69 research outputs found
Covariant Perturbations of Schwarzschild Black Holes
We present a new covariant and gauge-invariant perturbation formalism for
dealing with spacetimes having spherical symmetry (or some preferred spatial
direction) in the background, and apply it to the case of gravitational wave
propagation in a Schwarzschild black hole spacetime. The 1+3 covariant approach
is extended to a `1+1+2 covariant sheet' formalism by introducing a radial unit
vector in addition to the timelike congruence, and decomposing all covariant
quantities with respect to this. The background Schwarzschild solution is
discussed and a covariant characterisation is given. We give the full
first-order system of linearised 1+1+2 covariant equations, and we show how, by
introducing (time and spherical) harmonic functions, these may be reduced to a
system of first-order ordinary differential equations and algebraic constraints
for the 1+1+2 variables which may be solved straightforwardly. We show how both
the odd and even parity perturbations may be unified by the discovery of a
covariant, frame- and gauge-invariant, transverse-traceless tensor describing
gravitational waves, which satisfies a covariant wave equation equivalent to
the Regge-Wheeler equation for both even and odd parity perturbations. We show
how the Zerilli equation may be derived from this tensor, and derive a similar
transverse traceless tensor equivalent to this equation. The so-called
`special' quasinormal modes with purely imaginary frequency emerge naturally.
The significance of the degrees of freedom in the choice of the two frame
vectors is discussed, and we demonstrate that, for a certain frame choice, the
underlying dynamics is governed purely by the Regge-Wheeler tensor. The two
transverse-traceless Weyl tensors which carry the curvature of gravitational
waves are discussed.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure, Revtex 4. Submitted to Classical and Quantum
Gravity. Revised version is significantly streamlined with an important error
corrected which simplifies the presentatio
The Raychaudhuri equations: a brief review
We present a brief review on the Raychaudhuri equations. Beginning with a
summary of the essential features of the original article by Raychaudhuri and
subsequent work of numerous authors, we move on to a discussion of the
equations in the context of alternate non--Riemannian spacetimes as well as
other theories of gravity, with a special mention on the equations in
spacetimes with torsion (Einstein--Cartan--Sciama--Kibble theory). Finally, we
give an overview of some recent applications of these equations in General
Relativity, Quantum Field Theory, String Theory and the theory of relativisitic
membranes. We conclude with a summary and provide our own perspectives on
directions of future research.Comment: 35 pages, two figures, to appear in the special issue of Pramana
dedicated to the memory of A. K. Raychaudhur
Decoherent Histories Approach to the Arrival Time Problem
We use the decoherent histories approach to quantum theory to compute the
probability of a non-relativistic particle crossing during an interval of
time. For a system consisting of a single non-relativistic particle, histories
coarse-grained according to whether or not they pass through spacetime regions
are generally not decoherent, except for very special initial states, and thus
probabilities cannot be assigned. Decoherence may, however, be achieved by
coupling the particle to an environment consisting of a set of harmonic
oscillators in a thermal bath. Probabilities for spacetime coarse grainings are
thus calculated by considering restricted density operator propagators of the
quantum Brownian motion model. We also show how to achieve decoherence by
replicating the system times and then projecting onto the number density of
particles that cross during a given time interval, and this gives an
alternative expression for the crossing probability. The latter approach shows
that the relative frequency for histories is approximately decoherent for
sufficiently large , a result related to the Finkelstein-Graham-Hartle
theorem.Comment: 42 pages, plain Te
Impaired Small-World Network Efficiency and Dynamic Functional Distribution in Patients with Cirrhosis
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome and a major complication of liver cirrhosis. Dysmetabolism of the brain, related to elevated ammonia levels, interferes with intercortical connectivity and cognitive function. For evaluation of network efficiency, a ‘small-world’ network model can quantify the effectiveness of information transfer within brain networks. This study aimed to use small-world topology to investigate abnormalities of neuronal connectivity among widely distributed brain regions in patients with liver cirrhosis using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Seventeen cirrhotic patients without HE, 9 with minimal HE, 9 with overt HE, and 35 healthy controls were compared. The interregional correlation matrix was obtained by averaging the rs-fMRI time series over all voxels in each of the 90 regions using the automated anatomical labeling model. Cost and correlation threshold values were then applied to construct the functional brain network. The absolute and relative network efficiencies were calculated; quantifying distinct aspects of the local and global topological network organization. Correlations between network topology parameters, ammonia levels, and the severity of HE were determined using linear regression and ANOVA. The local and global topological efficiencies of the functional connectivity network were significantly disrupted in HE patients; showing abnormal small-world properties. Alterations in regional characteristics, including nodal efficiency and nodal strength, occurred predominantly in the association, primary, and limbic/paralimbic regions. The degree of network organization disruption depended on the severity of HE. Ammonia levels were also significantly associated with the alterations in local network properties. Results indicated that alterations in the rs-fMRI network topology of the brain were associated with HE grade; and that focal or diffuse lesions disturbed the functional network to further alter the global topology and efficiency of the whole brain network. These findings provide insights into the functional changes in the human brain in HE
Modelling human choices: MADeM and decision‑making
Research supported by FAPESP 2015/50122-0 and DFG-GRTK 1740/2. RP and AR are also part of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics FAPESP grant (2013/07699-0). RP is supported by a FAPESP scholarship (2013/25667-8). ACR is partially supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)
Tuning Reactivity and Electronic Properties through Ligand Reorganization within a Cerium Heterobimetallic Framework
Cortical activations by critical Flicker frequency in hepatic encephalopathy - an event related fMRI study
Involvement of prefrontal cortex in encoding of verbal and nonverbal material : a functional MRI study
Wiener-Test system and critical threshold detection in hepatic encephalopathy in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
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