International capital mobility in an era of globalisation: adding a political dimension to the 'Feldstein–Horioka Puzzle'

The debate about the scope of feasible policy-making in an era of globalisation continues to be set within the context of an assumption that national capital markets are now perfectly integrated at the international level. However, the empirical evidence on international capital mobility contradicts such an assumption. As a consequence, a significant puzzle remains. Why is it, in a world in which the observed pattern of capital flows is indicative of a far from globalised reality, that public policy continues to be constructed in line with more extreme variants of the globalisation hypothesis? I attempt to solve this puzzle by arguing that ideas about global capital market integration have an independent causal impact on political outcomes which extends beyond that which can be attributed to the extent of their actual integration

Eigenvalue Separation in Some Random Matrix Models

The eigenvalue density for members of the Gaussian orthogonal and unitary ensembles follows the Wigner semi-circle law. If the Gaussian entries are all shifted by a constant amount c/Sqrt(2N), where N is the size of the matrix, in the large N limit a single eigenvalue will separate from the support of the Wigner semi-circle provided c > 1. In this study, using an asymptotic analysis of the secular equation for the eigenvalue condition, we compare this effect to analogous effects occurring in general variance Wishart matrices and matrices from the shifted mean chiral ensemble. We undertake an analogous comparative study of eigenvalue separation properties when the size of the matrices are fixed and c goes to infinity, and higher rank analogues of this setting. This is done using exact expressions for eigenvalue probability densities in terms of generalized hypergeometric functions, and using the interpretation of the latter as a Green function in the Dyson Brownian motion model. For the shifted mean Gaussian unitary ensemble and its analogues an alternative approach is to use exact expressions for the correlation functions in terms of classical orthogonal polynomials and associated multiple generalizations. By using these exact expressions to compute and plot the eigenvalue density, illustrations of the various eigenvalue separation effects are obtained.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures include

A Dependence of Hadron Production in Inelastic Muon Scattering and Dimuon Production by Protons

The A dependence of the production of hadrons in inelastic muon scattering and of the production of dimuons in high $Q^2$ proton interactions are simply related. Feynman x distributions and z scaling distributions in nuclei are compared with energy loss models. Suggestions for new data analyses are presented.Comment: 14pp +13 figures, UPR report 607T (available from ftp://dept.physics.upenn.edu/muhad

Asymptotic corrections to the eigenvalue density of the GUE and LUE

We obtain correction terms to the large N asymptotic expansions of the eigenvalue density for the Gaussian unitary and Laguerre unitary ensembles of random N by N matrices, both in the bulk of the spectrum and near the spectral edge. This is achieved by using the well known orthogonal polynomial expression for the kernel to construct a double contour integral representation for the density, to which we apply the saddle point method. The main correction to the bulk density is oscillatory in N and depends on the distribution function of the limiting density, while the corrections to the Airy kernel at the soft edge are again expressed in terms of the Airy function and its first derivative. We demonstrate numerically that these expansions are very accurate. A matching is exhibited between the asymptotic expansion of the bulk density, expanded about the edge, and the asymptotic expansion of the edge density, expanded into the bulk.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Aircraft and avionic related research required to develop an effective high-speed runway exit system

Research was conducted to increase airport capacity by studying the feasibility of the longitudinal separation between aircraft sequences on final approach. The multidisciplinary factors which include the utility of high speed exits for efficient runway operations were described along with recommendations and highlights of these studies

Analytic solutions of the 1D finite coupling delta function Bose gas

An intensive study for both the weak coupling and strong coupling limits of the ground state properties of this classic system is presented. Detailed results for specific values of finite $N$ are given and from them results for general $N$ are determined. We focus on the density matrix and concomitantly its Fourier transform, the occupation numbers, along with the pair correlation function and concomitantly its Fourier transform, the structure factor. These are the signature quantities of the Bose gas. One specific result is that for weak coupling a rational polynomial structure holds despite the transcendental nature of the Bethe equations. All these new results are predicated on the Bethe ansatz and are built upon the seminal works of the past.Comment: 23 pages, 0 figures, uses rotate.sty. A few lines added. Accepted by Phys. Rev.

A study into the impact of interface roughness development on mechanical degradation of oxides formed on zirconium alloys

AbstractAs a cladding material used to encapsulate nuclear fuel pellets, zirconium alloys are the primary barrier separating the fuel and a pressurised steam or lithiated water environment. Degradation mechanisms such as oxidation can be the limiting factor in the life-time of the fuel assembly. Key to controlling oxidation, and therefore allowing increased burn-up of fuel, is the development of a mechanistic understanding of the corrosion process. In an autoclave, the oxidation kinetics for zirconium alloys are typically cyclical, with periods of accelerated kinetics being observed in steps of ∼2μm oxide growth. These periods of accelerated oxidation are immediately preceded by the development of a layer of lateral cracks near the metal-oxide interface, which may be associated with the development of interface roughness. The present work uses scanning electron microscopy to carry out a statistical analysis of changes in the metal-oxide interface roughness between three different alloys at different stages of autoclave oxidation. The first two alloys are Zircaloy-4 and ZIRLO™ for which analysis is carried out at stages before, during and after first transition. The third alloy is an experimental low tin alloy, which under the same oxidation conditions and during the same time period does not appear to go through transition. Assessment of the metal-oxide interface roughness is primarily carried out based on the root mean square of the interface slope known as the Rdq parameter. Results show clear trends with relation to transition points in the corrosion kinetics. Discussion is given to how this relates to the existing mechanistic understanding of the corrosion process, and the components required for possible future modelling approaches

The PsbQ protein is required in Arabidopsis for photosystem II assembly/stability and photoautotrophy under low light conditions

RNA interference was used to simultaneously suppress the expression of the two genes that encode the PsbQ proteins of Photosystem II (PS II) in Arabidopsis thaliana, psbQ-1 (At4g21280) and psbQ-2 (At4g05180). Two independent PsbQ-deficient plant lines were examined. These plant lines produced little detectable PsbQ protein. Under normal growth light conditions, the wild type and mutant plants were visually indistinguishable. Additionally, analysis of steady state oxygen evolution rates and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics indicated little alteration of photosynthetic capacity in the mutant plants. No loss of other PS II proteins was evident. Interestingly, flash oxygen yield analysis performed on thylakoid membranes isolated from the mutant and wild type plants indicated that the oxygen-evolving complex was quite unstable in the mutants. Furthermore, the lifetime of the S2 state of the oxygen-evolving complex appeared to be increased in these plants. Incubation of the wild type and mutant plants under low light growth conditions led to a significantly stronger observed phenotype in the mutants. The mutant plants progressively yellowed (after 2 weeks) and eventually died (after 3-4 weeks). The wild type plants exhibited only slight yellowing after 4 weeks under low light conditions. The mutant plants exhibited a large loss of a number of PS II components, including CP47 and the D2 protein, under low light conditions. Additionally, significant alterations of their fluorescence characteristics were observed, including an increased FO and decreased FV, yielding a large loss in PS II quantum efficiency (FV/FM). Analysis of QA- decay kinetics in the absence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea indicated a defect in electron transfer from QA- to QB, whereas experiments performed in the presence of this herbicide indicated that the recombination rate between QA- and the S2 state was strongly retarded. These results indicate that the loss of the PsbQ protein induces significant changes in Photosystem II function, particularly in low light-grown plants, and that the PsbQ protein is required for photoautotrophic growth under low light conditions. © 2006 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc