O(d,d)-invariance in inhomogeneous string cosmologies with perfect fluid

In the first part of the present paper, we show that O(d,d)-invariance usually known in a homogeneous cosmological background written in terms of proper time can be extended to backgrounds depending on one or several coordinates (which may be any space-like or time-like coordinate(s)). In all cases, the presence of a perfect fluid is taken into account and the equivalent duality transformation in Einstein frame is explicitly given. In the second part, we present several concrete applications to some four-dimensional metrics, including inhomogeneous ones, which illustrate the different duality transformations discussed in the first part. Note that most of the dual solutions given here do not seem to be known in the literature.Comment: 25 pages, no figures, Latex. Accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Supergravity Black Holes and Billiards and Liouville integrable structure of dual Borel algebras

In this paper we show that the supergravity equations describing both cosmic billiards and a large class of black-holes are, generically, both Liouville integrable as a consequence of the same universal mechanism. This latter is provided by the Liouville integrable Poissonian structure existing on the dual Borel algebra B_N of the simple Lie algebra A_{N-1}. As a by product we derive the explicit integration algorithm associated with all symmetric spaces U/H^{*} relevant to the description of time-like and space-like p-branes. The most important consequence of our approach is the explicit construction of a complete set of conserved involutive hamiltonians h_{\alpha} that are responsible for integrability and provide a new tool to classify flows and orbits. We believe that these will prove a very important new tool in the analysis of supergravity black holes and billiards.Comment: 48 pages, 7 figures, LaTex; V1: misprints corrected, two references adde

On Relativistic Material Reference Systems

This work closes certain gaps in the literature on material reference systems in general relativity. It is shown that perfect fluids are a special case of DeWitt's relativistic elastic media and that the velocity--potential formalism for perfect fluids can be interpreted as describing a perfect fluid coupled to a fleet of clocks. A Hamiltonian analysis of the elastic media with clocks is carried out and the constraints that arise when the system is coupled to gravity are studied. When the Hamiltonian constraint is resolved with respect to the clock momentum, the resulting true Hamiltonian is found to be a functional only of the gravitational variables. The true Hamiltonian is explicitly displayed when the medium is dust, and is shown to depend on the detailed construction of the clocks.Comment: 18 pages, ReVTe

Spacelike Singularities and Hidden Symmetries of Gravity

We review the intimate connection between (super-)gravity close to a spacelike singularity (the "BKL-limit") and the theory of Lorentzian Kac-Moody algebras. We show that in this limit the gravitational theory can be reformulated in terms of billiard motion in a region of hyperbolic space, revealing that the dynamics is completely determined by a (possibly infinite) sequence of reflections, which are elements of a Lorentzian Coxeter group. Such Coxeter groups are the Weyl groups of infinite-dimensional Kac-Moody algebras, suggesting that these algebras yield symmetries of gravitational theories. Our presentation is aimed to be a self-contained and comprehensive treatment of the subject, with all the relevant mathematical background material introduced and explained in detail. We also review attempts at making the infinite-dimensional symmetries manifest, through the construction of a geodesic sigma model based on a Lorentzian Kac-Moody algebra. An explicit example is provided for the case of the hyperbolic algebra E10, which is conjectured to be an underlying symmetry of M-theory. Illustrations of this conjecture are also discussed in the context of cosmological solutions to eleven-dimensional supergravity.Comment: 228 pages. Typos corrected. References added. Subject index added. Published versio

Hyperbolic billiards of pure D=4 supergravities

We compute the billiards that emerge in the Belinskii-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz (BKL) limit for all pure supergravities in D=4 spacetime dimensions, as well as for D=4, N=4 supergravities coupled to k (N=4) Maxwell supermultiplets. We find that just as for the cases N=0 and N=8 investigated previously, these billiards can be identified with the fundamental Weyl chambers of hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebras. Hence, the dynamics is chaotic in the BKL limit. A new feature arises, however, which is that the relevant Kac-Moody algebra can be the Lorentzian extension of a twisted affine Kac-Moody algebra, while the N=0 and N=8 cases are untwisted. This occurs for N=5, N=3 and N=2. An understanding of this property is provided by showing that the data relevant for determining the billiards are the restricted root system and the maximal split subalgebra of the finite-dimensional real symmetry algebra characterizing the toroidal reduction to D=3 spacetime dimensions. To summarize: split symmetry controls chaos.Comment: 21 page

Indirect study of 19Ne states near the 18F+p threshold

The early E < 511 keV gamma-ray emission from novae depends critically on the 18F(p,a)15O reaction. Unfortunately the reaction rate of the 18F(p,a)15O reaction is still largely uncertain due to the unknown strengths of low-lying proton resonances near the 18F+p threshold which play an important role in the nova temperature regime. We report here our last results concerning the study of the d(18F,p)19F(alpha)15N transfer reaction. We show in particular that these two low-lying resonances cannot be neglected. These results are then used to perform a careful study of the remaining uncertainties associated to the 18F(p,a)15O and 18F(p,g)19Ne reaction rates.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures. Accepted in Nuclear Physics

A new experiment for the determination of the 18F(p,alpha) reaction rate at nova temperatures

The 18F(p,alpha) reaction was recognized as one of the most important for gamma ray astronomy in novae as it governs the early 511 keV emission. However, its rate remains largely uncertain at nova temperatures. A direct measurement of the cross section over the full range of nova energies is impossible because of its vanishing value at low energy and of the short 18F lifetime. Therefore, in order to better constrain this reaction rate, we have performed an indirect experiment taking advantage of the availability of a high purity and intense radioactive 18F beam at the Louvain La Neuve RIB facility. We present here the first results of the data analysis and discuss the consequences.Comment: Contribution to the Classical Novae Explosions conference, Sitges, Spain, 20-24 May 2002, 5 pages, 3 figure

Higher-Derivative Quantum Cosmology

The quantum cosmology of a higher-derivative derivative gravity theory arising from the heterotic string effective action is reviewed. A new type of Wheeler-DeWitt equation is obtained when the dilaton is coupled to the quadratic curvature terms. Techniques for solving the Wheeler-DeWitt equation with appropriate boundary conditions shall be described, and implications for semiclassical theories of inflationary cosmology will be outlined.Comment: 11 pages TeX. A term has been removed from equation (13

Essential Constants for Spatially Homogeneous Ricci-flat manifolds of dimension 4+1

The present work considers (4+1)-dimensional spatially homogeneous vacuum cosmological models. Exact solutions -- some already existing in the literature, and others believed to be new -- are exhibited. Some of them are the most general for the corresponding Lie group with which each homogeneous slice is endowed, and some others are quite general. The characterization ``general'' is given based on the counting of the essential constants, the line-element of each model must contain; indeed, this is the basic contribution of the work. We give two different ways of calculating the number of essential constants for the simply transitive spatially homogeneous (4+1)-dimensional models. The first uses the initial value theorem; the second uses, through Peano's theorem, the so-called time-dependent automorphism inducing diffeomorphismsComment: 26 Pages, 2 Tables, latex2

Strengthening the health surveillance of marine mammals in the waters of metropolitan France by monitoring strandings

peer reviewedMonitoring the health status of marine mammals is a priority theme that France aims to develop with the other European Union Member States in the next two years, in the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. With approximately 5,000 km of coastline and for nearly ten years, France has been recording an average of 2,000 strandings per year, which are monitored by the National Stranding Network, managed by Pelagis, the observatory for the conservation of marine mammals from La Rochelle University and the French National Center for Scientific Research. Since 1972, this network has successively evolved from spatial and temporal faunistic description to, nowadays, the detection of major causes of mortality. It now aims to carry out epidemiological studies on a population scale. Thus, a strategy to strengthen the monitoring of marine mammals’ health status based on stranding data has been developed. This strategy will allow for a more accurate detection of anthropogenic cause of death as well as those of natural origin. It will allow the monitoring of time trends and geographical differences of diseases associated with conservation and public health issues while ensuring the early detection of emerging and/or zoonotic diseases of importance. It will also allow a better assessment of the consequences of human activities on these animal populations and on the environment. Thus, this strategy is fully in line with the “One Health” approach which implies an integrated vision of public, animal and environmental health. It is broken down into four surveillance modalities: (1) general event-based surveillance (GES); (2) programmed surveillance (PS); (3) specific event-based surveillance (SES); (4) and in the longer term, syndromic surveillance (SyS). This article describes the French strategy as well as these different surveillance modalities, the levels of examinations and the associated sampling protocols and finally, the method of standardisation of the data collected. The objective is to present the strategy developed at the French level in order to integrate it into a future strategy shared at the European level to standardise practices and especially complementary analysis, necessary for a better evaluation of the health status of these mobile marine species