Geometric phases in open tripod systems

We first consider stimulated Raman adibatic passages (STIRAP) in a closed four-level tripod system. In this case, the adiabatic eigenstates of the system acquire real geometric phases. When the system is open and subject to decoherence they acquire complex geometric phases that we determine by a Monte Carlo wave function approach. We calculate the geometric phases and the state evolution in the closed as well as in the open system cases and describe the deviation between these in terms of the phases acquired. When the system is closed, the adiabatic evolution implements a Hadamard gate. The open system implements an imperfect gate and hence has a fidelity below unity. We express this fidelity in terms of the acquired geometric phases.Comment: 10 pages 7 figure

Spherically Symmetric Solutions in M\o ller's Tetrad Theory of Gravitation

The general solution of M\o ller's field equations in case of spherical symmetry is derived. The previously obtained solutions are verified as special cases of the general solution.Comment: LaTeX2e with AMS-LaTeX 1.2, 8 page

Multipolar Expansions for the Relativistic N-Body Problem in the Rest-Frame Instant Form

Dixon's multipoles for a system of N relativistic positive-energy scalar particles are evaluated in the rest-frame instant form of dynamics. The Wigner hyperplanes (intrinsic rest frame of the isolated system) turn out to be the natural framework for describing multipole kinematics. In particular, concepts like the {\it barycentric tensor of inertia} can be defined in special relativity only by means of the quadrupole moments of the isolated system.Comment: 46 pages, revtex fil

Cancer mortality in the United Kingdom: projections to the year 2025

The purpose of this study was to project mortality rates in the United Kingdom for the period 2006–2025 for 21 major cancers on the basis of the observed trends in mortality rates during 1971–2005, and to estimate the implication in terms of expected deaths. Age-period-cohort models were applied to official statistics. The projected decrease in age-standardised mortality rates for all cancers from 2003 to 2023 was 17% in men and 16% in women. Future mortality rates were projected to decline for most cancer sites. In men, there were small projected increases in mortality rates from cancers of the oral cavity, oesophagus and melanoma, with a larger projected increase (14% over 20 years) in mortality of liver cancer. In women, the only projected increase (18%) was for corpus uteri. The numbers of deaths will increase for most cancers, with a 30% increase in all cancers projected for men and a 12% increase projected for women. Mortality rates from cancer as a whole have been falling in the United Kingdom since 1990, and this decline was projected to continue into the future as well as the declining rates in both sexes for most cancers. Actual numbers of deaths will increase for most cancers

The gravitational energy-momentum flux

We present a continuity equation for the gravitational energy-momentum, which is obtained in the framework of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity. From this equation it follows a general definition for the gravitational energy-momentum flux. This definition is investigated in the context of plane waves and of cylindrical Einstein-Rosen waves. We obtain the well known value for the energy flux of plane gravitational waves, and conclude that the latter exhibit features similar to plane electromagnetic waves.Comment: 20 pages, latex file, no figures, two references added, accepted for publication in Class. Quantum Gravit

Biogas production by co-ensiling catch crops and straw, effect of substrate blend and microbial communities

The combination of catch crop (CC) and barley straw(S) for biogas production was investigated in order to evaluate the ensiling process in batch assay and in continuous process. Based on two new agriculture strategies designed to produce energy and improve nutrient cycling in organic farming are being evaluated, one of them consisting on the harvest of straw and catch crop in different periods whereas the other strategy consists on harvesting them at the same time. Catch crops is promoted to reduce nutrient leaching during rainy season and straw that is not used for animal feeding or bedding is generally left in the field. Mixtures of CC and S provides several advantages: 1) Provides adequate TS for silage, 2) Absorbs the silage effluent, 3) Produces high LAB activity, and 4) Provides an optimal C/N for anaerobic digestion (AD). The effect of feeding compositions (straw or manurea ddition) on the microbial community structures were also investigated

The Minkowski metric in non-inertial observer radar coordinates

We give a closed expression for the Minkowski (1+1)-dimensional metric in the radar coordinates of an arbitrary non-inertial observer O in terms of O's proper acceleration. Knowledge of the metric allows the non-inertial observer to perform experiments in spacetime without making reference to inertial frames. To clarify the relation between inertial and non-inertial observers the coordinate transformation between radar and inertial coordinates, also is given. We show that every conformally flat coordinate system can be regarded as the radar coordinate system of a suitable observer for a suitable parametrization of the observer worldline. Therefore, the coordinate transformation between arbitrarily moving observers is a conformal transformation and conformally invariant (1+1)-dimensional theories lead to the same physics for all observers, independently of their relative motion.Comment: Revtex4, 6 pages, 1 figur

Serendipitous discovery of a projected pair of QSOs separated by 4.5 arcsec on the sky

We present the serendipitous discovery of a projected pair of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) with an angular separation of $\Delta\theta =4.50$ arcsec. The redshifts of the two QSOs are widely different: one, our programme target, is a QSO with a spectrum consistent with being a narrow line Seyfert 1 AGN at $z=2.05$. For this target we detect Lyman-$\alpha$, \ion{C}{4}, and \ion{C}{3]}. The other QSO, which by chance was included on the spectroscopic slit, is a Type 1 QSO at a redshift of $z=1.68$, for which we detect \ion{C}{4}, \ion{C}{3]} and \ion{Mg}{2}. We compare this system to previously detected projected QSO pairs and find that only about a dozen previously known pairs have smaller angular separation.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in A