Recent content by ghetom

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    What Factors Affect the Lifetime of B+ and Bc Mesons?

    I'm trying to understand why the Bc meson (anti b and c) has a lifetime of 0.46 picoseconds whilst the Bs, B+ and B- have lifetimes of ~1.6 picoseconds. Is this a density of states thing? or to do with the CKM elements? Thanks for any help.
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    Programs Which UK Universities Offer the Best PhD Programs in Cosmology?

    Hi, I graduate university this summer with a physics degree, (4 year masters, specialising in astrophysics and particle physics), and I'm very keen to do a PhD in cosmology. Does anyone know which departments are the best to work in, for this field? I'd love a project on QSOs as a probe of...
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    How Does the Lyman-Alpha Forest Inform Us About the Universe's Expansion?

    Homework Statement You are observing a high redshift (z ≥ 5) quasar. Suppose that there are n(z) = n_{0}(1+z)^3 damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) clouds per Mpc3 at redshift z, each with cross-sectional area a. Explain why we expect to see through n(z)al of them along a length l of the path towards...
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    Potential energy of a plummer sphere

    Homework Statement The Plummer sphere of total mass M and scale radius a is a simple if crude model for star clusters and round galaxies. Its gravitational potential: \phi(r) = -GM / (r^2 +a^2)^{1/2} approaches that of a point mass for r >> a Find the density of the sphere as a function of...
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    Finding the error on an intercept, given two points with errors.

    Homework Statement (The question is about micro vertex detectors, but I've distilled it into what needs to be done) You have two points (x1,y1 and x2,y2), assumed to lie on a straight line. The points have a one sigma uncertainty of d. x1 and x2 are separated by a distance L (much greater...
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    Generality of theta=pi/2 in Schwarzchild

    Thanks. I was looking for a mathematical 'proof,' but when you state it like that, it becomes blatantly obvious!
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    Generality of theta=pi/2 in Schwarzchild

    How strange - I definitely can't read them.
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    Generality of theta=pi/2 in Schwarzchild

    possibly, but I don't have a copy, and the relevant pages aren't available online.
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    Generality of theta=pi/2 in Schwarzchild

    I'm doing some work on schwarzchild orbits, and everything assumes that \theta=\pi/2 and claims that this doesn't compromise generality. It seems pretty obvious (since all the geodesics are planar or radial and the metric is spherically symmetric), but can anyone prove that \theta=\pi/2 is fully...
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    General relativity question - geodesics.

    Thanks. Given that's the case then z''=\ddot{z}/\dot{t}^2=g(1+gz) can't be true (since this is the wrong answer). I can't see any thing wrong for \dot{t}: whats wrong with: L = (1+gz)^2dt^2-dx^2-dy^2-dz^2) therefore by EL: (d/ds)(2\dot{t}(1+gz)^2) =0 so \dot{t} (1+gz)^2 = constant
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    General relativity question - geodesics.

    Update: I've now solved it using the Christoffel symbols, but am still confused as to why the Euler-Lagrange method hasn't worked.This is wrong: \ddot{z} = -g{\dot{t}^2}(1+gz) (1) It should read: \ddot{z} =-g{\dot{t}^2}/(1+gz) (2) I got (1) direct from the EL equation -2\ddot{z} -...
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    General relativity question - geodesics.

    Yes the 2 is wrong. My apologies. For the mu = 0 equation I have: (d/ds)(2\dot{t}(1+gz)^2) =0 thus \dot{t} (1+gz)^2 = constant also \ddot{z} = \dot{t}d\dot{z}/dt = \dot{t}(d/dt)(\dot{t}z') = \dot{t}(z'(d\dot{t})/dt +\dot{t}z'')=\dot{t}^2z''+\ddot{t}z'
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    General relativity question - geodesics.

    I'm doing some revision for a General relativity exam, and came across this question: A Flat Earth space-time has co-ordinates (t, x, y, z), where z > 0, and a metric ds2 = ((1 + gz)2)dt2 − dx2 − dy2 − dz2 where g is a positive constant. Write down the geodesic equations in this space-time...
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    Decay chain (Bi -> Po -> Pb)

    Hi I'm trying to do a question on nuclear decay chains. The question is: Bi-210 decays to Po-210 by beta decay (half life = 7.2 days), and this decays by alpha decay to Pb-208 (half life = 200 decays). If A substance is initially pure Bi-210, when does the alpha emmision peak? So far I've got...
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    Decay chain (Bi -> Po -> Pb)

    Hi I'm trying to do a question on nuclear decay chains. The question is: Bi-210 decays to Po-210 by beta decay (half life = 7.2 days), and this decays by alpha decay to Pb-208 (half life = 200 decays). If A substance is initially pure Bi-210, when does the alpha emmision peak? So far I've got...
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