Variational Principle in the Algebra of Asymptotic Fields

This paper proposes a variational principle for the solutions of quantum field theories in which the ``trial functions'' are chosen from the algebra of asymptotic fields, and illustrates this variational principle in simple cases.Comment: 15 pages, Latex, no figure

Study made of corrosion resistance of stainless steel and nickel alloys in nuclear reactor superheaters

Experiments performed under conditions found in nuclear reactor superheaters determine the corrosion rate of stainless steel and nickel alloys used in them. Electropolishing was the primary surface treatment before the corrosion test. Corrosion is determined by weight loss of specimens after defilming

An Interval Newton Method

We introduce an interval Newton method for bounding solutions of systems of nonlinear equations. It entails three subalgorithms. The first is a Gauss-Seidel-type step. The second is a real (noninterval) Newton iteration. The third solves the linearized equations by elimination. We explain why each subalgorithm is desirable and how they fit together to provide solutions in as little as one-third or one-quarter the time required by Krawczyk\u27s method [7] in our implementations

Glacial cycles promote greater dispersal, which can help explain larger clutch sizes, in north temperate birds

Earth’s glacial history and patterns in the life history traits of the planet’s avifauna suggest the following interpretations of how recent geological history has affected these key characteristics of the biota: 1) Increased colonizing ability has been an important advantage of increased dispersal, and life history strategies are better categorized by dispersive colonizing ability than by their intrinsic growth rates; 2) Birds of the North Temperate Zone show a greater tendency to disperse, and they disperse farther, than tropical or south temperate birds; 3) Habitat changes associated with glacial advance and retreat selected for high dispersal ability, particularly in the North; and 4) Selection for greater dispersal throughout the unstable Pleistocene has also resulted in other well-recognized life history contrasts, especially larger clutch sizes in birds of North Temperate areas

Strategic Outsourcing: Evidence from the British Companies

Outsourcing has become an increasingly popular option for many organisations. But they vary in terms of activities being outsourced, reasons for and benefits from outsourcing, and how the decision was made. This article presents an empirical research on fourteen companies. It found out, a) in most cases it was the ‘peripheral’ support activity being outsourced with cost reduction as the primary driver; b) outsourcing decision was being made early in the process without active involvement of the in-house provider; and c) there were problems in supplier selection and management. The research identified pre-outsourcing decision process and post-outsourcing management as the two key areas that gave cause for concern, and offered recommendations for improvement

The Free Quon Gas Suffers Gibbs' Paradox

We consider the Statistical Mechanics of systems of particles satisfying the $q$-commutation relations recently proposed by Greenberg and others. We show that although the commutation relations approach Bose (resp.\ Fermi) relations for $q\to1$ (resp.\ $q\to-1$), the partition functions of free gases are independent of $q$ in the range $-1<q<1$. The partition functions exhibit Gibbs' Paradox in the same way as a classical gas without a correction factor $1/N!$ for the statistical weight of the $N$-particle phase space, i.e.\ the Statistical Mechanics does not describe a material for which entropy, free energy, and particle number are extensive thermodynamical quantities.Comment: number-of-pages, LaTeX with REVTE

Multi-Scan Correlation to Separate Radar Tracks from False Alarms

An algorithm and computer software have been developed to filter out clutter in radar displays in order to clarify real tracks. Detections are generally declared valid when found to be part of a reasonable pattern of three or four detections in an eight scan history. The filtering process reduces the number of spurious reports by several orders of magnitude, providing significant improvement in distinguishing ships from waves and other sources of undesired radar reflections. The algorithm is being incorporated into radar system hardware in order to improve tracking of ships as signals are received. The method also shows promise for air tracking