From super-charged nuclei to massive nuclear density cores

Due to $e^+e^-$-pair production in the field of supercritical $(Z \gg Z_{cr}\approx 170$) nucleus an electron shell, created out of the vacuum, is formed. The distribution of the vacuum charge in this shell has been determined for super-charged nuclei Ze^3 \ga 1 within the framework of the Thomas-Fermi equation generalized to the relativistic case. For $Ze^3 \gg 1$ the electron shell penetrates inside the nucleus and almost completely screens its charge. Inside such nucleus the potential takes a constant value equal to $V_0=-(3\pi^2 n_p)^{1/3} \sim -2m_{\pi}c^2$, and super-charged nucleus represents an electrically neutral plasma consisting of $e,p$ and $n$. Near the edge of the nucleus a transition layer exists with a width $\lambda \approx \alpha^{-1/2} \hbar/m_{\pi} c\sim 15$ fm, which is independent of $Z (\hbar/m_{\pi} c \ll \lambda \ll \hbar/m_e c)$. The electric field and surface charge are concentrated in this layer. These results, obtained earlier for hypothetical superheavy nuclei with Z \sim A/2\la 10^4 \div 10^6, are extrapolated to massive nuclear density cores having a mass number $A \approx (m_{Planck}/m_n)\sim 10^{57}$. The problem of the gravitational and electrodynamical stability of such objects is considered. It is shown that for A \ga 0.04 (Z/A)^{1/2}(m_{Planck}/m_n)^3 the Coulomb repulsion of protons, screened by relativistic electrons, can be balanced by gravitational forces. The overcritical electric fields $E\sim m^2_{\pi} c^3/e\hbar$ are present in the narrow transition layer near the core surface.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the international conference "The Sun, the Stars, The Universe and General Relativity" in honor of Ya.B. Zeldovich 95th Anniversary, held in Minsk, Belarus on April 20-23, 2009. AIP Conf. Proc. Vol. 1205 (2010

Lessons from the Transition Economies: Putting the Success Stories of the Postcommunist World into a Broader Perspective

Why many transition economies succeeded by pursuing policies that are so different from the radical economic liberalization (shock therapy) that is normally credited for the economic success of central European countries? First, optimal policies are context dependent, they are specific for each stage of development and what worked in Slovenia cannot be expected to work in Mongolia. Second, even for countries at the same level of development, reforms needed to stimulate growth are different; they depend on the previous history and on the path chosen. The reduction of government expenditure as a share of GDP did not undermine significantly the institutional capacity of the state in China, but in Russia and other CIS states it turned out to be ruinous. It is the growth diagnostics that should reveal the missing ingredient for economic growth. Finally, and most important, introducing this .missing ingredient. should not result in the destruction of other preconditions for growth. The art of the policymaker is to create markets without causing the government failure, as happened in many CIS countries.transition, growth diagnostics, path dependence

Development theories and development experience: half a century journey

This paper examines the impact that development theories have had on development policies, and the inverse impact of actual successes and failures in the global South on development thinking. It is argued that development thinking is at the cross-roads. Development theories in postwar period went through a full circle – from Big Push and ISI to neo-liberal Washington consensus to the understanding that neither the former, nor the later really works in engineering successful catch-up development. Meanwhile, economic miracles were manufactured in East Asia without much reliance on development thinking and theoretical background – just by experimentation of the strong hand politicians.