Can the QCD Effective Charge Be Symmetrical in the Euclidean and the Minkowskian Regions?

We study a possible symmetrical behavior of the effective charges defined in the Euclidean and Minkowskian regions and prove that such symmetry is inconsistent with the causality principle.Comment: 5 pages, REVTe

Use of hydrophilic polymer coatings for control of electroosmosis and protein adsorption

The purpose of this project was to examine the utility of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran coatings for control of electroosmosis and protein adsorption; electroosmosis is an important, deleterious process affecting electrophoretic separations, and protein adsorption is a factor which needs to be controlled during protein crystal growth to avoid multiple nucleation sites. Performance of the project required use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to refine previously developed synthetic methods. The results of this spectroscopic examination are reported. Measurements of electroosmotic mobility of charged particles in appropriately coated capillaries reveals that a new, one-step route to coating capillaries gives a surface in which electroosmosis is dramatically reduced. Similarly, both PEG and dextran coatings were shown by protein adsorption measurements to be highly effective at reducing protein adsorption on solid surfaces. These results should have impact on future low-g electrophoretic and protein crystal growth experiments

Physical properties of immiscible polymers

The demixing of immiscible polymers in low gravity is discussed. Applications of knowledge gained in this research will provide a better understanding of the role of phase segregation in determining the properties of polymer blends made from immiscible polymers. Knowledge will also be gained regarding the purification of biological materials by partitioning between the two liquid phases formed by solution of the polymers polyethylene glycol and dextran in water. Testing of new apparatus for space flight, extension of affinity phase partitioning, refinement of polymer chemistry, and demixing of isopycnic polymer phases in a one gravity environment are discussed

Highly Non-Linear Optical (NLO) organic crystals

This research project involves the synthesis and characterization of organic materials having powerful nonlinear optical (NLO) properties and the growth of highly ordered crystals and monomolecular films of these materials. Research in four areas is discussed: theoretical design of new materials, characterization of NLO materials, synthesis of new materials and development of coupling procedures for forming layered films, and improvement of the techniques for vapor phase and solution phase growth of high quality organic crystals. Knowledge gained from these experiments will form the basis for experiments in the growth of these crystals

Schwinger's Dynamical Casimir Effect: Bulk Energy Contribution

Schwinger's Dynamical Casimir Effect is one of several candidate explanations for sonoluminescence. Recently, several papers have claimed that Schwinger's estimate of the Casimir energy involved is grossly inaccurate. In this letter, we show that these calculations omit the crucial volume term. When the missing term is correctly included one finds full agreement with Schwinger's result for the Dynamical Casimir Effect. We have nothing new to say about sonoluminescence itself except to affirm that the Casimir effect is energetically adequate as a candidate explanation.Comment: 6 pages. Uses LaTeX with RevTeX package in two-column forma

The 'psychic pet' phenomenon: a reply to Rupert Sheldrake

Original article can be found at: http://www.spr.ac.uk/expcms/Rupert Sheldrake (1999a) has published a note in the previous issue of the Journal criticising our research into the ‘psychic pet’ phenomenon. Certain points arising from this criticism have also been included in his recent book, Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and Other Unexplained Powers of Animals (Sheldrake 1999b). This paper outlines why we believe his criticisms to be invalid.Peer reviewe

On the Bergman-Milton bounds for the homogenization of dielectric composite materials

The Bergman-Milton bounds provide limits on the effective permittivity of a composite material comprising two isotropic dielectric materials. These provide tight bounds for composites arising from many conventional materials. We reconsider the Bergman-Milton bounds in light of the recent emergence of metamaterials, in which unconventional parameter ranges for relative permittivities are encountered. Specifically, it is demonstrated that: (a) for nondissipative materials the bounds may be unlimited if the constituent materials have relative permittivities of opposite signs; (b) for weakly dissipative materials characterized by relative permittivities with real parts of opposite signs, the bounds may be exceedingly large