The Moon: Biogenic elements

The specific objectives of the organic chemical exploration of the Moon involve the search for molecules of possible biological or prebiological origin. Detailed knowledge of the amount, distribution, and exact structure of organic compounds present on the Moon is extremely important to our understanding of the origin and history of the Moon and to its relationship to the history of the Earth and solar system. Specifically, such knowledge is essential for determining whether life on the Moon exists, ever did exist, or could develop. In the absence of life or organic matter, it is still essential to determine the abundance, distribution, and origin of the biogenic elements (e.g., H, C, O, N, S, P) in order to understand how the planetary environment may have influenced the course of chemical evolution. The history and scope of this effort is presented

Behaviour of dairy cows on organic and non-organic farms

There is an increasing number of organic dairy farms in the UK. The aim of this study is to compare behaviour of dairy cows on organic and non-organic farms. Twenty organic and 20 non-organic farms throughout the UK were visited over two winters (2004/05 and 2005/06). Organic and non-organic farms were paired for housing type, herd size, milk production traits and location. The number of cows feeding was counted every fifteen minutes for 4.5 h after new feed was available post morning milking. Behaviour at the feed-face was recorded for 60 minutes and aggressive interactions between cows were quantified. Farm type had no effect on numbers of cows feeding. There were more interactions between cows feeding at open feed-faces compared to head-bale barriers. At open feed-faces, there were more interactions on organic farms than non-organic. It is possible that organic cows were hungrier than non-organic cows after the arrival of new feed

Engineering planetary lasers for interstellar communication

Spacefaring skills evolved in the twenty-first century will enable missions of unprecedented complexity. One such elaborate project might be to develop tools for efficient interstellar data transfer. Informational links to other star systems would facilitate eventual human expansion beyond our solar system, as well as intercourse with potential extraterrestrial intelligence. This paper reports the major findings of a 600-page, 3-year, NASA-funded study examining in quantitative detail the requirements, some seemingly feasible methods, and implications of achieving reliable extrasolar communications

Electrostatic quadrupoles

The equations of motion of the charged particle under the action of electric forces in the simple Electrostatic Quadrupole (ESQ) and in the Helical Electrostatic Quadrupole (HESQ) are solved. The HESQ electric field is realized by the four pole tips forming concentric helices of pitch b. The transformation matrices for ESQ and HESQ are found as the basic elements for designing more complex optical systems

Implementation of a three-quantum-bit search algorithm

We report the experimental implementation of Grover's quantum search algorithm on a quantum computer with three quantum bits. The computer consists of molecules of $^{13}$C-labeled CHFBr$_2$, in which the three weakly coupled spin-1/2 nuclei behave as the bits and are initialized, manipulated, and read out using magnetic resonance techniques. This quantum computation is made possible by the introduction of two techniques which significantly reduce the complexity of the experiment and by the surprising degree of cancellation of systematic errors which have previously limited the total possible number of quantum gates.Comment: Published in Applied Physics Letters, vol. 76, no. 5, 31 January 2000, p.646-648, after minor revisions. (revtex, mypsfig2.sty, 3 figures

Understanding the Role of Relationship Maintenance in Enduring Couple Partnerships in Later Adulthood

Intimate relationships in later adulthood are understudied despite their positive association with health and well-being. This cross-sectional mixed methods study sought to redress this gap by investigating relationship maintenance in later adulthood. Our international sub-sample comprised 1,565 participants aged 55 + and in an ongoing relationship. Results from hierarchical multiple regression indicated that overall happiness with the relationship had the largest effect size on relationship maintenance, with 53% of the variance explained. Content analyses of open-ended questions identified companionship and laughter as some of the “best liked” aspects of the relationship. Housework/cooking and saying “I love you” were among the behaviors that made participants feel appreciated. Results illustrated the types of maintenance behaviors adults in later adulthood who are in enduring partnerships employ

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Quantum Computing Using Liquid Crystal Solvents

Liquid crystals offer several advantages as solvents for molecules used for nuclear magnetic resonance quantum computing (NMRQC). The dipolar coupling between nuclear spins manifest in the NMR spectra of molecules oriented by a liquid crystal permits a significant increase in clock frequency, while short spin-lattice relaxation times permit fast recycling of algorithms, and save time in calibration and signal-enhancement experiments. Furthermore, the use of liquid crystal solvents offers scalability in the form of an expanded library of spin-bearing molecules suitable for NMRQC. These ideas are demonstrated with the successful execution of a 2-qubit Grover search using a molecule ($^{13}$C$^{1}$HCl$_3$) oriented in a liquid crystal and a clock speed eight times greater than in an isotropic solvent. Perhaps more importantly, five times as many logic operations can be executed within the coherence time using the liquid crystal solvent.Comment: Minor changes. Published in Appl. Phys. Lett. v.75, no.22, 29 Nov 1999, p.3563-356

Decay of the Z Boson into Scalar Particles

In extensions of the standard model, light scalar particles are often possible because of symmetry considerations. We study the decay of the Z boson into such particles. In particular, we consider for illustration the scalar sector of a recently proposed model of the 17-keV neutrino which satisfies all laboratory, astrophysical, and cosmological constraints.Comment: 11 pages (2 figures, not included) (Revised, Oct 1992). Some equations have been corrected and 1 figure has been eliminate