Effects of Final-State Interaction and Screening on Strange- and Heavy-Quark Production

Final-state interaction and screening have a great influence on $q \bar q$ production cross sections, which are important quantities in many problems in quark-gluon plasma physics. They lead to an enhancement of the cross section for a $q \bar q$ color-singlet state and a suppression for a color-octet state. The effects are large near the production threshold. The presence of screening gives rise to resonances for $q\bar q$ production just above the threshold at specific plasma temperatures. These resonances, especially $c\bar c$ and $b \bar b$ resonances, may be utilized to search for the quark-gluon plasma by studying the temperature dependence of heavy-quark pair production just above the threshold.Comment: 12 pages (Latex), 6 figures. Invited talk presented at Strangeness'96 Meeting, Budapest, May 1996. To be published in "Heavy-Ion Physics

The Formation of Nation-State and Cultural Identity: A Georgian Perspective

The paper discusses cultural specifics of the Georgians’ mental perception in the context of formation of the modern nation-state. The research has been conducted using the experimental psychosemantic method, based on which semantic spaces, reflecting the categorical system of meanings in the contemporary Georgians’ mentality, have been built. The material for the research consisted of universal (etic) categories interpreted within the cultural system specific to the Georgians (emic means of interpretation). For this purpose, we have referred to the historical facts, linguistic and folk material, and religious aspects of the Georgian Orthodox Christianity. The so called “Nation-State” cluster is the largest one out of several clusters revealed by the research. Its content has been interpreted based on semiotic analysis that highlights the semantic logic representing essential aspects of the Georgians’ collective representations, namely, their ethnic picture of the world. It is stated that national identity is the main idea influencing the development of the Georgian state and culture, and that the value of defending and preserving national identity is the oldest and strongest layer of the Georgian mentality. It is demonstrated that “Georgian” has always been the main criterion for evaluating all the life events and even personal self-realization has necessarily implied the element of being Georgian as its inseparable part. The research data confirm that till today the Georgians are evaluated in this context and it should be the main reason for why such concepts as “success,” “achievement,” “independence" and “freedom,” which definitely represent personal context in the Western countries, are attributed to the wider context of nation-state in the Georgian mentality.

MODERN TRENDS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL GLOBALISM

Future of development of national economy and business sector of any country in the modern world is connected with irreversible processes of globalization. Internationalization, transnationalization and integration processes of economic life, liberalization of foreign trade policy have become essential factors determining current status of globalization. Along with this, globalization processes are mostly contradictory and positive outcomes of such processes are mainly felt by a group of postindustrial countries. They account for the largest part that is 70-80% of the use of the global resources of raw materials and energy sources while developing countries and countries in transition mostly represent just markets for sale of products (consuming countries) and cheap labor resources. Attitude of developed states towards the developing world should be construed only on principles of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation. Globalization as a multidimensional phenomenon is regarded as a process of the world economic, political, social and cultural integration out of which economic and cultural globalization is the most notable and clear-cut which is built through exchange of goods, services, capital, scientific-technical expertise, professional and cultural values between the countries

MERAB MAMARDASHVILI VS THE SOVIET MENTALITY

In the present paper the author analyzes the thought of Georgian philosopher Merab Mamardashvili (1930-1990) in the context of philosophy of culture. According to Mamardashvili, philosophy and thinking is identical to life. He tried to break through the closed borders of the Soviet system and bring the experience of other cultures into the Soviet philosophy. Mamardashvili’s thought represents an attempt of original synthesis of different (French, German and Russian) cultural traditions. He criticized harshly everyday life of a Soviet citizen. With his criticism he significantly promoted the development of critical consciousness in the Soviet Union

MERAB MAMARDASHVILI VS THE SOVIET MENTALITY

In the present paper the author analyzes the thought of Georgian philosopher Merab Mamardashvili (1930-1990) in the context of philosophy of culture. According to Mamardashvili, philosophy and thinking is identical to life. He tried to break through the closed borders of the Soviet system and bring the experience of other cultures into the Soviet philosophy. Mamardashvili’s thought represents an attempt of original synthesis of different (French, German and Russian) cultural traditions. He criticized harshly everyday life of a Soviet citizen. With his criticism he significantly promoted the development of critical consciousness in the Soviet Union

Muon Catalysed Fusion-The Present Status

This article reviews the present status of the challenging field of muon catalysed fusion, by which fusion of light nuclei can be catalysed at low temperatures by muon binding. The study of this intriguing phenomenon encompasses different disciplines of physics, including particle, nuclear, atomic, molecular, accelerator and reactor physics. Starting with the intrinsic characteristics of the muon, the review highlights the physics of the negative muon in matter that culminates in the fusion act. The post-fusion scenario and the dynamics of the reactions and associated physics are considered. In part II, the applicational and utilisation prospects and experimental status are discussed