928 research outputs found
Astrophysical Tests of Modified Gravity: A Screening Map of the Nearby Universe
Astrophysical tests of modified modified gravity theories in the nearby
universe have been emphasized recently by Hui, Nicolis and Stubbs (2009) and
Jain and VanderPlas (2011). A key element of such tests is the screening
mechanism whereby general relativity is restored in massive halos or high
density environments like the Milky Way. In chameleon theories of gravity,
including all f(R) models, field dwarf galaxies may be unscreened and therefore
feel an extra force, as opposed to screened galaxies. The first step to study
differences between screened and unscreened galaxies is to create a 3D
screening map. We use N-body simulations to test and calibrate simple
approximations to determine the level of screening in galaxy catalogs. Sources
of systematic errors in the screening map due to observational inaccuracies are
modeled and their contamination is estimated. We then apply our methods to
create a map out to 200 Mpc in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint using
data from the Sloan survey and other sources. In two companion papers this map
will be used to carry out new tests of gravity using distance indicators and
the disks of dwarf galaxies. We also make our screening map publicly available.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure
Conserving and Gapless Approximations for an Inhomogeneous Bose Gas at Finite Temperatures
We derive and discuss the equations of motion for the condensate and its
fluctuations for a dilute, weakly interacting Bose gas in an external potential
within the self--consistent Hartree--Fock--Bogoliubov (HFB) approximation.
Account is taken of the depletion of the condensate and the anomalous Bose
correlations, which are important at finite temperatures. We give a critical
analysis of the self-consistent HFB approximation in terms of the
Hohenberg--Martin classification of approximations (conserving vs gapless) and
point out that the Popov approximation to the full HFB gives a gapless
single-particle spectrum at all temperatures. The Beliaev second-order
approximation is discussed as the spectrum generated by functional
differentiation of the HFB single--particle Green's function. We emphasize that
the problem of determining the excitation spectrum of a Bose-condensed gas
(homogeneous or inhomogeneous) is difficult because of the need to satisfy
several different constraints.Comment: plain tex, 19 page
Solid-state laser system for laser cooling of Sodium
We demonstrate a frequency-stabilized, all-solid laser source at 589 nm with
up to 800 mW output power. The laser relies on sum-frequency generation from
two laser sources at 1064 nm and 1319 nm through a PPKTP crystal in a
doubly-resonant cavity. We obtain conversion efficiency as high as 2 W/W^2
after optimization of the cavity parameters. The output wavelength is tunable
over 60 GHz, which is sufficient to lock on the Sodium D2 line. The robustness,
beam quality, spectral narrowness and tunability of our source make it an
alternative to dye lasers for atomic physics experiments with Sodium atoms
Recommended from our members
MINIMIZATION OF NO EMISSIONS FROM MULTI-BURNER COAL-FIRED BOILERS
The focus of this program is to provide insight into the formation and minimization of NO{sub x} in multi-burner arrays, such as those that would be found in a typical utility boiler. Most detailed studies are performed in single-burner test facilities, and may not capture significant burner-to-burner interactions that could influence NO{sub x} emissions. Thus, investigations of such interactions were made by performing a combination of single and multiple burner experiments in a pilot-scale coal-fired test facility at the University of Utah, and by the use of computational combustion simulations to evaluate full-scale utility boilers. In addition, fundamental studies on nitrogen release from coal were performed to develop greater understanding of the physical processes that control NO formation in pulverized coal flames--particularly under low NO{sub x} conditions. A CO/H{sub 2}/O{sub 2}/N{sub 2} flame was operated under fuel-rich conditions in a flat flame reactor to provide a high temperature, oxygen-free post-flame environment to study secondary reactions of coal volatiles. Effects of temperature, residence time and coal rank on nitrogen evolution and soot formation were examined. Elemental compositions of the char, tar and soot were determined by elemental analysis, gas species distributions were determined using FTIR, and the chemical structure of the tar and soot was analyzed by solid-state {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopy. A laminar flow drop tube furnace was used to study char nitrogen conversion to NO. The experimental evidence and simulation results indicated that some of the nitrogen present in the char is converted to nitric oxide after direct attack of oxygen on the particle, while another portion of the nitrogen, present in more labile functionalities, is released as HCN and further reacts in the bulk gas. The reaction of HCN with NO in the bulk gas has a strong influence on the overall conversion of char-nitrogen to nitric oxide; therefore, any model that aims to predict the conversion of char-nitrogen to nitric oxide should allow for the conversion of char-nitrogen to HCN. The extent of the HCN conversion to NO or N{sub 2} will depend on the composition of the atmosphere surrounding the particle. A pilot-scale testing campaign was carried out to evaluate the impact of multiburner firing on NO{sub x} emissions using a three-burner vertical array. In general, the results indicated that multiburner firing yielded higher NO{sub x} emissions than single burner firing at the same fuel rate and excess air. Mismatched burner operation, due to increases in the firing rate of the middle burner, generally demonstrated an increase in NO{sub x} over uniform firing. Biased firing, operating the middle burner fuel rich with the upper and lower burners fuel lean, demonstrated an overall reduction in NO{sub x} emissions; particularly when the middle burner was operated highly fuel rich. Computational modeling indicated that operating the three burner array with the center burner swirl in a direction opposite to the other two resulted in a slight reduction in NO{sub x}
Population ecology of Psammobates oculifer in a semi-arid environment
We studied the ecology of Psammobates oculifer over 13 months near Kimberley, South Africa, to ascertain if the populationâs life history traits conform to chelonian patterns in arid environments. Capture rates were highest in spring and lowest in winter when environmental conditions were respectively most and least favourable for tortoise activity. Body condition did not change from autumn to spring, but reached lower values during the summer drought. Capture effort averaged 5 hours/tortoise, which corresponds closely to that of species with low population densities in arid regions. Population size structure was skewed towards adults, indicative of low recruitment and/or low juvenile survivorship. Females were larger and heavier than males, confirming sexual dimorphism in this species. Body size of cohorts scaled to annuli counts, indicating a close correspondence between body size and age. Telemetered adults deposited one or no growth ring in the year of study; consequently, annuli counts could underestimate adult age. Regression analyses showed that male and female growth rates did not differ, but males matured at a smaller size and younger age than females. The smallest male showing reproductive behaviour had 12 annuli and a shell volume of 157 cm3, while similar measures for females were 14 annuli and 185 cm3. The sex ratio of the population did not differ from 1:1 but the bias towards males in spring, and towards females in autumn, indicates that studies limited to particular seasons can misrepresent life history traits of populations. We concluded that the life history of P. oculifer conforms to chelonian patterns in arid regions.Web of Scienc
Co-evolution, opportunity seeking and institutional change: Entrepreneurship and the Indian telecommunications industry 1923-2009
"This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article submitted for consideration in Business History [copyright Taylor & Francis]; Business History is available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/." 10.1080/00076791.2012.687538In this paper, we demonstrate the importance for entrepreneurship of historical contexts and processes, and the co-evolution of institutions, practices, discourses and cultural norms. Drawing on discourse and institutional theories, we develop a model of the entrepreneurial field, and apply this in analysing the rise to global prominence of the Indian telecommunications industry. We draw on entrepreneurial life histories to show how various discourses and discursive processes ultimately worked to generate change and the creation of new business opportunities. We propose that entrepreneurship involves more than individual acts of business creation, but also implies collective endeavours to shape the future direction of the entrepreneurial field
Measurement of the p-pbar -> Wgamma + X cross section at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV and WWgamma anomalous coupling limits
The WWgamma triple gauge boson coupling parameters are studied using p-pbar
-> l nu gamma + X (l = e,mu) events at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. The data were
collected with the DO detector from an integrated luminosity of 162 pb^{-1}
delivered by the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The cross section times branching
fraction for p-pbar -> W(gamma) + X -> l nu gamma + X with E_T^{gamma} > 8 GeV
and Delta R_{l gamma} > 0.7 is 14.8 +/- 1.6 (stat) +/- 1.0 (syst) +/- 1.0 (lum)
pb. The one-dimensional 95% confidence level limits on anomalous couplings are
-0.88 < Delta kappa_{gamma} < 0.96 and -0.20 < lambda_{gamma} < 0.20.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. D Rapid Communication
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