Energetics and Dipole Moment of Transition Metal Monoxides by Quantum Monte Carlo

The transition metal-oxygen bond appears very prominently throughout chemistry and solid-state physics. Many materials, from biomolecules to ferroelectrics to the components of supernova remnants contain this bond in some form. Many of these materials' properties depend strongly on fine details of the TM-O bond, which makes accurate calculations of their properties very challenging. Here we report on highly accurate first principles calculations of the properties of TM monoxide molecules within fixed-node Diffusion Monte Carlo and Reptation Monte Carlo.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Journal of Chemical Physic

The Construction of Heavy Metal Identity through Heritage Narratives: A Case Study of Extreme Metal Bands in the North of England

Extreme and black metal is a music genre infused with ideologies of elitism, nationalism and exaggerated masculinity. In this paper, we explore the ways in which four bands from the north of England – Winterfylleth, Wodensthrone, Old Corpse Road and Oakenshield – construct mythologies, heritage narratives and identity through their own reflections on their music, metal and myths. These extreme metal bands in the North of England work inside the symbolic boundaries of their scene and exist within the imagined communities of their region. That is, the bands construct mythologies based around masculinity and around elitism, but also about “northernness.

Estimating the Ability of Gamblers to Detect Differences in the Payback Percentages of Reel Slot Machines: A Closer Look at the Slot Player Experience

The results of play on 60 different computer simulated reel slots challenge the widely held theory that frequent slot players are able to detect changes in a slot machine\u27s house advantage as slight as 1 to 2%. These findings affect the formulation of critical and capital-intensive customer retention strategies and brand positioning campaigns within the gaming industry. An overwhelming majority of 10,000 virtual players were not able to reject the hypothesis of equal payback percentages after playing both a 3% game and a 12% game (i.e., a 400% increase in the house advantage). This result held across three levels of pay table variance and five levels of trials or spins. The differences in house advantages examined herein ranged from 33% to 400%, across the various 2-game comparisons. The results also fail to support those who argue or fear that frequent slot players are able to detect changes in the house advantage over time. Profits from slot operations are critical to the success of most casino resorts, making this research into the slot player experience a valuable contribution to both the literature and casino management