Search results for "GRAVITATION"

THE INFLUENCE OF THE MASS DISTRIBUTION OF STELLAR OBJECTS ON THEIR GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS

2020

We study the influence of the mass randomness of astronomical objects on the distribution function of their gravitational fields. Based on purely theoretical arguments and on a comparison with extensive data collected from observations and numerical simulations, we show that while mass randomness does not alter the non-Gaussian character of the gravitational field distribution, it does changes the dependencies of mean angular momenta of galaxies and clusters on their richness. The specific form of such dependencies is determined by the interplay of the character of the mass distributions and different assumptions about cluster morphology. We trace the influence of the mass distribution on t…

A covariant constituent-quark formalism for mesons

2014

Using the framework of the Covariant Spectator Theory (CST) [1] we are developing a covariant model formulated in Minkowski space to study mesonic structure and spectra. Treating mesons as effective $q\bar{q}$ states, we focused in [2] on the nonrelativistic bound-state problem in momentum space with a linear confining potential. Although integrable, this kernel has singularities which are difficult to handle numerically. In [2] we reformulate it into a form in which all singularities are explicitely removed. The resulting equations are then easier to solve and yield accurate and stable solutions. In the present work, the same method is applied to the relativistic case, improving upon the r…

Transplanckian masses in inflation

2016

AbstractWe explore the possibility that the transplanckian field values needed to accommodate the experimental results in minimally coupled single-field inflation models are only due to our insistence of imposing a minimal coupling of the inflaton field to gravity. A simple conformal transformation can bring the field values below the Planck mass without changing the physics at the expense of having a richer gravitational sector. Transplanckian field values may be the signal that we are (miss)interpreting phenomena due to gravity as being originated exclusively in the scalar sector.

Extinction law classification and lens redshift estimate by means of the principal component analysis

2007

Aims. We propose a method based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to classify and estimate the redshift of an extinction law in a distant gravitational lens galaxy. Such extinction laws are very poorly known and an efficient method to characterize them is badly needed. Methods. We first compute the principal axes of an exhaustive collection of redshifted theoretical extinction laws. Then, we project on these new axes the extinction law we wish to classify. The position of its projection among those redshifted extinction laws from the collection allows us to characterize it and to estimate its redshift. Results. Monte Carlo simulations show that the method is efficient and relatively…

Power law singularities inn-vector models

2012

Power law singularities and critical exponents in n-vector models are considered within a theoretical approach called GFD (grouping of Feynman diagrams) theory. It is discussed how possible values of the critical exponents can be related to specific n-vector models in this approach. A good agreement with the estimates of the perturbative renormalization group (RG) theory can be obtained. Predictions for corrections to scaling of the perturbative RG and GFD approaches are different. A nonperturbative proof is provided, supporting corrections to scaling of the GFD theory. Highly accurate experimental data very close to the λ-transition point in liquid helium, as well as the Goldstone mode sin…

2017

On 17 August 2017, the Advanced LIGO1 and Virgo2 detectors observed the gravitational-wave event GW170817—a strong signal from the merger of a binary neutron-star system3. Less than two seconds after the merger, a γ-ray burst (GRB 170817A) was detected within a region of the sky consistent with the LIGO–Virgo-derived location of the gravitational-wave source4, 5, 6. This sky region was subsequently observed by optical astronomy facilities7, resulting in the identification8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 of an optical transient signal within about ten arcseconds of the galaxy NGC 4993. This detection of GW170817 in both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves represents the first ‘multi-messenger’…

Interstellar travel guide: Chronicles of a violent universe

2016

In contrast to observations from our local viewpoint, the universe is extremely violent. Explosions of massive stars, X-ray and gamma-ray binary stars, and active galaxies are related to the presence of compact objects such as neutron stars or black holes. Processes such as matter accretion or the formation and release of relativistic plasma jets are responsible for the generation of large amounts of high-energy radiation, caused by the acceleration of elementary particles, and have a significant impact in their surroundings. Moreover, they are related to the generation of gravitational waves: vibrations in spacetime produced by the acceleration of compact massive objects that produce stron…

Discovery of ten millisecond pulsars in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae

1991

IN the past four years a total of 13 millisecond pulsars have been found in 12 different globular clusters. These pulsars are believed to be old neutron stars that have been spun up ('recycled') in low-mass X-ray binary systems1 although some may have been formed by the accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs in binaries2. The globular cluster 47 Tucanae has an especially dense core, and is therefore a likely site for millisecond pulsar formation. Using the Parkes radiotelescope, we have now detected ten addi-tional millisecond pulsars in 47 Tuc, more than half of which are members of binary systems. Almost half of the known millisecond pulsars and more than a quarter of the known binary…

High-precision measurement of the atomic mass of the electron

2014

A very precise measurement of the magnetic moment of a single electron bound to a carbon nucleus, combined with a state-of-the-art calculation in the framework of bound-state quantum electrodynamics, gives a new value of the atomic mass of the electron that is more precise than the currently accepted one by a factor of 13. The atomic mass of the electron is a key parameter for fundamental physics. A precise determination is a challenge because the mass is so low. Sven Sturm and colleagues report on a new determination of the electron's mass in atomic units. The authors measured the magnetic moment of a single electron bound to a reference ion (a bare nucleus of carbon-12). The results were …

Gravitational waves in dynamical spacetimes with matter content in the fully constrained formulation

2012

The Fully Constrained Formulation (FCF) of General Relativity is a novel framework introduced as an alternative to the hyperbolic formulations traditionally used in numerical relativity. The FCF equations form a hybrid elliptic-hyperbolic system of equations including explicitly the constraints. We present an implicit-explicit numerical algorithm to solve the hyperbolic part, whereas the elliptic sector shares the form and properties with the well known Conformally Flat Condition (CFC) approximation. We show the stability andconvergence properties of the numerical scheme with numerical simulations of vacuum solutions. We have performed the first numerical evolutions of the coupled system of…