272 research outputs found
Casimir effect for scalar fields under Robin boundary conditions on plates
We study the Casimir effect for scalar fields with general curvature coupling
subject to mixed boundary conditions at on one () and two () parallel plates at a distance
from each other. Making use of the generalized Abel-Plana
formula previously established by one of the authors \cite{Sahrev}, the Casimir
energy densities are obtained as functions of and of
,,, respectively. In the case of two parallel plates,
a decomposition of the total Casimir energy into volumic and superficial
contributions is provided. The possibility of finding a vanishing energy for
particular parameter choices is shown, and the existence of a minimum to the
surface part is also observed. We show that there is a region in the space of
parameters defining the boundary conditions in which the Casimir forces are
repulsive for small distances and attractive for large distances. This yields
to an interesting possibility for stabilizing the distance between the plates
by using the vacuum forces.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, consideration of the contribution from complex
eigenmodes added, possibility for the stabilization of the distance between
the plates is discussed; accepted for publication in J. Phys.
Exact Solution of an Evolutionary Model without Ageing
We introduce an age-structured asexual population model containing all the
relevant features of evolutionary ageing theories. Beneficial as well as
deleterious mutations, heredity and arbitrary fecundity are present and managed
by natural selection. An exact solution without ageing is found. We show that
fertility is associated with generalized forms of the Fibonacci sequence, while
mutations and natural selection are merged into an integral equation which is
solved by Fourier series. Average survival probabilities and Malthusian growth
exponents are calculated indicating that the system may exhibit mutational
meltdown. The relevance of the model in the context of fissile reproduction
groups as many protozoa and coelenterates is discussed.Comment: LaTeX file, 15 pages, 2 ps figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Successful Establishment of Oversown Chicory and Plantain on Uncultivatable Hill Country
All-year grazing of livestock on steep, non-arable hill country (\u3e 20o slope angle, \u3c 1,000 m elevation) is a significant feature of New Zealand agriculture. Hill country pastures are in various states of improvement depending on factors such as extent of subdivision, fertiliser inputs, plant species introduction, and grazing management. Numerous introduced grass, legume and herb species are available to match the many micro-sites in steep hill country (Kemp et al. 1999).
There has been increasing use of the perennial herbs chicory (Chicorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) in seed mixtures used on a range of topographies, mostly flat to undulating terrain. Advantages of these species include tolerance of drought and high summer temperatures, highly palatable foliage, enhanced mineral content, and high animal growth rates (Stewart 1996; Li and Kemp 2005). Farmers have sown these species on hill country but there is negligible information on their establishment in such landscapes. As part of a large, New Zealand-wide programme to increase pasture productivity on non-arable hill country through new germplasm introduction, chicory and plantain were included in a seed mixture broadcast-sown at a range of sites. This paper reports on the seedling establishment of these two species
Zeta function determinant of the Laplace operator on the -dimensional ball
We present a direct approach for the calculation of functional determinants
of the Laplace operator on balls. Dirichlet and Robin boundary conditions are
considered. Using this approach, formulas for any value of the dimension, ,
of the ball, can be obtained quite easily. Explicit results are presented here
for dimensions and .Comment: 22 pages, one figure appended as uuencoded postscript fil
Experimental and Theoretical Challenges in the Search for the Quark Gluon Plasma: The STAR Collaboration's Critical Assessment of the Evidence from RHIC Collisions
We review the most important experimental results from the first three years
of nucleus-nucleus collision studies at RHIC, with emphasis on results from the
STAR experiment, and we assess their interpretation and comparison to theory.
The theory-experiment comparison suggests that central Au+Au collisions at RHIC
produce dense, rapidly thermalizing matter characterized by: (1) initial energy
densities above the critical values predicted by lattice QCD for establishment
of a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP); (2) nearly ideal fluid flow, marked by
constituent interactions of very short mean free path, established most
probably at a stage preceding hadron formation; and (3) opacity to jets. Many
of the observations are consistent with models incorporating QGP formation in
the early collision stages, and have not found ready explanation in a hadronic
framework. However, the measurements themselves do not yet establish
unequivocal evidence for a transition to this new form of matter. The
theoretical treatment of the collision evolution, despite impressive successes,
invokes a suite of distinct models, degrees of freedom and assumptions of as
yet unknown quantitative consequence. We pose a set of important open
questions, and suggest additional measurements, at least some of which should
be addressed in order to establish a compelling basis to conclude definitively
that thermalized, deconfined quark-gluon matter has been produced at RHIC.Comment: 101 pages, 37 figures; revised version to Nucl. Phys.
Managing patients with ICD shocks and programming tachycardia therapies during acute heart failure syndromes
We review the pharmacologic, interventional and device programming treatment options for patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators who present with acute heart failure and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks
The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey I: Design and First Results
The Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) is the first large-area survey to be
conducted with the full 36-antenna Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder
(ASKAP) telescope. RACS will provide a shallow model of the ASKAP sky that will
aid the calibration of future deep ASKAP surveys. RACS will cover the whole sky
visible from the ASKAP site in Western Australia, and will cover the full ASKAP
band of MHz. The RACS images are generally deeper than the existing
NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS)
radio surveys and have better spatial resolution. All RACS survey products will
be public, including radio images (with arcsecond resolution) and
catalogues of about three million source components with spectral index and
polarisation information. In this paper, we present a description of the RACS
survey and the first data release of 903 images covering the sky south of
declination made over a 288 MHz band centred at 887.5 MHz.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables. For associated data see
https://data.csiro.au/collections/domain/casdaObservation/results/PRAS110%20-%20The%20Rapid%20ASKAP%20Continuu
Endovascular strategy or open repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: one-year outcomes from the IMPROVE randomized trial.
AIMS: To report the longer term outcomes following either a strategy of endovascular repair first or open repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, which are necessary for both patient and clinical decision-making. METHODS AND RESULTS: This pragmatic multicentre (29 UK and 1 Canada) trial randomized 613 patients with a clinical diagnosis of ruptured aneurysm; 316 to an endovascular first strategy (if aortic morphology is suitable, open repair if not) and 297 to open repair. The principal 1-year outcome was mortality; secondary outcomes were re-interventions, hospital discharge, health-related quality-of-life (QoL) (EQ-5D), costs, Quality-Adjusted-Life-Years (QALYs), and cost-effectiveness [incremental net benefit (INB)]. At 1 year, all-cause mortality was 41.1% for the endovascular strategy group and 45.1% for the open repair group, odds ratio 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62, 1.17], P = 0.325, with similar re-intervention rates in each group. The endovascular strategy group and open repair groups had average total hospital stays of 17 and 26 days, respectively, P < 0.001. Patients surviving rupture had higher average EQ-5D utility scores in the endovascular strategy vs. open repair groups, mean differences 0.087 (95% CI 0.017, 0.158), 0.068 (95% CI -0.004, 0.140) at 3 and 12 months, respectively. There were indications that QALYs were higher and costs lower for the endovascular first strategy, combining to give an INB of £3877 (95% CI £253, £7408) or €4356 (95% CI €284, €8323). CONCLUSION: An endovascular first strategy for management of ruptured aneurysms does not offer a survival benefit over 1 year but offers patients faster discharge with better QoL and is cost-effective. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 48334791
The Evolutionary Map of the Universe Pilot Survey
We present the data and initial results from the first pilot survey of the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU), observed at 944 MHz with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. The survey covers 270 deg2 of an area covered by the Dark Energy Survey, reaching a depth of 25–30 μJy beam−1 rms at a spatial resolution of ∼11–18 arcsec, resulting in a catalogue of ∼220 000 sources, of which ∼180 000 are single-component sources. Here we present the catalogue of single-component sources, together with (where available) optical and infrared cross-identifications, classifications, and redshifts. This survey explores a new region of parameter space compared to
previous surveys. Specifically, the EMU Pilot Survey has a high density of sources, and also a high sensitivity to low surface brightness emission. These properties result in the detection of types of sources that were rarely seen in or absent from previous surveys. We present some of these new results here
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