Families of generalized Kloosterman sums

We construct p-adic relative cohomology for a family of toric exponential sums which generalize the classical Kloosterman sums. Under natural hypotheses such as quasi-homogeneity and nondegeneracy, this cohomology is acyclic except in the top dimension. Our construction enables sufficiently sharp estimates for the action of Frobenius on cohomology so that our earlier work may be applied to the L-functions coming from linear algebra operations on these families to deduce a number of basic properties.Comment: 36 pages, 4 figure

Modelling monsoons: understanding and predicting current and future behaviour

The global monsoon system is so varied and complex that understanding and predicting its diverse behaviour remains a challenge that will occupy modellers for many years to come. Despite the difficult task ahead, an improved monsoon modelling capability has been realized through the inclusion of more detailed physics of the climate system and higher resolution in our numerical models. Perhaps the most crucial improvement to date has been the development of coupled ocean-atmosphere models. From subseasonal to interdecadal time scales, only through the inclusion of air-sea interaction can the proper phasing and teleconnections of convection be attained with respect to sea surface temperature variations. Even then, the response to slow variations in remote forcings (e.g., El Niño—Southern Oscillation) does not result in a robust solution, as there are a host of competing modes of variability that must be represented, including those that appear to be chaotic. Understanding the links between monsoons and land surface processes is not as mature as that explored regarding air-sea interactions. A land surface forcing signal appears to dominate the onset of wet season rainfall over the North American monsoon region, though the relative role of ocean versus land forcing remains a topic of investigation in all the monsoon systems. Also, improved forecasts have been made during periods in which additional sounding observations are available for data assimilation. Thus, there is untapped predictability that can only be attained through the development of a more comprehensive observing system for all monsoon regions. Additionally, improved parameterizations - for example, of convection, cloud, radiation, and boundary layer schemes as well as land surface processes - are essential to realize the full potential of monsoon predictability. A more comprehensive assessment is needed of the impact of black carbon aerosols, which may modulate that of other anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Dynamical considerations require ever increased horizontal resolution (probably to 0.5 degree or higher) in order to resolve many monsoon features including, but not limited to, the Mei-Yu/Baiu sudden onset and withdrawal, low-level jet orientation and variability, and orographic forced rainfall. Under anthropogenic climate change many competing factors complicate making robust projections of monsoon changes. Absent aerosol effects, increased land-sea temperature contrast suggests strengthened monsoon circulation due to climate change. However, increased aerosol emissions will reflect more solar radiation back to space, which may temper or even reduce the strength of monsoon circulations compared to the present day. Precipitation may behave independently from the circulation under warming conditions in which an increased atmospheric moisture loading, based purely on thermodynamic considerations, could result in increased monsoon rainfall under climate change. The challenge to improve model parameterizations and include more complex processes and feedbacks pushes computing resources to their limit, thus requiring continuous upgrades of computational infrastructure to ensure progress in understanding and predicting current and future behaviour of monsoons

Translation of the Life of St Helena by Jocelin of Furness

This translation was undertaken as part of the AHRC funded project 'Hagiography at the Frontiers' undertaken at the University of Liverpool. It is available open access, for further details, please see the project website https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/irish-studies/research/hagiography/ Jocelin of Furness was one of the most influential hagiographers of the Insular Middle Ages. He lived at the turn of the thirteenth century and was a monk of the Cistercian abbey of Furness (a site whose ruins lie in south Cumbria). Four substantial Lives composed by Jocelin survive, namely of St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), St Kentigern (patron saint of Glasgow), St Waltheof (abbot of Melrose), and St Helena of Britain (mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great)

Epistemic Vigilance

Humans massively depend on communication with others, but this leaves them open to the risk of being accidentally or intentionally misinformed. To ensure that, despite this risk, communication remains advantageous, humans have, we claim, a suite of cognitive mechanisms for epistemic vigilance. Here we outline this claim and consider some of the ways in which epistemic vigilance works in mental and social life by surveying issues, research and theories in different domains of philosophy, linguistics, cognitive psychology and the social sciences

The new MTLRS transmitting system

This paper presents a detailed description about the new transmitting system of the Modular Transportable Laser Ranging Systems MTLRS-1/2. A simplified theory of the Self Filtering Unstable Resonator (SFUR) is explained. Laser design details are discussed concerning the extreme environmental conditions in which these mobile systems are operating. Details are given concerning the new avalanche START detector. The new SFUR laser and START detector are necessary parts in order to bring both mobile systems towards 1 cm ranging accuracy

Der Austausch von Sauerstoffisotopen zwischen Phosphat und Wasser in Modellsystemen und Böden - neue Einblicke mit Raman Spektroskopie

Das Isotopenverhältnis (O-18/O-16) in Phosphat (PO43-) kann als Tracer von biogeochemischen Prozessen in terrestrischen und aquatischen Ökosystemen genutzt werden. Bei Temperaturen unter 70°C ist die Phosphoanhydridbindung stabil aber die Aktivität von Enzymen kann den Austausch von Sauerstoffisotopen zwischen Phosphat und Wasser katalysieren. Insbesondere die intrazelluläre Pyrophosphatase führt zu einem kompletten Austausch von Sauerstoff zwischen PO43- und H2O. Dieser biochemische Prozess ist sehr wichtig, da er in allen lebenden Zellen stattfindet und somit Aufschluss darüber geben kann, ob bodenbürtiges Phosphat Teil des biologischen Kreislaufs war oder nicht. Die Extraktion und Aufreinigung von anorganischem Phosphat aus Böden vor der Messung mit einem Isotopenmassenspektrometer (IRMS) ist allerdings teuer und sehr zeit- und arbeitsintensiv. Aus diesem Grund arbeiten wir an der Entwicklung einer alternativen Methode mit dem Einsatz von Raman-Spektroskopie. In einem Modellsystem konnten wir erfolgreich die Kinetik des enzym-katalysierten Sauerstoffisotopenaustausches bestimmen. Kleine Veränderungen der Protein- und Cofaktorkonzentrationen (MgCl2) hatten einen starken Einfluss auf die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit. Zusätzlich präsentieren wir erste Resultate über die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten dieser Technologie in natürlichen Systemen, wie zum Beispiel in Fließgewässern oder in Böden