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The use of fractally-designed waveforms in electroforming
Pulsed electrodeposition offers the potential for superior control of deposit properties because of the additional control variables available. However, optimization of pulsed deposition processes is a challenge because of the complexity. E.g., the tendency of electroforms to acquire irregularities such as dendritic growths or other morphological instabilities, creates the need for methods to control these undesirable phenomena. One such method is periodic reverse pulses. Optimization of periodic reverse processes is not simple and can lead to local solutions that do not optimize all properties simultaneously. One method for global optimization that might, for example, control surface irregularities on several size scales, uses a periodic reverse design based on fractal time series. This incorporates deplating pulses of several lengths within one self- similar waveform. The properties of fractals permit control of highly complex designs with a small number of input variables. The creation of such waveforms, their properties, and their use in a lead- plating process are described. Speculation on the potential for further application of this method is offered. 26 figs, 11 refs
Rigid upper bounds for the angular momentum and centre of mass of non-singular asymptotically anti-de Sitter space-times
We prove upper bounds on angular momentum and centre of mass in terms of the
Hamiltonian mass and cosmological constant for non-singular asymptotically
anti-de Sitter initial data sets satisfying the dominant energy condition. We
work in all space-dimensions larger than or equal to three, and allow a large
class of asymptotic backgrounds, with spherical and non-spherical conformal
infinities; in the latter case, a spin-structure compatibility condition is
imposed. We give a large class of non-trivial examples saturating the
inequality. We analyse exhaustively the borderline case in space-time dimension
four: for spherical cross-sections of Scri, equality together with completeness
occurs only in anti-de Sitter space-time. On the other hand, in the toroidal
case, regular non-trivial initial data sets saturating the bound exist.Comment: improvements in the presentation; some statements correcte
M-theory on eight-manifolds revisited: N=1 supersymmetry and generalized Spin(7) structures
The requirement of supersymmetry for M-theory backgrounds of the
form of a warped product , where is an eight-manifold
and is three-dimensional Minkowski or AdS space, implies the
existence of a nowhere-vanishing Majorana spinor on . lifts to a
nowhere-vanishing spinor on the auxiliary nine-manifold , where
is a circle of constant radius, implying the reduction of the structure
group of to . In general, however, there is no reduction of the
structure group of itself. This situation can be described in the language
of generalized structures, defined in terms of certain spinors of
. We express the condition for supersymmetry
in terms of differential equations for these spinors. In an equivalent
formulation, working locally in the vicinity of any point in in terms of a
`preferred' structure, we show that the requirement of
supersymmetry amounts to solving for the intrinsic torsion and all irreducible
flux components, except for the one lying in the of , in
terms of the warp factor and a one-form on (not necessarily
nowhere-vanishing) constructed as a bilinear; in addition, is
constrained to satisfy a pair of differential equations. The formalism based on
the group is the most suitable language in which to describe
supersymmetric compactifications on eight-manifolds of structure,
and/or small-flux perturbations around supersymmetric compactifications on
manifolds of holonomy.Comment: 24 pages. V2: introduction slightly extended, typos corrected in the
text, references added. V3: the role of Spin(7) clarified, erroneous
statements thereof corrected. New material on generalized Spin(7) structures
in nine dimensions. To appear in JHE
Magnetic and thermal properties of 4f-3d ladder-type molecular compounds
We report on the low-temperature magnetic susceptibilities and specific heats
of the isostructural spin-ladder molecular complexes L[M(opba)]_{3\cdot
xDMSOHO, hereafter abbreviated with LM (where L =
La, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho and M = Cu, Zn). The results show that the Cu containing
complexes (with the exception of LaCu) undergo long range magnetic
order at temperatures below 2 K, and that for GdCu this ordering is
ferromagnetic, whereas for TbCu and DyCu it is probably
antiferromagnetic. The susceptibilities and specific heats of TbCu
and DyCu above have been explained by means of a model
taking into account nearest as well as next-nearest neighbor magnetic
interactions. We show that the intraladder L--Cu interaction is the predominant
one and that it is ferromagnetic for L = Gd, Tb and Dy. For the cases of Tb, Dy
and Ho containing complexes, strong crystal field effects on the magnetic and
thermal properties have to be taken into account. The magnetic coupling between
the (ferromagnetic) ladders is found to be very weak and is probably of dipolar
origin.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Three-body structure of low-lying 18Ne states
We investigate to what extent 18Ne can be descibed as a three-body system
made of an inert 16O-core and two protons. We compare to experimental data and
occasionally to shell model results. We obtain three-body wave functions with
the hyperspherical adiabatic expansion method. We study the spectrum of 18Ne,
the structure of the different states and the predominant transition strengths.
Two 0+, two 2+, and one 4+ bound states are found where they are all known
experimentally. Also one 3+ close to threshold is found and several negative
parity states, 1-, 3-, 0-, 2-, most of them bound with respect to the 16O
excited 3- state. The structures are extracted as partial wave components, as
spatial sizes of matter and charge, and as probability distributions.
Electromagnetic decay rates are calculated for these states. The dominating
decay mode for the bound states is E2 and occasionally also M1.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures (version to appear in EPJA
Timelike surfaces of constant mean curvature 1 in anti-de Sitter 3-space
It is shown that timelike surfaces of constant mean curvature 1 in anti-de
Sitter 3-space can be constructed from a pair of Lorentz holomorphic and
Lorentz antiholomorphic null curves in PSL(2,R) via Bryant type representation
formulae. These formulae are used to investigate an explicit one-to-one
correspondence, the so-called Lawson correspondence, between timelike surfaces
of constant mean curvature 1 in anti-de Sitter 3-space and timelike minimal
surfaces in Minkowski 3-space. The hyperbolic Gauss map of timelike surfaces in
anti-de Sitter 3-space, which is a close analogue of the classical Gauss map is
considered. It is discussed that the hyperbolic Gauss map plays an important
role in the study of timelike surfaces of constant mean curvature 1 in anti-de
Sitter 3-space. In particular, the relationship between the Lorentz
holomorphicity of the hyperbolic Gauss map and timelike surfaces of constant
mean curvature 1 in anti-de Sitter 3-space is studied.Comment: 47 pages, 24 figures, references revised, Annals of Global Analysis
and Geometr
Readmissions after general surgery: a prospective multicenter audit
Background: Readmission rates after surgical procedures are viewed as a marker of quality
of care and as a driver to improve outcomes in the United Kingdom, they are not remunerated.
However, readmissions are not wholly avoidable. The aim of this study was to
develop a regional overview of readmissions to determine the proportion that might be
avoidable and to examine predictors of readmissions at a unit level.
Methods: We undertook a prospective multicenter audit of readmissions following National
Health Service funded general surgical procedures in five National Health Service hospitals
and three independent sector providers over a 2-wk period. Basic demographic and procedure
data were captured. Readmissions to hospitals were identified through acute admissions
lists. Reason for readmission was identified, and the readmission data assessed
by a senior surgical doctor as to whether it was avoidable.
Results: We identified 752 operations in the study period with all followed up to 30 d. The
overall rate of readmissions was 4.7%, with 40% of these judged as being potentially
avoidable. Pain and wound problems accounted for the vast majority of avoidable readmissions.
The number of unavoidable readmissions was correlated with the workload of
each center (r ¼ 0.63, P ¼ 0.06) and as with the higher (British United Provident Association)
complexity of surgery (r ¼ 0.90, P ¼ 0.01). Patient and demographic factors were not
associated with readmissions.
Conclusions: This prospective audit describes readmission rates after general surgery. Volume
and complexity of work are associated with readmission rates. A large proportion of
readmissions could be reduced by attention to analgesia and outpatient arrangements for
wound management
A measurement of the tau mass and the first CPT test with tau leptons
We measure the mass of the tau lepton to be 1775.1+-1.6(stat)+-1.0(syst.) MeV
using tau pairs from Z0 decays. To test CPT invariance we compare the masses of
the positively and negatively charged tau leptons. The relative mass difference
is found to be smaller than 3.0 10^-3 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Letts.
Measurement of the B0 Lifetime and Oscillation Frequency using B0->D*+l-v decays
The lifetime and oscillation frequency of the B0 meson has been measured
using B0->D*+l-v decays recorded on the Z0 peak with the OPAL detector at LEP.
The D*+ -> D0pi+ decays were reconstructed using an inclusive technique and the
production flavour of the B0 mesons was determined using a combination of tags
from the rest of the event. The results t_B0 = 1.541 +- 0.028 +- 0.023 ps, Dm_d
= 0.497 +- 0.024 +- 0.025 ps-1 were obtained, where in each case the first
error is statistical and the second systematic.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.
First Measurement of Z/gamma* Production in Compton Scattering of Quasi-real Photons
We report the first observation of Z/gamma* production in Compton scattering
of quasi-real photons. This is a subprocess of the reaction e+e- to
e+e-Z/gamma*, where one of the final state electrons is undetected.
Approximately 55 pb-1 of data collected in the year 1997 at an e+e-
centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP have been
analysed. The Z/gamma* from Compton scattering has been detected in the
hadronic decay channel. Within well defined kinematic bounds, we measure the
product of cross-section and Z/gamma* branching ratio to hadrons to be
(0.9+-0.3+-0.1) pb for events with a hadronic mass larger than 60 GeV,
dominated by (e)eZ production. In the hadronic mass region between 5 GeV and 60
GeV, dominated by (e)egamma* production, this product is found to be
(4.1+-1.6+-0.6) pb. Our results agree with the predictions of two Monte Carlo
event generators, grc4f and PYTHIA.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, 5 eps figures included, submitted to Physics Letters
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