Bulletin of the American Physical Society
10th Annual Meeting of the Northwest Section of APS
Volume 53, Number 6
Thursday–Saturday, May 15–17, 2008; Portland, Oregon
Session B5: Astronomy, Cosmology, Gravity |
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Chair: Stephen Tufte, Lewis and Clark Room: Miller 104 |
Friday, May 16, 2008 2:00PM - 2:12PM |
B5.00001: 42.8503{\ldots}A Theory of the Unification of Gravitation and Electromagnetism John Brandenburg The GEM (Gravity Electro-Magnetism)(1), theory is presented as an alloy of Sakharov (2)and Kaluza-Klien approaches to field unification. The metric tensor becomes: g$_{ab}$ = 4(F$^{c}_{a}$F$_{cb}$ )/(F$^{ab}$F$_{ab})$, where F$_{cb}$ is the EM field due to theZPF(Zero Point Fluctuation).It is found that this results in a massless ground state vacuum. It is found that a flat-space metric is recovered in the limit of a full spectrum ZPF. The vacuum ZPF energy and vacuum quantities G , h, and c give birth to particles quantities m$_{p}$, m$_{e}$, and e, in a process triggered by the appearance of the Kaluza-Klein fifth dimension. Where also, the EM and gravity forces split from each other in a process correlated to the splitting apart of protons and electrons. This leads to the formula ln(r$_{o}$/r$_{p})$ = $\sigma $ =42.8503{\ldots}, where $\sigma $ = (m$_{p}$/m$_{e})^{1/2}$, where m$_{p}$ and m$_{e}$ are the electron and proton masses respectively and where r$_{o}$ =e$^{2}$/m$_{o}$c$^{2}$, r$_p$ is the Planck length, and where m$_{o}$ = (m$_{p}$m$_{e})^{1/2}$ and the formula: G=(e$^{2}$/m$_{o}^{2})\alpha $exp(-2$\sigma )$=6.668x10$^{-8}$ dynes-cm$^{2}$/g$^{2}$ (esu). The splitting of the electron and proton occurs as the splitting of a light-like space-time interval into a time-like part, the electron, and a space-like part, the proton, with three inseparable sub-dimensions, the quarks. (1) Brandenburg, J.E. (2007), IEEE Trans. On Plasma Sci.,Vol.35, No. 4., p845. (2) Sakharov A.D. Sov. Phys. Doklady 12,1040, (1968). [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 2:12PM - 2:24PM |
B5.00002: A testable solution to the problem of quantum gravity Alexander Mayer The key to solving the quantum gravity conundrum is to identify the energy source of the quantized waves whose superposition creates the gravitational field. The linear sum of the distinct rest energy and relativistic momentum energy components of mass energy yields a complete systemic energy budget that is in excess of the mass energy, which provides the surplus energy required to produce the gravitational field. This realization leads to a simple and compelling model of quantum gravity that may be empirically testable. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 2:24PM - 2:36PM |
B5.00003: How Gravity Materializes as Mass From The Driving Force Of Original Spin Roy Masters Gravity began as the original property of a single point with a Big Bang equivalent of a big whoosh. A torque-induced wind-like force flowed with angular precession in circular paths around its singularity as the winding of a ball of string. The intersecting ``strings'' continue to represent three-dimensional spatial geometry as generally understood. Where three collisionless gravity lines of force intersected, they materialized as densities from the field by swirling and spinning into the smallest particles, with local curvatures at each mass point. Such gravity curvatures give the illusion of weak gravity attractions, indigenously imprisoned to mass, and separated by vast regions of empty space. An infinitely powerful gravity as a beginning needs no other variable. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 2:36PM - 2:48PM |
B5.00004: The Reciprocal of the Fundamental Theorem of Riemannian Geometry Hector Calderon The fundamental theorem of Riemannian geometry is inverted for analytic Christoffel symbols. The inversion formula, henceforth dubbed Ricardo's formula, is obtained without ancillary assumptions and it is well suited to compute the uncertainty in the metric that arises from the uncertainty in the measurement of positions. The solution is given up to a constant conformal factor, in part, because there are no experiments that can fix such factor without probing the whole universe. Ricardo's formula excludes some pathological examples and works for manifolds of any dimension and metrics of any signature. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 2:48PM - 3:00PM |
B5.00005: Large-Scale Convection and the Solar Activity Cycle Herschel Snodgrass In 1980 B. J. LaBonte and R. F. Howard discovered a weak modulation in the differential-rotation of the Sun. As seen in the Mount Wilson Doppler-shift data, it appears as a zone of enhanced shear, first emerging at high latitudes toward the end of a sunspot cycle, then migrating toward the equator on a trajectory that becomes the median of the sunspot zone of the next cycle, and vanishing with that cycle. This pattern is known as the torsional oscillation, but subsequent study has it neither a torsion nor an oscillation. It is surely connected to the cycle, and its presence a few years prior to the emergence of the next-cycle sunspots suggests that it may prove predictive of the activity to come. A 1987 model considered it as the surface signature of a large-scale convective downdraft, created by the magnetic shadow of a deep azimuthal magnetic field, which in turn localizes and enhances this field. Recent work notes that the assumption of approximate azimuthal symmetry is unjustified owing to the averaging that must be done to uncover it, and suggests that it may instead represent the azimuthal average of large-scale vortices associated with active regions. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 3:00PM - 3:12PM |
B5.00006: Gravity Virgins Richard Benish As an exercise in imagining a first encounter with gravity, let's begin with the barest gravitational circumstance. On a planet-sized spherical mass we find rigid poles extending to astronomical distances. At regular intervals along each pole there are Instrument Stations containing a clock, an accelerometer and light senders and receivers. Now imagine a civilization (the RC's) that has evolved in a huge self-sustaining Rotating Cylinder far removed from the sphere or any other astronomical body. The RC's are totally ignorant of gravity but understand well light propagation and the effect of motion on clocks, lengths, etc. Motion is sacred to the RC's because they know they'd die if their cylinder stopped rotating. Their clocks are synchronized so as to reflect the anisotropy of light sent in opposite directions along the cylinder's wall. When they set out to explore the Universe, they come upon the top of one of our tall poles. The RC's inspect the instruments, take data and leave their rocket off except when, in the nick of time, they turn it back on to navigate a soft landing. In their attempt to make sense of their experience, will they prefer a hypothesis resembling General Relativity or a hypothesis more like the one found at GravitationLab.com? [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 3:12PM - 3:24PM |
B5.00007: Wonders of Planck Scale Physics with Real Dimensions Shantilal Goradia Postulating the probability of an interaction between two particles as inversely proportional to the square of their separation in Planck lengths, recovers Newtonian inverse square law and explains many unknowns. For one Planck length separation, it gives the force of the strong coupling constant between two coupled nucleons. For a million Planck lengths separation between two particles, it gives a probability interaction of a trillionth showing quantum particles do experience gravity detectable once in trillion times. Since Planck length is never zero, it kills the renormalization issue. It gives total probability of interaction with all other particles as greater than one, explaining spooky action at a distance or simultaneous display of one photon's spin to two separated particles. Planck scale when used with Boltzmann law, enables to express the reciprocal of ALPHA as greater than or equal to the natural logarithm of the age of the universe in Planck times (10E60) which is equal to the inverse of the square root of the cosmological constant in Planck units. See later versions of physics/0210040. Planck scale shows more on the horizon. Natural logarithm links to transcendentality per French mathematician C. Hermite (1873). [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 3:24PM - 3:36PM |
B5.00008: Time-Correlated Structure in Pulsar Spin Fluctuations Steven Price, Bennett Link, Steve Shore I will present evidence for time-correlated structure in the pulsar spin-rate fluctuations known as timing noise. Such evidence has not been found in previous studies of timing noise power spectra, which have revealed no sign of deviations from rigid body rotation. We use two statistics to measure correlations in the time domain: the auto-correlation function and the lagged distribution function. This analysis indicates that pulse arrival time fluctuations are correlated over a correlation time of $\sim$10 days, beyond which no correlation is observed. We interpret this to be the signature of a damped rotational mode in the star, arising from frictional coupling of the solid crust and liquid interior. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 3:36PM - 3:50PM |
B5.00009: BREAK
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Friday, May 16, 2008 3:50PM - 4:02PM |
B5.00010: Correlating vertical velocities of ionized interstellar medium to star formation rates in nearby face-on spiral galaxies Christina Ketchum, Stephen Tufte, Mathew Bershady, David Andersen We present observations of the ionized interstellar medium of 39 face-on spiral galaxies obtained with the WIYN 3.5-m telescope coupled to the Sparsepak integral field unit. We investigate the relationship between the vertical motions of the gas, as measured from the H-alpha line-widths, and the local star formation activity, traced by the H-alpha intensity. Several trends were found: 1) there exists a threshold H-alpha intensity below which the line-width is uncorrelated with the star formation activity and is presumably dominated by other thermal and turbulent processes 2) above this threshold many galaxies exhibit a strong positive correlation between the H-alpha line width and intensity and 3) even higher H-alpha intensities demonstrated a secondary trend line, in which the intensity leveled-off with increasing H-alpha line-width. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 16, 2008 4:02PM - 4:14PM |
B5.00011: Progress on a new sub-millimeter test of the gravitational inverse square law Charles Hagedorn, Matthew Turner, Stephan Schlamminger, Scott Pollack, Jens Gundlach Tests of the gravitational inverse square law place stringent limits on new physics. Work is underway on a new test of Newton's inverse square law at distances less than 100 microns. We utilize a torsion balance in electrostatic feedback with a parallel plate mass configuration. Construction of our apparatus is largely complete - we will share highlights from the experiment's ongoing commissioning effort. [Preview Abstract] |
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