The observable universe could be a 1+3-surface (the “brane”) embedded in a 1+3+
d
-dimensional spacetime (the “bulk”), with Standard Model particles and fields trapped on the brane while gravity is ...free to access the bulk. At least one of the
d
extra spatial dimensions could be very large relative to the Planck scale, which lowers the fundamental gravity scale, possibly even down to the electroweak (∼ TeV) level. This revolutionary picture arises in the framework of recent developments in M theory. The 1+10-dimensional M theory encompasses the known 1+9-dimensional superstring theories, and is widely considered to be a promising potential route to quantum gravity. At low energies, gravity is localized at the brane and general relativity is recovered, but at high energies gravity “leaks” into the bulk, behaving in a truly higher-dimensional way. This introduces significant changes to gravitational dynamics and perturbations, with interesting and potentially testable implications for high-energy astrophysics, black holes, and cosmology. Brane-world models offer a phenomenological way to test some of the novel predictions and corrections to general relativity that are implied by M theory. This review analyzes the geometry, dynamics and perturbations of simple brane-world models for cosmology and astrophysics, mainly focusing on warped 5-dimensional brane-worlds based on the Randall-Sundrum models. We also cover the simplest brane-world models in which 4-dimensional gravity on the brane is modified at
low
energies — the 5-dimensional Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati models. Then we discuss co-dimension two branes in 6-dimensional models.
Einstein's theory of gravity, General Relativity, has been precisely tested on Solar System scales, but the long-range nature of gravity is still poorly constrained. The nearby strong gravitational ...lens ESO 325-G004 provides a laboratory to probe the weak-field regime of gravity and measure the spatial curvature generated per unit mass, γ. By reconstructing the observed light profile of the lensed arcs and the observed spatially resolved stellar kinematics with a single self-consistent model, we conclude that γ = 0.97 ± 0.09 at 68% confidence. Our result is consistent with the prediction of 1 from General Relativity and provides a strong extragalactic constraint on the weak-field metric of gravity.
Visible light primarily induces biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins and increases the level of B-ring hydroxylation in proanthocyanidin subunits, whereas UV light specifically induces biosynthesis of ...flavonol in young berry skins of wine grape. Display omitted
► Visible light induces biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins in young grape skins. ► Visible light increases the level of B-ring hydroxylation of proanthocyanidins. ► UV light specifically induces biosynthesis of flavonol. ► The decrease in proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by light exclusion is limited. ► Members of a MYB transcription factor family are regulated differently by light.
Biosynthesis of phenolic compounds is known to be sensitive to light environments, which reflects the possible role of these compounds for photoprotection in plants. Herein, the effects of UV and visible light on biosynthesis of flavonoids was investigated, i.e., proanthocyanidins (PAs) and flavonols, in young berry skins of a red-wine grape, Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon. Shading with light-proof boxes from the flowering stage until 49days after treatment (DAT) partially decreased PA concentrations, and completely decreased flavonol concentrations in the berry skins. Shading decreased the transcript abundance of a flavonol-related gene more remarkably than those of PA-related genes. In addition, light exclusion influenced the composition of PAs, such as the decrease in the proportion of trihydroxylated subunits and the mean degree of polymerization (mDP) within PAs. However, solar UV exclusion did not affect the concentration and composition of PAs, whereas this exclusion remarkably decreased the flavonol concentration. Consistently, UV exclusion did not influence the transcript levels of PA-related genes, whereas it dramatically decreased that of flavonol-related genes. These findings indicated a different light regulation of the biosynthesis of these flavonoids in young berry skins of wine grape. Visible light primarily induces biosynthesis of PAs and affects their composition, whereas UV light specifically induces biosynthesis of flavonols. Distinct roles of members of a MYB transcription factor family for light regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis were proposed.
We confirm the recent claims that, in the infrared limit of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity, the scalar graviton becomes a ghost if the sound speed squared is positive on the flat de Sitter and Minkowski ...background. In order to avoid the ghost and tame the instability, the sound speed squared should be negative and very small, which means that the flow parameter λ should be very close to its General Relativity (GR) value. We calculate the cubic interactions for the scalar graviton which are shown to have a similar structure with those of the curvature perturbation in k-inflation models. The higher order interactions become increasing important for a smaller sound speed squared, that is, when the theory approaches GR. This invalidates any linearized analysis and any predictability is lost in this limit as quantum corrections are not controllable. This pathological behaviour of the scalar graviton casts doubt on the validity of the projectable version of the theory.
In quadratic-order degenerate higher-order scalar–tensor (DHOST) theories compatible with gravitational-wave constraints, we derive the most general Lagrangian allowing for tracker solutions ...characterized by ϕ˙/Hp=constant, where ϕ˙ is the time derivative of a scalar field ϕ, H is the Hubble expansion rate, and p is a constant. While the tracker is present up to the cubic-order Horndeski Lagrangian L=c2X−c3X(p−1)/(2p)□ϕ, where c2,c3 are constants and X is the kinetic energy of ϕ, the DHOST interaction breaks this structure for p≠1. Even in the latter case, however, there exists an approximate tracker solution in the early cosmological epoch with the nearly constant field equation of state wϕ=−1−2pH˙/(3H2). The scaling solution, which corresponds to p=1, is the unique case in which all the terms in the field density ρϕ and the pressure Pϕ obey the scaling relation ρϕ∝Pϕ∝H2. Extending the analysis to the coupled DHOST theories with the field-dependent coupling Q(ϕ) between the scalar field and matter, we show that the scaling solution exists for Q(ϕ)=1/(μ1ϕ+μ2), where μ1 and μ2 are constants. For the constant Q, i.e., μ1=0, we derive fixed points of the dynamical system by using the general Lagrangian with scaling solutions. This result can be applied to the model construction of late-time cosmic acceleration preceded by the scaling ϕ-matter-dominated epoch.
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