Cogeneration Technology Alternatives Study (CTAS). Volume 1: Summary

Various advanced energy conversion systems that can use coal or coal-derived fuels for industrial cogeneration applications were compared to provide information needed by DOE to establish research and development funding priorities for advanced-technology systems that could significantly advance the use of coal or coal-derived fuels in industrial cogeneration. Steam turbines, diesel engines, open-cycle gas turbines, combined cycles, closed-cycle gas turbines, Stirling engines, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and thermionics were studied with technology advancements appropriate for the 1985-2000 time period. The various advanced systems were compared and evaluated for wide diversity of representative industrial plants on the basis of fuel energy savings, annual energy cost savings, emissions savings, and rate of return on investment as compared with purchasing electricity from a utility and providing process heat with an on-site boiler. Also included in the comparisons and evaluations are results extrapolated to the national level

Spectroscopic Observations of Convective Patterns in the Atmospheres of Metal-Poor Stars

Convective line asymmetries in the optical spectrum of two metal-poor stars, Gmb1830 and HD140283, are compared to those observed for solar metallicity stars. The line bisectors of the most metal-poor star, the subgiant HD140283, show a significantly larger velocity span that the expectations for a solar-metallicity star of the same spectral type and luminosity class. The enhanced line asymmetries are interpreted as the signature of the lower metal content, and therefore opacity, in the convective photospheric patterns. These findings point out the importance of three-dimensional convective velocity fields in the interpretation of the observed line asymmetries in metal-poor stars, and in particular, urge for caution when deriving isotopic ratios from observed line shapes and shifts using one-dimensional model atmospheres. The mean line bisector of the photospheric atomic lines is compared with those measured for the strong Mg I b1 and b2 features. The upper part of the bisectors are similar, and assuming they overlap, the bottom end of the stronger lines, which are formed higher in the atmosphere, goes much further to the red. This is in agreement with the expected decreasing of the convective blue-shifts in upper atmospheric layers, and compatible with the high velocity redshifts observed in the chromosphere, transition region, and corona of late-type stars.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX; 10 Figures (14 PostScript files); to be published in The Astrophysical Journa

The momentum distribution of J/psi in B decays

The discrepancy between theory and data in the momentum distribution of slow J/psi in B decays has been several times addressed as a puzzle. Using the most recent results on exclusive B decays into J/psi and heavy kaons or exotic mesons and reconsidering the non-relativistic-QCD calculation of the color octet fragmentation component, we show that an improvement in the comparison between data and theory can be obtained. There is still room for a better fit to data and this may imply that new exotic mesons of the XYZ kind have yet to be discovered.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables. To appear in Physical Review

Integral constraints on the monodromy group of the hyperkahler resolution of a symmetric product of a K3 surface

Let M be a 2n-dimensional Kahler manifold deformation equivalent to the Hilbert scheme of length n subschemes of a K3 surface S. Let Mon be the group of automorphisms of the cohomology ring of M, which are induced by monodromy operators. The second integral cohomology of M is endowed with the Beauville-Bogomolov bilinear form. We prove that the restriction homomorphism from Mon to the isometry group O[H^2(M)] is injective, for infinitely many n, and its kernel has order at most 2, in the remaining cases. For all n, the image of Mon in O[H^2(M)] is the subgroup generated by reflections with respect to +2 and -2 classes. As a consequence, we get counter examples to a version of the weight 2 Torelli question, when n-1 is not a prime power.Comment: Version 3: Latex, 54 pages. Expository change

Homomorphic Processing Of Acoustic Logging Data

A new processing method, which we developed for the guided waves generated during acoustic logging, accurately estimates the wavenumber when only a few seismograms are available or when the seismograms are irregularly spaced. The estimates of the attenuation coefficient are seemingly accurate when many seismograms are available but are inaccurate when only a few seismograms are available. The new method does not generate any spurious estimates as the Prony-based method does.Halliburton CompanyMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Full Waveform Acoustic Logging Consortiu

Complementary Ecologies of Being: Quakerism and Buddhism as Exemplars of a Planetist Analogical Imagination

In the face of burgeoning environmental crises in the Anthropocene Age, this paper explores ecological perspectives within Buddhism and Quakerism. These two religious traditions reflect a planetist ethic by emphasizing environmental stewardship in both their canonical writings and their religious structures and practices. Conceptually, this paper contrasts these traditions to the “economism” ethic developed by John Cobb. Through tenets that include simplicity, reverence for nature, and honoring the interconnectedness of life, Buddhism and Quakerism promote environmentally conscious behavior. Across these religious traditions, that compassion and healing can be a path forward in the face of ego-based environmental consumption. In exploring these two religious traditions that have more developed ecological threads, this paper considers sustainable environmental ethics in the Anthropocene Age