material at zero Reynolds number, in which the shear stress \sigma is driven at a constant shear rate \dot\gamma and relaxes by two parallel decay processes: a nonlinear decay at a nonmonotonic rate R(\sigma_1) and a linear decay at rate \lambda\sigma_2. Here \sigma_{1,2}(t) = \tau_{1,2}^{-1}\int_0^t\sigma(t')\exp[-(t-t')/\tau_{1,2}] {\rm d}t' are two retarded stresses. For suitable parameters, the steady state flow curve is monotonic but unstable; this arises when \tau_2>\tau_1 and 0>R'(\sigma)>-\lambda so that monotonicity is restored only through the strongly retarded term (which might model a slow evolution of material structure under stress). Within the unstable region we find a period-doubling sequence leading to chaos. Instability, but not chaos, persists even for the case \tau_1\to 0. A similar generic mechanism might also arise in shear thinning systems and in some banded flows.Comment: Reference added; typos corrected. To appear in PRE Rap. Com

Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi model and accelerating expansion

I discuss the spherically symmetric but inhomogeneous Lemaitre-Tolman- Bondi (LTB) metric, which provides an exact toy model for an inhomogeneous universe. Since we observe light rays from the past light cone, not the expansion of the universe, spatial variation in matter density and Hubble rate can have the same effect on redshift as acceleration in a perfectly homogeneous universe. As a consequence, a simple spatial variation in the Hubble rate can account for the distant supernova data in a dust universe without any dark energy. I also review various attempts towards a semirealistic description of the universe based on the LTB model.Comment: Invited Review for a special Gen. Rel. Grav. issue on Dark Energy. 17 pages, 3 figure

Is the evidence for dark energy secure?

Several kinds of astronomical observations, interpreted in the framework of the standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology, have indicated that our universe is dominated by a Cosmological Constant. The dimming of distant Type Ia supernovae suggests that the expansion rate is accelerating, as if driven by vacuum energy, and this has been indirectly substantiated through studies of angular anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and of spatial correlations in the large-scale structure (LSS) of galaxies. However there is no compelling direct evidence yet for (the dynamical effects of) dark energy. The precision CMB data can be equally well fitted without dark energy if the spectrum of primordial density fluctuations is not quite scale-free and if the Hubble constant is lower globally than its locally measured value. The LSS data can also be satisfactorily fitted if there is a small component of hot dark matter, as would be provided by neutrinos of mass 0.5 eV. Although such an Einstein-de Sitter model cannot explain the SNe Ia Hubble diagram or the position of the `baryon acoustic oscillation' peak in the autocorrelation function of galaxies, it may be possible to do so e.g. in an inhomogeneous Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi cosmology where we are located in a void which is expanding faster than the average. Such alternatives may seem contrived but this must be weighed against our lack of any fundamental understanding of the inferred tiny energy scale of the dark energy. It may well be an artifact of an oversimplified cosmological model, rather than having physical reality.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; to appear in a special issue of General Relativity and Gravitation, eds. G.F.R. Ellis et al; Changes: references reformatted in journal style - text unchange

Dark energy as a mirage

Motivated by the observed cosmic matter distribution, we present the following conjecture: due to the formation of voids and opaque structures, the average matter density on the path of the light from the well-observed objects changes from Omega_M ~ 1 in the homogeneous early universe to Omega_M ~ 0 in the clumpy late universe, so that the average expansion rate increases along our line of sight from EdS expansion Ht ~ 2/3 at high redshifts to free expansion Ht ~ 1 at low redshifts. To calculate the modified observable distance-redshift relations, we introduce a generalized Dyer-Roeder method that allows for two crucial physical properties of the universe: inhomogeneities in the expansion rate and the growth of the nonlinear structures. By treating the transition redshift to the void-dominated era as a free parameter, we find a phenomenological fit to the observations from the CMB anisotropy, the position of the baryon oscillation peak, the magnitude-redshift relations of type Ia supernovae, the local Hubble flow and the nucleosynthesis, resulting in a concordant model of the universe with 90% dark matter, 10% baryons, no dark energy, 15 Gyr as the age of the universe and a natural value for the transition redshift z_0=0.35. Unlike a large local void, the model respects the cosmological principle, further offering an explanation for the late onset of the perceived acceleration as a consequence of the forming nonlinear structures. Additional tests, such as quantitative predictions for angular deviations due to an anisotropic void distribution and a theoretical derivation of the model, can vindicate or falsify the interpretation that light propagation in voids is responsible for the perceived acceleration.Comment: 33 pages, 2 figs; v2: minor clarifications, results unchanged; v3: matches the version published in General Relativity and Gravitatio

A method for estimating crash risk associated with driver BAC

A method is presented for estimating the risk of driver involvement in injury crashes for case-control data where control drivers have reliable measures of BAC (blood alcohol concentration) and other driver characteristics, but crash-involved drivers do not have BAC measures. The usual estimates of risk associated with BAC derived from case-control studies depend on the provision of driver BAC for virtually all case (crash-involved drivers) and control (drivers on the road) samples. The method described here makes use of the case-control study design but requires only the total numbers of case drivers within groups of drivers defined by variables common to both samples. The risk associated with BAC of New Zealand driver night-time involvement in injury crashes is estimated to illustrate the application of this method.Alcohol Risk Case-control study

2MASS Constraints on the Local Large-Scale Structure: A Challenge to LCDM?

We investigate the large-scale structure of the local galaxy distribution using the recently completed 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). First, we determine the K-band number counts over the 4000 sq.deg. APM survey area where evidence for a large-scale `local hole' has previously been detected and compare them to a homogeneous prediction. Considering a LCDM form for the 2-point angular correlation function, the observed deficiency represents a 5 sigma fluctuation in the galaxy distribution. We check the model normalisation using faint K-band data compiled from the literature; the normalisation used in this paper is in excellent agreement, and the observed counts over the APM survey area would require the model to be lowered by 3.8 sigma. However, the issue is complicated by the b>20 and b<-20 2MASS counts which lie below the best-fit model normalisation. Second, since the K-band counts over the APM survey area continue to suggest the possible presence of excess clustering over the LCDM prediction, we next probe the power at large scales by comparing the 2MASS and LCDM mock galaxy angular power spectra. We find a 3 sigma excess in the 2MASS catalogue over the LCDM prediction at large scales (l<30). However, this excess is not enough to account for the low counts over the APM survey area. Finally, we apply a counts in cells analysis to the 2MASS data and mock catalogues; on the assumption that the 2MASS catalogue at |b|>20 is representative, we find excellent agreement between the biased LCDM mocks and the 2MASS catalogue to 30 deg. The crux of the interpretation of these results appears to be whether the 2MASS volume is yet big enough to constitute a fair sample of the Universe. (abridged)Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to MNRA

High-order 2MASS galaxy correlation functions: Probing the primordial density field and the linearity of galaxy bias

We use the 2MASS extended source catalogue to determine angular correlation functions, w_p, to high orders (p<=9). The main sample contains 650,745 galaxies and represents an order of magnitude increase in solid angle over previous samples used in such analysis. The high-order correlation functions are used to determine the projected and real space hierarchical amplitudes, s_p and S_p. In contrast to recent results, for p<=6 these parameters are found to be quite constant over a wide range of scales to r=40 Mpc, consistent with a Gaussian form to the primordial distribution of density fluctuations which has evolved under the action of gravitational instability. We test the sensitivity of our results to the presence of rare fluctuations in the local galaxy distribution by cutting various regions of over-density from the main sample; unlike previous analyses, we find that our results are relatively robust to the removal of the largest superclusters. We use our constraints on the K-band S_p parameters in two ways. First, we examine their consistency with non-Gaussian initial conditions; we are able to rule out strong non-Gaussianity in the primordial density field, as might be seeded by topological defects such as cosmic strings or global textures at the 2.5 sigma confidence level. Second, we investigate the way in which galaxies trace the underlying mass distribution. We find evidence for a non-zero quadratic contribution to the galaxy bias, parameterised by c_2=0.57+/-0.33. This positive result represents a significant difference from the negative values found previously; we examine a possible explanation in the light of recent observations which universally provide negative values for c_2.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, submitted to MNRA

New H-band galaxy number counts: a large local hole in the galaxy distribution

We examine H-band number counts determined using new photometry over 0.30 sq.deg. to H=19, as well as H<14 counts from 2MASS. First, we examine 2MASS counts extracted for the 4000 sq.deg. APM survey area and find a deficiency of 25% at H=13, in line with previous results. In addition the |b|>20 counts display a relatively constant deficit in the counts of 15-20%. We investigate various possible causes for these results: In order to address the issue of the model normalisation, we examine faint number counts for the new faint photometry presented in this work and also for the LCIRS. In each case a zeropoint is chosen to match that of the 2MASS photometry at bright magnitudes. We find a large offset between 2MASS and the LCIRS data of 0.28+/-0.01 magnitudes. Applying a consistent zeropoint, the combined faint data is in good agreement with the homogeneous model prediction used previously. We examine possible effects arising from unexpected galaxy evolution and photometric errors and find no evidence for a significant contribution from either. However, incompleteness in the 2MASS catalogue and in the faint data may have a significant contribution. Addressing the contribution from large-scale structure, we estimate the cosmic variance in the bright counts over the APM survey area and for |b|>20 expected in a LCDM cosmology using 27 LCDM mock 2MASS catalogues. Accounting for the model normalisation uncertainty and taking an upper limit for the incompleteness, the APM survey area bright counts are in line with a rare fluctuation in the local galaxy distribution of 2.5 sigma. However, the |b|>20 counts represent a 4.0 sigma fluctuation, and imply a local hole which extends over the entire local galaxy distribution and is at odds with LCDM.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, submitted to MNRA

2MASS constraints on the local large-scale structure: a challenge to ΛCDM?

We investigate the large-scale structure of the local galaxy distribution using the recently completed 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) via three techniques. First, we determine the Ks-band number counts over the ≈4000 deg 2 APM survey area where evidence for a large-scale ‘local hole ’ has previously been detected and compare them to a homogeneous prediction. Considering a ΛCDM form for the 2-point angular correlation function, the observed deficiency represents a 5σ fluctuation in the galaxy distribution. We check the model normalisation using faint K-band data compiled from the literature; the normalisation used in this paper is in excellent agreement, and the observed counts over the APM survey area would require the model to be lowered by 3.8σ. However, the issue is complicated by the b �20 ◦ and b �-20 ◦ 2MASS counts which lie below the best-fit model normalisation. Second, since the Ks-band counts over the APM survey area continue to suggest the possible presence of excess clustering over the ΛCDM prediction, we next probe the power at large scales by comparing the 2MASS and ΛCDM mock galaxy angular power spectra. We find a 3σ excess in th