Digital Sampling v. Appropriation Art: Why Is One Stealing and the Other Fair Use? A Proposal for a Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Digital Music Sampling

This Article examines the disparate treatment of music and visual arts sampling under copyright law. Not only does this Article argue that the more liberal fair use principles adopted in recent visual arts cases should be applied to digital music sampling, but it also sets forth a preliminary Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Digital Music Sampling (“Digital Music Sampling Code”)

Methods for Employing Real Options Models to Mitigate Risk in R&D Funding Decisions

Government acquisitions requiring research and development (R&D) efforts are fraught with uncertainty. The risks are often mitigated by employing a multi-stage competition, with multiple projects funded initially until a single successful project is selected. While decision-makers recognize they are using a real options approach, analytical tools are often unavailable to evaluate optimal decisions. The use of these techniques for R&D project selection to reduce the uncertainties has been shown to increase overall project value. This dissertation first presents an efficient stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) approach that managers can use to determine optimal project selection strategies and apply the proposed approach on illustrative numerical examples. While the SDP approach produces optimal solutions for many applications, this approach does not easily accommodate the inclusion of a budget-optimal allocation or side constraints, since its formulation is scenario specific. Thus, we then formulate an integer program (IP), whose solution set is equivalent to the SDP model, but facilitates the incorporation of these features and can be solved using available commercial IP solvers. The one-level IP formulation can solve what is otherwise a nested two-level problem when solved as an SDP. We then compare the performance of both models on differently sized problems. For larger problems, where the IP approach appears to be untenable, we provide heuristics for the two-level SDP formulation to solve problems efficiently. Finally, we apply these methods to carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in the European Union currently under development that may be subject to public funding. Taking the perspective of a funding agency, we employ the real options models presented in this dissertation for determining optimal funding strategies for CCS project selection. The models demonstrate the improved risk reduction by employing a multi-stage competition and explicitly consider the benefits of knowledge spillover generated by competing projects. We then extend the model to consider two sensitivities: 1) the flexibility to spend the budget among the time periods and 2) optimizing the budget, but specifying each time period's allocation a priori. State size, scenario reduction heuristics and run-times of the models are provided

Energy and width measurements of low-Z pionic X-ray transitions

High resolution spectrometric measurement of energy and natural line widths of 2p-1s pionic X ray transitions, as well as muonic transition energies in Li, Be, B, and C isotope

Generation and remote detection of THz sound using semiconductor superlattices

The authors introduce a novel approach to study the propagation of high frequency acoustic phonons in which the generation and detection involves two spatially separated superlattices $\sim 1 {\rm \mu m}$ apart. Propagating modes of frequencies up to $\sim 1 {\rm THz}$ escape from the superlattice where they are generated and reach the second superlattice where they are detected. The measured frequency spectrum reveals finite size effects, which can be accounted for by a continuum elastic model.Comment: Submitted to Applied Physics Letter

A new measurement of the lifetime of the positive pion

Digital timing method for measuring positive pion lifetim

Incentives for early adoption of carbon capture technology: Further considerations from a European perspective

This note details two comments on a recent policy proposal in Comello and Reichelstein (2014) aimed at favoring the early adoption of Carbon Capture (CC) technology in the next generation of thermal-based power plants to be installed in the United States. First, we examine the implications of a worst-case scenario in which no new CC is adopted internationally beyond what is in place in 2014. Second, we show the potential, under the original proposed subsidy, for the emergence of coordination failures capable of hampering the desired early CC deployment. We propose and evaluate modified schedules of tax-credits sufficient to overcome these concerns. These additions strengthen the argument in the original article: namely, though higher incentive levels are necessary, our findings confirm that the cost of the proposed policy is not out of reach

Electric-field-induced heating and energy relaxation in GaN

Electric-field-induced heating is studied using noise measurements in n-type GaN grown on sapphire substrates. The measured electron temperature is found to be an order of magnitude higher than what is expected based on calculations of electron–phonon coupling via acoustic deformation potential scattering processes in GaN. The discrepancy may be explained by a large thermal boundary resistance between the GaN film and the sapphire substrate

Observation of Surface-Avoiding Waves: A New Class of Extended States in Periodic Media

Coherent time-domain optical experiments on GaAs-AlAs superlattices reveal the exis-tence of an unusually long-lived acoustic mode at ~ 0.6 THz, which couples weakly to the environment by evading the sample boundaries. Classical as well as quantum states that steer clear of surfaces are generally shown to occur in the spectrum of periodic struc-tures, for most boundary conditions. These surface-avoiding waves are associated with frequencies outside forbidden gaps and wavevectors in the vicinity of the center and edge of the Brillouin zone. Possible consequences for surface science and resonant cavity ap-plications are discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure

Integrated Analysis of Airport Capacity and Environmental Constraints

LMI conducted an integrated analysis of airport capacity and environmental constraints. identifying and ranking the key factors limiting achievement of NextGen capacity goals. The primary metric used was projected throughput, which was estimated for the years 2015 and 2025 based on the unconstrained demand forecast from the Federal Aviation Administration, and planned improvements including those proposed in the NextGen plan. A set of 310 critical airports was identified.. collectively accounting for more than 99 percent of domestic air traffic volume; a one-off analytical approach was used to isolate the constraint being assessed. The study considered three capacity constraints (runway.. taxiway, and gate) and three environmental constraints (fuel, NO(x) emissions, and noise). For the ten busiest airports, runway and noise are the primary and secondary constraints in both 2015 and 2025. For the OEP 35 airports and overall for the remaining airports, the most binding constraint is noise. Six of the 10 busiest airports, will face runway constraints in 2025, and 95 will face gate constraints. Nearly every airport will be subject to constraints due to emissions and NOx. Runway and taxi constraints are more concentrated in the large airports: environmental constraints are present at almost every airport regardless of size

A Compact Beam Stop for a Rare Kaon Decay Experiment

We describe the development and testing of a novel beam stop for use in a rare kaon decay experiment at the Brookhaven AGS. The beam stop is located inside a dipole spectrometer magnet in close proximity to straw drift chambers and intercepts a high-intensity neutral hadron beam. The design process, involving both Monte Carlo simulations and beam tests of alternative beam-stop shielding arrangements, had the goal of minimizing the leakage of particles from the beam stop and the resulting hit rates in detectors, while preserving maximum acceptance for events of interest. The beam tests consisted of measurements of rates in drift chambers, scintilation counter hodoscopes, a gas threshold Cherenkov counter, and a lead glass array. Measurements were also made with a set of specialized detectors which were sensitive to low-energy neutrons, photons, and charged particles. Comparisons are made between these measurements and a detailed Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: 39 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Method