Variation of the Diameter of the Sun as Measured by the Solar Disk Sextant (SDS)

The balloon-borne Solar Disk Sextant (SDS) experiment has measured the angular size of the Sun on seven occasions spanning the years 1992 to 2011. The solar half-diameter -- observed in a 100-nm wide passband centred at 615 nm -- is found to vary over that period by up to 200 mas, while the typical estimated uncertainty of each measure is 20 mas. The diameter variation is not in phase with the solar activity cycle; thus, the measured diameter variation cannot be explained as an observational artefact of surface activity. Other possible instrument-related explanations for the observed variation are considered but found unlikely, leading us to conclude that the variation is real. The SDS is described here in detail, as is the complete analysis procedure necessary to calibrate the instrument and allow comparison of diameter measures across decades.Comment: 41 pages; appendix and 2 figures added plus some changes in text based on referee's comments; to appear in MNRA

Enhanced excitation of Giant Pairing Vibrations in heavy-ion reactions induced by weakly-bound projectiles

The use of radioactive ion beams is shown to offer the possibility to study collective pairing states at high excitation energy, which are not usually accessible with stable projectiles because of large energy mismatch. In the case of two-neutron stripping reactions induced by 6He, we predict a population of the Giant Pairing Vibration in 208Pb or 116Sn with cross sections of the order of a millibarn, dominating over the mismatched transition to the ground state.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Benchmark ages for the Gaia benchmark stars

In the era of large-scale surveys of stars in the Milky Way, stellar ages are crucial for studying the evolution of the Galaxy. But determining ages of field stars is notoriously difficult; therefore, we attempt to determine benchmark ages for the extensively studied Gaia benchmark stars which can be used for validation purposes. By searching the literature for age estimates from different methods and deriving new ages based on Bayesian isochrone fitting, we are able to put reliable limits on the ages of 16 out of the 33 benchmark stars. The giants with well-defined ages are all young, and an expansion of the sample to include older giants with asteroseismic ages would be beneficial. Some of the stars have surface parameters inconsistent with isochrones younger than 16 Gyr. Including $\alpha$-enhancement in the models when relevant resolves some of these cases, but others clearly highlight discrepancies between the models and observations. We test the impact of atomic diffusion on the age estimates by fitting to the actual surface metallicity of the models instead of the initial value and find that the effect is negligible except for a single turn-off star. Finally, we show that our ability to determine isochrone-based ages for large spectroscopic surveys largely mirrors our ability to determine ages for these benchmark stars, except for stars with $\log g \gtrsim 4.4$ dex since their location in the HR diagram is almost age insensitive. Hence, isochrone fitting does not constrain their ages given the typical uncertainties of spectroscopic stellar parameters.Comment: Accepted in MNRAS. 69 pages (18 for main text, 11 for appendix, and 40 for extra figures

Whose Meanings: Constructing Environmental Justice

This study interprets language use and meaning with regard to race in a state regulatory process before the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB). The document researched is the legal transcript of the EIB Hearing in 2006. The hearing was held to revise the New Mexico Solid Waste Regulations and to consider environmental justice provisions. The study analyzes language and the construction of meaning and discourses in this formal rule-making site; and how these discourses serve as a site for resistance as well as where the State creates and maintains its hegemony. The implication for educators is to consider the cumulative and disparate impacts that our students come with to school, including high levels of toxicity and exposure to chemical disaster where they live, play, pray and go to school

A SECOND LANGUAGE TASK BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN

The study was designed to investigate the implementation phase of a Task Based Learning approach for teaching English as a Second Language to an intact sample of 25 children, six to seven years of age and whose first language in Asuncion, Paraguay was Spanish. Most of the theory behind Task Based Learning (TBL) was accomplished with adolescents and adults. The present researcher found that many of the tasks researched were either not developmentally appropriate or likely needed significant adaptations. Therefore, tasks were developed and adapted to be likely appropriate for children 6 to7 years of age. Findings revealed that adaptations to tasks were crucial to achieving maximum success. This was true for pre-planning and for the implementation phase. More time, scenarios, games, pictures and active learning experiences were found to be needed than originally thought by the present researcher. To the surprise of two teachers and present researcher, most children enjoyed repetition and recycling of new vocabulary. The highest level of motivation emerged when children interviewed high school seniors in their school. Emerging English learners made increased progress when paired with high or moderate level learners. Tasks that were most effective were the interview and retelling of a story. Abstract tasks required increased adaptations, increased teacher intervention in the first language and time to achieve even moderate success. Children responded with curiosity, high motivation and high achievement during the implementation phase. Additional tasks, planning and adaptations must continue to occur before and during the continued implementation of TBL at Colegio del Sol School. Task Based Learning holds promise for young children; however, there needs to be additional development of ideas and materials to support TBL theoretical background

Introversion-Extraversion and the Constitution of an Activist: Exploring Personality Value Patterns in Social Movement Engagement

The proliferation of contemporary, left-leaning social movements aimed at countering societal injustices represents popular and significant avenues for activist engagement among young adults. Compared to the social movement activity of previous generations, present-day activism encompasses a diversity of loosely organized, cause-driven movements, which embrace notions of intersectional identities and rely on diverse forms of participation to advance their goals. Given the increased opportunities for social movement participation, the high visibility of contemporary activism due to social media, and the rejection of hierarchical movement leadership structures, barriers to social movement involvement have declined dramatically and millennials participate in activist efforts at significant rates. However, despite the changing nature of social movements and the embrace of horizontal, “flat” leadership models, levels of approbation are not equally divided within a group; some participants inevitably receive greater recognition for their contributions to the cause than others. This thesis explores whether certain forms of activist participation are perceived to be valued more than others based on cultural privileging of extraverted over introverted personality traits and styles of engagement. Based on quantitative and qualitative data collected through a survey and interview process with college-age social movement participants, I conclude that despite widely held conceptions and stereotypes about activists and their personality traits, many highly engaged students do not conceive of themselves and their contributions in stereotypical ways. The disjuncture between students’ personal understandings of their efforts and the cultural trope of an activist, suggests potential points of reconsideration for activist and social justice movements

The Impact of Foreign Capital on the Country Economy

An influence effect of penetration of foreign direct investments (FDI) is not clear for economy of a home country. There are quantitative and qualitative indicators measuring the role of foreign direct investments: macro economical indicator characterizes an ability of a country to attract FDI; and micro economical indicator characterizes how transnational the country is. The effects for countries exporters and importers of capital are being discovered through the effects of issues (employment, competition), surplus and rent payments. To measure out the investment effect is possible within portfolio theory. It is offered to modify the criteria accepted for factories to measure out macro economical effectiveness of foreign investment. Figuring out the macro economical effects assumes an analysis of foreign capital inflow on the size of GDP, level of export / import and employment. Due to help of Pierson’s correlation coefficient it was found out that there is a connection between these indicators without a temporal log at first and then with a temporal log in Russia, Hungary and China. We chose Hungary as it was the first country of Eastern Europe to attract the foreign capital; China as a country attracting the largest volume of FDI among the emerging markets countries. On a base of statistical materials of central banks in Russia, Hungary and China tables arranged and graphs were imaged. They help to make a conclusion that the inflow of foreign capital in home country is not absolutely positive. It leads to another conclusion: the national investors must be stimulated. Keywords: foreign direct investments; home countries; investment policy; correlation coefficient; effect valuation; temporal lo