Positive Coping among Wives of Male Christian Clergy

Clergy spouses experience various life stressors, yet many cope and function effectively in the midst of their daily challenges. Mental health professionals were asked to identify wives of male clergy who exemplify emotional and spiritual health. Nominees were contacted and interviews conducted with 25 women. Each interviewee was asked about coping with normal life stressors, stressors associated with being married to a minister, and catastrophic life events. All interviews were transcribed and coded, using grounded theory. Participants emphasized the importance of spirituality, social support, limit-setting, and healthy lifestyle choices. Implications are discussed

Self-Dual Conformal Supergravity and the Hamiltonian Formulation

In terms of Dirac matrices the self-dual and anti-self-dual decomposition of a conformal supergravity is given and a self-dual conformal supergravity theory is developed as a connection dynamic theory in which the basic dynamic variabes include the self-dual spin connection i.e. the Ashtekar connection rather than the triad. The Hamiltonian formulation and the constraints are obtained by using the Dirac-Bergmann algorithm. PACS numbers: 04.20.Cv, 04.20.Fy,04.65.+

Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Blazar Markarian 421

Very high energy gamma-ray emission from the BL Lac object Markarian 421 has been detected over three observing seasons on 59 nights between April 1992 and June 1994 with the Whipple 10-meter imaging Cherenkov telescope. During its initial detection in 1992, its flux above 500 GeV was 1.6$\times$10$^{-11}$photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. Observations in 1993 confirmed this level of emission. For observations made between December 1993 and April 1994, its intensity was a factor of 2.2$\pm$0.5 lower. Observations on 14 and 15 May, 1994 showed an increase over this quiescent level by a factor of $\sim$10 (Kerrick et al. 1995). This strong outburst suggests that 4 episodes of increased flux measurements on similar time scales in 1992 and 1994 may be attributed to somewhat weaker outbursts. The variability of the TeV gamma-ray emission from Markarian 421 stands in contrast to EGRET observations (Lin et al. 1994) which show no evidence for variability.Comment: gzip compressed tar file including LaTeX text and 4 postscript figures (14 pages total incl. 4 tables), accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Contact address is [email protected]

BL Lac Objects in the Synchrotron Proton Blazar Model

We calculate the spectral energy distribution (SED) of electromagnetic radiation and the spectrum of high energy neutrinos from BL Lac objects in the context of the Synchrotron Proton Blazar Model. In this model, the high energy hump of the SED is due to accelerated protons, while most of the low energy hump is due to synchrotron radiation by co-accelerated electrons. To accelerate protons to sufficiently high energies to produce the high energy hump, rather high magnetic fields are required. Assuming reasonable emission region volumes and Doppler factors, we then find that in low-frequency peaked BL Lacs (LBLs), which have higher luminosities than high-frequency peaked BL Lacs (HBLs), there is a significant contribution to the high frequency hump of the SED from pion photoproduction and subsequent cascading, including synchrotron radiation by muons. In contrast, in HBLs we find that the high frequency hump of the SED is dominated by proton synchrotron radiation. We are able to model the SED of typical LBLs and HBLs, and to model the famous 1997 flare of Markarian 501. We also calculate the expected neutrino output of typical BL Lac objects, and estimate the diffuse neutrino intensity due to all BL Lacs. Because pion photoproduction is inefficient in HBLs, as protons lose energy predominantly by synchrotron radiation, the contribution of LBLs dominates the diffuse neutrino intensity. We suggest that nearby LBLs may well be observable with future high-sensitivity TeV gamma-ray telescopes.Comment: 33 pages, 20 Figures. Astropart. Phys., accepte

The Gamma Ray Detection Capabilities of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

The modeled performance of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) as a high energy (0.3 to 100 GeV) gamma-ray detector is described, and its gamma ray astrophysics objectives are discussed.Comment: Latex2e file; 33 pages of text, 20 EPS figures. Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics. Correction to affiliations; no modifications of tex

On the Absorption of High Energy Gamma-Rays by Intergalactic Infrared Radiation

We present a new calculation of the intergalactic $\gamma$-ray pair-production absorption coefficient as a function of both energy and redshift up to the redshift of 3C279, z = 0.54. In reexamining this problem, we make use of new observational data on the intergalactic infrared radiation field (IIRF), together with recent theoretical models of the galactic spectral energy distributions of the IIRF from stars and dust reradiation and estimates of the IIRF from galaxy counts and {\it COBE} results. We present our results for two fairly well defined IIRF spectral energy distributions, one of which is within $1 \sigma$ of our previous estimate of the IIRF at $\sim 20$ $\mu$m. We then apply our results to the $\gamma$-ray spectrum of Mrk 421, and obtain good agreement with the observational data, including the recent results of the {\it HEGRA} group.Comment: Plain TeX file with text in abs96.tex, 3 postscript figures (Fig. 1 - ircobe.eps, Fig. 2 - taupl.eps, Fig. 3 - mki.eps), stylefile epsf.sty included, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Back-reacted saponite in Jurassic mudstones and limestones intruded by a Tertiary sill, Isle of Skye

The Lón Ostatoin stream section, Trotternish Peninsula, Isle of Skye, exposes a sequence of Middle Jurassic mudstones and limestones which have been locally metasomatized by a transgressive sill of Tertiary age. Limestones in the sequence, including some previously reported as bentonite, have been altered to an unusual assemblage of grossular garnet and saponite clay. The mudstones also contain large proportions of saponite together with pyroxene and zeolites. Saponite also occurs within the basalt intrusion. Grossular and pyroxene represent artifacts of relatively high-temperature assemblages that formed during an early phase of alteration. As the intrusion and adjacent altered country rocks cooled, lower-temperature fluids flowed through a late set of contraction (micro)fractures. Back-reacted saponite, analcime and clinoptilolite were formed, possibly as alteration products of the unstable higher-temperature minerals. The lower-temperature mineral assemblage eventually sealed the late fracture system. This paper highlights an important concept for the study of analogue sites used to investigate thermal effects on engineered liners or barrier host rocks for the landfill and radioactive-waste industries. This is that the original thermally altered mineral assemblage may be overprinted by later, lower-temperature back-reactions. A detailed understanding of both processes is necessary in order to construct a sensible model for the thermal and mineralogical evolution of the site

Tau Neutrinos Underground: Signals of νμ→ντ\nu_\mu \to \nu_\tau Oscillations with Extragalactic Neutrinos

The appearance of high energy tau neutrinos due to $\nu_\mu \to \nu_\tau$ oscillations of extragalactic neutrinos can be observed by measuring the neutrino induced upward hadronic and electromagnetic showers and upward muons. We evaluate quantitatively the tau neutrino regeneration in the Earth for a variety of extragalactic neutrino fluxes. Charged-current interactions of the upward tau neutrinos below and in the detector, and the subsequent tau decay create muons or hadronic and electromagnetic showers. The background for these events are muon neutrino and electron neutrino charged-current and neutral-current interactions, where in addition to extragalactic neutrinos, we consider atmospheric neutrinos. We find significant signal to background ratios for the hadronic/electromagnetic showers with energies above 10 TeV to 100 TeV initiated by the extragalactic neutrinos. We show that the tau neutrinos from point sources also have the potential for discovery above a 1 TeV threshold. A kilometer-size neutrino telescope has a very good chance of detecting the appearance of tau neutrinos when both muon and hadronic/electromagnetic showers are detected.Comment: section added and two new figs; accepted for publication in Physical Review

Syntectonic mobility of supergene nickel ores of New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific). Evidence from faulted regolith and garnierite veins.

International audienceSupergene nickel deposits of New Caledonia that have been formed in the Neogene by weathering of obducted ultramafic rocks are tightly controlled by fracture development. The relationship of tropical weathering and tectonic structures, faults and tension gashes, have been investigated in order to determine whether fractures have play a passive role only, as previously thought; or alternatively, if brittle tectonics was acting together with alteration. From the observation of time-relationship, textures, and mineralogy of various fracture fills and fault gouges, it may be unambiguously established that active faulting has play a prominent role not only in facilitating drainage and providing room for synkinematic crystallisation of supergene nickel silicate, but also in mobilising already formed sparse nickel ore, giving birth to the very high grade ore nicknamed "green gold"