Mirror dark matter will be confirmed or excluded by XENON1T

Mirror dark matter, where dark matter resides in a hidden sector exactly isomorphic to the standard model, can be probed via direct detection experiments by both nuclear and electron recoils if the kinetic mixing interaction exists. In fact, the kinetic mixing interaction appears to be a prerequisite for consistent small scale structure: Mirror dark matter halos around spiral galaxies are dissipative - losing energy via dark photon emission. This ongoing energy loss requires a substantial energy input, which can be sourced from ordinary supernovae via kinetic mixing induced processes in the supernova's core. Astrophysical considerations thereby give a lower limit on the kinetic mixing strength, and indeed lower limits on both nuclear and electron recoil rates in direct detection experiments can be estimated. We show here that potentially all of the viable parameter space will be probed in forthcoming XENON experiments including LUX and XENON1T. Thus, we anticipate that these experiments will provide a definitive test of the mirror dark matter hypothesis.Comment: about 10 page

Shock reflection and surface effects in the shock tube

A thin-film resistance thermometer, mounted on the end-wall of a shock tube, is used to record surface temperatures and heat transfer rates following reflection of the primary shock wave. This information is combined with the results of theoretical investigations to produce simultaneous information about surface accommodation effects and gas thermal conductivities at high pressures and moderate temperatures

It's all action, it's all learning: Action learning in SMEs

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to argue that action learning (AL) may provide a means of successfully developing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach - The literature around SME learning suggests a number of processes are important for SME learning which similarity, it is argued, are encompassed in AL. AL may therefore offer a means of developing SME. This argument is then supported through the results of a longitudinal qualitative evaluation study conducted in the north-west of England, which involved the use of AL in 100 SMEs. Findings - The paper finds that the discursive and critical reflection aspects of the set environment appeared to be of great utility and importance to the SMEs. Sets also had an optimum level of which helped them find "common ground". Once common ground was established set members often continued to network and form alliances outside of the set environment. SME owner-managers could discuss both personal and business. Finally, AL offered the opportunity to take time out of the business and "disengage" with the operational allowing them to become more strategic. Practical implications - In this paper both the literature review and the results of the evaluation suggest AL may offer a means of engaging SMEs in training, which is relevant and useful to them. AL offers a way for policy makers and support agencies to get involved with SME management development while retaining context and naturalistic conditions. Originality/value - This paper attempts to move beyond other articles which assess SME response to government initiatives, through examining the literature around SME learning and constructing a rationale which proposes that AL encompasses many of the learning processes suggested in the literature as effective for SME development. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Monitoring habits and physiological data in the frail elderly

There is a need for new models of care enabled by technology to support long-term and independent living of the elderly. Integrating telecare and telehealth technologies can be used to provide innovative support in an unobtrusive way. inCASA is a European Commission funded project that uses an integrated platform to monitor both health and habits data in the frail elderly and demonstrate the concept of integrated health and social services through pilot trials. This paper presents the joint analysis of habits and clinical data from the UK pilot. The aim of the analysis is to determine the correlation between change in habits behaviour, change in physiological data and deterioration in the condition of the patient

Creating citizen-consumers? Public service reform and (un)willing selves

About the book: Postmodern theories heralded the "death of the subject", and thereby deeply contested our intuition that we are free and willing selves. In recent times, the (free) will has come under attack yet again. Findings from the neuro- and cognitive sciences claim the concept of will to be scientifically untenable, specifying that it is our brain rather than our 'self' which decides what we want to do. In spite of these challenges however, the willing self has come to take centre stage in our society: juridical and moral practices ascribing guilt, or the organization of everyday life attributing responsibilities, for instance, can hardly be understood without taking recourse to the willing subject. In this vein, the authors address topics such as the genealogy of the concept of willing selves, the discourse on agency in neuroscience and sociology, the political debate on volition within neoliberal and neoconservative regimes, approaches toward novel forms of relational responsibility as well as moral evaluations in conceptualizing autonomy

Influence of Charge and Energy Imbalances on the Tunneling Current through a Superconductor-Normal Metal Junction

We consider quasiparticle charge and energy imbalances in a thin superconductor weakly coupled with two normal-metal electrodes via tunnel junctions at low temperatures. Charge and energy imbalances, which can be created by injecting quasiparticles at one junction, induce excess tunneling current $I_{\rm ex}$ at the other junction. We numerically obtain $I_{\rm ex}$ as a function of the bias voltage $V_{\rm det}$ across the detection junction. We show that $I_{\rm ex}$ at the zero bias voltage is purely determined by the charge imbalance, while the energy imbalance causes a nontrivial $V_{\rm det}$-dependence of $I_{\rm ex}$. The obtained voltage-current characteristics qualitatively agree with the experimental result by R. Yagi [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 73} (2006) 134507].Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Periodic photometric variability of the brown dwarf Kelu-1

We have detected a strong periodicity of 1.80+/-0.05 hours in photometric observations of the brown dwarf Kelu-1. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the variation is ~1.1% (11.9+/-0.8 mmag) in a 41nm wide filter centred on 857nm and including the dust/temperature sensitive TiO & CrH bands. We have identified two plausible causes of variability: surface features rotating into- and out-of-view and so modulating the light curve at the rotation period; or, elliposidal variability caused by an orbiting companion. In the first scenario, we combine the observed vsin(i) of Kelu-1 and standard model radius to determine that the axis of rotation is inclined at 65+/-12 degrees to the line of sight.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA