Milky Way Star Forming Complexes and the Turbulent Motion of the Galaxy's Molecular Gas

We analyze Spitzer GLIMPSE, MSX, and WMAP images of the Milky Way to identify 8 micron and free-free sources in the Galaxy. Seventy-two of the eighty-eight WMAP sources have coverage in the GLIMPSE and MSX surveys suitable for identifying massive star forming complexes (SFC). We measure the ionizing luminosity functions of the SFCs and study their role in the turbulent motion of the Galaxy's molecular gas. We find a total Galactic free-free flux f_{\nu} = 46177.6 Jy; the 72 WMAP sources with full 8 micron coverage account for 34263.5 Jy (~75%), with both measurements made at \nu=94GHz (W band). We find a total of 280 SFCs, of which 168 have unique kinematic distances and free-free luminosities. We use a simple model for the radial distribution of star formation to estimate the free-free and ionizing luminosity for the sources lacking distance determinations. The total dust-corrected ionizing luminosity is Q = 2.9 \pm 0.5 x 10^53 photons s^-1, which implies a galactic star formation rate of 1.2 \pm 0.2 M_{\sun} yr^-1. We present the (ionizing) luminosity function of the SFCs, and show that 24 sources emit half the ionizing luminosity of the Galaxy. The SFCs appear as bubbles in GLIMPSE or MSX images; the radial velocities associated with the bubble walls allow us to infer the expansion velocity of the bubbles. We calculate the kinetic luminosity of the bubble expansion and compare it to the turbulent luminosity of the inner molecular disk. SFCs emitting 80% of the total galactic free-free luminosity produce a kinetic luminosity equal to 65% of the turbulent luminosity in the inner molecular disk. This suggests that the expansion of the bubbles is a major driver of the turbulent motion of the inner Milky Way molecular gas.Comment: 40 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Dielectric relaxation and Charge trapping characteristics study in Germanium based MOS devices with HfO2 /Dy2O3 gate stacks

In the present work we investigate the dielectric relaxation effects and charge trapping characteristics of HfO2 /Dy2O3 gate stacks grown on Ge substrates. The MOS devices have been subjected to constant voltage stress (CVS) conditions at accumulation and show relaxation effects in the whole range of applied stress voltages. Applied voltage polarities as well as thickness dependence of the relaxation effects have been investigated. Charge trapping is negligible at low stress fields while at higher fields (>4MV/cm) it becomes significant. In addition, we give experimental evidence that in tandem with the dielectric relaxation effect another mechanism- the so-called Maxwell-Wagner instability- is present and affects the transient current during the application of a CVS pulse. This instability is also found to be field dependent thus resulting in a trapped charge which is negative at low stress fields but changes to positive at higher fields.Comment: 27pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, regular journal contribution (accepted in IEEE TED, Vol.50, issue 10

Genuine Personal Identifiers and Mutual Sureties for Sybil-Resilient Community Formation

While most of humanity is suddenly on the net, the value of this singularity is hampered by the lack of credible digital identities: Social networking, person-to-person transactions, democratic conduct, cooperation and philanthropy are all hampered by the profound presence of fake identities, as illustrated by Facebook's removal of 5.4Bn fake accounts since the beginning of 2019. Here, we introduce the fundamental notion of a \emph{genuine personal identifier}---a globally unique and singular identifier of a person---and present a foundation for a decentralized, grassroots, bottom-up process in which every human being may create, own, and protect the privacy of a genuine personal identifier. The solution employs mutual sureties among owners of personal identifiers, resulting in a mutual-surety graph reminiscent of a web-of-trust. Importantly, this approach is designed for a distributed realization, possibly using distributed ledger technology, and does not depend on the use or storage of biometric properties. For the solution to be complete, additional components are needed, notably a mechanism that encourages honest behavior and a sybil-resilient governance system

High yield fusion in a Staged Z-pinch

We simulate fusion in a Z-pinch; where the load is a xenon-plasma liner imploding onto a deuterium-tritium plasma target and the driver is a 2 MJ, 17 MA, 95 ns risetime pulser. The implosion system is modeled using the dynamic, 2-1/2 D, radiation-MHD code, MACH2. During implosion a shock forms in the Xe liner, transporting current and energy radially inward. After collision with the DT, a secondary shock forms pre-heating the DT to several hundred eV. Adiabatic compression leads subsequently to a fusion burn, as the target is surrounded by a flux-compressed, intense, azimuthal-magnetic field. The intense-magnetic field confines fusion $\alpha$-particles, providing an additional source of ion heating that leads to target ignition. The target remains stable up to the time of ignition. Predictions are for a neutron yield of $3.0\times 10^{19}$ and a thermonuclear energy of 84 MJ, that is, 42 times greater than the initial, capacitor-stored energy

Socio-demographic differences of disability prevalence among the population aged 60 years and over in Bangladesh

This study aims to delineate the sociodemographic differences in disability prevalence across the population aged 60 years and over in Bangladesh, and to investigate the association of factors with reporting disability in later life. A microdata sample for those aged 60 years or over from the Census of Bangladesh 2011 was used where disability was assessed with a self-reported single response question. Logistic regression models were performed separately for men and women. Results reveal that the disability prevalence rate increased sharply with age, and it was higher among older women (5.2%) compared to men (4.8%). Physical and vision disabilities were the two categories with the highest prevalence of reported disabilities, with a higher prevalence of physical disability among men and vision disability among women. Being older, female, currently not in marital partnership, and having a lower educational attainment, not being employed, living alone, and residing in the rural areas were significantly associated with reporting disability in later life. The higher prevalence of disability among older women, those who are illiterate, and those residing in rural areas highlights the need for policies prioritising these groups. Special attention should also be given to those who are currently not in marital partnership, particularly women who are living alone