East Asia and the global/transatlantic/Western crisis

This paper introduces the special collection on East Asia and the Global Crisis. After justifying why a focus on East Asia is appropriate, it draws out the main themes that run through the individual contributions. These are the extent to which the region is decoupling from the global economy (or the West), the increasing legitimacy of statist alternatives to neoliberal development strategies, and the impact of crises on the definition of ―region‖ and the functioning of regional institutions and governance mechanisms

Neutrons from multiplicity-selected Au-Au collisions at 150, 250, 400, and 650 AMeV

We measured neutron triple-differential cross sections from multiplicity-selected Au-Au collisions at 150, 250, 400, and 650 \AMeV. The reaction plane for each collision was estimated from the summed transverse velocity vector of the charged fragments emitted in the collision. We examined the azimuthal distribution of the triple-differential cross sections as a function of the polar angle and the neutron rapidity. We extracted the average in--plane transverse momentum $\langle P_x\rangle$ and the normalized observable $\langle P_x/P_\perp\rangle$, where $P_\perp$ is the neutron transverse momentum, as a function of the neutron center-of-mass rapidity, and we examined the dependence of these observables on beam energy. These collective flow observables for neutrons, which are consistent with those of protons plus bound nucleons from the Plastic Ball Group, agree with the Boltzmann--Uehling--Uhlenbeck (BUU) calculations with a momentum--dependent interaction. Also, we calculated the polar-angle-integrated maximum azimuthal anisotropy ratio R from the value of $\langle P_x/P_\perp\rangle$.Comment: 20 LaTeX pages. 11 figures to be faxed on request, send email to sender's addres

Thermal photons as a measure for the rapidity dependence of the temperature

The rapidity distribution of thermal photons produced in Pb+Pb collisions at CERN-SPS energies is calculated within scaling and three-fluid hydrodynamics. It is shown that these scenarios lead to very different rapidity spectra. A measurement of the rapidity dependence of photon radiation can give cleaner insight into the reaction dynamics than pion spectra, especially into the rapidity dependence of the temperature.Comment: 3 Figure

1+1 Dimensional Hydrodynamics for High-energy Heavy-ion Collisions

A 1+1 dimensional hydrodynamical model in the light-cone coordinates is used to describe central heavy-ion collisions at ultrarelativistic bombarding energies. Deviations from Bjorken's scaling are taken into account by choosing finite-size profiles for the initial energy density. The sensitivity of fluid dynamical evolution to the equation of state and the parameters of initial state is investigated. Experimental constraints on the total energy of produced particles are used to reduce the number of model parameters. Spectra of secondary particles are calculated assuming that the transition from the hydrodynamical stage to the collisionless expansion of matter occurs at a certain freeze-out temperature. An important role of resonances in the formation of observed hadronic spectra is demonstrated. The calculated rapidity distributions of pions, kaons and antiprotons in central Au+Au collisions at the c.m. energy 200 GeV per NN pair are compared with experimental data of the BRAHMS Collaboration. Parameters of the initial state are reconstructed for different choices of the equation of state. The best fit of these data is obtained for a soft equation of state and Gaussian-like initial profiles of the energy density, intermediate between the Landau and Bjorken limits.Comment: 43 pages, 27 figure

Privatization and State Capacity in Postcommunist Society

Economists have used cross-national regression analysis to argue that postcommunist economic failure is the result of inadequate adherence liberal economic policies. Sociologists have relied on case study data to show that postcommunist economic failure is the outcome of too close adherence to liberal policy recommendations, which has led to an erosion of state effectiveness, and thus produced poor economic performance. The present paper advances a version of this statist theory based on a quantitative analysis of mass privatization programs in the postcommunist world. We argue that rapid large-scale privatization creates severe supply and demand shocks for enterprises, thereby inducing firm failure. The resulting erosion of tax revenues leads to a fiscal crisis for the state, and severely weakens its capacity and bureaucratic character. This, in turn, reacts back on the enterprise sector, as the state can no longer support the institutions necessary for the effective functioning of a modern economy, thus resulting in deindustrialization. Using cross-national regression techniques we find that the implementation of mass privatization programs negatively impacts measures of economic growth, state capacity and the security of property rights.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40192/3/wp806.pd

Effects of Compression and Collective Expansion on Particle Emission from Central Heavy-Ion Reactions

Conditions under which compression occurs and collective expansion develops in energetic reactions of heavy nuclei, are analyzed, together with their effects on emitted light baryons and pions. Within transport simulations, it is shown that shock fronts perpendicular to beam axis form in head-on reactions. The fronts separate hot compressed matter from normal. As impact parameter increases, the angle of inclination of the fronts relative to beam axis decreases, and in-between the fronts a weak tangential discontinuity develops. Hot matter exposed to the vacuum in directions perpendicular to shock motion (and parallel to fronts), starts to expand sideways, early within reactions. Expansion in the direction of shock motion follows after the shocks propagate through nuclei, but due to the delay does not acquire same strength. Expansion affects angular distributions, mean-energy components, shapes of spectra and mean energies of different particles emitted into any one direction, and further particle yields. Both the expansion and a collective motion associated with the weak discontinuity, affect the magnitude of sideward flow within reaction plane. Differences in mean particle energy components in and out of the reaction plane in semicentral collisions, depend sensitively on the relative magnitude of shock speed in normal matter and speed of sound in hot matter.Comment: 71 pages, 33 figures (available on request), report MSUCL-94

Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions: from the BEVALAC to RHIC

I briefly describe the initial goals of relativistic nuclear collisions research, focusing on the LBL Bevatron/Bevalac facility in the 1970's. An early concept of high hadronic density fireball formation, and subsequent isentropic decay (preserving information as to the high density stage) led to an outline of physics observables that could determine the nuclear matter equation of state at several times nuclear ground state matter density. With the advent of QCD the goal of locating, and characterizing the hadron-parton deconfinement phase transformation suggested the need for higher $\sqrt{s}$, the research thus moving to the BNL AGS and CERN SPS, finally to RHIC at BNL. A set of physics observables is discussed where present data span the entire $\sqrt{s}$ domain, from Bevalac and SIS at GSI, to top RHIC energy. Referring, selectively, to data concerning bulk hadron production, the overall $\sqrt{s}$ evolution of directed and radial flow observables, and of pion pair Bose-Einstein correlation are discussed. The hadronization process is studied in the grand canonical statistical model. The resulting hadronization points in the plane T vs. $\mu_B$ converge onto the parton-hadron phase boundary predicted by finite $\mu_B$ lattice QCD, from top SPS to RHIC energy. At lower SPS and top AGS energy a steep strangeness maximum occurs at which the Wroblewski parameter $\lambda_s \approx$ 0.6; a possible connection to the QCD critical point is discussed. Finally the unique new RHIC physics is addressed: high $p_T$ hadron suppression and jet "tomography".Comment: 19 pages, 11 figure

NASA Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of UTRC Low Emissions Injector

Computational and experimental analyses of a PICS-Pilot-In-Can-Swirler technology injector, developed by United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) are presented. NASA has defined technology targets for near term (called "N+1", circa 2015), midterm ("N+2", circa 2020) and far term ("N+3", circa 2030) that specify realistic emissions and fuel efficiency goals for commercial aircraft. This injector has potential for application in an engine to meet the Pratt & Whitney N+3 supersonic cycle goals, or the subsonic N+2 engine cycle goals. Experimental methods were employed to investigate supersonic cruise points as well as select points of the subsonic cycle engine; cruise, approach, and idle with a slightly elevated inlet pressure. Experiments at NASA employed gas analysis and a suite of laser-based measurement techniques to characterize the combustor flow downstream from the PICS dump plane. Optical diagnostics employed for this work included Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence of fuel for injector spray pattern and Spontaneous Raman Spectroscopy for relative species concentration of fuel and CO2. The work reported here used unheated (liquid) Jet-A fuel for all fuel circuits and cycle conditions. The initial tests performed by UTRC used vaporized Jet-A to simulate the expected supersonic cruise condition, which anticipated using fuel as a heat sink. Using the National Combustion Code a PICS-based combustor was modeled with liquid fuel at the supersonic cruise condition. All CFD models used a cubic non-linear k-epsilon turbulence wall functions model, and a semi-detailed Jet-A kinetic mechanism based on a surrogate fuel mixture. Two initial spray droplet size distribution and spray cone conditions were used: 1) an initial condition (Lefebvre) with an assumed Rosin-Rammler distribution, and 7 degree Solid Spray Cone; and 2) the Boundary Layer Stripping (BLS) primary atomization model giving the spray size distribution and directional properties. Contour and line plots are shown in comparison with experimental data (where this data is available) for flow velocities, fuel, and temperature distribution. The CFD results are consistent with experimental observations for fuel distribution and vaporization. Analysis of gas sample results, using a previously-developed NASA NOx correlation, indicates that for sea-level takeoff, the PICS configuration is predicted to deliver an EINOx value of about 3 for the targeted supersonic aircraft. Emissions results at supersonic cruise conditions show potential for meeting the NASA goals with liquid fuel