Viscous dissipative effects in isotropic brane cosmology

We consider the dynamics of a viscous cosmological fluid in the generalized Randall-Sundrum model for an isotropic brane. To describe the dissipative effects we use the Israel-Hiscock-Stewart full causal thermodynamic theory. In the limiting case of a stiff cosmological fluid with pressure equal to the energy density, the general solution of the field equations can be obtained in an exact parametric form for a cosmological fluid with constant bulk viscosity and with a bulk viscosity coefficient proportional to the square root of the energy density, respectively. The obtained solutions describe generally non-inflationary brane worlds, starting from a singular state. During this phase of evolution the comoving entropy of the Universe is an increasing function of time, and thus a large amount of entropy is created in the brane world due to viscous dissipative processes.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

Conflation of short identity-by-descent segments bias their inferred length distribution

Identity-by-descent (IBD) is a fundamental concept in genetics with many applications. In a common definition, two haplotypes are said to contain an IBD segment if they share a segment that is inherited from a recent shared common ancestor without intervening recombination. Long IBD segments (> 1cM) can be efficiently detected by a number of algorithms using high-density SNP array data from a population sample. However, these approaches detect IBD based on contiguous segments of identity-by-state, and such segments may exist due to the conflation of smaller, nearby IBD segments. We quantified this effect using coalescent simulations, finding that nearly 40% of inferred segments 1-2cM long are results of conflations of two or more shorter segments, under demographic scenarios typical for modern humans. This biases the inferred IBD segment length distribution, and so can affect downstream inferences. We observed this conflation effect universally across different IBD detection programs and human demographic histories, and found inference of segments longer than 2cM to be much more reliable (less than 5% conflation rate). As an example of how this can negatively affect downstream analyses, we present and analyze a novel estimator of the de novo mutation rate using IBD segments, and demonstrate that the biased length distribution of the IBD segments due to conflation can lead to inflated estimates if the conflation is not modeled. Understanding the conflation effect in detail will make its correction in future methods more tractable

U-Spin Tests of the Standard Model and New Physics

Within the standard model, a relation involving branching ratios and direct CP asymmetries holds for the B-decay pairs that are related by U-spin. The violation of this relation indicates new physics (NP). In this paper, we assume that the NP affects only the Delta S = 1 decays, and show that the NP operators are generally the same as those appearing in B -> pi K decays. The fit to the latest B -> pi K data shows that only one NP operator is sizeable. As a consequence, the relation is expected to be violated for only one decay pair: Bd -> K0 pi0 and Bs -> Kbar0 pi0.Comment: 12 pages, latex, no figures. References changed to follow MPL guidelines; info added about U-spin breaking and small NP strong phases; discussion added about final-state pi-K rescattering; analysis and conclusions unaltere

Assessment of the NPP VIIRS RVS for the Thermal Emissive Bands Using the First Pitch Maneuver Observations

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key sensor carried on Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite (http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/viirs.html) (launched in October 2011). VIIRS sensor design draws on heritage instruments including AVHRR, OLS, SeaWiFS and MODIS. It has on-board calibration components including a solar diffuser (SD) and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) for the reflective solar bands (RSB), a V-groove blackbody for the thermal emissive bands (TEB), and a space view (SV) port for background subtraction. These on-board calibrators are located at fixed scan angles. The VIIRS response versus scan angle (RVS) was characterized prelaunch in lab ambient conditions and is currently used to characterize the on-orbit response for all scan angles relative to the calibrator scan angle (SD for RSB and blackbody for TEB). Since the RVS is vitally important to the quality of calibrated radiance products, several independent studies were performed to analyze the prelaunch RVS measurement data. A spacecraft level pitch maneuver was scheduled during the first three months of intensive Cal/Val. The NPP pitch maneuver provided a rare opportunity for VIIRS to make observations of deep space over the entire range of scan angles, which can be used to characterize the TEB RVS. This study will provide our analysis of the pitch maneuver data and assessment of the derived TEB RVS. A comparison between the RVS determined by the pitch maneuver observations and prelaunch lab tests will be conducted for each band, detector, and half angle mirror (HAM) sid

Rotational Perturbations of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Type Brane-World Cosmological Models

First order rotational perturbations of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric are considered in the framework of the brane-world cosmological models. A rotation equation, relating the perturbations of the metric tensor to the angular velocity of the matter on the brane is derived under the assumption of slow rotation. The mathematical structure of the rotation equation imposes strong restrictions on the temporal and spatial dependence of the brane matter angular velocity. The study of the integrable cases of the rotation equation leads to three distinct models, which are considered in detail. As a general result we find that, similarly to the general relativistic case, the rotational perturbations decay due to the expansion of the matter on the brane. One of the obtained consistency conditions leads to a particular, purely inflationary brane-world cosmological model, with the cosmological fluid obeying a non-linear barotropic equation of state.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, REVTEX

The Impact of U.S. Trade Law on Government Policy Making in the Republic of China

Since President Reagan signed the Omnibus Trade Act on August 23, 1988, the U.S. government has completed a series of investigations according to the provisions of the Act. Consultations aimed at forcing its trading partners to adjust their trade- policies which are regarded as unfair to U.S. trade have also been held in the past ten months or so. Being one of the most important trading partners of the U.S. – both in terms of its overall trade volume and its surplus with the U.S. – the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC) seems to have become a target of retaliatory measures implied in the Act. During the period from August of last year to this date, the U.S. has consulted intensively with the ROC on various trade issues. The possible implementation of the Trade Act seemed to have been implied throughout most of the talks. Therefore, the results of consultations often had an impact on the trade policy of the ROC. On the other hand, the adjustments that the ROC has made to cope with the new environment of the world economy have also been instrumental in formulating the ROC\u27s new trade policy. All in all, the ROC\u27s trade policy has been transformed, over the past twenty-five years, from an export-oriented one to the present one which encourages imports with a view toward balancing the two-way trade. In order to carry out this policy, the ROC has adopted a series of measures not only to expedite the liberalization of its market, but also to increase its purchases from the U.S

Spin Information from Vector-Meson Decay in Photoproduction

For the photoproduction of vector mesons, all single and double spin observables involving vector meson two-body decays are defined consistently in the $\gamma N$ center of mass. These definitions yield a procedure for extracting physically meaningful single and double spin observables that are subject to known rules concerning their angle and energy evolution. As part of this analysis, we show that measuring the two-meson decay of a photoproduced $\rho$ or $\phi$ does not determine the vector meson's vector polarization, but only its tensor polarization. The vector meson decay into lepton pairs is also insensitive to the vector meson's vector polarization, unless one measures the spin of one of the leptons. Similar results are found for all double spin observables which involve observation of vector meson decay. To access the vector meson's vector polarization, one therefore needs to either measure the spin of the decay leptons, make an analysis of the background interference effects or relate the vector meson's vector polarization to other accessible spin observables.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figure

Remarks on Form Factor Bounds

Improved model independent upper bounds on the weak transition form factors are derived using inclusive sum rules. Comparison of the new bounds with the old ones is made for the form factors h_{A_1} and h_V in B -> D* decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, title changed and typos corrected for journal publicatio