Studies of the major planet satellite systems

A summary is presented of the available data on the satellites of the major planets, including the currently most plausible models for several observed phenomena, for the planning of spacecraft missions to these objects. Some of the important questions likely to be solved by flyby and/or orbital missions to the giant planets are detailed, the importance of these studies to our understanding of the solar system as a whole is indicated

Comparative planetology: Significance for terrestrial geology

The crustal evolution of the terrestrial planets increase in complexity and duration with increasing size and mass of the planet. The lunar and mercurian surfaces are largely the result of intense, post-differentiation impact bombardment and subsequent volcanic filling of major impact basins. Mars, being larger, has evolved further: crustal uplifts, rifting, and shield volcanoes have begun to modify its largely Moon-like surface. The Earth is the large end-number of this sequence, where modern plate tectonic processes have erased the earlier lunar and martian type of surfaces. Fundamental problems of the origin of terrestrial continents, ocean basins, and plate tectonics are now addressed within the context of the evolutionary pattern of the terrestrial planets

Europe integrates less than you think: Evidence from the market for corporate control in Europe and the US

National borders are still strong barriers for mergers and acquisitions in Europe. We estimate a gravity equation model based on NUTS 2-regions and find that the restraining impact of national borders decreased by about a third between 1990 and 2007. However, there has been no significant change since 1997, i.e., two years before the introduction of the Euro. To benchmark our results we run a corresponding analysis within the United States using the ten federal OMB regions as country equivalents. The 'quasi border'-effect in the US is weaker than in the EU and even declines more during the same time period. We conclude that European integration policy has little effect on fostering cross-border transactions. --European integration,corporate control,border effects

Current reversal and exclusion processes with history-dependent random walks

A class of exclusion processes in which particles perform history-dependent random walks is introduced, stimulated by dynamic phenomena in some biological and artificial systems. The particles locally interact with the underlying substrate by breaking and reforming lattice bonds. We determine the steady-state current on a ring, and find current-reversal as a function of particle density. This phenomenon is attributed to the non-local interaction between the walkers through their trails, which originates from strong correlations between the dynamics of the particles and the lattice. We rationalize our findings within an effective description in terms of quasi-particles which we call front barriers. Our analytical results are complemented by stochastic simulations.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Proposed satellite laser ranging and very long baseline interferometry sites for crustal dynamics investigations

Recommendations are presented for a global network of 125 sites for geodetic measurements by satellite laser ranging and very long baseline interferometry. The sites were proposed on the basis of existing facilities and scientific value for investigation of crustal dynamics as related to earthquake hazards. Tectonic problems are discussed for North America peripheral regions and for the world. The sites are presented in tables and maps, with bibliographic references

The use of happiness research for public policy

Research on happiness tends to follow a "benevolent dictator" approach where politicians pursue people's happiness. This paper takes an antithetic approach based on the insights of public choice theory. First, we inquire how the results of happiness research may be used to improve the choice of institutions. Second, we show that the policy approach matters for the choice of research questions and the kind of knowledge happiness research aims to provide. Third, we emphasize that there is no shortcut to an optimal policy maximizing some happiness indicator or social welfare function since governments have an incentive to manipulate this indicator

Manual for 70 mm hand-held photography from Skylab

A manual and atlas used on the Skylab mission for hand-held photography are presented. The manual covers terrain, environmental, meteorological, and dim light photography while the atlas covers sections from the Army Map Service 1:40.000,000 world map, a glossary of geologic terms, geologic maps, and recommended exposure times

Motion of Vacancies in a Pinned Vortex Lattice: Origin of the Hall Anomaly

Physical arguments are presented to show that the Hall anomaly is an effect of the vortex many-body correlation rather than that of an individual vortex. Quantitatively, the characteristic energy scale in the problem, the vortex vacancy formation energy, is obtained for thin films. At low temperatures a scaling relation between the Hall and longitudinal resistivities is found, with the power depending on sample details. Near the superconducting transition temperature and for small magnetic fields the Hall conductivity is found to be proportional to the inverse of the magnetic field and to the quadratic of the difference between the measured and the transition temperatures.Comment: minor change