Access to Dual Enrollment in the United States: Implications for Equity and Stratification

Dual enrollment (DE) programs are on the rise nationally. This study uses recently available nationally representative data to examine which student and school characteristics predict participation in DE in the United States. We connect DE participation to human capital theory and related educational policy values of equity, excellence, and efficiency. Using logistic regressions, we find that, on average, 9thgrade GPA and attendance as well as higher socioeconomic status increased the odds that a student participates in DE. Our analysis also detects geographic disparities with students in rural areas and the South being more likely to take DE. We discuss implications for educational and economic policy.Educatio

The Cosmological Gene Project: cluster analysis of the atmospheric fluctuations on arcmin-scale imaging of the Cosmic Microwave Background

We discuss some aspects of the Cosmological Gene Project started at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia) in 1999. The goal of the project is to measure the anisotropy and polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and investigation of atmospheric fluctuations and foreground on arcmin-scales using the radio-telescope RATAN-600. We develop the cluster analysis of one-dimensional random fields for the application to the RATAN-600 scans. We analyze the specific properties of peak clusterisation in the RATAN-600 scans which to separate the primordial CMB signal from noise.Comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic

Peculiarities of anisotropy and polarization as an indicator of noises in the CMB maps

We discuss some new problems of the modern cosmology which arose after the BOOMERANG and MAXIMA-1 successful missions. Statistics of high peaks of the CMB anisotropy is analyzed and we discuss possible inner structure of such peaks in the observational data of future MAP and PLANCK missions. We have investigated geometrical and statistical properties of the CMB polarization around such high isolated peaks of anisotropy in the presence of a polarized pixel noise and point sources. The structure of polarization fields in the vicinity of singular points with zero polarization is very sensitive to the level of pixel noises and point sources in the CMB maps.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Scale-Invariant Correlation Functions of Cosmological Density Fluctuations in the Strong Clustering Regime

We have investigated the scale-invariant solutions of the BBGKY equations for spatial correlation functions of cosmological density fluctuations and the mean relative peculiar velocity in the strongly nonlinear regime. It is found that the solutions for the mean relative physical velocity depend on the three-point spatial correlation function and the skewness of the velocity fields. We find that the stable condition in which the mean relative physical velocity vanishes on the virialized regions is satisfied only under the assumptions which Davis \& Peebles took in his paper. It is found, however, that their assumptions may not be general in real. The power index of the two-point correlation function in the strongly nonlinear regime depends on the mean relative peculiar velocity, the three-point correlation function and the skewness. If the self-similar solutions exist, the power index in the strongly nonlinear regime is related to the power index of the initial power spectrum and its relation depends on the three-point correlation function and the skewness through the mean relative peculiar velocity. Furthermore it is found that the mean relative physical velocity should have the values between 0 and the Hubble expanding velocity. When the mean relative physical velocity equals to the Hubble expanding velocity, there might exist self-similar solutions in which the power index of the two-point correlation function in the strongly nonlinear regime is independent of the initial power index $n$.Comment: 24 pages, no figures, uses aaspp4.sty, Submitted to Ap

Universality in the distribution of caustics in the expanding Universe

We numerically investigate the long--time evolution of density perturbations after the first appearance of caustics in an expanding cosmological model with one--dimensional `single--wave' initial conditions. Focussing on the time--intervals of caustic appearances and the spatial distribution of caustics at subsequent times, we find that the time--intervals of caustic appearances approach a constant, i.e., their time--subsequent ratio converges to 1; it is also found that the spatial distribution of caustics at a given time features some universality rules, e.g., the ratio between the position of the nearest caustic from the center and that of the second nearest caustic from the center approaches a constant. Furthermore we find some rules for the mass distribution for each caustic. Using these universality constants we are in the position to predict the spatial distribution of caustics at an arbitrary time in order to give an estimate for the power spectral index in the fully--developed non--dissipative turbulent (`virialized') regime.Comment: 23 pages, 19 figure

Forest fires in California, 1911-1920 : an analytical study

Gerald W. Williams Collectio

Cover type and fire control in the national forests of northern California

Gerald W. Williams Collectio

Smart windows: cation internal and anion external activation for electrochromic films of nickel hydroxide

Two methods - internal and external - were used for improving the electrochemical activity and electrochromic properties of Ni(OH)2 films. In the case of internal activation, Al3+ ions were added to the electrolyte composition during the electrochemical precipitation process. In the case of external activation, [Fe(CN)6]4− ions were used in the electrolyte during the cycling process. In all the experiments there were used Ni(OH)2 films synthesized by the electrochemical template method with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) addition to the electrolyte composition. It was shown that the addition of [Fe(CN)6]4− ions into the electrolyte for cycling leads to significant improvement of electrochemical and electrochromic (colorization-bleaching) properties. At the same time, the addition of Al3+ ions into the electrolyte for Ni(OH)2 films precipitation leads to drastic worsening of their properties. Also, possible mechanisms of Al3+ and [Fe(CN)6]4− ions influence were considered in this work

Blue spectra and induced formation of primordial black holes

We investigate the statistical properties of primordial black hole (PBH) formation in the very early Universe. We show that the high level of inhomogeneity of the early Universe leads to the formation of the first generation PBHs. %The existence of these PBHs This causes later the appearance of a dust-like phase of the cosmological expansion. We discuss here a new mechanism for the second generation of PBH formation during the dust-like phase. This mechanism is based on the coagulation process. We demonstrate that the blue power spectrum of initial adiabatic perturbations after inflation leads to overproduction of primordial black holes with $10^9$g$\le M\le10^{15}$g if the power index is $n\ge1.2$.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

Perturbation Spectra in the Warm Inflationary Scenario

We investigate the phenomenology of warm inflation and present generic results about the evolution of the inflaton and radiation fields. The general conditions required for warm inflation to take place are derived and discussed. A comprehensive approach is presented for the generation of thermally induced adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations and the amplitude of their spectra calculated. In addition we derive the ratio of tensor-to-scalar perturbations and find the spectral indices for adiabatic, isocurvature and tensor perturbations formed in the warm inflationary era. These results are presented in a simplified and compact approach that is generally applicable. Our results are illustrated by inflation models with polynomial and exponential potentials. We compare our analytic results against numerical models and find excellent agreement. Finally, presently available data is used to put constraints on warm inflation and we discuss how near--future observations may distinguish the warm inflationary scenario from standard supercooled inflation. The main observable difference is the different scalar-to- tensor ratio, and that the consistency relation between this and the slope of tensor perturbations does not hold for warm inflation.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, Accepted by Phys Rev D., minor change