1,645 research outputs found
âEthnic groupâ, the state and the politics of representation
The assertion, even if only by implication, that âethnic groupâ categories represent ârealâ tangible entities, indeed identities, is commonplace not only in the realms of political and policy discourse but also amongst contemporary social scientists. This paper, following Brubaker (2002), questions this position in a number of key respects: of these three issues will dominate the discussion that follows.
First, there is an interrogation of the proposition that those to whom the categories/labels refer constitute sociologically meaningful âgroupsâ as distinct from (mere) human collectivities. Secondly, there is the question of how these categories emerge, i.e. exactly what series of events, negotiations and contestations lie behind their construction and social acceptance. Thirdly, and as a corollary to the latter point, we explore the process of reification that leads to these categories being seen to represent âreal things in the worldâ (ibid.)
Determination of the Kobayashi-Maskawa-Cabibbo matrix element V_{us} under various flavor-symmetry-breaking models in hyperon semileptonic decays
We study the success to describe hyperon semileptonic decays of four models
that incorporate second-order SU(3) symmetry breaking corrections. The criteria
to assess their success is by determining V_{us} in each of the three relevant
hyperon semileptonic decays and comparing the values obtained with one another
and also with the one that comes from K_{l3} decays. A strong dependence on the
particular symmetry breaking model is observed. Values of V_{us} which do not
agree with the one of K_{l3} are generally obtained. However, in the context of
chiral perturbation theory, only the model whose corrections are O(m_s) and
O(m_s^{3/2}) is successful. Using its predictions for the f_1 form factors one
can quote a value of V_{us} from this model, namely, V_{us}=0.2176\pm 0.0026,
which is in excellent agreement with the K_{l3} one.Comment: Final versio
A return to strong radio flaring by Circinus X-1 observed with the Karoo Array Telescope test array KAT-7
Circinus X-1 is a bright and highly variable X-ray binary which displays
strong and rapid evolution in all wavebands. Radio flaring, associated with the
production of a relativistic jet, occurs periodically on a ~17-day timescale. A
longer-term envelope modulates the peak radio fluxes in flares, ranging from
peaks in excess of a Jansky in the 1970s to an historic low of milliJanskys
during the years 1994 to 2007. Here we report first observations of this source
with the MeerKAT test array, KAT-7, part of the pathfinder development for the
African dish component of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), demonstrating
successful scientific operation for variable and transient sources with the
test array. The KAT-7 observations at 1.9 GHz during the period 13 December
2011 to 16 January 2012 reveal in temporal detail the return to the
Jansky-level events observed in the 1970s. We compare these data to
contemporaneous single-dish measurements at 4.8 and 8.5 GHz with the HartRAO
26-m telescope and X-ray monitoring from MAXI. We discuss whether the overall
modulation and recent dramatic brightening is likely to be due to an increase
in the power of the jet due to changes in accretion rate or changing Doppler
boosting associated with a varying angle to the line of sight.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS 14 May 201
A Matrix Approach to Numerical Solution of the DGLAP Evolution Equations
A matrix-based approach to numerical integration of the DGLAP evolution
equations is presented. The method arises naturally on discretisation of the
Bjorken x variable, a necessary procedure for numerical integration. Owing to
peculiar properties of the matrices involved, the resulting equations take on a
particularly simple form and may be solved in closed analytical form in the
variable t=ln(alpha_0/alpha). Such an approach affords parametrisation via data
x bins, rather than fixed functional forms. Thus, with the aid of the full
correlation matrix, appraisal of the behaviour in different x regions is
rendered more transparent and free of pollution from unphysical
cross-correlations inherent to functional parametrisations. Computationally,
the entire programme results in greater speed and stability; the matrix
representation developed is extremely compact. Moreover, since the parameter
dependence is linear, fitting is very stable and may be performed analytically
in a single pass over the data values.Comment: 13 pages, no figures, typeset with revtex4 and uses packages:
acromake, amssym
Peaks in the Hartle-Hawking Wave Function from Sums over Topologies
Recent developments in ``Einstein Dehn filling'' allow the construction of
infinitely many Einstein manifolds that have different topologies but are
geometrically close to each other. Using these results, we show that for many
spatial topologies, the Hartle-Hawking wave function for a spacetime with a
negative cosmological constant develops sharp peaks at certain calculable
geometries. The peaks we find are all centered on spatial metrics of constant
negative curvature, suggesting a new mechanism for obtaining local homogeneity
in quantum cosmology.Comment: 16 pages,LaTeX, no figures; v2: some changes coming from revision of
a math reference: wave function peaks sharp but not infinite; v3: added
paragraph in intro on interpretation of wave functio
Quark Orbital-Angular-Momentum Distribution in the Nucleon
We introduce gauge-invariant quark and gluon angular momentum distributions
after making a generalization of the angular momentum density operators. From
the quark angular momentum distribution, we define the gauge-invariant and
leading-twist quark {\it orbital} angular momentum distribution . The
latter can be extracted from data on the polarized and unpolarized quark
distributions and the off-forward distribution in the forward limit. We
comment upon the evolution equations obeyed by this as well as other orbital
distributions considered in the literature.Comment: 8 pages, latex, no figures, minor corrections mad
An Alternative Method to Obtain the Quark Polarization of the Nucleon
An alternate method is described to extract the quark contribution to the
spin of the nucleon directly from the first moment of the deuteron structure
function, . It is obtained without recourse to the use of input on the
nucleon wave function from hyperon decays involving the flavor symmetry
parameters, F and D. The result for the quark polarization of the nucleon,
is in good agreement with the values of the singlet axial
current matrix element, , obtained from recent next-to-leading order
analyses of current proton, neutron and deuteron data.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur
Phenomenology of single spin asymmetries in p(transv. polarized)-p -> pion + X
A phenomenological description of single transverse spin effects in
hadron-hadron inclusive processes is proposed, assuming a generalized
factorization scheme and pQCD hard interactions. The transverse momentum, k_T,
of the quarks inside the hadrons and of the hadrons relatively to the
fragmenting quark, is taken into account in distribution and fragmentation
functions, and leads to possible non zero single spin asymmetries. The role of
k_T and spin dependent quark fragmentations -- the so-called Collins effect --
is investigated in details in p(transv. polarized)-p -> pion + X processes: it
is shown how the experimental data could be described, obtaining an explicit
expression for the spin asymmetry of a polarized fragmenting quark, on which
some comments are made. Predictions for other processes, possible further
applications and experimental tests are discussed.Comment: 20+1 pages, LaTeX, 6 eps figures, uses epsfig.sty. Version v2: Some
sentences rephrased and comments added throughout the paper; one reference
added; no changes in results and figures. Final version to be published in
Phys. Rev.
Bespoke contrast-matched diblock copolymer nanoparticles enable the rational design of highly transparent Pickering double emulsions
We report the preparation of highly transparent oil-in-water Pickering emulsions using contrast-matched organic nanoparticles. This is achieved via addition of judicious amounts of either sucrose or glycerol to an aqueous dispersion of poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)56âpoly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate)500 [PGMAâPTFEMA] diblock copolymer nanoparticles prior to high shear homogenization with an equal volume of n-dodecane. The resulting Pickering emulsions comprise polydisperse n-dodecane droplets of 20â100 ÎŒm diameter and exhibit up to 96% transmittance across the visible spectrum. In contrast, control experiments using non-contrast-matched poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)56âpoly(benzyl methacrylate)300 [PGMA56âPBzMA300] diblock copolymer nanoparticles as a Pickering emulsifier only produced conventional highly turbid emulsions. Thus contrast-matching of the two immiscible phases is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the preparation of highly transparent Pickering emulsions: it is essential to use isorefractive nanoparticles in order to minimize light scattering. Furthermore, highly transparent oil-in-water-in-oil Pickering double emulsions can be obtained by homogenizing the contrast-matched oil-in-water Pickering emulsion prepared using the PGMA56âPTFEMA500 nanoparticles with a contrast-matched dispersion of hydrophobic poly(lauryl methacrylate)39âpoly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate)800 [PLMA39âPTFEMA800] diblock copolymer nanoparticles in n-dodecane. Finally, we show that an isorefractive oil-in-water Pickering emulsion enables fluorescence spectroscopy to be used to monitor the transport of water-insoluble small molecules (pyrene and benzophenone) between n-dodecane droplets. Such transport is significantly less efficient than that observed for the equivalent isorefractive surfactant-stabilized emulsion. Conventional turbid emulsions do not enable such a comparison to be made because the intense light scattering leads to substantial spectral attenuation
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