Tectonics of the central Andes

Acquisition of nearly complete coverage of Thematic Mapper data for the central Andes between about 15 to 34 degrees S has stimulated a comprehensive and unprecedented study of the interaction of tectonics and climate in a young and actively developing major continental mountain belt. The current state of the synoptic mapping of key physiographic, tectonic, and climatic indicators of the dynamics of the mountain/climate system are briefly reviewed

Calcium Carbide as a Dehydrating Agent for Alcohols

It is well known that almost all alcohols purchased in the market contain considerable water. It varies from five per cent to fifteen per cent in methyl and ethyl alcohols and is less in amyl and other alcohols. It was thought that it would be interesting and profitable to determine the degree of dehydration produced by the action of calcium carbide on the water in these alcohols

Metal-Insulator-Like Behavior in Semimetallic Bismuth and Graphite

When high quality bismuth or graphite crystals are placed in a magnetic field directed along the c-axis (trigonal axis for bismuth) and the temperature is lowered, the resistance increases as it does in an insulator but then saturates. We show that the combination of unusual features specific to semimetals, i.e., low carrier density, small effective mass, high purity, and an equal number of electrons and holes (compensation), gives rise to a unique ordering and spacing of three characteristic energy scales, which not only is specific to semimetals but which concomitantly provides a wide window for the observation of apparent field induced metal-insulator behavior. Using magnetotransport and Hall measurements, the details of this unusual behavior are captured with a conventional multi-band model, thus confirming the occupation by semimetals of a unique niche between conventional metals and semiconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figs, data and discussion on bismuth added, final published versio

Structural Diversity in the Inner Ear of Teleost Fishes: Implications for Connections to the Mauthner Cell

A body of literature suggests that the Mauthner cell startle response can be elicited by stimulation of the ear. While we know that there are projections to the M-cell from the ear, the specific endorgan(s) of the ear projecting to the M-cell are not known. Moreover, there are many reasons to question whether there is one pattern of inner ear to M-cell connection or whether the endorgan(s) projection to the M-cell varies in species that have different hearing capabilities of hearing structures. In this paper, we briefly review the structure of fish ears, with an emphasis on structural regionalization within the ear. We also review the central projections of the ear, along with a discussion of the limited data on projections to the M-cell

Multi-Agent Complex Systems and Many-Body Physics

Multi-agent complex systems comprising populations of decision-making particles, have many potential applications across the biological, informational and social sciences. We show that the time-averaged dynamics in such systems bear a striking resemblance to conventional many-body physics. For the specific example of the Minority Game, this analogy enables us to obtain analytic expressions which are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Europhysics Letter

Vlasov Equation In Magnetic Field

The linearized Vlasov equation for a plasma system in a uniform magnetic field and the corresponding linear Vlasov operator are studied. The spectrum and the corresponding eigenfunctions of the Vlasov operator are found. The spectrum of this operator consists of two parts: one is continuous and real; the other is discrete and complex. Interestingly, the real eigenvalues are infinitely degenerate, which causes difficulty solving this initial value problem by using the conventional eigenfunction expansion method. Finally, the Vlasov equation is solved by the resolvent method.Comment: 15 page

The Ithaca Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

I list several strong requirements for what I would consider a sensible interpretation of quantum mechanics and I discuss two simple theorems. One, as far as I know, is new; the other was only noted a few years ago. Both have important implications for such a sensible interpretation. My talk will not clear everything up; indeed, you may conclude that it has not cleared anything up. But I hope it will provide a different perspective from which to view some old and vexing puzzles (or, if you believe nothing needs to be cleared up, some ancient verities.)Comment: 21 pages, plain TEX. Notes for a lecture given at the Golden Jubilee Workshop on Foundations of Quantum Theory, Tata Institute, Bombay, September 9-12, 199