AX J0049.4-7323 - a close look at a neutron star interacting with a circumstellar disk

Detailed evidence on the system AX J0049.4-7323 is presented here to show how the passage of the neutron star in the binary system disrupts the circumstellar disk of the mass donor Be star. A similar effect is noted in three other Be/X-ray binary systems. Together the observational data should provide valuable tools for modelling these complex interactions.Comment: 4 pages, accepted for publication in MNRA

A major outburst from the X-ray binary RX J0520.5-6932

We report on the analysis of 8 years of MAssive Compact Halo Objects (MACHO) data for the source RX J0520.5-6932. A regular period of 24.4 days has been confirmed, however this is manifest almost entirely in the red part of the spectrum. A major outburst, lasting approximately 200 days, was observed which increased the apparent brightness of the object by approximately 0.15 magnitudes without significantly altering its V-R colour index. This outburst was also seen in X-ray data. The evidence from this analysis points to the identification of this object as a Be/X-ray binary with a periodically variable circumstellar disk and a very early optical counterpart.Comment: Paper has been accepted by MNRA

Effects of wing leading-edge deflection on low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a low-aspect-ratio highly swept arrow-wing configuration

Static force tests were conducted in the Langley V/STOL tunnel at a Reynolds number (based on the mean aerodynamic chord) of about 2.0 x 10 to the 6th power for an angle-of-attack range from about - 10 deg to 17 deg and angles of sideslip of 0 and + or - 5 deg. Limited flow visualization studies were also conducted in order to provide a qualitative assessment of leading-edge upwash characteristics

Medicaid Crowd-Out of Private Long-Term Care Insurance Demand: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Survey

This paper provides empirical evidence of Medicaid crowd out of demand for private long-term care insurance. Using data on the near- and young-elderly in the Health and Retirement Survey, our central estimate suggests that a $10,000 decrease in the level of assets an individual can keep while qualifying for Medicaid would increase private long-term care insurance coverage by 1.1 percentage points. These estimates imply that if every state in the country moved from their current Medicaid asset eligibility requirements to the most stringent Medicaid eligibility requirements allowed by federal law – a change that would decrease average household assets protected by Medicaid by about$25,000 – demand for private long-term care insurance would rise by 2.7 percentage points. While this represents a 30 percent increase in insurance coverage relative to the baseline ownership rate of 9.1 percent, it also indicates that the vast majority of households would still find it unattractive to purchase private insurance. We discuss reasons why, even with extremely stringent eligibility requirements, Medicaid may still exert a large crowd-out effect on demand for private insurance.

The X-ray Transient XTE J2012+381

We present optical and infrared observations of the soft X-ray transient (SXT) XTE J2012+381 and identify the optical counterpart with a faint red star heavily blended with a brighter foreground star. The fainter star is coincident with the radio counterpart and appears to show weak H alpha emission and to have faded between observations. The RXTE/ASM lightcurve of XTE J2012+381 is unusual for an SXT in that after an extended linear decay, it settled into a plateau state for about 40 days before undergoing a weak mini-outburst. We discuss the nature of the object and suggest similarities to long orbital period SXTs.Comment: 5 pages, 7 postscript figures included, uses mn.sty. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Strategic Planning with Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at the University of Mississippi

In this paper, I detail the strategic planning process undertaken by Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at the University of Mississippi. I do this by first presenting information about strategic planning and about Chi Alpha as an organization. Then, I present a narrative detailing how we completed the planning process. After that, I present the results that make up the strategic plan itself. I end with an evaluation of the overall effort. Our planning process created strategies to address five strategic issues: reaching international students, lacking a unified discipleship structure, lacking a property, developing a “missions mindset” instead of a “leadership mindset,” and reaching more minority students. We also developed specific, measurable objectives for each of these strategic issues. Not only did we learn what does and does not work for strategic planning, but we showed that it is possible and useful to strategically plan as a campus ministry