Is there a Jordan geometry underlying quantum physics?

There have been several propositions for a geometric and essentially non-linear formulation of quantum mechanics. From a purely mathematical point of view, the point of view of Jordan algebra theory might give new strength to such approaches: there is a ``Jordan geometry'' belonging to the Jordan part of the algebra of observables, in the same way as Lie groups belong to the Lie part. Both the Lie geometry and the Jordan geometry are well-adapted to describe certain features of quantum theory. We concentrate here on the mathematical description of the Jordan geometry and raise some questions concerning possible relations with foundational issues of quantum theory.Comment: 30 page

Comment on "Correlation between Compact Radio Lout Quasars and Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays"

In a recent paper, Farrar and Biermann argue that there is a strong correlation between the direction of the five highest-energy cosmic-ray events and compact, radio-loud quasars. This Comment shows that this analysis contains several inconsistencies and errors so that the significance of any such correlation is certainly greatly overestimated and perhaps nonexistent.Comment: 2 pages, REVTE

Microwave ice accretion meter

A system for indicating ice thickness and rate of ice thickness growth on surfaces is disclosed. The region to be monitored for ice accretion is provided with a resonant surface waveguide which is mounted flush, below the surface being monitored. A controlled oscillator provides microwave energy via a feed point at a controllable frequency. A detector is coupled to the surface waveguide and is responsive to electrical energy. A measuring device indicates the frequency deviation of the controlled oscillator from a quiescent frequency. A control means is provided to control the frequency of oscillation of the controlled oscillator. In a first, open-loop embodiment, the control means is a shaft operated by an operator. In a second, closed-loop embodiment, the control means is a processor which effects automatic control

Can altering the structure of financial support payments aid work retention amongst lone parents? Qualitative evaluation of the In Work Retention Pilot

Wage supplementations in the form of temporary ‘in-work credits’ have been introduced in recent years for a number of claimant groups entering work, to encourage enhanced work entry and retention rates. For lone parents, the In Work Credit was piloted from April 2004 and then rolled out nationally in April 2008. It is a wage supplement paid at £40 a week (£60 in London) for 12 months to eligible lone parents moving in to work. From July 2008 to June 2010, a variant on this, the In Work Retention Pilot (IWRP), was trialled in two Jobcentre Plus districts. The IWRP was intended to test the effectiveness of using In Work Credit payments as an aid to job retention and progression, by changing the payment structure of the credits and offering additional advisory support on retention and advancement. This report presents findings from a qualitative evaluation of the IWRP, examining the delivery of the pilot and the views of lone parents and Jobcentre Plus staff on: the distinctive IWRP payment structure; the retention and progression challenges facing lone parents and the support received; and whether and how the IWRP made a difference to work behaviour and decisions. The study is based on interviews, focus groups and observations with Jobcentre Plus delivery staff and participating lone parents

Deposition nucleation on mineral dust particles: a case against classical nucleation theory with the assumption of a single contact angle

Deposition nucleation on two mineral species, kaolinite and illite, was studied using a flow cell coupled to an optical microscope. The results show that the <i>S</i><sub>ice</sub> conditions when ice first nucleated, defined as the onset <i>S</i><sub>ice</sub> (<i>S</i><sub>ice,onset</sub>), is a strong function of the surface area available for nucleation, varying from 100% to 125% at temperatures between 242 and 239 K. The surface area dependent data could not be described accurately using classical nucleation theory and the assumption of a single contact angle (defined here as the single-α model). These results suggest that caution should be applied when using contact angles determined from <i>S</i><sub>ice,onset</sub> data and the single-α model. In contrast to the single-α model, the active site model, the deterministic model, and a model with a distribution of contact angles fit the data within experimental uncertainties. Parameters from the fits to the data are presented

Indication of electron neutrino appearance from an accelerator-produced off-axis muon neutrino beam

The T2K experiment observes indications of nu(mu) -> nu(mu) e appearance in data accumulated with 1.43 x 10(20) protons on target. Six events pass all selection criteria at the far detector. In a three-flavor neutrino oscillation scenario with |Delta m(23)(2)| = 2.4 x 10(-3) eV(2), sin(2)2 theta(23) = 1 and sin(2)2 theta(13) = 0, the expected number of such events is 1.5 +/- 0.3(syst). Under this hypothesis, the probability to observe six or more candidate events is 7 x 10(-3), equivalent to 2.5 sigma significance. At 90% C.L., the data are consistent with 0.03(0.04) < sin(2)2 theta(13) < 0.28(0.34) for delta(CP) = 0 and a normal (inverted) hierarchy

Jobseekers Regime and Flexible New Deal, the Six Month Offer and Support for the Newly Unemployed evaluations: An early process study

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Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Perspectives of Western Australian Primary School Teachers

This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of Western Australian teachers at the Proficient career stage on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), or ‘the Standards’. Fifteen teachers from five independent schools participated in semi-structured interviews and five themes were identified, under the broad categories of Strengths and Challenges of the Standards. Strengths identified were that the Standards support professional practice and career development and are user-friendly. Challenges identified were that the Standards can present challenges to professional practice and are problematic in the way that they are presented. Importantly, participants felt that the Standards ignored important social and relational teacher qualities

Technical Note: New methodology for measuring viscosities in small volumes characteristic of environmental chamber particle samples

Herein, a method for the determination of viscosities of small sample volumes is introduced, with important implications for the viscosity determination of particle samples from environmental chambers (used to simulate atmospheric conditions). The amount of sample needed is &lt; 1 μl, and the technique is capable of determining viscosities (η) ranging between 10&lt;sup&gt;−3&lt;/sup&gt; and 10&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; Pascal seconds (Pa s) in samples that cover a range of chemical properties and with real-time relative humidity and temperature control; hence, the technique should be well-suited for determining the viscosities, under atmospherically relevant conditions, of particles collected from environmental chambers. In this technique, supermicron particles are first deposited on an inert hydrophobic substrate. Then, insoluble beads (~1 μm in diameter) are embedded in the particles. Next, a flow of gas is introduced over the particles, which generates a shear stress on the particle surfaces. The sample responds to this shear stress by generating internal circulations, which are quantified with an optical microscope by monitoring the movement of the beads. The rate of internal circulation is shown to be a function of particle viscosity but independent of the particle material for a wide range of organic and organic-water samples. A calibration curve is constructed from the experimental data that relates the rate of internal circulation to particle viscosity, and this calibration curve is successfully used to predict viscosities in multicomponent organic mixtures

Deliquescence, efflorescence, and phase miscibility of mixed particles of ammonium sulfate and isoprene-derived secondary organic material

The hygroscopic phase transitions of ammonium sulfate mixed with isoprene-derived secondary organic material were investigated in aerosol experiments. The organic material was produced by isoprene photo-oxidation at 40% and 60% relative humidity. The low volatility fraction of the photo-oxidation products condensed onto ammonium sulfate particles. The particle-phase organic material had oxygen-to-carbon ratios of 0.67 to 0.74 (±0.2) for mass concentrations of 20 to 30 μg m&lt;sup&gt;&amp;minus;3&lt;/sup&gt;. The deliquescence, efflorescence, and phase miscibility of the mixed particles were investigated using a dual arm tandem differential mobility analyzer. The isoprene photo-oxidation products induced deviations in behavior relative to pure ammonium sulfate. Compared to an efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) of 30 to 35% for pure ammonium sulfate, efflorescence was eliminated for aqueous particles having organic volume fractions &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt; of 0.6 and greater. Compared to a deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) of 80% for pure ammonium sulfate, the DRH steadily decreased with increasing &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;, approaching a DRH of 40% for &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt; of 0.9. Parameterizations of the DRH(&lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;) and ERH(&lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;) curves were as follows: DRH(&lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;)= &amp;sum;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;i&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;i,d&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;i&gt;i&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; valid for 0 &amp;le; &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt; &amp;le;0.86 and ERH(&lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;)= &amp;sum; &lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;i&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;i&gt;i,e&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;i&gt;i&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sup&gt; valid for 0 &amp;le; &lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt; &amp;le; 0.55 for the coefficients &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;0,&lt;i&gt;d&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;= 80.67, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;0,&lt;i&gt;e&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = 28.35, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1,&lt;i&gt;d&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = &amp;minus;11.45, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1,&lt;i&gt;e&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = &amp;minus;13.66, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2,&lt;i&gt;d&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = 0, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;2,&lt;i&gt;e&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = 0, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;3,&lt;i&gt;d&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = 57.99, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;3,&lt;i&gt;e&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = -83.80, &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;4,&lt;i&gt;d&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = &amp;minus;106.80, and &lt;i&gt;c&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;4,&lt;i&gt;e&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/sub&gt; = 0. The molecular description that is thermodynamically implied by these strongly sloped DRH(&lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;) and ERH(&lt;i&gt;&amp;varepsilon;&lt;/i&gt;) curves is that the organic isoprene photo-oxidation products, the inorganic ammonium sulfate, and water form a miscible liquid phase even at low relative humidity. This phase miscibility is in contrast to the liquid-liquid separation that occurs for some other types of secondary organic material. These differences in liquid-liquid separation are consistent with a prediction recently presented in the literature that the bifurcation between liquid-liquid phase separation versus mixing depends on the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the organic material. The conclusions are that the influence of secondary organic material on the hygroscopic properties of ammonium sulfate varies with organic composition and that the degree of oxygenation of the organic material, which is a measurable characteristic of complex organic materials, is an important variable influencing the hygroscopic properties of mixed organic-inorganic particles