The influence of first generation fertility and economic status on second generation fertility

This paper examines the impact of parental economic status and family size on the actual and expected fertility of adult children using longitudinal data from two generations of families participating in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. There was a modest positive relationship between first generation family size and second generation fertility. More importantly, the ideal family size of the parental family was more closely related to fertility behavior and plans in the second generation than was actual parental family size. In addition, the data revealed the hypothesized negative correlation between parental financial status and second generation fertility behavior and plans. Several mechanisms which could produce the correlation between parental characteristics and the fertility of their children are explored.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43511/1/11111_2005_Article_BF01253070.pd

Physical realization of topological excitations in quantum Heisenberg ferromagnet on lattice

The physical spin configurations corresponding to the topological excitations expected to be present in the XY limit of a purely quantum spin $\frac {1}{2}$ Heisenberg ferromagnet, are investigated on a two dimensional square lattice. Quantum vortices (anti-vortices) are constructed by making use of the coherent spin field components from meronic (anti-meronic) configurations in the limiting case of very strong XY anisotropy. The equations for pseudo-time evolution of coherent spin fields used in this analysis, are obtained by applying variational principle on the quantum Euclidean action corresponding to the Heisenberg ferromagnet on lattice. The important role of the associated topological-like term extracted from the Wess-Zumino-like contribution, is highlighted in our procedure. It is shown that this term can identify a large class of vortices (anti-vortices). In particular the excitations having odd topological charges form this class. Our present formalism is markedly different from the conventional approach for the construction of quantum vortices (anti-vortices). Copyright EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010