Factor demand linkages, technology shocks, and the business cycle

This paper argues that factor demand linkages can be important for the transmission of both sectoral and aggregate shocks. We show this using a panel of highly disaggregated manufacturing sectors together with sectoral structural VARs. When sectoral interactions are explicitly accounted for, a contemporaneous technology shock to all manufacturing sectors implies a positive response in both output and hours at the aggregate level. Otherwise there is a negative correlation, as in much of the existing literature. Furthermore, we find that technology shocks are important drivers of the business cycle

On Quantum Jumps, Events and Spontaneous Localization Models

We propose a definite meaning to the concepts of "experiment", "measurement" and "event" in the event-enhanced formalism of quantum theory. A minimal piecewise deterministic process is given that can be used for a computer simulation of real time series of experiments on single quantum objects. As an example a generalized cloud chamber is described, including multiparticle case. Relation to the GRW spontaneous localization model is discussed. The second revised version of the paper contains references to papers by other authors that are are aiming in the same direction: to enhance quantum theory in such a way that it will provide stochastic description of events triggered by individual quantum systems.Comment: 20 page

Making FORS2 fit for exoplanet observations (again)

For about three years, it was known that precision spectrophotometry with FORS2 suffered from systematic errors that made quantitative observations of planetary transits impossible. We identified the Longitudinal Atmospheric Dispersion Compensator (LADC) as the most likely culprit, and therefore engaged in a project to exchange the LADC prisms with the uncoated ones from FORS1. This led to a significant improvement in the depth of FORS2 zero points, a reduction in the systematic noise, and should make FORS2 again competitive for transmission spectroscopy of exoplanets.Comment: To appear in the March issue of the ESO Messenge

Causal perturbation theory in terms of retarded products, and a proof of the Action Ward Identity

In the framework of perturbative algebraic quantum field theory a local construction of interacting fields in terms of retarded products is performed, based on earlier work of Steinmann. In our formalism the entries of the retarded products are local functionals of the off shell classical fields, and we prove that the interacting fields depend only on the action and not on terms in the Lagrangian which are total derivatives, thus providing a proof of Stora's 'Action Ward Identity'. The theory depends on free parameters which flow under the renormalization group. This flow can be derived in our local framework independently of the infrared behavior, as was first established by Hollands and Wald. We explicitly compute non-trivial examples for the renormalization of the interaction and the field.Comment: 76 pages, to appear in Rev. Math. Phy

Competitive selection, trade, and employment:The strategic use of subsidies

We thank Holger Görg, Philipp Schröder, Fredrik Sjöholm, participants at the Danish International Economics Workshop, seminar participants at Aberdeen, Sheffield and Loughborough, three anonymous referees and the Editor of the journal, for helpful comments and suggestions. Funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 290647 is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewedPostprin

Job Growth in Early Transition: Comparing Two Paths

Small start-up firms are the engine of job creation in early transition and yet little is known about the characteristics of this new sector. We seek to identify patterns of job growth in this sector in terms of niches left from central planning and ask about differences in job creation across two different transition economies: Estonia, which experienced rapid destruction of the pre-existing firms, and the Czech Republic, which reduced the old sector gradually. We find job growth within industries to be quantitatively more important than job growth due to across-industry reallocation. Furthermore, the industrial composition of startups is strikingly similar in the two countries. We offer convergence to "western" industry firm-size distributions as an explanation. We also find regularities in wage evolution across new and old firms, including small differences in job quality across the two transition paths.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39888/3/wp503.pd

Raman and nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of alkali metal vapor interaction with alkene-based anti-relaxation coating

The use of anti-relaxation coatings in alkali vapor cells yields substantial performance improvements by reducing the probability of spin relaxation in wall collisions by several orders of magnitude. Some of the most effective anti-relaxation coating materials are alpha-olefins, which (as in the case of more traditional paraffin coatings) must undergo a curing period after cell manufacturing in order to achieve the desired behavior. Until now, however, it has been unclear what physicochemical processes occur during cell curing, and how they may affect relevant cell properties. We present the results of nondestructive Raman-spectroscopy and magnetic-resonance investigations of the influence of alkali metal vapor (Cs or K) on an alpha-olefin, 1-nonadecene coating the inner surface of a glass cell. It was found that during the curing process, the alkali metal catalyzes migration of the carbon-carbon double bond, yielding a mixture of cis- and trans-2-nonadecene.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Contributions to the Power Spectrum of Cosmic Microwave Background from Fluctuations Caused by Clusters of Galaxies

We estimate the contributions to the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) power spectrum from the static and kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effects, and from the moving cluster of galaxies (MCG) effect. We conclude, in agreement with other studies, that at sufficiently small scales secondary fluctuations caused by clusters provide important contributions to the CMBR. At $\ell \gtrsim 3000$, these secondary fluctuations become important relative to lensed primordial fluctuations. Gravitational lensing at small angular scales has been proposed as a way to break the ``geometric degeneracy'' in determining fundamental cosmological parameters. We show that this method requires the separation of the static SZ effect, but the kinematic SZ effect and the MCG effect are less important. The power spectrum of secondary fluctuations caused by clusters of galaxies, if separated from the spectrum of lensed primordial fluctuations, might provide an independent constraint on several important cosmological parameters.Comment: LateX, 41 pages and 10 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Scattering defect in large diameter titanium-doped sapphire crystals grown by the Kyropoulos technique

International audienceThe Kyropoulos technique allows growing large diameter Ti doped sapphire for Chirped pulse amplification laser. A scattering defect peculiar to Kyropoulos grown crystals is presented. This defect is characterized by different techniques: luminescence, absorption measurement, X-ray rocking curve. The impact of this defect to the potential application in chirped pulse amplification CPA laser is evaluated. The nature of this defect is discussed. Modified convexity of the interface is proposed to avoid the formation of this defect and increase the quality of the Ti sapphire crystal

2018-5 The Collapse and Recovery of the Capital Share in East Germany After 1989

After the 1990 unification, East Germany's capital income share plunged to 15.2 percent in 1991, then increased to 37.4 percent by 2015. To account for these large changes in the capital share, I model an economy that gains access to a higher productivity technology embodied in new plants. As existing low productivity plants decrease production, the capital share varies due to the non-convex production technology: plants require a minimum amount of labor to produce output. Two policies - transfers and government-mandated wage increases - have opposite effects on output growth, but contribute to lowering the capital share early in the transition