Liquid-vapour asymmetry in pure fluids: A Monte Carlo simulation study

Monte Carlo simulations within the grand canonical ensemble are used to obtain the joint distribution of density and energy fluctuations $p_L(\rho,u)$ for two model fluids: a decorated lattice gas and a polymer system. In the near critical region the form of $p_L(\rho,u)$ is analysed using a mixed field finite-size-scaling theory that takes account of liquid-vapour asymmetry. Field mixing transformations are performed that map $p_L(\rho,u)$ onto the joint distribution of critical scaling operators \ptMEstar\ appropriate to the Ising fixed point. Carrying out this procedure permits a very accurate determination of the critical point parameters. By forming various projections of \ptMEstar , the full universal finite-size spectrum of the critical density and energy distributions of fluids is also obtained. In the sub-critical coexistence region, an examination is made of the influence of field mixing on the asymmetry of the density distribution.Comment: 19 pages Latex, 15 Figures available on request. Report Number #IP-94.15

Accurate Measurements of the Chemical Potential of Polymeric Systems by Monte-Carlo Simulation

We present a new Monte-Carlo method for estimating the chemical potential of model polymer systems. The method is based upon the gradual insertion of a penetrable `ghost' polymer into the system and is effective for large chain lengths and at high densities. Insertion of the ghost chain is facilitated by use of an expanded ensemble in which weighted transitions are permitted between states characterising the strength of the excluded volume and thermal interactions experienced by the ghost chain. We discuss the implementation and optimisation of the method within the framework of the bond fluctuation model, and demonstrate its precision by a calculation of the finite-size corrections to the chemical potential.Comment: 12 pages Latex, Report Number #IP-94.12

Concentration and energy fluctuations in a critical polymer mixture

A semi-grand-canonical Monte Carlo algorithm is employed in conjunction with the bond fluctuation model to investigate the critical properties of an asymmetric binary (AB) polymer mixture. By applying the equal peak-weight criterion to the concentration distribution, the coexistence curve separating the A-rich and B-rich phases is identified as a function of temperature and chemical potential. To locate the critical point of the model, the cumulant intersection method is used. The accuracy of this approach for determining the critical parameters of fluids is assessed. Attention is then focused on the joint distribution function of the critical concentration and energy, which is analysed using a mixed-field finite-size-scaling theory that takes due account of the lack of symmetry between the coexisting phases. The essential Ising character of the binary polymer critical point is confirmed by mapping the critical scaling operator distributions onto independently known forms appropriate to the 3D Ising universality class. In the process, estimates are obtained for the field mixing parameters of the model which are compared both with those yielded by a previous method, and with the predictions of a mean field calculation.Comment: 17 pages Latex, 9 figures appended as uuencoded .gz tar fil

The Lot of the Unemployed: A Time Use Perspective

This paper provides new evidence on time use and subjective well-being of employed and unemployed individuals in 14 countries. We devote particular attention to characterizing and modeling job search intensity, measured by the amount of time devoted to searching for a new job. Job search intensity varies considerably across countries, and is higher in countries that have higher wage dispersion. We also examine the relationship between unemployment benefits and job search.unemployment benefits, time use, job search, unemployment, inequality

New Two-Dimensional Models of Supernova Explosions by the Neutrino-Heating Mechanism: Evidence for Different Instability Regimes in Collapsing Stellar Cores

The neutrino-driven explosion mechanism for core-collapse supernovae in its modern flavor relies on the additional support of hydrodynamical instabilities in achieving shock revival. Two possible candidates, convection and the so-called standing accretion shock instability (SASI), have been proposed for this role. In this paper, we discuss new successful simulations of supernova explosions that shed light on the relative importance of these two instabilities. While convection has so far been observed to grow first in self-consistent hydrodynamical models with multi-group neutrino transport, we here present the first such simulation in which the SASI grows faster while the development of convection is initially inhibited. We illustrate the features of this SASI-dominated regime using an explosion model of a 27 solar mass progenitor, which is contrasted with a convectively-dominated model of an 8.1 solar mass progenitor with subsolar metallicity, whose early post-bounce behavior is more in line with previous 11.2 and 15 solar mass explosion models. We analyze the conditions discriminating between the two different regimes, showing that a high mass-accretion rate and a short advection time-scale are conducive for strong SASI activity. We also briefly discuss some important factors for capturing the SASI-driven regime, such as general relativity, the progenitor structure, a nuclear equation of state leading to a compact proto-neutron star, and the neutrino treatment. Finally, we evaluate possible implications of our findings for 2D and 3D supernova simulations. Our results show that a better understanding of the SASI and convection in the non-linear regime is required.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures; revised version accepted for publication in Ap

The Lot of the Unemployed: A Time Use Perspective

This paper provides new evidence on time use and subjective well-being of employed and unemployed individuals in 14 countries. We devote particular attention to characterizing and modeling job search intensity, measured by the amount of time devoted to searching for a new job. Job search intensity varies considerably across countries, and is higher in countries that have higher wage dispersion. We also examine the relationship between unemployment benefits and job search.unemployment, job search, time use, unemployment benefits, inequality