The law's interface with expanding technology

The role of the law in technology assessment is described in generalized terms of a legal system as it confronts expanding technology. The functions of a technology assessment are considered to be twofold; provide for legislative action designed to channel technological advance along lines which are regarded as optimal from the standpoint of society's interests; and encourage and promote legislative action which will deal decisively with the potential disruptions and injuries caused by technology at a much earlier stage of the growth of the technology than is feasible under the present legal system. It is concluded that since new law always has a disruptive effect on expectations and commitments arrived at under old law, it is generally desirable that new legislation should make the least possible change in the law consistant with accomplishing the desired objective

The new technological era - A view from the law

Legal implications in technological advance

Topological Black Holes of Einstein-Yang-Mills dilaton Gravity

We present the topological solutions of Einstein-dilaton gravity in the presence of a non-Abelian Yang-Mills field. In 4 dimensions, we consider the $So(3)$ and $So(2,1)$ semisimple group as the Yang-Mills gauge group, and introduce the black hole solutions with spherical and hyperbolic horizons, respectively. The solution in the absence of dilaton potential is asymptotically flat and exists only with spherical horizon. Contrary to the non-extreme Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, which has two horizons with a timelike and avoidable singularity, here the solution may present a black hole with a null and unavoidable singularity with only one horizon. In the presence of dilaton potential, the asymptotic behavior of the solutions is neither flat nor anti-de Sitter. These solutions contain a null and avoidable singularity, and may present a black hole with two horizons, an extreme black hole or a naked singularity. We also calculate the mass of the solutions through the use of a modified version of Brown and York formalism, and consider the first law of thermodynamics.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

The unusual distribution of molecular gas and star formation in Arp 140

We investigate the atomic and molecular interstellar medium and star formation of NGC 275, the late-type spiral galaxy in Arp 140, which is interacting with NGC 274, an early-type system. The atomic gas (HI) observations reveal a tidal tail from NGC 275 which extends many optical radii beyond the interacting pair. The HI morphology implies a prograde encounter between the galaxy pair approximately 1.5 x 10**8 years ago. The Halpha emission from NGC 275 indicates clumpy irregular star-formation, clumpiness which is mirrored by the underlying mass distribution as traced by the Ks-band emission. The molecular gas distribution is striking in its anti-correlation with the {HII regions. Despite the evolved nature of NGC 275's interaction and its barred potential, neither the molecular gas nor the star formation are centrally concentrated. We suggest that this structure results from stochastic star formation leading to preferential consumption of the gas in certain regions of the galaxy. In contrast to the often assumed picture of interacting galaxies, NGC 275, which appears to be close to merger, does not display enhanced or centrally concentrated star formation. If the eventual merger is to lead to a significant burst of star formation it must be preceded by a significant conversion of atomic to molecular gas as at the current rate of star formation all the molecular gas will be exhausted by the time the merger is complete.Comment: 13 paper, accepted my Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

Engineering study for a mass memory system for advanced spacecrafts Final report, 1 Dec. 1969 - 1 Jul. 1970

Mass memory system for advanced spacecraf