83,729 research outputs found
Genus Topology of the Cosmic Microwave Background from the WMAP 3-Year Data
We have independently measured the genus topology of the temperature
fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background seen in the Wilkinson Microwave
Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 3-year data. A genus analysis of the WMAP data
indicates consistency with Gaussian random-phase initial conditions, as
predicted by standard inflation. We set 95% confidence limits on
non-linearities of -101 < f_{nl} < 107. We also find that the observed low l (l
<= 8) modes show a slight anti-correlation with the Galactic foreground, but
not exceeding 95% confidence, and that the topology defined by these modes is
consistent with that of a Gaussian random-phase distribution (within 95%
confidence).Comment: MNRAS LaTeX style (mn2e.cls), EPS and JPEG figure
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Improving the energy efficiency of room air conditioners in China: Costs and benefits
China is the world's largest consumer of room air conditioners, and it contributes about a quarter of global space cooling CO2 emissions. We model the costs and benefits of recently proposed new room air conditioner minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in China. Our results suggest that newly proposed MEPS brings accumulative CO2 emissions reductions of 12.8% between 2019 and 2050, and accumulative bill saving of 2620 billion RMB to China's consumers. The benefits of the proposed MEPS decrease with longer MEPS revision intervals and increase with shorter intervals—indicating that the intervals should be balanced to maximize benefits while accommodating constraints due to air conditioner manufacturer design cycles. We also model potential nationwide benefits from higher MEPS. Across two increasingly aggressive MEPS scenarios, China's room air conditioner electricity consumption and CO2 emissions in 2050 are both reduced by 15–53% compared to the proposed MEPS. The highest-efficiency scenario (reaching MEPS of annual performance factor 5.4 in 2025) provides the largest long-term national benefits. These results could inform development of a Chinese regulatory regime that effectively updates room air conditioner MEPS. Because China is the world's largest manufacturer of room air conditioners, the economic, energy, and emissions benefits resulting from higher Chinese MEPS could also have a global reach
Rich variety of defects in ZnO via an attractive interaction between O-vacancies and Zn-interstitials
As the concentration of intrinsic defects becomes sufficiently high in
O-deficient ZnO, interactions between defects lead to a significant reduction
in their formation energies. We show that the formation of both O-vacancies and
Zn-interstitials becomes significantly enhanced by a strong attractive
interaction between them, making these defects an important source of n-type
conductivity in ZnO.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Preliminary assessment of the microwave landing system requirements for STOL operations
The results of an investigation made to assess the Microwave Landing System (MLS) Requirements for use by civil STOL aircraft are described. The principal MLS characteristics investigated in the report were signal accuracy and volume of coverage. The study utilized a nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom digital simulation of a De Havilland Buffalo C-8A aircraft. Fully automatic control of timed curve flight down to touchdown was simulated. Selected MLS accuracy and coverage parameters for the azimuth, primary elevation, flare evelation and DME signals were varied. The resulting STOL aircraft system performance in following a representative curved flight path was statistically determined. Coverage requirements for STOL aircraft operating in the terminal area environment were also investigated
Regularization, Renormalization and Range: The Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction from Effective Field Theory
Regularization and renormalization is discussed in the context of low-energy
effective field theory treatments of two or more heavy particles (such as
nucleons). It is desirable to regulate the contact interactions from the outset
by treating them as having a finite range. The low energy physical observables
should be insensitive to this range provided that the range is of a similar or
greater scale than that of the interaction. Alternative schemes, such as
dimensional regularization, lead to paradoxical conclusions such as the
impossibility of repulsive interactions for truly low energy effective theories
where all of the exchange particles are integrated out. This difficulty arises
because a nonrelativistic field theory with repulsive contact interactions is
trivial in the sense that the matrix is unity and the renormalized coupling
constant zero. Possible consequences of low energy attraction are also
discussed. It is argued that in the case of large or small scattering lengths,
the region of validity of effective field theory expansion is much larger if
the contact interactions are given a finite range from the beginning.Comment: 7 page
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