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Unparticles and holography

We construct the holographic dual theory of unparticles. The Randall-Sundrum type hard wall model is shown to produce deconstructing particles, whose spectrum has a finite mass gap proportional to the inverse of the fifth direction segment. The introduction of new scale corresponds to setting a brane in ${\rm AdS}_5$. The broken conformal symmetry due to this brane is restored when it is moved to infinity. Unparticles then emerge as an infinite tower of massless particles.

hep-ph↗

Cinderella - Comparison of INDEpendent RELative Least-squares Amplitudes

The identification of increasingly smaller signal from objects observed with a non-perfect instrument in a noisy environment poses a challenge for a statistically clean data analysis. We want to compute the probability of frequencies determined in various data sets to be related or not, which cannot be answered with a simple comparison of amplitudes. Our method provides a statistical estimator for a given signal with different strengths in a set of observations to be of instrumental origin or to be intrinsic. Based on the spectral significance as an unbiased statistical quantity in frequency analysis, Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFTs) of target and background light curves are comparatively examined. The individual False-Alarm Probabilities are used to deduce conditional probabilities for a peak in a target spectrum to be real in spite of a corresponding peak in the spectrum of a background or of comparison stars. Alternatively, we can compute joint probabilities of frequencies to occur in the DFT spectra of several data sets simultaneously but with different amplitude, which leads to composed spectral significances. These are useful to investigate a star observed in different filters or during several observing runs. The composed spectral significance is a measure for the probability that none of coinciding peaks in the DFT spectra under consideration are due to noise. Cinderella is a mathematical approach to a general statistical problem. Its potential reaches beyond photometry from ground or space: to all cases where a quantitative statistical comparison of periodicities in different data sets is desired. Examples for the composed and the conditional Cinderella mode for different observation setups are presented.

astro-ph↗

Spacetime Dependent Lagrangians and Electrogravity Duality

We apply the spacetime dependent lagrangian formalism [1] to the action in general relativity. We obtain a Barriola-Vilenkin type monopole solution by exploiting theelectrogravity duality of the vacuum Einstein equations and using a modified definition of empty space. An {\it upper bound} is obtained on the monopole mass ${\tt M}$, ${\tt M}\leq e^{(1-α)/α}/(1-α)^{2}{\tt G}$ where $α= 2k $ is the global monopole charge. Keywords: global monopole, electrogravity duality, holographic principle. PACS: 11.15.-q, 11.27.+d, 14.80.Hv, 04.

gr-qc↗

On the effects of conformal degrees of freedom inside a neutron star

In this paper a neutron star with an inner core which undergoes a phase transition, which is characterized by conformal degrees of freedom on the phase boundary, is considered. Typical cases of such a phase transition are e.g. quantum Hall effect, superconductivity and superfluidity. Assuming the mechanical stability of this system the effects induced by the conformal degrees of freedom on the phase boundary will be analyzed. We will see that the inclusion of conformal degrees of freedom is not always consistent with the staticity of the phase boundary. Indeed also in the case of mechanical equilibrium there may be the tendency of one phase to swallow the other. Such a shift of the phase boundary would not imply any compression or decompression of the core. By solving the Israel junction conditions for the conformal matter, we have found the range of physical parameters which can guarantee a stable equilibrium of the phase boundary of the neutron star. The relevant parameters turn out to be not only the density difference but also the difference of the slope of the density profiles of the two phases. The values of the parameters which guarantee the stability turn out to be in a phenomenologically reasonable range. For the parameter values where the the phase boundary tends to move, a possible astrophysical consequence related to sudden small changes of the moment of inertia of the star is briefly discussed.

gr-qc↗

HESS J1023-575: Non-thermal particle acceleration associated with the young stellar cluster Westerlund 2

The results from H.E.S.S. observations towards Westerlund 2 are presented. The detection of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission towards the young stellar cluster Westerlund 2 in the HII complex RCW49 by H.E.S.S. provides ample evidence that particle acceleration to extreme energies is associated with this region. A variety of possible emission scenarios is mentioned, ranging from high-energy gamma-ray production in the colliding wind zone of the massive Wolf-Rayet binary WR20a, collective wind scenarios, diffusive shock acceleration at the boundaries of wind-blown bubbles in the stellar cluster, and outbreak phenomena from hot stellar winds into the interstellar medium. These scenarios are briefly compared to the characteristics of the associated new VHE gamma-ray source HESS J1023-575, and conclusions on the validity of the respective emission scenarios for high-energy gamma-ray production in the Westerlund 2 system are drawn.

astro-ph↗

The H.E.S.S. survey of the inner Galactic plane

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), located in the Khomas Highlands of Namibia, is an array of four imaging atmospheric-Cherenkov telescopes designed to detect gamma-rays in the very high energy (VHE; > 100 GeV) domain. Its high sensitivity and large field-of-view (5 deg) make it an ideal instrument to perform a survey within the Galactic plane for new VHE sources. Previous observations in 2004/2005 resulted in numerous detections of VHE gamma-ray emitters in the region l = 330 deg - 30 deg Galactic longitude. Recently the survey was extended, covering the regions l = 280 deg - 330 deg and l = 30 deg - 60 deg, leading to the discovery of several previously unknown sources with high statistical significance. The current status of the survey will be presented.

astro-ph↗

Statistical Methods for Investigating the Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum

Two separate statistical tests are described and developed in order to test un-binned data sets for adherence to the power-law form. The first test employs the TP-statistic, a function defined to deviate from zero when the sample deviates from the power-law form, regardless of the value of the power index. The second test employs a likelihood ratio test to reject a power-law background in favor of a model signal distribution with a cut-off.

astro-ph↗

CMB Temperature Polarization Correlation and Primordial Gravitational Waves II: Wiener Filtering and Tests Based on Monte Carlo Simulations

In this paper we continue our study of CMB TE cross correlation as a source of information about primordial gravitational waves. In an accompanying paper, we considered the zero multipole method. In this paper we use Wiener filtering of the CMB TE data to remove the density perturbation contribution to the TE power spectrum. In principle this leaves only the contribution of PGWs. We examine two toy experiments (one ideal and one more realistic), to see how well they constrain PGWs using the TE power spectrum. We consider three tests applied to a combination of observational data and data sets generated by Monte Carlo simulations: (1) Signal-to-Noise test, (2) sign test, and (3) Wilcoxon rank sum test. We compare these tests with each other and with the zero multipole method. Finally, we compare the signal-to-noise ratio of TE correlation measurements first with corresponding signal-to-noise ratios for BB ground based measurements and later with current and future TE correlation space measurements. We found that an ideal TE correlation experiment limited only by cosmic variance can detect PGWs with a tensor-to-scalar ratio $r=0.3$ at 98% confidence level with the $S/N$ test, 93% confidence level with the sign test, and 80% confidence level for the Wilcoxon rank sum test. We also compare all results with corresponding results obtained using the zero multipole method. We demonstrate that to measure PGWs by their contribution to the TE cross correlation power spectrum in a realistic ground based experiment when real instrumental noise is taken into account, the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r$, must be approximately four times larger. In the sense to detect PGWs, the zero multipole method is the best, next best is the S/N test, then the sign test, and the worst is the Wilcoxon rank sum test.

astro-ph↗

Luminosity Dependence of the Quasar Clustering from SDSS DR5

43024 objects, which were primarily identified as quasars in SDSS DR5 and have spectroscopic redshifts were used to study the luminosity dependence of the quasar clustering with the help of two different techniques. The obtained results reveal that brighter quasars are more clustered, but this dependence is weak, which is in agreement with the results by Porciani & Norberg, 2006 and theoretical predictions by Lidz et al., 2006.

astro-ph↗

Indirect search for Dark Matter with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

Relic neutralinos produced after the Big Bang are favoured candidates for Dark Matter. They can accumulate at the centre of massive celestial objects like our Sun. Their annihilation can result in a high-energy neutrino flux that could be detectable as a localised emission with earth-based neutrino telescopes like ANTARES. In this paper a brief overview of the prospects of the indirect search for Dark Matter particles with the ANTARES detector will be given. The analysis method and expected performance for the detection of the expected neutrinos will be discussed.

astro-ph↗

Eigenmodes of elastic vibrations of quaking neutron star encoded in QPOs on light curves of SGR flares

The Newtonian solid-mechanical theory of nodeless spheroidal and torsional of elastic seismic vibrations trapped in the crust of a quaking neutron star is outlined and applied to the modal classification of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of X-ray luminosity in the aftermath of giant flares in SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14. The presented analysis relies heavily on the Samuelsson-Andersson identification of the QPOs frequency from the range 30-200 Hz with those for torsional nodeless vibrations of multipole degree in the interval 2-12. Based on this identification, which is used to fix the input parameters entering the obtained spectral formulae, we compute frequency spectrum of nodeless spheroidal elastic vibrations. Particular attention is given to the low-frequency QPOs in the data for SGR 1806-20 whose physical origin has been called into question. Our calculations suggest that these unspecified QPOs are due to nodeless dipole torsional (18 Hz) and dipole spheroidal (26 Hz) elastic shear vibrations.

astro-ph↗

Torsion, Scalar Field and f(\mathcal{R}) Gravity

The role of torsion and a scalar field $ϕ$ in gravitation in the background of a particular class of the Riemann-Cartan geometry is considered here. Some times ago, a Lagrangian density with Lagrange multipliers has been proposed by the author which has been obtained by picking some particular terms from the SO(4,1) Pontryagin density, where the scalar field $ϕ$ causes the de Sitter connection to have the proper dimension of a gauge field. Here it has been shown that the divergence of the axial torsion gives the Newton's constant and the scalar field becomes a function of the Ricci scalar $\mathcal{R}$. The starting Lagrangian then reduces to a Lagrangian representing the metric $f(\mathcal{R})$ gravity theory.

astro-ph↗

Primordial Mass Segregation in Starburst Stellar Clusters

We present a model to explain the mass segregation and shallow mass functions observed in the central parts of dense and young starburst stellar clusters. The model assumes that the initial pre-stellar cores mass function resulting from the turbulent fragmentation of the proto-cluster cloud is significantly altered by the cores coalescence before they collapse to form stars. With appropriate, yet realistic parameters, this model based on the competition between cores coalescence and collapse reproduces the mass spectra of the well studied Arches cluster. Namely, the slopes at the intermediate and high mass ends are reproduced, as well as the peculiar bump observed at 6 M_sol. This coalescence-collapse process occurs on short timescale of the order of one fourth the free fall time of the proto-cluster cloud (i.e., a few 10^{4} years), suggesting that mass segregation in Arches and similar clusters is primordial. The best fitting model implies the total mass of the Arches cluster is 1.45 10^{5} M_sol, which is slightly higher than the often quoted, but completeness affected, observational value of a few 10^{4} M_sol. The derived star formation efficiency is ~30 percent which implies that the Arches cluster is likely to be gravitationally bound.

astro-ph↗

Dice and Pulsars

The pulse sequence is interpreted as a realization of a random electron discharge process in a vacuum gap over the polar cap (PC) - the open magnetic force line region on the neutron star surface. This point of view is illustrated by an example based on the dice. The generators of the random numbers are a cube and a coin. Throwing of dice and coin tossing determine the discharge places on the "light" and "dark" sides of PC, and correspondingly - the "shape" of the individual pulses and their statistical properties The physical mechanism giving such discharge scheme is shortly discussed. It may be a charge drained down from a sharp top of surface waves in a parallel electric field on the liquid PC surface of a neutron star.

astro-ph↗

Determining the WIMP Mass from Direct Dark Matter Detection Data

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are one of the leading candidates for Dark Matter. So far we can use direct Dark Matter detection to estimate the mass of halo WIMPs only by fitting predicted recoil spectra to future experimental data. Here we develop a model-independent method for determining the WIMP mass by using experimental data directly. This method is independent of the as yet unknown WIMP density near the Earth as well as of the WIMP-nuclear cross section and can be used to extract information about WIMP mass with O(50) events.

hep-ph↗

Stellar Objects of Extragalactic Origin in the Galactic Halo

We identified globular clusters and field stars of extragalactic origin and investigated their chemical, physical, and kinematical properties. This objects as supposed was captured by the Galaxy at different times from debris of the dwarf satellite galaxies disrupted by its tidal forces. The results are follows. (1) The majorities of metal-poor stellar objects in the Galaxy have an extragalactic origin. (2) The masses of the accreted globular clusters decrease with the removal from the center and the plane of the Galaxy. (3) The relative abundances of chemical elements in the accreted and genetically connected stars are essentially distinguished. (4) The accreted field stars demonstrate the decrease of the relative magnesium abundanses with an increase in sizes and inclinations of their orbits. (5) The stars of the Centaurus moving group were born from the matter, in which star formation rate was considerably lower than in the early Galaxy. On the base of these properties was made a conclusion that with the decrease of the masses of the dwarf galaxies in them simultaneously decrease the average masses of globular clusters and the maximum masses of supernova SNe II. Namely latter fact leads to the decrease of the relative abundances of α-elements in their metal-poor stars.

astro-ph↗

Modified Actions for Gravity: Theory and Phenomenology

This thesis is devoted to the study of gravitational theories which can be seen as modifications or generalisations of General Relativity. The motivation for considering such theories, stemming from Cosmology, High Energy Physics and Astrophysics is thoroughly discussed (cosmological problems, dark energy and dark matter problems, the lack of success so far in obtaining a successful formulation for Quantum Gravity). The basic principles which a gravitational theory should follow, and their geometrical interpretation, are analysed in a broad perspective which highlights the basic assumptions of General Relativity and suggests possible modifications which might be made. A number of such possible modifications are presented, focusing on certain specific classes of theories: scalar-tensor theories, metric f(R) theories, Palatini f(R) theories, metric-affine f(R) theories and Gauss--Bonnet theories. The characteristics of these theories are fully explored and attention is payed to issues of dynamical equivalence between them. Also, cosmological phenomenology within the realm of each of the theories is discussed and it is shown that they can potentially address the well-known cosmological problems. A number of viability criteria are presented: cosmological observations, Solar System tests, stability criteria, existence of exact solutions for common vacuum or matter configurations etc. Finally, future perspectives in the field of modified gravity are discussed and the possibility for going beyond a trial-and-error approach to modified gravity is explored.

gr-qc↗

Neutron star sequences and the starquake glitch model for the Crab and the Vela pulsars

We construct for the first time, the sequences of stable neutron star (NS) models capable of explaining simultaneously, the glitch healing parameters, $Q$, of both the pulsars, the Crab ($Q \geq 0.7$) and the Vela ($Q \leq 0.2$), on the basis of starquake mechanism of glitch generation, whereas the conventional NS models cannot give such consistent explanation. Furthermore, our models also yield an upper bound on NS masses similar to those obtained in the literature for a variety of modern equations of state (EOSs) compatible with causality and dynamical stability. The results obtained in this paper set an upper and lower bound on the energy of a gravitationally redshifted electron-positron annihilation line in the range of about 0.309 - 0.315 MeV from the Crab and in the range of about 0.425 - 0.439 MeV from the Vela pulsar.

astro-ph↗