Quantum tunneling of superconducting string currents

We investigate the decay of current on a superconducting cosmic string through quantum tunneling. We construct the instanton describing tunneling in a simple bosonic string model, and estimate the decay rate. The tunneling rate vanishes in the limit of a chiral current. This conclusion, which is supported by a symmetry argument, is expected to apply in general. It has important implications for the stability of chiral vortons.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

Geometry of fully coordinated, two-dimensional percolation

We study the geometry of the critical clusters in fully coordinated percolation on the square lattice. By Monte Carlo simulations (static exponents) and normal mode analysis (dynamic exponents), we find that this problem is in the same universality class with ordinary percolation statically but not so dynamically. We show that there are large differences in the number and distribution of the interior sites between the two problems which may account for the different dynamic nature.Comment: ReVTeX, 5 pages, 6 figure

Tensile and charpy impact properties of irradiated reduced-activation ferritic steels

Tensile tests were conducted on 8 reduced-activation Cr-W steels after irradiation to 15-17 and 26-29 dpa, and Charpy impact tests were conducted on steels irradiated to 26-29 dpa. Irradiation was in Fast Flux Test Facility at 365 C on steels containing 2.25-12% Cr, varying amounts of W, V, and Ta, and 0.1%C. Previously, tensile specimens were irradiated to 6-8 dpa and Charpy specimens to 6-8, 15- 17, and 20-24 dpa. Tensile and Charpy specimens were also thermally aged to 20,000 h at 365 C. Thermal aging had little effect on tensile properties or ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), but several steels showed a slight increase in upper-shelf energy (USE). After 7 dpa, strength increased (hardened) and then remained relatively unchanged through 26-29 dpa (ie, strength saturated with fluence). Post-irradiation Charpy impact tests after 26-29 dpa showed that the loss of impact toughness (increased DBTT, decreased USE) remained relatively unchanged from the values after 20-24 dpa, which had been relatively unchanged from the earlier irradiations. As before, the two 9Cr steels had the most irradiation resistance

Neutron irradiation effects on the ductile-brittle transition of ferritic/martensitic steels

Ferritic/martensitic steels such as the conventional 9Cr-1MoVNb (Fe-9Cr-1Mo-0.25V-0.06Nb-0.1C) and 12Cr-1MoVW (Fe-12Cr-1Mo-0.25V-0.5W-0.5Ni-0.2C) steels have been considered potential structural materials for future fusion power plants. The major obstacle to their use is embrittlement caused by neutron irradiation. Observations on this irradiation embrittlement will be reviewed. Below 425-450{degrees}C, neutron irradiation hardens the steels. Hardening reduces ductility, but the major effect is an increase in the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and a decrease in the upper-shelf energy, as measured by a Charpy impact test. After irradiation, DBTT values can increase to well above room temperature, thus increasing the chances of brittle rather than ductile fracture. In addition to irradiation hardening, neutrons from the fusion reaction will produce large amounts of helium in the steels used to construct fusion power plant components. Tests to simulate the fusion environment indicate that helium can also affect the toughness. Steels are being developed for fusion applications that have a low DBTT prior to irradiation and then show only a small shift after irradiation. A martensitic 9Cr-2WVTa (nominally Fe-9Cr-2W-0.25V-0.07Ta-0.1C) steel had a much lower DBTT than the conventional 9Cr-1MoVNb steel prior to neutron irradiation and showed a much smaller increase in DBTT after irradiation. 27 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Neutron irradiation effects on the ductile-brittle transition of ferritic/martensitic steels

Ferritic/martensitic steels such as the conventional 9Cr-1MoVNb (Fe-9Cr-1Mo-0.25V-0.06Nb-0.1C) and 12Cr-1MoVW (Fe-12Cr-1Mo-0.25V-0.5W-0.5Ni-0.2C) steels have been considered potential structural materials for future fusion power plants. The major obstacle to their use is embrittlement caused by neutron irradiation. Observations on this irradiation embrittlement will be reviewed. Below 425-450{degrees}C, neutron irradiation hardens the steels. Hardening reduces ductility, but the major effect is an increase in the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and a decrease in the upper-shelf energy, as measured by a Charpy impact test. After irradiation, DBTT values can increase to well above room temperature, thus increasing the chances of brittle rather than ductile fracture. In addition to irradiation hardening, neutrons from the fusion reaction will produce large amounts of helium in the steels used to construct fusion power plant components. Tests to simulate the fusion environment indicate that helium can also affect the toughness. Steels are being developed for fusion applications that have a low DBTT prior to irradiation and then show only a small shift after irradiation. A martensitic 9Cr-2WVTa (nominally Fe-9Cr-2W-0.25V-0.07Ta-0.1C) steel had a much lower DBTT than the conventional 9Cr-1MoVNb steel prior to neutron irradiation and showed a much smaller increase in DBTT after irradiation. 27 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

Spontaneous Resonances and the Coherent States of the Queuing Networks

We present an example of a highly connected closed network of servers, where the time correlations do not go to zero in the infinite volume limit. This phenomenon is similar to the continuous symmetry breaking at low temperatures in statistical mechanics. The role of the inverse temperature is played by the average load.Comment: 3 figures added, small correction

Layering in the Ising model

We consider the three-dimensional Ising model in a half-space with a boundary field (no bulk field). We compute the low-temperature expansion of layering transition lines

The chemosensitizer cyclosporin A enhances the toxic side-effects of doxorubicin in the rat

the feasibility of using chemosensitizers in the circumvention of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance has been shown in many studies. We recently reported on the chemosensitizing effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) on doxorubicin in a rat solid tumour model. Using the same experimental design we investigated the side-effects of the combination treatment. During the 35-day experiment doxorubicin treatment caused dose-dependent weight loss, which was enhanced by combination treatment with CsA. The main doxorubicin-related side-effects were myelosuppression (transient leucopenia and thrombopenia) and nephrotoxicity. Damage to the kidney was severe, leading to a nephrotic syndrome and resulting in ascites, pleural effusion, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia. These toxicities were enhanced by the addition of the chemosensitizer CsA. Mild doxorubicin-related cardiomyopathy and minimal hepatotoxicity were seen on histological examination. There were no signs of enhanced toxicity of the combination treatment in tissues with known high expression levels of P-glycoprotein, like the liver, adrenal gland and large intestine. CsA had a low toxicity profile, as it only caused a transient rise in bilirubin. In conclusion, the chemosensitizer CsA enhanced the side-effects of the anticancer drug doxorubiein without altering the toxicity pattern. There was no evidence of a therapeutic gain by adding CsA to doxorubicin, compared to single-agent treatment with doxorubicin in 25%-33% higher doses, because of the enhanced toxicity of the combination treatment

Spectral stability of noncharacteristic isentropic Navier-Stokes boundary layers

Building on work of Barker, Humpherys, Lafitte, Rudd, and Zumbrun in the shock wave case, we study stability of compressive, or "shock-like", boundary layers of the isentropic compressible Navier-Stokes equations with gamma-law pressure by a combination of asymptotic ODE estimates and numerical Evans function computations. Our results indicate stability for gamma in the interval [1, 3] for all compressive boundary-layers, independent of amplitude, save for inflow layers in the characteristic limit (not treated). Expansive inflow boundary-layers have been shown to be stable for all amplitudes by Matsumura and Nishihara using energy estimates. Besides the parameter of amplitude appearing in the shock case, the boundary-layer case features an additional parameter measuring displacement of the background profile, which greatly complicates the resulting case structure. Moreover, inflow boundary layers turn out to have quite delicate stability in both large-displacement and large-amplitude limits, necessitating the additional use of a mod-two stability index studied earlier by Serre and Zumbrun in order to decide stability

On scattering of solitons for the Klein-Gordon equation coupled to a particle

We establish the long time soliton asymptotics for the translation invariant nonlinear system consisting of the Klein-Gordon equation coupled to a charged relativistic particle. The coupled system has a six dimensional invariant manifold of the soliton solutions. We show that in the large time approximation any finite energy solution, with the initial state close to the solitary manifold, is a sum of a soliton and a dispersive wave which is a solution of the free Klein-Gordon equation. It is assumed that the charge density satisfies the Wiener condition which is a version of the ``Fermi Golden Rule''. The proof is based on an extension of the general strategy introduced by Soffer and Weinstein, Buslaev and Perelman, and others: symplectic projection in Hilbert space onto the solitary manifold, modulation equations for the parameters of the projection, and decay of the transversal component.Comment: 47 pages, 2 figure