D1 and D5-Brane Actions in AdS_m x S^n

The kappa-invariant and supersymmetric actions of D1 and D5-branes in AdS_3 x S^3 are investigated, as well as the action of a D5-brane in an AdS_5 x S^5 background. The action of a D5-brane lying totally in an AdS_3 x S^3 background is found. Some progress was made towards finding the action for the D5-brane free to move in the whole AdS_3 x S^3 x T^4 space, however the supersymmetric action found here is not kappa-invariant and the reasons the method used did not find a kappa-invariant solution are discussed.Comment: 17pp, Latex, improved explanations, a definition adde

One-loop Corrections to the S Parameter in the Four-site Model

We compute the leading chiral-logarithmic corrections to the S parameter in the four-site Higgsless model. In addition to the usual electroweak gauge bosons of the Standard Model, this model contains two sets of heavy charged and neutral gauge bosons. In the continuum limit, the latter gauge bosons can be identified with the first excited Kaluza-Klein states of the W^\pm and Z bosons of a warped extra-dimensional model with an SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R \times U(1)_X bulk gauge symmetry. We consider delocalized fermions and show that the delocalization parameter must be considerably tuned from its tree-level ideal value in order to reconcile experimental constraints with the one-loop results. Hence, the delocalization of fermions does not solve the problem of large contributions to the S parameter in this class of theories and significant contributions to S can potentially occur at one-loop.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figure

Higgs Triplets, Decoupling, and Precision Measurements

Electroweak precision data has been extensively used to constrain models containing physics beyond that of the Standard Model. When the model contains Higgs scalars in representations other than SU(2) singlets or doublets, and hence rho not equal to one at tree level, a correct renormalization scheme requires more inputs than the three needed for the Standard Model. We discuss the connection between the renormalization of models with Higgs triplets and the decoupling properties of the models as the mass scale for the scalar triplet field becomes much larger than the electroweak scale. The requirements of perturbativity of the couplings and agreement with electroweak data place strong restrictions on models with Higgs triplets. Our results have important implications for Little Higgs type models and other models with rho not equal to one at tree level.Comment: 23 page

Calculating NMR parameters in aluminophosphates : evaluation of dispersion correction schemes

Periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations have recently emerged as a popular tool for assigning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. However, in order for the calculations to yield accurate results, accurate structural models are also required. In many cases the structural model (often derived from crystallographic diffraction) must be optimised (i.e., to an energy minimum) using DFT prior to the calculation of NMR parameters. However, DFT does not reproduce weak long-range "dispersion'' interactions well, and optimisation using some functionals can expand the crystallographic unit cell, particularly when dispersion interactions are important in defining the structure. Recently, dispersion-corrected DFT (DFT-D) has been extended to periodic calculations, to compensate for these missing interactions. Here, we investigate whether dispersion corrections are important for aluminophosphate zeolites (AlPOs) by comparing the structures optimised by DFT and DFT-D (using the PBE functional). For as-made AlPOs (containing cationic structure-directing agents (SDAs) and framework-bound anions) dispersion interactions appear to be important, with significant changes between the DFT and DFT-D unit cells. However, for calcined AlPOs, where the SDA-anion pairs are removed, dispersion interactions appear much less important, and the DFT and DFT-D unit cells are similar. We show that, while the different optimisation strategies yield similar calculated NMR parameters (providing that the atomic positions are optimised), the DFT-D optimisations provide structures in better agreement with the experimental diffraction measurements. Therefore, it appears that DFT-D calculations can, and should, be used for the optimisation of calcined and as-made AlPOs, in order to provide the closest agreement with all experimental measurements.PostprintPeer reviewe

Fabrication and test of lightweight honeycomb sandwich structures Final report

Fabrication and testing of lightweight honeycomb sandwich structure

Sensitivity of arrest in mode-coupling glasses to low-q structure

We quantify, within mode coupling theory, how changes in the liquid structure affect that of the glass. Apart from the known sensitivity to the structure factor $S(q)$ at wavevectors around the first sharp diffraction peak $q_0$, we find a strong (and inverted) response to structure at wavevectors \emph{below} this peak: an increase in $S(q_0/2)$ {\em lowers} the degree of arrest over a wide $q$-range. This strong sensitivity to `caged cage' packing effects, on length scales of order 2d, is much weaker in attractive glasses where short-range bonding dominates the steric caging effect.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. v2: 3 figures replaced; text rewritte

Trace Element Geochemistry of Iowa Coal

Coal samples were collected from four coal mines in Iowa and analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Sc, Cr, Co, As, Th, and U. A comparison of the compositions of whole coals to their high-temperature ashes indicates that essentially all of these elements reside in the ash. The abundance of most elements is consistent with a trend of decreasing elemental concentrations from east to west in United States coals. Pyrite separates were found to concentrate As, Cr and Co, while calcite separates were found to concentrate Sc. Rare earth element (REE) patterns are given for the Iowa coals