Mariner Venus/Mercury 1973 study

Mariner Venus/Mercury 1973 flyby mission and description of spacecraft and subsystem

Beyond capitalism and liberal democracy: on the relevance of GDH Cole’s sociological critique and alternative

This article argues for a return to the social thought of the often ignored early 20th-century English thinker GDH Cole. The authors contend that Cole combined a sociological critique of capitalism and liberal democracy with a well-developed alternative in his work on guild socialism bearing particular relevance to advanced capitalist societies. Both of these, with their focus on the limitations on ‘free communal service’ in associations and the inability of capitalism to yield emancipation in either production or consumption, are relevant to social theorists looking to understand, critique and contribute to the subversion of neoliberalism. Therefore, the authors suggest that Cole’s associational sociology, and the invitation it provides to think of formations beyond capitalism and liberal democracy, is a timely and valuable resource which should be returned to

Radial Redshift Space Distortions

The radial component of the peculiar velocities of galaxies cause displacements in their positions in redshift space. We study the effect of the peculiar velocities on the linear redshift space two point correlation function. Our analysis takes into account the radial nature of the redshift space distortions and it highlights the limitations of the plane parallel approximation. We consider the problem of determining the value of \beta and the real space two point correlation function from the linear redshift space two point correlation function. The inversion method proposed here takes into account the radial nature of the redshift space distortions and can be applied to magnitude limited redshift surveys that have only partial sky coverage.Comment: 26 pages including 11 figures, to appear in Ap

Multi-criteria decision support for drought security

The recently completed Lower Hunter Water Plan identified a portfolio of drought response measures to ensure that the region does not run out of water under severe drought conditions. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) process was developed to guide the assessment of the drought response options against multiple criteria (both quantitative and qualitative), and for the assembly and analysis of drought response portfolios. The process guided stakeholders in considering a wide range of alternative supply and demand side options, and allowed for the transparent trade-off between options or portfolios of options. The MCDA process integrated the assessment of social, environmental and risk/resilience criteria with cost effectiveness analysis. The process also included the analysis of contextual uncertainties and risk to determine the flexibility of the options under different future situations. The outcome of this process revealed a portfolio of drought response options that best met the weighted critieria and satisfied the drought response objectives

Sprinkler irrigation in windy conditions

THOSE summer winds—be they cooling afternoon breezes or scorching easterlies—are no help to the irrigationist. Where sprinklers are used wind can result in uneven irrigation, reduced yields and spoilt produce