10,522 research outputs found
The Holographic dark energy reexamined
We have reexamined the holographic dark energy model by considering the
spatial curvature. We have refined the model parameter and observed that the
holographic dark energy model does not behave as phantom model. Comparing the
holographic dark energy model to the supernova observation alone, we found that
the closed universe is favored. Combining with the Wilkinson Microwave
Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data, we obtained the reasonable value of the spatial
curvature of our universe.Comment: divided into sections, add one figure, some typos corrected,
references added, Accepted for publication in PRD; v3: some typos corrected,
title change
Gas/particle partitioning and global distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – A modelling approach
The global atmospheric distribution and long-range transport (LRT) potential of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) - anthracene, fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene - are studied. The model used is a global aerosol-chemistry-transport-model, which is based on an atmospheric general circulation model. The model includes an in-built dynamic aerosol model coupled to two-dimensional surface compartments. Several parameterisations of gas/particle partitioning and different assumptions of degradation in the aerosol particulate phase were tested. PAHs are mostly distributed in the source regions but reach the Arctic and the Antarctic. The Canadian Arctic is predicted to be significantly less affected by mid-latitude PAH emissions than the European Arctic. Re-volatilisation is significant for semivolatile PAHs. Accumulation of semivolatile PAHs in polar regions, however, is not indicated. The model study suggests that gas/particle partitioning in air drastically influences the atmospheric cycling, the total environmental fate (e.g. compartmental distributions) and the LRT potential of the substances studied. A parameterisation which calculates the gas/particle partitioning assuming absorption into organic matter and adsorption to black carbon (soot) agrees best with the observations at remote sites. The study provides evidence that the degradation in the particulate phase must be slower than that in the gas-phase. The predicted concentrations of the semivolatile PAHs anthracene and fluoranthene in near-ground air at remote sites in mid and high northern latitudes are in line with measured concentrations, if adsorption of the substances to soot combined with absorption in particulate organic matter is assumed to determine gas/particle partitioning, but cannot be explained by adsorption alone (Junge-Pankow parameterisation of gas/particle partitioning). The results suggest that PAHs absorbed in the organic matrix of particulate matter is shielded from the gas-phase. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [References: 42
The Inflation-Hedging Effectiveness of Real Estate
Inflation has become one of the predominant financial concerns of the late twentieth century. In the late 1970s, public opinion polls ranked inflation as the number one problem in the United States. While the rate of inflation has slowed since the late 1970s, inflation is still present and many investors expect a resurgence of inflation to higher levels in the near to immediate future. This continued concern about inflation has led to an increased search and evaluation of investments that will protect investors from inflation. Assets that have the ability to protect investors from the effects of inflation are generally labeled inflation hedges. Real estate has been regarded as one of the best inflation hedges of past years. While there has been research in the past evaluating this possibility and some recent research using only business real estate, no current research on residential real estate or farmland as inflation hedges exists. This study examines the inflation-hedging effectiveness of residential real estate, farmland, and business real estate (with a different data set) as individual assets and in a portfolio context for 1960-86.
Asteroseismological Observations of the Central Star of the Planetary Nebula NGC 1501
We report on a global CCD time-series photometric campaign to decode the
pulsations of the nucleus of the planetary nebula NGC1501. The star is hot and
hydrogen-deficient, similar to the pre-white-dwarf PG 1159 stars. NGC1501 shows
pulsational brightness variations of a few percent with periods ranging from 19
to 87 minutes. The variations are very complex, suggesting a pulsation spectrum
that requires a long unbroken time series to resolve. Our CCD photometry of the
star covers a two-week period in 1991 November, and used a global network of
observatories. We obtained nearly continuous coverage over an interval of one
week in the middle of the run. We have identified 10 pulsation periods, ranging
from 5235 s down to 1154 s. We find strong evidence that the modes are indeed
nonradial g-modes. The ratios of the frequencies of the largest-amplitude modes
agree with those expected for modes that are trapped by a density discontinuity
in the outer layers. We offer a model for the pulsation spectrum that includes
a common period spacing of 22.3 s and a rotation period of 1.17 days; the
period spacing allows us to assign a seismological mass of 0.55+/-0.03 Msun.Comment: 12 pages, AASTEX, 7 tables, 6 EPS figures, to appear in AJ, 12/96
Corrected version repairs table formatting and adds missing Table
A cohort study of influences, health outcomes and costs of patients' health-seeking behaviour for minor ailments from primary and emergency care settings
To compare health-related and cost-related outcomes of consultations for symptoms suggestive of minor ailments in emergency departments (EDs), general practices and community pharmacies
Power-law Parameterized Quintessence Model
We introduce a power-law parameterized quintessence model for the dark energy
which accelerate universe at the low redshifts while behaves as an ordinary
matter for the early universe. We construct a unique scalar potential for this
parameterized quintessence model. As the observational test, the Supernova Type
Ia (SNIa) Gold sample data, size of baryonic acoustic peak from Sloan Digital
Sky Survey (SDSS), the position of the acoustic peak from the CMB observations
and structure formation from the 2dFGRS survey are used to constrain the
parameters of the quintessence model. The best fit parameters indicates that
the equation of state of this model at the present time is less than one
which violates the energy condition in General Relativity. Finally
we compare the age of old objects with age of universe in this model.Comment: 11 pages, 17 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Kinematics of the ring-like nebula SuWt 2
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of
the Southern planetary nebula SuWt 2. This object presents a problem for
current theories of planetary nebula formation and evolution, as it is not
known to contain a central post-main sequence star.
Deep narrowband [NII]6584 images reveal the presence of faint bipolar lobes
emanating fromthe edges of the nebular ring. Longslit observations of the
H-alpha and [NII]6584 emission lines were obtained using EMMI on the 3.6-m
ESO-NTT. The spectra reveal the nebular morphology as a bright torus encircling
the waist of an extended bipolar structure. By deprojection, the inclination of
the ring is found to be 68\degr 2\degr (c.f. ~90\degr for the
double A-type binary believed to lie at the centre of the nebula), and the ring
expansion velocity is found to be 28 km/s.
Our findings are discussed with relation to possible formation scenarios for
SuWt 2. Through comparison of the nebular heliocentric systemic velocity, found
here to be -25 5 km/s, and the heliocentric systemic velocity of the
double A-type binary, we conclude that neither component of the binary could
have been the nebular progenitor. However, we are unable to rule out the
presence of a third component to the system, which would have been the nebula
progenitor.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Consistency of Gravity with the Cosmological Observations in Palatini Formalism
In this work we study the dynamics of universe in
modified gravity with Palatini formalism. We use data from recent observations
as Supernova Type Ia (SNIa) Gold sample and Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS)
data, size of baryonic acoustic peak from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), the
position of the acoustic peak from the CMB observations and large scale
structure formation (LSS) from the 2dFGRS survey to put constraint on the
parameters of the model. To check the consistency of this action, we compare
the age of old cosmological objects with the age of universe. In the combined
analysis with the all the observations, we find the parameters of model as
and
.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
Unequal relationships in high and low power distance societies: a comparative study of tutor - student role relations in Britain and China
This study investigated people's conceptions of an unequal role relationship in two different types of society: a high power distance society and a low power distance society. The study focuses on the role relationship of tutor and student. British and Chinese tutors and postgraduate students completed a questionnaire that probed their conceptions of degrees of power differential and social distance/closeness in this role relationship. ANOVA results yielded a significant nationality effect for both aspects. Chinese respondents judged the relationship to be closer and to have a greater power differential than did British respondents. Written comments on the questionnaire and interviews with 9 Chinese academics who had experienced both British and Chinese academic environments supported the statistical findings and indicated that there are fundamental ideological differences associated with the differing conceptions. The results are discussed in relation to Western and Asian concepts of leadership and differing perspectives on the compatibility/incompatibility of power and distance/closeness
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