Photoassociative Spectroscopy of Ultracold Metastable Argon and Study of Dual Species Trap Loss in a Rubidium-Metastable Argon MOT

This dissertation presents the findings of two experimental investigations in ultracold atomic and molecular physics: The study of the dual species trap loss in a rubidium - metastable argon magneto-optical trap and the photoassociative spectroscopy of ultracold metastable argon. The interspecies trap loss rate coefficients have been measured for ultracold collisions between 85Rb and 40Ar* in a dual-species magneto-optical trap (MOT) and the two rates have been found to be approximately equal over the range of intensities studied with values of β\u27Rb–Ar* = 3.0 ± 1.3 × 10-11 cm3/s and β\u27Ar*–Rb = 1.9 ± 0.9 × 10-11 cm3/s where β\u27 Rb–Ar* is the trap loss coefficient for Rb in the presence of Ar* and β\u27Ar*–Rb is the reciprocal term. In addition, the trap loss rate coefficient for cold collisions in a metastable argon MOT alone have been measured with an average value of β Ar* = 5.2 ± 1.6 × 10-10 cm3/s. Using a quadrupole mass spectrometer, the production of Ar +, Ar+2, Rb+, and RbAr+ ions in the dual MOT have been observed, clearly identifying heteronuclear Penning and associative ionization as trap loss mechanisms. In the second experiment, the first ever investigation of the photoassociative (PA) spectroscopy of Ar* has been made. The exploratory study focuses on PA spectroscopy near the 4s[3/2]2 + 4p[5/2]3 asymptote of the Ar2* diatomic molecule over a 10 GHz range red detuned of the atomic resonance. With a range of probe laser intensities from ∼ 102–105ISat, 12 resonances have been observed. The spectra have been analyzed using the near-dissociation LeRoy-Bernstein method. Through this analysis, the spectra seem to best correlate with excitations to the 5g state

A Compromise - Adding a Knowledge Requirement to Rule 13b2-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established to protect investors and support fair and efficient financial markets. To combat bribery of foreign officials in the practice of business, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enacted Section 13(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Generally, Section 13(b) establishes requirements for the financial records, internal controls, and accounting of public companies. Section 13(b) maintains stricter requirements for financial records for the public and SEC to easily detect illegal activity as well as to deter the companies from participating in these activities. Following the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC enacted Rule 13b2-2 to clarify and strengthen the requirements of Section 13(b). Currently, there is a circuit split concerning whether scienter is requisite to finding liability under Rule 13b2-2. Only four federal circuits have ruled on this issue, and the majority of ruling appellate courts currently hold that there is not a scienter requirement in Rule 13b2-2. This holding has been established by the Second Circuit in SEC v. McNulty, the Seventh Circuit in McConville v. SEC, and the Eighth Circuit in SEC v. Das. Additionally, the courts find that the SEC upholds this view as well. The Ninth Circuit in SEC v. Todd held that there is a stricter standard for imposing liability under Rule 13b2-2. This standard is the scienter requirement, which requires the individual to knowingly make misrepresentations to an external financial statement auditor. The crux of the Ninth Circuit’s reasoning is that to not impose a scienter requirement would be to open liability on a wider class of individuals than intended by Congress in the enactment of the rule. With correct intentions, the Ninth Circuit successfully blurred the lines between whether there is a scienter requirement to find liability under Rule 13b2-2. It is important to clarify that Rule 13b2-2 does not explicitly state a scienter requirement to find liability, but should require the individual to have knowledge of the misrepresentation. The policy argument of the Ninth Circuit in Todd should not be ignored, but it also should not be used to create a requisite mental component to the rule that Congress did not intend. Rule 13b2-2 should have a knowledge requirement, but this requirement should be separate and distinct from a scienter requirement

Last of the Blue and Gray: Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived the Civil War

A Civil War Mystery Almost 100 Years in the Making Richard Serrano, newspaper columnist and author of several titles, has created an engaging narrative, which reads more like a mystery than a historical account of the passing of the last of America\u27s Civil War soldiers. Whether they donne...

Delinquency and Crime in Nevada

The United States has always had significantly higher crime rates than other developed nations, and its juvenile crime rates repeat this pattern. Scholars have offered various explanations for this discrepancy, ranging from structural reasons such as a high level of income inequality in the U.S. to the cultural values that encourage Americans to be individualistic, seek autonomy, and engage in violent conduct. Crime issues have received a good deal of attention from American scholars and politicians, with delinquency remaining a major focus of criminological inquiry for more than 50 years. While scholarly literature now includes many studies focused on different regions and cities, there are no large-scale empirical examination of crime and delinquency in the Silver State

Safety, the Preface Paradox and Possible Worlds Semantics

This paper contains an argument to the effect that possible worlds semantics renders semantic knowledge impossible, no matter what ontological interpretation is given to possible worlds. The essential contention made is that possible worlds semantic knowledge is unsafe and this is shown by a parallel with the preface paradox

Modeling the public health impact of malaria vaccines for developers and policymakers

Efforts to develop malaria vaccines show promise. Mathematical model-based estimates of the potential demand, public health impact, and cost and financing requirements can be used to inform investment and adoption decisions by vaccine developers and policymakers on the use of malaria vaccines as complements to existing interventions. However, the complexity of such models may make their outputs inaccessible to non-modeling specialists. This paper describes a Malaria Vaccine Model (MVM) developed to address the specific needs of developers and policymakers, who need to access sophisticated modeling results and to test various scenarios in a user-friendly interface. The model's functionality is demonstrated through a hypothetical vaccine.; The MVM has three modules: supply and demand forecast; public health impact; and implementation cost and financing requirements. These modules include pre-entered reference data and also allow for user-defined inputs. The model includes an integrated sensitivity analysis function. Model functionality was demonstrated by estimating the public health impact of a hypothetical pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine with 85% efficacy against uncomplicated disease and a vaccine efficacy decay rate of four years, based on internationally-established targets. Demand for this hypothetical vaccine was estimated based on historical vaccine implementation rates for routine infant immunization in 40 African countries over a 10-year period. Assumed purchase price was $5 per dose and injection equipment and delivery costs were$0.40 per dose.; The model projects the number of doses needed, uncomplicated and severe cases averted, deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted, and cost to avert each. In the demonstration scenario, based on a projected demand of 532 million doses, the MVM estimated that 150 million uncomplicated cases of malaria and 1.1 million deaths would be averted over 10 years. This is equivalent to 943 uncomplicate cases and 7 deaths averted per 1,000 vaccinees. In discounted 2011 US dollars, this represents $11 per uncomplicated case averted and$1,482 per death averted. If vaccine efficacy were reduced to 75%, the estimated uncomplicated cases and deaths averted over 10 years would decrease by 14% and 19%, respectively.; The MVM can provide valuable information to assist decision-making by vaccine developers and policymakers, information which will be refined and strengthened as field studies progress allowing further validation of modeling assumptions