Anomalous geoelectrical and geomagnetic signals observed at Southern Boso Peninsula, Japan

Geoelectrical and geomagnetic fluctuations are considered the end product of several geophysical phenomena. In particular these signals measured in seismically active areas can be attributed to stress and strain changes associated with earthquakes. The complexity of this problem has suggested the development of advanced sophysticated methods to investigate the heterogeneous nature of these fluctuations. In this paper, we analyzed the time dynamics of short-term variability of geoelectrical potential differences and geomagnetic fields obsereved at Kiyosumi (KYS), Uchiura (UCU), and Fudago (FDG) stations, located in the southern part of Boso Peninsula, one of the most seismically active areas in Japan. Anomalous changes in electric and magnetic fields are obeserved in mid-night on October 6, 2002. the anomalous signals observed on October 6, 2002 are different from those originated from the train and other cultural noises according to the investigation on preferred directions of geoelectric field. The investigation of simaltaneous geomagnetic field changes suggest that the source of the electromagnetic change might be generated by underground current because of the polarity pattern oberved at KYS, UCU and FDG. Therefore, electrokinetic assumption under the ground seems one of the possible solutions for the generation of anomalous signals. It is important to understand the ULF electromagnetic environment for the study on the preparation process of crustal activity and systematic understanding both electromagnetic and seismic phenomena

Absorption spectrum in the wings of the potassium second resonance doublet broadened by helium

We have measured the reduced absorption coefficients occurring in the wings of the potassium 4S-5P doublet lines at 404.414 nm and at 404.720 nm broadened by helium gas at pressures of several hundred Torr. At the experimental temperature of 900 K, we have detected a shoulder-like broadening feature on the blue wing of the doublet which is relatively flat between 401.8 nm and 402.8 nm and which drops off rapidly for shorter wavelengths, corresponding to absorption from the X doublet Sigma+ state to the C doublet Sigma+ state of the K-He quasimolecule. The accurate measurements of the line profiles in the present work will sharply constrain future calculations of potential energy surfaces and transition dipole moments correlating to the asymptotes He-K(5p), He-K(5s), and He-K(3d).Comment: 2 figure

Pulse-shape discrimination potential of new scintillator material: La-GPS:Ce

(Gd,La)$_2$Si$_2$O$_7$:Ce (La-GPS:Ce) is a new scintillator material with high light output, high energy resolution, and fast decay time. Moreover, the scintillator has a good light output even at high temperature (up to 150$^\circ$C) and is non-hygroscopic in nature; thus, it is especially suitable for underground resource exploration. Particle identification greatly expands the possible applications of scintillator. For resource exploration, the particle identification should be completed in a single pulse only. The pulse-shape discrimination of the scintillator was confirmed. We compared two methods; a double gate method and a digital filter method. Using digital filter method (shape indicator), F-measure to evaluate a separation between $\alpha$ and $\gamma$ particles was obtained to be 0.92 at 0.66 MeVee.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Two dimensional Ising spin glasses with non-zero ordering temperatures

We demonstrate numerically that for Ising spins on square lattices with ferromagnetic second neighbour interactions and random near neighbour interactions, two dimensional Ising spin glass order with a non-zero freezing temperature can occur. We compare some of the physical properties of these spin glasses with those of standard spin glasses in higher dimensions.Comment: 9 page latex file and 9 ps figures. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

'Mindless markers of the nation': The routine flagging of nationhood across the visual environment

The visual environment has increasingly been used as a lens with which to understand wider processes of social and economic change with studies employing in-depth qualitative approaches to focus on, for example, gentrification or trans-national networks. This exploratory paper offers an alternative perspective by using a novel method, quantitative photo mapping, to examine the extent to which a particular socio-cultural marker, the nation, is ‘flagged’ across three contrasting sites in Britain. As a multi-national state with an increasingly diverse population, Britain offers a particularly fruitful case study, drawing in debates around devolution, European integration and Commonwealth migration. In contributing to wider debates around banal nationalism, the paper notes the extent to which nations are increasingly articulated through commerce, consumption and market exchange and the overall significance of everyday markers (signs, objects, infrastructure) in naturalising a national view of the world

Boundary states, matrix factorisations and correlation functions for the E-models

The open string spectra of the B-type D-branes of the N=2 E-models are calculated. Using these results we match the boundary states to the matrix factorisations of the corresponding Landau-Ginzburg models. The identification allows us to calculate specific terms in the effective brane superpotential of E_6 using conformal field theory methods, thereby enabling us to test results recently obtained in this context.Comment: 20 pages, no figure