On the Mechanism of Townsend Avalanche for Negative Molecular Ions

Time projection chambers drifting negative ions (NITPC) instead of electrons have several advantages. A NITPC can operate at very high reduced drift fields without diffusion runaway, and the readout digitization sampling rate requirement is considerably relaxed due to the low drift speed of negative ions. The initiation of Townsend avalanches to allow gas gain in these devices has not been understood until now. It is shown here that the avalanche in low pressure CS$_2$ vapor is most likely initiated by collisional detachment of the electron from the negative molecular ion. In mixtures of Nitromethane vapor with CO$_2$ the mechanism appears to be more complex

Stencel Aero Engineering Corporation v. United States: An Expansion of the Feres Doctrine to Include Military Contractors, Subcontractors, and Suppliers

In Feres v. United States, military personnel were denied the right to sue the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries sustained incident to military service. A case recently decided by the United States Supreme Court, Stencel Aero Engineering Corporation v. United States, expanded the scope of the Feres Doctrine to include third party government contractors and suppliers seeking indemnity from the United States on claims by active-duty service personnel. This Note examines the recent Stencel decision and considers the effect of this decision upon the indemnity claims of private parties sued as joint tortfeasors with the government

A benign, low Z electron capture agent for negative ion TPCs

We have identified nitromethane (CH$_3$NO$_2$) as an effective electron capture agent for negative ion TPCs (NITPCs). We present drift velocity and longitudinal diffusion measurements for negative ion gas mixtures using nitromethane as the capture agent. Not only is nitromethane substantially more benign than the only other identified capture agent, CS$_2$, but its low atomic number will enable the use of the NITPC as a photoelectric X{}-ray polarimeter in the 1{}-10 keV band

Putting a human face to severe traumatic brain injury research : a review of neuropsychological rehabilitation, obsessive-compulsive disorder and caregiver burden with respect to the case of BP : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

The following thesis is a review of several issues relating to severe brain injury. The theories and research literature were also paired with the case study of a young man who had suffered a severe TBI three years ago, and the outcomes and rehabilitation that he has faced since and continued to face. The case study and theory can be read separately, but it is together that they may help to put a human face on the TBI literature. Rehabilitation principles and theories are described in order to present a picture of an ideal rehabilitation plan, and then contrasted by the case study to demonstrate the difficulties that are inherent in severe TBI. Despite careful adherence to rehabilitation principles, the rehabilitation process remains difficult and lengthy. The research literature regarding obsessive-compulsive disorder and TBI are discussed in reference to aspects of the current case study and impulse control disorders in general. The caregiver burden research literature, particularly with regard to that of TBI, is also reviewed, with reference again to the current case study. A plea is made for more flexible, functionally-relevant rehabilitation models, that attempt to take into account the true complexities involved in severe TBI rehabilitation. The use of case studies in future TBI research, along with the larger-sampled empirical studies, may aid our understanding of TBI and its rehabilitation from a more human real-life perspective

Alien Registration- Dion, Catherine J. (Westbrook, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/20774/thumbnail.jp

Explicit approximate controllability of the Schr\"odinger equation with a polarizability term

We consider a controlled Schr\"odinger equation with a dipolar and a polarizability term, used when the dipolar approximation is not valid. The control is the amplitude of the external electric field, it acts non linearly on the state. We extend in this infinite dimensional framework previous techniques used by Coron, Grigoriu, Lefter and Turinici for stabilization in finite dimension. We consider a highly oscillating control and prove the semi-global weak $H^2$ stabilization of the averaged system using a Lyapunov function introduced by Nersesyan. Then it is proved that the solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation and of the averaged equation stay close on every finite time horizon provided that the control is oscillating enough. Combining these two results, we get approximate controllability to the ground state for the polarizability system

Bourdieu, networks, and movements: Using the concepts of habitus, field and capital to understand a network analysis of gender differences in undergraduate physics

Current trends suggest that significant gender disparities exist within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education at university, with female students being underrepresented in physics, but more equally represented in life sciences (e.g., biology, medicine). To understand these trends, it is important to consider the context in which students make decisions about which university courses to enrol in. The current study seeks to investigate gender differences in STEM through a unique approach that combines network analysis of student enrolment data with an interpretive lens based on the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu. We generate a network of courses taken by around 9000 undergraduate physics students (from 2009 to 2014) to quantify Bourdieu's concept of field. We explore the properties of this network to investigate gender differences in transverse movements (between different academic fields) and vertical movements (changes in students' achievement rankings within a field). Our findings indicate that female students are more likely to make transverse movements into life science fields. We also find that university physics does a poor job in attracting high achieving students, and especially high achieving female students. Of the students who do choose to study physics, low achieving female students are less likely to continue than their male counterparts. The results and implications are discussed in the context of Bourdieu's theory, and previous research. We argue that in order to remove constraints on female student's study choices, the field of physics needs to provide a culture in which all students feel like they belong.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

New partitioning perturbation theory. 2 - Example of almost degeneracy

Degeneracy applications to partitioning perturbation theory - Part