Constraining dark photon model with dark matter from CMB spectral distortions

Many extensions of Standard Model (SM) include a dark sector which can interact with the SM sector via a light mediator. We explore the possibilities to probe such a dark sector by studying the distortion of the CMB spectrum from the blackbody shape due to the elastic scatterings between the dark matter and baryons through a hidden light mediator. We in particular focus on the model where the dark sector gauge boson kinetically mixes with the SM and present the future experimental prospect for a PIXIE-like experiment along with its comparison to the existing bounds from complementary terrestrial experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figure

Does Monetary Policy Help Least Those Who Need It Most?

We estimate the impact of U.S. monetary policy on the cross-sectional distribution of state economic activity for a 35-year panel. Our results indicate that the effects of policy have a significant history dependence, in that relatively slow growth regions contract more following contractionarymonetary shocks. Moreover, policy is asymmetric, in that expansionary shocks have less of a beneficial impact upon relatively slow growth areas. As a result, we conclude that monetary policy on average widens the dispersion of growth rates among U.S. states, and those locations initially at the low end of the cross-sectional distribution benefit least from any given change inmonetary policy.Monetary policy, asymmetric effects, state dependence, regional business cycles

Searching for Axino-Like Particle at Fixed Target Experiments

We investigate the detectability of axino-like particle, which is defined as a supersymmetric partner of axion-like particle and can be a good candidate for dark matter in our Universe. Especially, we consider the fixed target experiments to search for the light axino-like particle with a neutralino as the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. We calculate the production and decay rate of neutralinos and the consequent number of events (such as photons and charged leptons) that are produced when the neutralinos decay to the axino-like particles.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Published in Physics of the Dark Univers

Conversion of Municipal Solid Wastes into Biochar through Hydrothermal Carbonization

In this study, the hydrothermal treatment of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) for the production of biochar as a renewable solid fuel was investigated. The properties of surrogate MSWs and mixtures of newspaper and vegetables were greatly improved by hydrothermal treatment and were similar to those of coal-like fuel substances. Hydrothermal treatment increased the calorific value, the fixed carbon, and carbon contents. The composition of the major biomass components of MSW was found to affect the alternation of their physical and chemical properties significantly. These characteristic changes in pure cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were similar to those of coalification at the hydrothermal reaction temperature range of 150–280°C. The treated products became a solid fuel substance, the characteristics of which corresponded with fuel between lignite and sub-bituminous coal. The results of this study indicate that hydrothermal treatment can be used as an effective means to generate highly energy-efficient renewable fuel resources using MSWs

Performance and Fouling in Pre-Denitrification Membrane Bioreactors Treating High-Strength Wastewater from Food Waste Disposers

The study investigated the performance of the pre-denitrification membrane bioreactor (MBR) process to treat high-strength wastewater generated from food waste disposals. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) as membrane foulant and microbial community profiles were analyzed under different hydraulic retention time (HRT) operation conditions. The pre-denitrification MBR was effective for treating food wastewater with high chemical oxygen demand (COD)/N resulting in high total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency. The operational data showed that effluent qualities in terms of COD, TN, and TP improved with longer HRT. However, membrane fouling potential as shown by specific membrane fouling rate and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) increased as HRT increased. The longer HRT conditions or lower influent loading led to higher levels of bound EPS while HRT did not show large effects on the level of soluble microbial products (SMP). The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis showed similar microbial banding patterns from the sludges generated under different HRT conditions, indicating that HRT had minimal effects on the composition of microbial communities in the system. All these results suggest that the MBR with pre-denitrification is a feasible option for treating high-strength food wastewater and that different HRT conditions could affect the operational performance and the fouling rate, which is governed via changes in microbial responses through EPS in the system

The Effect Of The Relationships Between Affiliated Firms On Direction Of Income Shifting Within Business Groups

In this study, we examined how income shifting performs among affiliates in a business group to maximize the benefits of the entire business group in terms of minimizing the tax burden, with a particular focus on the direction of income shifting between affiliates within the business group. We find that tax-related decision-making for the entire business group is affected by the relationships between the affiliated firms, that is, the ownership structure of the whole business group. To analyze the ownership structure, we use centrality measures in a social network analysis. The results show that affiliates with the higher outdegree-centrality; that is, firms investing more shareholdings in other affiliates have a tendency to perform more income shifting. On the other hand, the affiliates with high indegree-centrality, that is, firms which are owned by other affiliates, were revealed to be given the income shifting from other affiliated firms to minimize the tax burden of the entire business group

Haptic Stylus and Empirical Studies on Braille, Button, and Texture Display

This paper presents a haptic stylus interface with a built-in compact tactile display module and an impact module as well as empirical studies on Braille, button, and texture display. We describe preliminary evaluations verifying the tactile display's performance indicating that it can satisfactorily represent Braille numbers for both the normal and the blind. In order to prove haptic feedback capability of the stylus, an experiment providing impact feedback mimicking the click of a button has been conducted. Since the developed device is small enough to be attached to a force feedback device, its applicability to combined force and tactile feedback display in a pen-held haptic device is also investigated. The handle of pen-held haptic interface was replaced by the pen-like interface to add tactile feedback capability to the device. Since the system provides combination of force, tactile and impact feedback, three haptic representation methods for texture display have been compared on surface with 3 texture groups which differ in direction, groove width, and shape. In addition, we evaluate its capacity to support touch screen operations by providing tactile sensations when a user rubs against an image displayed on a monitor

Numerical analysis of dielectric micro-particle motion in a fluid and electric field

We present numerical analysis of a coupled problem composed of fluidics, electromagnetic and particle dynamics. The forces acting on the dielectric micro-particle consist of a dielectrophoretic(DEP) force, drag force and gravitational force in the proposed analysis model. DEP force and drag force are calculated using the distribution of the electric field and fluid velocity field to analyze the characteristic of the micro-particle motion. The forces exerted by each field are driving terms in the Newton’s equation for particle motion. The designed particle separating device, which has the one inlet and the two outlets, is simulated to validate proposed numerical scheme. The analysis results show the trace of the micro-particles can be analyzed using the proposed numerical approach