THREE ESSAYS ON TOURISM DEMAND AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

The global tourism industry has experienced sustained growth over the years even in the face of economic shocks. International travel for tourism purposes continues to grow albeit at different rates in developed and developing countries. The trend is suggestive of the significant impact of tourism on the global economy and social phenomena since the last century. A similar trend is observed in the United States as tourism contributes to the economy by generating revenues and creating jobs. The United States is a significant player in global tourism, being the largest exporter and the second largest importer of tourism. It is also the leading recipient of revenues from international tourists (ITA-NTTO, 2015). The growing relevance of tourism to economic development in the United States underscores the need to explore the nature of this relationship. This study, therefore, investigates the relationship between tourism demand and economic growth in three papers. The first essay discusses the nature of the causal linkages between tourism and economic growth and how these respond to shocks in the system using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model, the Impulse Response Function, and the Generalized Variance Decomposition respectively. The second essay investigates the economic growth and disaggregated tourism industries including accommodation, air transportation, shopping, food and beverage, other transportation, and recreation and entertainment. The paper employed the ARDL Bounds test and the Toda-Yamamoto Augmented Granger causality test to determine the direction of causality. In the third essay, I use a variety of econometric methods within the gravity model framework to highlight the static and dynamic determinants of inbound tourism to the United States. The findings from these essays confirm the economic-driven tourism growth (EDTG) hypothesis when aggregate tourism data is used. When disaggregated, the results show causality running from economic growth to each of the six tourism sub-industries. The results also emphasize the importance of some push and pull factors that influence U.S. tourism demand. The gravity variable such as incomes of the origin and destination countries and distance are significant determinants of inbound tourism to the U.S. Other economic, demographic, cultural, government policies, and incidental factors have a significant influence on tourism demand. The study further confirms the Linder hypothesis in the U.S. tourism literature and observe that habit persistence and/or word-of-mouth drive foreign visit to the United States

Using SAP R/3 To Teach Fixed Asset Accounting And Business Process Reporting

This paper describes a simulation model specifically for the Financial Accounting Information Systems course – an SAP enabled course for junior Accounting majors.  Supporting and measuring the Supply Chain through technology is a key goal of Accounting and should therefore be reflected in an Accounting curriculum.  It will assist students to learn both the benefits, and costs, involved with implementing ERP software.  The purpose of this case is to present students with a set of business scenarios, and allow for the students to make educated and knowledgeable decisions using the SAP R/3 software.  The scenarios will act as a simplified replication of the business environment; thus, they will provide the students with an integrated learning experience.  Students make business decisions to ensure the profitability and cash flow of their respective product lines.  While making these decisions, students participate in the application and analysis provided by IDES, the simulated company integrated into the SAP system.  Eventually, they will need to justify the existence of their division by presenting profitability analysis.  To provide a “learning-by-doing” experience, the scenarios will be used to demonstrate the reporting functionality within IDES.  Today’s global economy is putting a premium on the ability of students to evaluate a broad range of decisions in collaboration with adaptive supply chains.  A critical component of the evolving accounting curriculum lies in the ability to extend students beyond the numbers to evaluate the effective and efficient delivery of these supply chains.  This paper includes our Fixed Asset Explorer Scenario, as well as a Capital Budgeting Analysis using Microsoft Excel

Robust determination of the major merger fraction at z = 0.6 in Groth Strip

(Abridged) We measure the fraction of galaxies undergoing disk-disk major mergers (f_m) at intermediate redshifts (0.35 <= z < 0.85) by studying the asymmetry index A of galaxy images. Results are provided for B- and Ks-band absolute magnitude selected samples from the Groth strip in the GOYA photometric survey. Three sources of systematic error are carefully addressed: (i) we avoid morphological K-corrections, (ii) we measure asymmetries in artificially redshifted to z_d = 0.75 galaxies to lead with loss of morphological information with redshift, and (iii) we take into account the observational errors in z and A, that tend to overestimate the merger fraction, by maximum likelihood techniques. We find: (i) our data allow for a robust merger fraction to be provided for a single redshift bin centered at z=0.6. (ii) Merger fractions have low values: f_m = 0.045 for M_B <= -20 galaxies, and f_m = 0.031 for M_Ks <= -23.5 galaxies. And, (iii) failure to address the effects of the observational errors leads to overestimating f_m by factors of 10%-60%. Combining our results with those on literature, and parameterizing the merger fraction evolution as f_m(z) = f_m(0)(1+z)^m, we obtain that m = 2.9 +- 0.8, and f_m(0) = 0.012 +- 0.004$. Assuming a Ks-band mass-to-light ratio not varying with luminosity, we infer that the merger rate of galaxies with stellar mass M >= 3.5x10^10 M_Sun is R_m = 1.6x10^-4 Mpc^-3 Gyr^-1. When we compare with previous studies at similar redshifts, we find that the merger rate decreases when mass increases.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 11 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Formatted with emulateap

Kinematic properties of early-type galaxy haloes using planetary nebulae

We present new planetary nebulae (PNe) positions, radial velocities, and magnitudes for 6 early-type galaxies obtained with the Planetary Nebulae Spectrograph, their two-dimensional velocity and velocity dispersion fields. We extend this study to include an additional 10 early-type galaxies with PNe radial velocity measurements available from the literature, to obtain a broader description of the outer-halo kinematics in early-type galaxies. These data extend the information derived from stellar kinematics to typically up to ~8 Re. The combination of photometry, stellar and PNe kinematics shows: i) good agreement between the PNe number density and the stellar surface brightness in the region where the two data sets overlap; ii) good agreement between PNe and stellar kinematics; iii) that the mean rms velocity profiles fall into two groups: with of the galaxies characterized by slowly decreasing profiles and the remainder having steeply falling profiles; iv) a larger variety of velocity dispersion profiles; v) that twists and misalignments in the velocity fields are more frequent at large radii, including some fast rotators; vi) that outer haloes are characterised by more complex radial profiles of the specific angular momentum-related lambda_R parameter than observed within 1Re; vii) that many objects are more rotationally dominated at large radii than in their central parts; and viii) that the halo kinematics are correlated with other galaxy properties, such as total luminosity, isophotal shape, total stellar mass, V/sigma, and alpha parameter, with a clear separation between fast and slow rotators.Comment: 36 pages, 21 figures, revised version for MNRA

The Grizzly, April 15, 1983

Second Attack: Improvements Sought for Security • New Senior Fund • Seminar Planned • The A\u27s Come to Helfferich Hall • Letter to the Editor: Most Abominable Act • Faculty Promotions Approved • President\u27s Corner • Sexual Assault in Quad • Security Tips • Nuclear Freeze Concert • Ursinus Representatives at UN • Ice Cream Night at Bear\u27s Den • Final Exam Schedule • Republicans for Rock! • Escape From Ursinus • Bear Batsmen Drop Slugfest • Men\u27s Track Evens Up • Men\u27s Tennis Nets Two Wins • Girls\u27 Nets Optimistic • Men\u27s Lacrosse Victorioushttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1098/thumbnail.jp

The Density Profiles of Massive, Relaxed Galaxy Clusters. II. Separating Luminous and Dark Matter in Cluster Cores

We present stellar and dark matter (DM) density profiles for a sample of seven massive, relaxed galaxy clusters derived from strong and weak gravitational lensing and resolved stellar kinematic observations within the centrally-located brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). In Paper I of the series, we demonstrated that the total density profile derived from these data, which span 3 decades in radius, is consistent with numerical DM-only simulations at radii >~ 5-10 kpc, despite the significant contribution of stellar material in the core. Here we decompose the inner mass profiles of these clusters into stellar and dark components. Parametrizing the DM density profile as a power law rho_DM ~ r^{-\beta} on small scales, we find a mean slope = 0.50 +- 0.10 (random) +0.14-0.13 (systematic). Alternatively, cored Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profiles with = 1.14 +- 0.13 (random) +0.14-0.22 (systematic) provide an equally good description. These density profiles are significantly shallower than canonical NFW models at radii <~ 30 kpc, comparable to the effective radii of the BCGs. The inner DM profile is correlated with the distribution of stars in the BCG, suggesting a connection between the inner halo and the assembly of stars in the central galaxy. The stellar mass-to-light ratio inferred from lensing and stellar dynamics is consistent with that inferred using stellar population synthesis models if a Salpeter initial mass function is adopted. We compare these results to theories describing the interaction between baryons and DM in cluster cores, including adiabatic contraction models and the possible effects of galaxy mergers and active galactic nucleus feedback, and evaluate possible signatures of alternative DM candidates.Comment: Updated to matched the published version in Ap

The slope of the mass profile and the tilt of the fundamental plane in early-type galaxies

We present a survey, using the Chandra X-ray observatory, of the central gravitating mass profiles in a sample of 10 galaxies, groups and clusters, spanning ~2 orders of magnitude in virial mass. We find the total mass distributions from ~0.2--10Re, where Re is the optical effective radius of the central galaxy, are remarkably similar to powerlaw density profiles. The negative logarithmic slope of the mass density profiles, alpha, systematically varies with Re, from alpha=2, for systems with Re~4kpc to alpha=1.2 for systems with Re>30kpc. Departures from hydrostatic equilibrium are likely to be small and cannot easily explain this trend. We show that the conspiracy between the baryonic (Sersic) and dark matter (NFW/ Einasto) components required to maintain a powerlaw total mass distribution naturally predicts an anti-correlation between alpha and Re that is very close to what is observed. The systematic variation of alpha with Re implies a dark matter fraction within Re that varies systematically with the properties of the galaxy in such a manner as to reproduce, without fine tuning, the observed tilt of the fundamental plane. We speculate that establishing a nearly powerlaw total mass distribution is therefore a fundamental feature of galaxy formation and the primary factor which determines the tilt of the fundamental plane.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Minor revisions to match accepted versio

Galaxy growth by merging in the nearby universe

We measure the mass growth rate by merging for a wide range of galaxy types. We present the small-scale (0.014 < r < 11 h70^{-1} Mpc) projected cross-correlation functions w(rp) of galaxy subsamples from the spectroscopic sample of the NYU VAGC (5 \times 10^5 galaxies of redshifts 0.03 < z < 0.15) with galaxy subsamples from the SDSS imaging (4 \times 10^7 galaxies). We use smooth fits to de-project the two-dimensional functions w(rp) to obtain smooth three-dimensional real-space cross-correlation functions \xi(r) for each of several spectroscopic subsamples with each of several imaging subsamples. Because close pairs are expected to merge, the three-space functions and dynamical evolution time estimates provide galaxy accretion rates. We find that the accretion onto massive blue galaxies and onto red galaxies is dominated by red companions, and that onto small-mass blue galaxies, red and blue galaxies make comparable contributions. We integrate over all types of companions and find that at fixed stellar mass, the total fractional accretion rates onto red galaxies (\sim 1.5 h70 percent per Gyr) is greater than that onto blue galaxies (\sim 0.5 h70 percent per Gyr). Although these rates are very low, they are almost certainly over-estimates because we have assumed that all close pairs merge as quickly as dynamical friction permits.Comment: submitted to APJ on 08/20/201

Red Nuggets at z~1.5: Compact passive galaxies and the formation of the Kormendy Relation

We present the results of NICMOS imaging of a sample of 16 high mass passively evolving galaxies with 1.3<z<2, taken primarily from the Gemini Deep Deep Survey. Around 80% of galaxies in our sample have spectra dominated by stars with ages >1 Gyr. Our rest-frame R-band images show that most of these objects have compact regular morphologies which follow the classical R^1/4 law. These galaxies scatter along a tight sequence in the Kormendy relation. Around one-third of the massive red objects are extraordinarily compact, with effective radii under one kiloparsec. Our NICMOS observations allow the detection of such systems more robustly than is possible with optical (rest-frame UV) data, and while similar systems have been seen at z>2, this is the first time such systems have been detected in a rest-frame optical survey at 1.3<z<2. We refer to these compact galaxies as "red nuggets". Similarly compact massive galaxies are completely absent in the nearby Universe. We introduce a new "stellar mass Kormendy relation" (stellar mass density vs size) which isolates the effects of size evolution from those of luminosity and color evolution. The 1.1 < z < 2 passive galaxies have mass densities that are an order of magnitude larger then early type galaxies today and are comparable to the compact distant red galaxies at 2 < z < 3. We briefly consider mechanisms for size evolution in contemporary models focusing on equal-mass mergers and adiabatic expansion driven by stellar mass loss. Neither of these mechanisms appears able to transform the high-redshift Kormendy relation into its local counterpart. Comment: Accepted version (to appear in ApJ

Gravitational Quenching by Clumpy Accretion in Cool Core Clusters: Convective Dynamical Response to Overheating

Many galaxy clusters pose a "cooling-flow problem", where the observed X-ray emission from their cores is not accompanied by enough cold gas or star formation. A continuous energy source is required to balance the cooling rate over the whole core volume. We address the feasibility of a gravitational heating mechanism, utilizing the gravitational energy released by the gas that streams into the potential well of the cluster dark-matter halo. We focus here on a specific form of gravitational heating in which the energy is transferred to the medium thorough the drag exerted on inflowing gas clumps. Using spheri-symmetric hydro simulations with a subgrid representation of these clumps, we confirm our earlier estimates that in haloes >=10^13 solar masses the gravitational heating is more efficient than the cooling everywhere. The worry was that this could overheat the core and generate an instability that might push it away from equilibrium. However, we find that the overheating does not change the global halo properties, and that convection can stabilize the cluster by carrying energy away from the overheated core. In a typical rich cluster of 10^{14-15}solar masses, with ~5% of the accreted baryons in gas clumps of ~10^8 solar masses, we derive upper and lower limits for the temperature and entropy profiles and show that they are consistent with those observed in cool-core clusters. We predict the density and mass of cold gas and the level of turbulence driven by the clump accretion. We conclude that gravitational heating is a feasible mechanism for preventing cooling flows in clusters.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted by MNRA