One-loop corrections to the instanton transition in the two-dimensional Abelian Higgs model

We present an evaluation of the fluctuation determinant which appears as a prefactor in the instanton transition rate for the two-dimensional Abelian Higgs model. The corrections are found to change the rate at most by a factor of 2 for 0.4 < M_W/M_H < 2.0.Comment: DO-TH-94/17, 20 pages, 4 figures appended as uucompressed .eps files, LaTeX, needs epsfig.st

Chern-Simons number diffusion in (1+1)-dimensional Higgs theory

We study the Chern-Simons number diffusion rate in the (1+1)-dimensional latticeAbelian Higgs model at temperatures much higher than, as well as comparable to, the sphaleron energy. It is found that in the high-temperature limit the rate is likely to grow as power 2/3 of the temperature. In the intermediate-temperature regime, our numerical simulations show that very weak temperature dependence of the rate, found in previous work, persists at smaller lattice spacings. We discuss possibilities of relating the observed behavior of the rate to static finite-temperature properties of the model.Comment: 9 pages, LATeX + 4 figures included as postscript files, to be encapsulated using epsf. Text + figures uuencoded. Also available as a compressed postscript file by anonymous ftp from maggia.ethz.ch (login ftp, pw ftp; then: cd pub, binary, get ahm.ps.Z). IPS Research Report No. 94-0

Uselessness as Main Utilitarian Antivalue of Contemporary Comedic Discourse in English Linguistic Culture

The present study examines the features of the comedic objectification of the concept of USELESSNESS in contemporary English-language comedic discourse. This concept is considered for the first time as the main utilitarian antivalue in comedic discourse, using an axiological approach. The analysis includes recordings and scripts of over 70 stand-up comedy performances, more than 500 episodes of various sitcoms, and 60 episodes of different humorous shows. It is determined that within comedic discourse, the concept of USELESSNESS is a socially-oriented antivalue concept. It is noted that the main satirized socio-cultural characteristics are professional traits. It is established that the manifestation of uselessness in English-language comedic discourse is evaluated negatively either by the author of the work or by its positive characters. The main ridiculed characteristics of the antivalue concept of USELESSNESS include failure to perform necessary actions (inability to perform simple / basic actions and low quality of performed actions) and performance of unnecessary actions (actions that bring no benefit; accompanying actions that cause harm). It is determined that police officers, politicians, doctors, military personnel, lawyers, and teachers are most frequently ridiculed. The main linguistic means for expressing the concept of USELESSNESS include hyperbole, paradox, and antithesis

Long-term variability of the optical spectra of NGC 4151: II. Evolution of the broad Ha and Hb emission-line profiles

Results of the long-term (11 years, from 1996 to 2006) H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ line variations of the active galactic nucleus of NGC 4151 are presented. High quality spectra (S/N>50 and R~8A) of H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ were investigated. We analyzed line profile variations during monitoring period. Comparing the line profiles of H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$, we studied different details (bumps, absorption features) in the line profiles. The variations of the different H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ line profile segments have been investigated. Also, we analyzed the Balmer decrement for whole line and for line segments. We found that the line profiles were strongly changing during the monitoring period, showing blue and red asymmetries. This indicates a complex BLR geometry of NGC 4151 with, at least, three kinematically distinct regions: one that contributes to the blue line wing, one to the line core and one to the red line wing. Such variation can be caused by an accelerating outflow starting very close to the black hole, where the red part may come from the region {closer to the black hole than the blue part, which is coming} from the region having the highest outflow velocities. Taking into account the fact that the BLR of NGC 4151 has a complex geometry (probably affected by an outflow) and that a portion of the broad line emission seems to have not a pure photoionization origin, one can ask the question whether the study of the BLR by reverberation mapping may be valid in the case of this galaxy.Comment: 24 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publications in A&

Statistical Mechanics of Kinks in (1+1)-Dimensions

We investigate the thermal equilibrium properties of kinks in a classical $\phi^4$ field theory in $1+1$ dimensions. The distribution function, kink density, and correlation function are determined from large scale simulations. A dilute gas description of kinks is shown to be valid below a characteristic temperature. A double Gaussian approximation to evaluate the eigenvalues of the transfer operator enables us to extend the theoretical analysis to higher temperatures where the dilute gas approximation fails. This approach accurately predicts the temperature at which the kink description breaks down.Comment: 8 pages, Latex (4 figures available on request), LA-UR-92-399

ЗАЩИТНЫЕ ПРОЦЕДУРЫ ПРИ ОБСЛУЖИВАНИИ ВОЗДУШНЫХ СУДОВ

The authors examine techniques to protect airports and air flights against illegal acts, assess the system of three-level checking of passengers proposed by international organizations, and new biometric identifiers, serving to enforce aviation security measures and to facilitate preflight procedures.Внедрение средств спецконтроля,  методы защиты объектов аэропорта  и полетов воздушных судов от актов  незаконного вмешательства.  Дается оценка предлагаемой  международными организациями  системе трехуровневого досмотра  пассажиров и новым биометрическим  идентификаторам, которые призваны  усилить авиационную безопасность  и облегчить предполетные  процедуры