A VALUE PLATFORM ANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE ON CUSTOMER ACCESS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Customer access information technologies (CAITs) provide a link between a firm and its customers. Firms invest in CAITs to reduce costs, increase revenues and market share, lock in existing customers and capture new ones. These benefits, however, are notoriously difficult to measure. This paper proposes an evaluative method for CAlT deployment called value platform analysis, that is based on a conceptual model drawn from the theory of retail outlet deployment in marketing science. The model focuses on the impact of CAIT features and environmental features on transactions generated by the CAIT. Specific econometric models are developed for deployment. Hypotheses regarding the likely impact of automated teller machine (ATM) location design choices and environmental features on ATM transactions are evaluated. The results indicate that there are a number of key features influencing ATM performance. Two distinct ATM deployment scenarios emerge: one for servicing a bank's own customers, and another for providing transaction services for customers for a fee.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Dust in Supernovae and Supernova Remnants I : Formation Scenarios

Supernovae are considered as prime sources of dust in space. Observations of local supernovae over the past couple of decades have detected the presence of dust in supernova ejecta. The reddening of the high redshift quasars also indicate the presence of large masses of dust in early galaxies. Considering the top heavy IMF in the early galaxies, supernovae are assumed to be the major contributor to these large amounts of dust. However, the composition and morphology of dust grains formed in a supernova ejecta is yet to be understood with clarity. Moreover, the dust masses inferred from observations in mid-infrared and submillimeter wavelength regimes differ by two orders of magnitude or more. Therefore, the mechanism responsible for the synthesis of molecules and dust in such environments plays a crucial role in studying the evolution of cosmic dust in galaxies. This review summarises our current knowledge of dust formation in supernova ejecta and tries to quantify the role of supernovae as dust producers in a galaxy.Peer reviewe

8-13 micron dust emission features in Galactic bulge planetary nebulae

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com '. Copyright Blackwell Publishing. DOI : 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.04750.xA sample of 25 IR-bright planetary nebulae (PNe) towards the Galactic bulge is analysed through 8–13μm spectroscopy. The classification of the warm-dust emission features provides a measure of the C/O chemical balance, and represents the first C/O estimates for bulge PNe. Out of 13 PNe with identified dust types, 4 PNe have emission features associated with C-based grains, while the remaining 9 have O-rich dust signatures. The low fraction of C-rich PNe, <∼ 30%, contrasts with that for local PNe, around 80%, although it follows the trend for a decreasing frequency of C-rich PNe with galactocentric radius (paper I). We investigate whether the PNe discussed here are linked to the bulge stellar population (similar to type IV, or halo, PNe) or the inner Galactic disk (a young and super-metal-rich population). Although 60% of the PNe with warm dust are convincing bulge members, none of the C-rich PNe satisfy our criteria, and they are probably linked to the inner Galactic disk. In the framework of single star evolution, the available information on bulge PNe points towards a progenitor population similar in age to that of local PNe (type I PNe are found in similar proportions), but super-metal-rich (to account for the scarcity of C-rich objects). Yet the metallicities of bulge PNe, as inferred from [O/H], fail to reach the required values - except for the C-rich objects. It is likely that the sample discussed here is derived from a mixed disk/bulge progenitor population and dominated by type IV PNe, as suggested by Peimbert (1992). The much higher fraction of O-rich PNe in this sample than in the solar neighbourhood should result in a proportionally greater injection of silicate grains into the inner Galactic medium.Peer reviewe

Radio and infrared recombination studies of the southern massive star forming region G333.6-0.2

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com. Copyright Blackwell Publishing DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10255.xPeer reviewe

The Extended Mid-Infrared Structure of the Circinus Galaxy

Peer reviewe

Imaging polarimetry of class I young stellar objects

We present near-infrared imaging polarimetry of three class I young stellar objects in the Taurus-Auriga dark cloud. We use Monte Carlo simulations to analyse the flux distributions and polarization patterns of these three sources and five others from an earlier paper. In addition, we present high-resolution polarimetry of HL Tau using the shift and add technique. Most young stellar objects in the sample display sharp, unresolved, peaks in the scattered light distribution. This is most simply explained by a strong concentration of matter in the centre, which we model by applying the rho proportional to r(-1.5) power law throughout the envelope. In terms of the Ulrich/Terebey, Shu and Cassen solution for the late stages of contraction of an initially spherical non-magnetic cloud, this corresponds to r(c) < 10 au. However, this almost spherically symmetric density distribution is inconsistent with observations of flattened, disc-like structures, so we conclude that this solution is not appropriate and different initial conditions apply. The multiple-scattering models with spherical grains do not reproduce some features of the observed polarization patterns, in particular the broad regions of aligned vectors seen in some sources. We interpret this as evidence for elongated aligned grains. The weak wavelength dependence of nebular morphology shows that the dust grains in circumstellar envelopes obey a much shallower extinction law than interstellar grains in the near-infrared, which we describe by the opacity ratio kappa(J/K) = 1.8 +/- 0.3, compared to the interstellar value of 3.25. We place an upper limit on albedo of omega < 0.6 from 1.25 to 2.2 mu m and we find 0.1 < omega < 0.6 at 2.2 mu m. Analysis of the quadrupolar source IRAS 04302+2247 indicates that the scattering function is not highly fonvard-throwing, which we express by the constraint g = [cos(theta)] < 0.4. With the addition of two more observables derived from the observed degrees of linear and circular polarization, we identify five empirical constraints on the properties of circumstellar dust. After calculating these observables for grain mixtures with a wide range of refractive indices and a variety of size distributions, we find that highly metallic spherical grains or highly elongated grains can satisfy these constraints and the size distribution extends to a greater than or similar to 0.351 mu m. Amorphous carbon is the most plausible absorptive component, since graphite appears to be ruled out by its strong dispersion in the near-infrared.Peer reviewe

Butterfly star in Taurus: Structures of young stellar objects

We present high-resolution, near-infrared images of a sample of five low-mass young stellar objects in the Taurus-Auriga dark cloud, mostly observed with the 'shift and add' technique, together with deep polarimetric images. These systems are at the 'Class I' phase of evolution, prior to the T Tauri phase. Monte Carlo models tailored to the individual sources support the view that the flux distribution of the circumstellar nebulosity arises from an envelope with a bipolar cavity, but show that dust in outflows can also be prominent in the near-infrared. The source IRAS 04302+2247 is analysed in detail, since it displays a unique quadrupolar morphology, which is explained in terms of a system oriented precisely edge-on with a perpendicular outflow. The masses of the envelopes derived from the models are in good agreement with estimates obtained from submillimetre thermal fluxes and estimates derived from CS(J=2-1) emission. Constraints are placed on envelope and cavity structure, indicating higher density near the equatorial plane, smooth, continuous density profiles and physically thin inner discs. Three of the five systems show evidence for two bipolar cavity/outflow systems, perhaps indicating that these are close binaries. The very high (up to 80 per cent) degrees of polarization observed in the envelopes show that the scattering is dominated by small, interstellar-type dust grains, and the morphologies and high polarizations of the cores show that the protostars themselves are usually obscured at this phase of evolution, even at 3.7 mu m.Peer reviewe

Spectropolarimetry of the 3.4 m Band in the Quintuplet

Original paper can be found at: http://161.58.115.79/pubs/cs/328.html--Copyright Astronomical Society of the PacificWe present spectropolarimetry of the 3.4?m solid hydrocarbon absorption feature arising in the ISM toward the Quintuplet member GCS3-II, permitting for the first time a comparison of the hydrocarbon and silicate polarizations in the same line of sight. The hydrocarbon band is not measurably polarized, strengthening our previous conclusion that the silicates and carbonaceous grains form distinct populations

Infrared spectropolarimetric observations of BNKL : the grain alignment mechanism

Original article can be found via: http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/ Copyright Royal Astronomical Society [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]Spectropolarimetric observations between 8 - 13 μm of BN, IRc 2, 3, 4 and a further region in the Orion infrared complex BNKL are presented. Apart from IRc 2, all show evidence for absorption by aligned grains and have polarization position angles directed at a region close to IRc 2, a property also shared by the self-luminous source IRc 9 at short wavelengths. The evidence strongly suggests that grains are aligned by the intrinsic angular momentum of photons from IRc 2 and it is shown that this is a quantitatively plausible mechanism for the physical conditions in this part of Orion.Peer reviewe