Evaluating the most promising sites for wind energy development in Arizona USA: Working paper series--05-09

During the summer of 2003, the state of Arizona took delivery of a set of high-resolution wind energy maps. After applying various exclusions, the developable wind energy potential is 23,290 MW of class 3 or higher, 2,630 MW of class 4 or higher, and 775 MW of class 5 or higher winds. Having determined the potential wind resource, the geographical information system data supplied with the wind maps was used to create a wind resource inventory and to systematically identify the most promising sites for wind energy development. In addition to wind energy potential, proximity to transmission lines and roads, and land ownership were considered in this analysis. Following that, the cost of energy was estimated at a few geographically diverse sites, including class 3, 4, and 5 wind resource areas, at a hub height of 70 m. These estimates revealed that the real levelized cost of energy in 2005 dollars ranged from 4.21 to 5.04 cents per kWh, as the wind class varies from 5 to 3. This paper documents the findings of the wind mapping process, describes the method and results of evaluating the most promising sites for wind development, and presents the cost of energy results

MSW mediated neutrino decay and the solar neutrino problem

We investigate the solar neutrino problem assuming simultaneous presence of MSW transitions in the sun and neutrino decay on the way from sun to earth. We do a global $\chi^2$-analysis of the data on total rates in Cl, Ga and Superkamiokande (SK) experiments and the SK day-night spectrum data and determine the changes in the allowed region in the \dm - \tan^2\theta plane in presence of decay. We also discuss the implications for unstable neutrinos in the SNO experiment.Comment: Final version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Neutrino Anomalies without Oscillations

I review explanations for the three neutrino anomalies (solar, atmospheric and LSND) which go beyond the ``conventional'' neutrino oscillations induced by mass-mixing. Several of these require non-zero neutrino masses as well.Comment: 14pages, LATEX format, 3 figure

Neutrino Lasing in the Sun

Applying the phenomenon of neutrino lasing in the solar interior, we show how the rate for the generic neutrino decay process `\nu -> fermion + boson', can in principal be enhanced by many orders of magnitude over its normal decay rate. Such a large enhancement could be of import to neutrino-decay models invoked in response to the apparent deficit of electron neutrinos observed from the sun. The significance of this result to such models depends on the specific form of the neutrino decay, and the particle model within which it is embedded.Comment: 12 pages, using ordinary TeX. No figure

Common Origin for the Solar and Atmospheric Neutrino Deficits

Some typos corrected, slightly different abstract, same plots, results and conclusions.Comment: 14 Latex pages, 3 figures attached as postscript files, IFP-472-UNC, PRL-TH-93/1

Raising a Small Flock of Sheep in Ohio

PDF pages: 1

Investigating on the nuclear obscuration in two types of Seyfert 2 galaxies

We build a large sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies (Sy2s) with both optical spectropolarimetric and X-ray data available, in which 29 Sy2s with the detection of polarized broad emission line (PBL) and 25 without. We find that for luminous Sy2s with L_[OIII] > 10^41 erg/s, sources with PBL have smaller X-ray absorption column density comparing with those without PBL (at 92.3% confidence level): most of the Sy2s with N_H<10^23.8 cm^-2 show PBL (86%, 12 out 14), while the fraction is much smaller for sources with heavier obscuration (54%, 15 out 28). The confidence level of the difference in absorption bounces up to 99.1% while using the "T" ratio (F_2-10keV/F_[O III]) as an indicator. We rule out observation or selection bias as the origin for the difference. Our results, for the first time with high statistical confidence, show that, in additional to the nuclei activity, the nuclear obscuration also plays an important role in the visibility of PBL in Sy2s. These results can be interpreted in the framework of the unified model. We can reach these results in the unified model if: a) the absorption column density is higher at large inclinations and b) the scattering region is obscured at large inclinations.Comment: 28 pages, including 7 figures and 3 tables, ApJ accepte

Knots in the outer shells of the planetary nebulae IC 2553 and NGC 5882

We present images and high-resolution spectra of the planetary nebulae IC 2553 and NGC 5882. Spatio-kinematic modeling of the nebulae shows that they are composed of a markedly elongated inner shell, and of a less aspherical outer shell expanding at a considerably higher velocity than the inner one. Embedded in the outer shells of both nebulae are found several low-ionization knots. In IC 2553, the knots show a point-symmetric distribution with respect to the central star: one possible explanation for their formation is that they are the survivors of pre-existing point-symmetric condensations in the AGB wind, a fact which would imply a quite peculiar mass-loss geometry from the giant progenitor. In the case of NGC 5882, the lack of symmetry in the distribution of the observed low-ionization structures makes it possible that they are the result of in situ instabilities.Comment: 20 pages including 1 table and 6 figures. ApJ accepted. Also available at http://andromeda.roque.ing.iac.es/~sanchez/ingpub/index2000.htm

Neutrino Decay as an Explanation of Atmospheric Neutrino Observations

We show that the observed zenith angle dependence of the atmospheric neutrinos can be accounted for by neutrino decay. Furthermore, it is possible to account for all neutrino anomalies with just three flavors.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur