Cosmological cosmic strings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, Ruth

1988-01-01

The effect of an infinite cosmic string on a cosmological background is investigated. It is found that the metric is approximately a scaled version of the empty space string metric, i.e., conical in nature. Results are used to place bounds on the amount of cylindrical gravitational radiation currently emitted by such a string. The gravitational radiation equations are then analyzed explicitly and it is shown that even initially large disturbances are rapidly damped as the expansion proceeds. The implications of the gravitational radiation background and the limitations of the quadrupole formula are discussed.

Constraining the break of spatial diffeomorphism invariance with Planck data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graef, L.L.; Benetti, M.; Alcaniz, J.S., E-mail: leilagraef@on.br, E-mail: micolbenetti@on.br, E-mail: alcaniz@on.br

The current most accepted paradigm for the early universe cosmology, the inflationary scenario, shows a good agreement with the recent Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and polarization data. However, when the inflation consistency relation is relaxed, these observational data exclude a larger range of red tensor tilt values, prevailing the blue ones which are not predicted by the minimal inflationary models. Recently, it has been shown that the assumption of spatial diffeomorphism invariance breaking (SDB) in the context of an effective field theory of inflation leads to interesting observational consequences. Among them, the possibility of generating a blue tensor spectrum, whichmore » can recover the specific consistency relation of the String Gas Cosmology, for a certain choice of parameters. We use the most recent CMB data to constrain the SDB model and test its observational viability through a Bayesian analysis assuming as reference an extended ΛCDM+tensor perturbation model, which considers a power-law tensor spectrum parametrized in terms of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r , and the tensor spectral index, n {sub t} . If the inflation consistency relation is imposed, r =−8 n {sub t} , we obtain a strong evidence in favor of the reference model whereas if such relation is relaxed, a weak evidence in favor of the model with diffeomorphism breaking is found. We also use the same CMB data set to make an observational comparison between the SDB model, standard inflation and String Gas Cosmology.« less

Bianchi type-II String Cosmological Model with Magnetic Field in Scale-Covariant Theory of Gravitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, N. K.; Singh, J. K.

2014-12-01

The spatially homogeneous and totally anisotropic Bianchi type-II cosmological solutions of massive strings have been investigated in the presence of the magnetic field in the framework of scale-covariant theory of gravitation formulated by Canuto et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 39, 429, 1977). With the help of special law of variation for Hubble's parameter proposed by Berman (Nuovo Cimento 74, 182, 1983) string cosmological model is obtained in this theory. We use the power law relation between scalar field ϕ and scale factor R to find the solutions. Some physical and kinematical properties of the model are also discussed.

Null cosmological singularities and free strings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Narayan, K.

2010-03-15

We continue exploring free strings in the background of null Kasner-like cosmological singularities, following K. Narayan, arXiv:0904.4532. We study the free string Schrodinger wave functional along the lines of K. Narayan, arXiv:0807.1517. We find the wave functional to be nonsingular in the vicinity of singularities whose Kasner exponents satisfy certain relations. We compare this with the description in other variables. We then study certain regulated versions of these singularities where the singular region is replaced by a substringy but nonsingular region and study the string spectra in these backgrounds. The string modes can again be solved for exactly, giving somemore » insight into how string oscillator states get excited near the singularity.« less

Cosmic superstrings: Observable remnants of brane inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyman, Mark Charles

Brane inflation provides a natural dynamical model for the physics which underlie the inflationary paradigm. Besides their inflationary predictions, brane models imply another observable consequence: cosmic strings. In this dissertation I outline the background of how cosmic strings arise in brane inflationary models and how the properties of the strings and the models are mutually tied (Chapter 2). I then use cosmological observations to put limits on the properties of any actually-existing cosmic string network (Chapter 3). Next, I study the question of how cosmic superstrings, as the cosmic strings arising from string theory are known, could be distinct from classical gauge- theory cosmic strings. In particular, I propose an analytical model for the cosmological evolution of a network of binding cosmic strings (Chapter 4); I also describe the distinctive gravitational lensing phenomena that are caused by binding strings (Chapter 5). Finally, I lay out the background for the numerical study of a gauge theory model for the dynamics of cosmic superstring binding (Chapter 6).

PhD Thesis: String theory in the early universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwyn, Rhiannon

2009-11-01

The intersection of string theory with cosmology is unavoidable in the early universe, and its exploration may shine light on both fields. In this thesis, three papers at this intersection are presented and reviewed, with the aim of providing a thorough and pedagogical guide to their results. First, we address the longstanding problem of finding a string theory realisation of the axion. Using warped compactifications in heterotic string theory, we show that the axion decay constant can be lowered to acceptable values by the warp factor. Next, we move to the subject of cosmic strings, whose network evolution could have important consequences for astrophysics and cosmology. In particular, there are quantitative differences between cosmic superstring networks and GUT cosmic string networks. We investigate the properties of cosmic superstring networks in warped backgrounds, giving the tension and properties of three-string junctions in these backgrounds. Finally, we examine the possibility that cosmic strings in heterotic string theory could be responsible for generating the galactic magnetic fields that seeded those observed today.

Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize Lecture: The Higgs Boson, String Theory, and the Real World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, Gordon

2012-03-01

In this talk I'll describe how string theory is exciting because it can address most, perhaps all, of the questions we hope to understand about our world: why quarks and leptons make up our world, what forces form our world, cosmology, parity violation, and much more. I'll explain why string theory is testable in basically the same ways as the rest of physics, and why much of what is written about that is misleading. String theory is already or soon being tested in several ways, including correctly predicting the recently observed Higgs boson properties and mass, and predictions for dark matter, LHC physics, cosmological history, and more, from work in the increasingly active subfield ``string phenomenology.''

The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbons, G. W.; Shellard, E. P. S.; Rankin, S. J.

2009-08-01

Preface; List of contributors; 1. Introduction; Part I. Popular Symposium: 2. Our complex cosmos and its future Martin J. Rees; 3. Theories of everything and Hawking's wave function of the Universe James B. Hartle; 4. The problem of space-time singularities: implications for quantum gravity? Roger Penrose; 5. Warping spacetime Kip Thorne; 6. 60 years in a nutshell Stephen W. Hawking; Part II. Spacetime Singularities: 7. Cosmological perturbations and singularities George F. R. Ellis; 8. The quantum physics of chronology protection Matt Visser; 9. Energy dominance and the Hawking-Ellis vacuum conservation theorem Brandon Carter; 10. On the instability of extra space dimensions Roger Penrose; Part III. Black Holes: 11. Black hole uniqueness and the inner horizon stability problem Werner Israel; 12. Black holes in the real universe and their prospects as probes of relativistic gravity Martin J. Rees; 13. Primordial black holes Bernard Carr; 14. Black hole pair creation Simon F. Ross; 15. Black holes as accelerators Steven Giddings; Part IV. Hawking Radiation: 16. Black holes and string theory Malcolm Perry; 17. M theory and black hole quantum mechanics Joe Polchinski; 18. Playing with black strings Gary Horowitz; 19. Twenty years of debate with Stephen Leonard Susskind; Part V. Quantum Gravity: 20. Euclidean quantum gravity: the view from 2002 Gary Gibbons; 21. Zeta functions, anomalies and stable branes Ian Moss; 22. Some reflections on the status of conventional quantum theory when applied to quantum gravity Chris Isham; 23. Quantum geometry and its ramifications Abhay Ashtekar; 24. Topology change in quantum gravity Fay Dowker; Part VI. M Theory and Beyond: 25. The past and future of string theory Edward Witten; 26. String theory David Gross; 27. A brief description of string theory Michael Green; 28. The story of M Paul Townsend; 29. Gauged supergravity and holographic field theory Nick Warner; 30. 57 varieties in a NUTshell Chris Pope; Part VII. de Sitter Space: 31. Adventures in de Sitter space Raphael Bousso; 32. de Sitter space in non-critical string theory Andrew Strominger; 33. Supergravity, M theory and cosmology Renata Kallosh; Part VIII. Quantum Cosmology: 34. The state of the universe James B. Hartle; 35. Quantum cosmology Don Page; 36. Quantum cosmology and eternal inflation A. Vilenkin; 37. Probability in the deterministic theory known as quantum mechanics Bryce de Witt; 38. The interpretation of quantum cosmology and the problem of time J. Halliwell; 39. What local supersymmetry can do for quantum cosmology Peter D'Eath; Part IX. Cosmology: 40. Inflation and cosmological perturbations Alan Guth; 41. The future of cosmology: observational and computational prospects Paul Shellard; 42. The ekpyrotic universe and its cyclic extension Neil Turok; 43. Inflationary theory versus the ekpyrotic/cyclic scenario Andrei Linde; 44. Brane (new) worlds Pierre Binetruy; 45. Publications of Stephen Hawking; Index.

Cosmological backgrounds of gravitational waves and eLISA/NGO: phase transitions, cosmic strings and other sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Binétruy, Pierre; Dufaux, Jean-François; Bohé, Alejandro

We review several cosmological backgrounds of gravitational waves accessible to direct-detection experiments, with a special emphasis on those backgrounds due to first-order phase transitions and networks of cosmic (super-)strings. For these two particular sources, we revisit in detail the computation of the gravitational wave background and improve the results of previous works in the literature. We apply our results to identify the scientific potential of the NGO/eLISA mission of ESA regarding the detectability of cosmological backgrounds.

Dangerous angular Kaluza-Klein/glueball relics in string theory cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dufaux, J. F.; CITA, University of Toronto, 60 St. George st., Toronto, ON M5S 3H8; Kofman, L.

2008-07-15

The presence of Kaluza-Klein (KK) particles in the universe is a potential manifestation of string theory cosmology. In general, they can be present in the high temperature bath of the early universe. In particular examples, string theory inflation often ends with brane-antibrane annihilation followed by the energy cascading through massive closed string loops to KK modes which then decay into lighter standard model particles. However, massive KK modes in the early universe may become dangerous cosmological relics if the inner manifold contains warped throat(s) with approximate isometries. In the complimentary picture, in the AdS/CFT dual gauge theory with extra isometries,more » massive glueballs of various spins become the dangerous cosmological relics. The decay of these angular KK modes/glueballs, located around the tip of the throat, is caused by isometry breaking which results from gluing the throat to the compact Calabi-Yau (CY) manifold. We address the problem of these angular KK particles/glueballs, studying their interactions and decay channels, from the theory side, and the resulting cosmological constraints on the warped compactification parameters, from the phenomenology side. The abundance and decay time of the long-lived nonrelativistic angular KK modes depend strongly on the parameters of the warped geometry, so that observational constraints rule out a significant fraction of the parameter space. In particular, the coupling of the angular KK particles can be weaker than gravitational.« less

Blue spectra of Kalb-Ramond axions and fully anisotropic string cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giovannini, Massimo

1999-03-01

The inhomogeneities associated with massless Kalb-Ramond axions can be amplified not only in isotropic (four-dimensional) string cosmological models but also in the fully anisotropic case. If the background geometry is isotropic, the axions (which are not part of the homogeneous background) develop outside the horizon, the growing modes leading, ultimately, to logarithmic energy spectra which are ``red'' in frequency and increase at large distance scales. We show that this conclusion can be avoided not only in the case of higher dimensional backgrounds with contracting internal dimensions but also in the case of string cosmological scenarios which are completely anisotropic in four dimensions. In this case the logarithmic energy spectra turn out to be ``blue'' in frequency and, consequently, decreasing at large distance scales. We elaborate on anisotropic dilaton-driven models and we argue that, incidentally, the background models leading to blue (or flat) logarithmic energy spectra for axionic fluctuations are likely to be isotropized by the effect of string tension corrections.

Cosmology of the closed string tachyon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swanson, Ian

2008-09-15

The spacetime physics of bulk closed string tachyon condensation is studied at the level of a two-derivative effective action. We derive the unique perturbative tachyon potential consistent with a full class of linearized tachyonic deformations of supercritical string theory. The solutions of interest deform a general linear dilaton background by the insertion of purely exponential tachyon vertex operators. In spacetime, the evolution of the tachyon drives an accelerated contraction of the universe and, absent higher-order corrections, the theory collapses to a cosmological singularity in finite time, at arbitrarily weak string coupling. When the tachyon exhibits a null symmetry, the worldsheetmore » dynamics is known to be exact and well defined at tree level. We prove that if the two-derivative effective action is free of nongravitational singularities, higher-order corrections always resolve the spacetime curvature singularity of the null tachyon. The resulting theory provides an explicit mechanism by which tachyon condensation can generate or terminate the flow of cosmological time in string theory. Additional particular solutions can resolve an initial singularity with a tachyonic phase at weak coupling, or yield solitonic configurations that localize the universe along spatial directions.« less

Non-Abelian cosmic string in the Starobinsky model of gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morais Graça, J. P.; de Pádua Santos, A.; Bezerra de Mello, Eugênio R.; Bezerra, V. B.

In this paper, we analyze numerically the behavior of the solutions corresponding to a non-Abelian cosmic string in the framework of the Starobinsky model, i.e. where f(R) = R + ζR2. We perform the calculations for both an asymptotically flat and asymptotically (anti)-de Sitter spacetimes. We found that the angular deficit generated by the string decreases as the parameter ζ increases, in the case of a null cosmological constant. For a positive cosmological constant, we found that the cosmic horizon is affected in a nontrivial way by the parameter ζ.

Black holes as beads on cosmic strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashoorioon, Amjad; Mann, Robert B.

2014-11-01

We consider the possibility of the formation of cosmic strings with black holes as beads. We focus on the simplest setup where two black holes are formed on a long cosmic string. It turns out that in the absence of a background magnetic field and for observationally viable values for cosmic string tensions, μ \\lt 2× {{10}-7}, the tension of the strut in between the black holes has to be less than the ones that run into infinity. This result does not change if a cosmological constant is present. However, if a background magnetic field is turned on, we can have stable setups where the tensions of all cosmic strings are equal. We derive the equilibrium conditions in each of these setups depending on whether the black holes are extremal or non-extremal. We obtain cosmologically acceptable solutions with solar mass black holes and an intragalactic-strength cosmic magnetic field.

Anisotropic Bianchi Type-I and Type-II Bulk Viscous String Cosmological Models Coupled with Zero Mass Scalar Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkateswarlu, R.; Sreenivas, K.

2014-06-01

The LRS Bianchi type-I and type-II string cosmological models are studied when the source for the energy momentum tensor is a bulk viscous stiff fluid containing one dimensional strings together with zero-mass scalar field. We have obtained the solutions of the field equations assuming a functional relationship between metric coefficients when the metric is Bianchi type-I and constant deceleration parameter in case of Bianchi type-II metric. The physical and kinematical properties of the models are discussed in each case. The effects of Viscosity on the physical and kinematical properties are also studied.

Particle creation and reheating in a braneworld inflationary scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilić, Neven; Domazet, Silvije; Djordjevic, Goran S.

2017-10-01

We study the cosmological particle creation in the tachyon inflation based on the D-brane dynamics in the Randall-Sundrum (RSII) model extended to include matter in the bulk. The presence of matter modifies the warp factor which results in two effects: a modification of the RSII cosmology and a modification of the tachyon potential. Besides, a string theory D-brane supports among other fields a U(1) gauge field reflecting open strings attached to the brane. We demonstrate how the interaction of the tachyon with the U(1) gauge field drives cosmological creation of massless particles and estimate the resulting reheating at the end of inflation.

Relativistic strings - From soap films to a grand unified theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesterenko, V. V.

1986-11-01

The concept of relativistic strings is considered in connection with the theory of minimal surfaces (e.g., soap films stretched onto closed wire contours). The role of relativistic strings in hadron physics is discussed. Attention is then given to the creation of a grand unified theory on the basis of the superstring concept. Finally, the role of relativistic strings in cosmology is examined.

Supersymmetric k-defects

DOE PAGES

Koehn, Michael; Trodden, Mark

2016-03-03

In supersymmetric theories, topological defects can have nontrivial behaviors determined purely by whether or not supersymmetry is restored in the defect core. A well-known example of this is that some supersymmetric cosmic strings are automatically superconducting, leading to important cosmological effects and constraints. We investigate the impact of nontrivial kinetic interactions, present in a number of particle physics models of interest in cosmology, on the relationship between supersymmetry and supercurrents on strings. Furthermore, we find that in some cases it is possible for superconductivity to be disrupted by the extra interactions.

About non standard Lagrangians in cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dimitrijevic, Dragoljub D.; Milosevic, Milan

A review of non standard Lagrangians present in modern cosmological models will be considered. Well known example of non standard Lagrangian is Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) type Lagrangian for tachyon field. Another type of non standard Lagrangian under consideration contains scalar field which describes open p-adic string tachyon and is called p-adic string theory Lagrangian. We will investigate homogenous cases of both DBI and p-adic fields and obtain Lagrangians of the standard type which have the same equations of motions as aforementioned non standard one.

Cosmological applications of singular hypersurfaces in general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laguna-Castillo, Pablo

Three applications to cosmology of surface layers, based on Israel's formalism of singular hypersurfaces and thin shells in general relativity, are presented. Einstein's field equations are analyzed in the presence of a bubble nucleated in vacuum phase transitions within the context of the old inflationary universe scenario. The evolution of a bubble with vanishing surface energy density is studied. It is found that such bubbles lead to a worm-hole matching. Next, the observable four-dimensional universe is considered as a singular hypersurface of discontinuity embedded in a five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein cosmology. It is possible to rewrite the projected five-dimensional Einstein equations on the surface layer in a similar way to the four-dimensional Robertson-Walker cosmology equations. Next, a model is described for an infinite-length, straight U(1) cosmic string as a cylindrical, singular shell enclosing a region of false vacuum. A set of equations is introduced which are required to develop a three-dimensional computer code whose purpose is to study the process of intercommuting cosmic strings with the inclusion of gravitational effects. The outcome is evolution and constraint equations for the gravitational, scalar and gauge field of two initially separated, perpendicular, cosmic strings.

Cosmological magnetic fields as string dynamo seeds and axion fields in torsioned spacetime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Andrade, L.C. Garcia, E-mail: garcia@dft.if.uerj.br

2014-08-01

In this paper two examples of the generation cosmological magnetic fields (CMF) are given. The first is the string dynamo seed cosmological magnetic field estimated as B{sub seed}∼10{sup -24} Gauss from a static spin polarised cylinder in Einstein-Cartan-Maxwell spacetime. The string dynamo seeds from a static spin polarised cylinder is given by B∼σ{sup 2}R{sup 2} where σ is the spin-torsion density while R is the string radius. The B-field value above is able to seed galactic dynamo. In the BBN the magnetic fields around 10{sup 12} Gauss give rise to a string radius as small as 10{sup 17}l{sub P} where l{sub P}more » is the Planck length. The second is the CMF from axionic torsion field which is given by B{sub seed}∼10{sup -27} Gauss which is stronger than the primordial magnetic field B{sub BICEP2}∼10{sup -30} Gauss from the BICEP2 recent experiment on primordial gravitational waves and cosmological inflation to axionic torsion. The interaction Lagrangean between axionic torsion scalar φ and magnetic fields used in this last example is given by f{sup 2}(φ)F{sub μν}F{sup μν}. A similar lagrangean has been used by K. Bamba et al. [JCAP 10 (2012) 058] so generate magnetic fields without dynamo action. Since axionic torsion can be associated with axionic domain walls both examples discussed here could be consider as topological defects examples of the generation of primordial magnetic fields in universes endowed with spacetime torsion.« less

Chameleonic dilaton, nonequivalent frames, and the cosmological constant problem in quantum string theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zanzi, Andrea

2010-08-15

The chameleonic behavior of the string theory dilaton is suggested. Some of the possible consequences of the chameleonic string dilaton are analyzed in detail. In particular, (1) we suggest a new stringy solution to the cosmological constant problem and (2) we point out the nonequivalence of different conformal frames at the quantum level. In order to obtain these results, we start taking into account the (strong coupling) string loop expansion in the string frame (S-frame), therefore the so-called form factors are present in the effective action. The correct dark energy scale is recovered in the Einstein frame (E-frame) without unnaturalmore » fine-tunings and this result is robust against all quantum corrections, granted that we assume a proper structure of the S-frame form factors in the strong coupling regime. At this stage, the possibility still exists that a certain amount of fine-tuning may be required to satisfy some phenomenological constraints. Moreover in the E-frame, in our proposal, all the interactions are switched off on cosmological length scales (i.e., the theory is IR-free), while higher derivative gravitational terms might be present locally (on short distances) and it remains to be seen whether these facts clash with phenomenology. A detailed phenomenological analysis is definitely necessary to clarify these points.« less

How to simulate global cosmic strings with large string tension

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klaer, Vincent B.; Moore, Guy D., E-mail: vklaer@theorie.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de, E-mail: guy.moore@physik.tu-darmstadt.de

Global string networks may be relevant in axion production in the early Universe, as well as other cosmological scenarios. Such networks contain a large hierarchy of scales between the string core scale and the Hubble scale, ln( f {sub a} / H ) ∼ 70, which influences the network dynamics by giving the strings large tensions T ≅ π f {sub a} {sup 2} ln( f {sub a} / H ). We present a new numerical approach to simulate such global string networks, capturing the tension without an exponentially large lattice.

Axions, Inflation and String Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, Katherine J.; Steinhardt, P. J.

2009-01-01

The QCD axion is the leading contender to rid the standard model of the strong-CP problem. If the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking occurs before inflation, which is likely in string theory models, axions manifest themselves cosmologically as a form of cold dark matter with a density determined by the axion's initial conditions and by the energy scale of inflation. Constraints on the dark matter density and on the amplitude of CMB isocurvature perturbations currently demand an exponential degree of fine-tuning of both axion and inflationary parameters beyond what is required for particle physics. String theory models generally produce large numbers of axion-like fields; the prospect that any of these fields exist at scales close to that of the QCD axion makes the problem drastically worse. I will discuss the challenge of accommodating string-theoretic axions in standard inflationary cosmology and show that the fine-tuning problems cannot be fully addressed by anthropic principle arguments.

String theory, gauge theory and quantum gravity. Proceedings. Trieste Spring School and Workshop on String Theory, Gauge Theory and Quantum Gravity, Trieste (Italy), 11 - 22 Apr 1994.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-04-01

The following topics were dealt with: string theory, gauge theory, quantum gravity, quantum geometry, black hole physics and information loss, second quantisation of the Wilson loop, 2D Yang-Mills theory, topological field theories, equivariant cohomology, superstring theory and fermion masses, supergravity, topological gravity, waves in string cosmology, superstring theories, 4D space-time.

Bianchi Type-II String Cosmological Model with Magnetic Field in f ( R, T) Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, N. K.; Singh, J. K.

2014-09-01

The spatially homogeneous and totally anisotropic Bianchi type-II cosmological solutions of massive strings have been investigated in the presence of the magnetic field in the framework of f( R, T) gravity proposed by Harko et al. (Phys Rev D 84:024020, 2011). With the help of special law of variation for Hubble's parameter proposed by Berman (Nuovo Cimento B 74:182, 1983) cosmological model is obtained in this theory. We consider f( R, T) model and investigate the modification R+ f( T) in Bianchi type-II cosmology with an appropriate choice of a function f( T)= μ T. We use the power law relation between average Hubble parameter H and average scale factor R to find the solution. The assumption of constant deceleration parameter leads to two models of universe, i.e. power law model and exponential model. Some physical and kinematical properties of the model are also discussed.

Anisotropic string cosmological model in Brans–Dicke theory of gravitation with time-dependent deceleration parameter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maurya, D. Ch., E-mail: dcmaurya563@gmail.com; Zia, R., E-mail: rashidzya@gmail.com; Pradhan, A., E-mail: pradhan.anirudh@gmail.com

We discuss a spatially homogeneous and anisotropic string cosmological models in the Brans–Dicke theory of gravitation. For a spatially homogeneous metric, it is assumed that the expansion scalar θ is proportional to the shear scalar σ. This condition leads to A = kB{sup m}, where k and m are constants. With these assumptions and also assuming a variable scale factor a = a(t), we find solutions of the Brans–Dicke field equations. Various phenomena like the Big Bang, expanding universe, and shift from anisotropy to isotropy are observed in the model. It can also be seen that in early stage ofmore » the evolution of the universe, strings dominate over particles, whereas the universe is dominated by massive strings at the late time. Some physical and geometrical behaviors of the models are also discussed and observed to be in good agreement with the recent observations of SNe la supernovae.« less

Cosmic archaeology with gravitational waves from cosmic strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Yanou; Lewicki, Marek; Morrissey, David E.; Wells, James D.

2018-06-01

Cosmic strings are generic cosmological predictions of many extensions of the standard model of particle physics, such as a U (1 )' symmetry-breaking phase transition in the early Universe or remnants of superstring theory. Unlike other topological defects, cosmic strings can reach a scaling regime that maintains a small fixed fraction of the total energy density of the Universe from a very early epoch until today. If present, they will oscillate and generate gravitational waves with a frequency spectrum that imprints the dominant sources of total cosmic energy density throughout the history of the Universe. We demonstrate that current and future gravitational wave detectors, such as LIGO and LISA, could be capable of measuring the frequency spectrum of gravitational waves from cosmic strings and discerning the energy composition of the Universe at times well before primordial nucleosynthesis and the cosmic microwave background where standard cosmology has yet to be tested. This work establishes a benchmark case that gravitational waves may provide an unprecedented, powerful tool for probing the evolutionary history of the very early Universe.

The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbons, G. W.; Shellard, E. P. S.; Rankin, S. J.

2003-11-01

Based on lectures given in honor of Stephen Hawking's 60th birthday, this book comprises contributions from the world's leading theoretical physicists. Popular lectures progress to a critical evaluation of more advanced subjects in modern cosmology and theoretical physics. Topics covered include the origin of the universe, warped spacetime, cosmological singularities, quantum gravity, black holes, string theory, quantum cosmology and inflation. The volume provides a fascinating overview of the variety of subjects to which Stephen Hawking has contributed.

Constraining the String Gauge Field by Galaxy Rotation Curves and Perihelion Precession of Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, Yeuk-Kwan E.; Xu, Feng

2013-09-01

We discuss a cosmological model in which the string gauge field coupled universally to matter gives rise to an extra centripetal force and will have observable signatures on cosmological and astronomical observations. Several tests are performed using data including galaxy rotation curves of 22 spiral galaxies of varied luminosities and sizes and perihelion precessions of planets in the solar system. The rotation curves of the same group of galaxies are independently fit using a dark matter model with the generalized Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile and the string model. A remarkable fit of galaxy rotation curves is achieved using the one-parameter string model as compared to the three-parameter dark matter model with the NFW profile. The average χ2 value of the NFW fit is 9% better than that of the string model at a price of two more free parameters. Furthermore, from the string model, we can give a dynamical explanation for the phenomenological Tully-Fisher relation. We are able to derive a relation between field strength, galaxy size, and luminosity, which can be verified with data from the 22 galaxies. To further test the hypothesis of the universal existence of the string gauge field, we apply our string model to the solar system. Constraint on the magnitude of the string field in the solar system is deduced from the current ranges for any anomalous perihelion precession of planets allowed by the latest observations. The field distribution resembles a dipole field originating from the Sun. The string field strength deduced from the solar system observations is of a similar magnitude as the field strength needed to sustain the rotational speed of the Sun inside the Milky Way. This hypothesis can be tested further by future observations with higher precision.

Dilaton Cosmology and Phenomenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasperini, M.

This paper is dedicated to Gabriele Veneziano on his 65th birthday. Most of the results reported here are known results, due to Gabriele, or obtained in collaboration with him, or inspired by our joint work on string cosmology. A few new results are also presented concerning the duality invariance of a non-local dilaton coupling to the matter sources, and its possible cosmological applications in the context of the dark energy scenario.

Thick strings, the liquid crystal blue phase, and cosmological large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luo, Xiaochun; Schramm, David N.

1992-01-01

A phenomenological model based on the liquid crystal blue phase is proposed as a model for a late-time cosmological phase transition. Topological defects, in particular thick strings and/or domain walls, are presented as seeds for structure formation. It is shown that the observed large-scale structure, including quasi-periodic wall structure, can be well fitted in the model without violating the microwave background isotropy bound or the limits from induced gravitational waves and the millisecond pulsar timing. Furthermore, such late-time transitions can produce objects such as quasars at high redshifts. The model appears to work with either cold or hot dark matter.

Imprints of cosmic strings on the cosmological gravitational wave background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleidis, K.; Papadopoulos, D. B.; Verdaguer, E.; Vlahos, L.

2008-07-01

The equation which governs the temporal evolution of a gravitational wave (GW) in curved space-time can be treated as the Schrödinger equation for a particle moving in the presence of an effective potential. When GWs propagate in an expanding universe with constant effective potential, there is a critical value (kc) of the comoving wave number which discriminates the metric perturbations into oscillating (k>kc) and nonoscillating (k

Quantum Gravity and Cosmology: an intimate interplay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakellariadou, Mairi

2017-08-01

I will briefly discuss three cosmological models built upon three distinct quantum gravity proposals. I will first highlight the cosmological rôle of a vector field in the framework of a string/brane cosmological model. I will then present the resolution of the big bang singularity and the occurrence of an early era of accelerated expansion of a geometric origin, in the framework of group field theory condensate cosmology. I will then summarise results from an extended gravitational model based on non-commutative spectral geometry, a model that offers a purely geometric explanation for the standard model of particle physics.

Quantization of parameters and the string landscape problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouhmadi-López, Mariam; Vargas Moniz, Paulo

2007-05-01

We broaden the domain of application of Brustein and de Alwis's recent paper, where they introduce a (dynamical) selection principle on the landscape of string solutions using FRW quantum cosmology. More precisely, we (i) explain how their analysis is based in choosing a restrictive range of parameters, thereby affecting the validity of the predictions extracted and (ii) subsequently provide a wider and cohesive description, regarding the probability distribution induced by quantum cosmological transition amplitudes. In addition, employing DeWitt's argument for an initial condition on the wavefunction of the Universe, we found that the string and gravitational parameters become related through interesting expressions involving an integer n, suggesting a quantization relation for some of the involved parameters. This research work was supported by the grants POCI/FP/63916/2005, FEDER-POCI/P/FIS/57547/2004 and Acções Integradas (CRUP-CSIC) Luso-Espanholas E-138/04.

Observable gravitational waves in pre-big bang cosmology: an update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gasperini, M., E-mail: gasperini@ba.infn.it

In the light of the recent results concerning CMB observations and GW detection we address the question of whether it is possible, in a self-consistent inflationary framework, to simultaneously generate a spectrum of scalar metric perturbations in agreement with Planck data and a stochastic background of primordial gravitational radiation compatible with the design sensitivity of aLIGO/Virgo and/or eLISA. We suggest that this is possible in a string cosmology context, for a wide region of the parameter space of the so-called pre-big bang models. We also discuss the associated values of the tensor-to-scalar ratio relevant to the CMB polarization experiments. Wemore » conclude that future, cross-correlated results from CMB observations and GW detectors will be able to confirm or disprove pre-big bang models and—in any case—will impose new significant constraints on the basic string theory/cosmology parameters.« less

Constraints on cosmic strings due to black holes formed from collapsed cosmic string loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caldwell, R. R.; Gates, Evalyn

1993-01-01

The cosmological features of primordial black holes formed from collapsed cosmic string loops are studied. Observational restrictions on a population of primordial black holes are used to restrict f, the fraction of cosmic string loops which collapse to form black holes, and mu, the cosmic string mass-per-unit length. Using a realistic model of cosmic strings, we find the strongest restriction on the parameters f and mu is due to the energy density in 100MeV photons radiated by the black holes. We also find that inert black hole remnants cannot serve as the dark matter. If earlier, crude estimates of f are reliable, our results severely restrict mu, and therefore limit the viability of the cosmic string large-scale structure scenario.

Cosmological footprints of loop quantum gravity.

PubMed

Grain, J; Barrau, A

2009-02-27

The primordial spectrum of cosmological tensor perturbations is considered as a possible probe of quantum gravity effects. Together with string theory, loop quantum gravity is one of the most promising frameworks to study quantum effects in the early universe. We show that the associated corrections should modify the potential seen by gravitational waves during the inflationary amplification. The resulting power spectrum should exhibit a characteristic tilt. This opens a new window for cosmological tests of quantum gravity.

Diffusion of massive particles around an Abelian-Higgs string

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Abhisek; Sanyal, Soma

2018-03-01

We study the diffusion of massive particles in the space time of an Abelian Higgs string. The particles in the early universe plasma execute Brownian motion. This motion of the particles is modeled as a two dimensional random walk in the plane of the Abelian Higgs string. The particles move randomly in the space time of the string according to their geodesic equations. We observe that for certain values of their energy and angular momentum, an overdensity of particles is observed close to the string. We find that the string parameters determine the distribution of the particles. We make an estimate of the density fluctuation generated around the string as a function of the deficit angle. Though the thickness of the string is small, the length is large and the overdensity close to the string may have cosmological consequences in the early universe.

Cosmic strings - A problem or a solution?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, David P.; Bouchet, Francois R.

1988-01-01

The most fundamental issue in the theory of cosmic strings is addressed by means of Numerical Simulations: the existence of a scaling solution. The resolution of this question will determine whether cosmic strings can form the basis of an attractive theory of galaxy formation or prove to be a cosmological disaster like magnetic monopoles or domain walls. After a brief discussion of our numerical technique, results are presented which, though still preliminary, offer the best support to date of this scaling hypothesis.

Implications of a class of grand-unified theories for large-scale structure in the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shafi, Q.; Stecker, F. W.

1984-01-01

A class of grand-unified theories in which cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities arise naturally is considered. To obtain large-scale structure, attention is given to (1) an inflationary scenario, (2) inflation followed by string production, and (3) a noninflationary scenario with density fluctuations caused solely by strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with the recent observational indications that Omega less than 1 on the scale of superclusters, particularly if strings are present.

On the initial regime of pre-big bang cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gasperini, M., E-mail: gasperini@ba.infn.it

The production of a background of super-horizon curvature perturbations with the appropriate (red) spectrum needed to trigger the cosmic anisotropies observed on large scales is associated, in the context of pre-big bang inflation, with a phase of growing string coupling. The extension towards the past of such a phase is not limited in time by the dynamical backreaction of the quantum perturbations of the cosmological geometry and of its sources. A viable, slightly red spectrum of scalar perturbations can thus be the output of an asymptotic, perturbative regime which is well compatible with an initial string-vacuum state satisfying the postulatemore » of 'Asymptotic Past Triviality'.« less

Dynamics with infinitely many time derivatives in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background and rolling tachyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joukovskaya, Liudmila

2009-02-01

Dynamics with infinitely many time derivatives has place in string field theory and have been profoundly investigated there. Recently there has been considerable interest in theories with infinitely many derivatives in the cosmological context in view of new features which these theories might accommodate owing to nonlocal interaction. In present work we continue investigation of such models, as a concrete example we study the dynamics of unstable D-brane in the open string theory in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background. We construct numerical solutions describing dynamical interpolation between the perturbative and non-perturbative vacua. The obtained solutions have several interesting properties and might be of interest from the cosmological points of view.

Gravitational lensing effects of vacuum strings - Exact solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gott, J. R., III

1985-01-01

Exact interior and exterior solutions to Einstein's field equations are derived for vacuum strings. The exterior solution for a uniform density vacuum string corresponds to a conical space while the interior solution is that of a spherical cap. For Mu equals 0-1/4 the external metric is ds-squared = -dt-squared + dr-squared + (1-4 Mu)-squared r-squared dphi-squared + dz-squared, where Mu is the mass per unit length in the string in Planck masses per Planck length. A maximum mass per unit length for a string is 6.73 x 10 to the 27th g/cm. It is shown that strings cause temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background and produce equal brightness double QSO images separated by up to several minutes of arc. Formulae for lensing probabilities, image splittings, and time delays are derived for strings in a realistic cosmological setting. String searches using ST, the VLA, and the COBE satellite are discussed.

Axion string dynamics I: 2+1D

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fleury, Leesa M.; Moore, Guy D.

2016-05-03

If the axion exists and if the initial axion field value is uncorrelated at causally disconnected points, then it should be possible to predict the efficiency of cosmological axion production, relating the axionic dark matter density to the axion mass. The main obstacle to making this prediction is correctly treating the axion string cores. We develop a new algorithm for treating the axionic string cores correctly in 2+1 dimensions. When the axionic string cores are given their full physical string tension, axion production is about twice as efficient as in previous simulations. We argue that the string network in 2+1more » dimensions should behave very differently than in 3+1 dimensions, so this result cannot be simply carried over to the physical case. We outline how to extend our method to 3+1D axion string dynamics.« less

A Search for Cosmic String Loops Using GADGET-2 Cosmological N-Body Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braverman, William; Cousins, Bryce; Jia, Hewei

2018-01-01

Cosmic string loops are an extremely elusive hypothetical entity that have eluded the grasp of physicists and astronomers since their existence was postulated in the 1970’s. Finding evidence of their existence could be the first empirical evidence of string theory.Simulating their basic motion in a cold dark matter background using GADGET-2 allows us to predict where they may cluster during large scale structure formation (if they cluster at all). Here, we present our progress in placing cosmic strings into GADGET-2 with their basic equations of motion to lay a ground work for more complex simulations to find where these strings cluster. Ultimately, these simulations could lay a groundwork as to where future microlensing and gravitational wave observatories should look for cosmic strings.

Why there is something rather than nothing: cosmological constant from summing over everything in lorentzian quantum gravity.

PubMed

Barvinsky, A O

2007-08-17

The density matrix of the Universe for the microcanonical ensemble in quantum cosmology describes an equipartition in the physical phase space of the theory (sum over everything), but in terms of the observable spacetime geometry this ensemble is peaked about the set of recently obtained cosmological instantons limited to a bounded range of the cosmological constant. This suggests the mechanism of constraining the landscape of string vacua and a possible solution to the dark energy problem in the form of the quasiequilibrium decay of the microcanonical state of the Universe.

String inspired brane world cosmology.

PubMed

Germani, Cristiano; Sopuerta, Carlos F

2002-06-10

We consider brane world scenarios including the leading correction to the Einstein-Hilbert action suggested by superstring theory, the Gauss-Bonnet term. We obtain and study the complete set of equations governing the cosmological dynamics. We find they have the same form as those in Randall-Sundrum scenarios but with time-varying four-dimensional gravitational and cosmological constants. By studying the bulk geometry we show that this variation is produced by bulk curvature terms parametrized by the mass of a black hole. Finally, we show there is a coupling between these curvature terms and matter that can be relevant for early universe cosmology.

Black string in dRGT massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tannukij, Lunchakorn; Wongjun, Pitayuth; Ghosh, Suchant G.

2017-12-01

We present a cylindrically symmetric solution, both charged and uncharged, which is known as a black string solution to the nonlinear ghost-free massive gravity found by de Rham, Gabadadze, and Tolley (dRGT). This "dRGT black string" can be thought of as a generalization of the black string solution found by Lemos. Moreover, the dRGT black string solution includes other classes of black string solution such as the monopole-black string ones since the graviton mass contributes to the global monopole term as well as the cosmological-constant term. To investigate the solution, we compute mass, temperature, and entropy of the dRGT black string. We found that the existence of the graviton mass drastically affects the thermodynamics of the black string. Furthermore, the Hawking-Page phase transition is found to be possible for the dRGT black string as well as the charged dRGT black string. The dRGT black string solution is thermodynamically stable for r>r_c with negative thermodynamical potential and positive heat capacity while it is unstable for r

Cosmic string loops as the seeds of super-massive black holes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bramberger, Sebastian F.; Brandenberger, Robert H.; Jreidini, Paul

2015-06-01

Recent discoveries of super-massive black holes at high redshifts indicate a possible tension with the standard ΛCDM paradigm of early universe cosmology which has difficulties in explaining the origin of the required nonlinear compact seeds which trigger the formation of these super-massive black holes. Here we show that cosmic string loops which result from a scaling solution of strings formed during a phase transition in the very early universe lead to an additional source of compact seeds. The number density of string-induced seeds dominates at high redshifts and can help trigger the formation of the observed super-massive black holes.

String duality transformations in f(R) gravity from Noether symmetry approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Capozziello, Salvatore; Gionti, Gabriele S.J.; Vernieri, Daniele, E-mail: capozziello@na.inf.it, E-mail: ggionti@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: vernieri@iap.fr

2016-01-01

We select f(R) gravity models that undergo scale factor duality transformations. As a starting point, we consider the tree-level effective gravitational action of bosonic String Theory coupled with the dilaton field. This theory inherits the Busher's duality of its parent String Theory. Using conformal transformations of the metric tensor, it is possible to map the tree-level dilaton-graviton string effective action into f(R) gravity, relating the dilaton field to the Ricci scalar curvature. Furthermore, the duality can be framed under the standard of Noether symmetries and exact cosmological solutions are derived. Using suitable changes of variables, the string-based f(R) Lagrangians aremore » shown in cases where the duality transformation becomes a parity inversion.« less

Bianchi type string cosmological models in f(R,T) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, P. K.; Mishra, B.; Sahoo, Parbati; Pacif, S. K. J.

2016-09-01

In this work we have studied Bianchi-III and - VI 0 cosmological models with string fluid source in f( R, T) gravity (T. Harko et al., Phys. Rev. D 84, 024020 (2011)), where R is the Ricci scalar and T the trace of the stress energy-momentum tensor in the context of late time accelerating expansion of the universe as suggested by the present observations. The exact solutions of the field equations are obtained by using a time-varying deceleration parameter. The universe is anisotropic and free from initial singularity. Our model initially shows acceleration for a certain period of time and then decelerates consequently. Several dynamical and physical behaviors of the model are also discussed in detail.

Axions, inflation and the anthropic principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, Katherine J.

2011-07-01

The QCD axion is the leading solution to the strong-CP problem, a dark matter candidate, and a possible result of string theory compactifications. However, for axions produced before inflation, symmetry-breaking scales of fagtrsim1012 GeV (which are favored in string-theoretic axion models) are ruled out by cosmological constraints unless both the axion misalignment angle θ0 and the inflationary Hubble scale HI are extremely fine-tuned. We show that attempting to accommodate a high-fa axion in inflationary cosmology leads to a fine-tuning problem that is worse than the strong-CP problem the axion was originally invented to solve. We also show that this problem remains unresolved by anthropic selection arguments commonly applied to the high-fa axion scenario.

Axions, neutrinos and strings: The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1984-01-01

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

Axions, neutrinos and strings - The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1986-01-01

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

General N=1 supersymmetric flux vacua of massive type IIA string theory.

PubMed

Behrndt, Klaus; Cvetic, Mirjam

2005-07-08

We derive conditions for the existence of four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric flux vacua of massive type IIA string theory with general supergravity fluxes turned on. For an SU(3) singlet Killing spinor, we show that such flux vacua exist when the internal geometry is nearly Kähler. The geometry is not warped, all the allowed fluxes are proportional to the mass parameter, and the dilaton is fixed by a ratio of (quantized) fluxes. The four-dimensional cosmological constant, while negative, becomes small in the vacuum with the weak string coupling.

Bianchi-V string cosmological model with dark energy anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, B.; Tripathy, S. K.; Ray, Pratik P.

2018-05-01

The role of anisotropic components on the dark energy and the dynamics of the universe is investigated. An anisotropic dark energy fluid with different pressures along different spatial directions is assumed to incorporate the effect of anisotropy. One dimensional cosmic strings aligned along x-direction supplement some kind of anisotropy. Anisotropy in the dark energy pressure is found to evolve with cosmic expansion at least at late times. At an early phase, the anisotropic effect due to the cosmic strings substantially affect the dynamics of the accelerating universe.

'Black universe' epoch in string cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buchel, Alex; Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 2W9; Kofman, Lev

2008-10-15

String theory compactification involves manifolds with multiple warp factors. For cosmological applications, we often introduce a short, high-energy inflationary throat, and a long, low-energy standard model (SM) throat. It is assumed that at the end of inflation, the excited Kaluza-Klein modes from the inflationary throat tunnel to the SM throat and reheat standard model degrees of freedom, which are attached to probe brane(s). However, the huge hierarchy of energy scales can result in a highly dynamic transition of the throat geometry. We point out that in such a cosmological scenario the standard model throat (together with SM brane) will bemore » cloaked by a Schwarzschild horizon, produced by the Kaluza-Klein modes tunneling from the short throat. The black brane formation is dual to the first order chiral phase transition of the cascading gauge theory. We calculate the critical energy density corresponding the formation of the black hole (BH) horizon in the long throat. We discuss the duality between 'black universe' cosmology and an expanding universe driven by the hot gauge theory radiation. We address the new problem of the hierarchical multiple-throat scenarios: SM brane disappearance after the decay of the BH horizon.« less

CONSTRAINING THE STRING GAUGE FIELD BY GALAXY ROTATION CURVES AND PERIHELION PRECESSION OF PLANETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheung, Yeuk-Kwan E.; Xu Feng, E-mail: cheung@nju.edu.cn

2013-09-01

We discuss a cosmological model in which the string gauge field coupled universally to matter gives rise to an extra centripetal force and will have observable signatures on cosmological and astronomical observations. Several tests are performed using data including galaxy rotation curves of 22 spiral galaxies of varied luminosities and sizes and perihelion precessions of planets in the solar system. The rotation curves of the same group of galaxies are independently fit using a dark matter model with the generalized Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile and the string model. A remarkable fit of galaxy rotation curves is achieved using the one-parameter stringmore » model as compared to the three-parameter dark matter model with the NFW profile. The average {chi}{sup 2} value of the NFW fit is 9% better than that of the string model at a price of two more free parameters. Furthermore, from the string model, we can give a dynamical explanation for the phenomenological Tully-Fisher relation. We are able to derive a relation between field strength, galaxy size, and luminosity, which can be verified with data from the 22 galaxies. To further test the hypothesis of the universal existence of the string gauge field, we apply our string model to the solar system. Constraint on the magnitude of the string field in the solar system is deduced from the current ranges for any anomalous perihelion precession of planets allowed by the latest observations. The field distribution resembles a dipole field originating from the Sun. The string field strength deduced from the solar system observations is of a similar magnitude as the field strength needed to sustain the rotational speed of the Sun inside the Milky Way. This hypothesis can be tested further by future observations with higher precision.« less

Local constraints on cosmic string loops from photometry and pulsar timing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pshirkov, M. S.; Tuntsov, A. V.; Sternberg Astronomical Institute, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992

2010-04-15

We constrain the cosmological density of cosmic string loops using two observational signatures--gravitational microlensing and the Kaiser-Stebbins effect. Photometry from RXTE and CoRoT space missions and pulsar timing from Parkes Pulsar Timing Array, Arecibo and Green Bank radio telescopes allow us to probe cosmic strings in a wide range of tensions G{mu}/c{sup 2}=10{sup -16} divide 10{sup -10}. We find that pulsar timing data provide the most stringent constraints on the abundance of light strings at the level {Omega}{sub s{approx}}10{sup -3}. Future observational facilities such as the Square Kilometer Array will allow one to improve these constraints by orders of magnitude.

Eventful horizons: String theory in de Sitter and anti-de Sitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleban, Matthew Benjamin

String theory purports to be a theory of quantum gravity. As such, it should have much to say about the deep mysteries surrounding the very early stages of our universe. For this reason, although the theory is notoriously difficult to directly test, data from experimental cosmology may provide a way to probe the high energy physics of string theory. In the first part of this thesis, I will address the important issue of the testability of string theory using observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation. In the second part, I will study some formal difficulties that arise in attempting to understand string theory in de Sitter spacetime. In the third part, I will study the singularity of an eternal anti de Sitter Schwarzschild black hole, using the AdS/CFT correspondence.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vázquez-Báez, V.; Ramírez, C.

We present calculations towards obtaining a wave functions of the universe for the supersymmetric closed string tachyon cosmology. Supersymmetrization, in the superfield formalism, is performed by taking advantage of the time reparametrization invariance of the cosmological action and generalizing the transformations to include grassmannian variables. We calculate the corresponding Hamiltonian, by means of the Dirac formalism, and make use of the superalgebra to find solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equations indirectly.

Bianchi VI cosmological models representing perfect fluid and radiation with electric-type free gravitational fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, S. R.; Banerjee, S. K.

1992-11-01

A homogeneous Bianchi type VIh cosmological model filled with perfect fluid, null electromagnetic field and streaming neutrinos is obtained for which the free gravitational field is of the electric type. The barotropic equation of statep = (γ-1)ɛ is imposed in the particular case of Bianchi VI0 string models. Various physical and kinematical properties of the models are discussed.

Universe or Multiverse?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Bernard

2009-08-01

Part I. Overviews: 1. Introduction and overview Bernard Carr; 2. Living in the multiverse Steven Weinberg; 3. Enlightenment, knowledge, ignorance, temptation Frank Wilczek; Part II. Cosmology and Astrophysics: 4. Cosmology and the multiverse Martin J. Rees; 5. The anthropic principle revisited Bernard Carr; 6. Cosmology from the top down Stephen Hawking; 7. The multiverse hierarchy Max Tegmark; 8. The inflationary universe Andrei Linde; 9. A model of anthropic reasoning: the dark to ordinary matter ratio Frank Wilczek; 10. Anthropic predictions: the case of the cosmological constant Alexander Vilenkin; 11. The definition and classification of universes James D. Bjorken; 12. M/string theory and anthropic reasoning Renata Kallosh; 13. The anthropic principle, dark energy and the LHC Savas Dimopoulos and Scott Thomas; Part III. Particle Physics and Quantum Theory: 14. Quarks, electrons and atoms in closely related universes Craig J. Hogan; 15. The fine-tuning problems of particle physics and anthropic mechanisms John F. Donoghue; 16. The anthropic landscape of string theory Leonard Susskind; 17. Cosmology and the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics Viatcheslav Mukhanov; 18. Anthropic reasoning and quantum cosmology James B. Hartle; 19. Micro-anthropic principle for quantum theory Brandon Carter; Part IV. More General Philosophical Issues: 20. Scientific alternatives to the anthropic principle Lee Smolin; 21. Making predictions in a multiverse: conundrums, dangers, coincidences Anthony Aguirre; 22. Multiverses: description, uniqueness and testing George Ellis; 23. Predictions and tests of multiverse theories Don N. Page; 24. Observation selection theory and cosmological fine-tuning Nick Bostrom; 25. Are anthropic arguments, involving multiverses and beyond, legitimate? William R. Stoeger; 26. The multiverse hypothesis: a theistic perspective Robin Collins; 27. Living in a simulated universe John D. Barrow; 28. Universes galore: where will it all end? Paul Davies; Index.

Can primordial magnetic fields seeded by electroweak strings cause an alignment of quasar axes on cosmological scales?

PubMed

Poltis, Robert; Stojkovic, Dejan

2010-10-15

The decay of nontopological electroweak strings may leave an observable imprint in the Universe today in the form of primordial magnetic fields. Protogalaxies preferentially tend to form with their axis of rotation parallel to an external magnetic field, and, moreover, an external magnetic field produces torque which tends to align the galaxy axis with the magnetic field. We demonstrate that the shape of a magnetic field left over from two looped electroweak strings can explain the observed nontrivial alignment of quasar polarization vectors and make predictions for future observations.

Matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe via string-inspired CPT violation at early eras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavromatos, Nick E.

2018-01-01

In four-space-time dimensional string/brane theory, obtained either through compactification of the extra spatial dimensions, or by appropriate restriction to brane worlds with three large spatial dimensions, the rich physics potential associated with the presence of non-trivial Kalb-Ramond (KR) axion-like fields has not been fully exploited so far. In this talk, I discuss a scenario whereby such fields produce spontaneous Lorentz- and CPT-violating cosmological backgrounds over which strings propagate, which in the early Universe can lead to Baryogenesis through Leptogenesis in models with heavy right-handed neutrinos.

Behavior of Tachyon in String Cosmology Based on Gauged WZW Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sunggeun; Nam, Soonkeon

We investigate a string theoretic cosmological model in the context of the gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten model. Our model is based on a product of non-compact coset space and a spectator flat space; [SL(2, R)/U(1)]k × ℝ2. We extend the formerly studied semiclassical consideration with infinite Kac-Moody level k to a finite one. In this case, the tachyon field appears in the effective action, and we solve the Einstein equation to determine the behavior of tachyon as a function of time. We find that tachyon field dominates over dilaton field in early times. In particular, we consider the energy conditions of the matter fields consisting of the dilaton and the tachyon which affect the initial singularity. We find that not only the strong energy but also the null energy condition is violated.

Axions, inflation and the anthropic principle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mack, Katherine J., E-mail: mack@ast.cam.ac.uk

2011-07-01

The QCD axion is the leading solution to the strong-CP problem, a dark matter candidate, and a possible result of string theory compactifications. However, for axions produced before inflation, symmetry-breaking scales of f{sub a}∼>10{sup 12} GeV (which are favored in string-theoretic axion models) are ruled out by cosmological constraints unless both the axion misalignment angle θ{sub 0} and the inflationary Hubble scale H{sub I} are extremely fine-tuned. We show that attempting to accommodate a high-f{sub a} axion in inflationary cosmology leads to a fine-tuning problem that is worse than the strong-CP problem the axion was originally invented to solve. Wemore » also show that this problem remains unresolved by anthropic selection arguments commonly applied to the high-f{sub a} axion scenario.« less

Rotating black holes in higher dimensions with a cosmological constant.

PubMed

Gibbons, G W; Lü, H; Page, Don N; Pope, C N

2004-10-22

We present the metric for a rotating black hole with a cosmological constant and with arbitrary angular momenta in all higher dimensions. The metric is given in both Kerr-Schild and the Boyer-Lindquist form. In the Euclidean-signature case, we also obtain smooth compact Einstein spaces on associated S(D-2) bundles over S2, infinitely many for each odd D>/=5. Applications to string theory and M-theory are indicated.

Black branes and black strings in the astrophysical and cosmological context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akarsu, Özgür; Chopovsky, Alexey; Zhuk, Alexander

2018-03-01

We consider Kaluza-Klein models where internal spaces are compact flat or curved Einstein spaces. This background is perturbed by a compact gravitating body with the dust-like equation of state (EoS) in the external/our space and an arbitrary EoS parameter Ω in the internal space. Without imposing any restrictions on the form of the perturbed metric and the distribution of the perturbed energy densities, we perform the general analysis of the Einstein and conservation equations in the weak-field limit. All conclusions follow from this analysis. For example, we demonstrate that the perturbed model is static and perturbed metric preserves the block-diagonal form. In a particular case Ω = - 1 / 2, the found solution corresponds to the weak-field limit of the black strings/branes. The black strings/branes are compact gravitating objects which have the topology (four-dimensional Schwarzschild spacetime) × (d-dimensional internal space) with d ≥ 1. We present the arguments in favour of these objects. First, they satisfy the gravitational tests for the parameterized post-Newtonian parameter γ at the same level of accuracy as General Relativity. Second, they are preferable from the thermodynamical point of view. Third, averaging over the Universe, they do not destroy the stabilization of the internal space. These are the astrophysical and cosmological aspects of the black strings/branes.

Building cosmological frozen stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastor, David; Traschen, Jennie

2017-02-01

Janis-Newman-Winicour (JNW) solutions generalize Schwarzschild to include a massless scalar field. While they share the familiar infinite redshift feature of Schwarzschild, they suffer from the presence of naked singularities. Cosmological versions of JNW spacetimes were discovered some years ago, in the most general case, by Fonarev. Fonarev solutions are also plagued by naked singularities, but have the virtue, unlike e.g. Schwarzschild-deSitter, of being dynamical. Given that exact dynamical cosmological black hole solutions are scarce, Fonarev solutions merit further study. We show how Fonarev solutions can be obtained via generalized dimensional reduction from simpler static vacuum solutions. These results may lead towards constructions of actual dynamical cosmological black holes. In particular, we note that cosmological versions of extremal charged dilaton black holes are known. JNW spacetimes represent a different limiting case of the family of charged dilaton black holes, which have been important in the context of string theory, and better understanding their cosmological versions of JNW spacetimes thus provides a second data point towards finding cosmological versions of the entire family.

TASI Lectures on Cosmological Observables and String Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverstein, Eva

These lectures provide an updated pedagogical treatment of the theoretical structure and phenomenology of some basic mechanisms for inflation, along with an overview of the structure of cosmological uplifts of holographic duality. A full treatment of the problem requires `ultraviolet completion' because of the sensitivity of inflation to quantum gravity effects, including back reaction and non-adiabatic production of heavy degrees of freedom. Cosmological observations imply accelerated expansion of the late universe, and provide increasingly precise constraints and discovery potential on the amplitude and shape of primordial tensor and scalar perturbations, and some of their correlation functions. Most backgrounds of string theory have positive potential energy, with a rich but still highly constrained landscape of solutions. The theory contains novel mechanisms for inflation, some subject to significant observational tests, with highly UV-sensitive tensor mode measurements being a prime example along with certain shapes of primordial correlation functions. Although the detailed ultraviolet completion is not accessible experimentally, some of these mechanisms directly stimulate a more systematic analysis of the space of low energy theories and signatures relevant for analysis of data, which is sensitive to physics orders of magnitude above the energy scale of inflation as a result of long time evolution (dangerous irrelevance) and the substantial amount of data (allowing constraints on quantities with signal/noise. Portions of these lectures appeared previously in Les Houches 2013, "Post-Planck Cosmology".

An upper limit on the stochastic gravitational-wave background of cosmological origin.

PubMed

Abbott, B P; Abbott, R; Acernese, F; Adhikari, R; Ajith, P; Allen, B; Allen, G; Alshourbagy, M; Amin, R S; Anderson, S B; Anderson, W G; Antonucci, F; Aoudia, S; Arain, M A; Araya, M; Armandula, H; Armor, P; Arun, K G; Aso, Y; Aston, S; Astone, P; Aufmuth, P; Aulbert, C; Babak, S; Baker, P; Ballardin, G; Ballmer, S; Barker, C; Barker, D; Barone, F; Barr, B; Barriga, P; Barsotti, L; Barsuglia, M; Barton, M A; Bartos, I; Bassiri, R; Bastarrika, M; Bauer, Th S; Behnke, B; Beker, M; Benacquista, M; Betzwieser, J; Beyersdorf, P T; Bigotta, S; Bilenko, I A; Billingsley, G; Birindelli, S; Biswas, R; Bizouard, M A; Black, E; Blackburn, J K; Blackburn, L; Blair, D; Bland, B; Boccara, C; Bodiya, T P; Bogue, L; Bondu, F; Bonelli, L; Bork, R; Boschi, V; Bose, S; Bosi, L; Braccini, S; Bradaschia, C; Brady, P R; Braginsky, V B; Brand, J F J van den; Brau, J E; Bridges, D O; Brillet, A; Brinkmann, M; Brisson, V; Van Den Broeck, C; Brooks, A F; Brown, D A; Brummit, A; Brunet, G; Bullington, A; Bulten, H J; Buonanno, A; Burmeister, O; Buskulic, D; Byer, R L; Cadonati, L; Cagnoli, G; Calloni, E; Camp, J B; Campagna, E; Cannizzo, J; Cannon, K C; Canuel, B; Cao, J; Carbognani, F; Cardenas, L; Caride, S; Castaldi, G; Caudill, S; Cavaglià, M; Cavalier, F; Cavalieri, R; Cella, G; Cepeda, C; Cesarini, E; Chalermsongsak, T; Chalkley, E; Charlton, P; Chassande-Mottin, E; Chatterji, S; Chelkowski, S; Chen, Y; Christensen, N; Chung, C T Y; Clark, D; Clark, J; Clayton, J H; Cleva, F; Coccia, E; Cokelaer, T; Colacino, C N; Colas, J; Colla, A; Colombini, M; Conte, R; Cook, D; Corbitt, T R C; Corda, C; Cornish, N; Corsi, A; Coulon, J-P; Coward, D; Coyne, D C; Creighton, J D E; Creighton, T D; Cruise, A M; Culter, R M; Cumming, A; Cunningham, L; Cuoco, E; Danilishin, S L; D'Antonio, S; Danzmann, K; Dari, A; Dattilo, V; Daudert, B; Davier, M; Davies, G; Daw, E J; Day, R; De Rosa, R; Debra, D; Degallaix, J; Del Prete, M; Dergachev, V; Desai, S; Desalvo, R; Dhurandhar, S; Di Fiore, L; Di Lieto, A; Di Paolo Emilio, M; Di Virgilio, A; Díaz, M; Dietz, A; Donovan, F; Dooley, K L; Doomes, E E; Drago, M; Drever, R W P; Dueck, J; Duke, I; Dumas, J-C; Dwyer, J G; Echols, C; Edgar, M; Effler, A; Ehrens, P; Ely, G; Espinoza, E; Etzel, T; Evans, M; Evans, T; Fafone, V; Fairhurst, S; Faltas, Y; Fan, Y; Fazi, D; Fehrmann, H; Ferrante, I; Fidecaro, F; Finn, L S; Fiori, I; Flaminio, R; Flasch, K; Foley, S; Forrest, C; Fotopoulos, N; Fournier, J-D; Franc, J; Franzen, A; Frasca, S; Frasconi, F; Frede, M; Frei, M; Frei, Z; Freise, A; Frey, R; Fricke, T; Fritschel, P; Frolov, V V; Fyffe, M; Galdi, V; Gammaitoni, L; Garofoli, J A; Garufi, F; Genin, E; Gennai, A; Gholami, I; Giaime, J A; Giampanis, S; Giardina, K D; Giazotto, A; Goda, K; Goetz, E; Goggin, L M; González, G; Gorodetsky, M L; Gobler, S; Gouaty, R; Granata, M; Granata, V; Grant, A; Gras, S; Gray, C; Gray, M; Greenhalgh, R J S; Gretarsson, A M; Greverie, C; Grimaldi, F; Grosso, R; Grote, H; Grunewald, S; Guenther, M; Guidi, G; Gustafson, E K; Gustafson, R; Hage, B; Hallam, J M; Hammer, D; Hammond, G D; Hanna, C; Hanson, J; Harms, J; Harry, G M; Harry, I W; Harstad, E D; Haughian, K; Hayama, K; Heefner, J; Heitmann, H; Hello, P; Heng, I S; Heptonstall, A; Hewitson, M; Hild, S; Hirose, E; Hoak, D; Hodge, K A; Holt, K; Hosken, D J; Hough, J; Hoyland, D; Huet, D; Hughey, B; Huttner, S H; Ingram, D R; Isogai, T; Ito, M; Ivanov, A; Johnson, B; Johnson, W W; Jones, D I; Jones, G; Jones, R; Sancho de la Jordana, L; Ju, L; Kalmus, P; Kalogera, V; Kandhasamy, S; Kanner, J; Kasprzyk, D; Katsavounidis, E; Kawabe, K; Kawamura, S; Kawazoe, F; Kells, W; Keppel, D G; Khalaidovski, A; Khalili, F Y; Khan, R; Khazanov, E; King, P; Kissel, J S; Klimenko, S; Kokeyama, K; Kondrashov, V; Kopparapu, R; Koranda, S; Kozak, D; Krishnan, B; Kumar, R; Kwee, P; La Penna, P; Lam, P K; Landry, M; Lantz, B; Laval, M; Lazzarini, A; Lei, H; Lei, M; Leindecker, N; Leonor, I; Leroy, N; Letendre, N; Li, C; Lin, H; Lindquist, P E; Littenberg, T B; Lockerbie, N A; Lodhia, D; Longo, M; Lorenzini, M; Loriette, V; Lormand, M; Losurdo, G; Lu, P; Lubinski, M; Lucianetti, A; Lück, H; Machenschalk, B; Macinnis, M; Mackowski, J-M; Mageswaran, M; Mailand, K; Majorana, E; Man, N; Mandel, I; Mandic, V; Mantovani, M; Marchesoni, F; Marion, F; Márka, S; Márka, Z; Markosyan, A; Markowitz, J; Maros, E; Marque, J; Martelli, F; Martin, I W; Martin, R M; Marx, J N; Mason, K; Masserot, A; Matichard, F; Matone, L; Matzner, R A; Mavalvala, N; McCarthy, R; McClelland, D E; McGuire, S C; McHugh, M; McIntyre, G; McKechan, D J A; McKenzie, K; Mehmet, M; Melatos, A; Melissinos, A C; Mendell, G; Menéndez, D F; Menzinger, F; Mercer, R A; Meshkov, S; Messenger, C; Meyer, M S; Michel, C; Milano, L; Miller, J; Minelli, J; Minenkov, Y; Mino, Y; Mitrofanov, V P; Mitselmakher, G; Mittleman, R; Miyakawa, O; Moe, B; Mohan, M; Mohanty, S D; Mohapatra, S R P; Moreau, J; Moreno, G; Morgado, N; Morgia, A; Morioka, T; Mors, K; Mosca, S; Mossavi, K; Mours, B; Mowlowry, C; Mueller, G; Muhammad, D; Mühlen, H Zur; Mukherjee, S; Mukhopadhyay, H; Mullavey, A; Müller-Ebhardt, H; Munch, J; Murray, P G; Myers, E; Myers, J; Nash, T; Nelson, J; Neri, I; Newton, G; Nishizawa, A; Nocera, F; Numata, K; Ochsner, E; O'Dell, J; Ogin, G H; O'Reilly, B; O'Shaughnessy, R; Ottaway, D J; Ottens, R S; Overmier, H; Owen, B J; Pagliaroli, G; Palomba, C; Pan, Y; Pankow, C; Paoletti, F; Papa, M A; Parameshwaraiah, V; Pardi, S; Pasqualetti, A; Passaquieti, R; Passuello, D; Patel, P; Pedraza, M; Penn, S; Perreca, A; Persichetti, G; Pichot, M; Piergiovanni, F; Pierro, V; Pinard, L; Pinto, I M; Pitkin, M; Pletsch, H J; Plissi, M V; Poggiani, R; Postiglione, F; Principe, M; Prix, R; Prodi, G A; Prokhorov, L; Punken, O; Punturo, M; Puppo, P; Putten, S van der; Quetschke, V; Raab, F J; Rabaste, O; Rabeling, D S; Radkins, H; Raffai, P; Raics, Z; Rainer, N; Rakhmanov, M; Rapagnani, P; Raymond, V; Re, V; Reed, C M; Reed, T; Regimbau, T; Rehbein, H; Reid, S; Reitze, D H; Ricci, F; Riesen, R; Riles, K; Rivera, B; Roberts, P; Robertson, N A; Robinet, F; Robinson, C; Robinson, E L; Rocchi, A; Roddy, S; Rolland, L; Rollins, J; Romano, J D; Romano, R; Romie, J H; Röver, C; Rowan, S; Rüdiger, A; Ruggi, P; Russell, P; Ryan, K; Sakata, S; Salemi, F; Sandberg, V; Sannibale, V; Santamaría, L; Saraf, S; Sarin, P; Sassolas, B; Sathyaprakash, B S; Sato, S; Satterthwaite, M; Saulson, P R; Savage, R; Savov, P; Scanlan, M; Schilling, R; Schnabel, R; Schofield, R; Schulz, B; Schutz, B F; Schwinberg, P; Scott, J; Scott, S M; Searle, A C; Sears, B; Seifert, F; Sellers, D; Sengupta, A S; Sentenac, D; Sergeev, A; Shapiro, B; Shawhan, P; Shoemaker, D H; Sibley, A; Siemens, X; Sigg, D; Sinha, S; Sintes, A M; Slagmolen, B J J; Slutsky, J; van der Sluys, M V; Smith, J R; Smith, M R; Smith, N D; Somiya, K; Sorazu, B; Stein, A; Stein, L C; Steplewski, S; Stochino, A; Stone, R; Strain, K A; Strigin, S; Stroeer, A; Sturani, R; Stuver, A L; Summerscales, T Z; Sun, K-X; Sung, M; Sutton, P J; Swinkels, B L; Szokoly, G P; Talukder, D; Tang, L; Tanner, D B; Tarabrin, S P; Taylor, J R; Taylor, R; Terenzi, R; Thacker, J; Thorne, K A; Thorne, K S; Thüring, A; Tokmakov, K V; Toncelli, A; Tonelli, M; Torres, C; Torrie, C; Tournefier, E; Travasso, F; Traylor, G; Trias, M; Trummer, J; Ugolini, D; Ulmen, J; Urbanek, K; Vahlbruch, H; Vajente, G; Vallisneri, M; Vass, S; Vaulin, R; Vavoulidis, M; Vecchio, A; Vedovato, G; van Veggel, A A; Veitch, J; Veitch, P; Veltkamp, C; Verkindt, D; Vetrano, F; Viceré, A; Villar, A; Vinet, J-Y; Vocca, H; Vorvick, C; Vyachanin, S P; Waldman, S J; Wallace, L; Ward, H; Ward, R L; Was, M; Weidner, A; Weinert, M; Weinstein, A J; Weiss, R; Wen, L; Wen, S; Wette, K; Whelan, J T; Whitcomb, S E; Whiting, B F; Wilkinson, C; Willems, P A; Williams, H R; Williams, L; Willke, B; Wilmut, I; Winkelmann, L; Winkler, W; Wipf, C C; Wiseman, A G; Woan, G; Wooley, R; Worden, J; Wu, W; Yakushin, I; Yamamoto, H; Yan, Z; Yoshida, S; Yvert, M; Zanolin, M; Zhang, J; Zhang, L; Zhao, C; Zotov, N; Zucker, M E; Zweizig, J

2009-08-20

A stochastic background of gravitational waves is expected to arise from a superposition of a large number of unresolved gravitational-wave sources of astrophysical and cosmological origin. It should carry unique signatures from the earliest epochs in the evolution of the Universe, inaccessible to standard astrophysical observations. Direct measurements of the amplitude of this background are therefore of fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of the Universe when it was younger than one minute. Here we report limits on the amplitude of the stochastic gravitational-wave background using the data from a two-year science run of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Our result constrains the energy density of the stochastic gravitational-wave background normalized by the critical energy density of the Universe, in the frequency band around 100 Hz, to be <6.9 x 10(-6) at 95% confidence. The data rule out models of early Universe evolution with relatively large equation-of-state parameter, as well as cosmic (super)string models with relatively small string tension that are favoured in some string theory models. This search for the stochastic background improves on the indirect limits from Big Bang nucleosynthesis and cosmic microwave background at 100 Hz.

Fibre inflation and α-attractors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallosh, Renata; Linde, Andrei; Roest, Diederik; Westphal, Alexander; Yamada, Yusuke

2018-02-01

Fibre inflation is a specific string theory construction based on the Large Volume Scenario that produces an inflationary plateau. We outline its relation to α-attractor models for inflation, with the cosmological sector originating from certain string theory corrections leading to α = 2 and α = 1/2. Above a certain field range, the steepening effect of higher-order corrections leads first to the breakdown of single-field slow-roll and after that to the onset of 2-field dynamics: the overall volume of the extra dimensions starts to participate in the effective dynamics. Finally, we propose effective supergravity models of fibre inflation based on an \\overline{D3} uplift term with a nilpotent superfield. Specific moduli dependent \\overline{D3} induced geometries lead to cosmological fibre models but have in addition a de Sitter minimum exit. These supergravity models motivated by fibre inflation are relatively simple, stabilize the axions and disentangle the Hubble parameter from supersymmetry breaking.

Asymptotic analysis of the Boltzmann equation for dark matter relics in the presence of a running dilaton and space-time defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Carl M.; Mavromatos, Nick E.; Sarkar, Sarben

2013-03-01

The interplay of dilatonic effects in dilaton cosmology and stochastic quantum space-time defects within the framework of string/brane cosmologies is examined. The Boltzmann equation describes the physics of thermal dark-matter-relic abundances in the presence of rolling dilatons. These dilatons affect the coupling of stringy matter to D-particle defects, which are generic in string theory. This coupling leads to an additional source term in the Boltzmann equation. The techniques of asymptotic matching and boundary-layer theory, which were recently applied by two of the authors (Bender and Sarkar) to a Boltzmann equation, are used here to find the detailed asymptotic relic abundances for all ranges of the expectation value of the dilaton field. The phenomenological implications for the search for supersymmetric dark matter in current colliders, such as the LHC, are discussed.

The effect of gas and fluid flows on nonlinear lateral vibrations of rotating drill strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khajiyeva, Lelya; Kudaibergenov, Askar; Kudaibergenov, Askat

2018-06-01

In this work we develop nonlinear mathematical models describing coupled lateral vibrations of a rotating drill string under the effect of external supersonic gas and internal fluid flows. An axial compressive load and a torque also affect the drill string. The mathematical models are derived by the use of Novozhilov's nonlinear theory of elasticity with implementation of Hamilton's variation principle. Expressions for the gas flow pressure are determined according to the piston theory. The fluid flow is considered as added mass inside the curved tube of the drill string. Using an algorithm developed in the Mathematica computation program on the basis of the Galerkin approach and the stiffness switching method the numerical solution of the obtained approximate differential equations is found. Influences of the external loads, drill string angular speed of rotation, parameters of the gas and fluid flows on the drill string vibrations are shown.

Searching for cosmic strings in CMB anisotropy maps using wavelets and curvelets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hergt, Lukas; Amara, Adam; Brandenberger, Robert; Kacprzak, Tomasz; Réfrégier, Alexandre

2017-06-01

We use wavelet and curvelet transforms to extract signals of cosmic strings from simulated cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropy maps, and to study the limits on the cosmic string tension which various ongoing CMB temperature anisotropy experiments will be able to achieve. We construct sky maps with size and angular resolution corresponding to various experiments. These maps contain the signals of a scaling solution of long string segments with a given string tension G μ, the contribution of the dominant Gaussian primordial cosmological fluctuations, and pixel by pixel white noise with an amplitude corresponding to the instrumental noise of the various experiments. In the case that we include white noise, we find that using curvelets we obtain lower bounds on the string tension than with wavelets. For maps with Planck specification, we obtain bounds comparable to what was obtained by the Planck collaboration [1]. Experiments with better angular resolution such as the South Pole Telescope third generation (SPT-3G) survey will be able to yield stronger limits. For maps with a specification of SPT-3G we find that string signals will be visible down to a string tension of G μ = 1.4 × 10-7.

Axion cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, David J. E.

2016-07-01

Axions comprise a broad class of particles that can play a major role in explaining the unknown aspects of cosmology. They are also well-motivated within high energy physics, appearing in theories related to CP-violation in the standard model, supersymmetric theories, and theories with extra-dimensions, including string theory, and so axion cosmology offers us a unique view onto these theories. I review the motivation and models for axions in particle physics and string theory. I then present a comprehensive and pedagogical view on the cosmology and astrophysics of axion-like particles, starting from inflation and progressing via BBN, the CMB, reionization and structure formation, up to the present-day Universe. Topics covered include: axion dark matter (DM); direct and indirect detection of axions, reviewing existing and future experiments; axions as dark radiation; axions and the cosmological constant problem; decays of heavy axions; axions and stellar astrophysics; black hole superradiance; axions and astrophysical magnetic fields; axion inflation, and axion DM as an indirect probe of inflation. A major focus is on the population of ultralight axions created via vacuum realignment, and its role as a DM candidate with distinctive phenomenology. Cosmological observations place robust constraints on the axion mass and relic density in this scenario, and I review where such constraints come from. I next cover aspects of galaxy formation with axion DM, and ways this can be used to further search for evidence of axions. An absolute lower bound on DM particle mass is established. It is ma > 10-24eV from linear observables, extending to ma ≳ 10-22eV from non-linear observables, and has the potential to reach ma ≳ 10-18eV in the future. These bounds are weaker if the axion is not all of the DM, giving rise to limits on the relic density at low mass. This leads to the exciting possibility that the effects of axion DM on structure formation could one day be detected, and the axion mass and relic density measured from cosmological observables.

Background Independence and Duality Invariance in String Theory.

PubMed

Hohm, Olaf

2017-03-31

Closed string theory exhibits an O(D,D) duality symmetry on tori, which in double field theory is manifest before compactification. I prove that to first order in α^{'} there is no manifestly background independent and duality invariant formulation of bosonic string theory in terms of a metric, b field, and dilaton. To this end I use O(D,D) invariant second order perturbation theory around flat space to show that the unique background independent candidate expression for the gauge algebra at order α^{'} is inconsistent with the Jacobi identity. A background independent formulation exists instead for frame variables subject to α^{'}-deformed frame transformations (generalized Green-Schwarz transformations). Potential applications for curved backgrounds, as in cosmology, are discussed.

A cosmic book. [of physics of early universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peebles, P. J. E.; Silk, Joseph

1988-01-01

A system of assigning odds to the basic elements of cosmological theories is proposed in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the theories. A figure of merit for the theories is obtained by counting and weighing the plausibility of each of the basic elements that is not substantially supported by observation or mature fundamental theory. The magnetized strong model is found to be the most probable. In order of decreasing probability, the ranking for the rest of the models is: (1) the magnetized string model with no exotic matter and the baryon adiabatic model; (2) the hot dark matter model and the model of cosmic string loops; (3) the canonical cold dark matter model, the cosmic string loops model with hot dark matter, and the baryonic isocurvature model; and (4) the cosmic string loops model with no exotic matter.

Wavelet-Bayesian inference of cosmic strings embedded in the cosmic microwave background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEwen, J. D.; Feeney, S. M.; Peiris, H. V.; Wiaux, Y.; Ringeval, C.; Bouchet, F. R.

2017-12-01

Cosmic strings are a well-motivated extension to the standard cosmological model and could induce a subdominant component in the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), in addition to the standard inflationary component. The detection of strings, while observationally challenging, would provide a direct probe of physics at very high-energy scales. We develop a framework for cosmic string inference from observations of the CMB made over the celestial sphere, performing a Bayesian analysis in wavelet space where the string-induced CMB component has distinct statistical properties to the standard inflationary component. Our wavelet-Bayesian framework provides a principled approach to compute the posterior distribution of the string tension Gμ and the Bayesian evidence ratio comparing the string model to the standard inflationary model. Furthermore, we present a technique to recover an estimate of any string-induced CMB map embedded in observational data. Using Planck-like simulations, we demonstrate the application of our framework and evaluate its performance. The method is sensitive to Gμ ∼ 5 × 10-7 for Nambu-Goto string simulations that include an integrated Sachs-Wolfe contribution only and do not include any recombination effects, before any parameters of the analysis are optimized. The sensitivity of the method compares favourably with other techniques applied to the same simulations.

A string theory which isn't about strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kanghoon; Rey, Soo-Jong; Rosabal, J. A.

2017-11-01

Quantization of closed string proceeds with a suitable choice of worldsheet vacuum. A priori, the vacuum may be chosen independently for left-moving and right-moving sectors. We construct ab initio quantized bosonic string theory with left-right asymmetric worldsheet vacuum and explore its consequences and implications. We critically examine the validity of new vacuum and carry out first-quantization using standard operator formalism. Remarkably, the string spectrum consists only of a finite number of degrees of freedom: string gravity (massless spin-two, Kalb-Ramond and dilaton fields) and two massive spin-two Fierz-Pauli fields. The massive spin-two fields have negative norm, opposite mass-squared, and provides a Lee-Wick type extension of string gravity. We compute two physical observables: tree-level scattering amplitudes and one-loop cosmological constant. Scattering amplitude of four dilatons is shown to be a rational function of kinematic invariants, and in D = 26 factorizes into contributions of massless spin-two and a pair of massive spin-two fields. The string one loop partition function is shown to perfectly agree with one loop Feynman diagram of string gravity and two massive spin-two fields. In particular, it does not exhibit modular invariance. We critically compare our construction with recent studies and contrast differences.

Cosmology and the early universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Abhigna

2017-01-01

In the beginning the universe was in a hot dense state nearly 13.8 billion years ago. The thermal history of the universe was traced back to an era when the temperature was about 1012K. At this early time, the universe was filled with particles-mostly photons and leptons- whose interactions are hopefully weak enough to allow this medium to be treated as a more or less ideal gas. However, if we look back a little further, into the first 0.0001 second of cosmic history when the temperature was above 1012K. At such temperatures, there will be present in thermal equilibrium copious numbers of strongly interacting particles-mostly masons and baryons-with a mean interparticle distance less than a Compton wavelength. These particles will be in a state of continual mutual interaction, and cannot reasonably be expected to obey any simple equation of state. The inflationary epoch lasted from 10-36seconds after the Big Bang to sometime between 10-33and 10-32seconds. Matter and energy created in this time. Right after that space expanded exponentially with enormous rate of 74.3 +/-2.1Km per second per Mpc. Undergraduate student and researcher of the string theory, quantum gravity, cosmology and quantum biology.

Progress report for a research program in theoretical high energy physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feldman, D.; Fried, H.M.; Jevicki, A.

This year's research has dealt with: superstrings in the early universe; the invisible axion emissions from SN1987A; quartic interaction in Witten's superstring field theory; W-boson associated multiplicity and the dual parton model; cosmic strings and galaxy formation; cosmic strings and baryogenesis; quark flavor mixing; p -- /bar p/ scattering at TeV energies; random surfaces; ordered exponentials and differential equations; initial value and back-reaction problems in quantum field theory; string field theory and Weyl invariance; the renormalization group and string field theory; the evolution of scalar fields in an inflationary universe, with and without the effects of gravitational perturbations; cosmic stringmore » catalysis of skyrmion decay; inflation and cosmic strings from dynamical symmetry breaking; the physic of flavor mixing; string-inspired cosmology; strings at high-energy densities and complex temperatures; the problem of non-locality in string theory; string statistical mechanics; large-scale structures with cosmic strings and neutrinos; the delta expansion for stochastic quantization; high-energy neutrino flux from ordinary cosmic strings; a physical picture of loop bremsstrahlung; cylindrically-symmetric solutions of four-dimensional sigma models; large-scale structure with hot dark matter and cosmic strings; the unitarization of the odderon; string thermodynamics and conservation laws; the dependence of inflationary-universe models on initial conditions; the delta expansion and local gauge invariance; particle physics and galaxy formation; chaotic inflation with metric and matter perturbations; grand-unified theories, galaxy formation, and large-scale structure; neutrino clustering in cosmic-string-induced wakes; and infrared approximations to nonlinear differential equations. 17 refs.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hergt, Lukas; Amara, Adam; Kacprzak, Tomasz

We use wavelet and curvelet transforms to extract signals of cosmic strings from simulated cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropy maps, and to study the limits on the cosmic string tension which various ongoing CMB temperature anisotropy experiments will be able to achieve. We construct sky maps with size and angular resolution corresponding to various experiments. These maps contain the signals of a scaling solution of long string segments with a given string tension G μ, the contribution of the dominant Gaussian primordial cosmological fluctuations, and pixel by pixel white noise with an amplitude corresponding to the instrumental noise ofmore » the various experiments. In the case that we include white noise, we find that using curvelets we obtain lower bounds on the string tension than with wavelets. For maps with Planck specification, we obtain bounds comparable to what was obtained by the Planck collaboration [1]. Experiments with better angular resolution such as the South Pole Telescope third generation (SPT-3G) survey will be able to yield stronger limits. For maps with a specification of SPT-3G we find that string signals will be visible down to a string tension of G μ = 1.4 × 10{sup −7}.« less

Magnetized string cosmological models of accelerated expansion of the Universe in f(R,T) theory of gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, Anirudh; Jaiswal, Rekha

A class of spatially homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi-V massive string models have been studied in the modified f(R,T)-theory of gravity proposed by Harko et al. [Phys. Rev. D 84:024020, 2011] in the presence of magnetic field. For a specific choice of f(R,T)=f1(R) + f2(T), where f1(R) = ν1R and f2(T) = ν2T; ν1, ν2 being arbitrary parameters, solutions of modified gravity field equations have been generated. To find the deterministic solution of the field equations, we have considered the time varying deceleration parameter which is consistent with observational data of standard cosmology (SNIa, BAO and CMB). As a result to study the transit behavior of Universe, we consider a law of variation for the specifically chosen scale factor, which yields a time-dependent deceleration parameter comprising a class of models that depicts a transition of the Universe from the early decelerated phase to the recent accelerating phase. In this context, for the model of the Universe, the field equations are solved and corresponding cosmological aspects have been discussed. The Energy conditions in this modified gravity theory are also studied. Stability analysis of the solutions through cosmological perturbation is performed and it is concluded that the expanding solution is stable against the perturbation with respect to anisotropic spatial direction. Some physical and geometric properties of the models are also discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Svendsen, Harald G.

In this paper we study a solution of heterotic string theory corresponding to a rotating Kerr-Taub-NUT spacetime. It has an exact CFT description as a heterotic coset model, and a Lagrangian formulation as a gauged WZNW model. It is a generalization of a recently discussed stringy Taub-NUT solution, and is interesting as another laboratory for studying the fate of closed timelike curves and cosmological singularities in string theory. We extend the computation of the exact metric and dilaton to this rotating case, and then discuss some properties of the metric, with particular emphasis on the curvature singularities.

On the solubility of certain classes of non-linear integral equations in p-adic string theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khachatryan, Kh. A.

2018-04-01

We study classes of non-linear integral equations that have immediate application to p-adic mathematical physics and to cosmology. We prove existence and uniqueness theorems for non-trivial solutions in the space of bounded functions.

Gauging away a big bang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnan, Chethan; Raju, Avinash

2017-08-01

We argue that in the tensionless phase of string theory where the stringy gauge symmetries are unbroken, (at least some) cosmological singularities can be understood as gauge artefacts. We present two conceptually related, but distinct, pieces of evidence: one relying on spacetime and the other on worldsheet.

String-theoretic breakdown of effective field theory near black hole horizons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodelson, Matthew; Silverstein, Eva

2017-09-01

We investigate the validity of the equivalence principle near horizons in string theory, analyzing the breakdown of effective field theory caused by longitudinal string spreading effects. An experiment is set up where a detector is thrown into a black hole a long time after an early infalling string. Light cone gauge calculations, taken at face value, indicate a detectable level of root-mean-square longitudinal spreading of the initial string as measured by the late infaller. This results from the large relative boost between the string and detector in the near-horizon region, which develops automatically despite their modest initial energies outside the black hole and the weak curvature in the geometry. We subject this scenario to basic consistency checks, using these to obtain a relatively conservative criterion for its detectability. In a companion paper, we exhibit longitudinal nonlocality in well-defined gauge-invariant S-matrix calculations, obtaining results consistent with the predicted spreading albeit not in a direct analog of the black hole process. We discuss applications of this effect to the firewall paradox, and estimate the time and distance scales it predicts for new physics near black hole and cosmological horizons.

Stationary black holes with stringy hair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boos, Jens; Frolov, Valeri P.

2018-01-01

We discuss properties of black holes which are pierced by special configurations of cosmic strings. For static black holes, we consider radial strings in the limit when the number of strings grows to infinity while the tension of each single string tends to zero. In a properly taken limit, the stress-energy tensor of the string distribution is finite. We call such matter stringy matter. We present a solution of the Einstein equations for an electrically charged static black hole with the stringy matter, with and without a cosmological constant. This solution is a warped product of two metrics. One of them is a deformed 2-sphere, whose Gaussian curvature is determined by the energy density of the stringy matter. We discuss the embedding of a corresponding distorted sphere into a three-dimensional Euclidean space and formulate consistency conditions. We also found a relation between the square of the Weyl tensor invariant of the four-dimensional spacetime of the stringy black holes and the energy density of the stringy matter. In the second part of the paper, we discuss test stationary strings in the Kerr geometry and in its Kerr-NUT-(anti-)de Sitter generalizations. Explicit solutions for strings that are regular at the event horizon are obtained. Using these solutions, the stress-energy tensor of the stringy matter in these geometries is calculated. Extraction of the angular momentum from rotating black holes by such strings is also discussed.

Generating the curvature perturbation at the end of inflation in string theory.

PubMed

Lyth, David H; Riotto, Antonio

2006-09-22

In brane inflationary scenarios, the cosmological perturbations are supposed to originate from the vacuum fluctuations of the inflaton field corresponding to the position of the brane. We show that a significant, and possibly dominant, contribution to the curvature perturbation is generated at the end of inflation through the vacuum fluctuations of fields, other than the inflaton, which are light during the inflationary trajectory and become heavy at the brane-antibrane annihilation. These fields appear generically in string compactifications where the background geometry has exact or approximate isometries and parametrize the internal angular directions of the brane.

Gamma-ray bursts from superconducting cosmic strings at large redshifts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babul, Arif; Paczynski, Bohdan; Spergel, David

1987-01-01

The relation between cusp events and gamma-rays bursts is investigated. The optical depth of the universe to X-rays and gamma-rays of various energies is calculated and discussed. The cosmological evolution of cosmic strings is examined, and the energetics and time-scales related to the cusp phenomena are estimated. It is noted that it is possible to have energy bursts with a duration of a few seconds or less from cusps at z = 1000; the maximum amount of energy associated with such an event is limited to 10 to the 7th ergs/sq cm.

High Energy Theory Workshops and Visitors at the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics FY16

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierce, Aaron

This award provided partial support for the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics to host two workshops "Beyond the Standard Model 2016" in October 2016, and the "5th MCTP Symposium: Foundations of String Cosmology" in April 2017 on the University of Michigan campus.

Smoot Cosmology Group

Science.gov Websites

the Cosmic Background Radiation as a tool to understand the structure and history of the Universe and its relation to the structure of space-time. Likewise, gravitational lensing, the search for evidence of cosmic strings, and the cosmic infrared background tell us about the structure of space-time and

BOOK REVIEW: Quantum Gravity (2nd edn)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Viqar

2008-06-01

There has been a flurry of books on quantum gravity in the past few years. The first edition of Kiefer's book appeared in 2004, about the same time as Carlo Rovelli's book with the same title. This was soon followed by Thomas Thiemann's 'Modern Canonical Quantum General Relativity'. Although the main focus of each of these books is non-perturbative and non-string approaches to the quantization of general relativity, they are quite orthogonal in temperament, style, subject matter and mathematical detail. Rovelli and Thiemann focus primarily on loop quantum gravity (LQG), whereas Kiefer attempts a broader introduction and review of the subject that includes chapters on string theory and decoherence. Kiefer's second edition attempts an even wider and somewhat ambitious sweep with 'new sections on asymptotic safety, dynamical triangulation, primordial black holes, the information-loss problem, loop quantum cosmology, and other topics'. The presentation of these current topics is necessarily brief given the size of the book, but effective in encapsulating the main ideas in some cases. For instance the few pages devoted to loop quantum cosmology describe how the mini-superspace reduction of the quantum Hamiltonian constraint of LQG becomes a difference equation, whereas the discussion of 'dynamical triangulations', an approach to defining a discretized Lorentzian path integral for quantum gravity, is less detailed. The first few chapters of the book provide, in a roughly historical sequence, the covariant and canonical metric variable approach to the subject developed in the 1960s and 70s. The problem(s) of time in quantum gravity are nicely summarized in the chapter on quantum geometrodynamics, followed by a detailed and effective introduction of the WKB approach and the semi-classical approximation. These topics form the traditional core of the subject. The next three chapters cover LQG, quantization of black holes, and quantum cosmology. Of these the chapter on LQG is the shortest at fourteen pages—a reflection perhaps of the fact that there are two books and a few long reviews of the subject available written by the main protagonists in the field. The chapters on black holes and cosmology provide a more or less standard introduction to black hole thermodynamics, Hawking and Unruh radiation, quantization of the Schwarzschild metric and mini-superspace collapse models, and the DeWitt, Hartle Hawking and Vilenkin wavefunctions. The chapter on string theory is an essay-like overview of its quantum gravitational aspects. It provides a nice introduction to selected ideas and a guide to the literature. Here a prescient student may be left wondering why there is no quantum cosmology in string theory, perhaps a deliberate omission to avoid the 'landscape' and its fauna. In summary, I think this book succeeds in its purpose of providing a broad introduction to quantum gravity, and nicely complements some of the other books on the subject.

Stochastic gravitational wave background from light cosmic strings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DePies, Matthew R.; Hogan, Craig J.

2007-06-15

Spectra of the stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds from cosmic strings are calculated and compared with present and future experimental limits. Motivated by theoretical expectations of light cosmic strings in superstring cosmology, improvements in experimental sensitivity, and recent demonstrations of large, stable loop formation from a primordial network, this study explores a new range of string parameters with masses lighter than previously investigated. A standard 'one-scale' model for string loop formation is assumed. Background spectra are calculated numerically for dimensionless string tensions G{mu}/c{sup 2} between 10{sup -7} and 10{sup -18}, and initial loop sizes as a fraction of the Hubble radiusmore » {alpha} from 0.1 to 10{sup -6}. The spectra show a low frequency power-law tail, a broad spectral peak due to loops decaying at the present epoch (including frequencies higher than their fundamental mode, and radiation associated with cusps), and a flat (constant energy density) spectrum at high frequencies due to radiation from loops that decayed during the radiation-dominated era. The string spectrum is distinctive and unlike any other known source. The peak of the spectrum for light strings appears at high frequencies, significantly affecting predicted signals. The spectra of the cosmic string backgrounds are compared with current millisecond pulsar limits and Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) sensitivity curves. For models with large stable loops ({alpha}=0.1), current pulsar-timing limits exclude G{mu}/c{sup 2}>10{sup -9}, a much tighter limit on string tension than achievable with other techniques, and within the range of current models based on brane inflation. LISA may detect a background from strings as light as G{mu}/c{sup 2}{approx_equal}10{sup -16}, corresponding to field theory strings formed at roughly 10{sup 11} GeV.« less

Quantum gravity and taoist cosmology: Exploring the ancient origins of phenomenological string theory.

PubMed

Rosen, Steven M

2017-12-01

This paper carries forward the author's contribution to PBMP's previous special issue on Integral Biomathics (Rosen 2015). In the earlier paper, the crisis in contemporary theoretical physics was described and it was demonstrated that the problem can be addressed effectively only by shifting the foundations of physics from objectivist Cartesian philosophy to phenomenological philosophy. To that end, a phenomenological string theory was proposed based on qualitative topology and hypercomplex numbers. The current presentation takes this further by delving into the ancient Chinese origin of phenomenological string theory. First, we discover a deep connection between the Klein bottle, which is crucial to the theory, and the Ho-t'u, an old Chinese number archetype central to Taoist cosmology. The two structures are seen to mirror each other in expressing the curious psychophysical (phenomenological) action pattern at the heart of microphysics. But tackling the question of quantum gravity requires that a whole family of topological dimensions be brought into play. What we find in engaging with these structures is a closely related family of Taoist forebears that, in concert with their successors, provide a blueprint for cosmic evolution. Whereas conventional string theory accounts for the generation of nature's fundamental forces via a notion of symmetry breaking that is essentially static and thus unable to explain cosmogony successfully, phenomenological/Taoist string theory is guided by the dialectical interplay between symmetry and asymmetry inherent in the principle of synsymmetry. This dynamic concept of cosmic change is elaborated on in the three concluding sections of the paper. Here, a detailed analysis of cosmogony is offered, first in terms of the theory of dimensional development and its Taoist (yin-yang) counterpart, then in terms of the evolution of the elemental force particles through cycles of expansion and contraction in a spiraling universe. The paper closes by considering the role of the analyst per se in the further evolution of the cosmos. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Closed string tachyon driving f(R) cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Peng; Wu, Houwen; Yang, Haitang

2018-05-01

To study quantum effects on the bulk tachyon dynamics, we replace R with f(R) in the low-energy effective action that couples gravity, the dilaton, and the bulk closed string tachyon of bosonic closed string theory and study properties of their classical solutions. The α' corrections of the graviton-dilaton-tachyon system are implemented in the f(R). We obtain the tachyon-induced rolling solutions and show that the string metric does not need to remain fixed in some cases. In the case with H( t=‑∞ ) = , only the R and R2 terms in f(R) play a role in obtaining the rolling solutions with nontrivial metric. The singular behavior of more classical solutions are investigated and found to be modified by quantum effects. In particular, there could exist some classical solutions, in which the tachyon field rolls down from a maximum of the tachyon potential while the dilaton expectation value is always bounded from above during the rolling process.

Evolution of semilocal string networks. II. Velocity estimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Eiguren, A.; Urrestilla, J.; Achúcarro, A.; Avgoustidis, A.; Martins, C. J. A. P.

2017-07-01

We continue a comprehensive numerical study of semilocal string networks and their cosmological evolution. These can be thought of as hybrid networks comprised of (nontopological) string segments, whose core structure is similar to that of Abelian Higgs vortices, and whose ends have long-range interactions and behavior similar to that of global monopoles. Our study provides further evidence of a linear scaling regime, already reported in previous studies, for the typical length scale and velocity of the network. We introduce a new algorithm to identify the position of the segment cores. This allows us to determine the length and velocity of each individual segment and follow their evolution in time. We study the statistical distribution of segment lengths and velocities for radiation- and matter-dominated evolution in the regime where the strings are stable. Our segment detection algorithm gives higher length values than previous studies based on indirect detection methods. The statistical distribution shows no evidence of (anti)correlation between the speed and the length of the segments.

Exact Solutions in Three-Dimensional Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Díaz, Alberto A.

2017-09-01

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Point particles; 3. Dust solutions; 4. AdS cyclic symmetric stationary solutions; 5. Perfect fluid static stars; 6. Static perfect fluid stars with Λ; 7. Hydrodynamic equilibrium; 8. Stationary perfect fluid with Λ; 9. Friedmann–Robertson–Walker cosmologies; 10. Dilaton-inflaton FRW cosmologies; 11. Einstein–Maxwell solutions; 12. Nonlinear electrodynamics black hole; 13. Dilaton minimally coupled to gravity; 14. Dilaton non-minimally coupled to gravity; 15. Low energy 2+1 string gravity; 16. Topologically massive gravity; 17. Bianchi type spacetimes in TMG; 18. Petrov type N wave metrics; 19. Kundt spacetimes in TMG; 20. Cotton tensor in Riemannian spacetimes; References; Index.

General polytropic self-gravitating cylinder free-fall and accreting mass string with a chain of collapsed objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yu-Qing; Hu, Xu-Yao

2016-06-01

We present a theoretical model framework for general polytropic (GP) hydrodynamic cylinder under self-gravity of infinite length with axial uniformity and axisymmetry. For self-similar dynamic solutions, we derive valuable integrals, analytic asymptotic solutions, sonic critical curves, shock conditions, and global numerical solutions with or without expansion shocks. Among others, we investigate various dynamic solutions featured with central free-fall asymptotic behaviours, corresponding to a collapsed mass string with a sustained dynamic accretion from a surrounding mass reservoir. Depending on the allowed ranges of a scaling index a < -1, such cylindrical dynamic mass accretion rate could be steady, increasing with time and decreasing with time. Physically, such a collapsed mass string or filament would break up into a sequence of sub-clumps and segments as induced by gravitational Jeans instabilities. Depending on the scales involved, such sub-clumps would evolve into collapsed objects or gravitationally bound systems. In diverse astrophysical and cosmological contexts, such a scenario can be adapted on various temporal, spatial and mass scales to form a chain of collapsed clumps and/or compact objects. Examples include the formation of chains of proto-stars, brown dwarfs and gaseous planets along molecular filaments; the formation of luminous massive stars along magnetized spiral arms and circum-nuclear starburst rings in barred spiral galaxies; the formation of chains of compact stellar objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes along a highly condensed mass string. On cosmological scales, one can perceive the formation of chains of galaxies, chains of galaxy clusters or even chains of supermassive and hypermassive black holes in the Universe including the early Universe. All these chains referred to above include possible binaries.

Ultralight axion in supersymmetry and strings and cosmology at small scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halverson, James; Long, Cody; Nath, Pran

2017-09-01

Dynamical mechanisms to generate an ultralight axion of mass ˜10-21- 10-22 eV in supergravity and strings are discussed. An ultralight particle of this mass provides a candidate for dark matter that may play a role for cosmology at scales of 10 kpc or less. An effective operator approach for the axion mass provides a general framework for models of ultralight axions, and in one case recovers the scale 10-21- 10-22 eV as the electroweak scale times the square of the hierarchy with an O (1 ) Wilson coefficient. We discuss several classes of models realizing this framework where an ultralight axion of the necessary size can be generated. In one class of supersymmetric models an ultralight axion is generated by instanton-like effects. In the second class higher-dimensional operators involving couplings of Higgs, standard model singlets, and axion fields naturally lead to an ultralight axion. Further, for the class of models considered the hierarchy between the ultralight scale and the weak scale is maintained. We also discuss the generation of an ultralight scale within string-based models. In the single-modulus Kachru-Kallosh-Linde-Trivedi moduli stabilization scheme an ultralight axion would require an ultralow weak scale. However, within the large volume scenario, the desired hierarchy between the axion scale and the weak scale is achieved. A general analysis of couplings of Higgs fields to instantons within the string framework is discussed and it is shown that the condition necessary for achieving such couplings is the existence of vector-like zero modes of the instanton. Some of the phenomenological aspects of these models are also discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, Hugh H.; Balasubramanian, V.; Bernstein, G.

The University of Pennsylvania elementary particle physics/particle cosmology group, funded by the Department of Energy Office of Science, participates in research in high energy physics and particle cosmology that addresses some of the most important unanswered questions in science. The research is divided into five areas. Energy Frontier - We participate in the study of proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland using the ATLAS detector. The University of Pennsylvania group was responsible for the design, installation, and commissioning of the front-end electronics for the Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) and plays the primary role in its maintenancemore » and operation. We play an important role in the triggering of ATLAS, and we have made large contributions to the TRT performance and to the study and identification of electrons, photons, and taus. We have been actively involved in searches for the Higgs boson and for SUSY and other exotic particles. We have made significant contributions to measurement of Standard Model processes such as inclusive photon production and WW pair production. We also have participated significantly in R&D for upgrades to the ATLAS detector. Cosmic Frontier - The Dark Energy Survey (DES) telescope will be used to elucidate the nature of dark energy and the distribution of dark matter. Penn has played a leading role both in the use of weak gravitational lensing of distant galaxies and the discovery of large numbers of distant supernovae. The techniques and forecasts developed at Penn are also guiding the development of the proposed Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).We are also developing a new detector, MiniClean, to search for direct detection of dark matter particles. Intensity Frontier - We are participating in the design and R&D of detectors for the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (now DUNE), a new experiment to study the properties of neutrinos. Advanced Techology R&D - We have an extensive involvement in electronics required for sophisticated new detectors at the LHC and are developing electronics for the LSST camera. Theoretical Physics - We are carrying out a broad program studying the fundamental forces of nature and early universe cosmology and mathematical physics. Our activities span the range from model building, formal field theory, and string theory to new paradigms for cosmology and the interface of string theory with mathematics. Our effort combines extensive development of the formal aspects of string theory with a focus on real phenomena in particle physics, cosmology and gravity.« less

Determination of elementary first integrals of a generalized Raychaudhuri equation by the Darboux integrability method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, A. Ghose; Guha, Partha; Khanra, Barun

2009-10-01

The Darboux integrability method is particularly useful to determine first integrals of nonplanar autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations, whose associated vector fields are polynomials. In particular, we obtain first integrals for a variant of the generalized Raychaudhuri equation, which has appeared in string inspired modern cosmology.

Exacerbating the Cosmological Constant Problem with Interacting Dark Energy Models.

PubMed

Marsh, M C David

2017-01-06

Future cosmological surveys will probe the expansion history of the Universe and constrain phenomenological models of dark energy. Such models do not address the fine-tuning problem of the vacuum energy, i.e., the cosmological constant problem (CCP), but can make it spectacularly worse. We show that this is the case for "interacting dark energy" models in which the masses of the dark matter states depend on the dark energy sector. If realized in nature, these models have far-reaching implications for proposed solutions to the CCP that require the number of vacua to exceed the fine-tuning of the vacuum energy density. We show that current estimates of the number of flux vacua in string theory, N_{vac}∼O(10^{272 000}), are far too small to realize certain simple models of interacting dark energy and solve the cosmological constant problem anthropically. These models admit distinctive observational signatures that can be targeted by future gamma-ray observatories, hence making it possible to observationally rule out the anthropic solution to the cosmological constant problem in theories with a finite number of vacua.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Cosmological branes and macroscopic extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barvinsky, Andrei O.

2005-06-01

The idea of adding extra dimensions to the physical world — thus making the observable universe a timelike surface (or brane) embedded in a higher-dimensional space-time — is briefly reviewed, which is believed to hold serious promise for solving fundamental problems concerning the hierarchy of physical interactions and the cosmological constant. Brane localization of massless gravitons is discussed as a mechanism leading to the effective four-dimensional Einstein gravity theory on the brane in the low-energy limit. It is shown that this mechanism is a corollary of the AdS/CFT correspondence principle well-known from string theory. Inflation and other cosmological evolution scenarios induced by the local and nonlocal structures of the effective action of the gravitational brane are considered, as are the effects that enable the developing gravitational-wave astronomy to be used in the search for extra dimensions. Finally, a new approach to the cosmological constant and cosmological acceleration problems is discussed, which involves variable local and nonlocal gravitational 'constants' arising in the infrared modifications of the Einstein theory that incorporate brane-induced gravity models and models of massive gravitons.

Construction of nonsingular pre-big-bang and ekpyrotic cosmologies and the resulting density perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujikawa, Shinji; Brandenberger, Robert; Finelli, Fabio

2002-10-01

We consider the construction of nonsingular pre-big-bang and ekpyrotic type cosmological models realized by the addition to the action of specific higher-order terms stemming from quantum corrections. We study models involving general relativity coupled to a single scalar field with a potential motivated by the ekpyrotic scenario. We find that the inclusion of the string loop and quantum correction terms in the string frame makes it possible to obtain solutions of the variational equations which are nonsingular and bouncing in the Einstein frame, even when a negative exponential potential is present, as is the case in the ekpyrotic scenario. This allows us to discuss the evolution of cosmological perturbations without the need to invoke matching conditions between two Einstein universes, one representing the contracting branch, the second the expanding branch. We analyze the spectra of perturbations produced during the bouncing phase and find that the spectrum of curvature fluctuations in the model proposed originally to implement the ekpyrotic scenario has a large blue tilt (nR=3). Except for instabilities introduced on small scales, the result agrees with what is obtained by imposing continuity of the induced metric and of the extrinsic curvature across a constant scalar field (up to k2 corrections equal to the constant energy density) matching surface between the contracting and the expanding Einstein universes. We also discuss nonsingular cosmological solutions obtained when a Gauss-Bonnet term with a coefficient suitably dependent on the scalar matter field is added to the action in the Einstein frame with a potential for the scalar field present. In this scenario, nonsingular solutions are found which start in an asymptotically flat state, undergo a period of superexponential inflation, and end with a graceful exit. The spectrum of fluctuations is also calculated in this case.

New solutions with accelerated expansion in string theory

DOE PAGES

Dodelson, Matthew; Dong, Xi; Silverstein, Eva; ...

2014-12-05

We present concrete solutions with accelerated expansion in string theory, requiring a small, tractable list of stress energy sources. We explain how this construction (and others in progress) evades previous no go theorems for simple accelerating solutions. Our solutions respect an approximate scaling symmetry and realize discrete sequences of values for the equation of state, including one with an accumulation point at w = –1 and another accumulating near w = –1/3 from below. In another class of models, a density of defects generates scaling solutions with accelerated expansion. Here, we briefly discuss potential applications to dark energy phenomenology, andmore » to holography for cosmology.« less

A premier analysis of supersymmetric closed string tachyon cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Báez, V.; Ramírez, C.

2018-04-01

From a previously found worldline supersymmetric formulation for the effective action of the closed string tachyon in a FRW background, the Hamiltonian of the theory is constructed, by means of the Dirac procedure, and written in a quantum version. Using the supersymmetry algebra we are able to find solutions to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation via a more simple set of first order differential equations. Finally, for the k = 0 case, we compute the expectation value of the scale factor with a suitably potential also favored in the present literature. We give some interpretations of the results and state future work lines on this matter.

How could (should) we make contact between string/M-theory and our four-dimensional world, and associated LHC predictions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, Gordon

2015-12-01

String/M-theory is an exciting framework within which we try to understand our universe and its properties. Compactified string/M-theories address and offer solutions to almost every important question and issue in particle physics and particle cosmology. But earlier goals of finding a top-down “vacuum selection” principle and deriving the 4D theory have not yet been realized. Does that mean we should stop trying, as nearly all string theorists have? Or can we proceed in the historical way to make a few generic, robust assumptions not closely related to observables, and follow where they lead to testable predictions and explanations? Making only very generic assumptions is a significant issue. I discuss how to try to proceed with this approach, particularly in M-theory compactified on a 7D manifold of G2 holonomy. One goal is to understand our universe as a string/M-theory vacuum for its own sake, in the long tradition of trying to understand our world, and what that implies. In addition, understanding our vacuum may be a prelude to understanding its connection to the multiverse.

Lectures from the European RTN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Fields, CERN, 15 19 January 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derendinger, J.-P.; Scrucca, C. A.; Uranga, A.

2007-11-01

This special issue is devoted to the proceedings of the conference 'Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories', which took place at CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research, in Geneva, Switzerland, from the 15 to the 19 of January 2007. This event was organized in the framework of the European Mobility Research and Training Network entitled 'Constituents, Fundamental Forces and Symmetries of the Universe'. It is part of a yearly series of scientific schools, which represents what is by now a well established tradition. The previous conferences have been held at SISSA, in Trieste, Italy, in February 2005 and at CERN in January 2006. The next will again take place at CERN, in January 2008. The school was primarily meant for young doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers working in the area of string theory. It consisted of several general lectures of four hours each, the notes of which are published in the present proceedings, and seven working group discussion sessions, focused on specific topics of the network research program. It was attended by approximatively 250 participants. The topics of the lectures were chosen to provide an introduction to some of the areas of recent progress, and to the open problems, in string theory. String theory is a compelling candidate for a theory of all interactions. A basic challenge in this field is therefore to explore the connection of string theory models and the laws of physics in different realms, like high-energy particle physics, early cosmology, or physics of strongly coupled gauge theories. Concerning the exploration of string theory compactifications leading to realistic models of particle physics, one of the main obstacles in this direction is the proper understanding of supersymmetry breaking. The lecture notes by Nathan Seiberg review the realization of spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry in field theory, including recent developments via the use of meta-stable long-lived vacua. It is possible that such an understanding proves crucial in the realization of supersymmetry breaking in string theory. A second long-standing obstacle, which is being tackled with recent techniques, is moduli stabilization, namely the removal of unwanted massless scalar fields from string models. The present status of this problem, and its prospects of solution via the introduction of general sets of fluxes in the compactification space, were covered in the lectures by Brian Wecht. Application of these ideas to connect string theory to particle physics will require a good understanding of the experimental situation at the forthcoming collider LHC at CERN, and the detection tools for signals of new physics, as reviewed in the lectures by Joe Lykken (not covered in the present issue). Along a different line, the role of moduli fields in string theory is expected to provide a natural explanation of models of inflation, and thus of the origin of the cosmological evolution of our universe. The lecture notes by Cliff Burgess provide a review of big bang cosmology, inflation, and its possible explanation in terms of string theory constructions, including some of the most recent results in the field (these notes also appear in the proceedings of two other schools held in the same period). A surprising recent application of string theory is the description, via the ideas of holography and duality between string theories and gauge theories, of physical properties of quantum chromodynamics at high temperature. Indeed experimental data on the physical properties of the quark gluon plasma, produced in heavy ion collision at the RHIC experiment in Brookhaven (and soon at the LHC at CERN) can be recovered, at a semi-quantitative level, from computations in a string theory dual of the system. These applications are reviewed in the lectures by David Mateos. The conference was financially supported by the European Commission under contract MRTN-CT-2004-005104 and by CERN. It was jointly organized by the Physics Institute of the University of Neuchâtel and the Theory Unit of the Physics Division of CERN. It is a great pleasure for us to warmly thank the Theory Unit of CERN for its very kind hospitality and for the high quality of the assistance and the infrastructures that it has provided. We also acknowledge helpful administrative assistance from the Physics Institute of the University of Neuchâtel. A special acknowledgement also goes to Denis Frank, for his very valuable help in preparing the conference web pages. Group photo

Topological defects in alternative theories to cosmic inflation and string cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Stephon H. S.

The physics of the Early Universe is described in terms of the inflationary paradigm, which is based on a marriage between Einstein's general theory of relativity minimally coupled to quantum field theory. Inflation was posed to solve some of the outstanding problems of the Standard Big Bang Cosmology (SBB) such as the horizon, formation of structure and monopole problems. Despite its observational and theoretical successes, inflation is plagued with fine tuning and initial singularity problems. On the other hand, superstring/M theory, a theory of quantum gravity, possesses symmetries which naturally avoid space-time singularities. This thesis investigates alternative theories to cosmic inflation for solving the initial singularity, horizon and monopole problems, making use of topological defects. It was proposed by Dvali, Liu and Vaschaspati that the monopole problem can be solved without inflation if domain walls "sweep" up the monopoles in the early universe, thus reducing their number density significantly. Necessary for this mechanism to work is the presence of an attractive force between the monopole and the domain wall as well as a channel for the monopole's unwinding. We show numerically and analytically in two field theory models that for global defects the attraction is a universal result but the unwinding is model specific. The second part of this thesis investigates a string/M theory inspired model for solving the horizon problem. It was proposed by Moffat, Albrecht and Magueijo that the horizon problem is solved with a "phase transition" associated with a varying speed of light before the surface of last scattering. We provide a string/M theory mechanism based on assuming that our space-time is a D-3 brane probing a bulk supergravity black hole bulk background. This mechanism provides the necessary time variation of the velocity of light to solve the horizon problem. We suggest a mechanism which stablilizes the speed of light on the D-3 brane. We finally address the cosmological initial singularity problem using the target space duality inherent in string/M theory. It was suggested by Brandenberger and Vafa that superstring theory can solve the singularity problem and in addition explain why only three spatial dimensions can become large. We show that under specific conditions this mechanism still persists when including the effects of D-branes.

Phase space analysis for a scalar-tensor model with kinetic and Gauss-Bonnet couplings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granda, L. N.; Loaiza, E.

2016-09-01

We study the phase space for a scalar-tensor string inspired model of dark energy with nonminimal kinetic and Gauss-Bonnet couplings. The form of the scalar potential and of the coupling terms is of the exponential type, which gives rise to appealing cosmological solutions. The critical points describe a variety of cosmological scenarios that go from a matter or radiation dominated universe to a dark energy dominated universe. Trajectories were found in the phase space departing from unstable or saddle fixed points and arriving at the stable scalar field dominated point corresponding to late-time accelerated expansion.

Constraints on the production of primordial magnetic seeds in pre-big bang cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gasperini, M., E-mail: gasperini@ba.infn.it

We study the amplification of the electromagnetic fluctuations, and the production of 'seeds' for the cosmic magnetic fields, in a class of string cosmology models whose scalar and tensor perturbations reproduce current observations and satisfy known phenomenological constraints. We find that the condition of efficient seeds production can be satisfied and compatible with all constraints only in a restricted region of parameter space, but we show that such a region has significant intersections with the portions of parameter space where the produced background of relic gravitational waves is strong enough to be detectable by aLIGO/Virgo and/or by eLISA.

Constraints on the production of primordial magnetic seeds in pre-big bang cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasperini, M.

2017-06-01

We study the amplification of the electromagnetic fluctuations, and the production of "seeds" for the cosmic magnetic fields, in a class of string cosmology models whose scalar and tensor perturbations reproduce current observations and satisfy known phenomenological constraints. We find that the condition of efficient seeds production can be satisfied and compatible with all constraints only in a restricted region of parameter space, but we show that such a region has significant intersections with the portions of parameter space where the produced background of relic gravitational waves is strong enough to be detectable by aLIGO/Virgo and/or by eLISA.

Quantum no-scale regimes in string theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coudarchet, Thibaut; Fleming, Claude; Partouche, Hervé

2018-05-01

We show that in generic no-scale models in string theory, the flat, expanding cosmological evolutions found at the quantum level can be attracted to a "quantum no-scale regime", where the no-scale structure is restored asymptotically. In this regime, the quantum effective potential is dominated by the classical kinetic energies of the no-scale modulus and dilaton. We find that this natural preservation of the classical no-scale structure at the quantum level occurs when the initial conditions of the evolutions sit in a subcritical region of their space. On the contrary, supercritical initial conditions yield solutions that have no analogue at the classical level. The associated intrinsically quantum universes are sentenced to collapse and their histories last finite cosmic times. Our analysis is done at 1-loop, in perturbative heterotic string compactified on tori, with spontaneous supersymmetry breaking implemented by a stringy version of the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism.

AdS and dS Entropy from String Junctions or The Function of Junction Conjunctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silverstein, Eva M

Flux compactifications of string theory exhibiting the possibility of discretely tuning the cosmological constant to small values have been constructed. The highly tuned vacua in this discretuum have curvature radii which scale as large powers of the flux quantum numbers, exponential in the number of cycles in the compactification. By the arguments of Susskind/Witten (in the AdS case) and Gibbons/Hawking (in the dS case), we expect correspondingly large entropies associated with these vacua. If they are to provide a dual description of these vacua on their Coulomb branch, branes traded for the flux need to account for this entropy atmore » the appropriate energy scale. In this note, we argue that simple string junctions and webs ending on the branes can account for this large entropy, obtaining a rough estimate for junction entropy that agrees with the existing rough estimates for the spacing of the discretuum. In particular, the brane entropy can account for the (A)dS entropy far away from string scale correspondence limits.« less

Birth of the Universe from the Multiverse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mersini-Houghton, Laura

2015-01-01

Compactification of extra dimensions in string theory leads to a vast number of (3+1) dimensional worlds, (about 10500 so far), coined the landscape. At the time of the discovery of the landscape, the question which one of these worlds is our universe seemed hopeless. Many argued that the vastness of the landscape undermines the very foundations of string theory for two reasons: (i) the theory seemed unfalsifiable since for every observation we could find a matching world on the landscape; (ii) the method advocated at the time for making sense of this landscape was the anthropic principle. The former objection implied string theory can not be scientific. The latter concern is that anthropics do not help scientific inquiry and rigor but rather it may seem to push some version of creationism to the next level. For these reasons the whole field of string theory and also, of cosmology that relied on it for answers about fundamental questions such as the origins of the universe, seemed to be in deep crisis at the beginning of the millenia...

Superconducting cosmic strings as sources of cosmological fast radio bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Jiani; Wang, Kai; Cai, Yi-Fu

2017-11-01

In this paper we calculate the radio burst signals from three kinds of structures of superconducting cosmic strings. By taking into account the observational factors including scattering and relativistic effects, we derive the event rate of radio bursts as a function of redshift with the theoretical parameters Gμ and I of superconducting strings. Our analyses show that cusps and kinks may have noticeable contributions to the event rate and in most cases cusps would dominate the contribution, while the kink-kink collisions tend to have secondary effects. By fitting theoretical predictions with the normalized data of fast radio bursts, we for the first time constrain the parameter space of superconducting strings and report that the parameter space of Gμ ˜ [10^{-14}, 10^{-12}] and I ˜ [10^{-1}, 102] GeV fit the observation well although the statistic significance is low due to the lack of observational data. Moreover, we derive two types of best fittings, with one being dominated by cusps with a redshift z = 1.3, and the other dominated by kinks at the range of the maximal event rate.

Gravitational waves and cosmic strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemens, Xavier

2002-08-01

Cosmic strings are potential candidates for a variety of interesting cosmological phenomena such as gamma ray bursts, gravitational wave bursts and ultra high energy cosmic rays. The predictions of cosmic string models, however, depend sensitively on the so far unresolved question of the size of the small-scale structure. This thesis deals largely with this problem. First, I present a gravitational back-reaction model that assumes the interaction between all Fourier modes that make up a given perturbation on a long cosmic string. This calculation leads to the generally accepted value of the small scale structure cutoff. It also, however, leads to paradoxical behaviour when applied to two oppositely moving modes: As one of the modes is stretched conformally the gravitational power radiated approaches a constant. This result is in contradiction with our expectation for the straight string limit in which no power is radiated. A more careful investigation of this problem reveals that, in the case of two oppositely moving modes, the gravitational power is exponentially suppressed when the wavelengths of the modes are sufficiently different. I use this result to construct an improved gravitational back-reaction model in which modes of very different wavelengths do not interact. This model leads to a new small scale structure cutoff which is sensitive to the initial spectrum of perturbations present on the string. I also tentatively examine the consequences of this result for the evolution of cosmic string loops. Finally, I investigate the effect of the presence of small scale structure on the gravitational wave-bursts produced at cosmic string cusps.

BOOK REVIEW: The Physics of the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Douglas

2007-11-01

The physics of the very small and the very large were successfully brought together in the 1980s through the idea of 'the universe as a particle accelerator'. The manifesto of this new campaign was laid out in the book 'The Early Universe' by Kolb and Turner in 1990. For at least the next decade that book was to be found on the shelves of every theorist (and many experimentalists) who professed an interest in this topic. But science marches on, and the last 10 15 years has seen an explosion in our understanding of the physics of the very earliest times and the very largest scales. Experimentally our world-view has changed utterly, through exquisitely precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background, galaxy clustering and supernova distances, with a refinement of the basic inflationary big bang paradigm into the new 'standard cosmological model'. And in tandem with these changes has been the development of new theoretical ideas, particularly involving dark energy and connections between string/brane theory and cosmology. So what is the new book for the shelves of today's cohort of young Rockys and Mikes? Despite a recent number of promising-sounding cosmology books, there is nothing at the advanced level which is broad enough to be a general introduction to the 'early universe' topic. Perhaps the best of the bunch is 'The Physics of the Early Universe', edited by E Papantonopoulos as part of Springer's series 'Lecture notes in physics'. This is a set of 9 review articles given as part of a 2003 summer school on Syros Island, Greece. Although far from perfect, the core of this book provides a solid introduction to current research in early universe physics, which should be useful for PhD students or postdoctoral researchers who want the real thing. The book starts with a competent introduction by Kyriakos Tamvakis, serving essentially as a summary of where we were in Kolb and Turner's text. We have learned since then, however, that inflation is really all about perturbations, and so we get a summary of cosmological perturbation theory by Ruth Durrer—more background and physical explanations would have been helpful, but this is a nice compact summary. The cosmic microwave background has been the cornerstone for making experimental progress, and we get an excellent overview from Anthony Challinor—although again there are several sections where more explanation would have been useful for the novice. Next comes a broad survey of other aspects of observational cosmology by Robert Sanders, which is clear and succinct. The only slight blemishes are caused by the author desperately seeking discord, and only apparently finding it in places where it isn't made clear that his views are unconventional. Dark energy, i.e. the generalization of the cosmological constant to a dynamic fluid, is a huge area of current theoretical study, where one can uncharitably say that there are no well-motivated theories! It is therefore crucial to have the views of a clear-thinking expert to help us navigate this topic, and Varun Sahni does an excellent job here. We then find ourselves in the territory of string and brane cosmology, where there are 2 reviews, presented in the wrong order. Roy Maartens (whose article comes second) does a reasonable job of building on the ideas of inflation and cosmological perturbations to describe brane-world views of the early universe, perhaps just becoming slightly too heavy on technical detail and light on physical discussion in the middle part. But the string cosmology review by André Lukas (which comes first), is unfortunately nothing like an introduction to that topic, since much of the jargon and even some of the symbols will be quite unfamiliar to anyone who hasn't already taken graduate level courses on string theory. The book ends with 2 competent (and fairly short) summaries relevant to gravitational wave astronomy, which are really quite unconnected with the main topic of the book—it would have been more useful to have focussed on gravity waves from the cosmological perspective, rather than discussing neutron stars and black holes. This, then, is a useful book for someone wanting to leap right into modern theoretical ideas of early universe physics. Since it is a summer school proceedings, rather than explicitly a textbook, it suffers from a lack of coherence, and some more discursive text would also have been helpful. But despite these flaws, it is still a book to be recommended as a concise but technical introduction to this rapidly changing topic.

Wilsonian dark matter in string derived Z' model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delle Rose, L.; Faraggi, A. E.; Marzo, C.; Rizos, J.

2017-09-01

The dark matter issue is among the most perplexing in contemporary physics. The problem is more enigmatic due to the wide range of possible solutions, ranging from the ultralight to the supermassive. String theory gives rise to plausible dark matter candidates due to the breaking of the non-Abelian grand unified theory (GUT) symmetries by Wilson lines. The physical spectrum then contains states that do not satisfy the quantization conditions of the unbroken GUT symmetry. Given that the Standard Model states are identified with broken GUT representations, and provided that any ensuing symmetry breakings are induced by components of GUT states, a remnant discrete symmetry remains that forbids the decay of the Wilsonian states. A class of such states are obtained in a heterotic-string-derived Z' model. The model exploits the spinor-vector duality symmetry, observed in the fermionic Z2×Z2 heterotic-string orbifolds, to generate a Z'∈E6 symmetry that may remain unbroken down to low energies. The E6 symmetry is broken at the string level with discrete Wilson lines. The Wilsonian dark matter candidates in the string-derived model are S O (10 ), and hence Standard Model, singlets and possess non-E6 U(1)Z' charges. Depending on the U(1)Z' breaking scale and the reheating temperature they give rise to different scenarios for the relic abundance, and are in accordance with the cosmological constraints.

Tachyon driven quantum cosmology in string theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garcia-Compean, H.; Garcia-Jimenez, G.; Obregon, O.

2005-03-15

Recently an effective action of the SDp-brane decaying process in string theory has been proposed. This effective description involves the Tachyon driven matter coupled to bosonic ten-dimensional Type II supergravity. Here the Hamiltonian formulation of this system is given. Exact solutions for the corresponding quantum theory by solving the Wheeler-deWitt equation in the late-time limit of the rolling tachyon are found. The energy spectrum and the probability densities for several values of p are shown and their possible interpretation is discussed. In the process the effects of electromagnetic fields are also incorporated and it is shown that in this casemore » the interpretation of tachyon regarded as 'matter clock' is modified.« less

Generation of large-scale magnetic fields, non-Gaussianity, and primordial gravitational waves in inflationary cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamba, Kazuharu

2015-02-01

The generation of large-scale magnetic fields in inflationary cosmology is explored, in particular, in a kind of moduli inflation motivated by racetrack inflation in the context of the type IIB string theory. In this model, the conformal invariance of the hypercharge electromagnetic fields is broken thanks to the coupling of both the scalar and pseudoscalar fields to the hypercharge electromagnetic fields. The following three cosmological observable quantities are first evaluated: the current magnetic field strength on the Hubble horizon scale, which is much smaller than the upper limit from the backreaction problem, local non-Gaussianity of the curvature perturbations due to the existence of the massive gauge fields, and the tensor-to-scalar ratio. It is explicitly demonstrated that the resultant values of local non-Gaussianity and the tensor-to-scalar ratio are consistent with the Planck data.

Variable generalized Chaplygin gas in a 5D cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salti, Mustafa; Aydogdu, Oktay; Yanar, Hilmi; Sogut, Kenan

2018-03-01

We construct the variable generalized Chaplygin gas (VGCG) defining a unified dark matter-energy scenario and investigate its essential cosmological properties in a universe governed by the Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory. A possible theoretical basis for the VGCG in the KK cosmology is argued. Also, we check the validity of thermodynamical laws and reimplement dynamics of tachyons in the KK universe.

System for disposing of radioactive water

DOEpatents

Gotchy, Reginald L.

1976-01-13

A system for reducing radioactivity released to the biosphere in the course of producing natural gas from a reservoir stimulated by the detonation of nuclear explosives therein. Tritiated water produced with the gas is separated out and returned to a nuclear chimney through a string of tubing positioned within the well casing. The tubing string is positioned within the well casing in a manner which enhances separation of the water out of the gas and minimizes entrainment of water into the gas flowing out of the chimney.

Squeezed States, Uncertainty Relations and the Pauli Principle in Composite and Cosmological Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terazawa, Hidezumi

1996-01-01

The importance of not only uncertainty relations but also the Pauli exclusion principle is emphasized in discussing various 'squeezed states' existing in the universe. The contents of this paper include: (1) Introduction; (2) Nuclear Physics in the Quark-Shell Model; (3) Hadron Physics in the Standard Quark-Gluon Model; (4) Quark-Lepton-Gauge-Boson Physics in Composite Models; (5) Astrophysics and Space-Time Physics in Cosmological Models; and (6) Conclusion. Also, not only the possible breakdown of (or deviation from) uncertainty relations but also the superficial violation of the Pauli principle at short distances (or high energies) in composite (and string) models is discussed in some detail.

PREFACE Particles, Strings and Cosmology (PASCOS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrera, Susana; Hirsch, Martin; Mitsou, Vasiliki; Muñoz, Carlos; Pastor, Sergio; Amparo Tórtola, María; Valle, José W. F.; Vives, Óscar

2010-11-01

The XVI Symposium in the Particles, Strings and Cosmology (PASCOS) series took place on 19-23 July 2010, in the historic city of Valencia, and was hosted by the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), the largest particle physics laboratory of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), jointly operated with the University of Valencia. The PASCOS series of annual symposia is dedicated to the latest advances on the study of the forces that govern the elementary constituents of matter - the microcosm - and their effects on the understanding of the Universe at large - the macrocosm. Indeed the basic principles of uncertainty and mass-energy equivalence imply that when one probes deep inside the subatomic scale, one inevitably excites states of very high energy and mass which were copiously produced at the Big Bang. Recreating these particles in the laboratory is tantamount to tracing back the very early history of the universe. The interface of particle physics, string theory and cosmology has indeed become a highly active field of research at the frontier of human knowledge and the PASCOS meetings aim to bring together researchers from the three areas so as to facilitate the exchange of ideas and to identify possible synergies. The series started in the mid-nineties in the United States, where the first events took place. However it has by now become truly global, having circulated through India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. The aim of the conference was to review the recent progress in particle physics, string theory and cosmology, promoting the exchange of ideas and discussing future prospects. With the startup of LHC and the launch of the Planck satellite as well as many other experiments under way or planned, PASCOS2010 looked at an exciting future, giving theorists an opportunity to prepare for this wealth of new data and the stringent tests to which they will subject the existing theories. While the conferences in this series have traditionally been aimed mainly at theorists, PASCOS2010 had a stronger emphasis on new results and future experiments. The venue for PASCOS 2010 was the Fundación Universidad Empresa (ADEIT), a modern building, located in the historical city centre of Valencia and very close to the conference hotels and to most historic buildings and monuments. The scientific programme consisted of 26 invited Plenary Talks and 99 contributions, all available online at http://pascos2010.astroparticles.es/. Young researchers were encouraged to submit abstracts, many of which were subsequently selected by the organizing committee for oral presentation in parallel sessions. This year's symposium, attended by over 160 participants from all over the globe, was of particular significance, as it came in the wake of first data from the LHC as well as the Planck satellite. In general, plenary sessions were held in the mornings, with afternoons devoted to parallel sessions focussing on the three areas of particles, strings and cosmology. Official Inauguration and Public Talk The Opening of the Symposium took place in the main Auditorium of ADEIT, starting with a brief welcome address by Professor José W F Valle, Chair of the Organizing Committee, followed by addresses of Professor Pedro Carrasco, Research Vice-Rector of the University of València, Professor José Pío Beltran, representing the President of the CSIC, and Professor Francisco Botella, Director of IFIC. There was also a very successful popular science talk by Professor Carlos Frenk, Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University in the United Kingdom on 'The Structure of the Universe'. This as well as the opening of the PASCOS2010 conference was covered by the local media, and a short summary is also published in the CERN Courier. Valencia, October 2010 The Editors Susana Cabrera, Martin Hirsch,Vasiliki Mitsou, Carlos Mu~oz, Sergio Pastor, María Amparo Tórtola, José W. F. Valle and Óscar Vives The PDF contains a list of committees, sponsors and participants and copies of some conference photographs and the conference poster

30 CFR 250.445 - What are the requirements for kelly valves, inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves? 250.445 Section 250.445 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System...

30 CFR 250.447 - When must I pressure test the BOP system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations... pressure test your BOP system (this includes the choke manifold, kelly valves, inside BOP, and drill-string... performance warrant; and (c) Before drilling out each string of casing or a liner. The District Manager may...

30 CFR 250.445 - What are the requirements for kelly valves, inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves? 250.445 Section 250.445 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System...

30 CFR 250.445 - What are the requirements for kelly valves, inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves? 250.445 Section 250.445 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System...

On anthropic solutions of the cosmological constant problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, Tom; Dine, Michael; Motl, Lubos

2001-01-01

Motivated by recent work of Bousso and Polchinski (BP), we study theories which explain the small value of the cosmological constant using the anthropic principle. We argue that simultaneous solution of the gauge hierarchy problem is a strong constraint on any such theory. We exhibit three classes of models which satisfy these constraints. The first is a version of the BP model with precisely two large dimensions. The second involves 6-branes and antibranes wrapped on supersymmetric 3-cycles of Calabi-Yau manifolds, and the third is a version of the irrational axion model. All of them have possible problems in explaining the size of microwave background fluctuations. We also find that most models of this type predict that all constants in the low energy lagrangian, as well as the gauge groups and representation content, are chosen from an ensemble and cannot be uniquely determined from the fundamental theory. In our opinion, this significantly reduces the appeal of this kind of solution of the cosmological constant problem. On the other hand, we argue that the vacuum selection problem of string theory might plausibly have an anthropic, cosmological solution.

The effective theory of shift-symmetric cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finelli, Bernardo; Goon, Garrett; Pajer, Enrico; Santoni, Luca

2018-05-01

A shift symmetry is a ubiquitous ingredient in inflationary models, both in effective constructions and in UV-finite embeddings such as string theory. It has also been proposed to play a key role in certain Dark Energy and Dark Matter models. Despite the crucial role it plays in cosmology, the observable, model independent consequences of a shift symmetry are yet unknown. Here, assuming an exact shift symmetry, we derive these consequences for single-clock cosmologies within the framework of the Effective Field Theory of Inflation. We find an infinite set of relations among the otherwise arbitrary effective coefficients, which relate non-Gaussianity to their time dependence. For example, to leading order in derivatives, these relations reduce the infinitely many free functions in the theory to just a single one. Our Effective Theory of shift-symmetric cosmologies describes, among other systems, perfect and imperfect superfluids coupled to gravity and driven superfluids in the decoupling limit. Our results are the first step to determine observationally whether a shift symmetry is at play in the laws of nature and whether it is broken by quantum gravity effects.

30 CFR 250.445 - What are the requirements for kelly valves, inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves? 250.445 Section 250.445 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.445 What...

30 CFR 250.445 - What are the requirements for kelly valves, inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., inside BOPs, and drill-string safety valves? 250.445 Section 250.445 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop...

Stochastic gravitational waves from cosmic string loops in scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ringeval, Christophe; Suyama, Teruaki

2017-12-01

If cosmic strings are formed in the early universe, their associated loops emit gravitational waves during the whole cosmic history and contribute to the stochastic gravitational wave background at all frequencies. We provide a new estimate of the stochastic gravitational wave spectrum by considering a realistic cosmological loop distribution, in scaling, as it can be inferred from Nambu-Goto numerical simulations. Our result takes into account various effects neglected so far. We include both gravitational wave emission and backreaction effects on the loop distribution and show that they produce two distinct features in the spectrum. Concerning the string microstructure, in addition to the presence of cusps and kinks, we show that gravitational wave bursts created by the collision of kinks could dominate the signal for wiggly strings, a situation which may be favoured in the light of recent numerical simulations. In view of these new results, we propose four prototypical scenarios, within the margin of the remaining theoretical uncertainties, for which we derive the corresponding signal and estimate the constraints on the string tension put by both the LIGO and European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) observations. The less constrained of these scenarios is shown to have a string tension GU <= 7.2 × 10‑11, at 95% of confidence. Smooth loops carrying two cusps per oscillation verify the two-sigma bound GU <= 1.0 × 10‑11 while the most constrained of all scenarios describes very kinky loops and satisfies GU <= 6.7× 10‑14 at 95% of confidence.

No-scale inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, John; Garcia, Marcos A. G.; Nanopoulos, Dimitri V.; Olive, Keith A.

2016-05-01

Supersymmetry is the most natural framework for physics above the TeV scale, and the corresponding framework for early-Universe cosmology, including inflation, is supergravity. No-scale supergravity emerges from generic string compactifications and yields a non-negative potential, and is therefore a plausible framework for constructing models of inflation. No-scale inflation yields naturally predictions similar to those of the Starobinsky model based on R+{R}2 gravity, with a tilted spectrum of scalar perturbations: {n}s∼ 0.96, and small values of the tensor-to-scalar perturbation ratio r\\lt 0.1, as favoured by Planck and other data on the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Detailed measurements of the CMB may provide insights into the embedding of inflation within string theory as well as its links to collider physics.

The formation and evolution of domain walls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Press, William H.; Ryden, Barbara S.; Spergel, David N.

1991-01-01

Domain walls are sheet-like defects produced when the low energy vacuum has isolated degenerate minima. The researchers' computer code follows the evolution of a scalar field, whose dynamics are determined by its Lagrangian density. The topology of the scalar field determines the evolution of the domain walls. This approach treats both wall dynamics and reconnection. The researchers investigated not only potentials that produce single domain walls, but also potentials that produce a network of walls and strings. These networks arise in axion models where the U(1) Peccei-Quinn symmetry is broken into Z sub N discrete symmetries. If N equals 1, the walls are bounded by strings and the network quickly disappears. For N greater than 1, the network of walls and strings behaved qualitatively just as the wall network shown in the figures given here. This both confirms the researchers' pessimistic view that domain walls cannot play an important role in the formation of large scale structure and implies that axion models with multiple minimum can be cosmologically disastrous.

Gravity waves and the LHC: towards high-scale inflation with low-energy SUSY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Temple; Kachru, Shamit; Westphal, Alexander

2010-06-01

It has been argued that rather generic features of string-inspired inflationary theories with low-energy supersymmetry (SUSY) make it difficult to achieve inflation with a Hubble scale H > m 3/2, where m 3/2 is the gravitino mass in the SUSY-breaking vacuum state. We present a class of string-inspired supergravity realizations of chaotic inflation where a simple, dynamical mechanism yields hierarchically small scales of post-inflationary supersymmetry breaking. Within these toy models we can easily achieve small ratios between m 3/2 and the Hubble scale of inflation. This is possible because the expectation value of the superpotential < W> relaxes from large to small values during the course of inflation. However, our toy models do not provide a reasonable fit to cosmological data if one sets the SUSY-breaking scale to m 3/2 ≤ TeV. Our work is a small step towards relieving the apparent tension between high-scale inflation and low-scale supersymmetry breaking in string compactifications.

Exploring the String Landscape: The Dynamics, Statistics, and Cosmology of Parallel Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahlqvist, Stein Pontus

This dissertation explores various facets of the low-energy solutions in string theory known as the string landscape. Three separate questions are addressed - the tunneling dynamics between these vacua, the statistics of their location in moduli space, and the potential realization of slow-roll inflation in the flux potentials generated in string theory. We find that the tunneling transitions that occur between a certain class of supersymmetric vacua related to each other via monodromies around the conifold point are sensitive to the details of warping in the near-conifold regime. We also study the impact of warping on the distribution of vacua near the conifold and determine that while previous work has concluded that the conifold point acts as an accumulation point for vacua, warping highly dilutes the distribution in precisely this regime. Finally we investigate a novel form of inflation dubbed spiral inflation to see if it can be realized near the conifold point. We conclude that for our particular models, spiral inflation seems to rely on a de Sitter-like vacuum energy. As a result, whenever spiral inflation is realized, the inflation is actually driven by a vacuum energy.

Exactly solvable field theories of closed strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brézin, E.; Kazakov, V. A.

1990-02-01

Field theories of closed strings are shown to be exactly solvable for a central charge of matter fields c=1-6/m(m+1),m=1,2, 3, .... The two-point function χ(λ,N), in which λ is the cosmological constant and N-1 is the string coupling constant, obeys a scaling law χ(λ,N=N-(m+1/2)C((λc-λ)Nm/(m+1/2)) in the limit in which N-1 goes to zero and λ goes to a critical value λc we have determined the universal non-linear differential equation satisfied by the function C. From this equation it is found that a phase transition takes place for some finite value of the scaling parameter (λc-λ)Nm/(m+1/2); this transition is a ``condensation of handles'' on the world sheet, characterized by a divergence of the averaged genus of the world sheets. The cases m=2,3 are elaborated in more details, and the case m=1, which corresponds to the embedding of a bosonic string in -2 dimensions, is reduced to explicit quadratures. Permanent address: Cybernetics Council and Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 40, SU-117 333 Moscow, USSR.

Accelerating universe with time variation of G and Λ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darabi, F.

2012-03-01

We study a gravitational model in which scale transformations play the key role in obtaining dynamical G and Λ. We take a non-scale invariant gravitational action with a cosmological constant and a gravitational coupling constant. Then, by a scale transformation, through a dilaton field, we obtain a new action containing cosmological and gravitational coupling terms which are dynamically dependent on the dilaton field with Higgs type potential. The vacuum expectation value of this dilaton field, through spontaneous symmetry breaking on the basis of anthropic principle, determines the time variations of G and Λ. The relevance of these time variations to the current acceleration of the universe, coincidence problem, Mach's cosmological coincidence and those problems of standard cosmology addressed by inflationary models, are discussed. The current acceleration of the universe is shown to be a result of phase transition from radiation toward matter dominated eras. No real coincidence problem between matter and vacuum energy densities exists in this model and this apparent coincidence together with Mach's cosmological coincidence are shown to be simple consequences of a new kind of scale factor dependence of the energy momentum density as ρ˜ a -4. This model also provides the possibility for a super fast expansion of the scale factor at very early universe by introducing exotic type matter like cosmic strings.

Observational constraints on extended Chaplygin gas cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, B. C.; Thakur, P.; Saha, A.

2017-08-01

We investigate cosmological models with extended Chaplygin gas (ECG) as a candidate for dark energy and determine the equation of state parameters using observed data namely, observed Hubble data, baryon acoustic oscillation data and cosmic microwave background shift data. Cosmological models are investigated considering cosmic fluid which is an extension of Chaplygin gas, however, it reduces to modified Chaplygin gas (MCG) and also to generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) in special cases. It is found that in the case of MCG and GCG, the best-fit values of all the parameters are positive. The distance modulus agrees quite well with the experimental Union2 data. The speed of sound obtained in the model is small, necessary for structure formation. We also determine the observational constraints on the constants of the ECG equation.

PASCOS 2012 - 18th International Symposium on Particles Strings and Cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-03-01

The XVII International Conference on Strings, Particles and Cosmology, PASCOS 2012, was held in the City of Mérida, Mexico, from June 3-8, 2012. The conference series is aimed at exploring the interface and interplay between particle physics, string theory and cosmology. With the advent of new data, the emphasis of the XVIII edition of PASCOS was on phenomenology and the interpretation of recent observational and experimental results. The conference followed the format of previous conferences in this series, with plenary reviews and contributed presentations in parallel sessions. The lectures covered a wide range of subjects which included: Dark matter and dark energy, flavor physics and CP violation, neutrino physics, supersymmetry, Higgs physics, baryogenesis and EDMs, supergravity, high energy cosmic rays, string and F-theory GUTs, and string phenomenology. This is the first time that PASCOS was held in Latin America. The aim to do it in Mexico was to engage the Latin American community and thus to bring the conference to a wider and different audience, a goal which was thoroughly achieved. The venue was held at the Hotel Fiesta Americana in the beautiful city of Mérida. The social events included a reception with typical local food at the Katun restaurant, conference dinner at the historical Quinta Montes Molina, and an excursion to the archeological site of Dzibilchaltún including a swim at the famous cenote. PASCOS 2012 was possible thanks to the generous support of the following sponsors: CONACyT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología), UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México: Consejo Técnico de la Investigación Científica, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Instituto de Física), Cinvestav, (Centro de Estudios Avanzados del IPN: U. Zacatanco, U. Mérida and Secretaría General), ICyTDF (Instituto Científico y Tecnológico del D.F.), PIFI (Programa Integral de Fortalecimiento Institucional, Universidad de Guanajuato, Campus León), SMF (Sociedad Mexicana de Física), ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics), BUAP (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla), the Government of the State of Yucatán, the University of Hamburg, and Telmex. We also want to acknowledge the invaluable help of the staff of the Mexican Physical Society, in particular Lic. Santos Zúñniga Sánchez and Ms. Claudia Velasco Marín, and of the conference secretaries, Ms. Lizette Ramírez Bermúdez (UNAM) and Ms. Mariana del Castillo Sánchez (Cinvestav), for their support before, during and after the organization of PASCOS 2012. Last but not least, we would like to thank all the PASCOS 2012 participants for their attendance and for contributing to make the conference an engaging and stimulating event. The organizers, Myriam Mondragón, Adnan Bashir, David Delepine, Francisco Larios, Oscar Loaiza, Axel de la Macorra, Lukas Nellen, Sarira Sahu, Humberto Salazar and Liliana Velasco-Sevilla.

Numerical relativity beyond astrophysics.

PubMed

Garfinkle, David

2017-01-01

Though the main applications of computer simulations in relativity are to astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars, nonetheless there are important applications of numerical methods to the investigation of general relativity as a fundamental theory of the nature of space and time. This paper gives an overview of some of these applications. In particular we cover (i) investigations of the properties of spacetime singularities such as those that occur in the interior of black holes and in big bang cosmology. (ii) investigations of critical behavior at the threshold of black hole formation in gravitational collapse. (iii) investigations inspired by string theory, in particular analogs of black holes in more than 4 spacetime dimensions and gravitational collapse in spacetimes with a negative cosmological constant.

Numerical relativity beyond astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garfinkle, David

2017-01-01

Though the main applications of computer simulations in relativity are to astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars, nonetheless there are important applications of numerical methods to the investigation of general relativity as a fundamental theory of the nature of space and time. This paper gives an overview of some of these applications. In particular we cover (i) investigations of the properties of spacetime singularities such as those that occur in the interior of black holes and in big bang cosmology. (ii) investigations of critical behavior at the threshold of black hole formation in gravitational collapse. (iii) investigations inspired by string theory, in particular analogs of black holes in more than 4 spacetime dimensions and gravitational collapse in spacetimes with a negative cosmological constant.

Effect of a cosmological constant on propagation of vacuum polarized photons in stationary spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Sourav

2015-06-01

Consideration of vacuum polarization in quantum electrodynamics may affect the momentum dispersion relation for photons for a non-trivial background, due to the appearance of curvature dependent terms in the effective action. We investigate the effect of a positive cosmological constant on this at one-loop order for stationary -vacuum spacetimes. To the best of our knowledge, so far it only has been shown that affects the propagation in a time dependent black hole spacetime. Here we consider the static de Sitter cosmic string and the Kerr-de Sitter spacetime to show that there might occur a non-vanishing effect due to for physical polarizations. The consistency of these results with the polarization sum rule is discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Degrand, Thomas

The Theoretical Advanced Study Institute was held at the University of Colorado, Boulder, during June 1 - 26, 2015. The topic was "New Frontiers in Fields and Strings." Topics included many discussions of entanglement entropy, the conformal bootstrap, AdS/CFT techniques and applications, cosmology, and the black hole information problem. The organizers were Professors Joseph Polchinski (KITP Santa Barbara) and Pedro Vieira (Perimeter Institute). Sixty-one students heard sixty-two lectures by sixteen lecturers. A Proceedings is in press.

Holographic cosmology from BIonic solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepehri, Alireza; Faizal, Mir; Setare, Mohammad Reza; Ali, Ahmed Farag

2017-02-01

In this paper, we will use a BIonic solution for analyzing the holographic cosmology. A BIonic solution is a configuration of a D3-brane and an anti-D3-brane connected by a wormhole, and holographic cosmology is a recent proposal to explain cosmic expansion by using the holographic principle. In our model, a BIonic configuration will be produced by the transition of fundamental black strings. The formation of a BIonic configuration will cause inflation. As the D3-brane moves away from the anti-D3-brane, the wormhole will get annihilated, and the inflation will end with the annihilation of this wormhole. However, it is possible for a D3-brane to collide with an anti-D3-brane. Such a collision will occur if the distance between the D3-brane and the anti-D3-brane reduces, and this will create tachyonic states. We will demonstrate that these tachyonic states will lead to the formation of a new wormhole, and this will cause acceleration of the universe before such a collision.

Classical evolution and quantum generation in generalized gravity theories including string corrections and tachyons: Unified analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Jai-Chan; Noh, Hyerim

2005-03-01

We present cosmological perturbation theory based on generalized gravity theories including string theory correction terms and a tachyonic complication. The classical evolution as well as the quantum generation processes in these varieties of gravity theories are presented in unified forms. These apply both to the scalar- and tensor-type perturbations. Analyses are made based on the curvature variable in two different gauge conditions often used in the literature in Einstein’s gravity; these are the curvature variables in the comoving (or uniform-field) gauge and the zero-shear gauge. Applications to generalized slow-roll inflation and its consequent power spectra are derived in unified forms which include a wide range of inflationary scenarios based on Einstein’s gravity and others.

The Colloquium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoroso, Richard L.

HÉCTOR A.A brief introductory survey of Unified Field Mechanics (UFM) is given from the perspective of a Holographic Anthropic Multiverse cosmology in 12 `continuous-state' dimensions. The paradigm with many new parameters is cast in a scale-invariant conformal covariant Dirac polarized vacuum utilizing extended HD forms of the de Broglie-Bohm and Cramer interpretations of quantum theory. The model utilizes a unique form of M-Theory based in part on the original hadronic form of string theory that had a variable string tension, TS and included a tachyon. The model is experimentally testable, thus putatively able to demonstrate the existence of large-scale additional dimensionality (LSXD), test for QED violating tight-bound state spectral lines in hydrogen `below' the lowest Bohr orbit, and surmount the quantum uncertainty principle utilizing a hyperincursive Sagnac Effect resonance hierarchy.

Excitations in the Yang–Gaudin Bose gas

DOE PAGES

Robinson, Neil J.; Konik, Robert M.

2017-06-01

Here, we study the excitation spectrum of two-component delta-function interacting bosons confined to a single spatial dimension, the Yang–Gaudin Bose gas. We show that there are pronounced finite-size effects in the dispersion relations of excitations, perhaps best illustrated by the spinon single particle dispersion which exhibits a gap at 2k F and a finite-momentum roton-like minimum. Such features occur at energies far above the finite volume excitation gap, vanish slowly as 1/L for fixed spinon number, and can persist to the thermodynamic limit at fixed spinon density. Features such as the 2k F gap also persist to multi-particle excitation continua. Our results show that excitations in the finite system can behave in a qualitatively different manner to analogous excitations in the thermodynamic limit. The Yang–Gaudin Bose gas is also host to multi-spinon bound states, known asmore » $$\\Lambda$$ -strings. We study these excitations both in the thermodynamic limit under the string hypothesis and in finite size systems where string deviations are taken into account. In the zero-temperature limit we present a simple relation between the length n $$\\Lambda$$-string dressed energies $$\\epsilon_n(\\lambda)$$ and the dressed energy $$\\epsilon(k)$$. We solve the Yang–Yang–Takahashi equations numerically and compare to the analytical solution obtained under the strong couple expansion, revealing that the length n $$\\Lambda$$ -string dressed energy is Lorentzian over a wide range of real string centers λ in the vicinity of $$\\lambda = 0$$ . We then examine the finite size effects present in the dispersion of the two-spinon bound states by numerically solving the Bethe ansatz equations with string deviations.« less

Anisotropic modulus stabilisation: strings at LHC scales with micron-sized extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cicoli, M.; Burgess, C. P.; Quevedo, F.

2011-10-01

We construct flux-stabilised Type IIB string compactifications whose extra dimensions have very different sizes, and use these to describe several types of vacua with a TeV string scale. Because we can access regimes where two dimensions are hierarchically larger than the other four, we find examples where two dimensions are micron-sized while the other four are at the weak scale in addition to more standard examples with all six extra dimensions equally large. Besides providing ultraviolet completeness, the phenomenology of these models is richer than vanilla large-dimensional models in several generic ways: ( i) they are supersymmetric, with supersymmetry broken at sub-eV scales in the bulk but only nonlinearly realised in the Standard Model sector, leading to no MSSM superpartners for ordinary particles and many more bulk missing-energy channels, as in supersymmetric large extra dimensions (SLED); ( ii) small cycles in the more complicated extra-dimensional geometry allow some KK states to reside at TeV scales even if all six extra dimensions are nominally much larger; ( iii) a rich spectrum of string and KK states at TeV scales; and ( iv) an equally rich spectrum of very light moduli exist having unusually small (but technically natural) masses, with potentially interesting implications for cosmology and astrophysics that nonetheless evade new-force constraints. The hierarchy problem is solved in these models because the extra-dimensional volume is naturally stabilised at exponentially large values: the extra dimensions are Calabi-Yau geometries with a 4D K3 or T 4-fibration over a 2D base, with moduli stabilised within the well-established LARGE-Volume scenario. The new technical step is the use of poly-instanton corrections to the superpotential (which, unlike for simpler models, are likely to be present on K3 or T 4-fibered Calabi-Yau compactifications) to obtain a large hierarchy between the sizes of different dimensions. For several scenarios we identify the low-energy spectrum and briefly discuss some of their astrophysical, cosmological and phenomenological implications.

Pre-inflationary clues from String Theory?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kitazawa, N.; Sagnotti, A., E-mail: kitazawa@phys.se.tmu.ac.jp, E-mail: sagnotti@sns.it

2014-04-01

''Brane supersymmetry breaking'' occurs in String Theory when the only available combinations of D-branes and orientifolds are not mutually BPS and yet do not introduce tree-level tachyon instabilities. It is characterized by the emergence of a steep exponential potential, and thus by the absence of maximally symmetric vacua. The corresponding low-energy supergravity admits intriguing spatially-flat cosmological solutions where a scalar field is forced to climb up toward the steep potential after an initial singularity, and additional milder terms can inject an inflationary phase during the ensuing descent. We show that, in the resulting power spectra of scalar perturbations, an infraredmore » suppression is typically followed by a pre-inflationary peak that reflects the end of the climbing phase and can lie well apart from the approximately scale invariant profile. A first look at WMAP9 raw data shows that, while the χ{sup 2} fits for the low-ℓ CMB angular power spectrum are clearly compatible with an almost scale invariant behavior, they display nonetheless an eye-catching preference for this type of setting within a perturbative string regime.« less

Moduli vacuum misalignment and precise predictions in string inflation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cicoli, Michele; INFN sezione di Bologna,viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna; Abdus Salam ICTP,Strada Costiera 11, Trieste 34014

2016-08-03

The predictions for all the cosmological observables of any inflationary model depend on the number of e-foldings which is sensitive to the post-inflationary history of the universe. In string models the generic presence of light moduli leads to a late-time period of matter domination which lowers the required number of e-foldings and, in turn, modifies the exact predictions of any inflationary model. In this paper we compute exactly the shift of the number of e-foldings in Kähler moduli inflation which is determined by the magnitude of the moduli initial displacement caused by vacuum misalignment and the moduli decay rates. Wemore » find that the preferred number of e-foldings gets reduced from 50 to 45, causing a modification of the spectral index at the percent level. Our results illustrate the importance of understanding the full post-inflationary evolution of the universe in order to derive precise predictions in string inflation. To perform this task it is crucial to work in a setting where there is good control over moduli stabilisation.« less

Priming the search for cosmic superstrings using GADGET2 simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cousins, Bryce; Jia, Hewei; Braverman, William; Chernoff, David

2018-01-01

String theory is an extensive mathematical theory which, despite its broad explanatory power, is still lacking empirical support. However, this may change when considering the scope of cosmology, where “cosmic superstrings” may serve as observational evidence. According to string theory, these superstrings were stretched to cosmic scales in the early Universe and may now be detectable, via microlensing or gravitational radiation. Negative results from prior surveys have put some limits on superstring properties, so to investigate the parameter space more effectively, we ask: “where should we expect to find cosmic superstrings, and how many should we predict?” This research investigates these questions by simulating cosmic string behavior during structure formation in the universe using GADGET2. The sizes and locations of superstring clusters are assessed using kernel density estimation and radial correlation functions. Currently, only preliminary small-scale simulations have been performed, producing superstring clustering with low sensitivity. However, future simulations of greater magnitude will offer far higher resolution, allowing us to more precisely track superstring behavior within structures. Such results will guide future searches, most imminently those made possible by LSST and WFIRST.

Oscillons from string moduli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antusch, Stefan; Cefalà, Francesco; Krippendorf, Sven; Muia, Francesco; Orani, Stefano; Quevedo, Fernando

2018-01-01

A generic feature of string compactifications is the presence of many scalar fields, called moduli. Moduli are usually displaced from their post-inflationary minimum during inflation. Their relaxation to the minimum could lead to the production of oscillons: localised, long-lived, non-linear excitations of the scalar fields. Here we discuss under which conditions oscillons can be produced in string cosmology and illustrate their production and potential phenomenology with two explicit examples: the case of an initially displaced volume modulus in the KKLT scenario and the case of a displaced blow-up Kähler modulus in the Large Volume Scenario (LVS). One, in principle, observable consequence of oscillon dynamics is the production of gravitational waves which, contrary to those produced from preheating after high scale inflation, could have lower frequencies, closer to the currently observable range. We also show that, for the considered parameter ranges, oscillating fibre and volume moduli do not develop any significant non-perturbative dynamics. Furthermore, we find that the vacua in the LVS and the KKLT scenario are stable against local overshootings of the field into the decompatification region, which provides an additional check on the longevity of these metastable configurations.

Can one ADM quantize relativistic bosonicstrings and membranes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moncrief, Vincent

2006-04-01

The standard methods for quantizing relativistic strings diverge significantly from the Dirac-Wheeler-DeWitt program for quantization of generally covariant systems and one wonders whether the latter could be successfully implemented as an alternative to the former. As a first step in this direction, we consider the possibility of quantizing strings (and also relativistic membranes) via a partially gauge-fixed ADM (Arnowitt, Deser and Misner) formulation of the reduced field equations for these systems. By exploiting some (Euclidean signature) Hamilton-Jacobi techniques that Mike Ryan and I had developed previously for the quantization of Bianchi IX cosmological models, I show how to construct Diff( S 1)-invariant (or Diff(Σ)-invariant in the case of membranes) ground state wave functionals for the cases of co-dimension one strings and membranes embedded in Minkowski spacetime. I also show that the reduced Hamiltonian density operators for these systems weakly commute when applied to physical (i.e. Diff( S 1) or Diff(Σ)-invariant) states. While many open questions remain, these preliminary results seem to encourage further research along the same lines.

Gas turbine exhaust nozzle. [for noise reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Straight, D. M. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

An elongated hollow string is disposed in an exhaust nozzle combustion chamber and communicates with an air source through hollow struts at one end. The other end of the string is bell-mouth shaped and extends over the front portion of a nozzle plug. The bell-mouth may be formed by pivotally mounted flaps or leaves which are used to vary the exhaust throat area and the area between the plug and the leaves. Air from the engine inlet flows into the string and also between the combustion chamber and a housing disposed around the chamber. The air cools the plug and serves as a low velocity inner core of secondary gas to provide noise reduction for the primary exhaust gas while the other air, when it exits from the nozzle, forms an outer low velocity layer to further reduce noise. The structure produces increased thrust in a turbojet or turbofan engine.

D2-brane as the wormhole and the number of the universes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusin, Paweł

2016-02-01

We construct wormhole-like solutions in type IIA string theory. These solutions represent wormholes in four dimensions and are given by the D2-branes within appropriated backgrounds fields. We present the conditions on these fields which lead to the four-dimensional wormholes. In the special case, we show how the particular solution in type IIA theory leads to the dynamic wormhole. We also speculate about the number of universes and the cosmological constant.

Superfluid-like turbulence in cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradwohl, Ben-Ami

1991-01-01

A network of vortices in a superfluid system exhibits turbulent behavior. It is argued that the universe may have experienced such a phase of superfluid-like turbulence due to the existence of a coherent state with non-topological charge and a network of global strings. The unique feature of a distribution of turbulent domains is that it can yield non-gravitationally induced large-scale coherent velocities. It may be difficult, however, to relate these velocities to the observed large-scale bulk motion.

A Universe without Weak Interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harnik, Roni; Kribs, Graham D.; Perez, Gilad

2006-04-07

A universe without weak interactions is constructed that undergoes big-bang nucleosynthesis, matter domination, structure formation, and star formation. The stars in this universe are able to burn for billions of years, synthesize elements up to iron, and undergo supernova explosions, dispersing heavy elements into the interstellar medium. These definitive claims are supported by a detailed analysis where this hypothetical ''Weakless Universe'' is matched to our Universe by simultaneously adjusting Standard Model and cosmological parameters. For instance, chemistry and nuclear physics are essentially unchanged. The apparent habitability of the Weakless Universe suggests that the anthropic principle does not determine the scalemore » of electroweak breaking, or even require that it be smaller than the Planck scale, so long as technically natural parameters may be suitably adjusted. Whether the multi-parameter adjustment is realized or probable is dependent on the ultraviolet completion, such as the string landscape. Considering a similar analysis for the cosmological constant, however, we argue that no adjustments of other parameters are able to allow the cosmological constant to raise up even remotely close to the Planck scale while obtaining macroscopic structure. The fine-tuning problems associated with the electroweak breaking scale and the cosmological constant therefore appear to be qualitatively different from the perspective of obtaining a habitable universe.« less

Higgs portal dark matter in non-standard cosmological histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardy, Edward

2018-06-01

A scalar particle with a relic density set by annihilations through a Higgs portal operator is a simple and minimal possibility for dark matter. However, assuming a thermal cosmological history this model is ruled out over most of parameter space by collider and direct detection constraints. We show that in theories with a non-thermal cosmological history Higgs portal dark matter is viable for a wide range of dark matter masses and values of the portal coupling, evading existing limits. In particular, we focus on the string theory motivated scenario of a period of matter domination due to a light modulus with a decay rate that is suppressed by the Planck scale. Dark matter with a mass ≲ GeV is possible without additional hidden sector states, and this can have astrophysically relevant self-interactions. We also study the signatures of such models at future direct, indirect, and collider experiments. Searches for invisible Higgs decays at the high luminosity LHC or an e + e - collider could cover a significant proportion of the parameter space for low mass dark matter, and future direct detection experiments will play a complementary role.

Late time acceleration of the 3-space in a higher dimensional steady state universe in dilaton gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akarsu, Özgür; Dereli, Tekin

2013-02-01

We present cosmological solutions for (1+3+n)-dimensional steady state universe in dilaton gravity with an arbitrary dilaton coupling constant w and exponential dilaton self-interaction potentials in the string frame. We focus particularly on the class in which the 3-space expands with a time varying deceleration parameter. We discuss the number of the internal dimensions and the value of the dilaton coupling constant to determine the cases that are consistent with the observed universe and the primordial nucleosynthesis. The 3-space starts with a decelerated expansion rate and evolves into accelerated expansion phase subject to the values of w and n, but ends with a Big Rip in all cases. We discuss the cosmological evolution in further detail for the cases w = 1 and w = ½ that permit exact solutions. We also comment on how the universe would be conceived by an observer in four dimensions who is unaware of the internal dimensions and thinks that the conventional general relativity is valid at cosmological scales.

The scale invariant power spectrum of the primordial curvature perturbations from the coupled scalar tachyon bounce cosmos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Changhong; Cheung, Yeuk-Kwan E., E-mail: chellifegood@gmail.com, E-mail: cheung@nju.edu.cn

2014-07-01

We investigate the spectrum of cosmological perturbations in a bounce cosmos modeled by a scalar field coupled to the string tachyon field (CSTB cosmos). By explicit computation of its primordial spectral index we show the power spectrum of curvature perturbations, generated during the tachyon matter dominated contraction phase, to be nearly scale invariant. We propose a unified parameter space for a systematic study of inflationary and bounce cosmologies. The CSTB cosmos is dual-in Wands's sense-to slow-roll inflation as can be visualized with the aid of this parameter space. Guaranteed by the dynamical attractor behavior of the CSTB Cosmos, the scalemore » invariance of its power spectrum is free of the fine-tuning problem, in contrast to the slow-roll inflation model.« less

Dynamical dark energy: Scalar fields and running vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solà, Joan; Gómez-Valent, Adrià; de Cruz Pérez, Javier

2017-03-01

Recent analyses in the literature suggest that the concordance ΛCDM model with rigid cosmological term, Λ = const. may not be the best description of the cosmic acceleration. The class of “running vacuum models”, in which Λ = Λ(H) evolves with the Hubble rate, has been shown to fit the string of SNIa + BAO + H(z) + LSS + CMB data significantly better than the ΛCDM. Here, we provide further evidence on the time-evolving nature of the dark energy (DE) by fitting the same cosmological data in terms of scalar fields. As a representative model, we use the original Peebles and Ratra potential, V ∝ ϕ-α. We find clear signs of dynamical DE at ˜ 4σ c.l., thus reconfirming through a nontrivial scalar field approach the strong hints formerly found with other models and parametrizations.

Developing state-of-the-art Cosmology courses for undergraduate non-science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Aleman, Ramon

2007-04-01

All undergraduate students at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras are required to take a General Studies interdisciplinary science course as a requisite for graduation. We have successfully developed a new course for non-science majors that deal in current topics of interest including Big Bang cosmology, the uses and misuses of anthropic principle as a philosophical guide for scientists, dark energy and accelerated expansion, string theory and quantum gravity, and the current controversy of Intelligent Design vs Evolution by Natural Selection as explanations for the origins of life on Earth, intelligence and free will in sentient beings. The course was designed with help of philosophers, neuroscientists, biologists and physicists to present science as interesting, exciting, and socially useful sets of ``stories'' to people who usually dislike and misunderstand traditional science courses.

The origin of kinematically distinct cores and misaligned gas discs in galaxies from cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Philip; Federrath, Christoph; Kobayashi, Chiaki

2018-06-01

Integral field spectroscopy surveys provide spatially resolved gas and stellar kinematics of galaxies. They have unveiled a range of atypical kinematic phenomena, which require detailed modelling to understand. We present results from a cosmological simulation that includes stellar and AGN feedback. We find that the distribution of angles between the gas and stellar angular momenta of galaxies is not affected by projection effects. We examine five galaxies (≈6 per cent of well resolved galaxies) that display atypical kinematics; two of the galaxies have kinematically distinct cores (KDC), while the other three have counter-rotating gas and stars. All five form the majority of their stars in the field, subsequently falling into cosmological filaments where the relative orientation of the stellar angular momentum and the bulk gas flow leads to the formation of a counter-rotating gas disc. The accreted gas exchanges angular momentum with pre-existing co-rotating gas causing it to fall to the centre of the galaxy. This triggers low-level AGN feedback, which reduces star formation. Later, two of the galaxies experience a minor merger (stellar mass ratio ˜1/10) with a galaxy on a retrograde orbit compared to the spin of the stellar component of the primary. This produces the KDCs, and is a different mechanism than suggested by other works. The role of minor mergers in the kinematic evolution of galaxies may have been under-appreciated in the past, and large, high-resolution cosmological simulations will be necessary to gain a better understanding in this area.

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Cosmological Parameters from the 2008 Power Spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunkley, J.; Hlozek, R.; Sievers, J.; Acquaviva, V.; Ade, P. A. R.; Aguirre, P.; Amiri, M.; Appel, J. W.; Barrientos, L. F.; Battistelli, E. S.;

Exciting gauge field and gravitons in brane-antibrane annihilation.

PubMed

Mazumdar, Anupam; Stoica, Horace

2009-03-06

In this Letter we point out the inevitability of an explosive production of gauge field and gravity wave during an open string tachyon condensation in a cosmological setting, in an effective field theory model. We will be particularly studying a toy model of brane-antibrane inflation in a warped throat where inflation ends via tachyon condensation. We point out that a tachyonic instability helps fragmenting the homogeneous tachyon and excites gauge field and contributes to the stress-energy tensor which also feeds into the gravity waves.

Control of the conformations of ion Coulomb crystals in a Penning trap

PubMed Central

Mavadia, Sandeep; Goodwin, Joseph F.; Stutter, Graham; Bharadia, Shailen; Crick, Daniel R.; Segal, Daniel M.; Thompson, Richard C.

2013-01-01

Laser-cooled atomic ions form ordered structures in radiofrequency ion traps and in Penning traps. Here we demonstrate in a Penning trap the creation and manipulation of a wide variety of ion Coulomb crystals formed from small numbers of ions. The configuration can be changed from a linear string, through intermediate geometries, to a planar structure. The transition from a linear string to a zigzag geometry is observed for the first time in a Penning trap. The conformations of the crystals are set by the applied trap potential and the laser parameters, and agree with simulations. These simulations indicate that the rotation frequency of a small crystal is mainly determined by the laser parameters, independent of the number of ions and the axial confinement strength. This system has potential applications for quantum simulation, quantum information processing and tests of fundamental physics models from quantum field theory to cosmology. PMID:24096901

Pre-Big-Bang bubbles from the gravitational instability of generic string vacua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buonanno, A.; Damour, T.; Veneziano, G.

1999-03-01

We formulate the basic postulate of pre-Big-Bang cosmology as one of ``asymptotic past triviality", by which we mean that the initial state is a generic perturbative solution of the tree-level low-energy effective action. Such a past-trivial ``string vacuum'' is made of an arbitrary ensemble of incoming gravitational and dilatonic waves, and is generically prone to gravitational instability, leading to the possible formation of many black holes hiding singular space-like hypersurfaces. Each such singular space-like hypersurface of gravitational collapse becomes, in the string-frame metric, the usual Big-Bang t=0 hypersurface, i.e. the place of birth of a baby Friedmann universe after a period of dilaton-driven inflation. Specializing to the spherically symmetric case, we review and reinterpret previous work on the subject, and propose a simple, scale-invariant criterion for collapse/inflation in terms of asymptotic data at past null infinity. Those data should determine whether, when, and where collapse/inflation occurs, and, when it does, fix its characteristics, including anisotropies on the Big-Bang hypersurface whose imprint could have survived till now. Using Bayesian probability concepts, we finally attempt to answer some fine-tuning objections recently moved to the pre-Big-Bang scenario.

A bridge between unified cosmic history by f( R)-gravity and BIonic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepehri, Alireza; Capozziello, Salvatore; Setare, Mohammad Reza

2016-04-01

Recently, the cosmological deceleration-acceleration transition redshift in f( R) gravity has been considered in order to address consistently the problem of cosmic evolution. It is possible to show that the deceleration parameter changes sign at a given redshift according to observational data. Furthermore, a f( R) gravity cosmological model can be constructed in brane-antibrane system starting from the very early universe and accounting for the cosmological redshift at all phases of cosmic history, from inflation to late time acceleration. Here we propose a f( R) model where transition redshifts correspond to inflation-deceleration and deceleration-late time acceleration transitions starting froma BIon system. At the point where the universe was born, due to the transition of k black fundamental strings to the BIon configuration, the redshift is approximately infinity and decreases with reducing temperature (z˜ T2). The BIon is a configuration in flat space of a universe-brane and a parallel anti-universe-brane connected by a wormhole. This wormhole is a channel for flowing energy from extra dimensions into our universe, occurring at inflation and decreasing with redshift as z˜ T^{4+1/7}. Dynamics consists with the fact that the wormhole misses its energy and vanishes as soon as inflation ends and deceleration begins. Approaching two universe branes together, a tachyon is originated, it grows up and causes the formation of a wormhole. We show that, in the framework of f( R) gravity, the cosmological redshift depends on the tachyonic potential and has a significant decrease at deceleration-late time acceleration transition point (z˜ T^{2/3}). As soon as today acceleration approaches, the redshift tends to zero and the cosmological model reduces to the standard Λ CDM cosmology.

Cosmological perturbations and noncommutative tachyon inflation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu Daojun; Li Xinzhou

2004-12-15

The motivation for studying the rolling tachyon and noncommutative inflation comes from string theory. In the tachyon inflation scenario, metric perturbations are created by tachyon field fluctuations during inflation. We drive the exact mode equation for scalar perturbations of the metric and investigate the cosmological perturbations in the commutative and noncommutative inflationary spacetime driven by the tachyon field which have a Born-Infeld Lagrangian. Although at lowest order the predictions of tachyon inflation are no different than those from standard slow-roll inflation, due to the modified inflationary dynamics there exists modifications to the power spectra of fluctuations generated during inflation. Inmore » the noncommutative tachyon inflation scenario, the stringy noncommutativity of spacetime results in corrections to the primordial power spectrum that lead to a spectral index that is greater than 1 on large scales and less than 1 on small scales as the first-year results of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe indicate.« less

A Cosmologist's Tour Through the New Particle Zoo / Candy Shop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, M. S.

Recent developments in elementary particle physics have led to a renaissance in cosmology, in general, and in the study of structure formation, in particular. Already, the study of the very early (t ≤ 10-2s) history of the Universe has provided valuable hints as to the 'initial data' for the structure formation problem - the nature and origin of the primeval density inhomogeneities, the quantity and composition of matter in the Universe today, and numerous candidates for the constituents of the ubiquitous dark matter. The author reviews the multitude of WIMP candidates for the dark matter provided by modern particle physics theories, putting them into context by briefly discussing the theories which predict them. He reviews their various birth sites and birth processes in the early Universe. The author also mentions some very exotic possibilities - unstable WIMPs, cosmic strings, and even the possibility of a relic cosmological term.

Investigating dark matter substructure with pulsar timing - II. Improved limits on small-scale cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Hamish A.; Lewis, Geraint F.; Scott, Pat

2016-02-01

Ultracompact minihaloes (UCMHs) have been proposed as a type of dark matter substructure seeded by large-amplitude primordial perturbations and topological defects. UCMHs are expected to survive to the present era, allowing constraints to be placed on their cosmic abundance using observations within our own Galaxy. Constraints on their number density can be linked to conditions in the early Universe that impact structure formation, such as increased primordial power on small scales, generic weak non-Gaussianity, and the presence of cosmic strings. We use new constraints on the abundance of UCMHs from pulsar timing to place generalized limits on the parameters of each of these cosmological scenarios. At some scales, the limits are the strongest to date, exceeding those from dark matter annihilation. Our new limits have the added advantage of being independent of the particle nature of dark matter, as they are based only on gravitational effects.

Cosmological moduli and the post-inflationary universe: A critical review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kane, Gordon; Sinha, Kuver; Watson, Scott

2015-06-01

We critically review the role of cosmological moduli in determining the post-inflationary history of the universe. Moduli are ubiquitous in string and M-theory constructions of beyond the Standard Model physics, where they parametrize the geometry of the compactification manifold. For those with masses determined by supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking this leads to their eventual decay slightly before Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) (without spoiling its predictions). This results in a matter dominated phase shortly after inflation ends, which can influence baryon and dark matter genesis, as well as observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the growth of large-scale structure. Given progress within fundamental theory, and guidance from dark matter and collider experiments, nonthermal histories have emerged as a robust and theoretically well-motivated alternative to a strictly thermal one. We review this approach to the early universe and discuss both the theoretical challenges and the observational implications.

Princeton University High Energy Physics Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marlow, Daniel R.

This is the Final Report on research conducted by the Princeton Elementary Particles group over the approximately three-year period from May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2015. The goal of our research is to investigate the fundamental constituents of matter, their fields, and their interactions; to understand the properties of space and time; and to study the profound relationships between cosmology and particle physics. During the funding period covered by this report, the group has been organized into a subgroup concentrating on the theory of particles, strings, and cosmology; and four subgroups performing major experiments at laboratories around the world: CERN, Daya Bay, Gran Sasso as well as detector R\\&D on the Princeton campus. Highlights in of this research include the discovery of the Higgs Boson at CERN and the measurement ofmore » $$\\sin^22\\theta_{13}$$ by the Daya Bay experiment. In both cases, Princeton researchers supported by this grant played key roles.« less

The three-dimensional simulation analysis of dynamic response on perforated strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M. F.; Liu, H. F.; Dou, Y. H.; Cao, L. H.; Liu, Y. X.

2018-06-01

It analyzes the dynamic response and stresses of perforating tubular string to detonating impact load in oil-gas well in ANSYS, obtains the response of vibration displacement, velocity and acceleration of perforating tubularstring caused by detonating impact load, finds the influence of the length and wall thickness of perforating tubular string to working stresses. The result shows that:when the detonating impact load exerts the perforating tubular string with compressive and tensile axial force alternatively;the vibration displacement, velocity and acceleration of perfora-ting tubular string change periodically at same cycle;the closer to the perforating gun, the larger the amplitude of vi-bration velocity and acceleration;the closer to the packer the smaller the vibration displacement, the larger the work-ing equivalent stress of perforating tubular string;the longer or the thicker the perforating tubular string, the smaller the working equivalent stress and the higher the strength safety. Therefore, it uses the damping tube between packer and perforating gun as well as thick walled tubing to increase the strength safety of perforating tubular string.

The large-scale environment from cosmological simulations - I. The baryonic cosmic web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Weiguang; Knebe, Alexander; Yepes, Gustavo; Yang, Xiaohu; Borgani, Stefano; Kang, Xi; Power, Chris; Staveley-Smith, Lister

2018-01-01

Using a series of cosmological simulations that includes one dark-matter-only (DM-only) run, one gas cooling-star formation-supernova feedback (CSF) run and one that additionally includes feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we classify the large-scale structures with both a velocity-shear-tensor code (VWEB) and a tidal-tensor code (PWEB). We find that the baryonic processes have almost no impact on large-scale structures - at least not when classified using aforementioned techniques. More importantly, our results confirm that the gas component alone can be used to infer the filamentary structure of the universe practically un-biased, which could be applied to cosmology constraints. In addition, the gas filaments are classified with its velocity (VWEB) and density (PWEB) fields, which can theoretically connect to the radio observations, such as H I surveys. This will help us to bias-freely link the radio observations with dark matter distributions at large scale.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robinson, Neil J.; Konik, Robert M.

Here, we study the excitation spectrum of two-component delta-function interacting bosons confined to a single spatial dimension, the Yang–Gaudin Bose gas. We show that there are pronounced finite-size effects in the dispersion relations of excitations, perhaps best illustrated by the spinon single particle dispersion which exhibits a gap at 2k F and a finite-momentum roton-like minimum. Such features occur at energies far above the finite volume excitation gap, vanish slowly as 1/L for fixed spinon number, and can persist to the thermodynamic limit at fixed spinon density. Features such as the 2k F gap also persist to multi-particle excitation continua. Our results show that excitations in the finite system can behave in a qualitatively different manner to analogous excitations in the thermodynamic limit. The Yang–Gaudin Bose gas is also host to multi-spinon bound states, known asmore » $$\\Lambda$$ -strings. We study these excitations both in the thermodynamic limit under the string hypothesis and in finite size systems where string deviations are taken into account. In the zero-temperature limit we present a simple relation between the length n $$\\Lambda$$-string dressed energies $$\\epsilon_n(\\lambda)$$ and the dressed energy $$\\epsilon(k)$$. We solve the Yang–Yang–Takahashi equations numerically and compare to the analytical solution obtained under the strong couple expansion, revealing that the length n $$\\Lambda$$ -string dressed energy is Lorentzian over a wide range of real string centers λ in the vicinity of $$\\lambda = 0$$ . We then examine the finite size effects present in the dispersion of the two-spinon bound states by numerically solving the Bethe ansatz equations with string deviations.« less

Correlation between centre offsets and gas velocity dispersion of galaxy clusters in cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming-Hua; Zhu, Weishan; Zhao, Dong

2018-05-01

The gas is the dominant component of baryonic matter in most galaxy groups and clusters. The spatial offsets of gas centre from the halo centre could be an indicator of the dynamical state of cluster. Knowledge of such offsets is important for estimate the uncertainties when using clusters as cosmological probes. In this paper, we study the centre offsets roff between the gas and that of all the matter within halo systems in ΛCDM cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We focus on two kinds of centre offsets: one is the three-dimensional PB offsets between the gravitational potential minimum of the entire halo and the barycentre of the ICM, and the other is the two-dimensional PX offsets between the potential minimum of the halo and the iterative centroid of the projected synthetic X-ray emission of the halo. Haloes at higher redshifts tend to have larger values of rescaled offsets roff/r200 and larger gas velocity dispersion σ v^gas/σ _{200}. For both types of offsets, we find that the correlation between the rescaled centre offsets roff/r200 and the rescaled 3D gas velocity dispersion, σ _v^gas/σ _{200} can be approximately described by a quadratic function as r_{off}/r_{200} ∝ (σ v^gas/σ _{200} - k_2)2. A Bayesian analysis with MCMC method is employed to estimate the model parameters. Dependence of the correlation relation on redshifts and the gas mass fraction are also investigated.

Topics in Cosmic String Physics and Vacuum Stability of Field Theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasgupta, Indranil

1998-01-01

In this thesis I examine aspects of the vacuum state of quantum field theories. Namely, I study topological defects in the vacuum which appear as localized regions of non-zero energy density if the model system is unable to relax to a homogeneous and isotropic ground state because of topological constraints. I also examine the stability of the so called false vacua in theories that have multiple vacuum states with different energy densities. I first consider topological defects in the form of strings and independently the decay of false vacua in models of particle physics where the presence of either defects or of false vacua leads to interesting phenomenology. Then I describe a situation in which the defects arising from topological properties of the vacuum in turn affect the stability of the vacuum itself. In the first part of this work (chapters 2 and 3), I explore the phenomenology of cosmic strings. I introduce new string-like topological defects that resemble pairs of strings bound together. I give an existence proof of these 'binary strings' and then develop their cosmological properties in detail. I then propose a simple extension of the Standard Model in which cosmic strings may form and then decay through baryon number violating interactions leading to baryogenesis. I show that the model has distinct and testable signatures. In the second part of this work (chapters 4 and 5), I examine the vacua of several proposed models of gauge mediated dynamical supersymmetry breaking and show that the viable vacua are often unstable. I develop a rigorous theory for approximating vacuum tunneling rates in multi-scalar field theories and by computing bounds on the decay rate of the vacua in these models obtain useful constraints on the parameter space. In the final part of this work (chapter 6), I develop a theory of vacuum tunneling induced by topological defects. I show that defects can speed up vacuum tunneling rates by seeding new kinds of bubbles during a first order phase transition. I then indicate possible phenomenological applications of this effect and develop simple approximation techniques for computing the rate of seeded tunneling.

77 FR 50855 - Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf-Increased Safety Measures for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-22

... according to the design. The third- subsea function and pressure tests party verification must include...; Requires new casing and cementing integrity tests; Establishes new requirements for subsea secondary BOP... that, for the final casing string (or liner if it is the final string), an operator must install one...

F(R) cosmology via Noether symmetry and Λ-Chaplygin Gas like model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazlollahi, H. R.

2018-06-01

In this work, we consider f (R) alternative theories of gravity with an eye to Noether symmetry through the gauge theorem. For non-vacuum models, one finds Λ like gravity with energy density of Chaplygin Gas. We also obtain the effective equation of state parameter for corresponding cosmology and scale factor behavior with respect to cosmic time which show that the model provides viable EoS and scale factor with respect to observational data.

Bell violation in the sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Sayantan; Panda, Sudhakar; Singh, Rajeev

2017-02-01

In this work, we have studied the possibility of setting up Bell's inequality violating experiment in the context of cosmology, based on the basic principles of quantum mechanics. First we start with the physical motivation of implementing the Bell inequality violation in the context of cosmology. Then to set up the cosmological Bell violating test experiment we introduce a model independent theoretical framework using which we have studied the creation of new massive particles by implementing the WKB approximation method for the scalar fluctuations in the presence of additional time-dependent mass contribution in the cosmological perturbation theory. Here for completeness we compute the total number density and the energy density of the newly created particles in terms of the Bogoliubov coefficients using the WKB approximation method. Next using the background scalar fluctuation in the presence of a new time-dependent mass contribution, we explicitly compute the expression for the one point and two point correlation functions. Furthermore, using the results for a one point function we introduce a new theoretical cosmological parameter which can be expressed in terms of the other known inflationary observables and can also be treated as a future theoretical probe to break the degeneracy amongst various models of inflation. Additionally, we also fix the scale of inflation in a model-independent way without any prior knowledge of primordial gravitational waves. Also using the input from a newly introduced cosmological parameter, we finally give a theoretical estimate for the tensor-to-scalar ratio in a model-independent way. Next, we also comment on the technicalities of measurements from isospin breaking interactions and the future prospects of newly introduced massive particles in a cosmological Bell violating test experiment. Further, we cite a precise example of this setup applicable in the context of string theory motivated axion monodromy model. Then we comment on the explicit role of the decoherence effect and high spin on cosmological Bell violating test experiment. Finally, we provide a theoretical bound on the heavy particle mass parameter for scalar fields, gravitons and other high spin fields from our proposed setup.

VALIDITY OF HYDROSTATIC EQUILIBRIUM IN GALAXY CLUSTERS FROM COSMOLOGICAL HYDRODYNAMICAL SIMULATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suto, Daichi; Suto, Yasushi; Kawahara, Hajime

2013-04-10

We examine the validity of the hydrostatic equilibrium (HSE) assumption for galaxy clusters using one of the highest-resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We define and evaluate several effective mass terms corresponding to the Euler equations of gas dynamics, and quantify the degree of the validity of HSE in terms of the mass estimate. We find that the mass estimated under the HSE assumption (the HSE mass) deviates from the true mass by up to {approx}30%. This level of departure from HSE is consistent with the previous claims, but our physical interpretation is rather different. We demonstrate that the inertial term inmore » the Euler equations makes a negligible contribution to the total mass, and the overall gravity of the cluster is balanced by the thermal gas pressure gradient and the gas acceleration term. Indeed, the deviation from the HSE mass is well explained by the acceleration term at almost all radii. We also clarify the confusion of previous work due to the inappropriate application of the Jeans equations in considering the validity of HSE from the gas dynamics extracted from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations.« less

Dynamics and stability of light-like tachyon condensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnaby, Neil; Mulryne, David J.; Nunes, Nelson J.; Robinson, Patrick

2009-03-01

Recently, Hellerman and Schnabl considered the dynamics of unstable D-branes in the background of a linear dilaton. Remarkably, they were able to construct light-like tachyon solutions which interpolate smoothly between the perturbative and nonperturbative vacua, without undergoing the wild oscillations that plague time-like solutions. In their analysis, however, the full structure of the initial value problem for the nonlocal dynamical equations was not considered. In this paper, therefore, we reexamine the nonlinear dynamics of light-like tachyon condensation using a combination of numerical and analytical techniques. We find that for the p-adic string the monotonic behaviour obtained previously relied on a special choice of initial conditions near the unstable maximum. For generic initial conditions the wild oscillations come back to haunt us. Interestingly, we find an ``island of stability'' in initial condition space that leads to sensible evolution at late times. For the string field theory case, on the other hand, we find that the evolution is completely stable for generic choices of initial data. This provides an explicit example of a string theoretic system that admits infinitely many initial data but is nevertheless nonperturbatively stable. Qualitatively similar dynamics are obtained in nonlocal cosmologies where the Hubble damping plays a role very analogous to the dilaton gradient.

The Origin and Survival of Cold Gas in Hot Halos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Siang Peng

Modern theories of structure formation unequivocally predict that density perturbations seeded in the big bang collapse to produce``halos'' of dark matter filled with hot, virialized gas. The physics of this hot halo gas fundamentally determines the mass-scale of galaxies, and likely plays a critical role in their subsequent evolution. Since this virialized halo gas is typically invisible, however, cosmological simulations have largely overlooked it, understandably focusing on more observable properties of galaxies such as their ISM content and star formation histories. However, as new observational techniques begin to probe the diffuse gas in galaxy halos, they are finding results inconsistent with predictions from cosmological simulations. Though halo gas is fundamental to galaxy formation, it cannot be explained with current models; halo gas thus represents the new frontier in testing and advancing our models of galaxy formation. One particularly surprising development has been the near-ubiquitous finding that galaxy halos are full of tiny, dense clouds of neutral gas. In a recent paper (McCourt et al 2016), we show that these unexpected observations imply that galaxies contain an enormous number of tiny cloudlets, dispersed throughout the halo like the water droplets in a fog. We detail a new hydrodynamical process, which we call ``shattering,'' that explains the tiny characteristic size for these cloudlets. While we can explain many observable properties of this cold gas (such as its broad line-width and tiny volume-filling fraction), we treated the amount of cold gas as a free parameter; this is fundamentally determined by galaxy formation rather than gas dynamics. This proposal extends the work of McCourt et al (2016) by focusing on the origin of the cold gas in galaxy halos. Since cold gas represents the fuel for star formation and feedback in galaxies, this question is crucial for studies of galaxy evolution. We consider two possibilities: 1) that cool CGM gas is expelled from the galaxy disk in large-scale outflows, or 2) that it is produced in-situ by thermal instability. In both cases, we focus on observational tests of our model, and on methods to incorporate our results into future cosmological simulations via a sub-grid model. Additional science results will include understanding the unexplained entrainment of cold gas in galactic winds, as well as understanding the surprisingly strong magnetic fields seen in galaxy halos at low redshift, which likely dominate over thermal pressure in halo gas. To our knowledge, no models currently exist for either of these results. The work outlined in this proposal focuses on recent observations which cannot yet be reproduced in cosmological simulations. As part of our proposed work, we will produce a sub-grid model for unresolved cold clouds in hydrodynamics, and will determine the resolution needed to reproduce these effects in future cosmological simulations. Our work is timely and represents the necessary next step in advancing our theories of the CGM.

Probing dark energy via galaxy cluster outskirts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morandi, Andrea; Sun, Ming

2016-04-01

We present a Bayesian approach to combine Planck data and the X-ray physical properties of the intracluster medium in the virialization region of a sample of 320 galaxy clusters (0.056 < z < 1.24, kT ≳ 3 keV) observed with Chandra. We exploited the high level of similarity of the emission measure in the cluster outskirts as cosmology proxy. The cosmological parameters are thus constrained assuming that the emission measure profiles at different redshift are weakly self-similar, that is their shape is universal, explicitly allowing for temperature and redshift dependence of the gas fraction. This cosmological test, in combination with Planck+SNIa data, allows us to put a tight constraint on the dark energy models. For a constant-w model, we have w = -1.010 ± 0.030 and Ωm = 0.311 ± 0.014, while for a time-evolving equation of state of dark energy w(z) we have Ωm = 0.308 ± 0.017, w0 = -0.993 ± 0.046 and wa = -0.123 ± 0.400. Constraints on the cosmology are further improved by adding priors on the gas fraction evolution from hydrodynamic simulations. Current data favour the cosmological constant with w ≡ -1, with no evidence for dynamic dark energy. We checked that our method is robust towards different sources of systematics, including background modelling, outlier measurements, selection effects, inhomogeneities of the gas distribution and cosmic filaments. We also provided for the first time constraints on which definition of cluster boundary radius is more tenable, namely based on a fixed overdensity with respect to the critical density of the Universe. This novel cosmological test has the capacity to provide a generational leap forward in our understanding of the equation of state of dark energy.

HICOSMO: cosmology with a complete sample of galaxy clusters - II. Cosmological results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schellenberger, G.; Reiprich, T. H.

2017-10-01

The X-ray bright, hot gas in the potential well of a galaxy cluster enables systematic X-ray studies of samples of galaxy clusters to constrain cosmological parameters. HIFLUGCS consists of the 64 X-ray brightest galaxy clusters in the Universe, building up a local sample. Here, we utilize this sample to determine, for the first time, individual hydrostatic mass estimates for all the clusters of the sample and, by making use of the completeness of the sample, we quantify constraints on the two interesting cosmological parameters, Ωm and σ8. We apply our total hydrostatic and gas mass estimates from the X-ray analysis to a Bayesian cosmological likelihood analysis and leave several parameters free to be constrained. We find Ωm = 0.30 ± 0.01 and σ8 = 0.79 ± 0.03 (statistical uncertainties, 68 per cent credibility level) using our default analysis strategy combining both a mass function analysis and the gas mass fraction results. The main sources of biases that we correct here are (1) the influence of galaxy groups (incompleteness in parent samples and differing behaviour of the Lx-M relation), (2) the hydrostatic mass bias, (3) the extrapolation of the total mass (comparing various methods), (4) the theoretical halo mass function and (5) other physical effects (non-negligible neutrino mass). We find that galaxy groups introduce a strong bias, since their number density seems to be over predicted by the halo mass function. On the other hand, incorporating baryonic effects does not result in a significant change in the constraints. The total (uncorrected) systematic uncertainties (∼20 per cent) clearly dominate the statistical uncertainties on cosmological parameters for our sample.

Pre-Big Bang Bubbles from the Gravitational Instability of Generic String Vacua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buonanno, A.; Damour, T.; Veneziano, G.

1998-06-01

We formulate the basic postulate of pre-big bang cosmology as one of 'asymptotic past triviality', by which we mean that the initial state is a generic perturbative solution of the tree-level low-energy effective action. Each such singular space-like hypersurface of gravitational collapse becomes, in the string-frame metric, the usual big-bang t = 0 hypersurface, i.e. the place of birth of a baby Friedmann universe after a period of dilaton-driven inflation. Specializing to the spherically-symmetric case, we review and reinterpret previous work on the subject, and propose a simple, scale-invariant criterion for collapse/inflation in terms of asymptotic data at past null infinity. Those data should determine whether, when, and where collapse/inflation occurs, and, when it does, fix its characteristics, including anisotropies on the big bang hypersurface whose imprint could have survived till now. Using Bayesian probability concepts, we finally attempt to answer some fine-tuning objections recently moved to the pre-gib bang scenario.

On classifying the divisor involutions in Calabi-Yau threefolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xin; Shukla, Pramod

2013-11-01

In order to support the odd moduli in models of (type IIB) string compactification, we classify the Calabi-Yau threefolds with h 1,1 ≤ 4 which exhibit pairs of identical divisors, with different line-bundle charges, mapping to each other under possible divisor exchange involutions. For this purpose, the divisors of interest are identified as completely rigid surface, Wilson surface, K3 surface and some other deformation surfaces. Subsequently, various possible exchange involutions are examined under the symmetry of Stanley-Reisner Ideal. In addition, we search for the Calabi-Yau theefolds which contain a divisor with several disjoint components. Under certain reflection involution, such spaces also have nontrivial odd components in (1,1)-cohomology class. String compactifications on such Calabi-Yau orientifolds with non-zero could be promising for concrete model building in both particle physics and cosmology. In the spirit of using such Calabi-Yau orientifolds in the context of LARGE volume scenario, we also present some concrete examples of (strong/weak) swiss-cheese type volume form.

New class of de Sitter vacua in string theory compactifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achúcarro, Ana; Ortiz, Pablo; Sousa, Kepa

2016-10-01

String theory contains few known working examples of de Sitter vacua, four-dimensional universes with a positive cosmological constant. A notorious obstacle is the stabilization of a large number—sometimes hundreds—of moduli fields that characterize the compact dimensions. We study the stability of a class of supersymmetric moduli (the complex structure moduli and dilaton in type-IIB flux compactifications) in the regime where the volume of the compact space is large but not exponentially large. We show that, if the number of moduli is very large, random matrix theory provides a new stability condition, a lower bound on the volume. We find a new class of stable vacua where the mass spectrum of these supersymmetric moduli is gapped, without requiring a large mass hierarchy between moduli sectors or any fine-tuning of the superpotential. We provide the first explicit example of this class of vacua in the P[1,1 ,1 ,6 ,9 ] 4 model. A distinguishing feature is that all fermions in the supersymmetric sector are lighter than the gravitino.

Brane SUSY breaking and inflation: Implications for scalar fields and CMB distortion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagnotti, Augusto

2014-12-01

I elaborate on a link between the string-scale breaking of supersymmetry that occurs in a class of superstring models and the onset of inflation. The link rests on spatially flat cosmologies supported by a scalar field driven by an exponential potential. If, as in String Theory, this potential is steep enough, under some assumptions that are spelled out in the text the scalar can only climb up as it emerges from an initial singularity. In the presence of another mild exponential, slow-roll inflation is thus injected during the ensuing descent and definite imprints are left in the CMB power spectrum: the quadrupole is systematically reduced and, depending on the choice of two parameters, an oscillatory behavior can also emerge for low multipoles l < 50, in qualitative agreement with WMAP9 and PLANCK data. The experimentally favored value of the spectral index, n s ≈ 0.96, points to a potentially important role for the NS fivebrane, which is unstable in this class of models, in the Early Universe.

Domain wall and isocurvature perturbation problems in axion models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawasaki, Masahiro; Yoshino, Kazuyoshi; Yanagida, Tsutomu T., E-mail: kawasaki@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: tsutomu.tyanagida@ipmu.jp, E-mail: yoshino@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2013-11-01

Axion models have two serious cosmological problems, domain wall and isocurvature perturbation problems. In order to solve these problems we investigate the Linde's model in which the field value of the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) scalar is large during inflation. In this model the fluctuations of the PQ field grow after inflation through the parametric resonance and stable axionic strings may be produced, which results in the domain wall problem. We study formation of axionic strings using lattice simulations. It is found that in chaotic inflation the axion model is free from both the domain wall and the isocurvature perturbation problems ifmore » the initial misalignment angle θ{sub a} is smaller than O(10{sup −2}). Furthermore, axions can also account for the dark matter for the breaking scale v ≅ 10{sup 12−16} GeV and the Hubble parameter during inflation H{sub inf}∼<10{sup 11−12} GeV in general inflation models.« less

Void statistics, scaling, and the origins of large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fry, J. N.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P.; Melott, Adrian L.; Scherrer, Robert J.

1989-01-01

The probability that a volume of the universe of given size and shape spaced at random will be void of galaxies is used here to study various models of the origin of cosmological structures. Numerical simulations are conducted on hot-particle and cold-particle-modulated inflationary models with and without biasing, on isothermal or initially Poisson models, and on models where structure is seeded by loops of cosmic string. For the Pisces-Perseus redshift compilation of Giovanelli and Haynes (1985), it is found that hierarchical scaling is obeyed for subsamples constructed with different limiting magnitudes and subsamples taken at random. This result confirms that the hierarchical ansatz holds valid to high order and supports the idea that structure in the observed universe evolves by a regular process from an almost Gaussian primordial state. Neutrino models without biasing show the effect of a strong feature in the initial power spectrum. Cosmic string models do not agree well with the galaxy data.

Dynamically avoiding fine-tuning the cosmological constant: the ``Relaxed Universe''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Florian; Solà, Joan; Štefancić, Hrvoje

2010-12-01

We demonstrate that there exists a large class of Script F(R,Script G) action functionals of the scalar curvature and of the Gauß-Bonnet invariant which are able to relax dynamically a large cosmological constant (CC), whatever it be its starting value in the early universe. Hence, it is possible to understand, without fine-tuning, the very small current value Λ0 ~ H02 of the CC as compared to its theoretically expected large value in quantum field theory and string theory. In our framework, this relaxation appears as a pure gravitational effect, where no ad hoc scalar fields are needed. The action involves a positive power of a characteristic mass parameter, Script M, whose value can be, interestingly enough, of the order of a typical particle physics mass of the Standard Model of the strong and electroweak interactions or extensions thereof, including the neutrino mass. The model universe emerging from this scenario (the ``Relaxed Universe'') falls within the class of the so-called ΛXCDM models of the cosmic evolution. Therefore, there is a ``cosmon'' entity X (represented by an effective object, not a field), which in this case is generated by the effective functional Script F(R,Script G) and is responsible for the dynamical adjustment of the cosmological constant. This model universe successfully mimics the essential past epochs of the standard (or ``concordance'') cosmological model (ΛCDM). Furthermore, it provides interesting clues to the coincidence problem and it may even connect naturally with primordial inflation.

How to model AGN feedback in cosmological simulations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sijacki, Debora

2015-08-01

Hydrodynamical cosmological simulations are one of the most powerful tools to study the formation and evolution of galaxies in the fully non-linear regime. Despite several recent successes in simulating Milky Way look-alikes, self-consistent, ab-initio models are still a long way off. In this talk I will review numerical and physical uncertainties plaguing current state-of-the-art cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. I will then discuss which feedback mechanisms are needed to reproduce realistic stellar masses and galaxy morphologies in the present day Universe and argue that the black hole feedback is necessary for the quenching of massive galaxies. I will then demonstrate how black hole - host galaxy scaling relations depend on galaxy morphology and colour, highlighting the implications for the co-evolutionary picture between galaxies and their central black holes. In the second part of the talk I will present a novel method that permits to resolve gas flows around black holes all the way from large cosmological scales to the Bondi radii of black holes themselves. I will demonstrate that with this new numerical technique it is possible to estimate much more accurately gas properties in the vicinity of black holes than has been feasible before in galaxy and cosmological simulations, allowing to track reliably gas angular momentum transport from Mpc to pc scales. Finally, I will also discuss if AGN-driven outflows are more likely to be energy- or momentum-driven and what implications this has for the redshift evolution of black hole - host galaxy scaling relations.

30 CFR 250.421 - What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.421 What... drilling into formations known to contain oil or gas. If you encounter oil or gas or unexpected formation...

A tale of two timescales: Mixing, mass generation, and phase transitions in the early universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dienes, Keith R.; Kost, Jeff; Thomas, Brooks

2016-02-01

Light scalar fields such as axions and string moduli can play an important role in early-universe cosmology. However, many factors can significantly impact their late-time cosmological abundances. For example, in cases where the potentials for these fields are generated dynamically—such as during cosmological mass-generating phase transitions—the duration of the time interval required for these potentials to fully develop can have significant repercussions. Likewise, in scenarios with multiple scalars, mixing amongst the fields can also give rise to an effective timescale that modifies the resulting late-time abundances. Previous studies have focused on the effects of either the first or the second timescale in isolation. In this paper, by contrast, we examine the new features that arise from the interplay between these two timescales when both mixing and time-dependent phase transitions are introduced together. First, we find that the effects of these timescales can conspire to alter not only the total late-time abundance of the system—often by many orders of magnitude—but also its distribution across the different fields. Second, we find that these effects can produce large parametric resonances which render the energy densities of the fields highly sensitive to the degree of mixing as well as the duration of the time interval over which the phase transition unfolds. Finally, we find that these effects can even give rise to a "reoverdamping" phenomenon which causes the total energy density of the system to behave in novel ways that differ from those exhibited by pure dark matter or vacuum energy. All of these features therefore give rise to new possibilities for early-universe phenomenology and cosmological evolution. They also highlight the importance of taking into account the time dependence associated with phase transitions in cosmological settings.

APOGEE strings: A fossil record of the gas kinematic structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hacar, A.; Alves, J.; Forbrich, J.; Meingast, S.; Kubiak, K.; Großschedl, J.

2016-05-01

We compare APOGEE radial velocities (RVs) of young stars in the Orion A cloud with CO line gas emission and find a correlation between the two at large scales in agreement with previous studies. However, at smaller scales we find evidence for the presence of a substructure in the stellar velocity field. Using a friends-of-friends approach we identify 37 stellar groups with almost identical RVs. These groups are not randomly distributed, but form elongated chains or strings of stars with five or more members with low velocity dispersion across lengths of 1-1.5 pc. The similarity between the kinematic properties of the APOGEE strings and the internal velocity field of the chains of dense cores and fibers recently identified in the dense interstellar medium is striking and suggests that for most of the Orion A cloud, young stars keep memory of the parental gas substructure where they originated. Full Table 2 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/589/A80

Condensed matter analogues of cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibble, Tom; Srivastava, Ajit

2013-10-01

It is always exciting when developments in one branch of physics turn out to have relevance in a quite different branch. It would be hard to find two branches farther apart in terms of energy scales than early-universe cosmology and low-temperature condensed matter physics. Nevertheless ideas about the formation of topological defects during rapid phase transitions that originated in the context of the very early universe have proved remarkably fruitful when applied to a variety of condensed matter systems. The mathematical frameworks for describing these systems can be very similar. This interconnection has led to a deeper understanding of the phenomena in condensed matter systems utilizing ideas from cosmology. At the same time, one can view these condensed matter analogues as providing, at least in a limited sense, experimental access to the phenomena of the early universe for which no direct probe is possible. As this special issue well illustrates, this remains a dynamic and exciting field. The basic idea is that when a system goes through a rapid symmetry-breaking phase transition from a symmetric phase into one with spontaneously broken symmetry, the order parameter may make different choices in different regions, creating domains that when they meet can trap defects. The scale of those domains, and hence the density of defects, is constrained by the rate at which the system goes through the transition and the speed with which order parameter information propagates. This is what has come to be known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. The resultant scaling laws have now been tested in a considerable variety of different systems. The earliest experiments illustrating the analogy between cosmology and condensed matter were in liquid crystals, in particular on the isotropic-to-nematic transition, primarily because it is very easy to induce the phase transition (typically at room temperature) and to image precisely what is going on. This field remains one of the liveliest. A number of new experiments are reported here studying the dynamical evolution of domains and defects. Another phenomenon that played a key early role was the formation of vortices in the normal-to-superfluid transition in liquid helium-3. The complicated nature of the order parameter energy surface gives rise to a variety of intriguing effects. This too is still a vigorous field. Superconductivity is a special case because the symmetry that is broken is a gauge symmetry. This is also true in fundamental particle physics theories of relevance to cosmology, and for that reason experiments on superconductors are of particular interest to cosmologists. The situation in this case is more complicated because there are competing mechanisms of defect formation. Experiments in the field have not proved easy, either to perform or to interpret, but the papers in this collection show that good progress has been made of late. In recent years a new type of system has proved immensely fruitful, namely atomic Bose-Einstein or Fermi-gas condensates. Experiments on condensates with tunable parameters have in general provided broad support for the theory, and have also revealed a wide range of interesting and novel features, with intriguing possible analogues in cosmology (e.g. causal horizons and particle creation). The basic idea of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism has been shown to be relevant in this whole range of systems. But numerous complexities have also emerged, concerned for example with the role of inhomogeneity or the existence of composite defects. The field is still developing rapidly. Acknowledgments Finally, we would like to thank all the authors who have contributed to this issue, and the staff of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter who have made it possible. Condensed matter analogues of cosmology contents Condensed matter analogues of cosmologyTom Kibble and Ajit Srivastava Symmetry breaking in nematic liquid crystals: analogy with cosmology and magnetismR Repnik, A Ranjkesh, V Simonka, M Ambrozic, Z Bradac and S Kralj Morphogenesis of defects and tactoids during isotropic-nematic phase transition in self-assembled lyotropic chromonic liquid crystalsYoung-Ki Kim, Sergij V Shiyanovskii and Oleg D Lavrentovich Annihilation dynamics of stringlike topological defects in a nematic lyotropic liquid crystalR R Guimarães, R S Mendes, P R G Fernandes and H Mukai Duality between the dynamics of line-like brushes of point defects in 2D and strings in 3D in liquid crystalsSanatan Digal, Rajarshi Ray, P S Saumia and Ajit M Srivastava The multiuniverse transition in superfluid 3HeYury Bunkov Coherent topological defect dynamics and collective modes in superconductors and electronic crystalsD Mihailovic, T Mertelj, V V Kabanov and S Brazovskii Gaussianity revisited: exploring the Kibble-Zurek mechanism with superconducting ringsD J Weir, R Monaco, V P Koshelets, J Mygind and R J Rivers The Kibble-Zurek mechanism in a subcritical bifurcationM A Miranda, D Laroze and W González-Viñas Topological relics of symmetry breaking: winding numbers and scaling tilts from random vortex-antivortex pairsW H Zurek Causality and non-equilibrium second-order phase transitions in inhomogeneous systemsA del Campo, T W B Kibble and W H Zurek The role of causality in tunable Fermi gas condensatesJen-Tsung Hsiang, Chi-Yong Lin, Da-Shin Lee and Ray J Rivers Kibble-Zurek mechanism in a trapped ferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensateHiroki Saito, Yuki Kawaguchi and Masahito Ueda D-brane solitons and boojums in field theory and Bose-Einstein condensatesKenichi Kasamatsu, Hiromitsu Takeuchi and Muneto Nitta Kibble-Zurek scaling and string-net coarsening in topologically ordered systemsAnushya Chandran, F J Burnell, Vedika Khemani and S L Sondhi Universal frozen spectra after time-dependent symmetry restoring phase transitionsFriedemann Queisser, Patrick Navez and Ralf Schützhold Microscopic theory of non-adiabatic response in real and imaginary timeC De Grandi, A Polkovnikov and A W Sandvik

Quantum gravity in the Southern Cone Conference. Proceedings. Conference, Bariloche (Argentina), 7 - 10 Jan 1998.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-04-01

The following topics are discussed: Black hole formation by canonical dynamics of gravitating shells; canonical quantum gravity; Vassiliev invariants; midisuperspace models; quantum spacetime; large-N limit of superconformal field theories and supergravity; world-volume fields and background coupling of branes; gauge enhancement and chirality changes in nonperturbative orbifold models; chiral p-forms; formally renormalizable gravitationally self-interacting string models; gauge supergravities for all odd dimensions; black hole radiation and S-matrix; primordial black holes; fluctuations in a thermal field and dissipation of a black hole spacetime in far-field limit; adiabatic interpretation of particle creation in a de Sitter universe; nonequilibrium dynamics of quantum fields in inflationary cosmology; magnetic fields in the early Universe; classical regime of a quantum universe obtained through a functional method; decoherence and correlations in semiclassical cosmology; fluid of primordial fluctuations; causal statistical mechanics calculation of initial cosmic entropy and quantum gravity prospects and black hole-D-brane correspondence.

Curvaton as dark matter with secondary inflation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gong, Jinn-Ouk; Kitajima, Naoya; Terada, Takahiro, E-mail: jinn-ouk.gong@apctp.org, E-mail: naoya.kitajima@apctp.org, E-mail: terada@kias.re.kr

2017-03-01

We consider a novel cosmological scenario in which a curvaton is long-lived and plays the role of cold dark matter (CDM) in the presence of a short, secondary inflation. Non-trivial evolution of the large scale cosmological perturbation in the curvaton scenario can affect the duration of the short term inflation, resulting in the inhomogeneous end of inflation. Non-linear parameters of the curvature perturbation are predicted to be f {sub NL} ≈ 5/4 and g {sub NL} ≈ 0. The curvaton abundance can be well diluted by the short-term inflation and accordingly, it does not have to decay into the Standardmore » Model particles. Then the curvaton can account for the present CDM with the isocurvature perturbation being sufficiently suppressed because both the adiabatic and CDM isocurvature perturbations have the same origin. As an explicit example, we consider the thermal inflation scenario and a string axion as a candidate for this curvaton-dark matter. We further discuss possibilities to identify the curvaton-dark matter with the QCD axion.« less

Solutions on a brane in a bulk spacetime with Kalb–Ramond field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chakraborty, Sumanta, E-mail: sumanta@iucaa.in; SenGupta, Soumitra, E-mail: tpssg@iacs.res.in

Effective gravitational field equations on a brane have been derived, when the bulk spacetime is endowed with the second rank antisymmetric Kalb–Ramond field. Since both the graviton and the Kalb–Ramond field are closed string excitations, they can propagate in the bulk. After deriving the effective gravitational field equations on the brane, we solve them for a static spherically symmetric solution. It turns out that the solution so obtained represents a black hole or naked singularity depending on the parameter space of the model. The stability of this model is also discussed. Cosmological solutions to the gravitational field equations have beenmore » obtained, where the Kalb–Ramond field is found to behave as normal pressure free matter. For certain specific choices of the parameters in the cosmological solution, the solution exhibits a transition in the behaviour of the scale factor and hence a transition in the expansion history of the universe. The possibility of accelerated expansion of the universe in this scenario is also discussed.« less

Light higgsino dark matter from non-thermal cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aparicio, Luis; Cicoli, Michele; Dutta, Bhaskar

We study the scenario of higgsino dark matter in the context of a non-standard cosmology with a period of matter domination prior to Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Matter domination changes the dark matter relic abundance if it ends via reheating to a temperature below the higgsino thermal freeze-out temperature. We perform a model independent analysis of the higgsino dark matter production in such scenario. We show that light higgsino-type dark matter is possible for reheating temperatures close to 1 GeV. We study the impact of dark matter indirect detection and collider physics in this context. We show that Fermi-LAT data rulemore » out non-thermal higgsinos with masses below 300 GeV. A future indirect dark matter searches from Fermi-LAT and CTA will be able to cover essentially the full parameter space. Contrary to the thermal case, collider signals from a 100 TeV collider could fully test the non-thermal higgsino scenario. In the second part of the paper we discuss the motivation of such non-thermal cosmology from the perspective of string theory with late-time decaying moduli for both KKLT and LVS moduli stabilisation mechanisms. Finally, we describe the impact of embedding higgsino dark matter in these scenarios.« less

Light higgsino dark matter from non-thermal cosmology

DOE PAGES

Aparicio, Luis; Cicoli, Michele; Dutta, Bhaskar; ...

2016-11-01

We study the scenario of higgsino dark matter in the context of a non-standard cosmology with a period of matter domination prior to Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Matter domination changes the dark matter relic abundance if it ends via reheating to a temperature below the higgsino thermal freeze-out temperature. We perform a model independent analysis of the higgsino dark matter production in such scenario. We show that light higgsino-type dark matter is possible for reheating temperatures close to 1 GeV. We study the impact of dark matter indirect detection and collider physics in this context. We show that Fermi-LAT data rulemore » out non-thermal higgsinos with masses below 300 GeV. A future indirect dark matter searches from Fermi-LAT and CTA will be able to cover essentially the full parameter space. Contrary to the thermal case, collider signals from a 100 TeV collider could fully test the non-thermal higgsino scenario. In the second part of the paper we discuss the motivation of such non-thermal cosmology from the perspective of string theory with late-time decaying moduli for both KKLT and LVS moduli stabilisation mechanisms. Finally, we describe the impact of embedding higgsino dark matter in these scenarios.« less

Stellar and gaseous disc structures in cosmological galaxy equilibrium models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathaus, Ben; Sternberg, Amiel

2016-05-01

We present `radially resolved equilibrium models' for the growth of stellar and gaseous discs in cosmologically accreting massive haloes. Our focus is on objects that evolve to redshifts z ˜ 2. We solve the time-dependent equations that govern the radially dependent star formation rates, inflows and outflows from and to the inter- and circumgalactic medium, and inward radial gas flows within the discs. The stellar and gaseous discs reach equilibrium configurations on dynamical time-scales much shorter than variations in the cosmological dark matter halo growth and baryonic accretions rates. We show analytically that mass and global angular momentum conservation naturally give rise to exponential gas and stellar discs over many radial length-scales. As expected, the gaseous discs are more extended as set by the condition Toomre Q < 1 for star formation. The discs rapidly become baryon dominated. For massive, 5 × 1012 M⊙ haloes at redshift z = 2, we reproduced the typical observed star formation rates of ˜100 M⊙ yr-1, stellar masses ˜9 × 1010 M⊙, gas contents ˜1011 M⊙, half-mass sizes of 4.5 and 5.8 kpc for the stars and gas, and characteristic surface densities of 500 and 400 M⊙ pc-2 for the stars and gas.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shiu, Gary; Everett, Lisa

The Tenth Annual International String Phenomenology Conference was held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison on August 22-26, 2011. The Conference was organized by Profs. Gary Shiu and Lisa Everett, with the help of two postdoctoral fellows Heng-Yu Chen and Jiajun Xu. The scientific subjects of the talks and discussions were chosen to be widely interdisciplinary, reflecting the scope and maturity of the field. The conference brought together researchers of diverse subfields in physics and mathematics to present and discuss recent developments in connecting observable particle physics and cosmology with the domain of fundamental theory. This report summarizes the outcomemore » of this conference.« less

Joint Analysis of X-Ray and Sunyaev-Zel'Dovich Observations of Galaxy Clusters Using an Analytic Model of the Intracluster Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasler, Nicole; Bulbul, Esra; Bonamente, Massimiliano; Carlstrom, John E.; Culverhouse, Thomas L.; Gralla, Megan; Greer, Christopher; Lamb, James W.; Hawkins, David; Hennessy, Ryan;

Deliquification (SIC) of gas wells. Liberal District-Amoco Production Company

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smalley, R. Jr.

Various solutions are presented to the problem of deliquefying gas wells to achieve maximum ultimate recovery and avoid premature abandonment. Advantages and disadvantages of each method of deliquefication are discussed. The methods described include blowing up the casing, siphon strings (gas and liquids up tubing, or gas up casing-tubing annulus, and liquids up tubing), gas cycling, compression, bottomhole separators, plunger lift, and sucker rod pumping.

Stirred, Not Clumped: Evolution of Temperature Profiles in the Outskirts of Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avestruz, Camille; Nagai, Daisuke; Lau, Erwin T.

2016-12-01

Recent statistical X-ray measurements of the intracluster medium (ICM) indicate that gas temperature profiles in the outskirts of galaxy clusters deviate from self-similar evolution. Using a mass-limited sample of galaxy clusters from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we show that the departure from self-similarity can be explained by non-thermal gas motions driven by mergers and accretion. Contrary to previous claims, gaseous substructures only play a minor role in the temperature evolution in cluster outskirts. A careful choice of halo overdensity definition in self-similar scaling mitigates these departures. Our work highlights the importance of non-thermal gas motions in ICM evolution and the use of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes.

Distortion of the cosmic background radiation by superconducting strings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostriker, J. P.; Thompson, C.

1987-01-01

Superconducting cosmic strings can be significant energy sources, keeping the universe ionized past the commonly assumed epoch of recombination. As a result, the spectrum of the cosmic background radiation is distorted in the presence of heated primordial gas via the Suniaev-Zel'dovich effect. Thiis distortion can be relatively large: the Compton y parameter attains a maximum in the range 0.001-0.005, with these values depending on the mass scale of the string. A significant contribution to y comes from loops decaying at high redshift when the universe is optically thick to Thomson scattering. Moreover, the isotropic spectral distortion is large compared to fluctuations at all angular scales.

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danielsson, Ulf; Goobar, Ariel; Nilsson, Bengt E. W.

2005-01-01

The idea of organizing a Nobel Symposium focusing on the recent exciting developments in the overlap between string theory and cosmology was born about two years prior to the meeting. The progress, both observational and theoretical, was sparked off by the spectacular new measurements of the geometry and content of the universe. These included ever more accurate observations of the cosmological background radiation testing our ideas of the very early universe, as well as observations of distant supernovae indicating that the universe is in a phase of accelerated expansion. This development was a fertile ground for cosmologists as well as for the string community where people were looking for contacts with observations by applying string theory at the cosmological scale. We are now witnessing the impact of improved observational data coming in regularly, and on the theory side, the appearence of large amounts of collaborative work between cosmologists and string theorists. In view of these facts, we believe that the timing of the Symposium was close to optimal. As organizers, we felt very pleased with the Symposium, and were very happy to see so many prominent scientists being enthusiastic about the meeting. We direct our most profound thanks for the success of the Symposium to all the participants. A special thanks goes to the speakers and chairmen. With half of the time allocated for discussions in the sessions, each one devoted to a particular issue, it was of paramount importance that the chairmen could get both cosmologists and string theorists to contribute with their views and expertice to penetrate the questions to the limit. The resulting debates in several sessions will linger in the memories of those present for many years to come. The Symposium ended with a question and answer session with the whole audience acting as panel. The participants had been asked to formulate what they thought were the key questions in the field. Although consensus was not always reached, it was clear to everyone that the issues discussed at the Symposium (and documented in this book) are among the most fascinating topics in contemporary Physics. Our most sincere thanks go to professors Lars Brink, David Gross, and Michael Turner for organizing this grand final. The outcome of a Symposium like this depends to a very large extent on the place where it was held and its surroundings. The choice fell on the small historic town of Sigtuna and the Sigtuna Stiftelsen (Sigtuna Foundation), a Mediterranean inspired building complex and conference center from the beginning of the last century, with a rich tradition of hosting the most famous individuals in the cultural life of Sweden. The building itself, the proximity to the lake Mälaren, and the picturesque town made the stay a wonderful experience. Our deep gratitude is also directed to the personnel in Sigtuna who with a smile made everything possible and the stay a very pleasant one. Important help was also provided by the scientific secretaries of the Symposium, Martin Olsson and Henric Larsson. We also want to emphasize the crucial role played by the international advisory committee consisting of L Bergström, L Brink, P Di Vecchia, D Gross, R Kallosh, M Rees, H Rubinstein, and M Turner. We are deeply grateful for their work, especially during the preliminary planning of the meeting. The Klein lecture committee and the Swedish Academy of Sciences are acknowledged for organizing an impressive end to the Symposium in Stockholm. The public lectures by David Gross and Andrei Linde followed by the Klein lecture by Stephen Hawking were attended by an audience of over 1200 people, while several other hundred were unable to enter the already full lecture room. This event was certainly among the scientific highlights of the year in Sweden. Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to the Nobel foundation for providing the financial support.

Topological defects in the Georgi-Machacek model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Chandrasekar; Kurachi, Masafumi; Nitta, Muneto

2018-06-01

We study topological defects in the Georgi-Machacek model in a hierarchical symmetry breaking in which extra triplets acquire vacuum expectation values before the doublet. We find a possibility of topologically stable non-Abelian domain walls and non-Abelian flux tubes (vortices or cosmic strings) in this model. In the limit of the vanishing U (1 )Y gauge coupling in which the custodial symmetry becomes exact, the presence of a vortex spontaneously breaks the custodial symmetry, giving rise to S2 Nambu-Goldstone (NG) modes localized around the vortex corresponding to non-Abelian fluxes. Vortices are continuously degenerated by these degrees of freedom, thereby called non-Abelian. By taking into account the U (1 )Y gauge coupling, the custodial symmetry is explicitly broken, the NG modes are lifted to become pseudo-NG modes, and all non-Abelian vortices fall into a topologically stable Z string. This is in contrast to the standard model in which Z strings are nontopological and are unstable in the realistic parameter region. Non-Abelian domain walls also break the custodial symmetry and are accompanied by localized S2 NG modes. Finally, we discuss the existence of domain wall solutions bounded by flux tubes, where their S2 NG modes match. The domain walls may quantum mechanically decay by creating a hole bounded by a flux tube loop, and would be cosmologically safe. Gravitational waves produced from unstable domain walls could be detected by future experiments.

Deviation from Standard Inflationary Cosmology and the Problems in Ekpyrosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Chien-Yao

There are two competing models of our universe right now. One is Big Bang with inflation cosmology. The other is the cyclic model with ekpyrotic phase in each cycle. This paper is divided into two main parts according to these two models. In the first part, we quantify the potentially observable effects of a small violation of translational invariance during inflation, as characterized by the presence of a preferred point, line, or plane. We explore the imprint such a violation would leave on the cosmic microwave background anisotropy, and provide explicit formulas for the expected amplitudes ( alma*l'm') of the spherical-harmonic coefficients. We then provide a model and study the two-point correlation of a massless scalar (the inflaton) when the stress tensor contains the energy density from an infinitely long straight cosmic string in addition to a cosmological constant. Finally, we discuss if inflation can reconcile with the Liouville's theorem as far as the fine-tuning problem is concerned. In the second part, we find several problems in the cyclic/ekpyrotic cosmology. First of all, quantum to classical transition would not happen during an ekpyrotic phase even for superhorizon modes, and therefore the fluctuations cannot be interpreted as classical. This implies the prediction of scale-free power spectrum in ekpyrotic/cyclic universe model requires more inspection. Secondly, we find that the usual mechanism to solve fine-tuning problems is not compatible with eternal universe which contains infinitely many cycles in both direction of time. Therefore, all fine-tuning problems including the flatness problem still asks for an explanation in any generic cyclic models.

Experiences from Participants in Large-Scale Group Practice of the Maharishi Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs and Parallel Principles of Quantum Theory, Astrophysics, Quantum Cosmology, and String Theory: Interdisciplinary Qualitative Correspondences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svenson, Eric Johan

Participants on the Invincible America Assembly in Fairfield, Iowa, and neighboring Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa, practicing Maharishi Transcendental Meditation(TM) (TM) and the TM-Sidhi(TM) programs in large groups, submitted written experiences that they had had during, and in some cases shortly after, their daily practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs. Participants were instructed to include in their written experiences only what they observed and to leave out interpretation and analysis. These experiences were then read by the author and compared with principles and phenomena of modern physics, particularly with quantum theory, astrophysics, quantum cosmology, and string theory as well as defining characteristics of higher states of consciousness as described by Maharishi Vedic Science. In all cases, particular principles or phenomena of physics and qualities of higher states of consciousness appeared qualitatively quite similar to the content of the given experience. These experiences are presented in an Appendix, in which the corresponding principles and phenomena of physics are also presented. These physics "commentaries" on the experiences were written largely in layman's terms, without equations, and, in nearly every case, with clear reference to the corresponding sections of the experiences to which a given principle appears to relate. An abundance of similarities were apparent between the subjective experiences during meditation and principles of modern physics. A theoretic framework for understanding these rich similarities may begin with Maharishi's theory of higher states of consciousness provided herein. We conclude that the consistency and richness of detail found in these abundant similarities warrants the further pursuit and development of such a framework.

Dynamical analysis of an n‑H‑T cosmological quintessence real gas model with a general equation of state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Rossen I.; Prodanov, Emil M.

2018-01-01

The cosmological dynamics of a quintessence model based on real gas with general equation of state is presented within the framework of a three-dimensional dynamical system describing the time evolution of the number density, the Hubble parameter and the temperature. Two global first integrals are found and examples for gas with virial expansion and van der Waals gas are presented. The van der Waals system is completely integrable. In addition to the unbounded trajectories, stemming from the presence of the conserved quantities, stable periodic solutions (closed orbits) also exist under certain conditions and these represent models of a cyclic Universe. The cyclic solutions exhibit regions characterized by inflation and deflation, while the open trajectories are characterized by inflation in a “fly-by” near an unstable critical point.

Weighing galaxy clusters with gas. II. On the origin of hydrostatic mass bias in ΛCDM galaxy clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Kaylea; Nagai, Daisuke; Yu, Liang

2014-02-20

The use of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes hinges on our ability to measure their masses accurately and with high precision. Hydrostatic mass is one of the most common methods for estimating the masses of individual galaxy clusters, which suffer from biases due to departures from hydrostatic equilibrium. Using a large, mass-limited sample of massive galaxy clusters from a high-resolution hydrodynamical cosmological simulation, in this work we show that in addition to turbulent and bulk gas velocities, acceleration of gas introduces biases in the hydrostatic mass estimate of galaxy clusters. In unrelaxed clusters, the acceleration bias is comparable to themore » bias due to non-thermal pressure associated with merger-induced turbulent and bulk gas motions. In relaxed clusters, the mean mass bias due to acceleration is small (≲ 3%), but the scatter in the mass bias can be reduced by accounting for gas acceleration. Additionally, this acceleration bias is greater in the outskirts of higher redshift clusters where mergers are more frequent and clusters are accreting more rapidly. Since gas acceleration cannot be observed directly, it introduces an irreducible bias for hydrostatic mass estimates. This acceleration bias places limits on how well we can recover cluster masses from future X-ray and microwave observations. We discuss implications for cluster mass estimates based on X-ray, Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, and gravitational lensing observations and their impact on cluster cosmology.« less

Weighing Galaxy Clusters with Gas. II. On the Origin of Hydrostatic Mass Bias in ΛCDM Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Kaylea; Lau, Erwin T.; Nagai, Daisuke; Rudd, Douglas H.; Yu, Liang

2014-02-01

The use of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes hinges on our ability to measure their masses accurately and with high precision. Hydrostatic mass is one of the most common methods for estimating the masses of individual galaxy clusters, which suffer from biases due to departures from hydrostatic equilibrium. Using a large, mass-limited sample of massive galaxy clusters from a high-resolution hydrodynamical cosmological simulation, in this work we show that in addition to turbulent and bulk gas velocities, acceleration of gas introduces biases in the hydrostatic mass estimate of galaxy clusters. In unrelaxed clusters, the acceleration bias is comparable to the bias due to non-thermal pressure associated with merger-induced turbulent and bulk gas motions. In relaxed clusters, the mean mass bias due to acceleration is small (lsim 3%), but the scatter in the mass bias can be reduced by accounting for gas acceleration. Additionally, this acceleration bias is greater in the outskirts of higher redshift clusters where mergers are more frequent and clusters are accreting more rapidly. Since gas acceleration cannot be observed directly, it introduces an irreducible bias for hydrostatic mass estimates. This acceleration bias places limits on how well we can recover cluster masses from future X-ray and microwave observations. We discuss implications for cluster mass estimates based on X-ray, Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, and gravitational lensing observations and their impact on cluster cosmology.

An investigation of messy genetic algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldberg, David E.; Deb, Kalyanmoy; Korb, Bradley

1990-01-01

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are search procedures based on the mechanics of natural selection and natural genetics. They combine the use of string codings or artificial chromosomes and populations with the selective and juxtapositional power of reproduction and recombination to motivate a surprisingly powerful search heuristic in many problems. Despite their empirical success, there has been a long standing objection to the use of GAs in arbitrarily difficult problems. A new approach was launched. Results to a 30-bit, order-three-deception problem were obtained using a new type of genetic algorithm called a messy genetic algorithm (mGAs). Messy genetic algorithms combine the use of variable-length strings, a two-phase selection scheme, and messy genetic operators to effect a solution to the fixed-coding problem of standard simple GAs. The results of the study of mGAs in problems with nonuniform subfunction scale and size are presented. The mGA approach is summarized, both its operation and the theory of its use. Experiments on problems of varying scale, varying building-block size, and combined varying scale and size are presented.

STIRRED, NOT CLUMPED: EVOLUTION OF TEMPERATURE PROFILES IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF GALAXY CLUSTERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Avestruz, Camille; Nagai, Daisuke; Lau, Erwin T., E-mail: avestruz@uchicago.edu

Recent statistical X-ray measurements of the intracluster medium (ICM) indicate that gas temperature profiles in the outskirts of galaxy clusters deviate from self-similar evolution. Using a mass-limited sample of galaxy clusters from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we show that the departure from self-similarity can be explained by non-thermal gas motions driven by mergers and accretion. Contrary to previous claims, gaseous substructures only play a minor role in the temperature evolution in cluster outskirts. A careful choice of halo overdensity definition in self-similar scaling mitigates these departures. Our work highlights the importance of non-thermal gas motions in ICM evolution and the usemore » of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes.« less

Large-scale structure in superfluid Chaplygin gas cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Rongjia

2014-03-01

We investigate the growth of the large-scale structure in the superfluid Chaplygin gas (SCG) model. Both linear and nonlinear growth, such as σ8 and the skewness S3, are discussed. We find the growth factor of SCG reduces to the Einstein-de Sitter case at early times while it differs from the cosmological constant model (ΛCDM) case in the large a limit. We also find there will be more stricture growth on large scales in the SCG scenario than in ΛCDM and the variations of σ8 and S3 between SCG and ΛCDM cannot be discriminated.

Volume weighting the measure of the universe from classical slow-roll expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, David; Silk, Joseph

2016-05-01

One of the most frustrating issues in early universe cosmology centers on how to reconcile the vast choice of universes in string theory and in its most plausible high energy sibling, eternal inflation, which jointly generate the string landscape with the fine-tuned and hence relatively small number of universes that have undergone a large expansion and can accommodate observers and, in particular, galaxies. We show that such observations are highly favored for any system whereby physical parameters are distributed at a high energy scale, due to the conservation of the Liouville measure and the gauge nature of volume, asymptotically approaching a period of large isotropic expansion characterized by w =-1 . Our interpretation predicts that all observational probes for deviations from w =-1 in the foreseeable future are doomed to failure. The purpose of this paper is not to introduce a new measure for the multiverse, but rather to show how what is perhaps the most natural and well-known measure, volume weighting, arises as a consequence of the conservation of the Liouville measure on phase space during the classical slow-roll expansion.

String theory origin of constrained multiplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallosh, Renata; Vercnocke, Bert; Wrase, Timm

2016-09-01

We study the non-linearly realized spontaneously broken supersymmetry of the (anti-)D3-brane action in type IIB string theory. The worldvolume fields are one vector A μ , three complex scalars ϕ i and four 4d fermions λ 0, λ i. These transform, in addition to the more familiar {N}=4 linear supersymmetry, also under 16 spontaneously broken, non-linearly realized supersymmetries. We argue that the worldvolume fields can be packaged into the following constrained 4d non-linear {N}=1 multiplets: four chiral multiplets S, Y i that satisfy S 2 = SY i =0 and contain the worldvolume fermions λ 0 and λ i ; and four chiral multiplets W α , H i that satisfy S{W}_{α }=S{overline{D}}_{overset{\\cdotp }{α }}{overline{H}}^{overline{imath}}=0 and contain the vector A μ and the scalars ϕ i . We also discuss how placing an anti-D3-brane on top of intersecting O7-planes can lead to an orthogonal multiplet Φ that satisfies S(Φ -overline{Φ})=0 , which is particularly interesting for inflationary cosmology.

The 6D superswirl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parameswaran, S. L.; Tasinato, G.; Zavala, I.

2006-03-01

We present a novel supersymmetric solution to a nonlinear sigma model coupled to supergravity. The solution represents a static, supersymmetric, codimension-two object, which is different to the familiar cosmic strings. In particular, we consider 6D chiral gauged supergravity, whose spectrum contains a number of hypermultiplets. The scalar components of the hypermultiplet are charged under a gauge field, and supersymmetry implies that they experience a simple paraboloid-like (or 2D infinite well) potential, which is minimised when they vanish. Unlike conventional vortices, the energy density of our configuration is not localized to a string-like core. The solutions have two timelike singularities in the internal manifold, which provide the necessary boundary conditions to ensure that the scalars do not lie at the minimum of their potential. The 4D spacetime is flat, and the solution is a continuous deformation of the so-called "rugby ball" solution, which has been studied in the context of the cosmological constant problem. It represents an unexpected class of supersymmetric solutions to the 6D theory, which have gravity, gauge fluxes and hyperscalars all active in the background.

Oscillations in the CMB from Axion Monodromy Inflation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flauger, Raphael; /Texas U.; McAllister, Liam

2011-12-01

We study the CMB observables in axion monodromy inflation. These well-motivated scenarios for inflation in string theory have monomial potentials over super-Planckian field ranges, with superimposed sinusoidal modulations from instanton effects. Such periodic modulations of the potential can drive resonant enhancements of the correlation functions of cosmological perturbations, with characteristic modulations of the amplitude as a function of wavenumber. We give an analytical result for the scalar power spectrum in this class of models, and we determine the limits that present data places on the amplitude and frequency of modulations. Then, incorporating an improved understanding of the realization of axionmore » monodromy inflation in string theory, we perform a careful study of microphysical constraints in this scenario. We find that detectable modulations of the scalar power spectrum are commonplace in well-controlled examples, while resonant contributions to the bispectrum are undetectable in some classes of examples and detectable in others. We conclude that resonant contributions to the spectrum and bispectrum are a characteristic signature of axion monodromy inflation that, in favorable cases, could be detected in near-future experiments.« less

Dirac strings and magnetic monopoles in the spin ice Dy2Ti2O7.

PubMed

Morris, D J P; Tennant, D A; Grigera, S A; Klemke, B; Castelnovo, C; Moessner, R; Czternasty, C; Meissner, M; Rule, K C; Hoffmann, J-U; Kiefer, K; Gerischer, S; Slobinsky, D; Perry, R S

2009-10-16

Sources of magnetic fields-magnetic monopoles-have so far proven elusive as elementary particles. Condensed-matter physicists have recently proposed several scenarios of emergent quasiparticles resembling monopoles. A particularly simple proposition pertains to spin ice on the highly frustrated pyrochlore lattice. The spin-ice state is argued to be well described by networks of aligned dipoles resembling solenoidal tubes-classical, and observable, versions of a Dirac string. Where these tubes end, the resulting defects look like magnetic monopoles. We demonstrated, by diffuse neutron scattering, the presence of such strings in the spin ice dysprosium titanate (Dy2Ti2O7). This is achieved by applying a symmetry-breaking magnetic field with which we can manipulate the density and orientation of the strings. In turn, heat capacity is described by a gas of magnetic monopoles interacting via a magnetic Coulomb interaction.

Planck 2010: From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale (Part 9)

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-27

"Planck 2010: From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale". The conference will be the twelfth one in a series of meetings on physics beyond the Standard Model, organized jointly by several European groups: Bonn, CERN, Ecole Polytechnique, ICTP, Madrid, Oxford, Padua, Pisa, SISSA and Warsaw as part of activities in the framework of the European network UNILHC. The main topic covered will be "Supersymmetry", with discussions on: supergravity and string phenomenology, extra dimensions, electroweak symmetry breaking, LHC and Tevatron physics, collider physics, flavor and neutrino physics, astroparticle and cosmology, gravity and holography, and strongly coupled physics and CFT.

Positive spatial curvature does not falsify the landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horn, B.

2017-12-01

We present a simple cosmological model where the quantum tunneling of a scalar field rearranges the energetics of the matter sector, sending a stable static ancestor vacuum with positive spatial curvature into an inating solution with positive curvature. This serves as a proof of principle that an observation of positive spatial curvature does not falsify the hypothesis that our current observer patch originated from false vacuum tunneling in a string or field theoretic landscape. This poster submission is a summary of the work, and was presented at the 3rd annual ICPPA held in Moscow from October 2 to 5, 2017, by Prof. Rostislav Konoplich on behalf of the author.

Tachyon and quintessence in brane worlds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chimento, Luis P.; Forte, Monica; Richarte, Martin G.

2009-04-15

Using tachyon or quintessence fields along with a barotropic fluid on the brane we examine the different cosmological stages in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe, from the first radiation scenario to the later era dominated by cosmic string networks. We introduce a new algorithm to generalize previous works on exact solutions and apply it to study tachyon and quintessence fields localized on the brane. We also explore the low and high energy regimes of the solutions. Besides, we show that the tachyon and quintessence fields are driven by an inverse power law potential. Finally, we find several simple exacts solutions for tachyonmore » and/or quintessence fields.« less

Planck 2010: From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale (Part 5)

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-27

"Planck 2010: From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale". The conference will be the twelfth one in a series of meetings on physics beyond the Standard Model, organized jointly by several European groups: Bonn, CERN, Ecole Polytechnique, ICTP, Madrid, Oxford, Padua, Pisa, SISSA and Warsaw as part of activities in the framework of the European network UNILHC. The main topic covered will be "Supersymmetry", with discussions on: supergravity and string phenomenology, extra dimensions, electroweak symmetry breaking, LHC and Tevatron physics, collider physics, flavor and neutrino physics, astroparticle and cosmology, gravity and holography, and strongly coupled physics and CFT.

Planck 2010: From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale (Part 6)

ScienceCinema

None

2018-06-28

"Planck 2010: From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale". The conference will be the twelfth one in a series of meetings on physics beyond the Standard Model, organized jointly by several European groups: Bonn, CERN, Ecole Polytechnique, ICTP, Madrid, Oxford, Padua, Pisa, SISSA and Warsaw as part of activities in the framework of the European network UNILHC. The main topic covered will be "Supersymmetry", with discussions on: supergravity and string phenomenology, extra dimensions, electroweak symmetry breaking, LHC and Tevatron physics, collider physics, flavor and neutrino physics, astroparticle and cosmology, gravity and holography, and strongly coupled physics and CFT.

Three dimensional magnetic solutions in massive gravity with (non)linear field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendi, S. H.; Eslam Panah, B.; Panahiyan, S.; Momennia, M.

2017-12-01

The Noble Prize in physics 2016 motivates one to study different aspects of topological properties and topological defects as their related objects. Considering the significant role of the topological defects (especially magnetic strings) in cosmology, here, we will investigate three dimensional horizonless magnetic solutions in the presence of two generalizations: massive gravity and nonlinear electromagnetic field. The effects of these two generalizations on properties of the solutions and their geometrical structure are investigated. The differences between de Sitter and anti de Sitter solutions are highlighted and conditions regarding the existence of phase transition in geometrical structure of the solutions are studied.

Inflation in the standard cosmological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uzan, Jean-Philippe

2015-12-01

The inflationary paradigm is now part of the standard cosmological model as a description of its primordial phase. While its original motivation was to solve the standard problems of the hot big bang model, it was soon understood that it offers a natural theory for the origin of the large-scale structure of the universe. Most models rely on a slow-rolling scalar field and enjoy very generic predictions. Besides, all the matter of the universe is produced by the decay of the inflaton field at the end of inflation during a phase of reheating. These predictions can be (and are) tested from their imprint of the large-scale structure and in particular the cosmic microwave background. Inflation stands as a window in physics where both general relativity and quantum field theory are at work and which can be observationally studied. It connects cosmology with high-energy physics. Today most models are constructed within extensions of the standard model, such as supersymmetry or string theory. Inflation also disrupts our vision of the universe, in particular with the ideas of chaotic inflation and eternal inflation that tend to promote the image of a very inhomogeneous universe with fractal structure on a large scale. This idea is also at the heart of further speculations, such as the multiverse. This introduction summarizes the connections between inflation and the hot big bang model and details the basics of its dynamics and predictions. xml:lang="fr"

Rapid roll inflation with conformal coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kofman, Lev; Mukohyama, Shinji

2008-02-01

Usual inflation is realized with a slow rolling scalar field minimally coupled to gravity. In contrast, we consider dynamics of a scalar with a flat effective potential, conformally coupled to gravity. Surprisingly, it contains an attractor inflationary solution with the rapidly rolling inflaton field. We discuss models with the conformal inflaton with a flat potential (including hybrid inflation). There is no generation of cosmological fluctuations from the conformally coupled inflaton. We consider realizations of modulated (inhomogeneous reheating) or curvaton cosmological fluctuations in these models. We also implement these unusual features for the popular string-theoretic warped inflationary scenario, based on the interacting D3-D¯3 branes. The original warped brane inflation suffers a large inflaton mass due to conformal coupling to 4-dimensional gravity. Instead of considering this as a problem and trying to cure it with extra engineering, we show that warped inflation with the conformally coupled, rapidly rolling inflaton is yet possible with N=37 efoldings, which requires low-energy scales 1 100 TeV of inflation. Coincidentally, the same warping numerology can be responsible for the hierarchy. It is shown that the scalars associated with angular isometries of the warped geometry of compact manifold (e.g. S3 of Klebanov-Strassler (KS) geometry) have solutions identical to conformally coupled modes and also cannot be responsible for cosmological fluctuations. We discuss other possibilities.

Dark matter and cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schramm, D.N.

1992-03-01

The cosmological dark matter problem is reviewed. The Big Bang Nucleosynthesis constraints on the baryon density are compared with the densities implied by visible matter, dark halos, dynamics of clusters, gravitational lenses, large-scale velocity flows, and the {Omega} = 1 flatness/inflation argument. It is shown that (1) the majority of baryons are dark; and (2) non-baryonic dark matter is probably required on large scales. It is also noted that halo dark matter could be either baryonic or non-baryonic. Descrimination between ``cold`` and ``hot`` non-baryonic candidates is shown to depend on the assumed ``seeds`` that stimulate structure formation. Gaussian density fluctuations,more » such as those induced by quantum fluctuations, favor cold dark matter, whereas topological defects such as strings, textures or domain walls may work equally or better with hot dark matter. A possible connection between cold dark matter, globular cluster ages and the Hubble constant is mentioned. Recent large-scale structure measurements, coupled with microwave anisotropy limits, are shown to raise some questions for the previously favored density fluctuation picture. Accelerator and underground limits on dark matter candidates are also reviewed.« less

Dark matter and cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schramm, D.N.

1992-03-01

The cosmological dark matter problem is reviewed. The Big Bang Nucleosynthesis constraints on the baryon density are compared with the densities implied by visible matter, dark halos, dynamics of clusters, gravitational lenses, large-scale velocity flows, and the {Omega} = 1 flatness/inflation argument. It is shown that (1) the majority of baryons are dark; and (2) non-baryonic dark matter is probably required on large scales. It is also noted that halo dark matter could be either baryonic or non-baryonic. Descrimination between cold'' and hot'' non-baryonic candidates is shown to depend on the assumed seeds'' that stimulate structure formation. Gaussian density fluctuations,more » such as those induced by quantum fluctuations, favor cold dark matter, whereas topological defects such as strings, textures or domain walls may work equally or better with hot dark matter. A possible connection between cold dark matter, globular cluster ages and the Hubble constant is mentioned. Recent large-scale structure measurements, coupled with microwave anisotropy limits, are shown to raise some questions for the previously favored density fluctuation picture. Accelerator and underground limits on dark matter candidates are also reviewed.« less

Foundations of Space and Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murugan, Jeff; Weltman, Amanda; Ellis, George F. R.

2012-07-01

1. The problem with quantum gravity Jeff Murugan, Amanda Weltman and George F. R. Eliis; 2. A dialogue on the nature of gravity Thanu Padmanabhan; 3. Effective theories and modifications of gravity Cliff Burgess; 4. The small scale structure of spacetime Steve Carlip; 5. Ultraviolet divergences in supersymmetric theories Kellog Stelle; 6. Cosmological quantum billiards Axel Kleinschmidt and Hermann Nicolai; 7. Progress in RNS string theory and pure spinors Dimitri Polyakov; 8. Recent trends in superstring phenomenology Massimo Bianchi; 9. Emergent spacetime Robert de Mello Koch and Jeff Murugan; 10. Loop quantum gravity Hanno Sahlmann; 11. Loop quantum gravity and cosmology Martin Bojowald; 12. The microscopic dynamics of quantum space as a group field theory Daniele Oriti; 13. Causal dynamical triangulations and the quest for quantum gravity Jan Ambjørn, J. Jurkiewicz and Renate Loll; 14. Proper time is stochastic time in 2D quantum gravity Jan Ambjorn, Renate Loll, Y. Watabiki, W. Westra and S. Zohren; 15. Logic is to the quantum as geometry is to gravity Rafael Sorkin; 16. Causal sets: discreteness without symmetry breaking Joe Henson; 17. The Big Bang, quantum gravity, and black-hole information loss Roger Penrose; Index.

Supersymmetric B – L inflation near the conformal coupling

DOE PAGES

Arai, Masato; Kawai, Shinsuke; Okada, Nobuchika

2014-06-01

We investigate a novel scenario of cosmological inflation in a gauged B-L extended minimal supersymmetric Standard Model with R-symmetry. We use a noncanonical Kähler potential and a superpotential, both preserving the R-symmetry to construct a model of slow-roll inflation. The model is controlled by two real parameters: the nonminimal coupling ξ that originates from the Kähler potential, and the breaking scale v of the U (1)B-L symmetry. We compute the spectrum of the cosmological microwave background radiation and show that the prediction of the model fits well the recent Planck satellite observation for a wide range of the parameter space.more » We also find that the typical reheating temperature of the model is low enough to avoid the gravitino problem but nevertheless allows sufficient production of the baryon asymmetry if we take into account the effect of resonance enhancement. The model is free from cosmic strings that impose stringent constraints on generic U (1)B-L based scenarios, as in our scenario the U (1)B-L symmetry is broken from the onset.« less

Dark matter and cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schramm, David N.

1992-07-01

The cosmological dark matter problem is reviewed. The Big Bang Nucleosynthesis constraints on the baryon density are compared with the densities implied by visible matter, dark halos, dynamics of clusters, gravitational lenses, large-scale velocity flows, and the Ω = 1 flatness/inflation argument. It is shown that (1) the majority of baryons are dark; and (2) non-baryonic dark matter is probably required on large scales. It is also noted that halo dark matter could be either baryonic or non-baryonic. Descrimination between ``cold'' and ``hot'' non-baryonic candidates is shown to depend on the assumed ``seeds'' that stimulate structure formation. Gaussian density fluctuations, such as those induced by quantum fluctuations, favor cold dark matter, whereas topological defects such as strings, textures or domain walls may work equally or better with hot dark matter. A possible connection between cold dark matter, globular cluster ages and the Hubble constant is mentioned. Recent large-scale structure measurements, coupled with microwave anisotropy limits, are shown to raise some questions for the previously favored density fluctuation picture. Accelerator and underground limits on dark matter candidates are also reviewed.

Dark matter and cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schramm, D. N.

1992-03-01

The cosmological dark matter problem is reviewed. The Big Bang nucleosynthesis constraints on the baryon density are compared with the densities implied by visible matter, dark halos, dynamics of clusters, gravitational lenses, large-scale velocity flows, and the omega = 1 flatness/inflation argument. It is shown that (1) the majority of baryons are dark; and (2) non-baryonic dark matter is probably required on large scales. It is also noted that halo dark matter could be either baryonic or non-baryonic. Descrimination between 'cold' and 'hot' non-baryonic candidates is shown to depend on the assumed 'seeds' that stimulate structure formation. Gaussian density fluctuations, such as those induced by quantum fluctuations, favor cold dark matter, whereas topological defects such as strings, textures or domain walls may work equally or better with hot dark matter. A possible connection between cold dark matter, globular cluster ages, and the Hubble constant is mentioned. Recent large-scale structure measurements, coupled with microwave anisotropy limits, are shown to raise some questions for the previously favored density fluctuation picture. Accelerator and underground limits on dark matter candidates are also reviewed.

Fluxes, holography and twistors: String theory paths to four dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Peng

2007-12-01

There are presently three popular paths to obtain four dimensional physics from string theory: compactification, holography and twistor space. We present results in this thesis on each of them, discussing the geometric structure of flux compactifications, the interplay between holography and S -duality in M-theory and the perturbative amplitudes of the marginally deformed super-Yang-Mills theory obtained from topological string theory on a supertwistor space. First we analyze supersymmetric flux compactifications of ten dimensional string theories to four dimensions. Back reaction of the fluxes on the six dimensional internal geometry is characterized by G-structures. In type IIB compactification on SU(3)-structure manifold with N = 1 supersymmetry, we solve the equations dictating the five components of intrinsic torsion. We find that the six dimensional manifold always retains an integrable almost complex structure compatible with supersymmetry. In terms of the various vacuum fields, the axion/dilaton is found to be generically non-holomorphic, and the four dimensional cosmological constant is nonvanishing only if the SU(3) structure group is reduced to SU(2). The equations are solved by one holomorphic function. Around the poles and zeros of the holomorphic function, the geometry locally looks like the well known type-A and type-B solutions. When this function is a constant, the geometry can be viewed as a holographic RG flow. After classifying the type IIB SU(3)-structure flux vacua, we analyze the effect of non-perturbative corrections on the moduli space of N = 2 flux compactifications. At energy below the Kaluza-Klein scale, the four dimensional effective theory is a gauged supergravity theory with vanishing cosmological constant. The gauging of isometries on the hyper-multiplet moduli space is induced by the fluxes. We show that instanton corrections which could potentially lift the gauged isometries are in fact prohibited both in the type IIA and heterotic string theories by the inclusion of flux. Hence gauged supergravity is a robust framework for studying flux vacua even when these stringy effects are taken into account. The mechanisms which protect the gauged isometries are different in the two theories. Then we switch to the understanding of SL(2, Z ) duality transformations in asymptotically AdS4 x S7 spacetime with an Abelian gauge theory. The bulk duality acts non-trivially on the three-dimensional SCFT of coincident M2-branes on the conformal boundary. We develop a systematic method to holographically obtain the deformations of the boundary CFT manifested by generalized boundary conditions and show how SL(2, Z ) duality relates different deformations of the conformal vacuum. We analyze in detail marginal deformations and deformations by dimension 4 operators. In the case of massive deformations, the RG flow induces a Legendre transform as well as S-duality. Correlation functions in the CFT are computed by differentiating with respect to magnetic bulk sources, whereas correlation functions in the Legendre dual CFT are computed using electric bulk sources. Under massive deformations, the boundary effective action is generically minimized by massive self-dual configurations of the U(1) gauge field. We show that a massive and self-dual boundary condition corresponds to the unique self-dual topologically massive gauge theory in three dimensions. Thus, self-duality in three dimensions can be understood as a consequence of SL(2, Z ) invariance in the bulk of AdS4. We discuss various implications for understanding the strongly interacting worldvolume theory of M2-branes and more general dualities of the maximally supersymmetric AdS4 supergravity theory. Finally we study the twistor string theory whose D-instanton expansion gives the perturbative expansion of marginally deformed N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theories. More precisely this string theory is a topological B-model with both open and closed string sectors with target space CP3|4 , a super-Calabi-Yau manifold. The tree-level amplitudes in the N = 1 beta-deformed field theory are exactly reproduced by introducing non-anticommutative star-products among the D1 and D5 open strings. A related star-product gives the tree-level amplitudes of the non-supersymmetric gamma-deformed conformal field theory. The non-anticommutativity arises essentially from the deformation of the supertwistor space which reduces the amount of superconformal symmetries realized by the supertwistor space. The tree-level gluonic amplitudes in more general marginally deformed field theories are also discussed using twistor string theory.

Global cosmological dynamics for the scalar field representation of the modified Chaplygin gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uggla, Claes

2013-09-01

In this paper we investigate the global dynamics for the minimally coupled scalar field representation of the modified Chaplygin gas in the context of flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson Walker cosmology. The tool for doing this is a new set of bounded variables that lead to a regular dynamical system. It is shown that the exact modified Chaplygin gas perfect fluid solution appears as a straight line in the associated phase plane. It is also shown that no other solutions stay close to this solution during their entire temporal evolution, but that there exists an open subset of solutions that stay arbitrarily close during an intermediate time interval, and into the future in the case when the scalar field potential exhibits a global minimum.

String Theory Methods for Condensed Matter Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nastase, Horatiu

2017-09-01

Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part I. Condensed Matter Models and Problems: 1. Lightning review of statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, phases and phase transitions; 2. Magnetism in solids; 3. Electrons in solids: Fermi gas vs. Fermi liquid; 4. Bosonic quasi-particles: phonons and plasmons; 5. Spin-charge separation in 1+1 dimensional solids: spinons and holons; 6. The Ising model and the Heisenberg spin chain; 7. Spin chains and integrable systems; 8. The thermodynamic Bethe ansatz; 9. Conformal field theories and quantum phase transitions; 10. Classical vs. quantum Hall effect; 11. Superconductivity: Landau-Ginzburg, London and BCS; 12. Topology and statistics: Berry and Chern-Simons, anyons and nonabelions; 13. Insulators; 14. The Kondo effect and the Kondo problem; 15. Hydrodynamics and transport properties: from Boltzmann to Navier-Stokes; Part II. Elements of General Relativity and String Theory: 16. The Einstein equation and the Schwarzschild solution; 17. The Reissner-Nordstrom and Kerr-Newman solutions and thermodynamic properties of black holes; 18. Extra dimensions and Kaluza-Klein; 19. Electromagnetism and gravity in various dimensions. Consistent truncations; 20. Gravity plus matter: black holes and p-branes in various dimensions; 21. Weak/strong coupling dualities in 1+1, 2+1, 3+1 and d+1 dimensions; 22. The relativistic point particle and the relativistic string; 23. Lightcone strings and quantization; 24. D-branes and gauge fields; 25. Electromagnetic fields on D-branes. Supersymmetry and N = 4 SYM. T-duality of closed strings; 26. Dualities and M theory; 27. The AdS/CFT correspondence: definition and motivation; Part III. Applying String Theory to Condensed Matter Problems: 28. The pp wave correspondence: string Hamiltonian from N = 4 SYM; 29. Spin chains from N = 4 SYM; 30. The Bethe ansatz: Bethe strings from classical strings in AdS; 31. Integrability and AdS/CFT; 32. AdS/CFT phenomenology: Lifshitz, Galilean and Schrodinger symmetries and their gravity duals; 33. Finite temperature and black holes; 34. Hot plasma equilibrium thermodynamics: entropy, charge density and chemical potential of strongly coupled theories; 35. Spectral functions and transport properties; 36. Dynamic and nonequilibrium properties of plasmas: electric transport, Langevin diffusion and thermalization via black hole quasi-normal modes; 37. The holographic superconductor; 38. The fluid-gravity correspondence: conformal relativistic fluids from black hole horizons; 39. Nonrelativistic fluids: from Einstein to Navier-Stokes and back; Part IV. Advanced Applications: 40. Fermi gas and liquid in AdS/CFT; 41. Quantum Hall effect from string theory; 42. Quantum critical systems and AdS/CFT; 43. Particle-vortex duality and ABJM vs. AdS4 X CP3 duality; 44. Topology and non-standard statistics from AdS/CFT; 45. DBI scalar model for QGP/black hole hydro- and thermo-dynamics; 46. Holographic entanglement entropy in condensed matter; 47. Holographic insulators; 48. Holographic strange metals and the Kondo problem; References; Index.

Tidal dwarf galaxies in cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ploeckinger, Sylvia; Sharma, Kuldeep; Schaye, Joop; Crain, Robert A.; Schaller, Matthieu; Barber, Christopher

2018-02-01

The formation and evolution of gravitationally bound, star forming substructures in tidal tails of interacting galaxies, called tidal dwarf galaxies (TDG), has been studied, until now, only in idealized simulations of individual pairs of interacting galaxies for pre-determined orbits, mass ratios and gas fractions. Here, we present the first identification of TDG candidates in fully cosmological simulations, specifically the high-resolution simulations of the EAGLE suite. The finite resolution of the simulation limits their ability to predict the exact formation rate and survival time-scale of TDGs, but we show that gravitationally bound baryonic structures in tidal arms already form in current state-of-the-art cosmological simulations. In this case, the orbital parameter, disc orientations as well as stellar and gas masses and the specific angular momentum of the TDG forming galaxies are a direct consequence of cosmic structure formation. We identify TDG candidates in a wide range of environments, such as multiple galaxy mergers, clumpy high-redshift (up to z = 2) galaxies, high-speed encounters and tidal interactions with gas-poor galaxies. We present selection methods, the properties of the identified TDG candidates and a road map for more quantitative analyses using future high-resolution simulations.

Holographic Spherically Symmetric Metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petri, Michael

The holographic principle (HP) conjectures, that the maximum number of degrees of freedom of any realistic physical system is proportional to the system's boundary area. The HP has its roots in the study of black holes. It has recently been applied to cosmological solutions. In this article we apply the HP to spherically symmetric static space-times. We find that any regular spherically symmetric object saturating the HP is subject to tight constraints on the (interior) metric, energy-density, temperature and entropy-density. Whenever gravity can be described by a metric theory, gravity is macroscopically scale invariant and the laws of thermodynamics hold locally and globally, the (interior) metric of a regular holographic object is uniquely determined up to a constant factor and the interior matter-state must follow well defined scaling relations. When the metric theory of gravity is general relativity, the interior matter has an overall string equation of state (EOS) and a unique total energy-density. Thus the holographic metric derived in this article can serve as simple interior 4D realization of Mathur's string fuzzball proposal. Some properties of the holographic metric and its possible experimental verification are discussed. The geodesics of the holographic metric describe an isotropically expanding (or contracting) universe with a nearly homogeneous matter-distribution within the local Hubble volume. Due to the overall string EOS the active gravitational mass-density is zero, resulting in a coasting expansion with Ht = 1, which is compatible with the recent GRB-data.

30 CFR 250.447 - When must I pressure test the BOP system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.447 When must I pressure test the BOP... BOP, and drill-string safety valve): (a) When installed; (b) Before 14 days have elapsed since your...

30 CFR 250.447 - When must I pressure test the BOP system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.447 When must I pressure test the BOP... BOP, and drill-string safety valve): (a) When installed; (b) Before 14 days have elapsed since your...

30 CFR 250.447 - When must I pressure test the BOP system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.447 When must I pressure test the BOP... BOP, and drill-string safety valve): (a) When installed; (b) Before 14 days have elapsed since your...

30 CFR 250.447 - When must I pressure test the BOP system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.447 When must I pressure... valves, inside BOP, and drill-string safety valve): (a) When installed; (b) Before 14 days have elapsed...

30 CFR 250.423 - What are the requirements for pressure testing casing?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.423 What are the... for each string of casing. You may not resume drilling or other down-hole operations until you obtain...

A black hole quartet: New solutions and applications to string theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padi, Megha

In this thesis, we study a zoo of black hole solutions which help us connect string theory to the universe we live in. The intuition for how to attack fundamental problems can often be found in a toy model. In Chapter 2, we show that three-dimensional topologically massive gravity with a negative cosmological constant -ℓ -2 and coupling constant has "warped AdS3" solutions with SL(2, R ) x U(1) isometry. For muℓ > 3, we show that certain discrete quotients of warped AdS3 lead to black holes. Their thermodynamics is consistent with the existence of a holographic dual CFT with central charges cR = 15mℓ 2+81Gmm ℓ2+27 and cL = 12mℓ 2Gmm ℓ2+27 . The entropy of many supersymmetric black holes have been accounted for, but more realistic non-supersymmetric black holes have been largely overlooked. In Chapter 3, we derive new single-centered and multi-centered non-BPS black hole solutions for several four dimensional models which, after Kaluza-Klein reduction, admit a description in terms of a sigma model with symmetric target space. In particular, we provide the exact solution with generic charges and asymptotic moduli in N=2 supergravity coupled to one vector multiplet. As it stands, the current formulation of string theory allows for an extremely large number of possible solutions (or vacua). We first analyze this landscape by looking for universal characteristics. In Chapter 4, we provide evidence for the conjecture that gravity is always the weakest force in any string compactification. We show that, in several examples arising in string theory, higher-derivative corrections always make extremal non-supersymmetric black holes lighter than the classical bound M/Q = 1. In Chapter 5, we construct novel black hole bound states, called orientiholes, that are T-dual to IIB orientifold compactifications. The gravitational entropy of such orientiholes provides an "experimental" estimate of the number of vacua in various sectors of the IIB landscape. Furthermore, basic physical properties of orientiholes map to (sometimes subtle) microscopic features, thus providing a useful alternative viewpoint on a number of issues arising in D-brane model building. We also suggest a relation to the topological string analogous to the OSV conjecture.

Random functions via Dyson Brownian Motion: progress and problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Gaoyuan; Battefeld, Thorsten

2016-09-05

We develope a computationally efficient extension of the Dyson Brownian Motion (DBM) algorithm to generate random function in C{sup 2} locally. We further explain that random functions generated via DBM show an unstable growth as the traversed distance increases. This feature restricts the use of such functions considerably if they are to be used to model globally defined ones. The latter is the case if one uses random functions to model landscapes in string theory. We provide a concrete example, based on a simple axionic potential often used in cosmology, to highlight this problem and also offer an ad hocmore » modification of DBM that suppresses this growth to some degree.« less

Refining the boundaries of the classical de Sitter landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andriot, David; Blåbäck, Johan

2017-03-01

We derive highly constraining no-go theorems for classical de Sitter backgrounds of string theory, with parallel sources; this should impact the embedding of cosmological models. We study ten-dimensional vacua of type II supergravities with parallel and backreacted orientifold O p -planes and D p -branes, on four-dimensional de Sitter spacetime times a compact manifold. Vacua for p = 3, 7 or 8 are completely excluded, and we obtain tight constraints for p = 4, 5, 6. This is achieved through the derivation of an enlightening expression for the four-dimensional Ricci scalar. Further interesting expressions and no-go theorems are obtained. The paper is self-contained so technical aspects, including conventions, might be of more general interest.

Constructing superconductors by graphene Chern-Simons wormholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capozziello, Salvatore; Pincak, Richard; Saridakis, Emmanuel N.

2018-03-01

We propose a new model which simulates the motion of free electrons in graphene by the evolution of strings on manifolds. In this model, molecules which constitute sheets of graphene are polygonal point-like structures which build (N + 1) -dimensional manifolds. By breaking the gravitational-analogue symmetry of graphene sheets, we show that two separated child sheets and a Chern-Simons bridge are produced giving rise to a wormhole. In this structure, free electrons are transmitted from one child sheet to the other producing superconductivity. An analogue between "effective gravitons" and "Cooper pairs" is found. In principle, this phenomenology provides the possibility to construct superconductor structures by using the analogue of cosmological models.

Drake Equation for the Multiverse:. from the String Landscape to Complex Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleiser, M.

It is argued that the selection criteria usually referred to as "anthropic conditions" for the existence of intelligent (typical) observers widely adopted in cosmology amount only to preconditions for primitive life. The existence of life does not imply in the existence of intelligent life. On the contrary, the transition from single-celled to complex, multicellular organisms is far from trivial, requiring stringent additional conditions on planetary platforms. An attempt is made to disentangle the necessary steps leading from a selection of universes out of a hypothetical multiverse to the existence of life and of complex life. It is suggested that what is currently called the "anthropic principle" should instead be named the "prebiotic principle."

Sharp predictions from eternal inflation patches in D-brane inflation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hertog, Thomas; Janssen, Oliver, E-mail: thomas.hertog@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: opj202@nyu.edu

We numerically generate the six-dimensional landscape of D3-brane inflation and identify patches of eternal inflation near sufficiently flat inflection points of the potential. We show that reasonable measures that select patches of eternal inflation in the landscape yield sharp predictions for the spectral properties of primordial perturbations on observable scales. These include a scalar tilt of .936, a running of the scalar tilt −.00103, undetectably small tensors and non-Gaussianity, and no observable spatial curvature. Our results explicitly demonstrate that precision cosmology probes the combination of the statistical properties of the string landscape and the measure implied by the universe's quantummore » state.« less

Cosmological perturbations of axion with a dynamical decay constant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kobayashi, Takeshi; INFN, Sezione di Trieste,Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste; Takahashi, Fuminobu

2016-08-25

A QCD axion with a time-dependent decay constant has been known to be able to accommodate high-scale inflation without producing topological defects or too large isocurvature perturbations on CMB scales. We point out that a dynamical decay constant also has the effect of enhancing the small-scale axion isocurvature perturbations. The enhanced axion perturbations can even exceed the periodicity of the axion potential, and thus lead to the formation of axionic domain walls. Unlike the well-studied axionic walls, the walls produced from the enhanced perturbations are not bounded by cosmic strings, and thus would overclose the universe independently of the numbermore » of degenerate vacua along the axion potential.« less

Black holes, anti de Sitter space, and topological strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Xi

This thesis is devoted to the study of black holes in string theory, their connection to two and three dimensional anti de-Sitter space, and topological strings. We start by proposing a relation between supersymmetric black holes in four and five dimensions, as well as connections between multi-centered black holes in four dimensions and black rings in five dimensions. This connection is then applied to counting supersymmetric dyonic black holes in four dimensional string compactifications with 16 and 32 supersymmetries, respectively. We then turn to the near horizon attractor geometry AdS 2 x S2 x CY 3, and study the classical supersymmetric D-branes in this background. We also find supersymmetric black hole solutions in supergravity in AdS2 x S2, although the solutions have regions of closed timelike curves. Finally we consider the M-theory attractor geometry AdS3 x S2 x CY3, and compute the elliptic genus of the dual (0, 4) CFT by counting wrapped M2-brane states in the bulk in a dilute gas approximation. This leads to a derivation of the conjectured relation between black hole partition function and topological string amplitudes.

30 CFR 250.421 - What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... hazards, and water depthsSet casing immediately before drilling into formations known to contain oil or..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.421 What are the casing and cementing...

30 CFR 250.421 - What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.421 What are the... Cementing requirements (a) Drive or Structural Set by driving, jetting, or drilling to the minimum depth as...

30 CFR 250.421 - What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.421 What are the... Cementing requirements (a) Drive or Structural Set by driving, jetting, or drilling to the minimum depth as...

30 CFR 250.421 - What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.421 What are the... Cementing requirements (a) Drive or Structural Set by driving, jetting, or drilling to the minimum depth as...

HICOSMO - X-ray analysis of a complete sample of galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schellenberger, G.; Reiprich, T.

2017-10-01

Galaxy clusters are known to be the largest virialized objects in the Universe. Based on the theory of structure formation one can use them as cosmological probes, since they originate from collapsed overdensities in the early Universe and witness its history. The X-ray regime provides the unique possibility to measure in detail the most massive visible component, the intra cluster medium. Using Chandra observations of a local sample of 64 bright clusters (HIFLUGCS) we provide total (hydrostatic) and gas mass estimates of each cluster individually. Making use of the completeness of the sample we quantify two interesting cosmological parameters by a Bayesian cosmological likelihood analysis. We find Ω_{M}=0.3±0.01 and σ_{8}=0.79±0.03 (statistical uncertainties) using our default analysis strategy combining both, a mass function analysis and the gas mass fraction results. The main sources of biases that we discuss and correct here are (1) the influence of galaxy groups (higher incompleteness in parent samples and a differing behavior of the L_{x} - M relation), (2) the hydrostatic mass bias (as determined by recent hydrodynamical simulations), (3) the extrapolation of the total mass (comparing various methods), (4) the theoretical halo mass function and (5) other cosmological (non-negligible neutrino mass), and instrumental (calibration) effects.

Accelerating dark energy cosmological model in two fluids with hybrid scale factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, B.; Sahoo, P. K.; Ray, Pratik P.

In this paper, we have investigated the anisotropic behavior of the accelerating universe in Bianchi V spacetime in the framework of General Relativity (GR). The matter field we have considered is of two non-interacting fluids, i.e. the usual string fluid and dark energy (DE) fluid. In order to represent the pressure anisotropy, the skewness parameters are introduced along three different spatial directions. To achieve a physically realistic solutions to the field equations, we have considered a scale factor, known as hybrid scale factor, which is generated by a time-varying deceleration parameter. This simulates a cosmic transition from early deceleration to late time acceleration. It is observed that the string fluid dominates the universe at early deceleration phase but does not affect nature of cosmic dynamics substantially at late phase, whereas the DE fluid dominates the universe in present time, which is in accordance with the observations results. Hence, we analyzed here the role of two fluids in the transitional phases of universe with respect to time which depicts the reason behind the cosmic expansion and DE. The role of DE with variable equation of state parameter (EoS) and skewness parameters, is also discussed along with physical and geometrical properties.

Magnetised Strings in Λ-Dominated Anisotropic Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goswami, G. K.; Yadav, Anil Kumar; Dewangan, R. N.

2016-11-01

In this paper, we have searched the existence of Λ-dominated anisotropic universe filled with magnetized strings. The observed acceleration of universe has been explained by introducing a positive cosmological constant Λ in the Einstein's field equation which is mathematically equivalent to dark energy with equation of state (EOS) parameter set equal to -1. The present values of the matter and the dark energy parameters (Ω m )0 & (ΩΛ)0 are estimated for high red shift (.3 ≤ z ≤ 1.4) SN Ia supernova data's of observed apparent magnitude along with their possible error taken from Union 2.1 compilation. It is found that the best fit value for (Ω m )0 & (ΩΛ)0 are 0.2920 & 0.7076 respectively which are in good agreement with recent astrophysical observations in the latest surveys like WMAP and Plank. Various physical parameters such as the matter and dark energy densities, the present age of the universe and the present value of deceleration parameter have been obtained on the basis of the values of (Ω m )0 & (ΩΛ)0.Also, we have estimated that the acceleration would have begun in the past at z = 0.6845 i. e. 6.2341 Gyrs before from now.

A study of non-local holography in the AdS/CFT correspondence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Alex

This thesis is broadly composed of three topics. After giving a brief overview of the origins of the AdS/CFT duality, we describe a way of representing local bulk fields as quasi-local CFT operators. We show how these smeared boundary operators encode the holographic radial-scale duality, and how this can lead to degrees of freedom consistent with Bekenstein's entropy. We also gain insight into the BTZ black hole, with the horizon, singularity, and thermality arising naturally via these operators. As another aspect of AdS/CFT, we will be interested in the fate of giant gravitons under a marginal deformation. We review the construction and fluctuation spectrum of giants, and then proceed to evaluate them in two different Penrose limits of Lunin and Maldacena's gamma deformed geometry. We find only one to be stable, and describe how the degeneracy of the spectrum is partially broken. Finally, we make a first step towards cosmological particle production in string theory by introducing a first quantized alternative approach to the standard method of calculation. We show how the same calculation can be done with Green's Functions---objects which are well defined in a first quantized setting (such as string theory).

Reheating-volume measure in the string theory landscape

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winitzki, Sergei

2008-12-15

I recently proposed the ''reheating-volume'' (RV) prescription as a possible solution to the measure problem in ''multiverse'' cosmology. The goal of this work is to extend the RV measure to scenarios involving bubble nucleation, such as the string theory landscape. In the spirit of the RV prescription, I propose to calculate the distribution of observable quantities in a landscape that is conditioned in probability to nucleate a finite total number of bubbles to the future of an initial bubble. A general formula for the relative number of bubbles of different types can be derived. I show that the RV measuremore » is well defined and independent of the choice of the initial bubble type, as long as that type supports further bubble nucleation. Applying the RV measure to a generic landscape, I find that the abundance of Boltzmann brains is always negligibly small compared with the abundance of ordinary observers in the bubbles of the same type. As an illustration, I present explicit results for a toy landscape containing four vacuum states, and for landscapes with a single high-energy vacuum and a large number of low-energy vacua.« less

D-brane disformal coupling and thermal dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Bhaskar; Jimenez, Esteban; Zavala, Ivonne

2017-11-01

Conformal and disformal couplings between a scalar field and matter occur naturally in general scalar-tensor theories. In D-brane models of cosmology and particle physics, these couplings originate from the D-brane action describing the dynamics of its transverse (the scalar) and longitudinal (matter) fluctuations, which are thus coupled. During the post-inflationary regime and before the onset of big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), these couplings can modify the expansion rate felt by matter, changing the predictions for the thermal relic abundance of dark matter particles and thus the annihilation rate required to satisfy the dark matter content today. We study the D-brane-like conformal and disformal couplings effect on the expansion rate of the Universe prior to BBN and its impact on the dark matter relic abundance and annihilation rate. For a purely disformal coupling, the expansion rate is always enhanced with respect to the standard one. This gives rise to larger cross sections when compared to the standard thermal prediction for a range of dark matter masses, which will be probed by future experiments. In a D-brane-like scenario, the scale at which the expansion rate enhancement occurs depends on the string coupling and the string scale.

Psyche=singularity: A comparison of Carl Jung's transpersonal psychology and Leonard Susskind's holographic string theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desmond, Timothy

In this dissertation I discern what Carl Jung calls the mandala image of the ultimate archetype of unity underlying and structuring cosmos and psyche by pointing out parallels between his transpersonal psychology and Stanford physicist Leonard Susskind's string theory. Despite his atheistic, materialistically reductionist interpretation of it, I demonstrate how Susskind's string theory of holographic information conservation at the event horizons of black holes, and the cosmic horizon of the universe, corroborates the following four topics about which Jung wrote: (1) his near-death experience of the cosmic horizon after a heart attack in 1944; ( 2) his equation relating psychic energy to mass, "Psyche=highest intensity in the smallest space" (1997, 162), which I translate into the equation, Psyche=Singularity; (3) his theory that the mandala, a circle or sphere with a central point, is the symbolic image of the ultimate archetype of unity through the union of opposites, which structures both cosmos and psyche, and which rises spontaneously from the collective unconscious to compensate a conscious mind torn by irreconcilable demands (1989, 334-335, 396-397); and (4) his theory of synchronicity. I argue that Susskind's inside-out black hole model of our Big Bang universe forms a geometrically perfect mandala: a central Singularity encompassed by a two-dimensional sphere which serves as a universal memory bank. Moreover, in precise fulfillment of Jung's theory, Susskind used that mandala to reconcile the notoriously incommensurable paradigms of general relativity and quantum mechanics, providing in the process a mathematically plausible explanation for Jung's near-death experience of his past, present, and future life simultaneously at the cosmic horizon. Finally, Susskind's theory also provides a plausible cosmological model to explain Jung's theory of synchronicity--meaningful coincidences may be tied together by strings at the cosmic horizon, from which they radiate inward as the holographic "movie" of our three-dimensional world.

Signal connection for a downhole tool string

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Bradford, Kline; Fox, Joe; Briscoe, Michael

2006-08-29

A signal transmission connection for a tool string used in exploration and production of natural resources, namely: oil, gas, and geothermal energy resources. The connection comprises first and second annular elements deployed in cooperative association with each other. The respective elements comprise inductive transducers that are capable of two-way signal transmission between each other, with downhole components of the tool string, and with ground-level equipment. The respective inductive transducers comprise one or more conductive loops housed within ferrite troughs, or within ferrite trough segments. When energized, the conductive loops produce a magnetic field suitable for transmitting the signal. The second element may be rotational in drilling applications. The respective elements may be fitted with electronic equipment to aid and manipulate the transmission of the signal. The first element may also be in communication with the World Wide Web.

Understanding acoustic physics in oil and gas wellbores with the presence of ubiquitous geometric eccentricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; D'Angelo, Ralph M.; Choi, Gloria; Zhu, Lingchen; Bose, Sandip; Zeroug, Smaine

2018-04-01

Once an oil and gas wellbore has been drilled, steel casings and cement slurry are placed to ensure structural support, protection from fluid invasion, and most importantly to provide zonal isolation. The actual wellbore and string structure is rarely concentric but rather is often an eccentric one, especially in deviated boreholes. The term "eccentricity" is used to describe how off-center a casing string is within another pipe or the open-hole. In a typical double-string configuration, the inner casing is eccentered with respect to the outer string which itself is also eccentered within the cylindrical hole. The annuli may or may not be filled with solid cement, and the cement may have liquid-filled channels or be disbonded over localized azimuthal ranges. The complexity of wave propagation along axial intervals is significant in that multiple modes can be excited and detected with characteristics that are affected by the various parameters, including eccentering, in a non-linear fashion. A successful diagnosis of cement flaws largely relies on a thorough understanding of the complex acoustic modal information. The present study employs both modeling and experiments to fully understand the acoustic wave propagation in the complex, fluid-solid nested, cylindrically layered structures, with geometric eccentricities. The experimental results show excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions from newly developed, borehole acoustic modeling approaches. As such, it provides the basis for better understanding the operative wave physics and providing the means for effective inspection methodologies to assess well integrity and zonal isolation of oil wells.

Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect and X-ray Scaling Relations from Weak-Lensing Mass Calibration of 32 SPT Selected Galaxy Clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dietrich, J.P.; et al.

Uncertainty in the mass-observable scaling relations is currently the limiting factor for galaxy cluster based cosmology. Weak gravitational lensing can provide a direct mass calibration and reduce the mass uncertainty. We present new ground-based weak lensing observations of 19 South Pole Telescope (SPT) selected clusters and combine them with previously reported space-based observations of 13 galaxy clusters to constrain the cluster mass scaling relations with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE), the cluster gas massmore » $$M_\\mathrm{gas}$$, and $$Y_\\mathrm{X}$$, the product of $$M_\\mathrm{gas}$$ and X-ray temperature. We extend a previously used framework for the analysis of scaling relations and cosmological constraints obtained from SPT-selected clusters to make use of weak lensing information. We introduce a new approach to estimate the effective average redshift distribution of background galaxies and quantify a number of systematic errors affecting the weak lensing modelling. These errors include a calibration of the bias incurred by fitting a Navarro-Frenk-White profile to the reduced shear using $N$-body simulations. We blind the analysis to avoid confirmation bias. We are able to limit the systematic uncertainties to 6.4% in cluster mass (68% confidence). Our constraints on the mass-X-ray observable scaling relations parameters are consistent with those obtained by earlier studies, and our constraints for the mass-SZE scaling relation are consistent with the the simulation-based prior used in the most recent SPT-SZ cosmology analysis. We can now replace the external mass calibration priors used in previous SPT-SZ cosmology studies with a direct, internal calibration obtained on the same clusters.« less

Detection of pristine gas two billion years after the Big Bang.

PubMed

Fumagalli, Michele; O'Meara, John M; Prochaska, J Xavier

2011-12-02

In the current cosmological model, only the three lightest elements were created in the first few minutes after the Big Bang; all other elements were produced later in stars. To date, however, heavy elements have been observed in all astrophysical environments. We report the detection of two gas clouds with no discernible elements heavier than hydrogen. These systems exhibit the lowest heavy-element abundance in the early universe, and thus are potential fuel for the most metal-poor halo stars. The detection of deuterium in one system at the level predicted by primordial nucleosynthesis provides a direct confirmation of the standard cosmological model. The composition of these clouds further implies that the transport of heavy elements from galaxies to their surroundings is highly inhomogeneous.

First star formation in ultralight particle dark matter cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirano, Shingo; Sullivan, James M.; Bromm, Volker

2018-01-01

The formation of the first stars in the high-redshift Universe is a sensitive probe of the small-scale, particle physics nature of dark matter (DM). We carry out cosmological simulations of primordial star formation in ultralight, axion-like particle DM cosmology, with masses of 10-22 and 10-21 eV, with de Broglie wavelengths approaching galactic scales (˜ kpc). The onset of star formation is delayed, and shifted to more massive host structures. For the lightest DM particle mass explored here, first stars form at z ˜ 7 in structures with ˜109 M⊙, compared to the standard minihalo environment within the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology, where z ˜ 20-30 and ˜105-106 M⊙. Despite this greatly altered DM host environment, the thermodynamic behaviour of the metal-free gas as it collapses into the DM potential well asymptotically approaches a very similar evolutionary track. Thus, the fragmentation properties are predicted to remain the same as in ΛCDM cosmology, implying a similar mass scale for the first stars. These results predict intense starbursts in the axion cosmologies, which may be amenable to observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Tachyon cosmology with non-vanishing minimum potential: a unified model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Huiquan, E-mail: hqli@ustc.edu.cn

2012-07-01

We investigate the tachyon condensation process in the effective theory with non-vanishing minimum potential and its implications to cosmology. It is shown that the tachyon condensation on an unstable three-brane described by this modified tachyon field theory leads to lower-dimensional branes (defects) forming within a stable three-brane. Thus, in the cosmological background, we can get well-behaved tachyon matter after tachyon inflation, (partially) avoiding difficulties encountered in the original tachyon cosmological models. This feature also implies that the tachyon inflated and reheated universe is followed by a Chaplygin gas dark matter and dark energy universe. Hence, such an unstable three-brane behavesmore » quite like our universe, reproducing the key features of the whole evolutionary history of the universe and providing a unified description of inflaton, dark matter and dark energy in a very simple single-scalar field model.« less

On the formation of string cavitation inside fuel injectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, B. A.; Gavaises, M.; Mitroglou, N.; Hargrave, G. K.; Garner, C. P.; Long, E. J.; McDavid, R. M.

2014-01-01

The formation of vortex or `string' cavitation has been visualised in the flow upstream of the injection hole inlet of an automotive-sized optical diesel fuel injector nozzle operating at pressures up to 2,000 bar. Three different nozzle geometries and three-dimensional flow simulations have been employed to describe how, for two adjacent nozzle holes, their relative positions influenced the formation and hole-to-hole interaction of the observed string cavitation vortices. Each hole was shown to contain two counter-rotating vortices: the first extending upstream on axis with the nozzle hole into the nozzle sac volume and the second forming a single `bridging' string linked to the adjacent hole. Steady-state and transient fuel injection conditions were shown to produce significantly different nozzle-flow characteristics with regard to the formation and interaction of these vortices in the geometries tested, with good agreement between the experimental and simulation results being achieved. The study further confirms that the visualised vortices do not cavitate themselves but act as carriers of gas-phase components within the injector flow.

Star-Studded Strings around Cocoon Nebula

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-13

Dense filaments of gas in the IC5146 interstellar cloud can be seen clearly in this image taken in infrared light by the Herschel space observatory. The blue region is a stellar nursery known as the Cocoon nebula.

Analyzing Axial Stress and Deformation of Tubular for Steam Injection Process in Deviated Wells Based on the Varied (T, P) Fields

PubMed Central

Liu, Yunqiang; Xu, Jiuping; Wang, Shize; Qi, Bin

2013-01-01

The axial stress and deformation of high temperature high pressure deviated gas wells are studied. A new model is multiple nonlinear equation systems by comprehensive consideration of axial load of tubular string, internal and external fluid pressure, normal pressure between the tubular and well wall, and friction and viscous friction of fluid flowing. The varied temperature and pressure fields were researched by the coupled differential equations concerning mass, momentum, and energy equations instead of traditional methods. The axial load, the normal pressure, the friction, and four deformation lengths of tubular string are got ten by means of the dimensionless iterative interpolation algorithm. The basic data of the X Well, 1300 meters deep, are used for case history calculations. The results and some useful conclusions can provide technical reliability in the process of designing well testing in oil or gas wells. PMID:24163623

Measurement problem in Program Universe. Revision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noyes, H. P.; Gefwert, C.; Manthey, M. J.

1985-07-01

The measurement problem of contemporary physics is in our view an artifact of its philosophical and mathematical underpinnings. We describe a new philosophical view of theory formation, rooted in Wittgenstein, and Bishop's and Martin-Loef's constructivity, which obviates such discussions. We present an unfinished, but very encouraging, theory which is compatible with this philosophical framework. The theory is based on the concepts of counting and combinatorics in the framework provided by the combinatorial hierarchy, a unique hierarchy of bit strings which interact by an operation called discrimination. Measurement criteria incorporate c, h-bar and m/sub p/ or (not and) G. The resulting theory is discrete throughout, contains no infinities, and, as far as we have developed it, is in agreement with quantum mechanical and cosmological fact.

New large volume Calabi-Yau threefolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altman, Ross; He, Yang-Hui; Jejjala, Vishnu; Nelson, Brent D.

2018-02-01

In previous work, we have commenced the task of unpacking the 473 800 776 reflexive polyhedra by Kreuzer and Skarke into a database of Calabi-Yau threefolds [R. Altman et al. J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2015) 158., 10.1007/JHEP02(2015)158] (see www.rossealtman.com). In this paper, following a pedagogical introduction, we present a new algorithm to isolate Swiss cheese solutions characterized by "holes," or small 4-cycles, descending from the toric divisors inherent to the original four dimensional reflexive polyhedra. Implementing these methods, we find 2268 explicit Swiss cheese manifolds, over half of which have h1 ,1=6 . Many of our solutions have multiple large cycles. Such Swiss cheese geometries facilitate moduli stabilization in string compactifications and provide flat directions for cosmological inflation.

QSO Lyalpha Absorption Lines in Galaxy Superclusters and Voids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocke, J. T.; Shull, J. M.; Penton, S.; Burks, G.; Donahue, M.

1993-12-01

We have used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) to search for Lyalpha absorption clouds in nearby galaxy voids (cz <= 10,000 km s(-1) ). Thus far, we have obtained GHRS spectra (G160M, 1225 -- 1255 Angstroms, 0.25 Angstroms resolution) of three very bright Active Galactic Nuclei, Mrk 501, I Zw I, and Mrk 335, at V <= 14.5. We find 4 probable (4.0 sigma - 4.5 sigma ) and 4 definite (5 sigma - 16 sigma ) Lyalpha absorption lines, with equivalent widths W_λ = 50 - 200 m Angstroms, corresponding to column densities N(H I) = 10(13) -- 10(14) cm(-2) , assuming a typical Doppler parameter of b = 25 km s(-1) . Based on an updated version of the CfA redshift survey (Huchra and Clemens, private communication), most of these Lyalpha systems appear to be associated with supercluster - sized ``strings'' of galaxies similar to the ``Great Wall''. Toward Mrk 501, the nearest bright galaxy at the redshift of the strongest (200 m Angstroms) Lyalpha cloud lies 500 h75(-1) kpc off the line of sight. Models of H I disks exposed to the intergalactic ionizing radiation field (Dove & Shull 1994, ApJ, 423, in press) show that the N(H I) = 10(13) cm(-2) contour in a typical spiral galaxy is reached at 100 kpc radial extent. Thus, the Lyalpha absorbers associated with galaxy-string systems may be the result of H I in an extended halo, in dwarf satellite galaxies (M_B > -15), or in tidally-stripped gas. Most importantly for cosmological origins of baryons, one (4.3 sigma ) Lyalpha absorption line in the spectrum of Mrk 501 lies within the galaxy void in the foreground of the ``Great Wall''. The nearest bright galaxy, to a level M_B <= -18.5 for H_0 = 75 km s(-1) Mpc(-1) , is more than 5 Mpc away. A pencil-beam survey of faint galaxies to M_B = -16.0 finds no galaxy within 100 h75(-1) kpc of the line of sight, at or near the absorber redshift.

Cosmological evolution of a complex scalar field with repulsive or attractive self-interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suárez, Abril; Chavanis, Pierre-Henri

2017-03-01

We study the cosmological evolution of a complex scalar field with a self-interaction potential V (|φ |2) , possibly describing self-gravitating Bose-Einstein condensates, using a fully general relativistic treatment. We generalize the hydrodynamic representation of the Klein-Gordon-Einstein equations in the weak field approximation developed in our previous paper [A. Suárez and P.-H. Chavanis, Phys. Rev. D 92, 023510 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevD.92.023510]. We establish the general equations governing the evolution of a spatially homogeneous complex scalar field in an expanding background. We show how they can be simplified in the fast oscillation regime (equivalent to the Thomas-Fermi, or semiclassical, approximation) and derive the equation of state of the scalar field in parametric form for an arbitrary potential V (|φ |2) . We explicitly consider the case of a quartic potential with repulsive or attractive self-interaction. For repulsive self-interaction, the scalar field undergoes a stiff matter era followed by a pressureless dark matter era in the weakly self-interacting regime and a stiff matter era followed by a radiationlike era and a pressureless dark matter era in the strongly self-interacting regime. For attractive self-interaction, the scalar field undergoes an inflation era followed by a stiff matter era and a pressureless dark matter era in the weakly self-interacting regime and an inflation era followed by a cosmic stringlike era and a pressureless dark matter era in the strongly self-interacting regime (the inflation era is suggested, not demonstrated). We also find a peculiar branch on which the scalar field emerges suddenly at a nonzero scale factor with a finite energy density. At early times, it behaves as a gas of cosmic strings. At later times, it behaves as dark energy with an almost constant energy density giving rise to a de Sitter evolution. This is due to spintessence. We derive the effective cosmological constant produced by the scalar field. Throughout the paper, we analytically characterize the transition scales of the scalar field and establish the domain of validity of the fast oscillation regime. We analytically confirm and complement the important results of Li, Rindler-Daller, and Shapiro [Phys. Rev. D 89, 083536 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevD.89.083536]. We determine the phase diagram of a scalar field with repulsive or attractive self-interaction. We show that the transition between the weakly self-interacting regime and the strongly self-interacting regime depends on how the scattering length of the bosons compares with their effective Schwarzschild radius. We also constrain the parameters of the scalar field from astrophysical and cosmological observations. Numerical applications are made for ultralight bosons without self-interaction (fuzzy dark matter), for bosons with repulsive self-interaction, and for bosons with attractive self-interaction (QCD axions and ultralight axions).

An exposition on Friedmann cosmology with negative energy densities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nemiroff, Robert J.; Joshi, Ravi; Patla, Bijunath R., E-mail: nemiroff@mtu.edu, E-mail: rjoshimtu@gmail.com, E-mail: bijunath.patla@nist.gov

2015-06-01

How would negative energy density affect a classic Friedmann cosmology? Although never measured and possibly unphysical, certain realizations of quantum field theories leaves the door open for such a possibility. In this paper we analyze the evolution of a universe comprising varying amounts of negative energy forms. Negative energy components have negative normalized energy densities, Ω < 0. They include negative phantom energy with an equation of state parameter w < −1, negative cosmological constant: w=−1, negative domain walls: w = −2/3, negative cosmic strings: w=−1/3, negative mass: w = 0, negative radiation: w = 1/3 and negative ultralight: w > 1/3. Assuming that such energy forms generate pressure like perfect fluids,more » the attractive or repulsive nature of negative energy components are reviewed. The Friedmann equation is satisfied only when negative energy forms are coupled to a greater magnitude of positive energy forms or positive curvature. We show that the solutions exhibit cyclic evolution with bounces and turnovers.The future and fate of such universes in terms of curvature, temperature, acceleration, and energy density are reviewed. The end states are dubbed ''big crunch,' '' big void,' or ''big rip' and further qualified as ''warped',''curved', or ''flat',''hot' versus ''cold', ''accelerating' versus ''decelerating' versus ''coasting'. A universe that ends by contracting to zero energy density is termed ''big poof.' Which contracting universes ''bounce' in expansion and which expanding universes ''turnover' into contraction are also reviewed.« less

The Formation of a Milky Way-sized Disk Galaxy. I. A Comparison of Numerical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qirong; Li, Yuexing

2016-11-01

The long-standing challenge of creating a Milky Way- (MW-) like disk galaxy from cosmological simulations has motivated significant developments in both numerical methods and physical models. We investigate these two fundamental aspects in a new comparison project using a set of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of an MW-sized galaxy. In this study, we focus on the comparison of two particle-based hydrodynamics methods: an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code Gadget, and a Lagrangian Meshless Finite-Mass (MFM) code Gizmo. All the simulations in this paper use the same initial conditions and physical models, which include star formation, “energy-driven” outflows, metal-dependent cooling, stellar evolution, and metal enrichment. We find that both numerical schemes produce a late-type galaxy with extended gaseous and stellar disks. However, notable differences are present in a wide range of galaxy properties and their evolution, including star-formation history, gas content, disk structure, and kinematics. Compared to Gizmo, the Gadget simulation produced a larger fraction of cold, dense gas at high redshift which fuels rapid star formation and results in a higher stellar mass by 20% and a lower gas fraction by 10% at z = 0, and the resulting gas disk is smoother and more coherent in rotation due to damping of turbulent motion by the numerical viscosity in SPH, in contrast to the Gizmo simulation, which shows a more prominent spiral structure. Given its better convergence properties and lower computational cost, we argue that the MFM method is a promising alternative to SPH in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations.

THE FORMATION OF A MILKY WAY-SIZED DISK GALAXY. I. A COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL METHODS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Qirong; Li, Yuexing, E-mail: qxz125@psu.edu

The long-standing challenge of creating a Milky Way- (MW-) like disk galaxy from cosmological simulations has motivated significant developments in both numerical methods and physical models. We investigate these two fundamental aspects in a new comparison project using a set of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of an MW-sized galaxy. In this study, we focus on the comparison of two particle-based hydrodynamics methods: an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code Gadget, and a Lagrangian Meshless Finite-Mass (MFM) code Gizmo. All the simulations in this paper use the same initial conditions and physical models, which include star formation, “energy-driven” outflows, metal-dependent cooling, stellarmore » evolution, and metal enrichment. We find that both numerical schemes produce a late-type galaxy with extended gaseous and stellar disks. However, notable differences are present in a wide range of galaxy properties and their evolution, including star-formation history, gas content, disk structure, and kinematics. Compared to Gizmo, the Gadget simulation produced a larger fraction of cold, dense gas at high redshift which fuels rapid star formation and results in a higher stellar mass by 20% and a lower gas fraction by 10% at z = 0, and the resulting gas disk is smoother and more coherent in rotation due to damping of turbulent motion by the numerical viscosity in SPH, in contrast to the Gizmo simulation, which shows a more prominent spiral structure. Given its better convergence properties and lower computational cost, we argue that the MFM method is a promising alternative to SPH in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations.« less

Leak checker data logging system

DOEpatents

Gannon, J.C.; Payne, J.J.

1996-09-03

A portable, high speed, computer-based data logging system for field testing systems or components located some distance apart employs a plurality of spaced mass spectrometers and is particularly adapted for monitoring the vacuum integrity of a long string of a superconducting magnets such as used in high energy particle accelerators. The system provides precise tracking of a gas such as helium through the magnet string when the helium is released into the vacuum by monitoring the spaced mass spectrometers allowing for control, display and storage of various parameters involved with leak detection and localization. A system user can observe the flow of helium through the magnet string on a real-time basis hour the exact moment of opening of the helium input valve. Graph reading can be normalized to compensate for magnet sections that deplete vacuum faster than other sections between testing to permit repetitive testing of vacuum integrity in reduced time. 18 figs.

Leak checker data logging system

DOEpatents

Gannon, Jeffrey C.; Payne, John J.

1996-01-01

A portable, high speed, computer-based data logging system for field testing systems or components located some distance apart employs a plurality of spaced mass spectrometers and is particularly adapted for monitoring the vacuum integrity of a long string of a superconducting magnets such as used in high energy particle accelerators. The system provides precise tracking of a gas such as helium through the magnet string when the helium is released into the vacuum by monitoring the spaced mass spectrometers allowing for control, display and storage of various parameters involved with leak detection and localization. A system user can observe the flow of helium through the magnet string on a real-time basis hour the exact moment of opening of the helium input valve. Graph reading can be normalized to compensate for magnet sections that deplete vacuum faster than other sections between testing to permit repetitive testing of vacuum integrity in reduced time.

Thermal distributions of first, second and third quantization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGuigan, Michael

1989-05-01

We treat first quantized string theory as two-dimensional gravity plus matter. This allows us to compute the two-dimensional density of one string states by the method of Darwin and Fowler. One can then use second quantized methods to form a grand microcanonical ensemble in which one can compute the density of multistring states of arbitrary momentum and mass. It is argued that modelling an elementary particle as a d-1-dimensional object whose internal degrees of freedom are described by a massless d-dimensional gas yields a density of internal states given by σ d(m)∼m -aexp((bm) {2(d-1)}/{d}) . This indicates that these objects cannot be in thermal equilibrium at any temperature unless d⩽2; that is for a string or a particle. Finally, we discuss the application of the above ideas to four-dimensional gravity and introduce an ensemble of multiuniverse states parameterized by second quantized canonical momenta and particle number.

An Internal Coaxil Cable Seal System

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David; Dahlgren, Scott; Sneddon, Cameron; Briscoe, Michael; Fox, Joe

2004-12-23

The invention is a seal system for a coaxial cable more specifically an internal seal system placed within the coaxial cable and its constituent components. A series of seal stacks including flexible rigid rings and elastomeric rings are placed on load bearing members within the coaxial cable. The current invention is adapted to seal the annular space between the coaxial cable and an electrical contact passing there through. The coaxial cable is disposed within drilling components to transmit electrical signals between drilling components within a drill string. During oil and gas exploration, a drill string can see a range of pressures and temperatures thus resulting in multiple combinations of temperature and pressure and increasing the difficulty of creating a robust seal for all combinations. The seal system can be used in a plurality of downhole components, such as sections of pipe in a drill string, drill collars, heavy weight drill pipe, and jars.

Cross-correlating Planck tSZ with RCSLenS weak lensing: implications for cosmology and AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hojjati, Alireza; Tröster, Tilman; Harnois-Déraps, Joachim; McCarthy, Ian G.; van Waerbeke, Ludovic; Choi, Ami; Erben, Thomas; Heymans, Catherine; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hinshaw, Gary; Ma, Yin-Zhe; Miller, Lance; Viola, Massimo; Tanimura, Hideki

2017-10-01

We present measurements of the spatial mapping between (hot) baryons and the total matter in the Universe, via the cross-correlation between the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) map from Planck and the weak gravitational lensing maps from the Red Cluster Sequence Lensing Survey (RCSLenS). The cross-correlations are performed on the map level where all the sources (including diffuse intergalactic gas) contribute to the signal. We consider two configuration-space correlation function estimators, ξy-κ and ξ ^ {y-γ t}, and a Fourier-space estimator, C_{ℓ}^{y-κ}, in our analysis. We detect a significant correlation out to 3° of angular separation on the sky. Based on statistical noise only, we can report 13σ and 17σ detections of the cross-correlation using the configuration-space y-κ and y-γt estimators, respectively. Including a heuristic estimate of the sampling variance yields a detection significance of 7σ and 8σ, respectively. A similar level of detection is obtained from the Fourier-space estimator, C_{ℓ}^{y-κ}. As each estimator probes different dynamical ranges, their combination improves the significance of the detection. We compare our measurements with predictions from the cosmo-OverWhelmingly Large Simulations suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, where different galactic feedback models are implemented. We find that a model with considerable active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback that removes large quantities of hot gas from galaxy groups and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7-yr best-fitting cosmological parameters provides the best match to the measurements. All baryonic models in the context of a Planck cosmology overpredict the observed signal. Similar cosmological conclusions are drawn when we employ a halo model with the observed 'universal' pressure profile.

Noether symmetries and stability of ideal gas solutions in Galileon cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimakis, N.; Giacomini, Alex; Jamal, Sameerah; Leon, Genly; Paliathanasis, Andronikos

2017-03-01

A class of generalized Galileon cosmological models, which can be described by a pointlike Lagrangian, is considered in order to utilize Noether's theorem to determine conservation laws for the field equations. In the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe, the existence of a nontrivial conservation law indicates the integrability of the field equations. Because of the complexity of the latter, we apply the differential invariants approach in order to construct special power-law solutions and study their stability.

Cosmological consequences and statefinder diagnosis of a noninteracting generalized Chaplygin gas in f(R,T) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabani, Hamid

In this paper, we investigate cosmological consequences as well as statefinder diagnosis of a scenario for recently reported accelerated expansion of the universe in the framework of f(R,T) = R + h(T) gravity theories. In these models, R and T denote the Ricci curvature scalar and the trace of the energy-momentum tensor (EMT), respectively. Our scenario assumes that the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) along with the baryonic matter are responsible for this observed phenomenon. We consider three classes of Chaplygin gas models which include three different forms of f(R,T) function; those models which employ the standard CG (SCG), models which use GCG in the high pressure regimes and finally, the third case is devoted to investigating high density regimes in the presence of GCG. We also test these models using recent Hubble parameter as well as type Ia supernova data. Finally, we compare the predicted present values of the statefinder parameters by these models to the astronomical data.

Physical interpretation of antigravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bars, Itzhak; James, Albin

2016-02-01

Geodesic incompleteness is a problem in both general relativity and string theory. The Weyl-invariant Standard Model coupled to general relativity (SM +GR ), and a similar treatment of string theory, are improved theories that are geodesically complete. A notable prediction of this approach is that there must be antigravity regions of spacetime connected to gravity regions through gravitational singularities such as those that occur in black holes and cosmological bang/crunch. Antigravity regions introduce apparent problems of ghosts that raise several questions of physical interpretation. It was shown that unitarity is not violated, but there may be an instability associated with negative kinetic energies in the antigravity regions. In this paper we show that the apparent problems can be resolved with the interpretation of the theory from the perspective of observers strictly in the gravity region. Such observers cannot experience the negative kinetic energy in antigravity directly, but can only detect in and out signals that interact with the antigravity region. This is no different from a spacetime black box for which the information about its interior is encoded in scattering amplitudes for in/out states at its exterior. Through examples we show that negative kinetic energy in antigravity presents no problems of principles but is an interesting topic for physical investigations of fundamental significance.

Tachyon Condensation and Brane Annihilation in Bose-Einstein Condensates: Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Restricted Lower-Dimensional Subspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Hiromitsu; Kasamatsu, Kenichi; Tsubota, Makoto; Nitta, Muneto

2013-05-01

In brane cosmology, the Big Bang is hypothesized to occur by the annihilation of the brane-anti-brane pair in a collision, where the branes are three-dimensional objects in a higher-dimensional Universe. Spontaneous symmetry breaking accompanied by the formation of lower-dimensional topological defects, e.g. cosmic strings, is triggered by the so-called `tachyon condensation', where the existence of tachyons is attributable to the instability of the brane-anti-brane system. Here, we discuss the closest analogue of the tachyon condensation in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. We consider annihilation of domain walls, namely branes, in strongly segregated two-component condensates, where one component is sandwiched by two domains of the other component. In this system, the process of the brane annihilation can be projected effectively as ferromagnetic ordering dynamics onto a two-dimensional space. Based on this correspondence, three-dimensional formation of vortices from a domain-wall annihilation is considered to be a kink formation due to spontaneous symmetry breaking in the two-dimensional space. We also discuss a mechanism to create a `vorton' when the sandwiched component has a vortex string bridged between the branes. We hope that this study motivates experimental researches to realize this exotic phenomenon of spontaneous symmetry breaking in superfluid systems.

LHC - a "Why" Facility

ScienceCinema

Gordon Kane

2017-12-09

The Standard Models of particle physics and cosmology describe the world we see, and how it works, very well. But we want to understand (not just accommodate) much more – how does the Higgs mechanism work, what is the dark matter, why is the universe matter and not antimatter, why is parity violated, why are the particles (quarks and leptons) what they are, and why are the forces that act on them to make our world what they are, and more. Today is an exciting time to be doing particle physics – on the experimental side we have data coming from LHC and dark matter experiments that will provide clues to these questions, and on the theoretical side we have a framework (string theory) that addresses all these “why” questions. LHC data will not qualitatively improve our description – rather, it may provide the data that will allow us to learn about the dark matter, the Higgs physics, the matter asymmetry, etc, to test underlying theories such as string theory, and begin to answer the “why” questions. Supersymmetry is the best motivated discovery, and it would also open a window to the underlying theory near the Planck scale.

Quarks, Symmetries and Strings - a Symposium in Honor of Bunji Sakita's 60th Birthday

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaku, M.; Jevicki, A.; Kikkawa, K.

1991-04-01

The Table of Contents for the full book PDF is as follows: * Preface * Evening Banquet Speech * I. Quarks and Phenomenology * From the SU(6) Model to Uniqueness in the Standard Model * A Model for Higgs Mechanism in the Standard Model * Quark Mass Generation in QCD * Neutrino Masses in the Standard Model * Solar Neutrino Puzzle, Horizontal Symmetry of Electroweak Interactions and Fermion Mass Hierarchies * State of Chiral Symmetry Breaking at High Temperatures * Approximate |ΔI| = 1/2 Rule from a Perspective of Light-Cone Frame Physics * Positronium (and Some Other Systems) in a Strong Magnetic Field * Bosonic Technicolor and the Flavor Problem * II. Strings * Supersymmetry in String Theory * Collective Field Theory and Schwinger-Dyson Equations in Matrix Models * Non-Perturbative String Theory * The Structure of Non-Perturbative Quantum Gravity in One and Two Dimensions * Noncritical Virasoro Algebra of d < 1 Matrix Model and Quantized String Field * Chaos in Matrix Models ? * On the Non-Commutative Symmetry of Quantum Gravity in Two Dimensions * Matrix Model Formulation of String Field Theory in One Dimension * Geometry of the N = 2 String Theory * Modular Invariance form Gauge Invariance in the Non-Polynomial String Field Theory * Stringy Symmetry and Off-Shell Ward Identities * q-Virasoro Algebra and q-Strings * Self-Tuning Fields and Resonant Correlations in 2d-Gravity * III. Field Theory Methods * Linear Momentum and Angular Momentum in Quaternionic Quantum Mechanics * Some Comments on Real Clifford Algebras * On the Quantum Group p-adics Connection * Gravitational Instantons Revisited * A Generalized BBGKY Hierarchy from the Classical Path-Integral * A Quantum Generated Symmetry: Group-Level Duality in Conformal and Topological Field Theory * Gauge Symmetries in Extended Objects * Hidden BRST Symmetry and Collective Coordinates * Towards Stochastically Quantizing Topological Actions * IV. Statistical Methods * A Brief Summary of the s-Channel Theory of Superconductivity * Neural Networks and Models for the Brain * Relativistic One-Body Equations for Planar Particles with Arbitrary Spin * Chiral Property of Quarks and Hadron Spectrum in Lattice QCD * Scalar Lattice QCD * Semi-Superconductivity of a Charged Anyon Gas * Two-Fermion Theory of Strongly Correlated Electrons and Charge-Spin Separation * Statistical Mechanics and Error-Correcting Codes * Quantum Statistics

The outskirts of galaxy clusters: astrophysics and cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morandi, Andrea; Sun, Ming

2017-08-01

Exploring the virialization region of galaxy clusters has recently raised the attention of the scientific community, offering a direct view of structure formation. In this talk, I will present recent results on the physical properties of the intracluster medium in the outer volumes of a sample of 320 clusters (0.056 3 keV) in the Chandra archive, with a total integration time of ~20 Ms. We stacked the emission measure profiles of the clusters to detect a signal out to R100. We then measured the average emission measure, gas density and gas fraction, which scale according to the self-similar model of cluster formation. We observe a steepening of the density profiles beyond R500 with slope β~0.68 at R500 and β~1 at R200 and beyond. By tracking the direction of the cosmic filaments where the clusters are embedded, we report that galaxy clusters deviate from spherical symmetry. We finally used, for the first time, the high level of similarity of the emission measure in the cluster outskirts as cosmology proxy. The cosmological parameters are thus constrained assuming that the emission measure profiles at different redshift are weakly self-similar, that is their shape is universal, explicitly allowing for temperature and redshift dependence of the gas fraction. This cosmological test, in combination with Planck+SNIa data, allows us to put a tight constraint on the dark energy models. For a constant-w model, we have w=-1.010±0.030 and Ωm=0.311±0.014, while for a time-evolving equation of state of dark energy w(z) we have Ωm=0.308±0.017, w0=-0.993±0.046 and wa=-0.123±0.400 We checked that our method is robust towards different sources of systematics, including background modelling, outlier measurements, selection effects, inhomogeneities of the gas distribution and cosmic filaments. We also provided for the first time constraints on which definition of cluster boundary radius is more tenable, namely based on a fixed overdensity with respect to the critical density of the Universe. Finally, we present gas inhomogeneities measurements of the outskirts of the poor galaxy group NGC2563.

Origins Space Telescope: Tracing Dark Molecular Gas in the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, Desika; Li, Qi; Krumholz, Mark; Dave, Romeel; Origins Space Telescope Science and Technology Definition Team

2018-01-01

We present theoretical models for quantifying the fraction of CO-dark molecular gas in galaxies. To do this, we combine novel thermal, chemical, and radiative equilibrium calculations with high-resolution cosmological zoom galaxy formation models. We discuss how this dark molecular gas will be uncovered by the Origins Space Telescope, one of the four science and technology definition studies of NASA Headquarters for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal survey.

Resolution convergence in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations using adaptive mesh refinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snaith, Owain N.; Park, Changbom; Kim, Juhan; Rosdahl, Joakim

2018-06-01

We have explored the evolution of gas distributions from cosmological simulations carried out using the RAMSES adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code, to explore the effects of resolution on cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. It is vital to understand the effect of both the resolution of initial conditions (ICs) and the final resolution of the simulation. Lower initial resolution simulations tend to produce smaller numbers of low-mass structures. This will strongly affect the assembly history of objects, and has the same effect of simulating different cosmologies. The resolution of ICs is an important factor in simulations, even with a fixed maximum spatial resolution. The power spectrum of gas in simulations using AMR diverges strongly from the fixed grid approach - with more power on small scales in the AMR simulations - even at fixed physical resolution and also produces offsets in the star formation at specific epochs. This is because before certain times the upper grid levels are held back to maintain approximately fixed physical resolution, and to mimic the natural evolution of dark matter only simulations. Although the impact of hold-back falls with increasing spatial and IC resolutions, the offsets in the star formation remain down to a spatial resolution of 1 kpc. These offsets are of the order of 10-20 per cent, which is below the uncertainty in the implemented physics but are expected to affect the detailed properties of galaxies. We have implemented a new grid-hold-back approach to minimize the impact of hold-back on the star formation rate.

A General Precipitation-limited L X–T–R Relation among Early-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voit, G. Mark; Ma, C. P.; Greene, J.; Goulding, A.; Pandya, V.; Donahue, M.; Sun, M.

2018-01-01

The relation between X-ray luminosity (L X) and ambient gas temperature (T) among massive galactic systems is an important cornerstone of both observational cosmology and galaxy-evolution modeling. In the most massive galaxy clusters, the relation is determined primarily by cosmological structure formation. In less massive systems, it primarily reflects the feedback response to radiative cooling of circumgalactic gas. Here we present a simple but powerful model for the L X–T relation as a function of physical aperture R within which those measurements are made. The model is based on the precipitation framework for AGN feedback and assumes that the circumgalactic medium is precipitation-regulated at small radii and limited by cosmological structure formation at large radii. We compare this model with many different data sets and show that it successfully reproduces the slope and upper envelope of the L X–T–R relation over the temperature range from ∼0.2 keV through ≳ 10 {keV}. Our findings strongly suggest that the feedback mechanisms responsible for regulating star formation in individual massive galaxies have much in common with the precipitation-triggered feedback that appears to regulate galaxy-cluster cores.

Cosmological structure formation from soft topological defects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Christopher T.; Schramm, David N.; Fry, J. N.

1988-01-01

Some models have extremely low-mass pseudo-Goldstone bosons that can lead to vacuum phase transitions at late times, after the decoupling of the microwave background.. This can generate structure formation at redshifts z greater than or approx 10 on mass scales as large as M approx 10 to the 18th solar masses. Such low energy transitions can lead to large but phenomenologically acceptable density inhomogeneities in soft topological defects (e.g., domain walls) with minimal variations in the microwave anisotropy, as small as delta Y/T less than or approx 10 to the minus 6 power. This mechanism is independent of the existence of hot, cold, or baryonic dark matter. It is a novel alternative to both cosmic string and to inflationary quantum fluctuations as the origin of structure in the Universe.

On classical and quantum dynamics of tachyon-like fields and their cosmological implications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dimitrijević, Dragoljub D., E-mail: ddrag@pmf.ni.ac.rs; Djordjević, Goran S., E-mail: ddrag@pmf.ni.ac.rs; Milošević, Milan, E-mail: ddrag@pmf.ni.ac.rs

2014-11-24

We consider a class of tachyon-like potentials, motivated by string theory, D-brane dynamics and inflation theory in the context of classical and quantum mechanics. A formalism for describing dynamics of tachyon fields in spatially homogenous and one-dimensional - classical and quantum mechanical limit is proposed. A few models with concrete potentials are considered. Additionally, possibilities for p-adic and adelic generalization of these models are discussed. Classical actions and corresponding quantum propagators, in the Feynman path integral approach, are calculated in a form invariant on a change of the background number fields, i.e. on both archimedean and nonarchimedean spaces. Looking formore » a quantum origin of inflation, relevance of p-adic and adelic generalizations are briefly discussed.« less

Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters: X-ray scaling relations and their evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truong, N.; Rasia, E.; Mazzotta, P.; Planelles, S.; Biffi, V.; Fabjan, D.; Beck, A. M.; Borgani, S.; Dolag, K.; Gaspari, M.; Granato, G. L.; Murante, G.; Ragone-Figueroa, C.; Steinborn, L. K.

2018-03-01

We analyse cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters to study the X-ray scaling relations between total masses and observable quantities such as X-ray luminosity, gas mass, X-ray temperature, and YX. Three sets of simulations are performed with an improved version of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics GADGET-3 code. These consider the following: non-radiative gas, star formation and stellar feedback, and the addition of feedback by active galactic nuclei (AGN). We select clusters with M500 > 1014 M⊙E(z)-1, mimicking the typical selection of Sunyaev-Zeldovich samples. This permits to have a mass range large enough to enable robust fitting of the relations even at z ˜ 2. The results of the analysis show a general agreement with observations. The values of the slope of the mass-gas mass and mass-temperature relations at z = 2 are 10 per cent lower with respect to z = 0 due to the applied mass selection, in the former case, and to the effect of early merger in the latter. We investigate the impact of the slope variation on the study of the evolution of the normalization. We conclude that cosmological studies through scaling relations should be limited to the redshift range z = 0-1, where we find that the slope, the scatter, and the covariance matrix of the relations are stable. The scaling between mass and YX is confirmed to be the most robust relation, being almost independent of the gas physics. At higher redshifts, the scaling relations are sensitive to the inclusion of AGNs which influences low-mass systems. The detailed study of these objects will be crucial to evaluate the AGN effect on the ICM.

Formation of Cool Cores in Galaxy Clusters via Hierarchical Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motl, Patrick M.; Burns, Jack O.; Loken, Chris; Norman, Michael L.; Bryan, Greg

2004-05-01

We present a new scenario for the formation of cool cores in rich galaxy clusters, based on results from recent high spatial dynamic range, adaptive mesh Eulerian hydrodynamic simulations of large-scale structure formation. We find that cores of cool gas, material that would be identified as a classical cooling flow on the basis of its X-ray luminosity excess and temperature profile, are built from the accretion of discrete stable subclusters. Any ``cooling flow'' present is overwhelmed by the velocity field within the cluster; the bulk flow of gas through the cluster typically has speeds up to about 2000 km s-1, and significant rotation is frequently present in the cluster core. The inclusion of consistent initial cosmological conditions for the cluster within its surrounding supercluster environment is crucial when the evolution of cool cores in rich galaxy clusters is simulated. This new model for the hierarchical assembly of cool gas naturally explains the high frequency of cool cores in rich galaxy clusters, despite the fact that a majority of these clusters show evidence of substructure that is believed to arise from recent merger activity. Furthermore, our simulations generate complex cluster cores in concordance with recent X-ray observations of cool fronts, cool ``bullets,'' and filaments in a number of galaxy clusters. Our simulations were computed with a coupled N-body, Eulerian, adaptive mesh refinement, hydrodynamics cosmology code that properly treats the effects of shocks and radiative cooling by the gas. We employ up to seven levels of refinement to attain a peak resolution of 15.6 kpc within a volume 256 Mpc on a side and assume a standard ΛCDM cosmology.

Cosmological Simulations of Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borgani, Stefano; Kravtsov, Andrey

2011-02-01

We review recent progress in the description of the formation and evolution of galaxy clusters in a cosmological context by using state-of-art numerical simulations. We focus our presentation on the comparison between simulated and observed X-ray properties, while we will also discuss numerical predictions on properties of the galaxy population in clusters, as observed in the optical band. Many of the salient observed properties of clusters, such as scaling relations between X-ray observables and total mass, radial profiles of entropy and density of the intracluster gas, and radial distribution of galaxies are reproduced quite well. In particular, the outer regions of cluster at radii beyond about 10 per cent of the virial radius are quite regular and exhibit scaling with mass remarkably close to that expected in the simplest case in which only the action of gravity determines the evolution of the intra-cluster gas. However, simulations generally fail at reproducing the observed "cool core" structure of clusters: simulated clusters generally exhibit a significant excess of gas cooling in their central regions, which causes both an overestimate of the star formation in the cluster centers and incorrect temperature and entropy profiles. The total baryon fraction in clusters is below the mean universal value, by an amount which depends on the cluster-centric distance and the physics included in the simulations, with interesting tensions between observed stellar and gas fractions in clusters and predictions of simulations. Besides their important implications for the cosmological application of clusters, these puzzles also point towards the important role played by additional physical processes, beyond those already included in the simulations. We review the role played by these processes, along with the difficulty for their implementation, and discuss the outlook for the future progress in numerical modeling of clusters.

Dynamical dark energy vs. Λ = const in light of observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solà Peracaula, Joan; de Cruz Pérez, Javier; Gómez-Valent, Adrià

2018-02-01

After about two decades of the first observational papers confirming the accelerated expansion of the universe, we are still facing the question whether the cause of it is a rigid cosmological constant Λ-term or a mildly evolving dynamical dark energy (DDE). While studies focusing mainly on CMB measurements do not perceive signs of physics beyond the ΛCDM, in this work we show that if we take a large string SNIa+BAO+H(z)+LSS+CMB of modern cosmological observations, in which not only the CMB but also a rich sample of large-scale structure formation data are included, one can extract ∼3.3σ signs of DDE using a simple XCDM parameterization. These signs can be enhanced up to near 3.8σ in the context of the running vacuum model (RVM), in which the vacuum energy density is in interaction with dark matter. Recently, the RVM has been shown to provide an efficient and economical solution to the σ8 -tension, which is one of the intriguing phenomenological problems that has not been possible to solve within the ΛCDM so far. This fact contributes to strengthen the possibility that dynamical vacuum energy, or in general DDE, could be presently favored by the observations.

Estimating the weak-lensing rotation signal in radio cosmic shear surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Daniel B.; Whittaker, Lee; Camera, Stefano; Brown, Michael L.

2017-09-01

Weak lensing has become an increasingly important tool in cosmology and the use of galaxy shapes to measure cosmic shear has become routine. The weak-lensing distortion tensor contains two other effects in addition to the two components of shear: the convergence and rotation. The rotation mode is not measurable using the standard cosmic shear estimators based on galaxy shapes, as there is no information on the original shapes of the images before they were lensed. Due to this, no estimator has been proposed for the rotation mode in cosmological weak-lensing surveys, and the rotation mode has never been constrained. Here, we derive an estimator for this quantity, which is based on the use of radio polarization measurements of the intrinsic position angles of galaxies. The rotation mode can be sourced by physics beyond Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM), and also offers the chance to perform consistency checks of ΛCDM and of weak-lensing surveys themselves. We present simulations of this estimator and show that, for the pedagogical example of cosmic string spectra, this estimator could detect a signal that is consistent with the constraints from Planck. We examine the connection between the rotation mode and the shear B modes and thus how this estimator could help control systematics in future radio weak-lensing surveys.

A Particular Appetite: Cosmological Hydrodynamic Simulations of Preferential Accretion in the Supermassive Black Holes of Milky Way Size Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, Natalie; Bellovary, Jillian M.; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly

2016-01-01

With the use of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of Milky Way-type galaxies, we identify the preferential source of gas that is accreted by the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) they host. We examine simulations of two Milky Way analogs, each distinguished by a differing merger history. One galaxy is characterized by several major mergers and the other has a more quiescent history. By examining and comparing these two galaxies, which have a similar structure at z=0, we asses the importance of merger history on black hole accretion. This study is an extension of Bellovary et. al. 2013, which studied accretion onto SMBHs in massive, high redshift galaxies. Bellovary found that the fraction of gas accreted by the galaxy was proportional to that which was accreted by its SMBH. Contrary to Bellovary's previous results, we found that though the gas accreted by a quiescent galaxy will mirror the accretion of its central SMBH, a galaxy that is characterized by an active merger history will have a SMBH that preferentially accretes gas gained through mergers. We move forward by examining the angular momentum of the gas accreted by these Milky Way-type galaxies to better understand the mechanisms fueling their central SMBH.

The new model of the Big Bang and the Universe expansion. A comparison with modern observational data and cosmological theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraiko, A. N.; Valiyev, Kh. F.

2016-10-01

The new model of the Big Bang and the Universe expansion is constructed. It is based on solutions in classical and in relativistic statements of problem on the dispersion into the void of the gas compressed into a point or in a finite, but for further negligible, volume. If to restrict in relativistic statement gas speed value v by the speed of light (υ =| v |

Statefinder diagnostic for modified Chaplygin gas cosmology in f(R,T) gravity with particle creation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, J. K.; Nagpal, Ritika; Pacif, S. K. J.

In this paper, we have studied flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) model with modified Chaplygin gas (MCG) having equation of state pm = Aρ ‑ B ργ, where 0 ≤ A ≤ 1, 0 ≤ γ ≤ 1 and B is any positive constant in f(R,T) gravity with particle creation. We have considered a simple parametrization of the Hubble parameter H in order to solve the field equations and discussed the time evolution of different cosmological parameters for some obtained models showing unique behavior of scale factor. We have also discussed the statefinder diagnostic pair {r,s} that characterizes the evolution of obtained models and explore their stability. The physical consequences of the models and their kinematic behaviors have also been scrutinized here in some detail.

Observational constraints on cosmological models with Chaplygin gas and quadratic equation of state

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharov, G.S., E-mail: german.sharov@mail.ru

Observational manifestations of accelerated expansion of the universe, in particular, recent data for Type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, for the Hubble parameter H ( z ) and cosmic microwave background constraints are described with different cosmological models. We compare the ΛCDM, the models with generalized and modified Chaplygin gas and the model with quadratic equation of state. For these models we estimate optimal model parameters and their permissible errors with different approaches to calculation of sound horizon scale r {sub s} ( z {sub d} ). Among the considered models the best value of χ{sup 2} is achieved formore » the model with quadratic equation of state, but it has 2 additional parameters in comparison with the ΛCDM and therefore is not favored by the Akaike information criterion.« less

MASS ACCRETION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE SELF-SIMILARITY OF GAS PROFILES IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF GALAXY CLUSTERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lau, Erwin T.; Nagai, Daisuke; Avestruz, Camille

2015-06-10

Galaxy clusters exhibit remarkable self-similar behavior which allows us to establish simple scaling relationships between observable quantities and cluster masses, making galaxy clusters useful cosmological probes. Recent X-ray observations suggested that self-similarity may be broken in the outskirts of galaxy clusters. In this work, we analyze a mass-limited sample of massive galaxy clusters from the Omega500 cosmological hydrodynamic simulation to investigate the self-similarity of the diffuse X-ray emitting intracluster medium (ICM) in the outskirts of galaxy clusters. We find that the self-similarity of the outer ICM profiles is better preserved if they are normalized with respect to the mean densitymore » of the universe, while the inner profiles are more self-similar when normalized using the critical density. However, the outer ICM profiles as well as the location of accretion shock around clusters are sensitive to their mass accretion rate, which causes the apparent breaking of self-similarity in cluster outskirts. We also find that the collisional gas does not follow the distribution of collisionless dark matter (DM) perfectly in the infall regions of galaxy clusters, leading to 10% departures in the gas-to-DM density ratio from the cosmic mean value. Our results have a number implications for interpreting observations of galaxy clusters in X-ray and through the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, and their applications to cosmology.« less

Quantum geometric phase in Majorana's stellar representation: mapping onto a many-body Aharonov-Bohm phase.

PubMed

Bruno, Patrick

2012-06-15

The (Berry-Aharonov-Anandan) geometric phase acquired during a cyclic quantum evolution of finite-dimensional quantum systems is studied. It is shown that a pure quantum state in a (2J+1)-dimensional Hilbert space (or, equivalently, of a spin-J system) can be mapped onto the partition function of a gas of independent Dirac strings moving on a sphere and subject to the Coulomb repulsion of 2J fixed test charges (the Majorana stars) characterizing the quantum state. The geometric phase may be viewed as the Aharonov-Bohm phase acquired by the Majorana stars as they move through the gas of Dirac strings. Expressions for the geometric connection and curvature, for the metric tensor, as well as for the multipole moments (dipole, quadrupole, etc.), are given in terms of the Majorana stars. Finally, the geometric formulation of the quantum dynamics is presented and its application to systems with exotic ordering such as spin nematics is outlined.

Quantum Geometric Phase in Majorana's Stellar Representation: Mapping onto a Many-Body Aharonov-Bohm Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, Patrick

2012-06-01

The (Berry-Aharonov-Anandan) geometric phase acquired during a cyclic quantum evolution of finite-dimensional quantum systems is studied. It is shown that a pure quantum state in a (2J+1)-dimensional Hilbert space (or, equivalently, of a spin-J system) can be mapped onto the partition function of a gas of independent Dirac strings moving on a sphere and subject to the Coulomb repulsion of 2J fixed test charges (the Majorana stars) characterizing the quantum state. The geometric phase may be viewed as the Aharonov-Bohm phase acquired by the Majorana stars as they move through the gas of Dirac strings. Expressions for the geometric connection and curvature, for the metric tensor, as well as for the multipole moments (dipole, quadrupole, etc.), are given in terms of the Majorana stars. Finally, the geometric formulation of the quantum dynamics is presented and its application to systems with exotic ordering such as spin nematics is outlined.

R2 dark energy in the laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brax, Philippe; Valageas, Patrick; Vanhove, Pierre

2018-05-01

We analyze the role, on large cosmological scales and laboratory experiments, of the leading curvature squared contributions to the low-energy effective action of gravity. We argue for a natural relationship c0λ2≃1 at low energy between the R2 coefficients c0 of the Ricci scalar squared term in this expansion and the dark energy scale Λ =(λ MPl)4 in four-dimensional Planck mass units. We show how the compatibility between the acceleration of the expansion rate of the Universe, local tests of gravity and the quantum stability of the model all converge to select such a relationship up to a coefficient which should be determined experimentally. When embedding this low-energy theory of gravity into candidates for its ultraviolet completion, we find that the proposed relationship is guaranteed in string-inspired supergravity models with modulus stabilization and supersymmetry breaking leading to de Sitter compactifications. In this case, the scalar degree of freedom of R2 gravity is associated to a volume modulus. Once written in terms of a scalar-tensor theory, the effective theory corresponds to a massive scalar field coupled with the universal strength β =1 /√{6 } to the matter stress-energy tensor. When the relationship c0λ2≃1 is realized, we find that on astrophysical scales and in cosmology the scalar field is ultralocal and therefore no effect arises on such large scales. On the other hand, the scalar field mass is tightly constrained by the nonobservation of fifth forces in torsion pendulum experiments such as Eöt-Wash. It turns out that the observation of the dark energy scale in cosmology implies that the scalar field could be detectable by fifth-force experiments in the near future.

Properties of H I discs in the Auriga cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinacci, Federico; Grand, Robert J. J.; Pakmor, Rüdiger; Springel, Volker; Gómez, Facundo A.; Frenk, Carlos S.; White, Simon D. M.

2017-04-01

We analyse the properties of the H I gas distribution in the Auriga project, a set of magnetohydrodynamic cosmological simulations performed with the moving-mesh code arepo and a physics model for galaxy formation that succeeds in forming realistic late-type galaxies in the 30 Milky Way-sized haloes simulated in this project. We use a simple approach to estimate the neutral hydrogen fraction in our simulation set, which treats low-density and star-forming gas separately, and we explore two different prescriptions to subtract the contribution of molecular hydrogen from the total H I content. The H I gas in the vast majority of the systems forms extended discs although more disturbed morphologies are present. Notwithstanding the general good agreement with observed H I properties - such as radial profiles and the mass-diameter relation - the Auriga galaxies are systematically larger and more gas-rich than typical nearby galaxies. Interestingly, the amount of H I gas outside the disc plane correlates with the star formation rate, consistent with a picture where most of this extra-planar H I gas originates from a fountain-like flow. Our findings are robust with respect to the different assumptions adopted for computing the molecular hydrogen fraction and do not vary significantly over a wide range of numerical resolution. The H I modelling introduced in this paper can be used in future work to build artificial interferometric H I data cubes, allowing an even closer comparison of the gas dynamics in simulated galaxies with observations.

Hydro-gravitational-dynamics cosmology is crucial to astrobiology and the biological big bang at two million years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Carl H.

2015-09-01

Hydro-Gravitational-Dynamics (HGD) cosmology predicts that the 1012 s (30 Kyr) H-He4 plasma protogalaxies become, by viscous fragmentation, proto-globular-star-cluster PGC clumps of a trillion small planets, at the 1013 s transition to gas. Larger planets and stars result from mergers of these hot 3000 K hydrogen planets in the PGCs. Stardust oxides of life chemicals C, N, O, Fe, Si seed the planets when the stars explode as supernovae. Hydrogen reduces the metal oxides and silicates to metal and rocky planet cores with massive hot water oceans at critical water temperature 647 K in which organic chemistry and life can develop. Because information is continually exchanged between the merging planets, they form a cosmic soup. The biological big bang occurs between 2 Myr when liquid water rains hot deep oceans in the cooling cosmos, and 8 Myr when the oceans freeze6. Thus, HGD cosmology explains the Hoyle/Wickramasinghe concept of cometary panspermia by giving a vast, hot, nourishing, cosmological primordial soup for abiogenesis, and the means for transmitting the resulting life forms and their evolving RNA/DNA mechanisms widely throughout the universe. A primordial astrophysical basis is provided for astrobiology by HGD cosmology. Concordance ΛCDMHC cosmology is rendered obsolete by the observation of complex life on Earth.

Thermal stabilization of superconducting sigma strings and their drum vortons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Brandon; Brandenberger, Robert H.; Davis, Anne-Christine

2002-05-01

We discuss various issues related to stabilized embedded strings in a thermal background. In particular, we demonstrate that such strings will generically become superconducting at moderately low temperatures, thus enhancing their stability. We then present a new class of defects-drum vortons-which arise when a small symmetry breaking term is added to the potential. We display these points within the context of the O(4) sigma model, relevant for hadrodynamics below the QCD scale. This model admits ``embedded defects'' (topological defect configurations of a simpler-in this case O(2) symmetric-model obtained by imposing an embedding constraint) that are unstable in the full model at zero temperature, but that can be stabilized (by electromagnetic coupling to photons) in a thermal gas at moderately high termperatures. It is shown here that below the embedded defect stabilization threshold, there will still be stabilized cosmic string defects. However, they will not be of the symmetric embedded vortex type, but of an ``asymmetric'' vortex type, and are automatically superconducting. In the presence of weak symmetry breaking terms, such as arise naturally when using the O(4) model for hadrodynamics, the strings become the boundary of a new kind of cosmic sigma membrane, with tension given by the pion mass. The string current would then make it possible for a loop to attain a (classically) stable equilibrium state that differs from an ``ordinary'' vorton state by the presence of a sigma membrane stretched across it in a drum-like configuration. Such defects will however be entirely destabilized if the symmetry breaking is too strong, as is found to be the case-due to the rather large value of the pion mass-in the hadronic application of the O(4) sigma model.

Evolution of Hot Gas in Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mathews, William G.

2004-01-01

This theory grant was awarded to study the curious nature, origin and evolution of hot gas in elliptical galaxies and their surrounding groups. Understanding the properties of this X-ray emitting gas has profound implications over the broad landscape of modern astrophysics: cosmology, galaxy formation, star formation, cosmic metal enrichment, galactic structure and dynamics, and the physics of hot gases containing dust and magnetic fields. One of our principal specific objectives was to interpret the marvelous new observations from the XMM and Chandru satellite X-ray telescopes.

Cosmological Hydrodynamics on a Moving Mesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernquist, Lars

We propose to construct a model for the visible Universe using cosmological simulations of structure formation. Our simulations will include both dark matter and baryons, and will employ two entirely different schemes for evolving the gas: smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and a moving mesh approach as incorporated in the new code, AREPO. By performing simulations that are otherwise nearly identical, except for the hydrodynamics solver, we will isolate and understand differences in the properties of galaxies, galaxy groups and clusters, and the intergalactic medium caused by the computational approach that have plagued efforts to understand galaxy formation for nearly two decades. By performing simulations at different levels of resolution and with increasingly complex treatments of the gas physics, we will identify the results that are converged numerically and that are robust with respect to variations in unresolved physical processes, especially those related to star formation, black hole growth, and related feedback effects. In this manner, we aim to undertake a research program that will redefine the state of the art in cosmological hydrodynamics and galaxy formation. In particular, we will focus our scientific efforts on understanding: 1) the formation of galactic disks in a cosmological context; 2) the physical state of diffuse gas in galaxy clusters and groups so that they can be used as high-precision probes of cosmology; 3) the nature of gas inflows into galaxy halos and the subsequent accretion of gas by forming disks; 4) the co-evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters with their central supermassive black holes and the implications of related feedback for galaxy evolution and the dichotomy between blue and red galaxies; 5) the physical state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and the evolution of the metallicity of the IGM; and 6) the reaction of dark matter around galaxies to galaxy formation. Our proposed work will be of immediate significance for several NASA missions. Our simulations will allow a detailed comparison of observed CHANDRA X-ray groups and clusters with state-of-the-art theoretical models. Scaling relations and their evolution with redshift can constrain the processes occurring in cluster centers. At higher energies, data from the FERMI gamma-ray satellite combined with our simulated data set will permit us to estimate the non- thermal pressure support in clusters due to cosmic rays. Another science goal of FERMI is the search for annihilation radiation produced by dark matter. The high resolution of our proposed calculations gives us the capability of making predictions for the annihilation signature from large-scale structure. Our proposed work is also relevant to upcoming missions like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). With our scheme, we will study the morphological evolution of galaxies in a full cosmological setting for the first time. JWST is specifically designed to observe the high redshift structure of emerging galaxies and their subsequent evolution. Our simulations will thus provide an indispensable tool for understanding JWST observations. We will make our simulations available to the community, accessible through a web-based interface, including the simulation data as well as galaxy catalogs, images, and videos generated during the course of the calculations. This will be the first time that such a dataset, drawn from a hydrodynamical model of the Universe, will be made public. As we anticipate that our simulations will have numerous applications in addition to those listed above, this will ensure that our work will have the greatest possible impact by fostering research on diverse problems related to the formation of galaxies and larger-scale structures.

Low-redshift Lyman limit systems as diagnostics of cosmological inflows and outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafen, Zachary; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Anglés-Alcázar, Daniel; Kereš, Dušan; Feldmann, Robert; Chan, T. K.; Quataert, Eliot; Murray, Norman; Hopkins, Philip F.

2017-08-01

We use cosmological hydrodynamic simulations with stellar feedback from the FIRE (Feedback In Realistic Environments) project to study the physical nature of Lyman limit systems (LLSs) at z ≤ 1. At these low redshifts, LLSs are closely associated with dense gas structures surrounding galaxies, such as galactic winds, dwarf satellites and cool inflows from the intergalactic medium. Our analysis is based on 14 zoom-in simulations covering the halo mass range Mh ≈ 109-1013 M⊙ at z = 0, which we convolve with the dark matter halo mass function to produce cosmological statistics. We find that the majority of cosmologically selected LLSs are associated with haloes in the mass range 1010 ≲ Mh ≲ 1012 M⊙. The incidence and H I column density distribution of simulated absorbers with columns in the range 10^{16.2} ≤ N_{H I} ≤ 2× 10^{20} cm-2 are consistent with observations. High-velocity outflows (with radial velocity exceeding the halo circular velocity by a factor of ≳ 2) tend to have higher metallicities ([X/H] ˜ -0.5) while very low metallicity ([X/H] < -2) LLSs are typically associated with gas infalling from the intergalactic medium. However, most LLSs occupy an intermediate region in metallicity-radial velocity space, for which there is no clear trend between metallicity and radial kinematics. The overall simulated LLS metallicity distribution has a mean (standard deviation) [X/H] = -0.9 (0.4) and does not show significant evidence for bimodality, in contrast to recent observational studies, but consistent with LLSs arising from haloes with a broad range of masses and metallicities.

N-point functions in rolling tachyon background

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jokela, Niko; Keski-Vakkuri, Esko; Department of Physics, P.O. Box 64, FIN-00014, University of Helsinki

2009-04-15

We study n-point boundary correlation functions in timelike boundary Liouville theory, relevant for open string multiproduction by a decaying unstable D brane. We give an exact result for the one-point function of the tachyon vertex operator and show that it is consistent with a previously proposed relation to a conserved charge in string theory. We also discuss when the one-point amplitude vanishes. Using a straightforward perturbative expansion, we find an explicit expression for a tachyon n-point amplitude for all n, however the result is still a toy model. The calculation uses a new asymptotic approximation for Toeplitz determinants, derived bymore » relating the system to a Dyson gas at finite temperature.« less

Novel test of modified Newtonian dynamics with gas rich galaxies.

PubMed

McGaugh, Stacy S

2011-03-25

The current cosmological paradigm, the cold dark matter model with a cosmological constant, requires that the mass-energy of the Universe be dominated by invisible components: dark matter and dark energy. An alternative to these dark components is that the law of gravity be modified on the relevant scales. A test of these ideas is provided by the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFR), an empirical relation between the observed mass of a galaxy and its rotation velocity. Here, I report a test using gas rich galaxies for which both axes of the BTFR can be measured independently of the theories being tested and without the systematic uncertainty in stellar mass that affects the same test with star dominated spirals. The data fall precisely where predicted a priori by the modified Newtonian dynamics. The scatter in the BTFR is attributable entirely to observational uncertainty, consistent with a single effective force law.

Integrable Scalar Cosmologies I. Foundations and links with String Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fré, P.; Sagnotti, A.; Sorin, A. S.

2013-12-01

We build a number of integrable one-scalar spatially flat cosmologies, which play a natural role in inflationary scenarios, examine their behavior in several cases and draw from them some general lessons on this type of systems, whose potentials involve combinations of exponential functions, and on similar non-integrable ones. These include the impossibility for the scalar to emerge from the initial singularity descending along asymptotically exponential potentials with logarithmic slopes exceeding a critical value (“climbing phenomenon”) and the inevitable collapse in a Big Crunch whenever the scalar tries to settle at negative extrema of the potential. We also elaborate on the links between these types of potentials and “brane supersymmetry breaking”, a mechanism that ties together string scale and scale of supersymmetry breaking in a class of orientifold models. Our Universe is highly isotropic and homogeneous at large scales, while its current state of acceleration is well accounted for by a small positive cosmological constant; Our Universe is spatially flat, which brings to the forefront metrics of the form ds2=e dt2-a2(t) dxṡdx. Special “gauge functions” B(t) can result in simpler expressions for the scale factor a(t), which becomes a quantity of utmost interest for Theoretical Physics; Vacuum energy accounts for about 70% of the present contents of the Universe, dark matter of unknown origin for another 24%, so that only 6% is left for conventional baryonic matter in the form of luminous stars and galaxies. The climbing phenomenon, whereby the scalar field cannot emerge from the initial singularity climbing down potentials that are asymptotically exponential with logarithmic slopes exceeding a critical value. Or, if you will, the impossibility for scalar fields to overcome, in a contracting phase, the attractive force of such potential ends. The physical meaning of this phenomenon was first elucidated in [18] in the simple exponential potential, although the corresponding solutions have a long history [19,20]. Possible imprints on the low-ℓ tail of the CMB power spectrum were then discussed in [21], while an analysis of the mechanism near the initial singularity was recently presented in [22]; The eventual collapse in a Big Crunch of systems of this type whenever the scalar tends to settle at a negative extremum of the potential V(ϕ). This was expected: it reflects the fact that AdS has no spatially flat metrics, or that negative extrema are non-admissible fixed points for the corresponding dynamical systems. The fields hi associated with the Cartan generators of the Lie algebra of G, whose number equals the rank r of the coset and whose kinetic terms, determined by the invariant metric of G/H, are canonical up to an overall constant; The axions bI associated with the roots of the Lie algebra of G, whose kinetic terms depend instead on both the Cartan fields hi and the bI. Can the integrable models that we have identified be realized within conventional gauged Supergravity, and for what choices of fluxes? This proviso is important, since some of the simplest potentials in our list do appear, albeit in versions where SUSY is non-linearly realized. Can integrable potentials provide interesting insights on inflationary scenarios behind the slow-roll regime, in addition to those encoded by the single-exponential potential, the simplest member of the set, that already revealed the existence of the climbing phenomenon? How much can one learn from integrable potentials about Cosmology with similar non-integrable potentials? The first question is perhaps the most difficult one, but it is also particularly interesting since a proper understanding of the issue will encode low-energy manifestations of non-perturbative string effects present in these contexts even with supersymmetry broken at high scales. It will be dealt with in detail elsewhere [27].The second question has encouraging answers. There are indeed two classes of handily integrable models where an early climbing phase leaves way to inflation during the ensuing descent (models (2) and (9) in Table 1). This setting can leave interesting imprints on the low-ℓ portion of the CMB power spectrum [21] that are qualitatively along the lines of WMAP and PLANCK data and is close to BSB orientifold models, although not quite identical to them. Model (6) in Table 1 is perhaps the most interesting of all the examples that we are presenting, since it can even combine, in a rather elegant and relatively handy fashion, an early climbing phase with tens of e-folds of slow-roll inflation and with a graceful exit to an eventual phase of decelerated expansion.Finally, the extensive literature on two-dimensional dynamical systems implies a positive answer to the third question. It turns out, in fact, that the dynamical system counterparts of our cosmological equations experience behaviors that are largely determined by the nature of their fixed points, and more specifically by the eigenvalues of their linear approximations in the vicinity of them. As a result, when an integrable potential has the same type of fixed points as a physically interesting non-integrable one, its exact solutions are expected to provide trustable clues on the actual physical system. This result is very appealing, despite the absence of general estimates of the error, and will be illustrated further in [27] comparing analytical and numerical solutions for interesting families of potential wells that include the physically relevant case of the STU model [28].Summarizing, we have constructed a wide list of one-field integrable cosmologies and we have examined in detail the properties of their most significant solutions, arriving in this fashion at a qualitative grasp of the general case. We have also addressed the question of whether the integrable models provide valuable approximations of similar non-integrable models, and in this respect we have obtained encouraging results that find a rationale in the ascertained behavior of corresponding two-dimensional dynamical systems.The structure of the paper is as follows. In Section 2 we derive an effective dynamical model that encompasses the possible d-dimensional Friedman-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spatially flat cosmologies driven by a scalar field ϕ with canonical kinetic term and self interaction produced by a potential function V(ϕ). In Section 3 we describe the methods used to build integrable dynamical systems and identify nine different families of one-scalar cosmologies that are integrable for suitable choices of the gauge function B(t) of Eq. (1.1). In Section 4 we analyze the generic properties of dynamical systems in two variables, we describe the general classification of their fixed points and we illustrate the corresponding behavior of the solutions of Section 3. We then discuss in detail the exact solutions of several particularly significant systems identified in Section 3 and illustrate a number of instructive lessons that can be drawn from them. In Section 5.1 we describe the gross features of 26 additional sporadic potentials and elaborate on the qualitative behavior of their solutions, on the basis of the key lessons drawn from the simpler examples of Section 4. We also elaborate briefly on the links with other integrable systems. In Section 6 we illustrate how exponential potentials accompany in String Theory a mechanism for supersymmetry breaking brought about by classically stable vacuum configurations of D branes and orientifolds with broken supersymmetry and discuss their behavior in lower dimensions. Under some assumptions that are spelled out in Section 6, we also describe the types of exponential potentials that can emerge, in four dimensions, from various types of branes present in String Theory. Insofar as possible, we work in a generic number of dimensions, but with critical superstrings in our mind, so that in most of the paper 4⩽d⩽10. Finally Section 7 contains our conclusions, an assessment of our current views on the role of integrability in cosmological models emerging from a Fundamental Theory and some anticipations of results that are going to appear elsewhere [27,29].

Manifold, bus support and coupling arrangement for solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Parry, Gareth W.

1989-01-01

Individual, tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are assembled into bundles called a module within a housing, with a plurality of modules arranged end-to-end in a linear, stacked configuration called a string. A common set of piping comprised of a suitable high temperture resistant material (1) provides fuel and air to each module housing, (2) serves as electrically conducting buses, and (3) provides structural support for a string of SOFC modules. The piping thus forms a manfold for directing fuel and air to each module in a string and makes electrical contact with the module's anode and cathode to conduct the DC power generated by the SOFC. The piping also provides structureal support for each individual module and maintains each string of modules as a structurally integral unit for ensuring high strength in a large 3-dimensional array of SOFC modules. Ceramic collars are used to connect fuel and air inlet piping to each of the electrodes in an SOFC module and provide (1) electrical insulation for the current carrying bus bars and gas manifolds, (2) damping for the fuel and air inlet piping, and (3) proper spacing between the fuel and air inlet piping to prevent contact between these tubes and possible damage to the SOFC.

Sonar surveys used in gas-storage cavern analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crossley, N.G.

1998-05-04

Natural-gas storage cavern internal configuration, inspection information, and cavern integrity data can be obtained during high-pressure operations with specialized gas-sonar survey logging techniques. TransGas Ltd., Regina, Sask., has successfully performed these operations on several of its deepest and highest pressurized caverns. The data can determine gas-in-place inventory and assess changes in spatial volumes. These changes can result from cavern creep, shrinkage, or closure or from various downhole abnormalities such as fluid infill or collapse of the sidewall or roof. The paper discusses conventional surveys with sonar, running surveys in pressurized caverns, accuracy of the sonar survey, initial development of Cavernmore » 5, a roof fall, Cavern 4 development, and a damaged string.« less

Qatar: World Oil Report 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This paper reports on oil and gas operations that have taken a marked upturn in Qatar highlighted by production expansion projects. The long-delayed beginning of production from offshore supergiant North gas field was scheduled to begin at press time at a rate of 600 to 750 MMcfd and 50,000 bcpd. Delays in production startup were caused by gas leaks around casing strings in 14 of the 16 producing wells and by the Gulf war. The $1.3 billion Phase I of development included two 8-well platforms and three support structures, plus gas and condensate lines to an onshore NGL facility. Initially,more » gas will be utilized domestically. Eventually, 300 MMcfd will be re-injected into the old Dukhan oil field.« less

The Diversity of Assembly Histories Leading to Disc Galaxy Formation in a ΛCDM Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Font, Andreea S.; McCarthy, Ian G.; Le Brun, Amandine M. C.; Crain, Robert A.; Kelvin, Lee S.

2017-11-01

Disc galaxies forming in a LambdaCDM cosmology often experience violent mergers. The fact that disc galaxies are ubiquitous suggests that quiescent histories are not necessary. Modern cosmological simulations can now obtain realistic populations of disc galaxies, but it is still unclear how discs manage to survive massive mergers. Here we use a suite of hydrodynamical cosmological simulations to elucidate the fate of discs encountering massive mergers. We follow the changes in the post-merger disc-to-total ratios (D/T) of simulated galaxies and examine the relations between their present-day morphology, assembly history and gas fractions. We find that approximately half of present-day disc galaxies underwent at least one merger with a satellite more massive the host's stellar component and a third had mergers with satellites three times as massive. These mergers lead to a sharp, but often temporary, decrease in the D/T of the hosts, implying that discs are usually disrupted but then quickly re-grow. To do so, high cold gas fractions are required post-merger, as well as a relatively quiescent recent history (over a few Gyrs before z = 0). Our results show that discs can form via diverse merger pathways and that quiescent histories are not the dominant mode of disc formation.

PREFACE: Lectures from the CERN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories, CERN, 9-13 February 2009 Lectures from the CERN Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories, CERN, 9-13 February 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uranga, A. M.

2009-11-01

This special section is devoted to the proceedings of the conference `Winter School on Strings, Supergravity and Gauge Theories', which took place at CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research, in Geneva, Switzerland 9-13 February 2009. This event is part of a yearly series of scientific schools, which represents a well established tradition. Previous events have been held at SISSA, in Trieste, Italy, in February 2005 and at CERN in January 2006, January 2007 and January 2008, and were funded by the European Mobility Research and Training Network `Constituents, Fundamental Forces and Symmetries of the Universe'. The next event will take place again at CERN, in January 2010. The school was primarily meant for young doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers working in the area of string theory. It consisted of several general lectures of four hours each, whose notes are published in this special section, and six working group discussion sessions, focused on specific topics of the network research program. It was well attended by over 200 participants. The topics of the lectures were chosen to provide an introduction to some of the areas of recent progress, and to the open problems, in string theory. One of the most active areas in string theory in recent years has been the AdS/CFT or gauge/gravity correspondence, which proposes the complete equivalence of string theory on (asymptotically) anti de Sitter spacetimes with certain quantum (gauge) field theories. The duality has recently been applied to understanding the hydrodynamical properties of a hot plasma in gauge theories (like the quark-gluon plasma created in heavy ion collisions at the RHIC experiment at Brookhaven, and soon at the LHC at CERN) in terms of a dual gravitational AdS theory in the presence of a black hole. These developments were reviewed in the lecture notes by M Rangamani. In addition, the AdS/CFT duality has been proposed as a tool to study interesting physical properties in other physical systems described by quantum field theory, for instance in the context of a condensed matter system. The lectures by S Hartnoll provided an introduction to this recent development with an emphasis on the dual holographic description of superconductivity. Finally, ideas inspired by the AdS/CFT correspondence are yielding deep insights into fundamental questions of quantum gravity, like the entropy of black holes and its interpretation in terms of microstates. The lectures by S Mathur reviewed the black hole entropy and information paradox, and the proposal for its resolution in terms of `fuzzball' microstates. Further sets of lectures, not included in this special section, by F Zwirner and V Mukhanov, covered phenomenological aspects of high energy physics beyond the Standard Model and of cosmology. The coming experimental data in these two fields are expected to foster new developments in connecting string theory to the real world. The conference was financially supported by CERN and partially by the Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics of the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich. It is a great pleasure for us to warmly thank the Theory Unit of CERN for its very kind hospitality and for the high quality of the assistance and the infrastructures that it has provided. A M Uranga CERN, Switzerland Guest Editor

Numerical exploration of the string theory landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metallinos, Konstantinos

String theory is the best candidate to provide a consistent quantum theory of gravity. Its ten dimensional formulation forces us to perform a compactification of the six unobserved dimensions in a very special compact manifold known as Calabi-Yau. The standard way to address this issue is through the flux compactification scenarios. One of the major implications of these scenarios is that the string theory cannot provide a single and unique vacuum as a solution. Rather one can find an extremely large set of solutions, each with its own physical properties. This is the string theory Landscape. In the first part we present the formal description of the flux compactification theory. From the four dimensional point of view this is a supersymmetric theory, fully described only by two functions, the superpotential and the Kahler potential. Their expressions are crucially depend on the geometrical properties of the compact manifold. By writing these functions for the specific Calabi-Yau manifold P41,1,1,6,9 we are looking firstly for supersymmetric and then after breaking the supersymmetry, for non-supersymmetric numerical solutions. These solutions describe the possible vacua and our goal is using statistical analysis to categorize them based on their cosmological properties and to check their stability. Finally we present the existence of stable dS vacua with and without adding an uplifting term on the potential. In the case where there is not an uplifting term the breaking of supersymmetry is done by incorporating alpha' corrections to the Kahler potential. In the second part we construct a KKLT like inflation model, within string theory flux compactifications and, in particular a model of accidental inflation. We investigate the possibility that the apparent fine-tuning of the low energy parameters of the theory needed to have inflation can be generically obtained by scanning the values of the fluxes over the landscape. Furthermore, we find that the existence of a landscape of eternal inflation in this model provides us with a natural theory of initial conditions for the inflationary period in our vacuum. We demonstrate how these two effects work in a small corner of the landscape associated with the complex structure of the Calabi-Yau manifold P41,1,1,6,9 by numerically investigating the flux vacua of a reduced moduli space. This allows us to obtain the distribution of observable parameters for inflation in this mini-landscape directly from the fluxes.

Solid oxide fuel cell matrix and modules

DOEpatents

Riley, Brian

1990-01-01

Porous refractory ceramic blocks arranged in an abutting, stacked configuration and forming a three dimensional array provide a support structure and coupling means for a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Each of the blocks includes a square center channel which forms a vertical shaft when the blocks are arranged in a stacked array. Positioned within the channel is a SOFC unit cell such that a plurality of such SOFC units disposed within a vertical shaft form a string of SOFC units coupled in series. A first pair of facing inner walls of each of the blocks each include an interconnecting channel hole cut horizontally and vertically into the block walls to form gas exit channels. A second pair of facing lateral walls of each block further include a pair of inner half circular grooves which form sleeves to accommodate anode fuel and cathode air tubes. The stack of ceramic blocks is self-supporting, with a plurality of such stacked arrays forming a matrix enclosed in an insulating refractory brick structure having an outer steel layer. The necessary connections for air, fuel, burnt gas, and anode and cathode connections are provided through the brick and steel outer shell. The ceramic blocks are so designed with respect to the strings of modules that by simple and logical design the strings could be replaced by hot reloading if one should fail. The hot reloading concept has not been included in any previous designs.

Primordial spectra of slow-roll inflation at second-order with the Gauss-Bonnet correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qiang; Zhu, Tao; Wang, Anzhong

2018-05-01

The slow-roll inflation for a single scalar field that couples to the Gauss-Bonnet (GB) term represents an important higher-order curvature correction inspired by string theory. With the arrival of the era of precision cosmology, it is expected that the high-order corrections become more and more important. In this paper we study the observational predictions of the slow-roll inflation with the GB term by using the third-order uniform asymptotic approximation method. We calculate explicitly the primordial power spectra, spectral indices, running of the spectral indices for both scalar and tensor perturbations, and the ratio between tensor and scalar spectra. These expressions are all written in terms of the Hubble and GB coupling flow parameters and expanded up to the next-to-leading order in the slow-roll expansions so they represent the most accurate results obtained so far in the literature. In addition, by studying the theoretical predictions of the scalar spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio with the Planck 2015 constraints in a model with power-law potential and GB coupling, we show that the second-order corrections are important in the future measurements. We expect that the understanding of the GB corrections in the primordial spectra and their constraints by forthcoming observational data will provide clues for the UV complete theory of quantum gravity, such as the string/M-theory.

Constraints on the optical depth of galaxy groups and clusters

DOE PAGES

Flender, Samuel; Nagai, Daisuke; McDonald, Michael

2017-03-10

Here, future data from galaxy redshift surveys, combined with high-resolutions maps of the cosmic microwave background, will enable measurements of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal with unprecedented statistical significance. This signal probes the matter-velocity correlation function, scaled by the average optical depth (τ) of the galaxy groups and clusters in the sample, and is thus of fundamental importance for cosmology. However, in order to translate pairwise kSZ measurements into cosmological constraints, external constraints on τ are necessary. In this work, we present a new model for the intracluster medium, which takes into account star formation, feedback, non-thermal pressure, and gas cooling. Our semi-analytic model is computationally efficient and can reproduce results of recent hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy cluster formation. We calibrate the free parameters in the model using recent X-ray measurements of gas density profiles of clusters, and gas masses of groups and clusters. Our observationally calibrated model predicts the averagemore » $${\\tau }_{500}$$ (i.e., the integrated τ within a disk of size R 500) to better than 6% modeling uncertainty (at 95% confidence level). If the remaining uncertainties associated with other astrophysical uncertainties and X-ray selection effects can be better understood, our model for the optical depth should break the degeneracy between optical depth and cluster velocity in the analysis of future pairwise kSZ measurements and improve cosmological constraints with the combination of upcoming galaxy and CMB surveys, including the nature of dark energy, modified gravity, and neutrino mass.« less

On the effect of galactic outflows in cosmological simulations of disc galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentini, Milena; Murante, Giuseppe; Borgani, Stefano; Monaco, Pierluigi; Bressan, Alessandro; Beck, Alexander M.

2017-09-01

We investigate the impact of galactic outflow modelling on the formation and evolution of a disc galaxy, by performing a suite of cosmological simulations with zoomed-in initial conditions (ICs) of a Milky Way-sized halo. We verify how sensitive the general properties of the simulated galaxy are to the way in which stellar feedback triggered outflows are implemented, keeping ICs, simulation code and star formation (SF) model all fixed. We present simulations that are based on a version of the gadget3 code where our sub-resolution model is coupled with an advanced implementation of smoothed particle hydrodynamics that ensures a more accurate fluid sampling and an improved description of gas mixing and hydrodynamical instabilities. We quantify the strong interplay between the adopted hydrodynamic scheme and the sub-resolution model describing SF and feedback. We consider four different galactic outflow models, including the one introduced by Dalla Vecchia & Schaye (2012) and a scheme that is inspired by the Springel & Hernquist (2003) model. We find that the sub-resolution prescriptions adopted to generate galactic outflows are the main shaping factor of the stellar disc component at low redshift. The key requirement that a feedback model must have to be successful in producing a disc-dominated galaxy is the ability to regulate the high-redshift SF (responsible for the formation of the bulge component), the cosmological infall of gas from the large-scale environment, and gas fall-back within the galactic radius at low redshift, in order to avoid a too high SF rate at z = 0.

Constraints on the optical depth of galaxy groups and clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flender, Samuel; Nagai, Daisuke; McDonald, Michael

Here, future data from galaxy redshift surveys, combined with high-resolutions maps of the cosmic microwave background, will enable measurements of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal with unprecedented statistical significance. This signal probes the matter-velocity correlation function, scaled by the average optical depth (τ) of the galaxy groups and clusters in the sample, and is thus of fundamental importance for cosmology. However, in order to translate pairwise kSZ measurements into cosmological constraints, external constraints on τ are necessary. In this work, we present a new model for the intracluster medium, which takes into account star formation, feedback, non-thermal pressure, and gas cooling. Our semi-analytic model is computationally efficient and can reproduce results of recent hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy cluster formation. We calibrate the free parameters in the model using recent X-ray measurements of gas density profiles of clusters, and gas masses of groups and clusters. Our observationally calibrated model predicts the averagemore » $${\\tau }_{500}$$ (i.e., the integrated τ within a disk of size R 500) to better than 6% modeling uncertainty (at 95% confidence level). If the remaining uncertainties associated with other astrophysical uncertainties and X-ray selection effects can be better understood, our model for the optical depth should break the degeneracy between optical depth and cluster velocity in the analysis of future pairwise kSZ measurements and improve cosmological constraints with the combination of upcoming galaxy and CMB surveys, including the nature of dark energy, modified gravity, and neutrino mass.« less

Nonsymmetric gravity theories: Inconsistencies and a cure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damour, T.; Deser, S.; McCarthy, J.

1993-02-01

Motivated by the apparent dependence of string σ models on the sum of spacetime metric and antisymmetric tensor fields, we reconsider gravity theories constructed from a nonsymmetric metric. We first show, by expanding in powers of the antisymmetric field, that all such ``geometrical'' theories homogeneous in second derivatives violate standard physical requirements: ghost freedom, absence of algebraic inconsistencies, or continuity of degree-of-freedom content. This no-go result applies in particular to the old unified theory of Einstein and its recent avatars. However, we find that the addition of nonderivative, ``cosmological'' terms formally restores consistency by giving a mass to the antisymmetric tensor field, thereby transmuting it into a fifth-force-like massive vector but with novel possible matter couplings. The resulting macroscopic models also exhibit ``van der Waals''-type gravitational effects, and may provide useful phenomenological foils to general relativity.

Phantom energy mediates a long-range repulsive force.

PubMed

Amendola, Luca

2004-10-29

Scalar field models with nonstandard kinetic terms have been proposed in the context of k inflation, of Born-Infeld Lagrangians, of phantom energy and, more in general, of low-energy string theory. In general, scalar fields are expected to couple to matter inducing a new interaction. In this Letter I derive the cosmological perturbation equations and the Yukawa correction to gravity for such general models. I find three interesting results: first, when the field behaves as phantom energy (equation of state less than -1), then the coupling strength is negative, inducing a long-range repulsive force; second, the dark-energy field might cluster on astrophysical scales; third, applying the formalism to a Brans-Dicke theory with a general kinetic term it is shown that its Newtonian effects depend on a single parameter that generalizes the Brans-Dicke constant.

Imaging Cold Gas to 1 kpc scales in high-redshift galaxies with the ngVLA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casey, Caitlin; Narayanan, Desika; Dave, Romeel; Hung, Chao-Ling; Champagne, Jaclyn; Carilli, Chris Luke; Decarli, Roberto; Murphy, Eric J.; Popping, Gergo; Riechers, Dominik; Somerville, Rachel S.; Walter, Fabian

2017-01-01

The next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) will revolutionize our understanding of the distant Universe via the detection of cold molecular gas in the first galaxies. Its impact on studies of galaxy characterization via detailed gas dynamics will provide crucial insight on dominant physical drivers for star-formation in high redshift galaxies, including the exchange of gas from scales of the circumgalactic medium down to resolved clouds on mass scales of ~10^5 M_sun. In this study, we employ a series of high-resolution, cosmological, hydrodynamic zoom simulations from the MUFASA simulation suite and a CASA simulator to generate mock ngVLA observations. Based on a direct comparison between the inferred results from our mock observations and the cosmological simulations, we investigate the capabilities of ngVLA to constrain the mode of star formation, dynamical mass, and molecular gas kinematics in individual high-redshift galaxies using cold gas tracers like CO(1-0) and CO(2-1). Using the Despotic radiative transfer code that encompasses simultaneous thermal and statistical equilibrium in calculating the molecular and atomic level populations, we generate parallel mock observations of high-J transitions of CO and C+ from ALMA for comparison. The factor of 100 times improvement in mapping speed for the ngVLA beyond the Jansky VLA and the proposed ALMA Band 1 will make these detailed, high-resolution imaging and kinematic studies routine at z=2 and beyond.

Cosmological tachyon condensation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bilic, Neven; Tupper, Gary B.; Viollier, Raoul D.

2009-07-15

We consider the prospects for dark matter/energy unification in k-essence type cosmologies. General mappings are established between the k-essence scalar field, the hydrodynamic and braneworld descriptions. We develop an extension of the general relativistic dust model that incorporates the effects of both pressure and the associated acoustic horizon. Applying this to a tachyon model, we show that this inhomogeneous 'variable Chaplygin gas' does evolve into a mixed system containing cold dark matter like gravitational condensate in significant quantities. Our methods can be applied to any dark energy model, as well as to mixtures of dark energy and traditional dark matter.

The Evolution of Pristine Gas: Implications for Milky Way Halo Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmento, Richard J.; Scannapieco, Evan; Pan, Liubin

2016-06-01

We implement a new subgrid model for turbulent mixing to accurately follow the cosmological evolution of the first stars, the mixing of their supernova ejecta and the impact on the chemical composition of the Galactic Halo. Using the cosmological adaptive mesh refinement code RAMSES, we implement a model for the pollution of pristine gas as described in Pan et al. (2013). This allows us to account for the fraction of Z < Zcrit stars formed throughout the simulation volume, even in regions in which the average metallicity is well above Zcrit. Further, as a result of modeling the pristine fraction of gas, we also improve our modeling of the metallicity of the polluted fraction, fpol, of both the gas and stars.Additionally, we track the evolution of the “primordial metals” generated by Pop III supernovae. These metals are taken up by second-generation stars and are likely to lead to unique abundance signatures characteristic of carbon enhanced, metal poor (CEMP) stars. As an illustrative example, we associate primordial metals with abundance ratios used by Keller at al (2014) to explain the source of metals in the star SMSS J031300.36- 670839.3, finding good agreement with the observed [Fe/H], [C/H], [O/H] and [Mg/Ca] ratios in CEMP Milky Way (MW) halo stars.

Acoustic guided waves in cylindrical solid-fluid structures: Modeling with a sweeping frequency finite element method and experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; D'Angelo, Ralph M.; Sinha, Bikash K.; Zeroug, Smaine

2017-02-01

Modeling and understanding the complex elastic-wave physics prevalent in solid-fluid cylindrically-layered structures is of importance in many NDE fields, and most pertinently in the domain of well integrity evaluation of cased holes in the oil and gas industry. Current sonic measurements provide viable techniques for well integrity evaluation yet their practical effectiveness is hampered by the current lack of knowledge of acoustic wave fields particularly in complicated cased-hole geometry where for instance two or more nested steel strings are present in the borehole. In this article, we propose and implement a Sweeping Frequency Finite Element Method (SFFEM) for acoustic guided waves simulation in complex geometries that include double steel strings cemented to each other and to the formation and where the strings may be non-concentric. Transient dynamic finite element models are constructed with sweeping frequency signals being applied as the excitation sources. The sources and receivers disposition simulate current sonic measurement tools deployed in the oilfield. Synthetic wavetrains are recorded and processed with modified matrix pencil method to isolate both the dispersive and non-dispersive propagating guided wave modes. Scaled experiments of fluid-filled double strings with dimensions mimicking the real ones encountered in the field have also been carried out to generate reference data. A comparison of the experimental and numerical results indicates that the SFFEM is capable of accurately reproducing the rich and intricate higher-order multiple wave fields observed experimentally in the fluid-filled double string geometries.

Cosmological singularity theorems and splitting theorems for N-Bakry-Émery spacetimes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woolgar, Eric, E-mail: ewoolgar@ualberta.ca; Wylie, William, E-mail: wwylie@syr.edu

We study Lorentzian manifolds with a weight function such that the N-Bakry-Émery tensor is bounded below. Such spacetimes arise in the physics of scalar-tensor gravitation theories, including Brans-Dicke theory, theories with Kaluza-Klein dimensional reduction, and low-energy approximations to string theory. In the “pure Bakry-Émery” N = ∞ case with f uniformly bounded above and initial data suitably bounded, cosmological-type singularity theorems are known, as are splitting theorems which determine the geometry of timelike geodesically complete spacetimes for which the bound on the initial data is borderline violated. We extend these results in a number of ways. We are able tomore » extend the singularity theorems to finite N-values N ∈ (n, ∞) and N ∈ (−∞, 1]. In the N ∈ (n, ∞) case, no bound on f is required, while for N ∈ (−∞, 1] and N = ∞, we are able to replace the boundedness of f by a weaker condition on the integral of f along future-inextendible timelike geodesics. The splitting theorems extend similarly, but when N = 1, the splitting is only that of a warped product for all cases considered. A similar limited loss of rigidity has been observed in a prior work on the N-Bakry-Émery curvature in Riemannian signature when N = 1 and appears to be a general feature.« less

The mass spectra, hierarchy and cosmology of B-L MSSM heterotic compactifications

DOE PAGES

Ambroso, Michael; Ovrut, Burt A.

2011-04-10

The matter spectrum of the MSSM, including three right-handed neutrino supermultiplets and one pair of Higgs-Higgs conjugate superfields, can be obtained by compactifying the E₈ x E₈ heterotic string and M-theory on Calabi-Yau manifolds with specific SU(4) vector bundles. These theories have the standard model gauge group augmented by an additional gauged U(1) B-L. Their minimal content requires that the B-L gauge symmetry be spontaneously broken by a vacuum expectation value of at least one right-handed neutrino. In previous papers, we presented the results of a quasi-analytic renormalization group analysis showing that B-L gauge symmetry is indeed radiatively broken withmore » an appropriate B-L/electroweak hierarchy. In this paper, we extend these results by 1) enlarging the initial parameter space and 2) explicitly calculating all renormalization group equations numerically. The regions of the initial parameter space leading to realistic vacua are presented and the B-L/electroweak hierarchy computed over these regimes. At representative points, the mass spectrum for all particles and Higgs fields is calculated and shown to be consistent with present experimental bounds. Some fundamental phenomenological signatures of a non-zero right-handed neutrino expectation value are discussed, particularly the cosmology and proton lifetime arising from induced lepton and baryon number violating interactions.« less

Gauge theories with time dependent couplings and their cosmological duals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Awad, Adel; Center for Theoretical Physics, British University of Egypt, Sherouk City 11837, P.O. Box 43; Das, Sumit R.

2009-02-15

We consider the N=4 super Yang-Mills theory in flat 3+1-dimensional space-time with a time dependent coupling constant which vanishes at t=0, like g{sub YM}{sup 2}=t{sup p}. In an analogous quantum mechanics toy model we find that the response is singular. The energy diverges at t=0, for a generic state. In addition, if p>1 the phase of the wave function has a wildly oscillating behavior, which does not allow it to be continued past t=0. A similar effect would make the gauge theory singular as well, though nontrivial effects of renormalization could tame this singularity and allow a smooth continuation beyondmore » t=0. The gravity dual in some cases is known to be a time dependent cosmology which exhibits a spacelike singularity at t=0. Our results, if applicable in the gauge theory for the case of the vanishing coupling, imply that the singularity is a genuine sickness and does not admit a meaningful continuation. When the coupling remains nonzero and becomes small at t=0, the curvature in the bulk becomes of order string scale. The gauge theory now admits a time evolution beyond this point. In this case, a finite amount of energy is produced which possibly thermalizes and leads to a black hole in the bulk.« less

Cosmological singularity theorems and splitting theorems for N-Bakry-Émery spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woolgar, Eric; Wylie, William

2016-02-01

We study Lorentzian manifolds with a weight function such that the N-Bakry-Émery tensor is bounded below. Such spacetimes arise in the physics of scalar-tensor gravitation theories, including Brans-Dicke theory, theories with Kaluza-Klein dimensional reduction, and low-energy approximations to string theory. In the "pure Bakry-Émery" N = ∞ case with f uniformly bounded above and initial data suitably bounded, cosmological-type singularity theorems are known, as are splitting theorems which determine the geometry of timelike geodesically complete spacetimes for which the bound on the initial data is borderline violated. We extend these results in a number of ways. We are able to extend the singularity theorems to finite N-values N ∈ (n, ∞) and N ∈ (-∞, 1]. In the N ∈ (n, ∞) case, no bound on f is required, while for N ∈ (-∞, 1] and N = ∞, we are able to replace the boundedness of f by a weaker condition on the integral of f along future-inextendible timelike geodesics. The splitting theorems extend similarly, but when N = 1, the splitting is only that of a warped product for all cases considered. A similar limited loss of rigidity has been observed in a prior work on the N-Bakry-Émery curvature in Riemannian signature when N = 1 and appears to be a general feature.

Unified cosmic history in modified gravity: From F(R) theory to Lorentz non-invariant models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nojiri, Shin'Ichi; Odintsov, Sergei D.

2011-08-01

The classical generalization of general relativity is considered as the gravitational alternative for a unified description of the early-time inflation with late-time cosmic acceleration. The structure and cosmological properties of a number of modified theories, including traditional F(R) and Hořava-Lifshitz F(R) gravity, scalar-tensor theory, string-inspired and Gauss-Bonnet theory, non-local gravity, non-minimally coupled models, and power-counting renormalizable covariant gravity are discussed. Different representations of and relations between such theories are investigated. It is shown that some versions of the above theories may be consistent with local tests and may provide a qualitatively reasonable unified description of inflation with the dark energy epoch. The cosmological reconstruction of different modified gravities is provided in great detail. It is demonstrated that eventually any given universe evolution may be reconstructed for the theories under consideration, and the explicit reconstruction is applied to an accelerating spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe. Special attention is paid to Lagrange multiplier constrained and conventional F(R) gravities, for latter F(R) theory, the effective ΛCDM era and phantom divide crossing acceleration are obtained. The occurrences of the Big Rip and other finite-time future singularities in modified gravity are reviewed along with their solutions via the addition of higher-derivative gravitational invariants.

Evolution of the distribution of baryons in a simulated Local Group Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peirani, S.

2012-12-01

Using hydrodynamical zoom simulations in the standard ΛCDM cosmology, we have investigated the evolution of the distribution of baryons (gas and stars) in a local group-type universe. We found that physical mechanisms able to drive the gas out of the virial radius at high redshifts (such as AGN) will have a stronger impact on the deficit of baryons in the mass budget of Milky Way type-galaxies at present times than those that expel the gas in the longer, late phases of galaxy formation.

30 CFR 250.1626 - Tubing and wellhead equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tubing and wellhead equipment. 250.1626 Section... GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Sulphur Operations § 250.1626 Tubing and wellhead equipment. (a) No tubing string shall be placed into service or continue to be used unless such...

A Formal Foundation for XrML

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

grants g, we ab - breviate the condition Said(Alice,Perm(Alice, issue,Perm(Alice, issue, g))) as d(g) and we abbreviate the grant Perm(Alice, issue, g...as a string of symbols. For ease of exposi - tion, we assume that each pair of parenthesis and set braces has length 2, and each comma has length 1

Reconciling Dwarf Galaxies with ΛCDM Cosmology: Simulating a Realistic Population of Satellites around a Milky Way-mass Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetzel, Andrew R.; Hopkins, Philip F.; Kim, Ji-hoon; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Kereš, Dušan; Quataert, Eliot

2016-08-01

Low-mass “dwarf” galaxies represent the most significant challenges to the cold dark matter (CDM) model of cosmological structure formation. Because these faint galaxies are (best) observed within the Local Group (LG) of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31), understanding their formation in such an environment is critical. We present first results from the Latte Project: the Milky Way on Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE). This simulation models the formation of an MW-mass galaxy to z=0 within ΛCDM cosmology, including dark matter, gas, and stars at unprecedented resolution: baryon particle mass of 7070 {M}⊙ with gas kernel/softening that adapts down to 1 {pc} (with a median of 25{--}60 {pc} at z=0). Latte was simulated using the GIZMO code with a mesh-free method for accurate hydrodynamics and the FIRE-2 model for star formation and explicit feedback within a multi-phase interstellar medium. For the first time, Latte self-consistently resolves the spatial scales corresponding to half-light radii of dwarf galaxies that form around an MW-mass host down to {M}{star}≳ {10}5 {M}⊙ . Latte’s population of dwarf galaxies agrees with the LG across a broad range of properties: (1) distributions of stellar masses and stellar velocity dispersions (dynamical masses), including their joint relation; (2) the mass-metallicity relation; and (3) diverse range of star formation histories, including their mass dependence. Thus, Latte produces a realistic population of dwarf galaxies at {M}{star}≳ {10}5 {M}⊙ that does not suffer from the “missing satellites” or “too big to fail” problems of small-scale structure formation. We conclude that baryonic physics can reconcile observed dwarf galaxies with standard ΛCDM cosmology.

Revealing hidden antiferromagnetic correlations in doped Hubbard chains via string correlators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilker, Timon A.; Salomon, Guillaume; Grusdt, Fabian; Omran, Ahmed; Boll, Martin; Demler, Eugene; Bloch, Immanuel; Gross, Christian

2017-08-01

Topological phases, like the Haldane phase in spin-1 chains, defy characterization through local order parameters. Instead, nonlocal string order parameters can be employed to reveal their hidden order. Similar diluted magnetic correlations appear in doped one-dimensional lattice systems owing to the phenomenon of spin-charge separation. Here we report on the direct observation of such hidden magnetic correlations via quantum gas microscopy of hole-doped ultracold Fermi-Hubbard chains. The measurement of nonlocal spin-density correlation functions reveals a hidden finite-range antiferromagnetic order, a direct consequence of spin-charge separation. Our technique, which measures nonlocal order directly, can be readily extended to higher dimensions to study the complex interplay between magnetic order and density fluctuations.

Cold Gas in High-z Galaxies: The CO Gas Excitation Ladder and the need for the ngVLA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casey, Caitlin M.; Champagne, Jaclyn; Narayanan, Desika; Davé, Romeel; Hung, Chao-Ling; Carilli, Chris; Murphy, Eric Joseph; Decarli, Roberto; Popping, Gergo; Riechers, Dominik A.; Somerville, Rachel; Walter, Fabian

2018-01-01

We will present updated results on a community study led to understand the observable molecular gas properties of high-z galaxies. This work uses a series of high-resolution, hydrodynamic, cosmological zoom-in simulations from MUFASA, the Despotic radiative transfer code that uses simultaneous thermal and statistical equilibrium in calculating molecular and atomic level populations, and a CASA simulator which generates mock ngVLA and ALMA observations. Our work reveals a stark contrast in gas characteristics (geometry and kinematics) as measured from low-J transitions of CO to high-J transitions, demonstrating the need for the ngVLA in probing the cold gas reservoir in the highest-redshift galaxies.

Tunneling topological vacua via extended operators: (Spin-)TQFT spectra and boundary deconfinement in various dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juven; Ohmori, Kantaro; Putrov, Pavel; Zheng, Yunqin; Wan, Zheyan; Guo, Meng; Lin, Hai; Gao, Peng; Yau, Shing-Tung

2018-05-01

Distinct quantum vacua of topologically ordered states can be tunneled into each other via extended operators. The possible applications include condensed matter and quantum cosmology. We present a straightforward approach to calculate the partition function on various manifolds and ground state degeneracy (GSD), mainly based on continuum/cochain topological quantum field theories (TQFTs), in any dimension. This information can be related to the counting of extended operators of bosonic/fermionic TQFTs. On the lattice scale, anyonic particles/strings live at the ends of line/surface operators. Certain systems in different dimensions are related to each other through dimensional reduction schemes, analogous to (de)categorification. Examples include spin TQFTs derived from gauging the interacting fermionic symmetry-protected topological states (with fermion parity {Z}_2^f) of symmetry groups {Z}_4× {Z}_2 and ({Z}_4)^2 in 3+1D, also {Z}_2 and ({Z}_2)^2 in 2+1D. Gauging the last three cases begets non-Abelian spin TQFTs (fermionic topological order). We consider situations where a TQFT lives on (1) a closed spacetime or (2) a spacetime with a boundary, such that the bulk and boundary are fully gapped and short- or long-range entangled (SRE/LRE). Anyonic excitations can be deconfined on the boundary. We introduce new exotic topological interfaces on which neither particle nor string excitations alone condense, but only fuzzy-composite objects of extended operators can end (e.g., a string-like composite object formed by a set of particles can end on a special 2+1D boundary of 3+1D bulk). We explore the relations between group extension constructions and partially breaking constructions (e.g., 0-form/higher-form/"composite" breaking) of topological boundaries, after gauging. We comment on the implications of entanglement entropy for some such LRE systems.

Are cosmological gas accretion streams multiphase and turbulent?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornuault, Nicolas; Lehnert, Matthew D.; Boulanger, François; Guillard, Pierre

2018-03-01

Simulations of cosmological filamentary accretion reveal flows ("streams") of warm gas, T 104 K, which bring gas into galaxies efficiently. We present a phenomenological scenario in which gas in such flows, if it is shocked as it enters the halo as we assume and depending on the post-shock temperature, stream radius, its relative overdensity, and other factors, becomes biphasic and turbulent. We consider a collimated stream of warm gas that flows into a halo from an overdense filament of the cosmic web. The post-shock streaming gas expands because it has a higher pressure than the ambient halo gas and fragments as it cools. The fragmented stream forms a two phase medium: a warm cloudy phase embedded in hot post-shock gas. We argue that the hot phase sustains the accretion shock. During fragmentation, a fraction of the initial kinetic energy of the infalling gas is converted into turbulence among and within the warm clouds. The thermodynamic evolution of the post-shock gas is largely determined by the relative timescales of several processes. These competing timescales characterize the cooling, expansion of the post-shock gas, amount of turbulence in the clouds, and dynamical time of the halo. We expect the gas to become multiphase when the gas cooling and dynamical times are of the same order of magnitude. In this framework, we show that this mainly occurs in the mass range, Mhalo 1011 to 1013 M⊙, where the bulk of stars have formed in galaxies. Because of the expansion of the stream and turbulence, gas accreting along cosmic web filaments may eventually lose coherence and mix with the ambient halo gas. Through both the phase separation and "disruption" of the stream, the accretion efficiency onto a galaxy in a halo dynamical time is lowered. Decollimating flows make the direct interaction between galaxy feedback and accretion streams more likely, thereby further reducing the overall accretion efficiency. As we discuss in this work, moderating the gas accretion efficiency through these mechanisms may help to alleviate a number of significant challenges in theoretical galaxy formation.

The metal enrichment of passive galaxies in cosmological simulations of galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Takashi; Nagashima, Masahiro; Lacey, Cedric G.; Frenk, Carlos S.

2017-02-01

Massive early-type galaxies have higher metallicities and higher ratios of α elements to iron than their less massive counterparts. Reproducing these correlations has long been a problem for hierarchical galaxy formation theory, both in semi-analytic models and cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We show that a simulation in which gas cooling in massive dark haloes is quenched by radio-mode active galactic nuclei (AGNs) feedback naturally reproduces the observed trend between α/Fe and the velocity dispersion of galaxies, σ. The quenching occurs earlier for more massive galaxies. Consequently, these galaxies complete their star formation before α/Fe is diluted by the contribution from Type Ia supernovae. For galaxies more massive than ˜1011 M⊙, whose α/Fe correlates positively with stellar mass, we find an inversely correlated mass-metallicity relation. This is a common problem in simulations in which star formation in massive galaxies is quenched either by quasar- or radio-mode AGN feedback. The early suppression of gas cooling in progenitors of massive galaxies prevents them from recapturing enriched gas ejected as winds. Simultaneously reproducing the [α/Fe]-σ relation and the mass-metallicity relation is, thus, difficult in the current framework of galaxy formation.

Cold fronts and shocks formed by gas streams in galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinger, E.; Dekel, A.; Birnboim, Y.; Nagai, D.; Lau, E.; Kravtsov, A. V.

2018-05-01

Cold fronts (CFs) and shocks are hallmarks of the complex intra-cluster medium (ICM) in galaxy clusters. They are thought to occur due to gas motions within the ICM and are often attributed to galaxy mergers within the cluster. Using hydro-cosmological simulations of clusters of galaxies, we show that collisions of inflowing gas streams, seen to penetrate to the very centre of about half the clusters, offer an additional mechanism for the formation of shocks and CFs in cluster cores. Unlike episodic merger events, a gas stream inflow persists over a period of several Gyr and it could generate a particular pattern of multiple CFs and shocks.

Stellar Disk Truncations: HI Density and Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillo, Ignacio; Bakos, Judit

2010-06-01

Using HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) 21-cm observations of a sample of nearby (nearly face-on) galaxies we explore whether the stellar disk truncation phenomenon produces any signature either in the HI gas density and/or in the gas dynamics. Recent cosmological simulations suggest that the origin of the break on the surface brightness distribution is produced by the appearance of a warp at the truncation position. This warp should produce a flaring on the gas distribution increasing the velocity dispersion of the HI component beyond the break. We do not find, however, any evidence of this increase in the gas velocity dispersion profile.

Cosmological constraints from Chandra observations of galaxy clusters.

PubMed

Allen, Steven W

2002-09-15

Chandra observations of rich, relaxed galaxy clusters allow the properties of the X-ray gas and the total gravitating mass to be determined precisely. Here, we present results for a sample of the most X-ray luminous, dynamically relaxed clusters known. We show that the Chandra data and independent gravitational lensing studies provide consistent answers on the mass distributions in the clusters. The mass profiles exhibit a form in good agreement with the predictions from numerical simulations. Combining Chandra results on the X-ray gas mass fractions in the clusters with independent measurements of the Hubble constant and the mean baryonic matter density in the Universe, we obtain a tight constraint on the mean total matter density of the Universe, Omega(m), and an interesting constraint on the cosmological constant, Omega(Lambda). We also describe the 'virial relations' linking the masses, X-ray temperatures and luminosities of galaxy clusters. These relations provide a key step in linking the observed number density and spatial distribution of clusters to the predictions from cosmological models. The Chandra data confirm the presence of a systematic offset of ca. 40% between the normalization of the observed mass-temperature relation and the predictions from standard simulations. This finding leads to a significant revision of the best-fit value of sigma(8) inferred from the observed temperature and luminosity functions of clusters.

Imprints of non-standard dark energy and dark matter models on the 21cm intensity map power spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carucci, Isabella P.; Corasaniti, Pier-Stefano; Viel, Matteo

2017-12-01

We study the imprint of non-standard dark energy (DE) and dark matter (DM) models on the 21cm intensity map power spectra from high-redshift neutral hydrogen (HI) gas. To this purpose we use halo catalogs from N-body simulations of dynamical DE models and DM scenarios which are as successful as the standard Cold Dark Matter model with Cosmological Constant (ΛCDM) at interpreting available cosmological observations. We limit our analysis to halo catalogs at redshift z=1 and 2.3 which are common to all simulations. For each catalog we model the HI distribution by using a simple prescription to associate the HI gas mass to N-body halos. We find that the DE models leave a distinct signature on the HI spectra across a wide range of scales, which correlates with differences in the halo mass function and the onset of the non-linear regime of clustering. In the case of the non-standard DM model significant differences of the HI spectra with respect to the ΛCDM model only arise from the suppressed abundance of low mass halos. These cosmological model dependent features also appear in the 21cm spectra. In particular, we find that future SKA measurements can distinguish the imprints of DE and DM models at high statistical significance.

The impact of star formation feedback on the circumgalactic medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fielding, Drummond; Quataert, Eliot; McCourt, Michael; Thompson, Todd A.

2017-04-01

We use idealized 3D hydrodynamic simulations to study the dynamics and thermal structure of the circumgalactic medium (CGM). Our simulations quantify the role of cooling, stellar feedback driven galactic winds and cosmological gas accretion in setting the properties of the CGM in dark matter haloes ranging from 1011 to 1012 M⊙. Our simulations support a conceptual picture in which the properties of the CGM, and the key physics governing it, change markedly near a critical halo mass of Mcrit ≈ 1011.5 M⊙. As in calculations without stellar feedback, above Mcrit halo gas is supported by thermal pressure created in the virial shock. The thermal properties at small radii are regulated by feedback triggered when tcool/tff ≲ 10 in the hot gas. Below Mcrit, however, there is no thermally supported halo and self-regulation at tcool/tff ˜ 10 does not apply. Instead, the gas is out of hydrostatic equilibrium and largely supported against gravity by bulk flows (turbulence and coherent inflow/outflow) arising from the interaction between cosmological gas inflow and outflowing galactic winds. In these lower mass haloes, the phase structure depends sensitively on the outflows' energy per unit mass and mass-loading, which may allow measurements of the CGM thermal state to constrain the nature of galactic winds. Our simulations account for some of the properties of the multiphase halo gas inferred from quasar absorption line observations, including the presence of significant mass at a wide range of temperatures, and the characteristic O VI and C IV column densities and kinematics. However, we underpredict the neutral hydrogen content of the z ˜ 0 CGM.

Gas stripping and mixing in galaxy clusters: a numerical comparison study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heß, Steffen; Springel, Volker

2012-11-01

The ambient hot intrahalo gas in clusters of galaxies is constantly fed and stirred by infalling galaxies, a process that can be studied in detail with cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. However, different numerical methods yield discrepant predictions for crucial hydrodynamical processes, leading for example to different entropy profiles in clusters of galaxies. In particular, the widely used Lagrangian smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) scheme is suspected to strongly damp fluid instabilities and turbulence, which are both crucial to establish the thermodynamic structure of clusters. In this study, we test to which extent our recently developed Voronoi particle hydrodynamics (VPH) scheme yields different results for the stripping of gas out of infalling galaxies and for the bulk gas properties of cluster. We consider both the evolution of isolated galaxy models that are exposed to a stream of intracluster medium or are dropped into cluster models, as well as non-radiative cosmological simulations of cluster formation. We also compare our particle-based method with results obtained with a fundamentally different discretization approach as implemented in the moving-mesh code AREPO. We find that VPH leads to noticeably faster stripping of gas out of galaxies than SPH, in better agreement with the mesh-code than with SPH. We show that despite the fact that VPH in its present form is not as accurate as the moving mesh code in our investigated cases, its improved accuracy of gradient estimates makes VPH an attractive alternative to SPH.

Oil and gas well diversionary spool assembly

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, L.T.

1989-02-14

In combination with an oil and gas well that includes a casing head from which a string of tubing extends downwardly in a bore hole to a fluid producing zone, a diversionary spool assembly is described situated in a fixed position relative to the well head to control fluid flow from the well and also serve as a temporary mounting for a Christmas tree array of valves when maintenance work is to be performed on the well, the array of valves including an anchor flange on a lower end thereof.

Toward de Sitter space from ten dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moritz, Jakob; Retolaza, Ander; Westphal, Alexander

2018-02-01

Using a 10D lift of nonperturbative volume stabilization in type IIB string theory, we study the limitations for obtaining de Sitter vacua. Based on this we find that the simplest Kachru, Kallosh, Linde, and Trivedi vacua with a single Kähler modulus stabilized by a gaugino condensate cannot be uplifted to de Sitter. Rather, the uplift flattens out due to stronger backreaction on the volume modulus than has previously been anticipated, resulting in vacua which are metastable and supersymmetry breaking, but that are always anti-de Sitter (AdS). However, we also show that setups such as racetrack stabilization can avoid this issue. In these models it is possible to obtain supersymmetric AdS vacua with a cosmological constant that can be tuned to zero while retaining finite moduli stabilization. In this regime, it seems that de Sitter uplifts are possible with negligible backreaction on the internal volume. We exhibit this behavior also from the 10D perspective.

Consistent higher derivative gravitational theories with stable de Sitter and anti-de Sitter backgrounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, Tirthabir; Koshelev, Alexey S.; Mazumdar, Anupam

2017-02-01

In this paper we provide the criteria for any generally covariant, parity preserving, and torsion-free theory of gravity to possess a stable de Sitter (dS) or anti-de Sitter (AdS) background. By stability we mean the absence of tachyonic or ghostlike states in the perturbative spectrum that can lead to classical instabilities and violation of quantum unitarity. While we find that the usual suspects, the F (R ) and F (G ) theories, can indeed possess consistent (A)dS backgrounds, G being the Gauss-Bonnet term, another interesting class of theories, string-inspired infinite derivative gravitational theories, can also be consistent around such curved vacuum solutions. Our study should not only be relevant for quantum gravity and early universe cosmology involving ultraviolet physics, but also for modifications of gravity in the infrared sector vying to replace dark energy.

The cosmic gorilla effect or the problem of undetected non terrestrial intelligent signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

G. De la Torre, Gabriel; Garcia, Manuel A.

2018-05-01

This article points to a long lasting problem in space research and cosmology, the problem of undetected signs of non terrestrial life and civilizations. We intentionally avoid the term extraterrestrial as we consider other possibilities that may arise but not fall strictly within the extraterrestrial scope. We discuss the role of new physics including dark matter and string theory in the search for life and other non terrestrial intelligence. A new classification for non terrestrial civilizations with three types and five dimensions is also provided. We also explain how our own neurophysiology, psychology and consciousness can play a major role in this search of non terrestrial civilizations task and how they have been neglected up to this date. To test this, 137 adults were evaluated using the cognitive reflection test, an attention/awareness questionnaire and a visuospatial searching task with aerial view images to determine the presence of inattentional blindness.

Black hole solutions in d = 5 Chern-Simons gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brihaye, Yves; Radu, Eugen

2013-11-01

The five dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with a negative cosmological constant becomes, for a special value of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling constant, a Chern-Simons (CS) theory of gravity. In this work we discuss the properties of several different types of black object solutions of this model. Special attention is paid to the case of spinning black holes with equal-magnitude angular momenta which posses a regular horizon of spherical topology. Closed form solutions are obtained in the small angular momentum limit. Nonperturbative solutions are constructed by solving numerically the equations of the model. Apart from that, new exact solutions describing static squashed black holes and black strings are also discussed. The action and global charges of all configurations studied in this work are obtained by using the quasilocal formalism with boundary counterterms generalized for the case of a d = 5 CS theory.

Is inflation from unwinding fluxes IIB?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautason, Fridrik Freyr; Schillo, Marjorie; Van Riet, Thomas

2017-03-01

In this paper we argue that the mechanism of unwinding inflation is naturally present in warped compactifications of type IIB string theory with local throats. The unwinding of flux is caused by its annihilation against branes. The resulting inflaton potential is linear with periodic modulations. We initiate an analysis of the inflationary dynamics and cosmological observables, which are highly constrained by moduli stabilization. For the simplified model of single-Kähler Calabi-Yau spaces we find that many, though not all of the consistency constraints can be satisfied. Particularly, in this simple model geometric constraints are in tension with obtaining the observed amplitude of the scalar power spectrum. However, we do find 60 efolds of inflation with a trans-Planckian field excursion which offers the hope that slightly more complicated models can lead to a fully consistent explicit construction of large field inflation of this kind.

Pair creation of higher dimensional black holes on a de Sitter background

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dias, Oscar J.C.; Lemos, Jose P.S.; CENTRA, Departamento de Fisica, F.C.T., Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro

We study in detail the quantum process in which a pair of black holes is created in a higher D-dimensional de Sitter (dS) background. The energy to materialize and accelerate the pair comes from the positive cosmological constant. The instantons that describe the process are obtained from the Tangherlini black hole solutions. Our pair creation rates reduce to the pair creation rate for Reissner-Nordstroem-dS solutions when D=4. Pair creation of black holes in the dS background becomes less suppressed when the dimension of the spacetime increases. The dS space is the only background in which we can discuss analytically themore » pair creation process of higher dimensional black holes, since the C-metric and the Ernst solutions, which describe, respectively, a pair accelerated by a string and by an electromagnetic field, are not known yet in a higher dimensional spacetime.« less

Evaluation of Production Cross Sections of Li, Be, B in CR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moskalenko, I. V.; Mashnik, S. G.

2003-01-01

Accurate evaluation of the production cross section of light elements is important for models of cosmic ray (CR) propagation, galactic chemical evolution, and cosmological studies. However, the experimental spallation cross section data are scarce and often unavailable to CR community while semi-empirical systematics are frequently wrong by a significant factor. Running sophisticated nuclear codes is not an option of choice for everyone either. We use the Los Alamos versions of the Quark-Gluon String Model code LAQGSM and the improved Cascade-Exciton Model code CEM2k together with all available data from Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory (LANL) nuclear database to produce evaluated production cross sections of isotopes of Li, Be, and B suitable for astrophysical applications. The LAQGSM and CEM2k models have been shown to reproduce well nuclear reactions and hadronic data in the range 0.01-800 GeV/nucleon.

On classical de Sitter and Minkowski solutions with intersecting branes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andriot, David

2018-03-01

Motivated by the connection of string theory to cosmology or particle physics, we study solutions of type II supergravities having a four-dimensional de Sitter or Minkowski space-time, with intersecting D p -branes and orientifold O p -planes. Only few such solutions are known, and we aim at a better characterisation. Modulo a few restrictions, we prove that there exists no classical de Sitter solution for any combination of D 3/ O 3 and D 7/ O 7, while we derive interesting constraints for intersecting D 5/ O 5 or D 6/ O 6, or combinations of D 4/ O 4 and D 8/ O 8. Concerning classical Minkowski solutions, we understand some typical features, and propose a solution ansatz. Overall, a central information appears to be the way intersecting D p / O p overlap each other, a point we focus on.

Conflation: a new type of accelerated expansion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fertig, Angelika; Lehners, Jean-Luc; Mallwitz, Enno

2016-08-31

In the framework of scalar-tensor theories of gravity, we construct a new kind of cosmological model that conflates inflation and ekpyrosis. During a phase of conflation, the universe undergoes accelerated expansion, but with crucial differences compared to ordinary inflation. In particular, the potential energy is negative, which is of interest for supergravity and string theory where both negative potentials and the required scalar-tensor couplings are rather natural. A distinguishing feature of the model is that, for a large parameter range, it does not significantly amplify adiabatic scalar and tensor fluctuations, and in particular does not lead to eternal inflation andmore » the associated infinities. We also show how density fluctuations in accord with current observations may be generated by adding a second scalar field to the model. Conflation may be viewed as complementary to the recently proposed anamorphic universe of Ijjas and Steinhardt.« less

Hydrodynamical simulations of coupled and uncoupled quintessence models - II. Galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlesi, Edoardo; Knebe, Alexander; Lewis, Geraint F.; Yepes, Gustavo

2014-04-01

We study the z = 0 properties of clusters (and large groups) of galaxies within the context of interacting and non-interacting quintessence cosmological models, using a series of adiabatic SPH simulations. Initially, we examine the average properties of groups and clusters, quantifying their differences in ΛCold Dark Matter (ΛCDM), uncoupled Dark Energy (uDE) and coupled Dark Energy (cDE) cosmologies. In particular, we focus upon radial profiles of the gas density, temperature and pressure, and we also investigate how the standard hydrodynamic equilibrium hypothesis holds in quintessence cosmologies. While we are able to confirm previous results about the distribution of baryons, we also find that the main discrepancy (with differences up to 20 per cent) can be seen in cluster pressure profiles. We then switch attention to individual structures, mapping each halo in quintessence cosmology to its ΛCDM counterpart. We are able to identify a series of small correlations between the coupling in the dark sector and halo spin, triaxiality and virialization ratio. When looking at spin and virialization of dark matter haloes, we find a weak (5 per cent) but systematic deviation in fifth force scenarios from ΛCDM.

The Neutral Hydrogen Cosmological Mass Density at z = 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crighton, Neil H. M.; Murphy, Michael T.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Worseck, Gábor; Rafelski, Marc; Becker, George D.; Ellison, Sara L.; Fumagalli, Michele; Lopez, Sebastian; Meiksin, Avery; O'Meara, John M.

2017-03-01

We present the largest homogeneous survey of redshift > 4.4 damped Lyα systems (DLAs) using the spectra of 163 quasars that comprise the Giant Gemini GMOS (GGG) survey. With this survey we make the most precise high-redshift measurement of the cosmological mass density of neutral hydrogen, ΩHI. After correcting for systematic effects using a combination of mock and higher-resolution spectra, we find ΩHI= 0.98+0.20 -0.18 × 10-3 at = 4.9, assuming a 20% contribution from lower column density systems below the DLA threshold. By comparing to literature measurements at lower redshifts, we show that ΩHI can be described by the functional form ΩHI(z) ~ (1 + z)0.4. This gradual decrease from z = 5 to 0 suggests that in the galaxies which dominate the cosmic star formation rate, Hi is a transitory gas phase fuelling star formation which must be continually replenished by more highly-ionized gas from the intergalactic medium, and from recycled galactic winds.

Phase Transitions in the Early Universe: The Cosmology of Non-Minimal Scalar Sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost, Jeffrey D.

Light scalar fields such as axions and string moduli can play an important role in early-universe cosmology. However, many factors can significantly impact their late-time cosmological abundances. For example, in cases where the potentials for these fields are generated dynamically--such as during cosmological mass-generating phase transitions--the duration of the time interval required for these potentials to fully develop can have significant repercussions. Likewise, in scenarios with multiple scalars, mixing amongst the fields can also give rise to an effective timescale that modifies the resulting late-time abundances. Previous studies have focused on the effects of either the first or the second timescale in isolation. In this thesis, by contrast, we examine the new features that arise from the interplay between these two timescales when both mixing and time-dependent phase transitions are introduced together. First, we find that the effects of these timescales can conspire to alter not only the total late-time abundance of the system--often by many orders of magnitude--but also its distribution across the different fields. Second, we find that these effects can produce large parametric resonances which render the energy densities of the fields highly sensitive to the degree of mixing as well as the duration of the time interval over which the phase transition unfolds. Finally, we find that these effects can even give rise to a "re-overdamping" phenomenon which causes the total energy density of the system to behave in novel ways that differ from those exhibited by pure dark matter or vacuum energy. All of these features therefore give rise to new possibilities for early-universe phenomenology and cosmological evolution. They also highlight the importance of taking into account the time dependence associated with phase transitions in cosmological settings. In the second part of this thesis, we proceed to study the early-universe cosmology of a Kaluza-Klein (KK) tower of scalar fields in the presence of a mass-generating phase transition, focusing on the time-development of the total tower energy density (or relic abundance) as well as its distribution across the different KK modes. We find that both of these features are extremely sensitive to the details of the phase transition and can behave in a variety of ways significant for late-time cosmology. In particular, we find that the interplay between the temporal properties of the phase transition and the mixing it generates are responsible for both enhancements and suppressions in the late-time abundances, sometimes by many orders of magnitude. We map out the complete model parameter space and determine where traditional analytical approximations are valid and where they fail. In the latter cases we also provide new analytical approximations which successfully model our results. Finally, we apply this machinery to the example of an axion-like field in the bulk, mapping these phenomena over an enlarged axion parameter space that extends beyond those accessible to standard treatments. An important by-product of our analysis is the development of an alternate "UV-based" effective truncation of KK theories which has a number of interesting theoretical properties that distinguish it from the more traditional "IR-based" truncation typically used in the literature.

Micrometeorite Impact Test of Flex Solar Array Coupon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, K. H.; Schneider, T. A.; Vaughn, J. A.; Hoang, B.; Wong, F.; Gardiner, G.

2016-01-01

Spacecraft with solar arrays operate throughout the near earth environment and are planned for outer planet missions. An often overlooked test condition for solar arrays that is applicable to these missions is micrometeoroid impacts and possibly electrostatic discharge (ESD) events resulting from these impacts. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is partnering with Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SSL) to examine the results of simulated micrometeoroid impacts on the electrical performance of an advanced, lightweight flexible solar array design. The test is performed at MSFC's Micro Light Gas Gun Facility with SSL-provided coupons. Multiple impacts were induced at various locations on a powered test coupon under different string voltage (0V-150V) and string current (1.1A - 1.65A) conditions. The setup, checkout, and results from the impact testing are discussed.

Solid oxide fuel cell matrix and modules

DOEpatents

Riley, B.

1988-04-22

Porous refractory ceramic blocks arranged in an abutting, stacked configuration and forming a three dimensional array provide a support structure and coupling means for a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The stack of ceramic blocks is self-supporting, with a plurality of such stacked arrays forming a matrix enclosed in an insulating refractory brick structure having an outer steel layer. The necessary connections for air, fuel, burnt gas, and anode and cathode connections are provided through the brick and steel outer shell. The ceramic blocks are so designed with respect to the strings of modules that by simple and logical design the strings could be replaced by hot reloading if one should fail. The hot reloading concept has not been included in any previous designs. 11 figs.

Gas Stripping in the Simulated Pegasus Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercado, Francisco Javier; Samaniego, Alejandro; Wheeler, Coral; Bullock, James

2017-01-01

We utilize the hydrodynamic simulation code GIZMO to construct a non-cosmological idealized dwarf galaxy built to match the parameters of the observed Pegasus dwarf galaxy. This simulated galaxy will be used in a series of tests in which we will implement different methods of removing the dwarf’s gas in order to emulate the ram pressure stripping mechanism encountered by dwarf galaxies as they fall into more massive companion galaxies. These scenarios will be analyzed in order to determine the role that the removal of gas plays in rotational vs. dispersion support (Vrot/σ) of our galaxy.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, R.V.

This book reports on remedial measures for gas wells and new methods for calculating the position of the stabilized performance curves for gas wells as well as the heating value for natural gases from compositional analyses. In addition, the author includes problem solutions in an appendix and a section showing the relation between the conventional empirical equation and the theoretical performance equation of A.S. Odeh. The author successfully bridges the gap between the results of empirical testing and the theory of unsteady-state flow in porous media. It strengthens the bond between conventional reservoir engineering practices and understanding gas well behavior.more » Problems listed at the end of each chapter are excellent exercises for practitioners. This book provides information on: Natural Gas Engineering; Properties of natural gas; Application of gas laws to reservoir engineering; Gas measurement; Flow of natural gas in circular pipe and annular conductors; Flow of gas in porous media (a review); Gas well testing; Unsteady-state flow behavior of gas wells; Production forecasting for gas wells; Production decline curves for gas wells; Sizing flow strings for gas wells; Remedial measures for gas wells; Gas sales contracts; and appendices on Compressibility for natural gas, Gas measurement factors, SI metric conversion factors, and Solutions to problems.« less

MaGICC baryon cycle: the enrichment history of simulated disc galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brook, C. B.; Stinson, G.; Gibson, B. K.; Shen, S.; Macciò, A. V.; Obreja, A.; Wadsley, J.; Quinn, T.

2014-10-01

Using cosmological galaxy formation simulations from the MaGICC (Making Galaxies in a Cosmological Context) project, spanning stellar mass from ˜107 to 3 × 1010 M⊙, we trace the baryonic cycle of infalling gas from the virial radius through to its eventual participation in the star formation process. An emphasis is placed upon the temporal history of chemical enrichment during its passage through the corona and circumgalactic medium. We derive the distributions of time between gas crossing the virial radius and being accreted to the star-forming region (which allows for mixing within the corona), as well as the time between gas being accreted to the star-forming region and then ultimately forming stars (which allows for mixing within the disc). Significant numbers of stars are formed from gas that cycles back through the hot halo after first accreting to the star-forming region. Gas entering high-mass galaxies is pre-enriched in low-mass proto-galaxies prior to entering the virial radius of the central progenitor, with only small amounts of primordial gas accreted, even at high redshift (z ˜ 5). After entering the virial radius, significant further enrichment occurs prior to the accretion of the gas to the star-forming region, with gas that is feeding the star-forming region surpassing 0.1 Z⊙ by z = 0. Mixing with halo gas, itself enriched via galactic fountains, is thus crucial in determining the metallicity at which gas is accreted to the disc. The lowest mass simulated galaxy (Mvir ˜ 2 × 1010 M⊙, with M⋆ ˜ 107 M⊙), by contrast, accretes primordial gas through the virial radius and on to the disc, throughout its history. Much like the case for classical analytical solutions to the so-called `G-dwarf problem', overproduction of low-metallicity stars is ameliorated by the interplay between the time of accretion on to the disc and the subsequent involvement in star formation - i.e. due to the inefficiency of star formation. Finally, gas outflow/metal removal rates from star-forming regions as a function of galactic mass are presented.

EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET BACKGROUND AND LOCAL STELLAR RADIATION ON THE H I COLUMN DENSITY DISTRIBUTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagamine, Kentaro; Choi, Jun-Hwan; Yajima, Hidenobu, E-mail: kn@physics.unlv.ed

We study the impact of ultraviolet background (UVB) radiation field and the local stellar radiation on the H I column density distribution f(N{sub H{sub I}}) of damped Ly{alpha} systems (DLAs) and sub-DLAs at z = 3 using cosmological smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations. We find that, in the previous simulations with an optically thin approximation, the UVB was sinking into the H I cloud too deeply, and therefore we underestimated the f(N{sub H{sub I}}) at 19 < log N{sub H{sub I}} < 21.2 compared to the observations. If the UVB is shut off in the high-density regions with n{sub gas}>6 xmore » 10{sup -3} cm{sup -3}, then we reproduce the observed f(N{sub H{sub I}}) at z = 3 very well. We also investigate the effect of local stellar radiation by postprocessing our simulation with a radiative transfer code and find that the local stellar radiation does not change the f(N{sub H{sub I}}) very much. Our results show that the shape of f(N{sub H{sub I}}) is determined primarily by the UVB with a much weaker effect by the local stellar radiation and that the optically thin approximation often used in cosmological simulation is inadequate to properly treat the ionization structure of neutral gas in and out of DLAs. Our result also indicates that the DLA gas is closely related to the transition region from optically thick neutral gas to optically thin ionized gas within dark matter halos.« less

Modeling Supermassive Black Holes in Cosmological Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremmel, Michael

My thesis work has focused on improving the implementation of supermassive black hole (SMBH) physics in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. SMBHs are ubiquitous in mas- sive galaxies, as well as bulge-less galaxies and dwarfs, and are thought to be a critical component to massive galaxy evolution. Still, much is unknown about how SMBHs form, grow, and affect their host galaxies. Cosmological simulations are an invaluable tool for un- derstanding the formation of galaxies, self-consistently tracking their evolution with realistic merger and gas accretion histories. SMBHs are often modeled in these simulations (generally as a necessity to produce realistic massive galaxies), but their implementations are commonly simplified in ways that can limit what can be learned. Current and future observations are opening new windows into the lifecycle of SMBHs and their host galaxies, but require more detailed, physically motivated simulations. Within the novel framework I have developed, SMBHs 1) are seeded at early times without a priori assumptions of galaxy occupation, 2) grow in a way that accounts for the angular momentum of gas, and 3) experience realistic orbital evolution. I show how this model, properly tuned with a novel parameter optimiza- tion technique, results in realistic galaxies and SMBHs. Utilizing the unique ability of these simulations to capture the dynamical evolution of SMBHs, I present the first self-consistent prediction for the formation timescales of close SMBH pairs, precursors to SMBH binaries and merger events potentially detected by future gravitational wave experiments.

Meteorological Sensor Array (MSA)-Phase I. Volume 2 (Data Management Tool: Proof of Concept)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

directory of next hourly file to read *** utcString = CStr (CInt(utcString) + 1) utcString = String(2 - Len(utcString), Ŕ...hourly file to read *** utcString = CStr (CInt(utcString) + 1) utcString = String(2 - Len(utcString), Ŕ") & utcString

Warps and waves in the stellar discs of the Auriga cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, Facundo A.; White, Simon D. M.; Grand, Robert J. J.; Marinacci, Federico; Springel, Volker; Pakmor, Rüdiger

2017-03-01

Recent studies have revealed an oscillating asymmetry in the vertical structure of the Milky Way's disc. Here, we analyse 16 high-resolution, fully cosmological simulations of the evolution of individual Milky Way-sized galaxies, carried out with the magnetohydrodynamic code AREPO. At redshift zero, about 70 per cent of our galactic discs show strong vertical patterns, with amplitudes that can exceed 2 kpc. Half of these are typical 'integral sign' warps. The rest are oscillations similar to those observed in the Milky Way. Such structures are thus expected to be common. The associated mean vertical motions can be as large as 30 km s-1. Cold disc gas typically follows the vertical patterns seen in the stars. These perturbations have a variety of causes: close encounters with satellites, distant fly-bys of massive objects, accretion of misaligned cold gas from halo infall or from mergers. Tidally induced vertical patterns can be identified in both young and old stellar populations, whereas those originating from cold gas accretion are seen mainly in the younger populations. Galaxies with regular or at most weakly perturbed discs are usually, but not always, free from recent interactions with massive companions, although we have one case where an equilibrium compact disc reforms after a merger.

External versus internal triggers of bar formation in cosmological zoom-in simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zana, Tommaso; Dotti, Massimo; Capelo, Pedro R.; Bonoli, Silvia; Haardt, Francesco; Mayer, Lucio; Spinoso, Daniele

2018-01-01

The emergence of a large-scale stellar bar is one of the most striking features in disc galaxies. By means of state-of-the-art cosmological zoom-in simulations, we study the formation and evolution of bars in Milky Way-like galaxies in a fully cosmological context, including the physics of gas dissipation, star formation and supernova feedback. Our goal is to characterize the actual trigger of the non-axisymmetric perturbation that leads to the strong bar observable in the simulations at z = 0, discriminating between an internal/secular and an external/tidal origin. To this aim, we run a suite of cosmological zoom-in simulations altering the original history of galaxy-satellite interactions at a time when the main galaxy, though already bar-unstable, does not feature any non-axisymmetric structure yet. We find that the main effect of a late minor merger and of a close fly-by is to delay the time of bar formation and those two dynamical events are not directly responsible for the development of the bar and do not alter significantly its global properties (e.g. its final extension). We conclude that, once the disc has grown to a mass large enough to sustain global non-axisymmetric modes, then bar formation is inevitable.

How Very Massive Metal-Free Stars Start Cosmological Reionization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wise, John H.; Abel, Tom

2008-01-01

The initial conditions and relevant physics for the formation of the earliest galaxies are well specified in the concordance cosmology. Using ab initio cosmological Eulerian adaptive mesh refinement radiation hydrodynamical calculations, we discuss how very massive stars start the process of cosmological reionization. The models include nonequilibrium primordial gas chemistry and cooling processes and accurate radiation transport in the case B approximation using adaptively ray-traced photon packages, retaining the time derivative in the transport equation. Supernova feedback is modeled by thermal explosions triggered at parsec scales. All calculations resolve the local Jeans length by at least 16 grid cells at all times and as such cover a spatial dynamic range of approx.10(exp 6). These first sources of reionization are highly intermittent and anisotropic and first photoionize the small-scale voids surrounding the halos they form in, rather than the dense filaments they are embedded in. As the merging objects form larger, dwarf-sized galaxies, the escape fraction of UV radiation decreases and the H II regions only break out on some sides of the galaxies, making them even more anisotropic. In three cases, SN blast waves induce star formation in overdense regions that were formed earlier from ionization front instabilities. These stars form tens of parsecs away from the center of their parent DM halo. Approximately five ionizing photons are needed per sustained ionization when star formation in 10(exp 6) stellar Mass halos is dominant in the calculation. As the halos become larger than approx.10(exp 7) Stellar Mass, the ionizing photon escape fraction decreases, which in turn increases the number of photons per ionization to 15-50, in calculations with stellar feedback only. Radiative feedback decreases clumping factors by 25% when compared to simulations without star formation and increases the average temperature of ionized gas to values between 3000 and 10,000 K.

Galaxy gas as obscurer - II. Separating the galaxy-scale and nuclear obscurers of active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchner, Johannes; Bauer, Franz E.

2017-03-01

The 'torus' obscurer of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is poorly understood in terms of its density, sub-structure and physical mechanisms. Large X-ray surveys provide model boundary constraints, for both Compton-thin and Compton-thick levels of obscuration, as obscured fractions are mean covering factors fcov. However, a major remaining uncertainty is host-galaxy obscuration. In Paper I, we discovered a relation of {NH} ∝ M_{star }^{1/3} for the obscuration of galaxy-scale gas. Here, we apply this observational relation to the AGN population, and find that galaxy-scale gas is responsible for a luminosity-independent fraction of Compton-thin AGN, but does not produce Compton-thick columns. With the host-galaxy obscuration understood, we present a model of the remaining nuclear obscurer, which is consistent with a range of observations. Our radiation-lifted torus model consists of a Compton-thick component (fcov ∼ 35 per cent) and a Compton-thin component (fcov ∼ 40 per cent), which depends on both black hole mass and luminosity. This provides a useful summary of observational constraints for torus modellers who attempt to reproduce this behaviour. It can also be employed as a sub-grid recipe in cosmological simulations that do not resolve the torus. We also investigate host-galaxy X-ray obscuration inside cosmological, hydrodynamic simulations (Evolution and Assembly of Galaxies and their Environment; Illustris). The obscuration from ray-traced galaxy gas can agree with observations, but is highly sensitive to the chosen feedback assumptions.

Most pseudo-bulges can be formed at later stages of major mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauvaget, T.; Hammer, F.; Puech, M.; Yang, Y. B.; Flores, H.; Rodrigues, M.

2018-01-01

Most giant spiral galaxies have pseudo or disc-like bulges that are considered to be the result of purely secular processes. This may challenge the hierarchical scenario predicting about one major merger per massive galaxy (>3 × 1010 M⊙) since the last ∼9 billion years. Here, we verify whether or not the association between pseudo-bulges and secular processes is irrevocable. Using GADGET2 N-body/SPH simulations, we have conducted a systematic study of remnants of major mergers for which progenitors have been selected (1) to follow the gas richness-look back time relationship, and (2) with a representative distribution of orbits and spins in a cosmological frame. Analysing the surface mass density profile of both nearby galaxies and merger remnants with two components, we find that most of them show pseudo-bulges or bar dominated centres. Even if some orbits lead to classical bulges just after the fusion, the contamination by the additional gas that gradually accumulates to the centre and forming stars later on, leads to remnants apparently dominated by pseudo-bulges. We also found that simple smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations should be sufficient to form realistic spiral galaxies as remnants of ancient gas-rich mergers without the need for specifically tuned feedback conditions. We then conclude that pseudo-bulges and bars in spiral galaxies are natural consequences of major mergers when they are realized in a cosmological context, i.e. with gas-rich progenitors as expected when selected in the distant Universe.

The Strings of Eta Carina: The HST/STIS Spectra and [Ca II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melendez, M. B.; Gull, T. R.; Bautista, M. A.; Badnell, N. R.

2006-01-01

Long linear, filamentary ejecta, are found to move at very high velocity external to the Homunculus, the circumstellar hourglass-shaped ejecta surrounding Eta Carinae. The origin of the strings is a puzzle. As an example, the Weigelt Blobs have N at 10X solar and C, O at 0.01X solar abundance, along with He/H significantly enhanced. This abundance pattern is evidence for extreme CNO-processing. Similarly, the Strontium Filament has Ti/Ni at 100X solar, presumably due to the lack of oxygen to form Ti-oxide precipitates onto dust grains. We have obtained 2-D spectra with the HST/STIS of the Strontium Filament and a portion of a string. These deep spectral exposures, at moderate dispersion, span much of the near red spectral region from 5000 to 9000A. We have identified twelve emission lines in these spectra with proper velocities and spatial structure of this string and obtained line ratios for [Ca II] (7293/7325A) and [Fe Ill (7157/8619A) which are useful for determining physical conditions in this nebulosity. In an attempt to use the [Ca II] ratio to determine the physical parameters, and ultimately the abundances in the strings, we have constructed a statistical equilibrium model for Ca II , including radiative and collisional rates. These results incorporate our newly calculated atomic data for levels n = 3,4,5 and 6 configurations of Ca II. The aim is to compute the [Ca II] line ratios and use them as a diagnostic of the physical parameters. Using the [Fe II] ratio we find that for Te=10,000 K, the electron density is Ne approx.10(exp 6)/cu cm. We plan to use the [Ca II] ratio to confirm this result. Then, we will extend the use of this multilevel model Ca II atom to study the physical conditions of the Strontium filament where eight lines of Ca II, both allowed and forbidden, had been identified. With the physical conditions determined, we will be able to derive reliable estimates for the gas phase abundances in the strings.

Emerging geometry from maximally super-symmetric Yang-Mills theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazquez, Samuel Enrique

In this thesis, we explore the emergence of space-time geometry, and string theory physics from N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory with gauge group U(N). This is done in the context of the anti-de-Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence (AdS/CFT). The main results of this thesis are the following. First, we study single trace perturbations around generic 1/2 BPS states of the theory. We do this in the large N limit, and at one-loop in the 't-Hooft coupling. We show how these states can be mapped to dynamical lattices with boson statistics and periodic boundary conditions. By dynamical, we mean that the total boson occupation number is not conserved in general. Then, we show how to derive an effective sigma model for these systems which coincides with the Polyakov action of a probe string on a 1/2 BPS geometry (in the fast string limit). Secondly, we study non-supersymmetric perturbations of the vacuum which give rise to bosonic lattices with open boundary conditions. We also do this in the large N limit, and at one-loop in the 't-Hooft coupling. We show that these states are dual to open strings on D3-branes known as "Giant Gravitons". These lattice systems are also dynamical, but in some special cases, we show that we get an integrable spin chain with open boundary conditions. Next, we study single trace perturbations at strong coupling. We do this by taking a "dilute gas" approximation. We derive an all-loop result for the dispersion relation of the "magnons" which coincides with previous conjectures in the literature. What is more, we derive the geometrical picture of the so-called "giant magnon" string solution of Hofman and Maldacena, directly from the field theory. Finally, we explore the question of classical integrability of open strings on D-branes. In particular, we study the case of the giant gravitons, and compare the integrable structures on both sides of the AdS/CFT correspondence.

Using Voronoi Tessellations to identify groups in N-body Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, R. E.; Theuns, T.

Dark matter N-body simulations often use a friends-of-friends (FOF) group finder to link together particles above a specified density threshold. An over density of 200 picks-out objects that can be identified with virialised dark matter haloes, based on the spherical collapse model for the formation of structure. When the halo contains significant substructure, as is the case in very high resolution simulations, then FOF will simply link all substructure to the parent halo. Many cosmological simulations now also include gas and stars, and these are often distributed differently from the dark matter. It is then not clear whether the structures identified by FOF are very physical. Here we use Voronoi tesselations to identify structures in hydrodynamical cosmological simulations, that contain dark matter, gas and stars. This adaptive technique allows accurate estimates of densities, and density gradients, for a non-structured distribution of points. We discuss how these estimates allow us to identify structures in the dark matter that can be identified with haloes, and in the stars, to identify galaxies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Pisin; Hsin, Po-Shen; Niu, Yuezhen, E-mail: pisinchen@phys.ntu.edu.tw, E-mail: r01222031@ntu.edu.tw, E-mail: yuezhenniu@gmail.com

We investigate the entropy evolution in the early universe by computing the change of the entanglement entropy in Freedmann-Robertson-Walker quantum cosmology in the presence of particle horizon. The matter is modeled by a Chaplygin gas so as to provide a smooth interpolation between inflationary and radiation epochs, rendering the evolution of entropy from early time to late time trackable. We found that soon after the onset of the inflation, the total entanglement entropy rapidly decreases to a minimum. It then rises monotonically in the remainder of the inflation epoch as well as the radiation epoch. Our result is in qualitativemore » agreement with the area law of Ryu and Takayanagi including the logarithmic correction. We comment on the possible implication of our finding to the cosmological entropy problem.« less

CIFOG: Cosmological Ionization Fields frOm Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutter, Anne

2018-03-01

CIFOG is a versatile MPI-parallelised semi-numerical tool to perform simulations of the Epoch of Reionization. From a set of evolving cosmological gas density and ionizing emissivity fields, it computes the time and spatially dependent ionization of neutral hydrogen (HI), neutral (HeI) and singly ionized helium (HeII) in the intergalactic medium (IGM). The code accounts for HII, HeII, HeIII recombinations, and provides different descriptions for the photoionization rate that are used to calculate the residual HI fraction in ionized regions. This tool has been designed to be coupled to semi-analytic galaxy formation models or hydrodynamical simulations. The modular fashion of the code allows the user to easily introduce new descriptions for recombinations and the photoionization rate.

The Cosmic Evolution of Fermi BL Lacertae Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajello, Marco; Gasparrini, Dario; Romani, Roger W.; Shaw, Michael S.

2014-06-01

It has been notoriously difficult in the past to measure the cosmological evolution of BL Lacs because of the challenges related to measure their redshift. Extensive optical follow-up observations of a sample of ~200 Fermi-detected BL Lac objects have provided much-needed redshift information for many of them. This stands as the largest and most complete sample of BL Lacs available in the literature and was used to determine the cosmological properties of this elusive source class. This talk will review the cosmic evolution of BL Lacs and discuss the link to their siblings flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Evidence suggests that BL Lacs of the high-synchrotron peaked class might be an accretion-starved end-state of an earlier merger-driven gas-rich phase.

Best Phd thesis Prize: Statistical analysis of ALFALFA galaxies: insights in galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papastergis, E.

2013-09-01

We use the rich dataset of local universe galaxies detected by the ALFALFA 21cm survey to study the statistical properties of gas-bearing galaxies. In particular, we measure the number density of galaxies as a function of their baryonic mass ("baryonic mass function") and rotational velocity ("velocity width function"), and we characterize their clustering properties ("two-point correlation function"). These statistical distributions are determined by both the properties of dark matter on small scales, as well as by the complex baryonic processes through which galaxies form over cosmic time. We interpret the ALFALFA measurements with the aid of publicly available cosmological N-body simulations and we present some key results related to galaxy formation and small-scale cosmology.

Gas loss in simulated galaxies as they fall into clusters

PubMed Central

Cen, Renyue; Pop, Ana Roxana; Bahcall, Neta A.

2014-01-01

We use high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulations to gain insights into how galaxies lose their cold gas at low redshift as they migrate from the field to the high-density regions of clusters of galaxies. We find that beyond three cluster virial radii, the fraction of gas-rich galaxies is constant, representing the field. Within three cluster-centric radii, the fraction of gas-rich galaxies declines steadily with decreasing radius, reaching <10% near the cluster center. Our results suggest galaxies start to feel the effect of the cluster environment on their gas content well beyond the cluster virial radius. We show that almost all gas-rich galaxies at the cluster virial radius are falling in for the first time at nearly radial orbits. Furthermore, we find that almost no galaxy moving outward at the cluster virial radius is gas-rich (with a gas-to-baryon ratio greater than 1%). These results suggest that galaxies that fall into clusters lose their cold gas within a single radial round-trip. PMID:24843167

Gas loss in simulated galaxies as they fall into clusters.

PubMed

Cen, Renyue; Pop, Ana Roxana; Bahcall, Neta A

2014-06-03

We use high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulations to gain insights into how galaxies lose their cold gas at low redshift as they migrate from the field to the high-density regions of clusters of galaxies. We find that beyond three cluster virial radii, the fraction of gas-rich galaxies is constant, representing the field. Within three cluster-centric radii, the fraction of gas-rich galaxies declines steadily with decreasing radius, reaching <10% near the cluster center. Our results suggest galaxies start to feel the effect of the cluster environment on their gas content well beyond the cluster virial radius. We show that almost all gas-rich galaxies at the cluster virial radius are falling in for the first time at nearly radial orbits. Furthermore, we find that almost no galaxy moving outward at the cluster virial radius is gas-rich (with a gas-to-baryon ratio greater than 1%). These results suggest that galaxies that fall into clusters lose their cold gas within a single radial round-trip.

Cosmology and astrophysics from relaxed galaxy clusters - IV: Robustly calibrating hydrostatic masses with weak lensing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Applegate, D. E; Mantz, A.; Allen, S. W.

This is the fourth in a series of papers studying the astrophysics and cosmology of massive, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters. Here, we use measurements of weak gravitational lensing from the Weighing the Giants project to calibrate Chandra X-ray measurements of total mass that rely on the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium. This comparison of X-ray and lensing masses measures the combined bias of X-ray hydrostatic masses from both astrophysical and instrumental sources. While we cannot disentangle the two sources of bias, only the combined bias is relevant for calibrating cosmological measurements using relaxed clusters. Assuming a fixed cosmology, and within amore » characteristic radius (r 2500) determined from the X-ray data, we measure a lensing to X-ray mass ratio of 0.96 ± 9% (stat) ± 9% (sys). We find no significant trends of this ratio with mass, redshift or the morphological indicators used to select the sample. Our results imply that any departures from hydrostatic equilibrium at these radii are offset by calibration errors of comparable magnitude, with large departures of tens-of-percent unlikely. In addition, we find a mean concentration of the sample measured from lensing data of c 200 = 3.0 +4.4 –1.8. In conclusion, anticipated short-term improvements in lensing systematics, and a modest expansion of the relaxed lensing sample, can easily increase the measurement precision by 30–50%, leading to similar improvements in cosmological constraints that employ X-ray hydrostatic mass estimates, such as on Ω m from the cluster gas mass fraction.« less

Cosmology and astrophysics from relaxed galaxy clusters - IV: Robustly calibrating hydrostatic masses with weak lensing

DOE PAGES

Applegate, D. E; Mantz, A.; Allen, S. W.; ...

2016-02-04

This is the fourth in a series of papers studying the astrophysics and cosmology of massive, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters. Here, we use measurements of weak gravitational lensing from the Weighing the Giants project to calibrate Chandra X-ray measurements of total mass that rely on the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium. This comparison of X-ray and lensing masses measures the combined bias of X-ray hydrostatic masses from both astrophysical and instrumental sources. While we cannot disentangle the two sources of bias, only the combined bias is relevant for calibrating cosmological measurements using relaxed clusters. Assuming a fixed cosmology, and within amore » characteristic radius (r 2500) determined from the X-ray data, we measure a lensing to X-ray mass ratio of 0.96 ± 9% (stat) ± 9% (sys). We find no significant trends of this ratio with mass, redshift or the morphological indicators used to select the sample. Our results imply that any departures from hydrostatic equilibrium at these radii are offset by calibration errors of comparable magnitude, with large departures of tens-of-percent unlikely. In addition, we find a mean concentration of the sample measured from lensing data of c 200 = 3.0 +4.4 –1.8. In conclusion, anticipated short-term improvements in lensing systematics, and a modest expansion of the relaxed lensing sample, can easily increase the measurement precision by 30–50%, leading to similar improvements in cosmological constraints that employ X-ray hydrostatic mass estimates, such as on Ω m from the cluster gas mass fraction.« less

Cosmology and astrophysics from relaxed galaxy clusters - IV. Robustly calibrating hydrostatic masses with weak lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Applegate, D. E.; Mantz, A.; Allen, S. W.; von der Linden, A.; Morris, R. Glenn; Hilbert, S.; Kelly, Patrick L.; Burke, D. L.; Ebeling, H.; Rapetti, D. A.; Schmidt, R. W.

2016-04-01

This is the fourth in a series of papers studying the astrophysics and cosmology of massive, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters. Here, we use measurements of weak gravitational lensing from the Weighing the Giants project to calibrate Chandra X-ray measurements of total mass that rely on the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium. This comparison of X-ray and lensing masses measures the combined bias of X-ray hydrostatic masses from both astrophysical and instrumental sources. While we cannot disentangle the two sources of bias, only the combined bias is relevant for calibrating cosmological measurements using relaxed clusters. Assuming a fixed cosmology, and within a characteristic radius (r2500) determined from the X-ray data, we measure a lensing to X-ray mass ratio of 0.96 ± 9 per cent (stat) ± 9 per cent (sys). We find no significant trends of this ratio with mass, redshift or the morphological indicators used to select the sample. Our results imply that any departures from hydrostatic equilibrium at these radii are offset by calibration errors of comparable magnitude, with large departures of tens-of-percent unlikely. In addition, we find a mean concentration of the sample measured from lensing data of c_{200} = 3.0_{-1.8}^{+4.4}. Anticipated short-term improvements in lensing systematics, and a modest expansion of the relaxed lensing sample, can easily increase the measurement precision by 30-50 per cent, leading to similar improvements in cosmological constraints that employ X-ray hydrostatic mass estimates, such as on Ωm from the cluster gas mass fraction.

Cosmology and astrophysics from relaxed galaxy clusters - II. Cosmological constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantz, A. B.; Allen, S. W.; Morris, R. G.; Rapetti, D. A.; Applegate, D. E.; Kelly, P. L.; von der Linden, A.; Schmidt, R. W.

2014-05-01

This is the second in a series of papers studying the astrophysics and cosmology of massive, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters. The data set employed here consists of Chandra observations of 40 such clusters, identified in a comprehensive search of the Chandra archive for hot (kT ≳ 5 keV), massive, morphologically relaxed systems, as well as high-quality weak gravitational lensing data for a subset of these clusters. Here we present cosmological constraints from measurements of the gas mass fraction, fgas, for this cluster sample. By incorporating a robust gravitational lensing calibration of the X-ray mass estimates, and restricting our measurements to the most self-similar and accurately measured regions of clusters, we significantly reduce systematic uncertainties compared to previous work. Our data for the first time constrain the intrinsic scatter in fgas, 7.4 ± 2.3 per cent in a spherical shell at radii 0.8-1.2 r2500 (˜1/4 of the virial radius), consistent with the expected level of variation in gas depletion and non-thermal pressure for relaxed clusters. From the lowest redshift data in our sample, five clusters at z < 0.16, we obtain a constraint on a combination of the Hubble parameter and cosmic baryon fraction, h3/2 Ωb/Ωm = 0.089 ± 0.012, that is insensitive to the nature of dark energy. Combining this with standard priors on h and Ωbh2 provides a tight constraint on the cosmic matter density, Ωm = 0.27 ± 0.04, which is similarly insensitive to dark energy. Using the entire cluster sample, extending to z > 1, we obtain consistent results for Ωm and interesting constraints on dark energy: Ω _{{Λ }}=0.65^{+0.17}_{-0.22}> for non-flat ΛCDM (cosmological constant) models, and w = -0.98 ± 0.26 for flat models with a constant dark energy equation of state. Our results are both competitive and consistent with those from recent cosmic microwave background, Type Ia supernova and baryon acoustic oscillation data. We present constraints on more complex models of evolving dark energy from the combination of fgas data with these external data sets, and comment on the possibilities for improved fgas constraints using current and next-generation X-ray observatories and lensing data.

Simulating the Growth of a Disk Galaxy and its Supermassive Black Hole in a Cosmological Simulating the Growth of a Disk Galaxy and its Supermassive Black Hole in a Cosmological Context

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levine, Robyn Deborah

2008-01-01

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are ubiquitous in the centers of galaxies. Their formation and subsequent evolution is inextricably linked to that of their host galaxies, and the study of galaxy formation is incomplete without the inclusion of SMBHs. The present work seeks to understand the growth and evolution of SMBHs through their interaction with the host galaxy and its environment. In the first part of the thesis (Chap. 2 and 3), we combine a simple semi-analytic model of outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGN) with a simulated dark matter density distribution to study the impact of SMBH feedback on cosmologicalmore » scales. We find that constraints can be placed on the kinetic efficiency of such feedback using observations of the filling fraction of the Lyα forest. We also find that AGN feedback is energetic enough to redistribute baryons over cosmological distances, having potentially significant effects on the interpretation of cosmological data which are sensitive to the total matter density distribution (e.g. weak lensing). However, truly assessing the impact of AGN feedback in the universe necessitates large-dynamic range simulations with extensive treatment of baryonic physics to first model the fueling of SMBHs. In the second part of the thesis (Chap. 4-6) we use a hydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement simulation to follow the growth and evolution of a typical disk galaxy hosting a SMBH, in a cosmological context. The simulation covers a dynamical range of 10 million allowing us to study the transport of matter and angular momentum from super-galactic scales all the way down to the outer edge of the accretion disk around the SMBH. Focusing our attention on the central few hundred parsecs of the galaxy, we find the presence of a cold, self-gravitating, molecular gas disk which is globally unstable. The global instabilities drive super-sonic turbulence, which maintains local stability and allows gas to fuel a SMBH without first fragmenting completely into stars. The fueling appears to be a stochastic process, with no preferred timescale for accretion over the duration of the simulation.« less

The Impact of Non-Thermal Processes in the Intracluster Medium on Cosmological Cluster Observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Nicholas Ambrose

In this thesis we describe the generation and analysis of hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters and their intracluster medium (ICM), using large cosmological boxes to generate large samples, in conjunction with individual cluster computations. The main focus is the exploration of the non-thermal processes in the ICM and the effect they have on the interpretation of observations used for cosmological constraints. We provide an introduction to the cosmological structure formation framework for our computations and an overview of the numerical simulations and observations of galaxy clusters. We explore the cluster magnetic field observables through radio relics, extended entities in the ICM characterized by their of diffuse radio emission. We show that statistical quantities such as radio relic luminosity functions and rotation measure power spectra are sensitive to magnetic field models. The spectral index of the radio relic emission provides information on structure formation shocks, e.g., on their Mach number. We develop a coarse grained stochastic model of active galaxy nucleus (AGN) feed-back in clusters and show the impact of such inhomogeneous feedback on the thermal pressure profile. We explore variations in the pressure profile as a function of cluster mass, redshift, and radius and provide a constrained fitting function for this profile. We measure the degree of the non-thermal pressure in the gas from internal cluster bulk motions and show it has an impact on the slope and scatter of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) scaling relation. We also find that the gross shape of the ICM, as characterized by scaled moment of inertia tensors, affects the SZ scaling relation. We demonstrate that the shape and the amplitude of the SZ angular power spectrum is sensitive to AGN feedback, and this affects the cosmological parameters determined from high resolution ACT and SPT cosmic microwave background data. We compare analytic, semi-analytic, and simulation-based methods for calculating the SZ power spectrum, and characterize their differences. All the methods must rely, one way or another, on high resolution large-scale hydrodynamical simulations with varying assumptions for modelling the gas of the sort presented here. We show how our results can be used to interpret the latest ACT and SPT power spectrum results. We provide an outlook for the future, describing follow-up work we are undertaking to further advance the theory of cluster science.

In quest of axionic hairs in quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Indrani; Mandal, Bhaswati; SenGupta, Soumitra

2018-03-01

The presence of axionic field can provide plausible explanation to several long standing problems in physics such as dark matter and dark energy. The pseudo-scalar axion whose derivative corresponds to the Hodge dual of the Kalb-Ramond field strength in four dimensions plays crucial roles in explaining several astrophysical and cosmological observations. Therefore, the detection of axionic hairs/Kalb-Ramond field which appears as closed string excitations in the heterotic string spectrum may provide a profound insight to our understanding of the current universe. The current level of precision achieved in solar-system based tests employed to test general relativity, is not sufficient to detect the presence of axion. However, the near horizon regime of quasars where the curvature effects are maximum seems to be a natural laboratory to probe such additions to the matter sector. The continuum spectrum emitted from the accretion disk around quasars encapsulates the imprints of the background spacetime and hence acts as a storehouse of information regarding the nature of gravitational interaction in extreme situations. The surfeit of data available in the electromagnetic domain provides a further motivation to explore such systems. Using the optical data for eighty Palomar Green quasars we demonstrate that the theoretical estimates of optical luminosity explain the observations best when the axionic field is assumed to be absent. However, axion which violates the energy condition seems to be favored by observations which has several interesting consequences. Error estimators, including reduced χ2, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, index of agreement and modified versions of the last two are used to solidify our conclusion and the implications of our result are discussed.

Supersonic gas streams enhance the formation of massive black holes in the early universe.

PubMed

Hirano, Shingo; Hosokawa, Takashi; Yoshida, Naoki; Kuiper, Rolf

2017-09-29

The origin of super-massive black holes in the early universe remains poorly understood. Gravitational collapse of a massive primordial gas cloud is a promising initial process, but theoretical studies have difficulty growing the black hole fast enough. We report numerical simulations of early black hole formation starting from realistic cosmological conditions. Supersonic gas motions left over from the Big Bang prevent early gas cloud formation until rapid gas condensation is triggered in a protogalactic halo. A protostar is formed in the dense, turbulent gas cloud, and it grows by sporadic mass accretion until it acquires 34,000 solar masses. The massive star ends its life with a catastrophic collapse to leave a black hole-a promising seed for the formation of a monstrous black hole. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

The origin of ICM enrichment in the outskirts of present-day galaxy clusters from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biffi, V.; Planelles, S.; Borgani, S.; Rasia, E.; Murante, G.; Fabjan, D.; Gaspari, M.

2018-05-01

The uniformity of the intracluster medium (ICM) enrichment level in the outskirts of nearby galaxy clusters suggests that chemical elements were deposited and widely spread into the intergalactic medium before the cluster formation. This observational evidence is supported by numerical findings from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, as presented in Biffi et al., including the effect of thermal feedback from active galactic nuclei. Here, we further investigate this picture, by tracing back in time the spatial origin and metallicity evolution of the gas residing at z = 0 in the outskirts of simulated galaxy clusters. In these regions, we find a large distribution of iron abundances, including a component of highly enriched gas, already present at z = 2. At z > 1, the gas in the present-day outskirts was distributed over tens of virial radii from the main cluster and had been already enriched within high-redshift haloes. At z = 2, about 40 {per cent} of the most Fe-rich gas at z = 0 was not residing in any halo more massive than 10^{11} h^{-1} M_{⊙} in the region and yet its average iron abundance was already 0.4, w.r.t. the solar value by Anders & Grevesse. This confirms that the in situ enrichment of the ICM in the outskirts of present-day clusters does not play a significant role, and its uniform metal abundance is rather the consequence of the accretion of both low-metallicity and pre-enriched (at z > 2) gas, from the diffuse component and through merging substructures. These findings do not depend on the mass of the cluster nor on its core properties.

Weak-Lensing Mass Calibration of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Equatorial Sunyaev-Zeldovich Cluster Sample with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Stripe 82 Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Battaglia, N.; Leauthaud, A.; Miyatake, H.; Hasseleld, M.; Gralla, M. B.; Allison, R.; Bond, J. R.; Calabrese, E.; Crichton, D.; Devlin, M. J.;

De Sitter universe described by a binary mixture with a variable cosmological constant λ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswal, S. K.

2018-04-01

We have constructed a self-consistent system of Bianchi Type VI0 cosmology, and mingling of perfect fluid and dark energy in five dimensions. The usual equation of state p = γ ρ with γ \\in [0, 1] is chosen by the perfect fluid. The dark energy assumed to be chosen is taken into consideration to be either the quintessence or Chaplygin gas. The same solutions pertaining to the corresponding the field equations of Einstein are obtained as a quadrature. State parameter's equations for dark energy ω is found to be consistent enough with the recent observations of SNe Ia data (SNe Ia data with CMBR anisotropy) and galaxy clustering statistics. Here our models predict that the rate of expansion of Universe would increase with passage of time. The cosmological constant Λ is traced as a declining function of time and it gets nearer to a small positive value later on which is supported by the results from the current supernovae Ia observations. Also a detail discussion is made on the physical and geometrical aspects of the models.

Preliminary constraints on variable w dark energy cosmologies from the SNLS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlberg, R. G.; Conley, A.; Howell, D. A.; Neill, J. D.; Perrett, K.; Pritchet, C. J.; Sullivan, M.

2005-12-01

The first 71 confirmed Ia supernovae from the Supernova Legacy Survey being conducted with CFHT imaging and Gemini, VLT and Keck spectroscopy set limits on variable dark energy cosmological models. For a generalized Chaplygin gas, in which the dark energy content is (1-Ω M)/ρ a, we find that a is statistically consistent with zero, with a best fit a=-0.2±-0.3 (68 systematic errors requires a further refinement of the photometric calibration and the potential model biases. A variable dark energy equation of state with w=w0+w_1 z shows the expected degeneracy between increasingly positive w0 and negative w1. The existing data rule out the parameters of the Weller & Linder (2002) Super-gravity inspired model cosmology (w0,w_1)=(-0.81,0.31). The full 700 Ia of the completed survey will provide a statistical error limit of w1 of about 0.2 and significant constraints on variable w models. The Canadian NSERC provided funding for the scientific analysis. These results are based on observations obtained at the CFHT, Gemini, VLT and Keck observatories.

Weak-lensing mass calibration of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope equatorial Sunyaev-Zeldovich cluster sample with the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope stripe 82 survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Battaglia, N.; Miyatake, H.; Hasselfield, M.

Mass calibration uncertainty is the largest systematic effect for using clusters of galaxies to constrain cosmological parameters. We present weak lensing mass measurements from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Stripe 82 Survey for galaxy clusters selected through their high signal-to-noise thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) signal measured with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). For a sample of 9 ACT clusters with a tSZ signal-to-noise greater than five the average weak lensing mass is (4.8±0.8) ×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙}, consistent with the tSZ mass estimate of (4.70±1.0) ×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙} which assumes a universal pressure profile for the cluster gas. Our results are consistentmore » with previous weak-lensing measurements of tSZ-detected clusters from the Planck satellite. When comparing our results, we estimate the Eddington bias correction for the sample intersection of Planck and weak-lensing clusters which was previously excluded.« less

Emergent Geometry from Entropy and Causality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelhardt, Netta

In this thesis, we investigate the connections between the geometry of spacetime and aspects of quantum field theory such as entanglement entropy and causality. This work is motivated by the idea that spacetime geometry is an emergent phenomenon in quantum gravity, and that the physics responsible for this emergence is fundamental to quantum field theory. Part I of this thesis is focused on the interplay between spacetime and entropy, with a special emphasis on entropy due to entanglement. In general spacetimes, there exist locally-defined surfaces sensitive to the geometry that may act as local black hole boundaries or cosmological horizons; these surfaces, known as holographic screens, are argued to have a connection with the second law of thermodynamics. Holographic screens obey an area law, suggestive of an association with entropy; they are also distinguished surfaces from the perspective of the covariant entropy bound, a bound on the total entropy of a slice of the spacetime. This construction is shown to be quite general, and is formulated in both classical and perturbatively quantum theories of gravity. The remainder of Part I uses the Anti-de Sitter/ Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence to both expand and constrain the connection between entanglement entropy and geometry. The AdS/CFT correspondence posits an equivalence between string theory in the "bulk" with AdS boundary conditions and certain quantum field theories. In the limit where the string theory is simply classical General Relativity, the Ryu-Takayanagi and more generally, the Hubeny-Rangamani-Takayanagi (HRT) formulae provide a way of relating the geometry of surfaces to entanglement entropy. A first-order bulk quantum correction to HRT was derived by Faulkner, Lewkowycz and Maldacena. This formula is generalized to include perturbative quantum corrections in the bulk at any (finite) order. Hurdles to spacetime emergence from entanglement entropy as described by HRT and its quantum generalizations are discussed, both at the classical and perturbatively quantum limits. In particular, several No Go Theorems are proven, indicative of a conclusion that supplementary approaches or information may be necessary to recover the full spacetime geometry. Part II of this thesis involves the relation between geometry and causality, the property that information cannot travel faster than light. Requiring this of any quantum field theory results in constraints on string theory setups that are dual to quantum field theories via the AdS/CFT correspondence. At the level of perturbative quantum gravity, it is shown that causality in the field theory constraints the causal structure in the bulk. At the level of nonperturbative quantum string theory, we find that constraints on causal signals restrict the possible ways in which curvature singularities can be resolved in string theory. Finally, a new program of research is proposed for the construction of bulk geometry from the divergences of correlation functions in the dual field theory. This divergence structure is linked to the causal structure of the bulk and of the field theory.

Manifold, bus support and coupling arrangement for solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Parry, G.W.

1988-04-21

Individual, tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are assembled into bundles called a module within a housing, with a plurality of modules arranged end-to-end in a linear, stacked configuration called a string. A common set of piping comprised of a suitable high temperature resistant material (1) provides fuel and air to each module housing, (2) serves as electrically conducting buses, and (3) provides structural support for a string of SOFC modules. Ceramic collars are used to connect fuel and air inlet piping to each of the electrodes in an SOFC module and provide (1) electrical insulation for the current carrying bus bars and gas manifolds, (2) damping for the fuel and air inlet piping, and (3) proper spacing between the fuel and air inlet piping to prevent contact between these tubes and possible damage to the SOFC. 11 figs.

STAR CLUSTERS IN A NUCLEAR STAR FORMING RING: THE DISAPPEARING STRING OF PEARLS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Väisänen, Petri; Barway, Sudhanshu; Randriamanakoto, Zara, E-mail: petri@saao.ac.za

2014-12-20

An analysis of the star cluster population in a low-luminosity early-type galaxy, NGC 2328, is presented. The clusters are found in a tight star forming nuclear spiral/ring pattern and we also identify a bar from structural two-dimensional decomposition. These massive clusters are forming very efficiently in the circumnuclear environment and they are young, possibly all less than 30 Myr of age. The clusters indicate an azimuthal age gradient, consistent with a ''pearls-on-a-string'' formation scenario, suggesting bar-driven gas inflow. The cluster mass function has a robust down turn at low masses at all age bins. Assuming clusters are born with a power-lawmore » distribution, this indicates extremely rapid disruption at timescales of just several million years. If found to be typical, it means that clusters born in dense circumnuclear rings do not survive to become old globular clusters in non-interacting systems.« less

Galactic chemical evolution in hierarchical formation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrigoni, Matias

2010-10-01

The chemical properties and abundance ratios of galaxies provide important information about their formation histories. Galactic chemical evolution has been modelled in detail within the monolithic collapse scenario. These models have successfully described the abundance distributions in our Galaxy and other spiral discs, as well as the trends of metallicity and abundance ratios observed in early-type galaxies. In the last three decades, however, the paradigm of hierarchical assembly in a Cold Dark Matter (CDM) cosmology has revised the picture of how structure in the Universe forms and evolves. In this scenario, galaxies form when gas radiatively cools and condenses inside dark matter haloes, which themselves follow dissipationless gravitational collapse. The CDM picture has been successful at predicting many observed properties of galaxies (for example, the luminosity and stellar mass function of galaxies, color-magnitude or star formation rate vs. stellar mass distributions, relative numbers of early and late-type galaxies, gas fractions and size distributions of spiral galaxies, and the global star formation history), though many potential problems and open questions remain. It is therefore interesting to see whether chemical evolution models, when implemented within this modern cosmological context, are able to correctly predict the observed chemical properties of galaxies. With the advent of more powerfull telescopes and detectors, precise observations of chemical abundances and abundance ratios in various phases (stellar, ISM, ICM) offer the opportunity to obtain strong constraints on galaxy formation histories and the physics that shapes them. However, in order to take advantage of these observations, it is necessary to implement detailed modeling of chemical evolution into a modern cosmological model of hierarchical assembly.

THE DARK HALO-SPHEROID CONSPIRACY AND THE ORIGIN OF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Remus, Rhea-Silvia; Burkert, Andreas; Dolag, Klaus

2013-04-01

Dynamical modeling and strong-lensing data indicate that the total density profiles of early-type galaxies are close to isothermal, i.e., {rho}{sub tot}{proportional_to}r {sup {gamma}} with {gamma} Almost-Equal-To -2. To understand the origin of this universal slope we study a set of simulated spheroids formed in isolated binary mergers as well as the formation within the cosmological framework. The total stellar plus dark matter density profiles can always be described by a power law with an index of {gamma} Almost-Equal-To -2.1 with a tendency toward steeper slopes for more compact, lower-mass ellipticals. In the binary mergers the amount of gas involved inmore » the merger determines the precise steepness of the slope. This agrees with results from the cosmological simulations where ellipticals with steeper slopes have a higher fraction of stars formed in situ. Each gas-poor merger event evolves the slope toward {gamma} {approx} -2, once this slope is reached further merger events do not change it anymore. All our ellipticals have flat intrinsic combined stellar and dark matter velocity dispersion profiles. We conclude that flat velocity dispersion profiles and total density distributions with a slope of {gamma} {approx} -2 for the combined system of stars and dark matter act as a natural attractor. The variety of complex formation histories as present in cosmological simulations, including major as well as minor merger events, is essential to generate the full range of observed density slopes seen for present-day elliptical galaxies.« less

BOOK REVIEW: Black Holes, Cosmology and Extra Dimensions Black Holes, Cosmology and Extra Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frolov, Valeri P.

2013-10-01

The book Black holes, Cosmology and Extra Dimensions written by Kirill A Bronnikov and Sergey G Rubin has been published recently by World Scientific Publishing Company. The authors are well known experts in gravity and cosmology. The book is a monograph, a considerable part of which is based on the original work of the authors. Their original point of view on some of the problems makes the book quite interesting, covering a variety of important topics of the modern theory of gravity, astrophysics and cosmology. It consists of 11 chapters which are organized in three parts. The book starts with an introduction, where the authors briefly discuss the main ideas of General Relativity, giving some historical remarks on its development and application to cosmology, and mentioning some more recent subjects such as brane worlds, f(R)-theories and gravity in higher dimensions. Part I of the book is called 'Gravity'. Chapters two and three are devoted to the Einstein equations and their spherical symmetric black hole solutions. This material is quite standard and can be found in practically any book on General Relativity. A brief summary of the Kerr metric and black hole thermodynamics are given in chapter four. The main part of this chapter is devoted to spherically symmetric black holes in non-Einstein gravity (with scalar and phantom fields), black holes with regular interior, and black holes in brane worlds. Chapters five and six are mainly dedicated to wormholes and the problem of their stability. Part II (Cosmology) starts with discussion of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker and de Sitter solutions of the Einstein equations and their properties. It follows by describing a `big picture' of the modern cosmology (inflation, post-inflationary reheating, the radiation-dominated and matter-dominated states, and modern stage of the (secondary) inflation). The authors explain how the inflation models allow one to solve many of the long-standing problems of cosmology, such as flatness of the Universe, the horizon problem and isotropy of cosmological microwave background. All this material is covered in chapter seven. Chapter eight contains brief discussion of several popular inflation models. Chapter nine is devoted to the problem of the large-scale structure formation from initial quantum vacuum fluctuation during the inflation and the spectrum of the density fluctuations. It also contains remarks on the baryonic asymmetry of the Universe, baryogenesis and primordial black holes. Part III covers the material on extra dimensions. It describes how Einstein gravity is modified in the presence of one or more additional spatial dimensions and how these extra dimensions are compactified in the Kaluza-Klein scheme. The authors also discuss how extra dimensions may affect low energy physics. They present examples of higher-dimensional generalizations of the gravity with higher-in-curvature corrections and discuss a possible mechanism of self-stabilization of an extra space. A considerable part of the chapter 10 is devoted to cosmological models with extra dimensions. In particular, the authors discuss how extra dimensions can modify 'standard' inflation models. At the end of this chapter they make several remarks on a possible relation of the value of fundamental constants in our universe with the existence of extra dimensions. Finally, in chapter 11 they demonstrate that several observable properties of the Universe are closely related with the special value of the fundamental physical constants and their fine tuning. They give interesting examples of such fine tuning and summarize many other cases. The book ends with discussion of a so-called 'cascade birth of universes in multidimensional spaces' model, proposed by one of the authors. As is evident from this brief summary of topics presented in the book, many interesting areas of modern gravity and cosmology are covered. However, since the subject is so wide, this inevitably implies that the selection of the topics and level of their presentation in many cases reflects the authors' own preferences. As a result, several important subjects on black holes, cosmology and extra dimensions, widely discussed in the modern literature, are not covered by the book. For example, a reader will not find discussion of non-spherically symmetric higher dimensional black holes which are either non-trivial generalization of the Kerr black holes, or even have a non-spherical topology of the horizon (black rings, black strings and so on). The book does not contain any information on supersymmetric black holes, black branes solutions and their properties. This list can easily be continued (black hole perturbations, gravitational radiation from binary black hole coalescence, cosmology in massive gravity and Hořava-Lifshitz models, etc). However the number of publications connected with the title of the book is so huge now, that it is practically impossible to cover all of them in a single book. Some selection of topics is inevitable. To summarize, I think that the authors did a great job and the book will find its readers. It might be interesting for researchers working in theoretical physics, astrophysics and cosmology. I do not think that it would be very helpful as a textbook for students, although it contains a lot of interesting material which can be used by students for additional reading connected with the basic university courses on gravity and cosmology. It might be also useful to students for their term paper projects and presentations.

New integrable models and analytical solutions in f (R ) cosmology with an ideal gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papagiannopoulos, G.; Basilakos, Spyros; Barrow, John D.; Paliathanasis, Andronikos

2018-01-01

In the context of f (R ) gravity with a spatially flat FLRW metric containing an ideal fluid, we use the method of invariant transformations to specify families of models which are integrable. We find three families of f (R ) theories for which new analytical solutions are given and closed-form solutions are provided.

Topologically massive magnetic monopoles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliev, A. N.; Nutku, Y.; Saygili, K.

2000-10-01

We show that in the Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory of topologically massive electrodynamics the Dirac string of a monopole becomes a cone in anti-de Sitter space with the opening angle of the cone determined by the topological mass, which in turn is related to the square root of the cosmological constant. This proves to be an example of a physical system, a priori completely unrelated to gravity, which nevertheless requires curved spacetime for its very existence. We extend this result to topologically massive gravity coupled to topologically massive electrodynamics within the framework of the theory of Deser, Jackiw and Templeton. The two-component spinor formalism, which is a Newman-Penrose type approach for three dimensions, is extended to include both the electrodynamical and gravitational topologically massive field equations. Using this formalism exact solutions of the coupled Deser-Jackiw-Templeton and Maxwell-Chern-Simons field equations for a topologically massive monopole are presented. These are homogeneous spaces with conical deficit. Pure Einstein gravity coupled to the Maxwell-Chern-Simons field does not admit such a monopole solution.

A geometrical upper bound on the inflaton range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cicoli, Michele; Ciupke, David; Mayrhofer, Christoph; Shukla, Pramod

2018-05-01

We argue that in type IIB LVS string models, after including the leading order moduli stabilisation effects, the moduli space for the remaining flat directions is compact due the Calabi-Yau Kähler cone conditions. In cosmological applications, this gives an inflaton field range which is bounded from above, in analogy with recent results from the weak gravity and swampland conjectures. We support our claim by explicitly showing that it holds for all LVS vacua with h 1,1 = 3 obtained from 4-dimensional reflexive polytopes. In particular, we first search for all Calabi-Yau threefolds from the Kreuzer-Skarke list with h 1,1 = 2, 3 and 4 which allow for LVS vacua, finding several new LVS geometries which were so far unknown. We then focus on the h 1,1 = 3 cases and show that the Kähler cones of all toric hypersurface threefolds force the effective 1-dimensional LVS moduli space to be compact. We find that the moduli space size can generically be trans-Planckian only for K3 fibred examples.

XIII Modave Summer School in Mathematical Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-09-01

The Modave Summer School on Mathematical Physics is a yearly summer school in topics of theoretical physics. Various topics ranging from quantum gravity and cosmology to theoretical particle physics and string theory. The school takes place in Modave, a charming village in the Belgian Ardennes close to Huy. Modave School is organised by PhD students for PhD students, and this makes it rather unique. The courses are taught by Post-Docs or late PhD students, and they are all made of pedagogical, basic blackboard lectures about recent topics in theoretical physics. Participants and lecturers eat and sleep in the same place where the lectures are given. The absence of senior members, and the fact of spending day and night together in an isolated, peaceful place contribute to creating an informal atmosphere and facilitating interactions. Lectures of the thirteenth edition are centered around the following subjects: bulk reconstruction in AdS/CFT, twistor theory, AdS_2/CFT_1 and SYK, geometry and topology, and asymptotic charges.

Astroparticle physics and cosmology.

PubMed

Mitton, Simon

2006-05-20

Astroparticle physics is an interdisciplinary field that explores the connections between the physics of elementary particles and the large-scale properties of the universe. Particle physicists have developed a standard model to describe the properties of matter in the quantum world. This model explains the bewildering array of particles in terms of constructs made from two or three quarks. Quarks, leptons, and three of the fundamental forces of physics are the main components of this standard model. Cosmologists have also developed a standard model to describe the bulk properties of the universe. In this new framework, ordinary matter, such as stars and galaxies, makes up only around 4% of the material universe. The bulk of the universe is dark matter (roughly 23%) and dark energy (about 73%). This dark energy drives an acceleration that means that the expanding universe will grow ever larger. String theory, in which the universe has several invisible dimensions, might offer an opportunity to unite the quantum description of the particle world with the gravitational properties of the large-scale universe.

How many universes are in the multiverse?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Linde, Andrei; Vanchurin, Vitaly

2010-04-15

We argue that the total number of distinguishable locally Friedmann 'universes' generated by eternal inflation is proportional to the exponent of the entropy of inflationary perturbations and is limited by e{sup e3N}, where N is the number of e-folds of slow-roll posteternal inflation. For simplest models of chaotic inflation, N is approximately equal to de Sitter entropy at the end of eternal inflation; it can be exponentially large. However, not all of these universes can be observed by a local observer. In the presence of a cosmological constant {Lambda} the number of distinguishable universes is bounded by e{sup |{Lambda}|-3/4}. Inmore » the context of the string theory landscape, the overall number of different universes is expected to be exponentially greater than the total number of vacua in the landscape. We discuss the possibility that the strongest constraint on the number of distinguishable universes may be related not to the properties of the multiverse but to the properties of observers.« less

Ultra Light Axionic Dark Matter: Galactic Halos and Implications for Observations with Pulsar Timing Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Martino, Ivan; Broadhurst, Tom; Tye, S.-H. Henry; Chiueh, Tzihong; Shive, Hsi-Yu; Lazkoz, Ruth

2018-01-01

The cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm successfully explains the cosmic structure over an enormous span of redshifts. However, it fails when probing the innermost regions of dark matter halos and the properties of the Milky Way's dwarf galaxy satellites. Moreover, the lack of experimental detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) favors alternative candidates such as light axionic dark matter that naturally arise in string theory. Cosmological N-body simulations have shown that axionic dark matter forms a solitonic core of size of ≃ 150 pc in the innermost region of the galactic halos. The oscillating scalar field associated to the axionic dark matter halo produces an oscillating gravitational potential that induces a time dilation of the pulse arrival time of ≃ 400 ns/(m_B/10^{-22} eV) for pulsar within such a solitonic core. Over the whole galaxy, the averaged predicted signal may be detectable with current and forthcoming pulsar timing array telescopes.

European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics, organized by the High Energy and Particle Physics Division of the European Physical Society, is a major international conference that reviews biennially since 1971 the state of our knowledge of the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions. The latest conferences in this series were held in Stockholm, Grenoble, Krakow, Manchester, Lisbon, and Aachen. Jointly organized by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, and the Stefan Meyer Institute for Subatomic Physics of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the 23rd edition of this conference took place in Vienna, Austria. Among the topics covered were Accelerators, Astroparticle Physics, Cosmology and Gravitation, Detector R&D and Data Handling, Education and Outreach, Flavour Physics and Fundamental Symmetries, Heavy Ion Physics, Higgs and New Physics, Neutrino Physics, Non-Perturbative Field Theory and String Theory, QCD and Hadronic Physics, as well as Top and Electroweak Physics.

The area of isodensity contours in cosmological models and galaxy surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryden, Barbara S.; Melott, Adrian L.; Craig, David A.; Gott, J. Richard, III; Weinberg, David H.

1989-01-01

The contour crossing statistic, defined as the mean number of times per unit length that a straight line drawn through the field crosses a given contour, is applied to model density fields and to smoothed samples of galaxies. Models in which the matter is in a bubble structure, in a filamentary net, or in clusters can be distinguished from Gaussian density distributions. The shape of the contour crossing curve in the initially Gaussian fields considered remains Gaussian after gravitational evolution and biasing, as long as the smoothing length is longer than the mass correlation length. With a smoothing length of 5/h Mpc, models containing cosmic strings are indistinguishable from Gaussian distributions. Cosmic explosion models are significantly non-Gaussian, having a bubbly structure. Samples from the CfA survey and the Haynes and Giovanelli (1986) survey are more strongly non-Gaussian at a smoothing length of 6/h Mpc than any of the models examined. At a smoothing length of 12/h Mpc, the Haynes and Giovanelli sample appears Gaussian.

Planck 2010

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

Planck 2010 From the Planck Scale to the ElectroWeak Scale The conference will be the twelfth one in a series of meetings on physics beyond the Standard Model, organized jointly by several European groups: Bonn, CERN, Ecole Polytechnique, ICTP, Madrid, Oxford, Padua, Pisa, SISSA and Warsaw as part of activities in the framework of the European network UNILHC.Topics to be discussed: Supersymmetry Supergravity & string phenomenology Extra dimensions Electroweak symmetry breaking LHC and Tevatron Physics Collider physics Flavor & neutrinos physics Astroparticle & cosmology Gravity & holography Strongly coupled physics & CFT Registration: registration will be open until May 1st. Registration fees amount to 150 CHF and cover the cost of the coffee breaks and the social dinner. Payment has to be made online. The deadline for registration has been postponed to May 7th. However, after May 3th, we shall not accept any talk request any more. The meeting will be partly supported by ° the Marie Curie Initial Training Network "UNILHC" PITN-GA-2009-23792, ° the ERC Advanced Grant "MassTeV" 226371, ° and the CERN-TH unit.

Matrix quantum mechanics on S1 /Z2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betzios, P.; Gürsoy, U.; Papadoulaki, O.

2018-03-01

We study Matrix Quantum Mechanics on the Euclidean time orbifold S1 /Z2. Upon Wick rotation to Lorentzian time and taking the double-scaling limit this theory provides a toy model for a big-bang/big crunch universe in two dimensional non-critical string theory where the orbifold fixed points become cosmological singularities. We derive the MQM partition function both in the canonical and grand canonical ensemble in two different formulations and demonstrate agreement between them. We pinpoint the contribution of twisted states in both of these formulations either in terms of bi-local operators acting at the end-points of time or branch-cuts on the complex plane. We calculate, in the matrix model, the contribution of the twisted states to the torus level partition function explicitly and show that it precisely matches the world-sheet result, providing a non-trivial test of the proposed duality. Finally we discuss some interesting features of the partition function and the possibility of realising it as a τ-function of an integrable hierarchy.

XMM-Newton X-ray and HST weak gravitational lensing study of the extremely X-ray luminous galaxy cluster Cl J120958.9+495352 ( z = 0.902)

DOE PAGES

Tholken, Sophia; Schrabback, Tim; Reiprich, Thomas H.; ...

2018-03-05

Here, observations of relaxed, massive, and distant clusters can provide important tests of standard cosmological models, for example by using the gas mass fraction. To perform this test, the dynamical state of the cluster and its gas properties have to be investigated. X-ray analyses provide one of the best opportunities to access this information and to determine important properties such as temperature profiles, gas mass, and the total X-ray hydrostatic mass. For the last of these, weak gravitational lensing analyses are complementary independent probes that are essential in order to test whether X-ray masses could be biased.

XMM-Newton X-ray and HST weak gravitational lensing study of the extremely X-ray luminous galaxy cluster Cl J120958.9+495352 ( z = 0.902)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tholken, Sophia; Schrabback, Tim; Reiprich, Thomas H.

Here, observations of relaxed, massive, and distant clusters can provide important tests of standard cosmological models, for example by using the gas mass fraction. To perform this test, the dynamical state of the cluster and its gas properties have to be investigated. X-ray analyses provide one of the best opportunities to access this information and to determine important properties such as temperature profiles, gas mass, and the total X-ray hydrostatic mass. For the last of these, weak gravitational lensing analyses are complementary independent probes that are essential in order to test whether X-ray masses could be biased.

Constraints on Dark Energy from Baryon Acoustic Peak and Galaxy Cluster Gas Mass Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samushia, Lado; Ratra, Bharat

2009-10-01

We use baryon acoustic peak measurements by Eisenstein et al. and Percival et al., together with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) measurement of the apparent acoustic horizon angle, and galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements of Allen et al., to constrain a slowly rolling scalar field dark energy model, phiCDM, in which dark energy's energy density changes in time. We also compare our phiCDM results with those derived for two more common dark energy models: the time-independent cosmological constant model, ΛCDM, and the XCDM parameterization of dark energy's equation of state. For time-independent dark energy, the Percival et al. measurements effectively constrain spatial curvature and favor a close to the spatially flat model, mostly due to the WMAP cosmic microwave background prior used in the analysis. In a spatially flat model the Percival et al. data less effectively constrain time-varying dark energy. The joint baryon acoustic peak and galaxy cluster gas mass constraints on the phiCDM model are consistent with but tighter than those derived from other data. A time-independent cosmological constant in a spatially flat model provides a good fit to the joint data, while the α parameter in the inverse power-law potential phiCDM model is constrained to be less than about 4 at 3σ confidence level.

The baryonic mass function of galaxies.

PubMed

Read, J I; Trentham, Neil

2005-12-15

In the Big Bang about 5% of the mass that was created was in the form of normal baryonic matter (neutrons and protons). Of this about 10% ended up in galaxies in the form of stars or of gas (that can be in molecules, can be atomic, or can be ionized). In this work, we measure the baryonic mass function of galaxies, which describes how the baryonic mass is distributed within galaxies of different types (e.g. spiral or elliptical) and of different sizes. This can provide useful constraints on our current cosmology, convolved with our understanding of how galaxies form. This work relies on various large astronomical surveys, e.g. the optical Sloan Digital Sky Survey (to observe stars) and the HIPASS radio survey (to observe atomic gas). We then perform an integral over our mass function to determine the cosmological density of baryons in galaxies: Omega(b,gal)=0.0035. Most of these baryons are in stars: Omega(*)=0.0028. Only about 20% are in gas. The error on the quantities, as determined from the range obtained between different methods, is ca 10%; systematic errors may be much larger. Most (ca 90%) of the baryons in the Universe are not in galaxies. They probably exist in a warm/hot intergalactic medium. Searching for direct observational evidence and deeper theoretical understanding for this will form one of the major challenges for astronomy in the next decade.

TESTING NONSTANDARD COSMOLOGICAL MODELS WITH SNLS3 SUPERNOVA DATA AND OTHER COSMOLOGICAL PROBES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li Zhengxiang; Yu Hongwei; Wu Puxun, E-mail: hwyu@hunnu.edu.cn

2012-01-10

We investigate the implications for some nonstandard cosmological models using data from the first three years of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS3), assuming a spatially flat universe. A comparison between the constraints from the SNLS3 and those from other SN Ia samples, such as the ESSENCE, Union2, SDSS-II, and Constitution samples, is given and the effects of different light-curve fitters are considered. We find that analyzing SNe Ia with SALT2 or SALT or SiFTO can give consistent results and the tensions between different data sets and different light-curve fitters are obvious for fewer-free-parameters models. At the same time, we alsomore » study the constraints from SNLS3 along with data from the cosmic microwave background and the baryonic acoustic oscillations (CMB/BAO), and the latest Hubble parameter versus redshift (H(z)). Using model selection criteria such as {chi}{sup 2}/dof, goodness of fit, Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion, we find that, among all the cosmological models considered here ({Lambda}CDM, constant w, varying w, Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP), modified polytropic Cardassian, and the generalized Chaplygin gas), the flat DGP is favored by SNLS3 alone. However, when additional CMB/BAO or H(z) constraints are included, this is no longer the case, and the flat {Lambda}CDM becomes preferred.« less

Interpreting The Unresolved Intensity Of Cosmologically Redshifted Line Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Switzer, E. R.; Chang, T.-C.; Masui, K. W.; Pen, U.-L.; Voytek, T. C.

2016-01-01

Intensity mapping experiments survey the spectrum of diffuse line radiation rather than detect individual objects at high signal-to-noise ratio. Spectral maps of unresolved atomic and molecular line radiation contain three-dimensional information about the density and environments of emitting gas and efficiently probe cosmological volumes out to high redshift. Intensity mapping survey volumes also contain all other sources of radiation at the frequencies of interest. Continuum foregrounds are typically approximately 10(sup 2)-10(Sup 3) times brighter than the cosmological signal. The instrumental response to bright foregrounds will produce new spectral degrees of freedom that are not known in advance, nor necessarily spectrally smooth. The intrinsic spectra of fore-grounds may also not be well known in advance. We describe a general class of quadratic estimators to analyze data from single-dish intensity mapping experiments and determine contaminated spectral modes from the data themselves. The key attribute of foregrounds is not that they are spectrally smooth, but instead that they have fewer bright spectral degrees of freedom than the cosmological signal. Spurious correlations between the signal and foregrounds produce additional bias. Compensation for signal attenuation must estimate and correct this bias. A successful intensity mapping experiment will control instrumental systematics that spread variance into new modes, and it must observe a large enough volume that contaminant modes can be determined independently from the signal on scales of interest.

Multi-phase gas, clumping and non-thermal pressure in cluster outskirts via X-ray, SZ and lensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morandi, Andrea

2017-09-01

We propose to study multitemperature structure, clumpy gas distribution and non-thermal pressure in the outskirts of a sample of galaxy clusters by means of Chandra X-ray, Sunyaev Zeldovich and lensing data. We propose to recover the X-ray spectroscopic temperatures close to the virial radius and compare them to the average (gas mass-weighted) temperature probed through SZ. Our preliminary analysis reveals compelling evidence of a substantial amounts of cold gas (T 0.8 keV) at subvirial temperature which coexists with the hot (>4 keV) thermal component of the intracluster medium (ICM). The proposed investigation has important implications for understanding the astrophysics of the ICM in the outer volumes and the CDM scenario, and it has crucial ramifications for the cosmology.

Evidencing `Tight Bound States' in the Hydrogen Atom:. Empirical Manipulation of Large-Scale XD in Violation of QED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoroso, Richard L.; Vigier, Jean-Pierre

2013-09-01

In this work we extend Vigier's recent theory of `tight bound state' (TBS) physics and propose empirical protocols to test not only for their putative existence, but also that their existence if demonstrated provides the 1st empirical evidence of string theory because it occurs in the context of large-scale extra dimensionality (LSXD) cast in a unique M-Theoretic vacuum corresponding to the new Holographic Anthropic Multiverse (HAM) cosmological paradigm. Physicists generally consider spacetime as a stochastic foam containing a zero-point field (ZPF) from which virtual particles restricted by the quantum uncertainty principle (to the Planck time) wink in and out of existence. According to the extended de Broglie-Bohm-Vigier causal stochastic interpretation of quantum theory spacetime and the matter embedded within it is created annihilated and recreated as a virtual locus of reality with a continuous quantum evolution (de Broglie matter waves) governed by a pilot wave - a `super quantum potential' extended in HAM cosmology to be synonymous with the a `force of coherence' inherent in the Unified Field, UF. We consider this backcloth to be a covariant polarized vacuum of the (generally ignored by contemporary physicists) Dirac type. We discuss open questions of the physics of point particles (fermionic nilpotent singularities). We propose a new set of experiments to test for TBS in a Dirac covariant polarized vacuum LSXD hyperspace suggestive of a recently tested special case of the Lorentz Transformation put forth by Kowalski and Vigier. These protocols reach far beyond the recent battery of atomic spectral violations of QED performed through NIST.

Human development VII: a spiral fractal model of fine structure of physical energy could explain central aspects of biological information, biological organization and biological creativity.

PubMed

Ventegodt, Søren; Hermansen, Tyge Dahl; Flensborg-Madsen, Trine; Rald, Erik; Nielsen, Maj Lyck; Merrick, Joav

2006-11-14

In this paper we have made a draft of a physical fractal essence of the universe, a sketch of a new cosmology, which we believe to lay at the root of our new holistic biological paradigm. We present the fractal roomy spiraled structures and the energy-rich dancing "infinite strings" or lines of the universe that our hypothesis is based upon. The geometric language of this cosmology is symbolic and both pre-mathematical and pre-philosophical. The symbols are both text and figures, and using these we step by step explain the new model that at least to some extent is able to explain the complex informational system behind morphogenesis, ontogenesis, regeneration and healing. We suggest that it is from this highly dynamic spiraled structure that organization of cells, organs, and the wholeness of the human being including consciousness emerge. The model of "dancing fractal spirals" carries many similarities to premodern cultures descriptions of the energy of the life and universe. Examples are the Native American shamanistic descriptions of their perception of energy and the old Indian Yogis descriptions of the life-energy within the body and outside. Similar ideas of energy and matter are found in the modern superstring theories. The model of the informational system of the organism gives new meaning to Bateson's definition of information: "A difference that makes a difference", and indicates how information-directed self-organization can exist on high structural levels in living organisms, giving birth to their subjectivity and consciousness.

Radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the formation of direct-collapse supermassive stellar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chon, Sunmyon; Hosokawa, Takashi; Yoshida, Naoki

2018-04-01

Formation of supermassive stars (SMSs) with mass ≳104 M⊙ is a promising pathway to seed the formation of supermassive black holes in the early universe. The so-called direct-collapse (DC) model postulates that such an SMS forms in a hot gas cloud irradiated by a nearby star-forming galaxy. We study the DC SMS formation in a fully cosmological context using three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations. We initialize our simulations using the outputs of the cosmological simulation of Chon et al., where two DC gas clouds are identified. The long-term evolution over a hundred thousand years is followed from the formation of embryo protostars through their growth to SMSs. We show that the strength of the tidal force by a nearby galaxy determines the multiplicity of the formed stars and affects the protostellar growth. In one case, where a collapsing cloud is significantly stretched by strong tidal force, multiple star-disc systems are formed via filament fragmentation. Small-scale fragmentation occurs in each circumstellar disc, and more than 10 stars with masses of a few ×103 M⊙ are finally formed. Interestingly, about a half of them are found as massive binary stars. In the other case, the gas cloud collapses nearly spherically under a relatively weak tidal field, and a single star-disc system is formed. Only a few SMSs with masses ˜104 M⊙ are found already after evolution of a hundred thousand years, and the SMSs are expected to grow further by gas accretion and to leave massive black holes at the end of their lives.

Physical Origins of Gas Motions in Galaxy Cluster Cores: Interpreting Hitomi Observations of the Perseus Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Erwin T.; Gaspari, Massimo; Nagai, Daisuke; Coppi, Paolo

2017-11-01

The Hitomi X-ray satellite has provided the first direct measurements of the plasma velocity dispersion in a galaxy cluster. It finds a relatively “quiescent” gas with a line-of-sight velocity dispersion {σ }v,{los}≃ 160 {km} {{{s}}}-1, at 30-60 kpc from the cluster center. This is surprising given the presence of jets and X-ray cavities that indicates on-going activity and feedback from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the cluster center. Using a set of mock Hitomi observations generated from a suite of state-of-the-art cosmological cluster simulations, and an isolated but higher resolution simulation of gas physics in the cluster core, including the effects of cooling and AGN feedback, we examine the likelihood of Hitomi detecting a cluster with the observed velocities. As long as the Perseus has not experienced a major merger in the last few gigayears, and AGN feedback is operating in a “‘gentle” mode, we reproduce the level of gas motions observed by Hitomi. The frequent mechanical AGN feedback generates net line-of-sight velocity dispersions ˜ 100{--}200 {km} {{{s}}}-1, bracketing the values measured in the Perseus core. The large-scale velocity shear observed across the core, on the other hand, is generated mainly by cosmic accretion such as mergers. We discuss the implications of these results for AGN feedback physics and cluster cosmology and progress that needs to be made in both simulations and observations, including a Hitomi re-flight and calorimeter-based instruments with higher spatial resolution.

Simulations of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signal

DOE PAGES

Flender, Samuel; Bleem, Lindsey; Finkel, Hal; ...

2016-05-26

The pairwise kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal from galaxy clusters is a probe of their line of sight momenta, and thus a potentially valuable source of cosmological information. In addition to the momenta, the amplitude of the measured signal depends on the properties of the intracluster gas and observational limitations such as errors in determining cluster centers and redshifts. In this work, we simulate the pairwise kSZ signal of clusters atmore » $$z\\lt 1$$, using the output from a cosmological N-body simulation and including the properties of the intracluster gas via a model that can be varied in post-processing. We find that modifications to the gas profile due to star formation and feedback reduce the pairwise kSZ amplitude of clusters by $$\\sim 50\\%$$, relative to the naive "gas traces mass" assumption. We demonstrate that miscentering can reduce the overall amplitude of the pairwise kSZ signal by up to 10%, while redshift errors can lead to an almost complete suppression of the signal at small separations. We confirm that a high-significance detection is expected from the combination of data from current generation, high-resolution cosmic microwave background experiments, such as the South Pole Telescope, and cluster samples from optical photometric surveys, such as the Dark Energy Survey. As a result, we forecast that future experiments such as Advanced ACTPol in conjunction with data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument will yield detection significances of at least $$20\\sigma $$, and up to $$57\\sigma $$ in an optimistic scenario.« less

String scattering amplitudes and deformed cubic string field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Sheng-Hong; Lee, Jen-Chi; Lee, Taejin; Yang, Yi

2018-01-01

We study string scattering amplitudes by using the deformed cubic string field theory which is equivalent to the string field theory in the proper-time gauge. The four-string scattering amplitudes with three tachyons and an arbitrary string state are calculated. The string field theory yields the string scattering amplitudes evaluated on the world sheet of string scattering whereas the conventional method, based on the first quantized theory brings us the string scattering amplitudes defined on the upper half plane. For the highest spin states, generated by the primary operators, both calculations are in perfect agreement. In this case, the string scattering amplitudes are invariant under the conformal transformation, which maps the string world sheet onto the upper half plane. If the external string states are general massive states, generated by non-primary field operators, we need to take into account carefully the conformal transformation between the world sheet and the upper half plane. We show by an explicit calculation that the string scattering amplitudes calculated by using the deformed cubic string field theory transform into those of the first quantized theory on the upper half plane by the conformal transformation, generated by the Schwarz-Christoffel mapping.

Covariant open bosonic string field theory on multiple D-branes in the proper-time gauge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Taejin

2017-12-01

We construct a covariant open bosonic string field theory on multiple D-branes, which reduces to a non-Abelian group Yang-Mills gauge theory in the zero-slope limit. Making use of the first quantized open bosonic string in the proper time gauge, we convert the string amplitudes given by the Polyakov path integrals on string world sheets into those of the second quantized theory. The world sheet diagrams generated by the constructed open string field theory are planar in contrast to those of the Witten's cubic string field theory. However, the constructed string field theory is yet equivalent to the Witten's cubic string field theory. Having obtained planar diagrams, we may adopt the light-cone string field theory technique to calculate the multi-string scattering amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external strings. We examine in detail the three-string vertex diagram and the effective four-string vertex diagrams generated perturbatively by the three-string vertex at tree level. In the zero-slope limit, the string scattering amplitudes are identified precisely as those of non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge theory if the external states are chosen to be massless vector particles.

E(lementary)-strings in six-dimensional heterotic F-theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Kang-Sin; Rey, Soo-Jong

2017-09-01

Using E-strings, we can analyze not only six-dimensional superconformal field theories but also probe vacua of non-perturabative heterotic string. We study strings made of D3-branes wrapped on various two-cycles in the global F-theory setup. We claim that E-strings are elementary in the sense that various combinations of E-strings can form M-strings as well as heterotic strings and new kind of strings, called G-strings. Using them, we show that emissions and combinations of heterotic small instantons generate most of known six-dimensional superconformal theories, their affinizations and little string theories. Taking account of global structure of compact internal geometry, we also show that special combinations of E-strings play an important role in constructing six-dimensional theories of D- and E-types. We check global consistency conditions from anomaly cancellation conditions, both from five-branes and strings, and show that they are given in terms of elementary E-string combinations.

Gravitational Scattering Amplitudes and Closed String Field Theory in the Proper-Time Gauge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Taejin

2018-01-01

We construct a covariant closed string field theory by extending recent works on the covariant open string field theory in the proper-time gauge. Rewriting the string scattering amplitudes generated by the closed string field theory in terms of the Polyakov string path integrals, we identify the Fock space representations of the closed string vertices. We show that the Fock space representations of the closed string field theory may be completely factorized into those of the open string field theory. It implies that the well known Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) relations of the first quantized string theory may be promoted to the second quantized closed string theory. We explicitly calculate the scattering amplitudes of three gravitons by using the closed string field theory in the proper-time gauge.

Hot string soup: Thermodynamics of strings near the Hagedorn transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, David A.; Thorlacius, Lárus

1995-01-01

Above the Hagedorn energy density closed fundamental strings form a long string phase. The dynamics of weakly interacting long strings is described by a simple Boltzmann equation which can be solved explicitly for equilibrium distributions. The averge total number of long strings grows logarithmically with total energy in the microcanonical ensemble. This is consistent with calculations of the free single string density of states provided the thermodynamic limit is carefully defined. If the theory contains open strings the long string phase is suppressed.

Gas-rich dwarfs and accretion phenomena in early-type galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silk, J.; Norman, C.

1979-01-01

An analysis is presented of the combined effects of cloud accretion and galactic winds and coronae. An accretion model is developed wherein gas-rich dwarf galaxies are accreted into galactic halos, which provides an adequate source of H I to account for observations of neutral gas in early-type galaxies. Accretion is found to fuel the wind, thereby regulating the accretion flow and yielding a time-dependent model for star formation, enrichment, and nuclear activity. The permissible parameter range for intergalactic gas clouds and galaxy groups is discussed, along with the frequency of gas-rich dwarfs and their large ratios of gas mass to luminosity. Also considered is the occurrence of gas stripping and the consequent formation of dwarf spheroidal systems that remain in the halo, and gas clouds that dissipate and suffer further infall. A cosmological implication of the model is that, because the characteristic time scale of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy to be accreted and lose its gas is comparable to a Hubble time, there may have been a far more extensive primordial distribution of such systems at earlier epochs.

The topological susceptibility in finite temperature QCD and axion cosmology

DOE PAGES

Petreczky, Peter; Schadler, Hans-Peter; Sharma, Sayantan

2016-10-06

We study the topological susceptibility in 2+1 flavor QCD above the chiral crossover transition temperature using Highly Improved Staggered Quark action and several lattice spacings corresponding to temporal extent of the lattice, N τ=6,8,10 and 12. We observe very distinct temperature dependences of the topological susceptibility in the ranges above and below 250MeV. While for temperatures above 250MeV, the dependence is found to be consistent with dilute instanton gas approximation, at lower temperatures the fall-off of topological susceptibility is milder. We discuss the consequence of our results for cosmology wherein we estimate the bounds on the axion decay constant andmore » the oscillation temperature if indeed the QCD axion is a possible dark matter candidate.« less

Cosmic Rays and Their Radiative Processes in Numerical Cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryu, Dongsu; Miniati, Francesco; Jones, Tom W.; Kang, Hyesung

2000-01-01

A cosmological hydrodynamic code is described, which includes a routine to compute cosmic ray acceleration and transport in a simplified way. The routine was designed to follow explicitly diffusive, acceleration at shocks, and second-order Fermi acceleration and adiabatic loss in smooth flows. Synchrotron cooling of the electron population can also be followed. The updated code is intended to be used to study the properties of nonthermal synchrotron emission and inverse Compton scattering from electron cosmic rays in clusters of galaxies, in addition to the properties of thermal bremsstrahlung emission from hot gas. The results of a test simulation using a grid of 128 (exp 3) cells are presented, where cosmic rays and magnetic field have been treated passively and synchrotron cooling of cosmic ray electrons has not been included.

The topological susceptibility in finite temperature QCD and axion cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petreczky, Peter; Schadler, Hans-Peter; Sharma, Sayantan

We study the topological susceptibility in 2+1 flavor QCD above the chiral crossover transition temperature using Highly Improved Staggered Quark action and several lattice spacings corresponding to temporal extent of the lattice, N τ=6,8,10 and 12. We observe very distinct temperature dependences of the topological susceptibility in the ranges above and below 250MeV. While for temperatures above 250MeV, the dependence is found to be consistent with dilute instanton gas approximation, at lower temperatures the fall-off of topological susceptibility is milder. We discuss the consequence of our results for cosmology wherein we estimate the bounds on the axion decay constant andmore » the oscillation temperature if indeed the QCD axion is a possible dark matter candidate.« less

Cosmic Rays and Their Radiative Processes in Numerical Cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, D.; Miniati, F.; Jones, T. W.; Kang, H.

2000-05-01

A cosmological hydrodynamic code is described, which includes a routine to compute cosmic ray acceleration and transport in a simplified way. The routine was designed to follow explicitly diffusive acceleration at shocks, and second-order Fermi acceleration and adiabatic loss in smooth flows. Synchrotron cooling of the electron population can also be followed. The updated code is intended to be used to study the properties of nonthermal synchrotron emission and inverse Compton scattering from electron cosmic rays in clusters of galaxies, in addition to the properties of thermal bremsstrahlung emission from hot gas. The results of a test simulation using a grid of 1283 cells are presented, where cosmic rays and magnetic field have been treated passively and synchrotron cooling of cosmic ray electrons has not been included.

Comparison of dark energy models after Planck 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yue-Yao; Zhang, Xin

2016-11-01

We make a comparison for ten typical, popular dark energy models according to their capabilities of fitting the current observational data. The observational data we use in this work include the JLA sample of type Ia supernovae observation, the Planck 2015 distance priors of cosmic microwave background observation, the baryon acoustic oscillations measurements, and the direct measurement of the Hubble constant. Since the models have different numbers of parameters, in order to make a fair comparison, we employ the Akaike and Bayesian information criteria to assess the worth of the models. The analysis results show that, according to the capability of explaining observations, the cosmological constant model is still the best one among all the dark energy models. The generalized Chaplygin gas model, the constant w model, and the α dark energy model are worse than the cosmological constant model, but still are good models compared to others. The holographic dark energy model, the new generalized Chaplygin gas model, and the Chevalliear-Polarski-Linder model can still fit the current observations well, but from an economically feasible perspective, they are not so good. The new agegraphic dark energy model, the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model, and the Ricci dark energy model are excluded by the current observations.

Reionization of the Universe and the Photoevaporation of Cosmological Minihalos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shapiro, Paul R.; Raga, Alejandro C.

2000-01-01

The first sources of ionizing radiation to condense out of the dark and neutral Intergalactic Medium (IGM) sent ionization fronts sweeping outward through their surroundings, overtaking other condensed objects and photoevaporating them. This feedback effect of universal reionization on cosmic structure formation is demonstrated here for the case of a cosmological minihalo of dark matter and baryons exposed to an external source of ionizing radiation with a quasar-like spectrum, just after the passage of the global ionization front created by the source. We model the pre-ionization minihalo as a truncated, nonsingular isothermal sphere in hydrostatic equilibrium following its collapse out of the expanding background universe and virialization. Results are presented of the first, gas dynamical simulations of this process, including radiative transfer. A sample of observational diagnostics is also presented, including the spatially-varying ionization levels of C, N, and O in the flow if a trace of heavy elements is present and the integrated column densities of H I, He I and He II, and C IV through the photoevaporating gas at different velocities, which would be measured in absorption against a background source like that responsible for the ionization.

Interplay between topology, gauge fields and gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corichi Rodriguez Gil, Alejandro

In this thesis we consider several physical systems that illustrate an interesting interplay between quantum theory, connections and knot theory. It can be divided into two parts. In the first one, we consider the quantization of the free Maxwell field. We show that there is an important role played by knot theory, and in particular the Gauss linking number, in the quantum theory. This manifestation is twofold. The first occurs at the level of the algebra of observables given by fluxes of electric and magnetic field across surfaces. The commutator of the operators, and thus the basic uncertainty relations, are given in terms of the linking number of the loops that bound the surfaces. Next, we consider the quantization of the Maxwell field based on self-dual connections in the loop representation. We show that the measure which determines the quantum inner product can be expressed in terms of the self linking number of thickened loops. Therefore, the linking number manifests itself at two key points of the theory: the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the inner product. In the second part, we bring gravity into play. First we consider quantum test particles on certain stationary space-times. We demonstrate that a geometric phase exists for those space-times and focus on the example of a rotating cosmic string. The geometric phase can be explicitly computed, providing a fully relativistic gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect. Finally, we consider 3-dimensional gravity with non-vanishing cosmological constant in the connection dynamics formulation. We restrict our attention to Lorentzian gravity with positive cosmological constant and Euclidean signature with negative cosmological constant. A complex transformation is performed in phase space that makes the constraints simple. The reduced phase space is characterized as the moduli space of flat complex connections. We construct the quantization of the theory when the initial hyper-surface is a torus. Two important issues relevant to full 3 + 1 gravity are clarified, namely, the incorporation of the 'reality conditions' in the quantum theory and the role played by the signature of the classical metric in the quantum theory.

The solar system/interstellar medium connection - Gas phase abundances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutz, Barry L.

1987-01-01

Gas-phase abundances in the outer solar system are presented as diagnostics of the interstellar medium at the time of the solar system formation, some 4.55 billion years ago. Possible influences of the thermal and chemical histories of the primitive solar nebula and of the processes which led to the formation and evolution of the outer planets and comets on the elemental and molecular composition of the primordial matter are outlined. The major components of the atmospheres of the outer planets and of the comae of comets are identified, and the cosmogonical and cosmological implications are discussed.

Micrometeorite Impact Test of Flex Solar Array Coupon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, K. H.; Schneider, T. A.; Vaughn, J. A.; Hoang, B.; Wong, F.; Gardiner, G.

2016-01-01

Spacecraft with solar arrays operate throughout the near earth environment and are increasingly planned for outer planet missions. An often overlooked test condition for solar arrays that is applicable to these missions is micrometeorite impacts and possibly electrostatic discharge (ESD) events resulting from these impacts. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is partnering with Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SSL) to examine the results of simulated micrometeorite impacts on the electrical performance of an advanced, lightweight flexible solar array design. The test is performed at NASA MSFC's Microlight Gas Gun Facility. The SSL-provided coupons consist of three strings, each string with two solar cells in series. Five impacts will be induced at various locations on a powered test coupon under different string voltage (0 volts - 150 volts) and string current (1.1 amperes - 1.65 amperes) conditions. The maximum specified test voltage and current represent margins of 1.5 times for both voltage and current. The test parameters are chosen to demonstrate new array design robustness to any ESD event caused by plasma plumes resulting from a simulated micrometeorite impact. A second unpowered coupon will undergo two impacts: one impact on the front side and one impact on the back side. Following the impact testing, the second coupon will be exposed to a thermal cycle test to determine possible damage propagation and further electrical degradation due to thermally-induced stress. The setup, checkout, and results from the impact testing are discussed. The challenges for impact testing include precise coupon alignment to control impact location; pressure management during the impact process; and measurement of the true transient electrical response during impact on the powered coupon. Results from pre- and post-test visual and electrical functional testing are also discussed.

The connection between dark and baryonic matter in the process of galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillo, Sebastian

2014-01-01

Current galaxy formation theory still struggles to explain many essential galaxy properties. This thesis addresses these problems in the context of the interplay between baryons and dark matter in the concordance cosmological model. In the first part, we investigate galaxy abundance and scaling relations using a compilation of observational data along with large-scale cosmological simulations of dark matter (DM). We find that the standard cosmological model, in conjunction with halo abundance matching (HAM) and simple dynamical corrections, fits all basic statistics of galaxies more massive than the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This zero-parameter model predicts the observed luminosity-velocity relation of early-and late-type galaxies, as well as the clustering of bright galaxies and the observed abundance of galaxies as a function of circular velocity. However, we find that all DM halos more massive than the LMC are much more abundant than the galaxies they host. Motivated by the model's shortcomings, in the second part we study the effect of baryons on galaxy formation using numerical simulations that include gas physics. We implement a model of star formation (SF) and stellar feedback based directly on observations of star-forming regions, where stellar feedback from massive stars includes radiation pressure, photoheating, supernovae, and stellar winds. We find that stellar radiation has a strong effect at z > 1, where it efficiently suppresses SF by dispersing cold and dense gas, preventing runaway growth of the stellar component, and yielding rising SF histories that reproduce many observations. Stellar feedback produces bulgeless discs with rotation curves and baryon fractions in excellent agreement with data. Feedback-driven blowouts reduce the central DM density of a dwarf, relieving tension between ACDM and observations. Based on these results, we begin to characterize the baryon cycle of galaxies and its imprint on studies of the circumgalactic medium (CGM). We find that feedback has a large impact on the exchange of gas and metals between the galaxy and the halo. This is evidenced in the spatial distribution of various gas phases and in the kinematics of accretion and outflows. We conclude that synergy between simulations and absorption-line studies is essential for disentangling the physics of galaxy formation in the context of ACDM.

Gas distribution and clumpiness in the galaxy group NGC 2563

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morandi, Andrea; Sun, Ming; Mulchaey, John; Nagai, Daisuke; Bonamente, Massimiliano

2017-08-01

We present a Chandra study of the hot intragroup medium of the galaxy group NCG 2563. The Chandra mosaic observations, with a total exposure time of ˜430 ks, allow the gas density to be detected beyond R200 and the gas temperature out to 0.75 R200. This represents the first observational measurement of the physical properties of a poor groups beyond R500. By capitalizing on the exquisite spatial resolution of Chandra that is capable to remove unrelated emission from point sources and substructures, we are able to radially constrain the inhomogeneities of gas ('clumpiness'), gas fraction, temperature and entropy distribution. Although there is some uncertainty in the measurements, we find evidences of gas clumping in the virialization region, with clumping factor of about 2-3 at R200. The gas clumping-corrected gas fraction is significantly lower than the cosmological baryon budget. These results may indicate a larger impact of the gas inhomogeneities with respect to the prediction from hydrodynamic numerical simulations, and we discuss possible explanations for our findings.

Cosmic strings and superconducting cosmic strings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copeland, Edmund

1988-01-01

The possible consequences of forming cosmic strings and superconducting cosmic strings in the early universe are discussed. Lecture 1 describes the group theoretic reasons for and the field theoretic reasons why cosmic strings can form in spontaneously broken gauge theories. Lecture 2 discusses the accretion of matter onto string loops, emphasizing the scenario with a cold dark matter dominated universe. In lecture 3 superconducting cosmic strings are discussed, as is a mechanism which leads to the formation of structure from such strings.

Dynamics of Galaxy Clusters and Expectations from Astro-H

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markevitch, Maxim

2012-01-01

Galaxy clusters span a range of dynamical states, from violent mergers -- the most energetic events in the Universe -- to systems near hydrostatic equilibrium that allow us to map their dark matter distribution using X-ray observations of the intracluster gas. Accurate knowledge of the cluster physics, and in particular, the physics of the hot intracluster gas, is required to realize the full potential of clusters as cosmological probes. So far, we have been studying the cluster dynamics indirectly, deducing merger geometries, cluster masses, etc., using X-ray brightness and gas temperature mapping. For the first time, the calorimeter onboard Astro-H will provide direct measurements of line-of-sight velocities and turbulent broadening in the intracluster gas, testing many of our key assumptions about clusters. This talk will summarize expectations for cluster dynamic studies with this new instrument.

Hot Gas in Merging Subgroups; Probing the Early Stages of Structure Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machacek, Marie

2014-08-01

To fully understand the growth of large scale structure in hierarchical cosmological models, we must first understand how their building blocks, low mass galaxy subgroups, evolve through mergers. These galaxy subgroups are X-ray faint and difficult to observe at high redshift. The study of near-by subgroup mergers may be used as templates to gain insight into the dominant dynamical processes that are at work in the early universe. We use Chandra observations of edges, tails and wings in a sample of near-by galaxy groups ( Pavo, Telescopium, Pegasus, NGC7618/UGC12491 to measure the properties of the diffuse gas, merger velocities, shocks and non-hydrostatic gas 'sloshing', as their common ICM envelopes evolves.

Baryons at the edge of the X-ray-brightest galaxy cluster.

PubMed

Simionescu, Aurora; Allen, Steven W; Mantz, Adam; Werner, Norbert; Takei, Yoh; Morris, R Glenn; Fabian, Andrew C; Sanders, Jeremy S; Nulsen, Paul E J; George, Matthew R; Taylor, Gregory B

2011-03-25

Studies of the diffuse x-ray-emitting gas in galaxy clusters have provided powerful constraints on cosmological parameters and insights into plasma astrophysics. However, measurements of the faint cluster outskirts have become possible only recently. Using data from the Suzaku x-ray telescope, we determined an accurate, spatially resolved census of the gas, metals, and dark matter out to the edge of the Perseus Cluster. Contrary to previous results, our measurements of the cluster baryon fraction are consistent with the expected universal value at half of the virial radius. The apparent baryon fraction exceeds the cosmic mean at larger radii, suggesting a clumpy distribution of the gas, which is important for understanding the ongoing growth of clusters from the surrounding cosmic web.

Resolving the Small-Scale Structure of the Circumgalactic Medium in Cosmological Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corlies, Lauren

2017-08-01

We propose to resolve the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of L* galaxies down to 100 Msun (250 pc) in a full cosmological simulation to examine how mixing and cooling shape the physical nature of this gas on the scales expected from observations. COS has provided the best characterization of the low-z CGM to date, revealing the extent and amount of low- and high-ions and hinting at the kinematic relations between them. Yet cosmological galaxy simulations that can reproduce the stellar properties of galaxies have all struggled to reproduce these results even qualitatively. However, while the COS data imply that the low-ion absorption is occurring on sub-kpc scales, such scales can not be traced by simulations with resolution between 1-5 kpc in the CGM. Our proposed simulations will, for the first time, reach the resolution required to resolve these structures in the outer halo of L* galaxies. Using the adaptive mesh refinement code enzo, we will experiment with the size, shape, and resolution of an enforced high refinement region extending from the disk into the CGM to identify the best configuration for probing the flows of gas throughout the CGM. Our test case has found that increasing the resolution alone can have dramatic consequences for the density, temperature, and kinematics along a line of sight. Coupling this technique with an independent feedback study already underway will help disentangle the roles of global and small scale physics in setting the physical state of the CGM. Finally, we will use the MISTY pipeline to generate realistic mock spectra for direct comparison with COS data which will be made available through MAST.

Active galactic nuclei feedback, quiescence and circumgalactic medium metal enrichment in early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenreich, Maximilian; Naab, Thorsten; Choi, Ena; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.; Emsellem, Eric

2017-06-01

We present three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations showing the effect of kinetic and radiative active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on a model galaxy representing a massive quiescent low-redshift early-type galaxy of M* = 8.41 × 1010 M⊙, harbouring an MBH = 4 × 108 M⊙ black hole surrounded by a cooling gaseous halo. We show that, for a total baryon fraction of ˜20 per cent of the cosmological value, feedback from the AGN can keep the galaxy quiescent for about 4.35 Gyr and with properties consistent with black hole mass and X-ray luminosity scaling relations. However, this can only be achieved if the AGN feedback model includes both kinetic and radiative feedback modes. The simulation with only kinetic feedback fails to keep the model galaxy fully quiescent, while one with only radiative feedback leads to excessive black hole growth. For higher baryon fractions (e.g. 50 per cent of the cosmological value), the X-ray luminosities exceed observed values by at least one order of magnitude, and rapid cooling results in a star-forming galaxy. The AGN plays a major role in keeping the circumgalactic gas at observed metallicities of Z/Z⊙ ≳ 0.3 within the central ˜30 kpc by venting nuclear gas enriched with metals from residual star formation activity. As indicated by previous cosmological simulations, our results are consistent with a model for which the black hole mass and the total baryon fraction are set at higher redshifts z > 1 and the AGN alone can keep the model galaxy on observed scaling relations. Models without AGN feedback violate both the quiescence criterion as well as circumgalactic medium metallicity constraints.

Testing feedback-modified dark matter haloes with galaxy rotation curves: estimation of halo parameters and consistency with ΛCDM scaling relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Harley; Lelli, Federico; McGaugh, Stacy S.; Di Cintio, Arianna; Brook, Chris B.; Schombert, James M.

2017-04-01

Cosmological N-body simulations predict dark matter (DM) haloes with steep central cusps (e.g. NFW). This contradicts observations of gas kinematics in low-mass galaxies that imply the existence of shallow DM cores. Baryonic processes such as adiabatic contraction and gas outflows can, in principle, alter the initial DM density profile, yet their relative contributions to the halo transformation remain uncertain. Recent high-resolution, cosmological hydrodynamic simulations by Di Cintio et al. (DC14) predict that inner density profiles depend systematically on the ratio of stellar-to-DM mass (M*/Mhalo). Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach, we test the NFW and the M*/Mhalo-dependent DC14 halo models against a sample of 147 galaxy rotation curves from the new Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves data set. These galaxies all have extended H I rotation curves from radio interferometry as well as accurate stellar-mass-density profiles from near-infrared photometry. The DC14 halo profile provides markedly better fits to the data compared to the NFW profile. Unlike NFW, the DC14 halo parameters found in our rotation-curve fits naturally fall within two standard deviations of the mass-concentration relation predicted by Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) and the stellar mass-halo mass relation inferred from abundance matching with few outliers. Halo profiles modified by baryonic processes are therefore more consistent with expectations from ΛCDM cosmology and provide better fits to galaxy rotation curves across a wide range of galaxy properties than do halo models that neglect baryonic physics. Our results offer a solution to the decade long cusp-core discrepancy.

From decay to complete breaking: pulling the strings in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory.

PubMed

Pepe, M; Wiese, U-J

2009-05-15

We study {2Q+1} strings connecting two static charges Q in (2+1)D SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. While the fundamental {2} string between two charges Q=1/2 is unbreakable, the adjoint {3} string connecting two charges Q=1 can break. When a {4} string is stretched beyond a critical length, it decays into a {2} string by gluon pair creation. When a {5} string is stretched, it first decays into a {3} string, which eventually breaks completely. The energy of the screened charges at the ends of a string is well described by a phenomenological constituent gluon model.

Blueprints of the no-scale multiverse at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianjun; Maxin, James A.; Nanopoulos, Dimitri V.; Walker, Joel W.

2011-09-01

We present a contemporary perspective on the String Landscape and the Multiverse of plausible string, M- and F-theory vacua. In contrast to traditional statistical classifications and capitulation to the anthropic principle, we seek only to demonstrate the existence of a nonzero probability for a universe matching our own observed physics within the solution ensemble. We argue for the importance of No-Scale Supergravity as an essential common underpinning for the spontaneous emergence of a cosmologically flat universe from the quantum “nothingness.” Concretely, we continue to probe the phenomenology of a specific model which is testable at the LHC and Tevatron. Dubbed No-Scale F-SU(5), it represents the intersection of the Flipped SU(5) Grand Unified Theory (GUT) with extra TeV-Scale vectorlike multiplets derived out of F-theory, and the dynamics of No-Scale Supergravity, which in turn imply a very restricted set of high-energy boundary conditions. By secondarily minimizing the minimum of the scalar Higgs potential, we dynamically determine the ratio tan⁡β≃15-20 of up- to down-type Higgs vacuum expectation values (VEVs), the universal gaugino boundary mass M1/2≃450GeV, and, consequently, also the total magnitude of the GUT-scale Higgs VEVs, while constraining the low-energy standard model gauge couplings. In particular, this local minimum minimorum lies within the previously described “golden strip,” satisfying all current experimental constraints. We emphasize, however, that the overarching goal is not to establish why our own particular universe possesses any number of specific characteristics, but rather to tease out what generic principles might govern the superset of all possible universes.

Linear perturbations of black holes: stability, quasi-normal modes and tails

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhidenko, Alexander

2009-03-01

Black holes have their proper oscillations, which are called the quasi-normal modes. The proper oscillations of astrophysical black holes can be observed in the nearest future with the help of gravitational wave detectors. Quasi-normal modes are also very important in the context of testing of the stability of black objects, the anti-de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence and in higher dimensional theories, such as the brane-world scenarios and string theory. This dissertation reviews a number of works, which provide a thorough study of the quasi-normal spectrum of a wide class of black holes in four and higher dimensions for fields of various spin and gravitational perturbations. We have studied numerically the dependance of the quasi-normal modes on a number of factors, such as the presence of the cosmological constant, the Gauss-Bonnet parameter or the aether in the space-time, the dependance of the spectrum on parameters of the black hole and fields under consideration. By the analysis of the quasi-normal spectrum, we have studied the stability of higher dimensional Reissner-Nordstrom-de Sitter black holes, Kaluza-Klein black holes with squashed horizons, Gauss-Bonnet black holes and black strings. Special attention is paid to the evolution of massive fields in the background of various black holes. We have considered their quasi-normal ringing and the late-time tails. In addition, we present two new numerical techniques: a generalisation of the Nollert improvement of the Frobenius method for higher dimensional problems and a qualitatively new method, which allows to calculate quasi-normal frequencies for black holes, which metrics are not known analytically.

Gravitational collapse of conventional polytropic cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yu-Qing; Hu, Xu-Yao

2017-07-01

In reference to general polytropic and conventional polytropic hydrodynamic cylinders of infinite length with axial uniformity and axisymmetry under self-gravity, the dynamic evolution of central collapsing mass string in free-fall dynamic accretion phase is re-examined in details. We compare the central mass accretion rate and the envelope mass infall rate at small radii. Among others, we correct mistakes and typos of Kawachi & Hanawa (KH hereafter) and in particular prove that their key asymptotic free-fall solution involving polytropic index γ in the two power exponents is erroneous by analytical analyses and numerical tests. The correct free-fall asymptotic solutions at sufficiently small \\hat{r} (the dimensionless independent self-similar variable) scale as {˜ } -|ln \\hat{r}|^{1/2} in contrast to KH's ˜ -|ln \\hat{r}|^{(2-γ )/2} for the reduced bulk radial flow velocity and as {˜ } \\hat{r}^{-1}|ln \\hat{r}|^{-1/2} in contrast to KH's {˜ } \\hat{r}^{-1} |ln \\hat{r}|^{-(2-γ )/2} for the reduced mass density. We offer consistent scenarios for numerical simulation code testing and theoretical study on dynamic filamentary structure formation and evolution as well as pertinent stability properties. Due to unavoidable Jeans instabilities along the cylinder, such collapsing massive filaments or strings can further break up into clumps and segments of various lengths as well as clumps embedded within segments and evolve into chains of gravitationally collapsed objects (such as gaseous planets, brown dwarfs, protostars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes in a wide mass range, globular clusters, dwarf spheroidals, galaxies, galaxy clusters and even larger mass reservoirs etc.) in various astrophysical and cosmological contexts as articulated by Lou & Hu recently. As an example, we present a model scheme for comparing with observations of molecular filaments for forming protostars, brown dwarfs and gaseous planets and so forth.

Subterranean barriers, methods, and apparatuses for forming, inspecting, selectively heating, and repairing same

DOEpatents

Nickelson, Reva A.; Sloan, Paul A.; Richardson, John G.; Walsh, Stephanie; Kostelnik, Kevin M.

2009-04-07

A subterranean barrier and method for forming same are disclosed, the barrier including a plurality of casing strings wherein at least one casing string of the plurality of casing strings may be affixed to at least another adjacent casing string of the plurality of casing strings through at least one weld, at least one adhesive joint, or both. A method and system for nondestructively inspecting a subterranean barrier is disclosed. For instance, a radiographic signal may be emitted from within a casing string toward an adjacent casing string and the radiographic signal may be detected from within the adjacent casing string. A method of repairing a barrier including removing at least a portion of a casing string and welding a repair element within the casing string is disclosed. A method of selectively heating at least one casing string forming at least a portion of a subterranean barrier is disclosed.

The angular momentum of cosmological coronae and the inside-out growth of spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pezzulli, Gabriele; Fraternali, Filippo; Binney, James

2017-05-01

Massive and diffuse haloes of hot gas (coronae) are important intermediaries between cosmology and galaxy evolution, storing mass and angular momentum acquired from the cosmic web until eventual accretion on to star-forming discs. We introduce a method to reconstruct the rotation of a galactic corona, based on its angular momentum distribution (AMD). This allows us to investigate in what conditions the angular momentum acquired from tidal torques can be transferred to star-forming discs and explain observed galaxy-scale processes, such as inside-out growth and the build-up of abundance gradients. We find that a simple model of an isothermal corona with a temperature slightly smaller than virial and a cosmologically motivated AMD is in good agreement with galaxy evolution requirements, supporting hot-mode accretion as a viable driver for the evolution of spiral galaxies in a cosmological context. We predict moderately sub-centrifugal rotation close to the disc and slow rotation close to the virial radius. Motivated by the observation that the Milky Way has a relatively hot corona (T ≃ 2 × 106 K), we also explore models with a temperature larger than virial. To be able to drive inside-out growth, these models must be significantly affected by feedback, either mechanical (ejection of low angular momentum material) or thermal (heating of the central regions). However, the agreement with galaxy evolution constraints becomes, in these cases, only marginal, suggesting that our first and simpler model may apply to a larger fraction of galaxy evolution history.

Informing New String Programmes: Lessons Learned from an Australian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Fintan; Rickard, Nikki; Gill, Anneliese; Grimmett, Helen

2011-01-01

Although there are many examples of notable string programmes there has been relatively little comparative analysis of these programmes. This paper examines three benchmark string programmes (The University of Illinois String Project, The Tower Hamlets String Teaching Project and Colourstrings) alongside Music4All, an innovative string programme…

[ital N]-string vertices in string field theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bordes, J.; Abdurrahman, A.; Anton, F.

1994-03-15

We give the general form of the vertex corresponding to the interaction of an arbitrary number of strings. The technique employed relies on the comma'' representation of string field theory where string fields and interactions are represented as matrices and operations between them such as multiplication and trace. The general formulation presented here shows that the interaction vertex of [ital N] strings, for any arbitrary [ital N], is given as a function of particular combinations of matrices corresponding to the change of representation between the full string and the half string degrees of freedom.

Detailed evaluation of gas hydrate reservoir properties using JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well downhole well-log displays

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, T.S.

1999-01-01

The JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well project was designed to investigate the occurrence of in situ natural gas hydrate in the Mallik area of the Mackenzie Delta of Canada. Because gas hydrate is unstable at surface pressure and temperature conditions, a major emphasis was placed on the downhole logging program to determine the in situ physical properties of the gas-hydrate-bearing sediments. Downhole logging tool strings deployed in the Mallik 2L-38 well included the Schlumberger Platform Express with a high resolution laterolog, Array Induction Imager Tool, Dipole Shear Sonic Imager, and a Fullbore Formation Microlmager. The downhole log data obtained from the log- and core-inferred gas-hydrate-bearing sedimentary interval (897.25-1109.5 m log depth) in the Mallik 2L-38 well is depicted in a series of well displays. Also shown are numerous reservoir parameters, including gas hydrate saturation and sediment porosity log traces, calculated from available downhole well-log and core data. The gas hydrate accumulation delineated by the Mallik 2L-38 well has been determined to contain as much as 4.15109 m3 of gas in the 1 km2 area surrounding the drill site.

The Birth of String Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappelli, Andrea; Castellani, Elena; Colomo, Filippo; Di Vecchia, Paolo

2012-04-01

Part I. Overview: 1. Introduction and synopsis; 2. Rise and fall of the hadronic string G. Veneziano; 3. Gravity, unification, and the superstring J. H. Schwarz; 4. Early string theory as a challenging case study for philosophers E. Castellani; Part II. The Prehistory: The Analytic S-Matrix: 5. Introduction to Part II; 6. Particle theory in the sixties: from current algebra to the Veneziano amplitude M. Ademollo; 7. The path to the Veneziano model H. R. Rubinstein; 8. Two-component duality and strings P. G. O. Freund; 9. Note on the prehistory of string theory M. Gell-Mann; Part III. The Dual Resonance Model: 10. Introduction to Part III; 11. From the S-matrix to string theory P. Di Vecchia; 12. Reminiscence on the birth of string theory J. A. Shapiro; 13. Personal recollections D. Amati; 14. Early string theory at Fermilab and Rutgers L. Clavelli; 15. Dual amplitudes in higher dimensions: a personal view C. Lovelace; 16. Personal recollections on dual models R. Musto; 17. Remembering the 'supergroup' collaboration F. Nicodemi; 18. The '3-Reggeon vertex' S. Sciuto; Part IV. The String: 19. Introduction to Part IV; 20. From dual models to relativistic strings P. Goddard; 21. The first string theory: personal recollections L. Susskind; 22. The string picture of the Veneziano model H. B. Nielsen; 23. From the S-matrix to string theory Y. Nambu; 24. The analogue model for string amplitudes D. B. Fairlie; 25. Factorization in dual models and functional integration in string theory S. Mandelstam; 26. The hadronic origins of string theory R. C. Brower; Part V. Beyond the Bosonic String: 27. Introduction to Part V; 28. From dual fermion to superstring D. I. Olive; 29. Dual models with fermions: memoirs of an early string theorist P. Ramond; 30. Personal recollections A. Neveu; 31. Aspects of fermionic dual models E. Corrigan; 32. The dual quark models K. Bardakci and M. B. Halpern; 33. Remembering the dawn of relativistic strings J.-L. Gervais; 34. Early string theory in Cambridge: personal recollections C. Montonen; Part VI. The Superstring: 35. Introduction to Part VI; 36. Supersymmetry in string theory F. Gliozzi; 37. Gravity from strings: personal reminiscences of early developments T. Yoneya; 38. From the Nambu-Goto to the σ-model action L. Brink; 39. Locally supersymmetric action for superstring P. Di Vecchia; 40. Personal recollections E. Cremmer; 41. The scientific contributions of Joël Scherk J. H. Schwarz; Part VII. Preparing the String Renaissance: 42. Introduction to Part VII; 43. From strings to superstrings: a personal perspective M. B. Green; 44. Quarks, strings and beyond A. M. Polyakov; 45. The rise of the superstring theory A. Cappelli and F. Colomo; Appendices; Index.

Constraining hydrostatic mass bias of galaxy clusters with high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ota, Naomi; Nagai, Daisuke; Lau, Erwin T.

2018-04-01

Gas motions in galaxy clusters play important roles in determining the properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) and in the constraint of cosmological parameters via X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect observations of galaxy clusters. The Hitomi measurements of gas motions in the core of the Perseus Cluster have provided new insights into the physics in galaxy clusters. The XARM mission, equipped with the Resolve X-ray micro-calorimeter, will continue Hitomi's legacy by measuring ICM motions through Doppler shifting and broadening of emission lines in a larger number of galaxy clusters, and at larger radii. In this work, we investigate how well we can measure bulk and turbulent gas motions in the ICM with XARM, by analyzing mock XARM simulations of galaxy clusters extracted from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We assess how photon counts, spectral fitting methods, multiphase ICM structure, deprojections, and region selection affect the measurements of gas motions. We first show that XARM is capable of recovering the underlying spherically averaged turbulent and bulk velocity profiles for dynamically relaxed clusters to within ˜50% with a reasonable amount of photon counts in the X-ray emission lines. We also find that there are considerable azimuthal variations in the ICM velocities, where the velocities measured in a single azimuthal direction can significantly deviate from the true value even in dynamically relaxed systems. Such variation must be taken into account when interpreting data and developing observing strategies. We will discuss the prospect of using the upcoming XARM mission to measure non-thermal pressure and to correct for the hydrostatic mass bias of galaxy clusters. Our results are broadly applicable for future X-ray missions, such as Athena and Lynx.

Constraining hydrostatic mass bias of galaxy clusters with high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ota, Naomi; Nagai, Daisuke; Lau, Erwin T.

2018-06-01

Gas motions in galaxy clusters play important roles in determining the properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) and in the constraint of cosmological parameters via X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect observations of galaxy clusters. The Hitomi measurements of gas motions in the core of the Perseus Cluster have provided new insights into the physics in galaxy clusters. The XARM mission, equipped with the Resolve X-ray micro-calorimeter, will continue Hitomi's legacy by measuring ICM motions through Doppler shifting and broadening of emission lines in a larger number of galaxy clusters, and at larger radii. In this work, we investigate how well we can measure bulk and turbulent gas motions in the ICM with XARM, by analyzing mock XARM simulations of galaxy clusters extracted from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We assess how photon counts, spectral fitting methods, multiphase ICM structure, deprojections, and region selection affect the measurements of gas motions. We first show that XARM is capable of recovering the underlying spherically averaged turbulent and bulk velocity profiles for dynamically relaxed clusters to within ˜50% with a reasonable amount of photon counts in the X-ray emission lines. We also find that there are considerable azimuthal variations in the ICM velocities, where the velocities measured in a single azimuthal direction can significantly deviate from the true value even in dynamically relaxed systems. Such variation must be taken into account when interpreting data and developing observing strategies. We will discuss the prospect of using the upcoming XARM mission to measure non-thermal pressure and to correct for the hydrostatic mass bias of galaxy clusters. Our results are broadly applicable for future X-ray missions, such as Athena and Lynx.

WEIGHING GALAXY CLUSTERS WITH GAS. I. ON THE METHODS OF COMPUTING HYDROSTATIC MASS BIAS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lau, Erwin T.; Nagai, Daisuke; Nelson, Kaylea, E-mail: erwin.lau@yale.edu

2013-11-10

Mass estimates of galaxy clusters from X-ray and Sunyeav-Zel'dovich observations assume the intracluster gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium with their gravitational potential. However, since galaxy clusters are dynamically active objects whose dynamical states can deviate significantly from the equilibrium configuration, the departure from the hydrostatic equilibrium assumption is one of the largest sources of systematic uncertainties in cluster cosmology. In the literature there have been two methods for computing the hydrostatic mass bias based on the Euler and the modified Jeans equations, respectively, and there has been some confusion about the validity of these two methods. The word 'Jeans' wasmore » a misnomer, which incorrectly implies that the gas is collisionless. To avoid further confusion, we instead refer these methods as 'summation' and 'averaging' methods respectively. In this work, we show that these two methods for computing the hydrostatic mass bias are equivalent by demonstrating that the equation used in the second method can be derived from taking spatial averages of the Euler equation. Specifically, we identify the correspondences of individual terms in these two methods mathematically and show that these correspondences are valid to within a few percent level using hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy cluster formation. In addition, we compute the mass bias associated with the acceleration of gas and show that its contribution is small in the virialized regions in the interior of galaxy clusters, but becomes non-negligible in the outskirts of massive galaxy clusters. We discuss future prospects of understanding and characterizing biases in the mass estimate of galaxy clusters using both hydrodynamical simulations and observations and their implications for cluster cosmology.« less