Indirect Dissociative Recombination of LiH+^+ Molecules Fueled by Complex Resonance Manifolds

The LiH$^{+}$ molecule is prototypical of the indirect dissociative recombination (DR) process, in which a colliding electron destroys the molecule through Rydberg capture pathways. This Letter develops the first quantitative test of the Siegert state multichannel quantum defect theory description of indirect DR for a diatomic molecular ion. The R-matrix approach is adopted to calculate ab-initio quantum defects, functions of the internuclear distance that characterize both Rydberg states and the zero-energy collisions of electrons with LiH$^{+}$ ions. The calculated DR rate coefficient agrees accurately with recent experimental data (S. Krohn et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4005). We identify the doorways to fast indirect DR as complex resonance manifolds, which couple closed channels having both high and low principal quantum numbers. This sheds new light on the competition between direct and indirect DR pathways, and suggests the reason why previous theory underestimated the DR rate by an order of magnitude.Comment: Submitted to PR

A spanning tree model for the Heegaard Floer homology of a branched double-cover

Given a diagram of a link K in S^3, we write down a Heegaard diagram for the branched-double cover Sigma(K). The generators of the associated Heegaard Floer chain complex correspond to Kauffman states of the link diagram. Using this model we make some computations of the homology \hat{HF}(Sigma(K)) as a graded group. We also conjecture the existence of a delta-grading on \hat{HF}(Sigma(K)) analogous to the delta-grading on knot Floer and Khovanov homology.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figure

Analyzing True Self-Reliance and Individualism

This essay analyzes the story of “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving and criticizes Daniel Plung’s assessment of it in his article, “Rip Van Winkle’: Metempsychosis and the Quest for Self-Reliance.” In Plung’s article, he assesses that in the story of “Rip Van Winkle,” the main character, Rip, attains self-reliance and individualism through his escape and experience on the mountain. However, although Plung’s points support his assessments, there are also many other details in the story that contradict Plung’s analysis. This essay seeks to enlighten readers to a differing interpretation of “Rip Van Winkle” by studying other details in the story

How Neoliberalism Weakened Democracy in Chile

During the late twentieth century, neoliberal policy transformations were occurring in countries all over the world. In Chile, this radical change in policy removed the state from many economic spheres, which ended up hurting the Chilean people. The newly enacted neoliberal policies left the Chilean citizens in an even worse position than they had been in originally, and this suffering eroded any possibility they had of democratically participating in their government. Since the state was removing regulations with the aim of stimulating economic growth, workers were no longer promised a livable wage and they lost their opportunities to live in affordable housing. With their incomes decreasing and their expenses on the rise, they were forced to work more hours to make up the difference. Since the workers were spending more time in the factories, they had less time to be politically active. This ultimately weakened political groups tasked with holding elected officials accountable, and this caused the average Chilean citizen to become even less effective politically. Overall, free markets seem to stand in direct opposition to the idea of having a pluralistic democracy. In search of economic success, the Chilean people ended up losing their political rights, and the quality of democracy in Chile was greatly diminished

Liberalism and the Distinctiveness of Religious Belief

Finding the appropriate sweet spot for religion’s role in the state and how state action may affect the lives of religious people continues to be elusive. Cécile Laborde’s ambitious book Liberalism’s Religion comes down firmly on the side of seeing religion as not distinctive, even in a liberal democracy. To the extent that nonestablishment and free exercise norms should prevail, they should prevail insofar as we can disaggregate religion into components that it shares with nonreligious belief and practice. In this review essay, I advance a position on which Laborde spends little time in her book — religion is distinctive because for religious people, God is at the center of their beliefs and practices, and there’s nothing else like it. In so doing, I suggest that there are good reasons for liberal democracy generally and the U.S. constitutional order specifically to respond to this sociological fact with nonestablishment and free exercise norms that are distinctive to religious belief and practice. Liberalism’s religion need not be disaggregative; it can remain true to core liberal principles while taking seriously the role that God plays in the lives of the devout