765 research outputs found
Social Experimentation as Reflection-in-A ction
We present the results of our review of some forty community-level interventions undertaken in the developing world over the past twenty years m order to reduce malnourishment in children. We argue that such interventions, if they are considered as social experiments, cannot be assimilated to models of quasi-experimental method. We propose an alternative model of experimentation, which we call "reflection-in-action", which seems to us better suited to account for the kinds ofvahdity and rigor attainable in situations such as these.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68568/2/10.1177_107554708400600101.pd
Conformal Dimensions from Topologically Massive Quantum Field Theory
We discuss the evaluation of observables in two-dimensional conformal field
theory using the topological membrane description. We show that the spectrum of
anomalous dimensions can be obtained perturbatively from the topologically
massive quantum field theories by computing radiative corrections to
Aharonov-Bohm scattering amplitudes for dynamical charged matter fields. The
one-loop corrections in the case of topologically massive Yang-Mills theory are
shown to coincide with the scaling dimensions of the induced ordinary and
supersymmetric WZNW models. We examine the effects of the dressing of a
topologically massive gauge theory by topologically massive gravity and show
that the one-loop contributions to the Aharonov-Bohm amplitudes coincide with
the leading orders of the KPZ scaling relations for two-dimensional quantum
gravity. Some general features of the description of conformal field theories
via perturbative techniques in the three-dimensional approach are also
discussed.Comment: 48 pages Latex; Uses macro package FEYNMAN.te
The Path-Integral Approach to the N=2 Linear Sigma Model
In QFT the effective potential is an important tool to study symmetry
breaking phenomena. It is known that, in some theories, the canonical approach
and the path-integral approach yield different effective potentials. In this
paper we investigate this for the Euclidean N=2 linear sigma model. Both the
Green's functions and the effective potential will be computed in three
different ways. The relative merits of the various approaches are discussed.Comment: 2 figure
The scintillation and ionization yield of liquid xenon for nuclear recoils
XENON10 is an experiment designed to directly detect particle dark matter. It
is a dual phase (liquid/gas) xenon time-projection chamber with 3D position
imaging. Particle interactions generate a primary scintillation signal (S1) and
ionization signal (S2), which are both functions of the deposited recoil energy
and the incident particle type. We present a new precision measurement of the
relative scintillation yield \leff and the absolute ionization yield Q_y, for
nuclear recoils in xenon. A dark matter particle is expected to deposit energy
by scattering from a xenon nucleus. Knowledge of \leff is therefore crucial for
establishing the energy threshold of the experiment; this in turn determines
the sensitivity to particle dark matter. Our \leff measurement is in agreement
with recent theoretical predictions above 15 keV nuclear recoil energy, and the
energy threshold of the measurement is 4 keV. A knowledge of the ionization
yield \Qy is necessary to establish the trigger threshold of the experiment.
The ionization yield \Qy is measured in two ways, both in agreement with
previous measurements and with a factor of 10 lower energy threshold.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures. To be published in Nucl. Instrum. Methods
Structure of the Partition Function and Transfer Matrices for the Potts Model in a Magnetic Field on Lattice Strips
We determine the general structure of the partition function of the -state
Potts model in an external magnetic field, for arbitrary ,
temperature variable , and magnetic field variable , on cyclic, M\"obius,
and free strip graphs of the square (sq), triangular (tri), and honeycomb
(hc) lattices with width and arbitrarily great length . For the
cyclic case we prove that the partition function has the form ,
where denotes the lattice type, are specified
polynomials of degree in , is the corresponding
transfer matrix, and () for ,
respectively. An analogous formula is given for M\"obius strips, while only
appears for free strips. We exhibit a method for
calculating for arbitrary and give illustrative
examples. Explicit results for arbitrary are presented for
with and . We find very simple formulas
for the determinant . We also give results for
self-dual cyclic strips of the square lattice.Comment: Reference added to a relevant paper by F. Y. W
Design and Performance of the XENON10 Dark Matter Experiment
XENON10 is the first two-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) developed
within the XENON dark matter search program. The TPC, with an active liquid
xenon (LXe) mass of about 14 kg, was installed at the Gran Sasso underground
laboratory (LNGS) in Italy, and operated for more than one year, with excellent
stability and performance. Results from a dark matter search with XENON10 have
been published elsewhere. In this paper, we summarize the design and
performance of the detector and its subsystems, based on calibration data using
sources of gamma-rays and neutrons as well as background and Monte Carlo
simulations data. The results on the detector's energy threshold, energy and
position resolution, and overall efficiency show a performance that exceeds
design specifications, in view of the very low energy threshold achieved (<10
keVr) and the excellent energy resolution achieved by combining the ionization
and scintillation signals, detected simultaneously
Pragmatic Software Innovation
Part 2: Creating Value through Software DevelopmentInternational audienceWe understand software innovation as concerned with introducing innovation into the development of software intensive systems, i.e. systems in which software development and/or integration are dominant considerations. Innovation is key in almost any strategy for competitiveness in existing markets, for creating new markets, or for curbing rising public expenses, and software intensive systems are core elements in most such strategies. Software innovation therefore is vital for about every sector of the economy. Changes in software technologies over the last decades have opened up for experimentation, learning, and flexibility in ongoing software projects, but how can this change be used to facilitate software innovation? How can a team systematically identify and pursue opportunities to create added value in ongoing projects? In this paper, we describe Deweyan pragmatism as the philosophical foundation for Essence – a software innovation methodology – where unknown options and needs emerge as part of the development process itself. The foundation is illustrated via a simple example
Current assessment of the Red Rectangle band problem
In this paper we discuss our insights into several key problems in the
identification of the Red Rectangle Bands (RRBs). We have combined three
independent sets of observations in order to try to define the constraints
guiding the bands. We provide a summary of the general behavior of the bands
and review the evidence for a molecular origin of the bands. The extent,
composition, and possible absorption effects of the bands are discussed.
Comparison spectra of the strongest band obtained at three different spectral
resolutions suggests that an intrinsic line width of individual rotational
lines can be deduced. Spectroscopic models of several relatively simple
molecules were examined in order to investigate where the current data are
weak. Suggestions are made for future studies to enhance our understanding of
these enigmatic bands
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