"Single-cycle" ionization effects in laser-matter interaction

We investigate numerically effects related to ``single-cycle'' ionization of dense matter by an ultra-short laser pulse. The strongly non-adiabatic response of electrons leads to generation of a megagauss steady magnetic field in laser-solid interaction. By using two-beam interference, it is possible to create periodic density structures able to trap light and to generate relativistic ionization frontsComment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Laser and Particle Beam

Fast magnetic reconnection in laser-produced plasma bubbles

Recent experiments have observed magnetic reconnection in high-energy-density, laser-produced plasma bubbles, with reconnection rates observed to be much higher than can be explained by classical theory. Based on fully kinetic particle simulations we find that fast reconnection in these strongly driven systems can be explained by magnetic flux pile-up at the shoulder of the current sheet and subsequent fast reconnection via two-fluid, collisionless mechanisms. In the strong drive regime with two-fluid effects, we find that the ultimate reconnection time is insensitive to the nominal system Alfven time.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. Let

Growth strategies through mergers and acquisitions in knowledge-based companies – The case for architect/engineer (A/E) professional service firms (PSFs)

Analyses of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across industries are prevalent in the literature. Yet, this research reveals that at least half, if not more, of all M&A activity fails to meet strategic, operational, and financial objectives, and can result in declining employee and customer satisfaction. The research herein develops a model framework for alternative growth strategies in the architecture/engineering (A/E) industry, with a specific focus on the antecedents of successful M&A among A/E professional service firms (PSFs).At the center of the model is the Resource Based View of the Firm, where leadership capacity, cash, and capital flows yield an affordable means to a competitive advantage through the accumulation of necessary talent. For A/E PSFs, talent acquisition and top-line growth through market, service area, geographic, and client complementarity, along with circumspect levels of diversification, provide opportunities for firm differentiation, enhanced reputation, and greater shareholder value. In addition, positive outcomes to the buyer-seller dyad, through the exchange in price-to-earnings ratios, provide a unique value creation opportunity in the industry. These are the primary, effective antecedents for M&A activity; however, driving for economies of scope/scale (revenue/cost synergies) and other external, sell-side, and risk management factors play a substantive role as well. While many of the cross-industry failures of M&A transactions are known to result from the post-merger integration (PMI) process, and issues surrounding culture are typically cited, this research focuses on the role of Self-determination Theory and individual-level autonomy, a critical and basic need of all employees, but especially important to PSF staff.Using Penrose Theory (management capacity), as well as authentic leadership and organizational justice tenets as a basis, mediating and moderating outcomes of the PMI process were developed and tested for the A/E PSF industry in North America

“Insignificant Exceptions”: Confronting Sexism in Armed Conflict through Gender-aware Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration

This thesis examines the intersection between sex, gender, and armed conflict through an analysis of the female combatant experience. It combines anecdotal evidence and quantitative data from various armed conflicts within the past 50 years to reveal how sexism and gendered conceptions of war influence virtually all aspects of the experience of women and girl combatants. Recognizing sexism as a major player in the recruitment, wartime treatment, demobilization, and reintegration of women and girl combatants, it identifies disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs as intervention points where gender-aware planning and implementation can improve outcomes for female combatants in the transition to peace

Primordial helium recombination II: two-photon processes

Interpretation of precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) will require a detailed understanding of the recombination era, which determines such quantities as the acoustic oscillation scale and the Silk damping scale. This paper is the second in a series devoted to the subject of helium recombination, with a focus on two-photon processes in He I. The standard treatment of these processes includes only the spontaneous two-photon decay from the 2^1S level. We extend this treatment by including five additional effects, some of which have been suggested in recent papers but whose impact on He I recombination has not been fully quantified. These are: (i) stimulated two-photon decays; (ii) two-photon absorption of redshifted HeI line radiation; (iii) two-photon decays from highly excited levels in HeI (n^1S and n^1D, with n>=3); (iv) Raman scattering; and (v) the finite width of the 2^1P^o resonance. We find that effect (iii) is highly suppressed when one takes into account destructive interference between different intermediate states contributing to the two-photon decay amplitude. Overall, these effects are found to be insignificant: they modify the recombination history at the level of several parts in 10^4.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, to be submitted to PR

Are They Swaying Judges? Oh, Please. FREE\u27s Environmental Seminars Offer Intellectual Value, Not Indoctrination

While it is beyond our expertise to opine on what is or is not within the bounds of judicial ethics, we can attest to what transpires at FREE [Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment] seminars. The Community Rights Counsel\u27s description of them is, simply said, devoid of any connection to reality. The fuss the CRC has raise is, we suspect, more about its disagreement with FREE\u27s philosophy than any genuine concern that federal judges are being brainwashed into making anti-environmental decisions