Observational diagnostics of gas in protoplanetary disks

Protoplanetary disks are composed primarily of gas (99% of the mass). Nevertheless, relatively few observational constraints exist for the gas in disks. In this review, I discuss several observational diagnostics in the UV, optical, near-IR, mid-IR, and (sub)-mm wavelengths that have been employed to study the gas in the disks of young stellar objects. I concentrate in diagnostics that probe the inner 20 AU of the disk, the region where planets are expected to form. I discuss the potential and limitations of each gas tracer and present prospects for future research.Comment: Review written for the proceedings of the conference "Origin and Evolution of Planets 2008", Ascona, Switzerland, June 29 - July 4, 2008. Date manuscript: October 2008. 17 Pages, 6 graphics, 134 reference

String Cosmology: The Pre-Big Bang Scenario

A review is attempted of physical motivations, theoretical and phenomenological aspects, as well as outstanding problems, of the pre-big bang scenario in string cosmology.Comment: 46 pages, 8 Figures, Latex, Lectures delivered in Les Houches, July 199

Equation of state for Universe from similarity symmetries

In this paper we proposed to use the group of analysis of symmetries of the dynamical system to describe the evolution of the Universe. This methods is used in searching for the unknown equation of state. It is shown that group of symmetries enforce the form of the equation of state for noninteracting scaling multifluids. We showed that symmetries give rise the equation of state in the form $p=-\Lambda+w_{1}\rho(a)+w_{2}a^{\beta}+0$ and energy density $\rho=\Lambda+\rho_{01}a^{-3(1+w)}+\rho_{02}a^{\beta}+\rho_{03}a^{-3}$, which is commonly used in cosmology. The FRW model filled with scaling fluid (called homological) is confronted with the observations of distant type Ia supernovae. We found the class of model parameters admissible by the statistical analysis of SNIa data. We showed that the model with scaling fluid fits well to supernovae data. We found that $\Omega_{\text{m},0} \simeq 0.4$ and $n \simeq -1$ ($\beta = -3n$), which can correspond to (hyper) phantom fluid, and to a high density universe. However if we assume prior that $\Omega_{\text{m},0}=0.3$ then the favoured model is close to concordance $\Lambda$CDM model. Our results predict that in the considered model with scaling fluids distant type Ia supernovae should be brighter than in $\Lambda$CDM model, while intermediate distant SNIa should be fainter than in $\Lambda$CDM model. We also investigate whether the model with scaling fluid is actually preferred by data over $\Lambda$CDM model. As a result we find from the Akaike model selection criterion prefers the model with noninteracting scaling fluid.Comment: accepted for publication versio

Preparation of northern mid-continent petroleum atlas

Project will develop a prototype for a digital and hard-copy atlas of petroleum fields and reservoirs in the northern Mid-continent region. A limited number of reservoirs in Kansas are to be included in the prototype project, but the goal is to expand beyond the prototype atlas to include significant reservoirs representing the major plays in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, the Williston basin portion of Montana, the Denver-Julesburg basin of eastern Colorado and southeastern Colorado. Primary products of the prototype atlas will be on-line accessible digital data bases covering two selected petroleum plays in Kansas. `Pages` and data schema for the first field studies of the atlas have been developed and are accessible through the World-Wide-Web. The atlas structure includes access to geologic, geophysical and production information at levels from the regional, to the field to the individual well. Several approaches have been developed that provide efficient and flexible screening and search procedures. The prototype of the digital atlas is accessible through the Kansas Geological Survey Petroleum Research Section (PRS) HomePage (The Universal Resource Locator [URL] is http://www.kgs. ukans.edu/PRS/PRS.html). The DPA HomePage is available directly at http://www.kg.ukans.edu/DPA/dpaHome.html. Technology transfer is underway through the use of monthly electronic updates and the on- line availability of DPA products. Quarterly Progress Reports are posted on the digital Petroleum Atlas HomePage

Improved oil recovery in Mississippian carbonate reservoirs of Kansas near term Class 2. Annual report, September 18, 1994--March 15, 1997

This annual report describes progress during the second year of the project entitled {open_quotes}Improved Oil Recovery in Mississippian Carbonate Reservoirs in Kansas{close_quotes}. This project funded under the Department of Energy`s Class 2 program targets improving the reservoir performance of mature oil fields located in shallow shelf carbonate reservoirs. The focus of this project is development and demonstration of cost-effective reservoir description and management technologies to extend the economic life of mature reservoirs in Kansas and the mid-continent. As part of the project, several tools and techniques for reservoir description and management were developed, modified and demonstrated. These include: (1) a new approach to subsurface visualization using electric logs ({open_quotes}Pseudoseismic{open_quotes}); (2) a low-cost easy-to-use spreadsheet log analysis software (PfEFFER); and (3) an extension of the BOAST-3 computer program for full field reservoir simulation. The world-wide-web was used to provide rapid and flexible dissemination of the project results through the Internet. Included in this report is a summary of significant project results at the demonstration site (Schaben Field, Ness County, Kansas). These results include an outline of the reservoir description based on available and newly acquired data and reservoir simulation results. Detailed information is available on-line through the Internet. Based on the reservoir simulation, three infill wells will be drilled to validate the reservoir description and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed reservoir management strategies. The demonstration phase of the project has just begun and will be presented in the next annual report

Search for supersymmetry with a dominant R-parity violating LQDbar couplings in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130GeV to 172 GeV

A search for pair-production of supersymmetric particles under the assumption that R-parity is violated via a dominant LQDbar coupling has been performed using the data collected by ALEPH at centre-of-mass energies of 130-172 GeV. The observed candidate events in the data are in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. This result is translated into lower limits on the masses of charginos, neutralinos, sleptons, sneutrinos and squarks. For instance, for m_0=500 GeV/c^2 and tan(beta)=sqrt(2) charginos with masses smaller than 81 GeV/c^2 and neutralinos with masses smaller than 29 GeV/c^2 are excluded at the 95% confidence level for any generation structure of the LQDbar coupling.Comment: 32 pages, 30 figure