11,564 research outputs found
Field Theory reformulated without Self-energy Parts. The dressing Operator
The reformulation of field theory for avoiding self-energy parts in the
dynamical evolution has been applied successfully in the framework of the Lee
model, [M. de Haan. Ann. Phys., 311, 314-349 (2004)] enabling a kinetic
extension of the description. The basic ingredient is the recognition of these
self-energy parts. [M. de Haan and C. George. Trends in Statistical Physics 3
(2000), 115] The original reversible description is embedded in the new one and
appears now as a restricted class of initial conditions. [M. de Haan and C.
George. Prog. Theor. Phys.,109, 881-909 (2003)] This program is realized here
in the reduced formalism for a scalar field, interacting with a two-level atom,
beyond the usual rotating wave approximation. The kinetic evolution operator,
previously surmised, [M. de Haan. Physica, A171 (1991), 159] is here derived
from first principles, justifying the usual practice in optics where the common
use of the so-called pole approximation should no longer be viewed as an
approximation but as an alternative description in the appropriate formalism.
That model illustrates how some dressing of the atomic levels (and vertices),
through an appropriate operator, finds its place naturally into the new
formalism since the bare and dressed ground states do no longer coincide.
Moreover, finite velocity for field propagation is now possible in all cases,
without the presence of precursors for multiple detections.Comment: 55 pages. Revised version for Annals of Physics. Typos and English
corrections, references and precisions adde
Price anomalies in the used car market.
[Dataset available: http://hdl.handle.net/10411/15566]
Sellers' hedging incentives at EPA's emission trading auction
Cason (1993)argued thattheauction theEPAused in order to start the market for sulfur allowances, is not efficient. The set-up of the auction gives both buyers and sellers an incentive to understate their valuation of an allowance. In this paper, we show that the sellers’ incentives are even more perverse than Cason suggested. In particular, we show that sellers have an incentive to set their ask price equal to zero, while simultaneously hedging their bets by submitting a positive bid. It is not possible to derive the Nash equilibrium for this set-up. If such an equilibrium exists, sellers either set only a positive ask price, or an ask price equal to zero, and a positive bid as well.
Auctions with rent seeking
We present a model which combines elements of an auction and a rent-seeking contest. Players compete for a prize. Apart from exerting lobbying efforts, they also have to submit a bid which is payable only if they win the prize. First, we ana-lyze the model if the returns-to-scale parameters of both bids and efforts are unity. We present a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium. In the equilibrium each player submits the same bid, while the sum of all efforts equals that bid. Second, we analyze the case in which the returns-to-scale parameters may differ from unity, and derive the implications of that specification.
Exact Markovian kinetic equation for a quantum Brownian oscillator
We derive an exact Markovian kinetic equation for an oscillator linearly
coupled to a heat bath, describing quantum Brownian motion. Our work is based
on the subdynamics formulation developed by Prigogine and collaborators. The
space of distribution functions is decomposed into independent subspaces that
remain invariant under Liouville dynamics. For integrable systems in
Poincar\'e's sense the invariant subspaces follow the dynamics of uncoupled,
renormalized particles. In contrast for non-integrable systems, the invariant
subspaces follow a dynamics with broken-time symmetry, involving generalized
functions. This result indicates that irreversibility and stochasticity are
exact properties of dynamics in generalized function spaces. We comment on the
relation between our Markovian kinetic equation and the Hu-Paz-Zhang equation.Comment: A few typos in the published version are correcte
Specialization of neural mechanisms underlying face recognition in human infants
Newborn infants respond preferentially to simple face-like patterns, raising the possibility that the face-specific region, identified in the adult cortex are functioning from birth. We sought to evaluate this hypothesis by characterizing the specificity Of infants' electrocortical responses to faces in two ways: (1) comparing responses to faces of humans with those to faces of nonhuman primates; and 2) comparing responses to upright and inverted faces. Adults' face-responsive N170 event-related potential (ERP) component showed specificity to upright human faces that was not observable at any point in the ERPs Of infants. A putative "infant N170" did show sensitivity to the species of the face, but the orientation of the face did not influence processing until a later stage. These findings suggest a process of gradual specialization of cortical face processing systems during postnatal development
Infinite Dimensional Free Algebra and the Forms of the Master Field
We find an infinite dimensional free algebra which lives at large N in any
SU(N)-invariant action or Hamiltonian theory of bosonic matrices. The natural
basis of this algebra is a free-algebraic generalization of Chebyshev
polynomials and the dual basis is closely related to the planar connected
parts. This leads to a number of free-algebraic forms of the master field
including an algebraic derivation of the Gopakumar-Gross form. For action
theories, these forms of the master field immediately give a number of new
free-algebraic packagings of the planar Schwinger-Dyson equations.Comment: 39 pages. Expanded historical remark
Responding to Gender-based Violence in Scotland: The Scope of the Gender Equality Duty to Drive Cultural and Practical Change
This piece of research has its roots in well-established policy debates
in Scotland. Following the passage of the Criminal Justice (Scotland)
Act 2003, which introduced a new statutory aggravation for crimes
motivated by religious prejudice, the then Scottish Executive convened a
working group to explore and make recommendations on whether there
was a case for similar provision for other social groups. The report and
recommendations of the Hate Crime Working Group, published in 2004,
recognised that the debate to introduce gender aggravation was one of
the most contested issues which it had looked at, but it did not believe
that at that stage it could recommend introducing such a provision.
These debates re-emerged with Patrick Harvie’s member’s bill which
was to become the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act
2009. The Equality and Human Rights Commission, along with many
organisations in the women’s sector in Scotland, stated in its evidence on
the bill that it did not believe that a statutory gender aggravation would be
an effective additional criminal justice response to identifying and tackling
crime motivated by gender prejudice. This of course begs the question
about what is required to better address these types of crime. This piece
of research, undertaken for the EHRC by the Scottish Centre for Crime
and Justice Research, aims to be a useful contribution to this debate. It
explores some of the arguments for and against a gender aggravation in
Scots criminal law before considering the evidence thus far of the impact
the Gender Equality Duty (GED) has had on Scotland’s criminal justice
system, and makes a number of useful recommendations for the future.
The EHRC subscribes to a gendered model of violence against women,
which sees it as both a cause and consequence of wider gender
inequality. We hope this report can help inform ongoing policy debate on
criminal justice agencies’ response to violence against women, particularly
in light of the new single equality duty which Scottish Ministers will in due
course place on Scottish public authorities under powers conferred on
them by the Equality Act 2010. We believe that the appropriate regulatory
framework for public bodies working in this area is one of the prerequisites
for further improving on Scotland’s record of identifying and tackling
gender-based crime
Asymmetric Mach-Zehnder fiber interferometer test of the anisotropy of the speed of light
Two optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers were constructed in an
environment with a temperature stabilization of better than 1 mK per day. One
interferometer with a length of 2 m optical fiber in each arm with the main
direction of the arms parallel to each other. A path (length 175 mm) filled
with atmospheric air is inserted in one arm. Another interferometer with a
length of 2 m optical fiber in each parallel arm acts as a control. In each arm
1 m of fiber was wound around a ring made of piezo material enabling the
control of the length of the arms by means of a voltage. The influence of
rotation of the interferometers at the Earth surface on the observed phase
differences was determined. For one interferometer (with the air path) it was
found that the phase difference depends on the azimuth of the interferometer.
For the other one no relevant dependence on the azimuth has been measured.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
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