Recent results on self-dual configurations on the torus

We review the recent progress on our understanding of self-dual SU(N) Yang-Mills configurations on the torus.Comment: Latex 3 pages, 1 figure. Contribution to the Lat99 Proceeding

Effects of inoculum type, packing material and operating conditions on pentane biofiltration

Biofilters are an interesting alternative to treat airstreams polluted with gaseous alkanes from industrial activities. These hydrophobic compounds are difficult to treat by bacterial communities which are generally used in biofiltration. In this work, four fungal populations (3 consortia and Fusarium solani) were used as inocula in biofilters for treating pentane and hexane. The biofilters were packed with inorganic and organic materials (perlite and peat) and operated with the periodic addition of mineral medium at pH 4 supplemented with antibacterial agents to favor the development of fungi. To reduce the lag phase, the biofilters were inoculated with active mycelia. Lower performance was obtained with the peat biofilters. Sustained 100 % removal efficiencies were obtained with biofilters at an operation pentane load of = 32.9 ± 8.1 g m-3 h-1. Maximum elimination capacity of Cmax = 100 g m-3 h-1 was obtained with one of the fungal consortia; this value is higher than those usually reported for pentane degrading bacterial biofilters

Taxes, Trading or Both?: An Experimental Investigation of Abatement Investment under Alternative Emissions Regulation

Emissions taxes and emissions permit trading schemes are designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by providing incentives for large emitters to invest in less emissions-intensive production technologies. Whereas taxes place a fixed price on emissions, tradable permit schemes include a secondary permit market, from which allowance prices emerge after the regulation enters into force. Under a newly imposed regulation, the delay in price information contributes to uncertainty about the future cost of compliance that liable emitters will face, thereby challenging liable entities’ ability to make optimal abatement investment decisions. Using laboratory experiments, this thesis examines the effects of a policy regime that is similar to the one implemented in Australia in 2012. The regime includes a staged transition over time from a regulation-free environment, to an emissions tax and then to emissions trading. The thesis examines the effects of such a staged transition on investment decisions, the level of emissions, permit prices and trading behavior, comparing it to standard policy regimes of only an emissions tax and only emissions permit trading. The findings suggest that a regime based on a staged transition from a tax to permit trading results in lower compliance costs and higher overall allocative efficiency compared to a regime based solely on emissions trading in a market of heterogeneous producing firms

Micro and nano-patterning of single-crystal diamond by swift heavy ion irradiation

This paper presents experimental data and analysis of the structural damage caused by swift-heavy ion irradiation of single-crystal diamond. The patterned buried structural damage is shown to generate, via swelling, a mirror- pattern on the sample surface, which remains largely damage-free. While extensive results are available for light ion implantations, this effect is reported here for the first time in the heavy ion regime,where a completely different range of input parameters (in terms of ion species, energy, stopping power, etc.) is available for customized irradiation. The chosen ion species are Au and Br, in the energy range 10–40 MeV. The observed patterns, as characterized by profilometry and atomic force microscopy, are reported in a series ofmodel experiments,which show swelling patterns ranging from a few nm to above 200 nm. Moreover, a systematic phenomenological modeling is presented, inwhich surface swelling measurements are correlated to buried crystal damage. A comparison ismade with data for light ion implantations, showing good compatibilitywith the proposedmodels. The modeling presented in thiswork can be useful for the design and realization of micropatterned surfaces in single crystal diamond, allowing generating highly customized structures by combining appropriately chosen irradiation parameters and masks