17,347 research outputs found
Study of the modulatory effects of the solar wind on galactic cosmic rays
Mathematical model using Monte Carlo method for modulation of galactic protons by solar win
Study of the modulatory effects of the solar wind on galactic cosmic rays Final report
Modulatory effects of solar wind on galactic cosmic ray
Partition function for a singular background
We present a method for evaluating the partition function in a varying
external field. Specifically, we look at the case of a non-interacting,
charged, massive scalar field at finite temperature with an associated chemical
potential in the background of a delta-function potential. Whilst we present a
general method, valid at all temperatures, we only give the result for the
leading order term in the high temperature limit. Although the derivative
expansion breaks down for inhomogeneous backgrounds we are able to obtain the
high temperature expansion, as well as an analytic expression for the zero
point energy, by way of a different approximation scheme, which we call the
{\it local Born approximation} (LBA).Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, revtex4, typos corrected. To appear in Phys. Lett.
Organising water: The hidden role of intermediary work
ABSTRACT: The increasingly complex challenges of making water management more sustainable require a critical and detailed understanding of the social organisation of water. This paper examines the hitherto neglected role that 'intermediary' organisations play in reshaping the relations between the provision and use of water and sanitation services. In response to new regulatory, environmental, social, and commercial pressures the relationships between water utilities, consumers, and regulators are changing, creating openings for both new and existing organisations to take on intermediary functions. Drawing on recent EU-funded research we provide the first systematic analysis of intermediary organisations in the European water sector, examining the contexts of their emergence, the ways they work, the functions they perform, and the impacts they can have. With a combination of conceptual and empirical analysis we substantiate and elaborate the case for appreciating the often hidden work of intermediaries. We caution, however, against over-simplistic conclusions on harnessing this potential, highlighting instead the need to reframe perspectives on how water is organised to contemplate actor constellations and interactions beyond the common triad of provider, consumer, and regulator
Dynamic characteristics of single crystal SSME blades
The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Fuel Turbopump (HPFTP) blades are currently manufactured using a directionally solidified (DS) material, MAR-M-246+Hf. However, a necessity to reduce the occurrence of fatigue cracking within the DS blades has lead to an interest in the use of a single crystal (SC) material, PWA-1480. A study was initiated to determine the dynamic characteristics of the HPFTP blades made of SC material and find possible critical engine order excitations. This study examined both the first and second stage drive turbine blades of the HPFTP. The dynamic characterization was done analytically as well as experimentally. The analytical study examined the SC first stage HPFTP blade dynamic characteristics under typical operating conditions. The blades were analyzed using MSC/NASTRAN and a finite element model. Two operating conditions, 27500 RPM and 35000 RPM, were investigated
The Effect of Increased Energy Prices on Agriculture: A Differential Supply Approach
The increase in energy prices between 2004 and 2007 has several potential consequences for aggregate agriculture in the U.S. We estimate the derived input demand elasticities for energy as well as capital, labor, and materials using the differential supply formulation. Given that the derived input demand for energy is inelastic, it is more price-responsive than the other inputs. The results also indicate that the U.S. aggregate agricultural supply function is responsive to energy prices.differential input demand, concavity constrained, energy, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Demand and Price Analysis, Financial Economics, Industrial Organization, Labor and Human Capital, Land Economics/Use, Marketing, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, C30, Q11, Q42,
A Possible Resolution of the Black Hole Information Puzzle
The problem of information loss is considered under the assumption that the
process of black hole evaporation terminates in the decay of the black hole
interior into a baby universe. We show that such theories can be decomposed
into superselection sectors labeled by eigenvalues of the third-quantized baby
universe field operator, and that scattering is unitary within each
superselection sector. This result relies crucially on the quantum-mechanical
variability of the decay time. It is further argued that the decay rate in the
black hole rest frame is necessarily proportional to , where
is the total entropy produced during the evaporation process,
entailing a very long-lived remnant.Comment: 15 pages, 3 uuencoded figures. Revised version contains some
notational simplification
Reversals of the solar magnetic dipole in the light of observational data and simple dynamo models
Observations show that the photospheric solar magnetic dipole usually does
not vanish during the reversal of the solar magnetic field, which occurs in
each solar cycle. In contrast, mean-field solar dynamo models predict that the
dipole field does become zero. In a recent paper Moss et al. (2013) suggested
that this contradiction can be explained as a large-scale manifestation of
small-scale magnetic fluctuations of the surface poloidal field. Here we
compare this interpretation with WSO (Wilcox Solar Observatory) photospheric
magnetic field data in order to determine the amplitude of magnetic
fluctuations required to explain the phenomenon and to compare the results with
predictions from a simple dynamo model which takes these fluctuations into
account. We demonstrate that the WSO data concerning the magnetic dipole
reversals are very similar to the predictions of our very simple solar dynamo
model, which includes both mean magnetic field and fluctuations. The ratio
between the rms value of the magnetic fluctuations and the mean field is
estimated to be about 2, in reasonable agreement with estimates from sunspot
data. The reversal epoch, during which the fluctuating contribution to the
dipole is larger than that from the mean field, is about 4 months. The memory
time of the fluctuations is about 2 months. Observations demonstrate that the
rms of the magnetic fluctuations is strongly modulated by the phase of the
solar cycle. This gives additional support to the concept that the solar
magnetic field is generated by a single dynamo mechanism rather than also by
independent small-scale dynamo action. A suggestion of a weak nonaxsymmetric
magnetic field of a fluctuating nature arises from the analysis, with a
lifetime of about 1 year.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, accepted versio
Gallium concentration dependence of room-temperature near-bandedge luminescence in n-type ZnO:Ga
We investigated the optical properties of epitaxial \textit{n}-type ZnO films
grown on lattice-matched ScAlMgO substrates. As the Ga doping concentration
increased up to cm, the absorption edge showed a
systematic blueshift, consistent with the Burstein-Moss effect. A bright
near-bandedge photoluminescence (PL) could be observed even at room
temperature, the intensity of which increased monotonically as the doping
concentration was increased except for the highest doping level. It indicates
that nonradiative transitions dominate at a low doping density. Both a Stokes
shift and broadening in the PL band are monotonically increasing functions of
donor concentration, which was explained in terms of potential fluctuations
caused by the random distribution of donor impurities.Comment: accepted for publication for Applied Physics Letters 4 figure
âWaiting for Godotâ- Restructuring on Small Family Farms
This paper examines the extent to which favourable off-farm labour market conditions coupled with growth in land values have contributed to the observed resilience of small scale family farms. We use data from Northern Ireland and employ farm household optimisation models to analyse household decision making processes that contribute to the observed inertia in farm structure. The analysis indicates that farm household behaviour is influenced not just by current farm income, but also expected capital asset returns. Increased wealth, associated with continuing land ownership, gives rise to the proposition that the link between off-farm incomes, increased land values and remaining in farming may be associated with farmers pursuing wealth maximizing objectives, whilst still maintaining a rural way of life. Alongside increased wealth through land ownership the farm household model quantifies the importance of off-farm income removing the pressure from farming income to fund all family consumption needs. This enables households to sustain low-income farming activities in order to pursue other objectives such as wealth management (including tax efficient transfer of wealth) and lifestyle. Consequently, the results indicate that the survival of small-scale family farms may be much less sensitive to agricultural support policies than has been commonly suggested. In an extension that explores the effects of the recent economic turbulence due to the âcredit crunchâ we find that the households remain resilient even when subjected to a protracted period of reduced off-farm employment.Farm households, resilience, wealth accumulation, off-farm income, Consumer/Household Economics, Productivity Analysis, C61, Q12,
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