On the Brazil Nuts Problem: Is It of Relevance to Hydrodynamics?

A recent advance in understanding the Brazil nuts phenomenon together with insight into the relative motion of different-size particles in a lattice fluid makes this phenomenon amenable to an approach based on hydrodynamic concept. Here we use this conjecture as a stimulus for solving the equation describing asymmetric transport of particles in a medium moving with constant velocity. We also consider a method for constructing invariant solutions, which enables us to study the dependence of the probability density function on the parameters controlling the asymmetry of the flow. Physical realizations of the invariant solutions are in agreement with recent computer simulations by Alexander and Lebowitz.     

Is Causality a Necessary Tool for Understanding Our Universe,or Is It a Part of the Problem?

In this paper, the concept of causality in physics is discussed. Causality is a necessary tool for the understanding of almost all physical phenomena. However, taking it as a fundamental principle may lead us to wrong conclusions, particularly in cosmology. Here, three very well-known problems—the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox, the accelerating expansion and the asymmetry of time—are discussed from this perspective. In particular, the implications of causality are compared to those of an alternative approach, where we instead take the probability space of all possible developments as the starting point.     

Is It Possible to Study the Wave Function of 2S Vector Mesons at HERA?

We present a short review of anomalous properties in diffractive photo- and electroproduction of radially excited V(2S) vector mesons. Using the color dipole generalized Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov phenomenology we analyze anomalous Q ² and energy dependence of the production cross section, V(2S)/V(1S) production ratio, the diffraction slope and anomalous t-behavior of the differential cross section d/dt. The origin of these anomalies is based on the interplay of the nodal structure of V(2S) radial wave function with the energy and dipole size dependence of the dipole cross section and the diffraction slope. We analyze how a different pattern of anomalous behavior of V(2S) production leads to a different position of the node in the wave function and discuss how that node position can be extracted from the data at HERA.     

Is the Devil in h?

This note is a part of my effort to rid quantum mechanics (QM) nonlocality. Quantum nonlocality is a two faced Janus: one face is a genuine quantum mechanical nonlocality (defined by the Lüders’ projection postulate). Another face is the nonlocality of the hidden variables model that was invented by Bell. This paper is devoted the deconstruction of the latter. The main casualty of Bell’s model is that it straightforwardly contradicts Heisenberg’s uncertainty and Bohr’s complementarity principles generally. Thus, we do not criticize the derivation or interpretation of the Bell inequality (as was done by numerous authors). Our critique is directed against the model as such. The original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) argument assumed the Heisenberg’s principle without questioning its validity. Hence, the arguments of EPR and Bell differ crucially, and it is necessary to establish the physical ground of the aforementioned principles. This is the quantum postulate: the existence of an indivisible quantum of action given by the Planck constant. Bell’s approach with hidden variables implicitly implies rejection of the quantum postulate, since the latter is the basis of the reference principles.     

Is the CNMSSM more credible than the CMSSM?

“Post-sphaleron baryogenesis”, a fresh and profound mechanism of baryogenesis accounts for the matter–antimatter asymmetry of our present universe in a framework of Pati–Salam symmetry. We attempt here to embed this mechanism in a non-SUSY SO(10) grand unified theory by reviving a novel symmetry breaking chain with Pati–Salam symmetry as an intermediate symmetry breaking step and as well to address post-sphaleron baryogenesis and neutron–antineutron oscillation in a rational manner. The Pati–Salam symmetry based on the gauge group \(\mathrm{SU}(2)_L \times \mathrm{SU}(2)_{R} \times \mathrm{SU}(4)_C\) is realized in our model at \(10^{5}\) – \(10^{6}\)  GeV and the mixing time for the neutron–antineutron oscillation process having \(\Delta B=2\) is found to be \(\tau _{n-\bar{n}} \simeq 10^{8}\) – \(10^{10}\)  s with the model parameters, which is within the reach of forthcoming experiments. Other novel features of the model include low scale right-handed \(W^{\pm }_R\) , \(Z_R\) gauge bosons, explanation for neutrino oscillation data via the gauged inverse (or extended) seesaw mechanism and most importantly TeV scale color sextet scalar particles responsible for an observable \(n\) – \(\bar{n}\) oscillation which may be accessible to LHC. We also look after gauge coupling unification and an estimation of the proton lifetime with and without the addition of color sextet scalars.     

Is the derivation of the Langevin formula correct?

The derivation of the Langevin formula is analyzed. It is shown that a basic assumption in it is incorrect. A more correct derivation of a similar formula is proposed.     

Is It Possible to Derive Newtonian Equations of Motion with Memory?

In this paper for a given example we proved that the Riemann-Liouville fractional integral term appears naturally and relates the external force with acceleration within the fractional Newtonian equation. The consideration of some self-similar process that leads to the fractional integral as well as some possible generalizations of the proposed model was discussed.     

Is the collapse a phase transition?

It is shown that the process of the collapse during quantum measurements is a consequence of the quantum symmetry built in the formalism: there exists a nontrivial group of symmetry under which all possible states are invariant after the measurement of the given observable. On the basis of this fact, the postulate of collapse is derived with purely group theoretical considerations. These are analogous to the ones used in Landau's problem of phase transitions. Some further analogies of the processes of the collapse and the phase transitions are discussed.     

Is the compactified vacuum semiclassically unstable?

It is shown, by applying the positive-energy theorem, that the present vacuum (M⁴×K^D) in some higher-dimensional theories (e.g. the Candelas-Weinberg model) is stable against decay by quantum tunnelling without change of topology. Frieman and Kolb have found a quantum tunnelling instability of the present vacuum in the same models. But they did not take into account the gravitational effect, which is important and prevents the universe from decaying into the higher-dimensional de Sitter phase.     

Is the non-physical states conjecture valid?

The canonical quantization for N = 1 supergravity in the context of gravitational minisuperspace described by Gowdy T ³ and Bianchi class A cosmological models is analyzed in order to search for physical states. There are indeed physical states in the minisuperspace sector of the theory. This fact entails that the non-physical states conjecture has a restricted validity, and in consequence it cannot be considered a general result.     

Is the low-l microwave background cosmic?

The large-angle (low-l) correlations of the cosmic microwave background exhibit several statistically significant anomalies compared to the standard inflationary cosmology. We show that the quadrupole plane and the three octopole planes are far more aligned than previously thought (99.9% C.L.). Three of these planes are orthogonal to the ecliptic at 99.1% C.L., and the normals to these planes are aligned at 99.6% C.L. with the direction of the cosmological dipole and with the equinoxes. The remaining octopole plane is orthogonal to the supergalactic plane at 99.6% C.L.     

Is the nucleon a bound state?

In this paper we deal with the question of whether or not the nucleon is a bound state. It is shown that previous work on this problem is not conclusive. We find, however, a simple criterion which allows for an experimental decision of this question. For the nucleon to be a bound state, thep _1/2,1/2 phase has to have a negative sign at the inelastic threshold. A positive phase excludes the bound state picture but allows ap _1/2,1/2 resonance to occur.