Toy models for gravitational and scalar QED decoherence

We investigate the dynamics of two quantum mechanical oscillator system-bath toy models obtained by dimensionally truncating linearized gravity coupled to a massive scalar field and scalar QED. The scalar-gravity toy model maps onto the phase damped oscillator, while the scalar QED toy model approximately maps onto an oscillator system subject to two-photon damping. The toy models provide potentially useful insights into solving for open system quantum dynamics relevant to the full scalar QED and weak gravitational field systems, in particular the decoherence of initial scalar field system superposition states

Interface refactoring in performance-constrained web services

This paper presents the development of REF-WS an approach to enable a Web Service provider to reliably evolve their service through the application of refactoring transformations. REF-WS is intended to aid service providers, particularly in a reliability and performance constrained domain as it permits upgraded ’non-backwards compatible’ services to be deployed into a performance constrained network where existing consumers depend on an older version of the service interface. In order for this to be successful, the refactoring and message mediation needs to occur without affecting functional compatibility with the services’ consumers, and must operate within the performance overhead expected of the original service, introducing as little latency as possible. Furthermore, compared to a manually programmed solution, the presented approach enables the service developer to apply and parameterize refactorings with a level of confidence that they will not produce an invalid or ’corrupt’ transformation of messages. This is achieved through the use of preconditions for the defined refactorings

Exclusive Decay of 1−−1^{--} Quarkonia and BcB_c Meson into a Lepton Pair Combined with Two Pions

We study the exclusive decay of $J/\Psi$, $\Upsilon$ and $B_c$ into a lepton pair combined with two pions in the two kinematic regions. One is specified by the two pions having large momenta, but a small invariant mass. The other is specified by the two pions having small momenta. In both cases we find that in the heavy quark limit the decay amplitude takes a factorized form, in which the nonperturbative effect related to heavy meson is represented by a NRQCD matrix element. The nonperturbative effects related to the two pions are represented by some universal functions characterizing the conversion of gluons into the pions. Using models for these universal functions and chiral perturbative theory we are able to obtain numerical predictions for the decay widths. Our numerical results show that the decay of \jpsi is at order of $10^{-5}$ with reasonable cuts and can be observed at BES II and the proposed BES III and CLEO-C. For other decays the branching ratio may be too small to be measured.Comment: 19 pages, Latex 2e file, 12 EPS figures (included). Replaced with version to appear in Eur. Phys. J. C,published online: 8 May 200

Hybrid HVDC for supply of power to offshore oil platforms

A HVDC hybrid system, comprising a line commutated thyristor HVDC converter and a STATCOM, is proposed in this paper for supplying power to offshore oil platforms that do not have their own generation. The proposed system combines the robust performance, low capital cost and low power loss of a line commutated HVDC converter, with the fast dynamic performance of an equivalent VSC Transmission system. The paper describes the principles and control strategies of the proposed system. PSCAD/EMTDC simulations are presented to demonstrate the robust performance of the system using case studies of various operating conditions such as black-start, load perturbations, AC fault conditions and disturbance caused by the starting of large local induction machines