On varieties of almost minimal degree I: Secant loci of rational normal scrolls

To complete the classification theory and the structure theory of varieties of almost minimal degree, that is of non-degenerate irreducible projective varieties whose degree exceeds the codimension by precisely 2, a natural approach is to investigate simple projections of varieties of minimal degree. Let $\tilde X \subset {\mathbb P}^{r+1}_K$ be a variety of minimal degree and of codimension at least 2, and consider $X_p = \pi_p (\tilde X) \subset {\mathbb P}^r_K$ where $p \in {\mathbb P}^{r+1}_K \backslash \tilde X$. By \cite{B-Sche}, it turns out that the cohomological and local properties of $X_p$ are governed by the secant locus $\Sigma_p (\tilde X)$ of $\tilde X$ with respect to $p$. Along these lines, the present paper is devoted to give a geometric description of the secant stratification of $\tilde X$, that is of the decomposition of ${\mathbb P}^{r+1}_K$ via the types of secant loci. We show that there are exactly six possibilities for the secant locus $\Sigma_p (\tilde X)$, and we precisely describe each stratum of the secant stratification of $\tilde X$, each of which turns out to be a quasi-projective variety. As an application, we obtain the classification of all non-normal Del Pezzo varieties by providing a complete list of pairs $(\tilde X, p)$ where $\tilde X \subset {\mathbb P}^{r+1}_K$ is a variety of minimal degree, $p$ is a closed point in $\mathbb P^{r+1}_K \setminus \tilde X$ and $X_p \subset {\mathbb P}^r _K$ is a Del Pezzo variety.Comment: 20 page

Germanium:gallium photoconductors for far infrared heterodyne detection

Highly compensated Ge:Ga photoconductors have been fabricated and evaluated for high bandwidth heterodyne detection. Bandwidths up to 60 MHz have been obtained with corresponding current responsivity of 0.01 A/W

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

Statistical Mechanics of Three-dimensional Kerr-de Sitter Space

The statistical computation of the (2+1)-dimensional Kerr-de Sitter space in the context of the {\it classical} Virasoro algebra for an asymptotic isometry group has been a mystery since first, the degeneracy of the states has the right value only at the infinite boundary which is casually disconnected from our universe, second, the analyses were based on the unproven Cardy's formula for complex central charge and conformal weight. In this paper, I consider the entropy in Carlip's "would-be gauge" degrees of freedom approach instead. I find that it agree with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy but there are no the above problems. Implications to the dS/CFT are noted.Comment: Added comments about diffeomorphism generators and Wheeler-de Witt equation; Added references; Accpected in CQ

Gamma-Rays Produced in Cosmic-Ray Interactions and the TeV-band Spectrum of RX J1713.7-3946

We employ the Monte Carlo particle collision code DPMJET3.04 to determine the multiplicity spectra of various secondary particles (in addition to $\pi^0$'s) with $\gamma$'s as the final decay state, that are produced in cosmic-ray ($p$'s and $\alpha$'s) interactions with the interstellar medium. We derive an easy-to-use $\gamma$-ray production matrix for cosmic rays with energies up to about 10 PeV. This $\gamma$-ray production matrix is applied to the GeV excess in diffuse Galactic $\gamma$-rays observed by EGRET, and we conclude the non-$\pi^0$ decay components are insufficient to explain the GeV excess, although they have contributed a different spectrum from the $\pi^0$-decay component. We also test the hypothesis that the TeV-band $\gamma$-ray emission of the shell-type SNR RX J1713.7-3946 observed with HESS is caused by hadronic cosmic rays which are accelerated by a cosmic-ray modified shock. By the $\chi^2$ statistics, we find a continuously softening spectrum is strongly preferred, in contrast to expectations. A hardening spectrum has about 1% probability to explain the HESS data, but then only if a hard cutoff at 50-100 TeV is imposed on the particle spectrum.Comment: 3 pages; 4 figures; Contribution to the First GLAST Symposium, Standord, 200

Light mixed sneutrinos as thermal dark matter

In supersymmetric models with Dirac neutrino masses, a left-right mixed sneutrino can be a viable dark matter candidate. We examine the MSSM+$\tilde\nu_R$ parameter space where this is the case with particular emphasis on light sneutrinos with masses below 10 GeV. We discuss implications for direct and indirect dark matter searches, including the relevant uncertainties, as well as consequences for collider phenomenology.Comment: 33 pages, 14 figures; one figure and references adde

Objectification theory predicts college women’s attitudes toward cosmetic surgery

This study investigated cosmetic surgery attitudes within the framework of objectification theory. One hundred predominantlyWhite, British undergraduate women completed self-report measures of impression management, global selfesteem, interpersonal sexual objectification, self-surveillance, body shame, and three components of cosmetic surgery attitudes. As expected, each of the objectification theory variables predicted greater consideration of having cosmetic surgery in the future. Also, as expected, sexual objectification and body shame uniquely predicted socialmotives for cosmetic surgery, whereas self-surveillance uniquely predicted intrapersonal motives for cosmetic surgery. These findings suggest that women’s acceptance of cosmetic surgery as a way to manipulate physical appearance can be partially explained by the degree to which they view themselves through the lenses of sexual and self-objectification

On Minimum Violations Ranking in Paired Comparisons

Ranking a set of objects from the most dominant one to the least, based on the results of paired comparisons, proves to be useful in many contexts. Using the rankings of teams or individuals players in sports to seed tournaments is an example. The quality of a ranking is often evaluated by the number of violations, cases in which an object is ranked lower than another that it has dominated in a comparison, that it contains. A minimum violations ranking (MVR) method, as its name suggests, searches specifically for rankings that have the minimum possible number of violations which may or may not be zero. In this paper, we present a method based on statistical physics that overcomes conceptual and practical difficulties faced by earlier studies of the problem.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures; typos corrected (v2

Detection of an exoplanet around the evolved K giant HD 66141

Aims. We have been carrying out a precise radial velocity (RV) survey for K giants to search for and study the origin of the lowamplitude and long-periodic RV variations. Methods. We present high-resolution RV measurements of the K2 giant HD 66141 from December 2003 to January 2011 using the fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO). Results. We find that the RV measurements for HD 66141 exhibit a periodic variation of 480.5 +/- 0.5 days with a semi-amplitude of 146.2 +/- 2.7 m/s. The Hipparcos photometry and bisector velocity span (BVS) do not show any obvious correlations with RV variations. We find indeed 706.4 +/- 35.0 day variations in equivalent width (EW) measurements of H_alpha line and 703.0 +/- 39.4 day variations in a space-born measurements 1.25{\mu} flux of HD 66141 measured during COBE/DIRBE experiment. We reveal that a mean value of long-period variations is about 705 +/- 53 days and the origin is a rotation period of the star and variability that is caused by surface inhomogeneities. For the 480 day periods of RV variations an orbital motion is the most likely explanation. Assuming a stellar mass of 1.1 +/- 0.1 M_Sun? for HD 66141, we obtain a minimum mass for the planetary companion of 6.0 +/- 0.3 M_Jup with an orbital semi-major axis of 1.2 +/- 0.1 AU and an eccentricity of 0.07 +/- 0.03.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publisation in Astronomy & Astrophysic