Late Miocene to early Pliocene stratigraphic record in northern Taranaki Basin: Condensed sedimentation ahead of Northern Graben extension and progradation of the modern continental margin

The middle Pliocene-Pleistocene progradation of the Giant Foresets Formation in Taranaki Basin built up the modern continental margin offshore from western North Island. The late Miocene to early Pliocene interval preceding this progradation was characterised in northern Taranaki Basin by the accumulation of hemipelagic mudstone (Manganui Formation), volcaniclastic sediments (Mohakatino Formation), and marl (Ariki Formation), all at bathyal depths. The Manganui Formation has generally featureless wireline log signatures and moderate to low amplitude seismic reflection characteristics. Mohakatino Formation is characterised by a sharp decrease in the GR log value at its base, a blocky GR log motif reflecting sandstone packets, and erratic resistivity logs. Seismic profiles show bold laterally continuous reflectors. The Ariki Formation has a distinctive barrel-shaped to blocky GR log motif. This signature is mirrored by the SP log and often by an increase in resistivity values through this interval. The Ariki Formation comprises (calcareous) marl made up of abundant planktic foraminifera, is 109 m thick in Ariki-1, and accumulated over parts of the Western Stable Platform and beneath the fill of the Northern Graben. It indicates condensed sedimentation reflecting the distance of the northern region from the contemporary continental margin to the south

The Paranormal is (Still) Normal: The Sociological Implications of a Survey of Paranormal Experiences in Great Britain

Historically, there has been limited sociological interest in the paranormal and no systematic study of reported paranormal experiences. There are also few medium-to-large-scale survey results with nationally representative populations focusing on paranormal experiences. This paper provides details of an exploratory survey conducted in 2009 with a nationally representative sample of 4,096 adults aged 16 years and over across Great Britain. Our findings show that 37% of British adults report at least one paranormal experience and that women, those who are middle-aged or individuals resident in the South West are more likely to report such experiences. These results establish incidence levels of reported paranormal experiences in contemporary Britain. We argue also that they merit a more sustained sociological consideration of the paranormal. In this respect we renew and update the robust justification and call for serious research positioning the paranormal as a social phenomenon, originally proposed well over thirty years ago by Greeley (1975)

The staircase method: integrals for periodic reductions of integrable lattice equations

We show, in full generality, that the staircase method provides integrals for mappings, and correspondences, obtained as traveling wave reductions of (systems of) integrable partial difference equations. We apply the staircase method to a variety of equations, including the Korteweg-De Vries equation, the five-point Bruschi-Calogero-Droghei equation, the QD-algorithm, and the Boussinesq system. We show that, in all these cases, if the staircase method provides r integrals for an n-dimensional mapping, with 2r<n, then one can introduce q<= 2r variables, which reduce the dimension of the mapping from n to q. These dimension-reducing variables are obtained as joint invariants of k-symmetries of the mappings. Our results support the idea that often the staircase method provides sufficiently many integrals for the periodic reductions of integrable lattice equations to be completely integrable. We also study reductions on other quad-graphs than the regular 2D lattice, and we prove linear growth of the multi-valuedness of iterates of high-dimensional correspondences obtained as reductions of the QD-algorithm.Comment: 40 pages, 23 Figure

A theory of intense-field dynamic alignment and high harmonic generation from coherently rotating molecules and interpretation of intense-field ultrafast pump-probe experiments

A theory of ultra-fast pump-probe experiments proposed by us earlier [F.H.M. Faisal et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 143001 (2007) and F.H.M. Faisal and A. Abdurrouf, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123005 (2008)] is developed here fully and applied to investigate the phenomena of dynamic alignment and high harmonic generation (HHG) from coherently rotating linear molecules. The theory provides essentially analytical results for the signals that allow us to investigate the simultaneous dependence of the HHG signals on the two externally available control parameters, namely, the relative angle between the polarizations, and the delay-time between the two pulses. It is applied to investigate the characteristics of high harmonic emission from nitrogen and oxygen molecules that have been observed experimentally in a number of laboratories. The results obtained both in the time-domain and in the frequency-domain are compared with the observed characteristics as well as directly with the data and are found to agree remarkably well. In addition we have predicted the existence of a "magic" polarization angle at which all modulations of the harmonic emission from nitrogen molecule changes to a steady emission at the harmonic frequency. Among other things we have also shown a correlation between the existence of the "magic" or critical polarization angles and the symmetry of the active molecular orbitals, that is deemed to be useful in connection with the "inverse problem" of molecular imaging from the HHG data.Comment: 31 pages, 22 figures, and 140 equation

Collisions of cold magnesium atoms in a weak laser field

We use quantum scattering methods to calculate the light-induced collisional loss of laser-cooled and trapped magnesium atoms for detunings up to 30 atomic linewidths to the red of the 1S_0-1P_1 cooling transition. Magnesium has no hyperfine structure to complicate the theoretical studies. We evaluate both the radiative and nonradiative mechanisms of trap loss. The radiative escape mechanism via allowed 1Sigma_u excitation is dominant for more than about one atomic linewidth detuning. Molecular vibrational structure due to photoassociative transitions to bound states begins to appear beyond about ten linewidths detuning.Comment: 4 pages with 3 embedded figure

Effect of molecular and electronic structure on the light harvesting properties of dye sensitizers

The systematic trends in structural and electronic properties of perylene diimide (PDI) derived dye molecules have been investigated by DFT calculations based on projector augmented wave (PAW) method including gradient corrected exchange-correlation effects. TDDFT calculations have been performed to study the visible absorbance activity of these complexes. The effect of different ligands and halogen atoms attached to PDI were studied to characterize the light harvesting properties. The atomic size and electronegativity of the halogen were observed to alter the relaxed molecular geometries which in turn influenced the electronic behavior of the dye molecules. Ground state molecular structure of isolated dye molecules studied in this work depends on both the halogen atom and the carboxylic acid groups. DFT calculations revealed that the carboxylic acid ligands did not play an important role in changing the HOMO-LUMO gap of the sensitizer. However, they serve as anchor between the PDI and substrate titania surface of the solar cell or photocatalyst. A commercially available dye-sensitizer, ruthenium bipyridine (RuBpy), was also studied for electronic and structural properties in order to make a comparison with PDI derivatives for light harvesting properties. Results of this work suggest that fluorinated, chlorinated, brominated, and iyodinated PDI compounds can be useful as sensitizers in solar cells and in artificial photosynthesis.Comment: Single pdf file, 14 pages with 7 figures and 4 table

The Wicked Machinery of Government: Malta and the Problems of Continuity under the New Model Administration

This is a study focused on the early years of British rule in Malta (1800-1813). It explores the application to the island of the “new model” of colonial government, one based on direct rule from London mediated by the continuation of existing laws and institutions. Systemic deficiencies are identified. These tended to undermine the effectiveness of direct British rule. This study also reveals, in the context of legal and constitutional continuity, unresolved tensions between modernity and tradition. The political stability of the island was damaged and the possibility of continued British possession was threatened

The changing patterns of group politics in Britain

Two interpretations of ways in which group politics in Britain have presented challenges to democracy are reviewed: neo-corporatism or pluralistic stagnation and the rise of single issue interest groups. The disappearance of the first paradigm created a political space for the second to emerge. A three-phase model of group activity is developed: a phase centred around production interests, followed by the development of broadly based 'other regarding' groups, succeeded by fragmented, inner directed groups focusing on particular interests. Explanations of the decay of corporatism are reviewed. Single issue group activity has increased as party membership has declined and is facilitated by changes in traditional media and the development of the internet. Such groups can overload the policy-making process and frustrate depoliticisation. Debates about the constitution and governance have largely ignored these issues and there is need for a debate

Quantum and classical descriptions of a measuring apparatus

A measuring apparatus is described by quantum mechanics while it interacts with the quantum system under observation, and then it must be given a classical description so that the result of the measurement appears as objective reality. Alternatively, the apparatus may always be treated by quantum mechanics, and be measured by a second apparatus which has such a dual description. This article examines whether these two different descriptions are mutually consistent. It is shown that if the dynamical variable used in the first apparatus is represented by an operator of the Weyl-Wigner type (for example, if it is a linear coordinate), then the conversion from quantum to classical terminology does not affect the final result. However, if the first apparatus encodes the measurement in a different type of operator (e.g., the phase operator), the two methods of calculation may give different results.Comment: 18 pages LaTeX (including one encapsulated PostScript figure