Complete set of quasi-conserved quantities for spinning particles around Kerr

We revisit the conserved quantities of the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Tulczyjew equations describing the motion of spinning particles on a fixed background. Assuming Ricci-flatness and the existence of a Killing-Yano tensor, we demonstrate that besides the two non-trivial quasi-conserved quantities, i.e. conserved at linear order in the spin, found by Rüdiger, non-trivial quasi-conserved quantities are in one-to-one correspondence with non-trivial mixed-symmetry Killing tensors. We prove that no such stationary and axisymmetric mixed-symmetry Killing tensor exists on the Kerr geometry. We discuss the implications for the motion of spinning particles on Kerr spacetime where the quasi-constants of motion are shown not to be in complete involution.

Mixed Symmetry States in 92Zr and 94Mo Nuclei

Mixed-symmetry states of 92Zr and 94Mo isotopes are investigated with the use of the collective models, Interacting Boson Model-2 (IBM-2) and Quasiparticle Phonon Model (QPM). The energy spectra and electromagnetic transition rates for these isotopes are calculated. The results of IBM-2 and QPM are compared with available experimental data. We have obtained a satisfactory agreement, and IBM-2 gives a better description. In these isotopes, we observe a few states having a mixed symmetry such as 2+2, 2+3, 3+1, and 1+s. It is found that these isotopes have a vibrational shape corresponding to the U(5) symmetry.

Hamiltonian analysis and positivity of a newmassive spin-2 model

Recently a new model has been proposed to describe free massive spin-2 particles in D dimensions in terms of a non symmetric rank-2 tensor eµν and a mixed symmetry tensor Bµ[αβ]. The model is invariant under linearized diffeomorphisms without Stueckelberg fields. It resembles a spin-2 version of the topologically massive spin-1 BF model (Cremmer-Scherk model). Here we apply the Dirac-Bergmann procedure in order to identify all Hamiltonian constraints and perform a complete counting of degrees of freedom. In D = 3 + 1 we find 5 degrees of freedom corresponding to helicities ±2, ±1, 0 as expected. The positivity of the reduced Hamiltonian is proved by using spin projection operators. We have also proposed a parent action that establishes the duality between the Fierz-Pauli and the new model. The equivalence between gauge invariant correlation functions of both theories is demonstrated.

Effect of Non-canonical Spatial Symmetry on Subitizing

Subitizing refers to ability of people to accurately and effortlessly enumerate a small number of items, with a capacity around four elements. Previous research showed that “canonical” organizations, such as familiar layouts on a dice, can readily improve subitizing performance of people. However, almost all canonical shapes found in the world are also highly symmetrical; therefore, it is unclear whether previously reported facilitative effect of canonical organization is really due to canonicality, or simply driven by spatial symmetry. Here, we investigated the possible effect of symmetry on subitizing by using symmetrical, yet non-canonical, shape structures. These symmetrical layouts were compared with highly controlled random patterns (Experiment 1), as well as fully random and canonical patterns (Experiment 2). Our results showed that symmetry facilitates subitizing performance, but only at set size of 6, suggesting that the effect is insufficient to improve performance of people in the lower or upper range. This was also true, although weaker, in reaction time (RT), error distance measures, and Weber Fractions. On the other hand, canonical layouts produced faster and more accurate subitizing performances across multiple set sizes. We conclude that, although previous findings mixed symmetry in their canonical shapes, their findings on shape canonicality cannot be explained by symmetry alone. We also propose that our symmetrical and canonical results are best explained by the “groupitizing” and pattern recognition accounts, respectively.

Revisiting higher-spin gyromagnetic couplings

We analyze Bosonic, Heterotic, and Type II string theories compactified on a generic torus having constant moduli. By computing the hamiltonian giving the interaction between massive string excitations and U(1) gauge fields arising from the graviton and Kalb-Ramond field upon compactification, we derive a general formula for such couplings that turns out to be universal in all these theories. We also confirm our result by explicitly evaluating the relevant string three-point amplitudes. From this expression, we determine the gyromagnetic ratio g of massive string states coupled to both gauge-fields. For a generic mixed symmetry state, there is one gyromagnetic coupling associated with each row of the corresponding Young Tableau diagram. For all the states having zero Kaluza Klein or Winding charges, the value of g turns out to be 1. We also explicitly consider totally symmetric and mixed symmetry states (having two rows in the Young diagram) associated with the first Regge-trajectory and obtain their corresponding g value.