Giffen Behavior: Theory and Evidence

This paper provides the first real-world evidence of Giffen behavior, i.e., upward sloping demand. Subsidizing the prices of dietary staples for extremely poor households in two provinces of China, we find strong evidence of Giffen behavior for rice in Hunan, and weaker evidence for wheat in Gansu. The data provide new insight into the consumption behavior of the poor, who act as though maximizing utility subject to subsistence concerns, with both demand and calorie elasticities depending significantly, and non-linearly, on the severity of their poverty. Understanding this heterogeneity is important for the effective design of welfare programs for the poor.

Charge Independence and Charge Symmetry

Charge independence and charge symmetry are approximate symmetries of nature, violated by the perturbing effects of the mass difference between up and down quarks and by electromagnetic interactions. The observations of the symmetry breaking effects in nuclear and particle physics and the implications of those effects are reviewed.Comment: 41 pages, report # DOE/ER/40427-17-N94, Chapter for a book titled "Symmetries and Fundamental Interactions in Nuclei" eds. E.M. Henley and W. Haxton, to be published by World Scientifi

Transverse Quark Distribution in Mesons - QCD Sum Rule Approach -

QCD sum rules are used to compute the first few moments of the mesonic quark momentum. Transverse, longitudinal and mixed transverse-longitudinal components are examined. The transverse size of the pion is shown to be dictated by the gluon condensate, even though the mass and the longitudinal distribution are dominated by the quark condensate. The implications of our results for color transparency physics and finite temperature QCD are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, Latex, Univ. of Washington preprint DOE/ER/40427-24-N9

Geologic application of thermal-inertia mapping from satellite

The author has identified the following significant results. Two night-time thermal images of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming distinctly show a major thermal feature. This feature is substantially coincident with a drainage divide and the southward facing slope appears cooler, suggesting a lower thermal inertia. An initial examination of regional geologic maps provides no clear evidence to suggest what type of geologic feature or structure may be present, although it can be noted that its northeastern end passes directly through Lead, South Dakota where the Homestake Gold Mine is located

Models of q-algebra representations: Tensor products of special unitary and oscillator algebras

This paper begins a study of one- and two-variable function space models of irreducible representations of q analogs of Lie enveloping algebras, motivated by recurrence relations satisfied by q-hypergeometric functions. The algebras considered are the quantum algebra Uq(su2) and a q analog of the oscillator algebra (not a quantum algebra). In each case a simple one-variable model of the positive discrete series of finite- and infinite-dimensional irreducible representations is used to compute the Clebsch–Gordan coefficients. It is shown that various q analogs of the exponential function can be used to mimic the exponential mapping from a Lie algebra to its Lie group and the corresponding matrix elements of the ``group operators'' on these representation spaces are computed. It is shown that the matrix elements are polynomials satisfying orthogonality relations analogous to those holding for true irreducible group representations. It is also demonstrated that general q-hypergeometric functions can occur as basis functions in two-variable models, in contrast with the very restricted parameter values for the q-hypergeometric functions arising as matrix elements in the theory of quantum groups

Seasonal Variability In The Ionosphere Of Uranus

Infrared ground-based observations using IRTF, UKIRT, and Keck II of Uranus have been analyzed as to identify the long-term behavior of the H-3(+) ionosphere. Between 1992 and 2008 there are 11 individual observing runs, each recording emission from the H-3(+) Q branch emission around 4 mu m through the telluric L' atmospheric window. The column-averaged rotational H-3(+) temperature ranges between 715 K in 1992 and 534 K in 2008, with the linear fit to all the run-averaged temperatures decreasing by 8 K year(-1). The temperature follows the fractional illumination curve of the planet, declining from solstice (1985) to equinox (2007). Variations in H-3(+) column density do not appear to be correlated to either solar cycle phase or season. The radiative cooling by H-3(+) is similar to 10 times larger than the ultraviolet solar energy being injected to the atmosphere. Despite the fact that the solar flux alone is incapable of heating the atmosphere to the observed temperatures, the geometry with respect to the Sun remains an important driver in determining the thermospheric temperature. Therefore, the energy source that heats the thermosphere must be linked to solar mechanisms. We suggest that this may be in the form of conductivity created by solar ionization of atmospheric neutrals and/or seasonally dependent magnetospherically driven current systems.STFC PP/E/000983/1, ST/G0022223/1RCUKGemini ObservatoryNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) NXX08A043G, NNX08AE38AAstronom

Grain opacity and the bulk composition of extrasolar planets. I. Results from scaling the ISM opacity

The opacity due to grains in the envelope of a protoplanet regulates the accretion rate of gas during formation, thus the final bulk composition of planets with primordial H/He is a function of it. Observationally, for exoplanets with known mass and radius it is possible to estimate the bulk composition via internal structure models. We first determine the reduction factor of the ISM grain opacity f_opa that leads to gas accretion rates consistent with grain evolution models. We then compare the bulk composition of synthetic low-mass and giant planets at different f_opa with observations. For f_opa=1 (full ISM opacity) the synthetic low-mass planets have too small radii, i.e., too low envelope masses compared to observations. At f_opa=0.003, the value calibrated with the grain evolution models, synthetic and actual planets occupy similar mass-radius loci. The mean enrichment of giant planets relative to the host star as a function of planet mass M can be approximated as Z_p/Z_star = beta*(M/M_Jup)^alpha. We find alpha=-0.7 independent of f_opa in synthetic populations in agreement with the observational result (-0.71+-0.10). The absolute enrichment level decreases from beta=8.5 at f_opa=1 to 3.5 at f_opa=0. At f_opa=0.003 one finds beta=7.2 which is similar to the observational result (6.3+-1.0). We thus find observational hints that the opacity in protoplanetary atmospheres is much smaller than in the ISM even if the specific value of the grain opacity cannot be constrained here. The result for the enrichment of giant planets helps to distinguish core accretion and gravitational instability. In the simplest picture of core accretion where first a critical core forms and afterwards only gas is added, alpha=-1. If a core accretes all planetesimals inside the feeding zone, alpha=-2/3. The observational result lies between these values, pointing to core accretion as the formation mechanism.Comment: 21 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for A&

Measured optical absorption coefficients for uranium plasmas

Absolute emissivities of uranium plasmas in gas driven shock tub

Geologic application of thermal-inertia mapping from satellite

The author has identified the following significant results. Approximately 400 miles of low altitude scanner data of good quality was acquired over the Powder River Basin between 13-16 Oct. 1978. Radiometric and meteorological data from three ground stations were also acquired in support of low altitude U.S.G.S. overflights

Models of q-algebra representations: Matrix elements of the q-oscillator algebra

This article continues a study of function space models of irreducible representations of q analogs of Lie enveloping algebras, motivated by recurrence relations satisfied by q-hypergeometric functions. Here a q analog of the oscillator algebra (not a quantum algebra) is considered. It is shown that various q analogs of the exponential function can be used to mimic the exponential mapping from a Lie algebra to its Lie group and the corresponding matrix elements of the ``group operators'' on these representation spaces are computed. This ``local'' approach applies to more general families of special functions, e.g., with complex arguments and parameters, than does the quantum group approach. It is shown that the matrix elements themselves transform irreducibly under the action of the algebra. q analogs of a formula are found for the product of two hypergeometric functions 1F1 and the product of a 1F1 and a Bessel function. They are interpreted here as expansions of the matrix elements of a ``group operator'' (via the exponential mapping) in a tensor product basis (for the tensor product of two irreducible oscillator algebra representations) in terms of the matrix elements in a reduced basis. As a by-product of this analysis an interesting new orthonormal basis was found for a q analog of the Bargmann–Segal Hilbert space of entire functions