Decoupling of Photon Propagator in Compact QED

In compact QED$_{2+1}$ quantum monopole fluctuations induce confinement by expelling electric flux in a dual Meissner effect. Guided by Landau-Ginzburg theory, one might guess that the inverse London penetration depth $\lambda^{-1}$---the only physical mass scale---equals the photon propagator mass pole $M_\gamma$. I show this is not true. Indeed, in the Villain approximation the monopole part of the partition function factorizes from the photon part, whose dynamical variables are Dirac strings. Since Dirac strings are gauge-variant structures, I conclude that $M_\gamma$ is physically irrelevant: it is not a blood relative of $\lambda$ or any other quantity in the gauge-invariant sector. This result is confirmed by numerical simulations in the full theory, where $M_\gamma$ is not sensitive to monopole prohibition but essentially vanishes if Dirac strings are prohibited.Comment: (Postscript file fixed; see file header.) 4 pages, DOE/ER/40617-135 and LSUHEP-10-9

Phase transitions in self-dual generalizations of the Baxter-Wu model

We study two types of generalized Baxter-Wu models, by means of transfer-matrix and Monte Carlo techniques. The first generalization allows for different couplings in the up- and down triangles, and the second generalization is to a $q$-state spin model with three-spin interactions. Both generalizations lead to self-dual models, so that the probable locations of the phase transitions follow. Our numerical analysis confirms that phase transitions occur at the self-dual points. For both generalizations of the Baxter-Wu model, the phase transitions appear to be discontinuous.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figure

Dynamics at a smeared phase transition

We investigate the effects of rare regions on the dynamics of Ising magnets with planar defects, i.e., disorder perfectly correlated in two dimensions. In these systems, the magnetic phase transition is smeared because static long-range order can develop on isolated rare regions. We first study an infinite-range model by numerically solving local dynamic mean-field equations. Then we use extremal statistics and scaling arguments to discuss the dynamics beyond mean-field theory. In the tail region of the smeared transition the dynamics is even slower than in a conventional Griffiths phase: the spin autocorrelation function decays like a stretched exponential at intermediate times before approaching the exponentially small equilibrium value following a power law at late times.Comment: 10 pages, 8eps figures included, final version as publishe

Transport and Use of a Centaur Second Stage in Space

As nations continue to explore space, the desire to reduce costs will continue to grow. As a method of cost reduction, transporting and/or use of launch system components as integral components of missions may become more commonplace in the future. There have been numerous scenarios written for using launch vehicle components (primarily space shuttle used external tanks) as part of flight missions or future habitats. Future studies for possible uses of launch vehicle upper stages might include asteroid diverter using gravity orbital perturbation, orbiting station component, raw material at an outpost, and kinetic impactor. The LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) mission was conceived as a low-cost means of determining whether water exists at the polar regions of the moon. Manifested as a secondary payload with the LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) spacecraft aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle, LCROSS guided its spent Centaur Earth Departure Upper Stage (EDUS) into the lunar crater Cabeu's, as a kinetic impactor. This paper describes some of the challenges that the LCROSS project encountered in planning, designing, launching with and carrying the Centaur upper stage to the moon

Phylogenetic lineages in the Botryosphaeriaceae

Botryosphaeria is a species-rich genus with a cosmopolitan distribution, commonly associated with dieback and cankers of woody plants. As many as 18 anamorph genera have been associated with Botryosphaeria, most of which have been reduced to synonymy under Diplodia (conidia mostly ovoid, pigmented, thick-walled), or Fusicoccum (conidia mostly fusoid, hyaline, thin-walled). However, there are numerous conidial anamorphs having morphological characteristics intermediate between Diplodia and Fusicoccum, and there are several records of species outside the Botryosphaeriaceae that have anamorphs apparently typical of Botryosphaeria s.str. Recent studies have also linked Botryosphaeria to species with pigmented, septate ascospores, and Dothiorella anamorphs, or Fusicoccum anamorphs with Dichomera synanamorphs. The aim of this study was to employ DNA sequence data of the 28S rDNA to resolve apparent lineages within the Botryosphaeriaceae. From these data, 12 clades are recognised. Two of these lineages clustered outside the Botryosphaeriaceae, namely Diplodia-like anamorphs occurring on maize, which are best accommodated in Stenocarpella (Diaporthales), as well as an unresolved clade including species of Camarosporium/Microdiplodia. We recognise 10 lineages within the Botryosphaeriaceae, including an unresolved clade (Diplodia/Lasiodiplodia/Tiarosporella), Botryosphaeria s.str. (Fusicoccum anamorphs), Macrophomina, Neoscytalidium gen. nov., Dothidotthia (Dothiorella anamorphs), Neofusicoccum gen. nov. (Botryosphaeria-like teleomorphs, Dichomera-like synanamorphs), Pseudofusicoccum gen. nov., Saccharata (Fusicoccum- and Diplodia-like synanamorphs), “Botryosphaeria” quercuum (Diplodia-like anamorph), and Guignardia (Phyllosticta anamorphs). Separate teleomorph and anamorph names are not provided for newly introduced genera, even where both morphs are known. The taxonomy of some clades and isolates (e.g. B. mamane) remains unresolved due to the absence of ex-type cultures

Spatial Interaction Modelling of Cross-Region R&D Collaborations Empirical Evidence from the EU Framework Programmes

The focus of this study is on cross-region R&D collaboration networks in the EU Framework Programmes (FP's). In contrast to most other empirical studies in this field, we shift attention to regions as units of analysis, i.e. we use aggregated data on research collaborations at the regional level. The objective is to identify determinants of cross-region collaboration patterns. In particular, we are interested whether geographical and technological distances are significant determinants of interregional cooperation. Further we investigate differences between intra-industry networks and public research networks (i.e. universities and research organisations). The European coverage is achieved by using data on 255 NUTS-2 regions of the 25 pre-2007 EU member-states, as well as Norway and Switzerland. We adopt a Poisson spatial interaction modelling perspective to analyse these questions. The dependent variable is the intensity of collaborative interactions between two regions, the independent variables are region-specific characteristics and variables that measure the separation between two regions such as geographical or technological distance. The results provide striking evidence that geographical factors are important determinants of cross-region collaboration intensities, but the effect of technological proximity is stronger. R&D collaborations occur most often between organisations that are located close to each other in technological space. Moreover geographical distance effects are significantly higher for intra-industry than for public research collaborations.Comment: 27 pages; presented at the 1st ICC International Conference on Network Modelling and Economic Systems, Lisbon, 200

Алкогольные виртуальные реальности. Девиртуализация синдрома зависимости от алкоголя

Представлен новый взгляд на синдром зависимости от алкоголя с позиций виртуалистики как на параллельную виртуальную реальность. Подробно освещена рассматриваемая проблема, описан разработанный автором метод лечения алкоголизма ФорсажТМ и показана его высокая эффективность.A new idea about syndrome of alcohol addiction as a parallel virtual reality is presented. The problem is discussed in detail, the original method of treatment of alcoholism Forsazh(tm) is described, its high efficacy is shown

On Estimating Conditional Conservatism

The concept of conditional conservatism (asymmetric earnings timeliness) has provided new insight into financial reporting and stimulated considerable research since Basu (1997). Patatoukas and Thomas (2011) report bias in firm-level cross-sectional asymmetry estimates that they attribute to scale effects. We do not agree with their advice that researchers should avoid conditional conservatism estimates and inferences from research based on such estimates. Our theoretical and empirical analyses suggest the explanation is a correlated omitted variables problem that can be addressed in a straightforward fashion, including fixed-effects regression. Correlation between the expected components of earnings and returns biases estimates of how earnings incorporate the information contained in returns. Further, the correlation varies with returns, biasing asymmetric timeliness estimates. When firm-specific effects are taken into account, estimates do not exhibit the bias, are statistically and economically significant, are consistent with priors, and behave as a predictable function of book-to-market, size, and leverage

Plants for planting ; indirect evidence for the movement of a serious forest pathogen, Teratosphaeria destructans, in Asia

Fungal diseases caused by native pathogens and pathogens introduced with planting stock have a significant impact on exotic plantation forestry in the tropics. Teratosphaeria destructans (formerly Kirramyces destructans) is a serious pathogen causing leaf, bud and shoot blight diseases of Eucalyptus spp. in plantations in the sub-tropics and tropics of south-east Asia. This pathogen was first discovered in Indonesia in 1995 and has subsequently spread to Thailand, China, Vietnam and East Timor. The biology, ecology and genetics of this important pathogen have not been explored yet. The objective of this study was, thus, to determine the genetic diversity and movement of T. destructans throughout south-east Asia using multi-gene phylogenies and microsatellite markers. Out of nine gene regions only two microsatellite markers detected a very low nucleotide polymorphism between isolates; seven other gene regions, ITS, β-tubulin, EF1-α, CHS, ATP6 and two microsatellite loci, reflected genetic uniformity. The two polymorphic molecular markers resolved six haplotypes among isolates from Indonesia and only a single haplotype elsewhere in Asia. The low diversity observed among isolates in the region of the first outbreak is as expected for a small founder population. The spread of a single clone over large distances throughout the region supports the hypothesis of spread via the human-mediated movement of germplasm.Murdoch University Doctoral Research Scholarship, University of Pretoria