Classical Vacuum Research Articles

Quality evaluation of Panax notoginseng extract dried by different drying methods

Quality control still remains a big issue, affecting herbs, formulations, and even the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A promising solution to the problem is to take advantage of innovative process techniques including alternative drying methods within the pharmaceutical processing. Nowadays, vacuum belt drying (VBD) has gained more and more importance in food and pharmaceutical processing. In this work, Panax notoginseng extract was made into powder by the gentle VBD as well as by classical spray drying (SD), freeze drying (FD), and vacuum drying (VD). Certain chemical and physical properties of the dried powders such as moisture content, drying time, porosity, density, saponins content, pH value and hydroxyl radicals scavenging activity were evaluated. The results showed the qualities of dried products were influenced to different extent by drying methods certainly. Vacuum belt drying was suggested to dry P. notoginseng extract for its high quality assurance of hygroscopic products and suitable for sticky or high viscous products.

Consistency in color parameters of a commonly used shade guide

The use of shade guides to assess the color of natural teeth subjectively remains one of the most common means for dental shade assessment. Any variation in the color parameters of the different shade guides may lead to significant clinical implications. Particularly, since the communication between the clinic and the dental laboratory is based on using the shade guide designation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency of the L∗a∗b∗ color parameters of a sample of a commonly used shade guide. The color parameters of a total of 100 VITAPAN Classical Vacuum shade guide (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany(were measured using a X-Rite ColorEye 7000A Spectrophotometer (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA). Each shade guide consists of 16 tabs with different designations. Each shade tab was measured five times and the average values were calculated. The ΔE between the average L∗a∗b∗ value for each shade tab and the average of the 100 shade tabs of the same designation was calculated. Using the Student t-test analysis, no significant differences were found among the measured sample. There is a high consistency level in terms of color parameters of the measured VITAPAN Classical Vacuum shade guide sample tested.

A massive study of M2-brane proposals

We test the proposals for the worldvolume theory of M2-branes by studying its maximally supersymmetric mass-deformation. We check the simplest prediction for the mass-deformed theory on N M2-branes: that there should be a set of discrete vacua in one-to-one correspondence with partitions on N. For the mass-deformed Lorentzian three-algebra theory, we find only a single classical vacuum, casting doubt on its M2-brane interpretation. For the mass-deformed ABJM theory, we do find a discrete set of solutions, but these are more numerous than predicted. We discuss possible resolutions of this puzzling discrepancy. We argue that the classical vacuum solutions of the mass-deformed ABJM theory display properties of fuzzy three-spheres, as expected from their gravitational dual interpretation.

SQCD: a geometric aperçu

We take new algebraic and geometric perspectives on the old subject of SQCD. We count chiral gauge invariant operators using generating functions, or Hilbert series, derived from the plethystic programme and the Molien-Weyl formula. Using the character expansion technique, we also see how the global symmetries are encoded in the generating functions. Equipped with these methods and techniques of algorithmic algebraic geometry, we obtain the character expansions for theories with arbitrary numbers of colours and flavours. Moreover, computational algebraic geometry allows us to systematically study the classical vacuum moduli space of SQCD and investigate such structures as its irreducible components, degree and syzygies. We find the vacuum manifolds of SQCD to be affine Calabi-Yau cones over weighted projective varieties.

Standard model of fermions on the domain wall in five-dimensional space-time

The mechanism of generation of the Standard Model for fermions on the domain wall in five-dimensional space-time is presented. As a result of self-interaction of five-dimensional fermions and gravity induced by matter fields, in the strong coupling regime, in the model there arises a spontaneous translational symmetry breaking, which leads to localization of light particles on a 3 + 1-dimensional domain wall (“3-brane”) that is embedded into a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space-time (AdS5). Appropriate low-energy, effective action, classical kink-like vacuum configurations for the gravity and scalar fields are investigated. Mass spectra for light composite particles and their coupling constants interaction in ultra-low-energy, which localize on the brane, are explored. We establish estimates of characteristic scales and constants interactions of the model and also a relation between the bulk five-dimensional gravitational constant, curvature of AdS5 space-time, and brane Newton’s constants. The induced cosmological constant on the brane exactly vanishes in all orders of the theory perturbation. We find out that scalar interaction is strongly suppressed at ultra-low-energy, and the brane fluctuations (branons) are suitable “sterile” canditates for explanation of the phenomenon of Dark Matter. Bibliography: 21 titles.

Scalar–vector–tensor gravity from preferred reference frame effects

Using some suitable combinations of a dynamical unit time-like four-velocity of a preferred reference frame, Ricci tensor and covariant derivatives of the Brans–Dicke (BD) scalar field, we propose a new scalar–vector–tensor gravity model in which an Euclidean Jordan–Brans–Dicke (JBD) action is reduced to its Lorentzian version with no used complex coordinates. Thus it should be play an important role in the process of metric signature transition of a suitable dynamical curved space-time. In this work we follow the ideas proposed by Barbero et al. As an application of the model, we study a classical perfect fluid cosmological universe described in a flat Robertson–Walker background metric. Mathematical derivations of the equations predict a non-singular scale factor for the space-time in the both of dust and radiation dominated states where value of the Brans–Dicke parameter \({\omega}\) is fixed, but there is still an arbitrary parameter which should be determined by the boundary values of the cosmological system. Furthermore its classical cosmological vacuum solutions is obtained as a non-singular model with a fixed Brans–Dicke parameter. Although there is obtained a singular perfect fluid cosmological solution which may not be suitable, because in this case the Brans–Dicke parameter is not still fixed.

THEORY OF GRAVITATION THEORIES: A NO-PROGRESS REPORT

Already in the 1970s there where attempts to present a set of ground rules, sometimes referred to as a theory of gravitation theories, which theories of gravity should satisfy in order to be considered viable in principle and, therefore, interesting enough to deserve further investigation. From this perspective, an alternative title of this paper could be "Why Are We Still Unable to Write a Guide on How to Propose Viable Alternatives to General Relativity?". Attempting to answer this question, it is argued here that earlier efforts to turn qualitative statements, such as the Einstein equivalence principle, into quantitative ones, such as the metric postulates, stand on rather shaky ground — probably contrary to popular belief — as they appear to depend strongly on particular representations of the theory. This includes ambiguities in the identification of matter and gravitational fields, dependence of frequently used definitions (such as those of the stress–energy tensor or classical vacuum) on the choice of variables, etc. Various examples are discussed and possible approaches to this problem are pointed out. In the course of this study, several common misconceptions related to the various forms of the equivalence principle, the use of conformal frames and equivalence between theories are clarified.

Tadpole resummations in string theory

While R–R tadpoles should be canceled for consistency, string models with broken supersymmetry generally have uncanceled NS–NS tadpoles. Their presence signals that the background does not solve the field equations, so that these models are in “wrong” vacua. In this Letter we investigate, with reference to some prototype examples, whether the true values of physical quantities can be recovered resumming the NS–NS tadpoles, hence by an approach that is related to the analysis based on String Field Theory by open–closed duality. We show that, indeed, the positive classical vacuum energy of a Dp-brane of the bosonic string is exactly canceled by the negative contribution arising from tree-level tadpole resummation, in complete agreement with Sen's conjecture on open-string tachyon condensation and with the consequent analysis based on String Field Theory. We also show that the vanishing classical vacuum energy of the SO(8192) unoriented bosonic open-string theory does not receive any tree-level corrections from the tadpole resummation. This result is consistent with the fact that this (unstable) configuration is free from tadpoles of massless closed-string modes, although there is a tadpole of the closed string tachyon. The application of this method to superstring models with broken supersymmetry is also discussed.

Response to ‘On negative refraction in classical vacuum’

An analysis [McCall, M.W. J. Mod. Opt. 2007, 54, 119–128] based on the electromagnetic energy-momentum tensor, to explore the prospects for negative-phase-velocity (NPV) propagation in gravitationally affected vacuum, did not consider (i) the total energy-momentum tensor and (ii) the global perspective of curved spacetime. Also, the appearance of NPV was wrongly attributed to a change in signature of the spacetime metric.

Author's reply to ‘Response to “On negative refraction in classical vacuum” ’

The ‘subregional frames’ considered by Mackay and Lakhtakia (ML) in their comment [Mackay, T.G.; Lakhtakia, A. J. Mod. Opt. 2007, 55, 323–328] to be noninertial within the ‘global perspective of curved spacetime’, are actually isomorphic to flat, inertial, Minkowski spacetime. Their claims of gravitationally induced vacuum negative refraction originate from the non-covariance of the criterion they used. When a covariant criterion is applied (as in [McCall, M.W. J. Mod. Opt., 2007, 54, 119–128; Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 091102]) vacuum NPV does not occur. This argument is unaffected by noting that the sign changes of the metric eigenvalues were incorrectly stated in [McCall, M.W. J. Mod. Opt., 2007, 54, 119–128].

Topology of Classical Vacuum Space-Time

Topology of Classical Vacuum Space-Time

The Vacuum Electromagnetic Fields and the Schrödinger Equation

We consider the simple case of a nonrelativistic charged harmonic oscillator in one dimension, to investigate how to take into account the radiation reaction and vacuum fluctuation forces within the Schrodinger equation. The effects of both zero-point and thermal classical electromagnetic vacuum fields, characteristic of stochastic electrodynamics, are separately considered. Our study confirms that the zero-point electromagnetic fluctuations are dynamically related to the momentum operator p=−iℏ∂/∂x used in the Schrodinger equation.

Silicon−Molecules−Metal Junctions by Transfer Printing: Chemical Synthesis and Electrical Properties

Gold electrodes have been deposited by transfer printing (TP) on a thiol-functionalized self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on silicon substrate. A sequential chemical route is reported to incorporate thiol groups (−SH) on a preformed long alkyl chain SAM on silicon. The structural characterizations of the functionalized surfaces are described and confirm success of each chemical step (overall yield of 20%). The electrical measurements of the silicon−molecules−gold TP junctions are compared with junctions made by a classical vacuum evaporation of gold. The temperature-dependent electrical measurements show that the silicon/alkyl/Au TP junctions exhibit a purely temperature-independent tunnel behavior, while a slight temperature-dependent behavior is observed at a low bias (|V| < 0.5 V) for the junctions with evaporated Au electrodes. Admittance spectroscopy measurements confirm the better dielectric behavior of TP junctions.

Effective SO superpotential for [formula omitted] theory with [formula omitted] fundamental matter

Motivated by the duality conjecture of Dijkgraaf and Vafa between supersymmetric gauge theories and matrix models, we derive the effective superpotential of N = 1 supersymmetric gauge theory with gauge group SO ( N c ) and arbitrary tree level polynomial superpotential of one chiral superfield in the adjoint representation and N f fundamental matter multiplets. For a special point in the classical vacuum where the gauge group is unbroken, we show that the effective superpotential matches with that obtained from the geometric engineering approach.

Classical vacuum versus quantum vacuum

We discuss the concept of quantum vacuum in comparison with the classical concept of vacuum in the context of light-wave propagation. The role played by quantum fluctuations is examined with respect to the behaviour of photons as the quanta of electromagnetic field and also in relation to the fact that photons can be regarded as non-zero mass particles. In this context, photon mass is defined from Klein–Gordon equation.

LIGHT PSEUDO-GOLDSTONE BOSONS WITHOUT EXPLICIT SYMMETRY BREAKING

A mechanism is discussed to obtain light scalar fields from a spontaneously broken continuous symmetry without explicitly breaking it. If there is a continuous manifold of classical vacua in orbit space, its tangent directions describe classically massless fields that may acquire mass from perturbations of the potential that do not break the symmetry. We consider the simplest possible example, involving a scalar field in the adjoint representation of SU (N). We study the scalar mass spectrum and its renormalization group running at one-loop level including scalar and pseudoscalar Yukawa couplings to a massive Dirac fermion.

Classical Gravity Does Not Refract Negatively

We appraise recent claims that classical gravitation can induce negative refraction of electromagnetic radiation in vacuum. By recasting the previous literature in covariant notation, we show that the criterion used hitherto for determining negative refraction in vacuum is inappropriate, and can even be satisfied by parametrized transformations in Minkowski spacetime. Using instead a covariantly acceptable definition, we find that in classical vacuum the power flux of a plane electromagnetic wave points in the direction of phase advance.

Homotopic Classification of Yang–Mills Vacua Taking into Account Causality

Existence of theta-vacuum states in Yang--Mills theories defined over asymptotically flat space-times examined taking into account not only the topology but the complicated causal structure of these space-times, too. By a result of Galloway apparently causality makes all vacuum states, seen by a distant observer, homotopically equivalent making the introduction of theta-terms unnecessary. But a more careful analysis shows that certain twisted classical vacuum states survive even in this case eventually leading to the conclusion that the concept of ``theta-vacua'' is meaningful in the case of general Yang--Mills theories. We give a classification of these vacuum states based on Isham's results showing that the Yang--Mills vacuum has the same complexity as in the flat Minkowskian case hence the general CP-problem is not more complicated than the well-known flat one. We also construct the theta vacua rigorously via geometric quantization.

On negative refraction in classical vacuum

Propagation of light in a classical gravitational field can be successfully modelled as electromagnetic waves propagating in a bianisotropic medium. However, some care must be exercised when applying the conventional expressions for the electromagnetic energy density and the power flow in a bianisotropic medium. These expressions are shown to be components of a four-vector that is dual to the wave's 4-wavevector, the two 4-vectors themselves being parallel. The implications and status of claims for negative refraction in vacuum are discussed.

No energy to be extracted from the vacuum**A review of a former article in this journal.

A few years ago a hopeful article (Evans 2000 Phys. Scr.61 513–7) appeared in this journal promising that according to its 15 authors' opinion the pending energy crisis could be solved by ‘extracting energy from the vacuum’. However, in the past years the energy price has grown to unthinkable heights: a reason for having a look at the promised ‘energy from the vacuum’ in (Evans 2000). So we shall do so below and shall arrive at a great disappointment: the 15 authors were in error; their vacuum energy stems from a simple flaw of thinking by misinterpreting the well-known Lorenz term of the classical Maxwell gauge theory. Their miraculous conclusion should have made the authors suspicious, that just the Lorenz term should yield a vacuum current. Surely, its a pity that vacuum currents and vacuum energy in (Evans 2000) have their origin merely in a simple flaw of thinking, and all further speculations for a vacuum energy density are in vain. However, better to return to reality. Quote: of [1]: Great announcements…It is shown that if the Loren(t)z condition is discarded, the Maxwell–Heaviside field equations become the Lehnert equations, indicating the presence of charge density and current density in the vacuum. The Lehnert equations are a subset of the O(3) Yang–Mills field equations. Charge and current density in the vacuum are defined straightforwardly in terms of the vector potential and scalar potential, and are conceptually similar to Maxwell's displacement current, which also occurs in the classical vacuum. A demonstration is made of the existence of a time dependent classical vacuum polarization which appears if the Loren(t)z condition is discarded. Vacuum charge and current appear phenomenologically in the Lehnert equations but fundamentally in the O(3) Yang–Mills theory of classical electrodynamics. The latter also allows for the possibility of the existence of vacuum topological magnetic charge density and topological magnetic current density. Both O(3) and Lehnert equations are superior to the Maxwell–Heaviside equations in being able to describe phenomena not amenable to the latter. In theory, devices can be made to extract the energy associated with vacuum charge and current.