Generalized Background-Field Method

The graphical method discussed previously can be used to create new gauges not reachable by the path-integral formalism. By this means a new gauge is designed for more efficient two-loop QCD calculations. It is related to but simpler than the ordinary background-field gauge, in that even the triple-gluon vertices for internal lines contain only four terms, not the usual six. This reduction simplifies the calculation inspite of the necessity to include other vertices for compensation. Like the ordinary background-field gauge, this generalized background-field gauge also preserves gauge invariance of the external particles. As a check of the result and an illustration for the reduction in labour, an explicit calculation of the two-loop QCD $\beta$-function is carried out in this new gauge. It results in a saving of 45% of computation compared to the ordinary background-field gauge.Comment: 17 pages, Latex, 18 figures in Postscrip

Phase II of the ASCE Benchmark Study on SHM

The task group on structural health monitoring of the Dynamic Committee of ASCE was formed in 1999 at the 12 th Engineering Mechanics Conference. The task group has designed a number of analytical studies on a benchmark structure and there are plans to follow these with an experimental program. The first phase of the analytical studies was completed in 2001. The second phase, initiated in the summer of 2001, was formulated in the light of the experience gained on phase I and focuses on increasing realism in the simulation of the discrepancies between the actual structure and the mathematical model used in the analysis. This paper describes the rational that lead the SHM task group to the definition of phase II and presents the details of the cases that are being considered

Speciation without chromatography: Part I. Determination of tributyltin in aqueous samples by chloride generation, headspace solid-phase microextraction and inductively coupled plasma time of flight mass spectrometry

An analytical procedure was developed for the determination of tributyltin in aqueous samples. The relatively high volatility of the organometal halide species confers suitability for their headspace sampling from the vapour phase above natural waters or leached solid samples. Tributyltin was collected from the sample headspace above various chloride-containing matrices, including HCl, sodium chloride solution and sea-water, by passive sampling using a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB)-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber. Inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS) was used for detection following thermal desorption of analytes from the fiber. A detection limit of 5.8 pg ml–1(as tin) was realized in aqueous samples. Method validation was achieved using NRCC PACS-2 (Sediment) certified reference material, for which reasonable agreement between certified and measured values for tributyltin content was obtained

Direct measurement of penetration length in ultra-thin and/or mesoscopic superconducting structures

We describe a method for direct measurement of the magnetic penetration length in thin (10 - 100 nm) superconducting structures having overall dimensions in the range 1 to 100 micrometers. The method is applicable for broadband magnetic fields from dc to MHz frequencies.Comment: Accepted by Journal of Applied P:hysics (Jun 2006).5 pages, 5 figure

Control and Filtering for Discrete Linear Repetitive Processes with H infty and ell 2--ell infty Performance

Repetitive processes are characterized by a series of sweeps, termed passes, through a set of dynamics defined over a finite duration known as the pass length. On each pass an output, termed the pass profile, is produced which acts as a forcing function on, and hence contributes to, the dynamics of the next pass profile. This can lead to oscillations which increase in amplitude in the pass to pass direction and cannot be controlled by standard control laws. Here we give new results on the design of physically based control laws for the sub-class of so-called discrete linear repetitive processes which arise in applications areas such as iterative learning control. The main contribution is to show how control law design can be undertaken within the framework of a general robust filtering problem with guaranteed levels of performance. In particular, we develop algorithms for the design of an H? and $\ell_{2}–\ell_{\infty}$ dynamic output feedback controller and filter which guarantees that the resulting controlled (filtering error) process, respectively, is stable along the pass and has prescribed disturbance attenuation performance as measured by $H_{\infty}$ and $\ell_{2}$–$\ell_{\infty}$ norms

Gradient Echo Quantum Memory for Light using Two-level Atoms

We propose a quantum memory for light that is analogous to the NMR gradient echo. Our proposal is ideally perfectly efficient and provides simplifications to current 3-level quantum memory schemes based on controlled inhomogeneous broadening. Our scheme does not require auxiliary light fields. Instead the input optical pulse interacts only with two-level atoms that have linearly increasing Stark shifts. By simply reversing the sign of the atomic Stark shifts, the pulse is retrieved in the forward direction. We present analytical, numerical and experimental results of this scheme. We report experimental efficiencies of up to 15% and suggest simple realizable improvements to significantly increase the efficiency.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Small-Recoil Approximation

In this review we discuss a technique to compute and to sum a class of Feynman diagrams, and some of its applications. These are diagrams containing one or more energetic particles that suffer very little recoil in their interactions. When recoil is completely neglected, a decomposition formula can be proven. This formula is a generalization of the well-known eikonal formula, to non-abelian interactions. It expresses the amplitude as a sum of products of irreducible amplitudes, with each irreducible amplitude being the amplitude to emit one, or several mutually interacting, quasi-particles. For abelian interaction a quasi-particle is nothing but the original boson, so this decomposition formula reduces to the eikonal formula. In non-abelian situations each quasi-particle can be made up of many bosons, though always with a total quantum number identical to that of a single boson. This decomposition enables certain amplitudes of all orders to be summed up into an exponential form, and it allows subleading contributions of a certain kind, which is difficult to reach in the usual way, to be computed. For bosonic emissions from a heavy source with many constituents, a quasi-particle amplitude turns out to be an amplitude in which all bosons are emitted from the same constituent. For high-energy parton-parton scattering in the near-forward direction, the quasi-particle turns out to be the Reggeon, and this formalism shows clearly why gluons reggeize but photons do not. The ablility to compute subleading terms in this formalism allows the BFKL-Pomeron amplitude to be extrapolated to asymptotic energies, in a unitary way preserving the Froissart bound. We also consider recoil corrections for abelian interactions in order to accommodate the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal effect.Comment: 21 pages with 4 figure

Necessary and sufficient conditions for analysis and synthesis of markov jump linear systems with incomplete transition descriptions

This technical note is concerned with exploring a new approach for the analysis and synthesis for Markov jump linear systems with incomplete transition descriptions. In the study, not all the elements of the transition rate matrices (TRMs) in continuous-time domain, or transition probability matrices (TPMs) in discrete-time domain are assumed to be known. By fully considering the properties of the TRMs and TPMs, and the convexity of the uncertain domains, necessary and sufficient criteria of stability and stabilization are obtained in both continuous and discrete time. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the results. © 2006 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Exploring the Principles of Andragogy: Some Comparison of University and Community College Learning Experiences

The learning experiences of 740 University and Community College students from various programs have been examined from the andragogical perspective. Through the analysis of fifteen aspects of the learning process, discrepancies of real and expected learning experiences were traced to institutional, program and individual characteristics. While the principles of andragogy remain valid as instructional guidelines for postsecondary institutions, the present findings draw attention to the importance of intellectual maturity as a basic source for organizing meaningful learning for adult students.Les expériences de 740 étudiants en divers domaines et de niveaux soit universi-taire, soit collégial ont été examinées sous un angle andragogique. De par l'analyse, sous quinze aspects du progrès d'apprentissage, il ressort des diver-gences réelles et anticipées attribuables aux caractéristiques individuelles des institutions et des programmes. Bien que les principes de l'andragogie demeurent valides comme indicateurs du niveau d'instruction dans les institutions d'en-seignement postsecondaire, les résultats de cette étude attirent l'attention sur l'importance d'une maturité intellectuelle comme élément essentiel d'un en-seignement adéquat conçu pour les étudiants adultes

A multispecies model for the transmission and control of mastitis in dairy cows

Mastitis in dairy cows is a significant economic and animal welfare issue in the dairy industry. The bacterial pathogens responsible for infection of the mammary gland may be split into two main categories: major and minor pathogens. Infection with major pathogens generally results in clinical illness or strong inflammatory responses and reduced milk yields, whereas minor pathogen infection is usually subclinical. Previous investigations have considered the transmission of these pathogens independently. Experimental evidence has shown cross-protection between species of pathogens. In this study a mathematical model for the coupled transmission of major and minor pathogens along with their interaction via the host was developed in order to consider various methods for controlling the incidence of major pathogen infection. A stability analysis of the model equilibria provides explanations for observed phenomena and previous decoupled modelling results. This multispecies model structure has provided a basis for quantifying the extent of cross-protection between species and assessing possible control strategies against the disease