Equilibrium clusters in suspensions of colloids interacting via potentials with a local minimum

In simple colloidal suspensions, clusters are various multimers that result from colloid self-association and exist in equilibrium with monomers.There are two types of potentials that are known to produce clusters: a) potentials that result from the competition between short-range attraction and long-range repulsion and are characterized by a global minimum and a repulsive tail and b) purely repulsive potentials which have a soft shoulder. Using computer simulations, we demonstrate in this work that potentials with a local minimum and a repulsive tail, not belonging to either of the known types, are also capable of generating clusters. A detailed comparative analysis shows that the new type of cluster-forming potential serves as a bridge between the other two. The new clusters are expanded in shape and their assembly is driven by entropy, like in the purely repulsive systems but only at low density. At high density, clusters are collapsed and stabilized by energy, in common with the systems with competing attractive and repulsive interactions.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

The Cardy-Verlinde Formula and Charged Topological AdS Black Holes

We consider the brane universe in the bulk background of the charged topological AdS black holes. The evolution of the brane universe is described by the Friedmann equations for a flat or an open FRW-universe containing radiation and stiff matter. We find that the temperature and entropy of the dual CFT are simply expressed in terms of the Hubble parameter and its time derivative, and the Friedmann equations coincide with thermodynamic formulas of the dual CFT at the moment when the brane crosses the black hole horizon. We obtain the generalized Cardy-Verlinde formula for the CFT with an R-charge, for any values of the curvature parameter k in the Friedmann equations.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX, references adde

Primordial perturbation with a modified dispersion relation

In this paper we study the generation of primordial perturbation with a modified dispersion relation in various cosmological evolutions. We stress that the formation of the power spectrum is strongly dependent on the background. Working in a bounce model with a matter-like contracting phase, we obtain a red tilt spectrum due to the modified dispersion relation.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Climate Change and Texas Water Planning: an Economic Analysis of Inter-basin Water Transfers

Panel models with random effects are used to estimate how climate influences in-stream surface water supply, municipal water demand, crop yields and irrigation water use. The results are added into TEXRIVERSIM, a state wide economic, hydrological, environmental and inter-basin water transfer (IBTs) investment model, through the objective function and hydrological constraints. A climate change related scenario analysis from the Global Circulation Models (GCMs)--Hadley, Canadian, BCCR and NCAR with SRES scenarios A1B, B1, and A2 indicates that inter-basin water transfers not only greatly relax water scarcity problems for major cities and industrial counties, but also create growth opportunity for Houston. However, while destination basins receive the benefits, source basins will experience dramatic reduction in in-stream flow and water flows to bays and estuaries. Climate change requires accelerated water development with more IBTs proving economically feasible depending on the GCMs and SRES scenarios.Climate Change, Inter-basin Water Transfers, Water Scarcity, Environmental Stream Flows, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q25, Q54, Q58,

Subsidy policies and insurance demand

Using data from a two-year pricing experiment, we study the impact of subsidy policies on weather insurance take-up. Results show that subsidies increase future insurance take-up through their influence on payout experiences. Exploring mechanisms of the payout effect, we find that for households that randomly benefited from financial education, receiving a payout provides a one-time learning experience that improves take-up permanently. In contrast, households with poor insurance knowledge continuously update take-up decisions based on recent experiences with disasters and payouts. Combining subsidy policies with financial education can thus be effective in promoting long-run insurance adoption