119371304
Neutrino-nucleon scattering rate in proto-neutron star matter
Abstract:We present a calculation of the neutrino-nucleon scattering cross-section which takes into account the nuclear correlations in the relativistic random phase approximation (RPA). Our approach is based on a quantum-hadrodynamics model with exchange of σ, ω, π, ρ and δ mesons. In view of applications to neutrino transport in the final stages of supernova explosion and proto-neutron star cooling, we study the evolution of the neutrino mean free path as a function of density, proton-neutron asymmetry and temperature. Special attention was paid to the issues of renormalization of the Dirac sea, residual interactions in the tensor channel, coupling to the delta-meson and meson mixing. In contrast with the results of other authors, we find that the neutral-current process is not sensitive to the strength g' of the residual contact interaction. As a consequence, it is found that RPA corrections with respect to the mean-field approximation amount to only 10% to 15% at high density.
39400765
Black hole evaporation in a thermalized final-state projection model
We propose a modified version of the Horowitz-Maldacena final-state boundary condition based upon a matter-radiation thermalization hypothesis on the Black Hole interior, which translates into a particular entangled state with thermal Schmidt coefficients. We investigate the consequences of this proposal for matter entering the horizon, as described by a Canonical density matrix characterized by the matter temperature T. The emitted radiation is explicitly calculated and is shown to follow a thermal spectrum with an effective temperature T{sub eff}. We analyze the evaporation process in the quasistatic approximation, highlighting important differences in the late stages with respect to the usual semiclassical evolution, and calculate the fidelity of the emitted Hawking radiation relative to the infalling matter.
118051961
Incompressibility of hot nuclear matter, general relativistic stellar collapse and shock propagation
Research into the effect of considering two extreme kinds of Skyrme-type nuclear interactions on the outcome of stellar core collapsing models have been carried out. Particular attention has been payed to dissociation effects generated by the shock. Neutrinos tansport is included via a Multigroup Trapping Scheme
119425946
Direct URCA process in neutron stars with strong magnetic fields
We calculate the emissivity for the direct URCA process in strongly magnetized, degenerate matter in neutron stars, under β-equilibrium. We show that, if the magnetic field is large enough for protons and electrons to be confined to their ground Landau levels, the field-free threshold condition on proton concentration no longer holds, and direct URCA reactions are open for an arbitrary proton concentration. Direct URCA process leads to an early phase of fast neutron star cooling. This circumstance allows us to constrain the initial magnetic field inside observed pulsars.
119094287
Equilibrium properties of self-interacting neutrinos in the quasi-particle approach
In this work, a neutrino gas in equilibrium is studied both at T = 0 and at finite temperature. Neutrinos are treated as massive Dirac quasi-particles with two generations. We include self-interactions among the neutrinos via neutral currents, as well as the interaction with a background of matter. To obtain the equilibrium properties, we use Wigner function techniques. To account for corrections beyond the Hartree approximation, we also introduce correlation functions. We prove that, under the quasi-particle approximation, these correlation functions can be expressed as products of Wigner functions. We analyse the main properties of the neutrino eigenmodes in the medium, such as effective masses and mixing angle. We show that the formulae describing these quantities will differ with respect to the case with no self-interactions.
119617684
Beta decay studies with the total absorption technique: Past, present and future
Measurements of beta decay reduced transition probabilities are particularly relevant in nuclei far from the stability line. It has been demonstrated that a proper measurement of this quantity requires the use of the total absorption technique, which has become a reliable tool in recent years, thanks to the increased efficiency of the associated spectrometers and the development of new analysis techniques. In this paper, we present a brief history of the past and present use of these detectors and how they might be developed in the future.
118515677
Higher spin black hole entropy in three dimensions
A bstractA generic formula for the entropy of three-dimensional black holes endowed with a spin-3 field is found, which depends on the horizon area A and its spin-3 analogue $ \varphi_{+}^{{{1 \left/ {3} \right.}}} $, given by the reparametrization invariant integral of the induced spin-3 field at the spacelike section of the horizon. From this result it can be shown that the absolute value of $ {\varphi_{+}} $ has to be bounded from above according to $ {{\left| {{\varphi_{+}}} \right|}^{{{1 \left/ {3} \right.}}}}\leq {A \left/ {{\sqrt{3}}} \right.} $. The entropy formula is constructed by requiring the first law of thermodynamics to be fulfilled in terms of the global charges obtained through the canonical formalism. For the static case, in the weak spin-3 field limit, our expression for the entropy reduces to the result found by Campoleoni, Fredenhagen, Pfenninger and Theisen, which has been recently obtained through a different approach.
116895326
A Finiteness proof for the Lorentzian state sum spin foam model for quantum general relativity
We show that the normalized Lorentzian state sum is finite on any triangulation. It thus provides a candidate for a perturbatively finite quantum theory of general relativity in four dimensions with Lorentzian signature.
118820970
Multiple-Event Probability in General-Relativistic Quantum Mechanics
We discuss the definition of quantum probability in the context of “timeless” general–relativistic quantum mechanics. In particular, we study the probability of sequences of events, or multi-event probability. In conventional quantum mechanics this can be obtained by means of the “wave function collapse” algorithm. We first point out certain difficulties of some natural definitions of multi-event probability, including the conditional probability widely considered in the literature. We then observe that multi-event probability can be reduced to single-event probability, by taking into account the quantum nature of the measuring apparatus. In fact, by exploiting the vonNeumann freedom of moving the quantum/classical boundary, one can always trade a sequence of non-commuting quantum measurements at different times, with an ensemble of simultaneous commuting measurements on the joint system+apparatus system. This observation permits a formulation of quantum theory based only on single-event probability, where the results of the “wave function collapse” algorithm can nevertheless be recovered. The discussion bears also on the nature of the quantum collapse.
10753672
Energy and angular momentum radiated for non-head-on binary black hole collisions
We investigate the possible total radiated energy produced by a binary black hole system containing nonvanishing total angular momentum. For the scenarios considered we find that the total radiated energy does not exceed $1%.$ Additionally we explore the gravitational radiation field and the variation of angular momentum in the process. After the formation of the final black hole, the model uses the Robinson-Trautman (RT) spacetimes as background. The evolution of perturbed RT geometries is carried out numerically.
119514750
A Spin foam model without bubble divergences
Abstract We present a spin foam model in which the fundamental “bubble amplitudes” (the analog of the one-loop corrections in quantum field theory) are finite as the cutoff is removed. The model is a natural variant of the field theoretical formulation of the Barrett–Crane model. As the last, the model is a quantum BF theory plus an implementation of the constraint that reduces BF theory to general relativity. We prove that the fundamental bubble amplitudes are finite by constructing an upper bound, using certain inequalities satisfied by the Wigner (3n)j -symbols, which we derive in the paper. Finally, we present arguments in support of the conjecture that the bubble diagrams of the model are finite at all orders.