133 research outputs found
On the continuous spectral component of the Floquet operator for a periodically kicked quantum system
By a straightforward generalisation, we extend the work of Combescure from
rank-1 to rank-N perturbations. The requirement for the Floquet operator to be
pure point is established and compared to that in Combescure. The result
matches that in McCaw. The method here is an alternative to that work. We show
that if the condition for the Floquet operator to be pure point is relaxed,
then in the case of the delta-kicked Harmonic oscillator, a singularly
continuous component of the Floquet operator spectrum exists. We also provide
an in depth discussion of the conjecture presented in Combescure of the case
where the unperturbed Hamiltonian is more general. We link the physics
conjecture directly to a number-theoretic conjecture of Vinogradov and show
that a solution of Vinogradov's conjecture solves the physics conjecture. The
result is extended to the rank-N case. The relationship between our work and
the work of Bourget on the physics conjecture is discussed.Comment: 25 pages, published in Journal of Mathematical Physic
Non-Boltzmann behaviour in models of interacting neutrinos
We reconsider the question of the relative importance of single particle
effects and correlations in the solvable interacting neutrino models introduced
by Friedland and Lunardini and by Bell, Rawlinson and Sawyer. We show, by an
exact calculation, that the two particle correlations are not "small", and that
they dominate the time evolution in these models, in spite of indications to
the contrary from the rate of equilibration. This result holds even after the
model in generalized from the original 2 flavor case to flavors. The
failure of the Boltzmann single particle approximation in this model is
tentatively attributed to the simplicity of the model, in particular to the
assumption that all neutrinos in the initial state are in flavor eigenstates.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
System Evaluation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a Commercial-Scale High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant
Results of a system evaluation and lifecycle cost analysis are presented for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) central hydrogen production plant. The plant design relies on grid electricity to power the electrolysis process and system components, and industrial natural gas to provide process heat. The HYSYS process analysis software was used to evaluate the reference central plant design capable of producing 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen. The HYSYS software performs mass and energy balances across all components to allow optimization of the design using a detailed process flow sheet and realistic operating conditions specified by the analyst. The lifecycle cost analysis was performed using the H2A analysis methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program. This methodology utilizes Microsoft Excel spreadsheet analysis tools that require detailed plant performance information (obtained from HYSYS), along with financial and cost information to calculate lifecycle costs. The results of the lifecycle analyses indicate that for a 10% internal rate of return, a large central commercial-scale hydrogen production plant can produce 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen at an average cost of 0.40/kg to $3.08/kg
A new trap-jawed ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Haidomyrmecini) from Canadian Late Cretaceous amber
This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8953790&fileId=S0008347X13000230A new genus and species are described within the extinct tribe Haidomyrmecini, and tentatively placed within the subfamily Sphecomyrminae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Haidoterminus cippus new genus and species expands the distribution of the bizarre, exclusively Cretaceous, trap-jawed Haidomyrmecini beyond their previous records in mid-Cretaceous Burmese and French amber, and into Laurentia. The new material from the Grassy Lake, Alberta, Canada collecting locality also provides evidence that these highly specialised, likely arboreal, ants persisted for an additional 20 million years, reaching the Late Cretaceous. Morphological features of H. cippus, such as the presence of an elongate antennomere II (pedicel), further support the argument that Haidomyrmecini may not actually belong within the subfamily Sphecomyrminae, and may warrant recognition at the subfamily level or inclusion as a highly autapomorphic clade within another subfamily. Despite the introduction of new fossil material, and the clarity of preservation in Canadian amber, the mystery of how Haidomyrmecini fed remains unsolved
System Evaluations and Life-Cycle Cost Analyses for High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Facilities
This report presents results of system evaluations and lifecycle cost analyses performed for several different commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) hydrogen production concepts. The concepts presented in this report rely on grid electricity and non-nuclear high-temperature process heat sources for the required energy inputs. The HYSYS process analysis software was used to evaluate both central plant designs for large-scale hydrogen production (50,000 kg/day or larger) and forecourt plant designs for distributed production and delivery at about 1,500 kg/day. The HYSYS software inherently ensures mass and energy balances across all components and it includes thermodynamic data for all chemical species. The optimized designs described in this report are based on analyses of process flow diagrams that included realistic representations of fluid conditions and component efficiencies and operating parameters for each of the HTE hydrogen production configurations analyzed. As with previous HTE system analyses performed at the INL, a custom electrolyzer model was incorporated into the overall process flow sheet. This electrolyzer model allows for the determination of the average Nernst potential, cell operating voltage, gas outlet temperatures, and electrolyzer efficiency for any specified inlet steam, hydrogen, and sweep-gas flow rates, current density, cell active area, and external heat loss or gain. The lifecycle cost analyses were performed using the H2A analysis methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program. This methodology utilizes spreadsheet analysis tools that require detailed plant performance information (obtained from HYSYS), along with financial and cost information to calculate lifecycle costs. There are standard default sets of assumptions that the methodology uses to ensure consistency when comparing the cost of different production or plant design options. However, these assumptions may also be varied within the spreadsheets when better information is available or to allow the performance of sensitivity studies. The selected reference plant design for this study was a 1500 kg/day forecourt hydrogen production plant operating in the thermal-neutral mode. The plant utilized industrial natural gas-fired heaters to provide process heat, and grid electricity to supply power to the electrolyzer modules and system components. Modifications to the reference design included replacing the gas-fired heaters with electric resistance heaters, changing the operating mode of the electrolyzer (to operate below the thermal-neutral voltage), and considering a larger 50,000 kg/day central hydrogen production plant design. Total H2A-calculated hydrogen production costs for the reference 1,500 kg/day forecourt hydrogen production plant were 3.55/kg and 2.89/kg
Practice characteristics of Emergency Department extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) programs in the United States: The current state of the art of Emergency Department extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ED ECMO).
PURPOSE: To characterize the current scope and practices of centers performing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) on the undifferentiated patient with cardiac arrest in the emergency department.
METHODS: We contacted all US centers in January 2016 that had submitted adult eCPR cases to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry and surveyed them, querying for programs that had performed eCPR in the Emergency Department (ED ECMO). Our objective was to characterize the following domains of ED ECMO practice: program characteristics, patient selection, devices and techniques, and personnel.
RESULTS: Among 99 centers queried, 70 responded. Among these, 36 centers performed ED ECMO. Nearly 93% of programs are based at academic/teaching hospitals. 65% of programs are less than 5 years old, and 60% of programs perform ≤3 cases per year. Most programs (90%) had inpatient eCPR or salvage ECMO programs prior to starting ED ECMO programs. The majority of programs do not have formal inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most programs preferentially obtain vascular access via the percutaneous route (70%) and many (40%) use mechanical CPR during cannulation. The most commonly used console is the Maquet Rotaflow(®). Cannulation is most often performed by cardiothoracic (CT) surgery, and nearly all programs (\u3e85%) involve CT surgeons, perfusionists, and pharmacists.
CONCLUSIONS: Over a third of centers that submitted adult eCPR cases to ELSO have performed ED ECMO. These programs are largely based at academic hospitals, new, and have low volumes. They do not have many formal inclusion or exclusion criteria, and devices and techniques are variable
Relativistic Aharonov-Casher Phase in Spin One
The Aharonov-Casher (AC) phase is calculated in relativistic wave equations
of spin one. The AC phase has previously been calculated from the Dirac-Pauli
equation using a gauge-like technique \cite{MK1,MK2}. In the spin-one case, we
use Kemmer theory (a Dirac-like particle theory) to calculate the phase in a
similar manner. However the vector formalism, the Proca theory, is more widely
known and used. In the presence of an electromagnetic field, the two theories
are `equivalent' and may be transformed into one another. We adapt these
transformations to show that the Kemmer theory results apply to the Proca
theory. Then we calculate the Aharonov-Casher phase for spin-one particles
directly in the Proca formalism.Comment: 12 page
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Sensitivity Studies of Advanced Reactors Coupled to High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) Hydrogen Production Processes
High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE), when coupled to an advanced nuclear reactor capable of operating at reactor outlet temperatures of 800 °C to 950 °C, has the potential to efficiently produce the large quantities of hydrogen needed to meet future energy and transportation needs. To evaluate the potential benefits of nuclear-driven hydrogen production, the UniSim process analysis software was used to evaluate different reactor concepts coupled to a reference HTE process design concept. The reference HTE concept included an Intermediate Heat Exchanger and intermediate helium loop to separate the reactor primary system from the HTE process loops and additional heat exchangers to transfer reactor heat from the intermediate loop to the HTE process loops. The two process loops consisted of the water/steam loop feeding the cathode side of a HTE electrolysis stack, and the steam or air sweep loop used to remove oxygen from the anode side. The UniSim model of the process loops included pumps to circulate the working fluids and heat exchangers to recover heat from the oxygen and hydrogen product streams to improve the overall hydrogen production efficiencies. The reference HTE process loop model was coupled to separate UniSim models developed for three different advanced reactor concepts (a high-temperature helium cooled reactor concept and two different supercritical CO2 reactor concepts). Sensitivity studies were then performed to evaluate the affect of reactor outlet temperature on the power cycle efficiency and overall hydrogen production efficiency for each of the reactor power cycles. The results of these sensitivity studies showed that overall power cycle and hydrogen production efficiencies increased with reactor outlet temperature, but the power cycle producing the highest efficiencies varied depending on the temperature range considered
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