Are classically singular spacetimes quantum mechanically singular as well?

Are the classical singularities of general relativistic spacetimes, normally defined by the incompleteness of classical particle paths, still singular if quantum mechanical particles are used instead? This is the question we will attempt to answer for particles obeying the quantum mechanical wave equations for scalar, null vector and spinor particles. The analysis will be restricted to certain static general relativistic spacetimes that classically contain the mildest true classical singularities, quasiregular singularities.Comment: 3 pages, no figures, submitted to the Proceedings of the Tenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting on General Relativity, Rio de Janeiro, July 20-26, 200

Substantial regional variation in substitution rates in the human genome: importance of GC content, gene density and telomere-specific effects

This study presents the first global, 1 Mbp level analysis of patterns of nucleotide substitutions along the human lineage. The study is based on the analysis of a large amount of repetitive elements deposited into the human genome since the mammalian radiation, yielding a number of results that would have been difficult to obtain using the more conventional comparative method of analysis. This analysis revealed substantial and consistent variability of rates of substitution, with the variability ranging up to 2-fold among different regions. The rates of substitutions of C or G nucleotides with A or T nucleotides vary much more sharply than the reverse rates suggesting that much of that variation is due to differences in mutation rates rather than in the probabilities of fixation of C/G vs. A/T nucleotides across the genome. For all types of substitution we observe substantially more hotspots than coldspots, with hotspots showing substantial clustering over tens of Mbp's. Our analysis revealed that GC-content of surrounding sequences is the best predictor of the rates of substitution. The pattern of substitution appears very different near telomeres compared to the rest of the genome and cannot be explained by the genome-wide correlations of the substitution rates with GC content or exon density. The telomere pattern of substitution is consistent with natural selection or biased gene conversion acting to increase the GC-content of the sequences that are within 10-15 Mbp away from the telomere.Comment: 35 pages, 6 figure

The energies and residues of the nucleon resonances N(1535) and N(1650)

We extract pole positions for the N(1535) and N(1650) resonances using two different models. The positions are determined from fits to different subsets of the existing $\pi N\to\pi N$, $\pi N\to\eta N$ and $\gamma p\to\eta p$ data and found to be 1515(10)--i85(15)MeV and 1660(10)--i65(10)MeV, when the data is described in terms of two poles. Sensitivity to the choice of fitted data is explored. The corresponding $\pi \pi$ and $\eta \eta$ residues of these poles are also extracted.Comment: 9 page

Recent progress in high-output-voltage silicon solar cells

The status of the technology associated with the development of high output voltage silicon solar cells is reported. The energy conversion efficiency of a double diffusion process is compared to that of a single diffusion process. The efficiency of a 0.1 ohm/cm solar cell is characterized both before and after covering

Unsteady Diffuser Vane Pressure and Impeller Wake Measurements in a Centrifugal Pump

Unsteady surface pressure measurements on a vaned diffuser of a centrifugal pump, and wake measurement of the flow exiting a centrifugal impeller into a vaneless diffuser are presented. Frequency spectra and ensemble averages are given for the unsteady measurements. Two different impellers were used, the pump impeller of the HPOTP (High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump) of the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) and a two-dimensional impeller. The magnitude of the unsteady total pressure measured in the stationary frame at the impeller exit was found to be of the same order of magnitude as the total pressure rise across the pump. The magnitude of the unsteady diffuser vane pressures was observed to be significantly different on suction and pressure side of the vane, attaining its largest value on the suction side near the leading edge while decreasing along the vane

Updated analysis of π\piN elastic scattering data to 2.1~GeV: The Baryon Spectrum

We present the results of energy-dependent and single-energy partial-wave analyses of $\pi$N elastic scattering data with laboratory kinetic energies below 2.1~GeV. Resonance structures have been extracted using Breit-Wigner fits, speed plots, and a complex plane mapping of the associated poles and zeroes. This is the first set of resonance parameters from a VPI analysis constrained by fixed-t dispersion relations. We have searched our solutions for structures which may have been missed in our previous analyses, finding candidates in the $S_{11}$ and $F_{15}$ partial-wave amplitudes. Our results are compared with those found by the Karlsruhe, Carnegie-Mellon$-$Berkeley, and Kent State groups.Comment: 25 pages of text plus 5 figures. Revtex file and postscript figures available via anonymous FTP at ftp://clsaid.phys.vt.edu/pub/pi