340 research outputs found
Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometry and second-order correlations of inflaton quanta
The quantum theory of optical coherence is applied to the scrutiny of the
statistical properties of the relic inflaton quanta. After adapting the
description of the quantized scalar and tensor modes of the geometry to the
analysis of intensity correlations, the normalized degrees of first-order and
second-order coherence are computed in the concordance paradigm and are shown
to encode faithfully the statistical properties of the initial quantum state.
The strongly bunched curvature phonons are not only super-Poissonian but also
super-chaotic. Testable inequalities are derived in the limit of large angular
scales and can be physically interpreted in the light of the tenets of Hanbury
Brown-Twiss interferometry. The quantum mechanical results are compared and
contrasted with different situations including the one where intensity
correlations are the result of a classical stochastic process. The survival of
second-order correlations (not necessarily related to the purity of the initial
quantum state) is addressed by defining a generalized ensemble where
super-Poissonian statistics is an intrinsic property of the density matrix and
turns out to be associated with finite volume effects which are expected to
vanish in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 42 pages, 3 included figures; corrected typos; to appear in Physical
Review
VV124 (UGC4879): A new transitional dwarf galaxy in the periphery of the Local Group
We present the first resolved-star photometry of VV124 (UGC4879) and find
that this is the most isolated dwarf galaxy in the periphery of the Local
Group. Based on imaging and spectroscopic follow up observations with the 6m
BTA telescope, we resolve VV124 into 1560 stars down to the limiting magnitude
levels of V~25.6 and I~23.9. The young blue stellar populations and emission
gas are found near the core, but noticeably displaced from the center of the
galaxy as traced by dominant evolved red stars. The mean radial velocity
derived from the spectra of two Blue Supergiant stars, an HII region and
unresolved continuum sources is -80+/-10 km/s. The evolved ``red tangle''
stellar populations, which contains the red giant branch (RGB), are identified
at large galactocentric radii. We use the I-band luminosity function to
determine the distance based on the Tip of RGB method, 1.1+/-0.1 Mpc. This is
~10 times closer than the values usually assumed in the literature, and we
provide revised distance dependent parameters. From the mean (V-I) color of the
RGB, we estimate the mean metallicity as [Fe/H]~-1.37 dex. Despite of its
isolated location, the properties of VV124 are clearly not those of a galaxy in
formation, but rather similar to a transitional dIrr/dSph type.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to MNRAS Letter
Polarized triplet production by circularly polarized photons
A process of the pair production by a circularly polarized photon in the
field of unpolarized atomic electron has been considered in the
Weizaecker-Williams approximation. The degree of longitudinal polarization of
positron and electron has been calculated. An exclusive cross-section as well
as a spectral distribution are obtained. We estimate the accuracy of our
calculations at the level of a few percent. We show the identity of the
positron polarization for considered process and for process of pair production
in the screened Coulomb field of nucleus.Comment: 9 pages, 3 picture
Pion interferometry with pion-source-medium interactions
An extended pion source, which can be temporarily created by a high energy
nuclear collision, will also absorb and distort the outgoing pions. We discuss
how this effect alters the interferometric pattern of the two-pion momentum
correlation function. In particular, we show that the two-pion correlation
function decreases rapidly when the opening angle between the pions increases.
The opening-angle dependence should serve as a new means of obtaining
information about the pion source in the analysis of experimental data.Comment: 14 pages (revtex) and 9 figures (uuencoded), Caltech preprint
MAP-175, Indiana Univ. preprint IU/NTC 914-1
Dynamical Pion Production via Parametric Resonance from Disoriented Chiral Condensate
We discuss a dynamical mechanism of pion production from disoriented chiral
condensates (DCC). It leads to an explosive production of pions via the
parametric amplification mechanism, which is similar to the reheating mechanism
in inflationary cosmology. Classically, it is related with the instability in
the solutions of the Mathieu equation and we explore the quantum aspects of the
mechanism. We show that nonlinearlities and back reactions can be ignorable for
sufficiently long time under the small amplitude approximations of background
oscillations, which may be appropriate for the late stage of
nonequilibrium phase transition. It allows us to obtain an explicit quantum
state of the produced pions and , the squeezed state of BCS type.
Single particle distributions and two-pion correlation functions are computed
within these approximations. The results obtained illuminate the characteristic
features of multi-pion states produced through the parametric amplification
mechanism. In particular, two-pion correlations of various charge combinations
contain back-to-back correlations which cannot be masked by the identical
particle interference effect.Comment: REVTEX 18 pages and 10 figure
Rapid Oscillations in Cataclysmic Variables. XVI. DW Cancri
We report photometry and spectroscopy of the novalike variable DW Cancri. The
spectra show the usual broad H and He emission lines, with an excitation and
continuum slope characteristic of a moderately high accretion rate. A
radial-velocity search yields strong detections at two periods, 86.1015(3) min
and 38.58377(6) min. We interpret these as respectively the orbital period
P_orb of the binary, and the spin period P_spin of a magnetic white dwarf. The
light curve also shows the spin period, plus an additional strong signal at
69.9133(10) min, which coincides with the difference frequency
1/P_spin-1/P_orb. These periods are stable over the 1 year baseline of
measurement.
This triply-periodic structure mimics the behavior of several
well-credentialed members of the "DQ Herculis" (intermediate polar) class of
cataclysmic variables. DQ Her membership is also suggested by the mysteriously
strong sideband signal (at nu_spin-nu_orb), attesting to a strong pulsed flux
at X-ray/EUV/UV wavelengths. DW Cnc is a new member of this class, and would be
an excellent target for extended observation at these wavelengths.Comment: PDF, 28 pages, 6 tables, 9 figures; accepted, in press, to appear
June 2004, PASP; more info at http://cba.phys.columbia.edu
Open reduction and internal fixation compared to closed reduction and external fixation in distal radial fractures: A randomized study of 50 patients
Background and purpose In unstable distal radial fractures that are impossible to reduce or to maintain in reduced position, the treatment of choice is operation. The type of operation and the choice of implant, however, is a matter of discussion. Our aim was to investigate whether open reduction and internal fixation would produce a better result than traditional external fixation
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