The X-ray nebula around the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC4388

We report on X-ray emission from the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC4388 observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. A hard X-ray peak is found at the position of the active nucleus suggested by optical and radio observations. Extended soft X-ray emission correlates well with the ionization cone found in optical line emission. A large soft X-ray extension is found up to 16 kpc to the north of the galaxy. Photoionized gas with low ionization parameters (xi<3) appears to be the likely explanation of this emission. The same ionized gas clouds could be responsible for the optical [OIII] emission. Fe K line emission from cold material is found to be extended by a few kpc.Comment: 12 pages, one colour figure included, MNRAS in pres

Report of the working group on the measurement of triple gauge boson couplings

The working group discussed several aspects of triple gauge coupling analysis viewed in the light of experiences with the first high energy data recorded at energies above the W pair threshold. Some analysis methods were reviewed briefly, and consideration given to better ways of characterising the data. The measurement of CP violating parameters was discussed. Results were prepared to further quantify the precision attainable on anaomalous couplings in the four-quark channel using jet-charge methods, and finally the trade off between maximum LEP energy-vs-luminosity was quantified.The working group discussed several aspects of triple gauge coupling analysis viewed in the light of experiences with the first high energy data recorded at energies above the W pair threshold. Some analysis methods were reviewed briefly, and consideration given to better ways of characterising the data. The measurement of CP violating parameters was discussed. Results were prepared to further quantify the precision attainable on anaomalous couplings in the four-quark channel using jet-charge methods, and finally the trade off between maximum LEP energy-vs-luminosity was quantified

Thixotropy in macroscopic suspensions of spheres

An experimental study of the viscosity of a macroscopic suspension, i.e. a suspension for which Brownian motion can be neglected, under steady shear is presented. The suspension is prepared with a high packing fraction and is density-matched in a Newtonian carrier fluid. The viscosity of the suspension depends on the shear rate and the time of shearing. It is shown for the first time that a macroscopic suspension shows thixotropic viscosity, i.e. shear-thinning with a long relaxation time as a unique function of shear. The relaxation times show a systematic decrease with increasing shear rate. These relaxation times are larger when decreasing the shear rates, compared to those observed after increasing the shear. The time scales involved are about 10000 times larger than the viscous time scale and about 1000 times smaller than the thermodynamic time scale. The structure of the suspension at the outer cylinder of a viscometer is monitored with a camera, showing the formation of a hexagonal structure. The temporal decrease of the viscosity under shear coincides with the formation of this hexagonal pattern

Low-light-level nonlinear optics with slow light

Electromagnetically induced transparency in an optically thick, cold medium creates a unique system where pulse-propagation velocities may be orders of magnitude less than $c$ and optical nonlinearities become exceedingly large. As a result, nonlinear processes may be efficient at low-light levels. Using an atomic system with three, independent channels, we demonstrate a quantum interference switch where a laser pulse with an energy density of $\sim23$ photons per $\lambda^2/(2\pi)$ causes a 1/e absorption of a second pulse.Comment: to be published in PR

Renormalized Path Integral for the Two-Dimensional Delta-Function Interaction

A path-integral approach for delta-function potentials is presented. Particular attention is paid to the two-dimensional case, which illustrates the realization of a quantum anomaly for a scale invariant problem in quantum mechanics. Our treatment is based on an infinite summation of perturbation theory that captures the nonperturbative nature of the delta-function bound state. The well-known singular character of the two-dimensional delta-function potential is dealt with by considering the renormalized path integral resulting from a variety of schemes: dimensional, momentum-cutoff, and real-space regularization. Moreover, compatibility of the bound-state and scattering sectors is shown.Comment: 26 pages. The paper was significantly expanded and numerous equations were added for the sake of clarity; the main results and conclusions are unchange

Noise induced transitions in semiclassical cosmology

A semiclassical cosmological model is considered which consists of a closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker in the presence of a cosmological constant, which mimics the effect of an inflaton field, and a massless, non-conformally coupled quantum scalar field. We show that the back-reaction of the quantum field, which consists basically of a non local term due to gravitational particle creation and a noise term induced by the quantum fluctuations of the field, are able to drive the cosmological scale factor over the barrier of the classical potential so that if the universe starts near zero scale factor (initial singularity) it can make the transition to an exponentially expanding de Sitter phase. We compute the probability of this transition and it turns out to be comparable with the probability that the universe tunnels from "nothing" into an inflationary stage in quantum cosmology. This suggests that in the presence of matter fields the back-reaction on the spacetime should not be neglected in quantum cosmology.Comment: LaTex, 33.tex pages, no figure

The influence of localised size reorganisation on short-duration bidispersed granular flows

We investigate experimentally the runout resulting from the collapse of a granular column containing two particle species that differ in size only. The experimental configuration is strictly twodimensional (only one particle per width of the experimental tank) and we explore both the role of the initial arrangement and proportion of the two particle sizes in the column, using high-speed videography, and by determining the centres of mass of the big and small particles in the initial column and the final deposit. The duration of the experiment is sufficiently short that large-scale segregation does not occur, however, we find a clear dependence of runout on both initial mixture arrangement and proportion for all conditions. We investigated this observation through detailed analysis of the flow front motion, and identify a characteristic "stopping" phase when dissipation dominates, and we apply a shallow layer model at the flow front to show how the initial mixture arrangement and proportion influence the effective coefficient of friction during emplacement. We find that a bidispersed mixture can induce a larger friction on emplacement than a monodispersed mixture, and the highest coefficient of friction was found for a well-mixed initial arrangement of particles at the proportion that shows maximum horizontal spreading of the flow. These observations suggest that downwards percolation of fine particles takes place at the front of the collapsing column, and so localised size segregation processes at the flow front can control flow mobility. This effect is likely to be important in controlling the mobility of large geophysical flows that occur on finite time scales, and whose deposits typically show granular segregation at the front and edges but not throughout the entire deposit

Effects of thermoregulation on human sleep patterns: A mathematical model of sleep-wake cycles with REM-NREM subcircuit

In this paper we construct a mathematical model of human sleep/wake regulation with thermoregulation and temperature e ects. Simulations of this model show features previously presented in experimental data such as elongation of duration and number of REM bouts across the night as well as the appearance of awakenings due to deviations in body temperature from thermoneutrality. This model helps to demonstrate the importance of temperature in the sleep cycle. Further modi cations of the model to include more temperature e ects on other aspects of sleep regulation such as sleep and REM latency are discussedPostprint (author's final draft

'To live and die [for] Dixie': Irish civilians and the Confederate States of America

Around 20,000 Irishmen served in the Confederate army in the Civil War. As a result, they left behind, in various Southern towns and cities, large numbers of friends, family, and community leaders. As with native-born Confederates, Irish civilian support was crucial to Irish participation in the Confederate military effort. Also, Irish civilians served in various supporting roles: in factories and hospitals, on railroads and diplomatic missions, and as boosters for the cause. They also, however, suffered in bombardments, sieges, and the blockade. Usually poorer than their native neighbours, they could not afford to become 'refugees' and move away from the centres of conflict. This essay, based on research from manuscript collections, contemporary newspapers, British Consular records, and Federal military records, will examine the role of Irish civilians in the Confederacy, and assess the role this activity had on their integration into Southern communities. It will also look at Irish civilians in the defeat of the Confederacy, particularly when they came under Union occupation. Initial research shows that Irish civilians were not as upset as other whites in the South about Union victory. They welcomed a return to normalcy, and often 'collaborated' with Union authorities. Also, Irish desertion rates in the Confederate army were particularly high, and I will attempt to gauge whether Irish civilians played a role in this. All of the research in this paper will thus be put in the context of the Drew Gilpin Faust/Gary Gallagher debate on the influence of the Confederate homefront on military performance. By studying the Irish civilian experience one can assess how strong the Confederate national experiment was. Was it a nation without a nationalism

Young and Intermediate-age Distance Indicators

Distance measurements beyond geometrical and semi-geometrical methods, rely mainly on standard candles. As the name suggests, these objects have known luminosities by virtue of their intrinsic proprieties and play a major role in our understanding of modern cosmology. The main caveats associated with standard candles are their absolute calibration, contamination of the sample from other sources and systematic uncertainties. The absolute calibration mainly depends on their chemical composition and age. To understand the impact of these effects on the distance scale, it is essential to develop methods based on different sample of standard candles. Here we review the fundamental properties of young and intermediate-age distance indicators such as Cepheids, Mira variables and Red Clump stars and the recent developments in their application as distance indicators.Comment: Review article, 63 pages (28 figures), Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews (Chapter 3 of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age