119111990
Separate universes do not constrain primordial black hole formation
Carr and Hawking showed that the proper size of a spherical overdense region surrounded by a flat FRW universe cannot be arbitrarily large as otherwise the region would close up on itself and become a separate universe. From this result they derived a condition connecting size and density of the overdense region ensuring that it is part of our universe. Carr used this condition to obtain an upper bound for the density fluctuation amplitude with the property that for smaller amplitudes the formation of a primordial black hole is possible, while larger ones indicate a separate universe. In contrast, we find that the appearance of a maximum is not a consequence of avoiding separate universes but arises naturally from the geometry of the chosen slicing. Using instead of density a volume fluctuation variable reveals that a fluctuation is a separate universe iff this variable diverges on superhorizon scales. Hence Carr's and Hawking's condition does not pose a physical constraint on density fluctuations. The dynamics of primordial black hole formation with an initial curvature fluctuation amplitude larger than the one corresponding to the maximum density fluctuation amplitude was previously not considered in detail and so we compare it to the well-known case where the amplitude is smaller by presenting embedding and conformal diagrams of both types in dust spacetimes.
29630378
Cosmological classicalization: maintaining unitarity under relevant deformations of the Einstein-Hilbert action.
Generic relevant deformations of Einstein's gravity theory contain additional degrees of freedom that have a multifaceted stabilization dynamics on curved spacetimes. We show that these relevant degrees of freedom are self-protected against unitarity violations by the formation of classical field lumps that eventually merge to a new background geometry. The transition is heralded by the massive decay of the original vacuum and evolves through a strong coupling regime. This process fits in the recently proposed classicalization mechanism and extends it further to free field dynamics on curved backgrounds.
1452681
FORMATION OF SMALL-SCALE STRUCTURE IN SUSY CDM
The lightest supersymmetric particle, most likely the lightest neutralino, is one of the most prominent particle candidates for cold dark matter (CDM). We show that the primordial spectrum of density fluctuations in neutralino CDM has a sharp cut-off, induced by two different damping mechanisms. During the kinetic decoupling of neutralinos, non-equilibrium processes constitute viscosity effects, which damp or even absorb density perturbations in CDM. After the last scattering of neutralinos, free streaming induces neutralino flows from overdense to underdense regions of space. Both damping mechanisms together define a minimal mass scale for perturbations in neutralino CDM, before the inhomogeneities enter the nonlinear epoch of structure formation. We find that the very first gravitationally bound neutralino clouds ought to have masses above 10 −6 M⊙, which is six orders of magnitude above the mass of possible axion miniclusters.
37255447
A Quantum Bound-State Description of Black Holes
A relativistic framework for the description of bound states consisting of a large number of quantum constituents is presented, and applied to black-hole interiors. At the parton level, the constituent distribution, number and energy density inside black holes are calculated, and gauge corrections are discussed. A simple scaling relation between the black hole mass and constituent number is established.
118464550
Self-protection of massive cosmological gravitons
Relevant deformations of gravity present an exciting window of opportunity to probe the rigidity of gravity on cosmological scales. For a single-graviton theory, the leading relevant deformation constitutes a graviton mass term. In this paper, we investigate the classical and quantum stability of massive cosmological gravitons on generic Friedman backgrounds. For a Universe expanding towards a de Sitter epoch, we find that massive cosmological gravitons are self-protected against unitarity violations by a strong coupling phenomenon.
37247936
Degravitation of the cosmological constant and graviton width
We study the possibility of decoupling gravity from the vacuum energy. This is effectively equivalent to promoting Newton's constant to a high-pass filter that degravitates sources of characteristic wavelength larger than a certain macroscopic (super) horizon scale L. We study the underlying physics and the consistency of this phenomenon. In particular, the absence of ghosts, already at the linear level, implies that in any such theory the graviton should either have a mass 1/L, or be a resonance of similar width. This has profound physical implications for the degravitation idea.
124901090
Evidence for hindrance in fusion between sulfur and lead nuclei
The influence of the structure of projectile and target nuclei on the capture cross sections was investigated for the reactions ${}^{34}\mathrm{S}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}+{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{204,206,208}$Pb and ${}^{36}\mathrm{S}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}+{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{204,206,208}$Pb. Capture cross sections were deduced by measuring the fission fragments using multiwire proportional counters. An enhancement of the capture cross sections relative to a one-dimensional barrier penetration model was observed for all reactions at energies below the interaction barriers. The enhancement is larger in the case of reactions with ${}^{34}$S than with ${}^{36}$S. This observation is explained by a stronger coupling to the vibrational states in the reactions with ${}^{34}$S. Comparing the capture cross sections and the evaporation-residue cross sections for the reactions ${}^{36}\mathrm{S}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}+{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{206}$Pb and ${}^{34}\mathrm{S}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}+{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{208}$Pb, both yielding the same compound nucleus ${}^{242}$Cf, it is shown that the latter reaction has a lower fusion probability.
122536153
Formation of superheavy elements in cold fusion reactions
The process of the synthesis of superheavy elements ~SHEs! is not yet understood completely. In the presented work we make an attempt to describe the cold fusion reactions of the type X1(Pb,Bi)→SHE 11n at subbarrier energies. The process of the formation of SHEs is subdivided into three steps. ~1! The capture of two spherical nuclei and the formation of a common shape of the two touching nuclei. Low-energy surface vibrations and transfer of few nucleons are taken into account in the first step of the reaction. ~2! The formation of a spherical or near spherical compound nucleus. ~3! The survival of the excited compound nucleus due to evaporation of neutrons and g-ray emission in competition with fission. A lowering of the fission barrier was taken into account, which arises from a reduction of shell effects at increasing excitation energy of the compound nucleus. The following reactions were analyzed in detail: (Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge)1Pb, (Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se)1Pb, (Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge) 1Pb, and (Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge)1Bi. The presented model describes well the available experimental cross-section data and allows for predicting cross-section values for the synthesis of so-far unknown heavier elements.
120335892
Study of SHE at the GSI-SHIP
Abstract An overview of present experimental investigation of superheavy elements is given. Using cold fusion reactions which are based on lead and bismuth targets, relatively neutron deficient isotopes of the elements from 107 to 113 were synthesized at GSI in Darmstadt, Germany, and/or at RIKEN in Wako, Japan. In hot fusion reactions of 48 Ca projectiles with actinide targets more neutron rich isotopes of the elements from 112 to 116 and even 118 were produced at FLNR in Dubna, Russia. Recently, part of these data, which represent the first identification of nuclei located on the predicted island of SHEs, were confirmed in two independent experiments. The data are compared with theoretical descriptions.
123438213
Large size foil-microchannel plate timing detectors
Abstract A large area foil-microchannel plate time-of-flight (TOF) system is presented. The parameters of the system are as follows: 55 cm 2 active area, 99.8% detection efficiency, 100% transparency and 700 ps time resolution. The TOF system, unique in size and conditions of exploitation, consists of two (or three) detectors used also as anticoincidence units for the analysing multistrip Si-detector array.
172282907
Production and stability of new elements