A Not So Little Higgs?

Most recent models assuming the Higgs Boson is a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone Boson (p NGb) are motivated by the indication from Standard Model fits that its mass is < 200GeV.Starting from a modified SM of Forshaw et. al. with a triplet boson added and a heavier Higgs Boson, we consider a pNGb model. This differs in several wa ys from most little Higgs models: apart from using only one loop, the cutoff sca le is reduced to 5 TeV, and consequently a linear sigma model is used to allevia te FCNC effects; no new vector bosons are required, but vector-like isosinglet f ermions are needed, but play no part in determining the mass of the Higgs Boson. The phenomenology of the isosinglet pNGb that arises from the SU(3)xSU(3)->SU(3) model we use is briefly discussed. Some potential theoretical and phenomenolog ical problems arementioned briefly.Comment: 7 pages, some clarifying remarks added and improved discussion of mass estimates give

Formally verifying Ada programs which use real number types

Formal verification is applied to programs which use real number arithmetic operations (mathematical programs). Formal verification of a program P consists of creating a mathematical model of F, stating the desired properties of P in a formal logical language, and proving that the mathematical model has the desired properties using a formal proof calculus. The development and verification of the mathematical model are discussed

How Effective is the British Governments Attempt to Reduce Child Poverty?

The new Labour Government in Britain has made the reduction of child poverty one of its central objectives. This paper describes the specific initiatives involved in Labour's approach and weighs them up in terms of their potential impact. After setting out the extent of the problem of child poverty, the causes are discussed and Britain's problem is set in international perspective. The impact on child poverty of policies designed to raise incomes directly is analysed using micro-simulation modelling. A major emphasis of current policy is on the promotion of paid work, and we explore the potential for poverty reduction of increasing the employment of parents. We find that at its maximum, increasing paid work could roughly double the reduction in child poverty achieved by tax and benefit policies alone - a combined decrease of 1.85 million children in poverty. However, a more realistic forecast of increases in parental employment suggests that the number of children in poverty may be reduced by 1 million by 2002. The policies that address long-term disadvantage are also discussed and finally the whole programme is assessed and future strategy is considered.Child poverty, tax and benefit policy, welfare-to-work

Changing Poverty Post-1997

The paper analyses changes in poverty in Britain since 1997. A poverty level of 60 percent of median equivalised income is used. The first part examines the changes that occurred between 1996/7 and 2000/1 as shown by the Family Resources Survey, on which government estimates of Households Below Average Income are based. There was a small reduction in poverty overall and a larger proportionate fall in child poverty. This fall was attributable in part to increased employment and in part to changes in benefits and tax credits which increased for some, particularly for families on low earnings with children, but fell relative to median incomes for many of those without children and not in employment. The second part assesses policy changes implemented or announced for the period 2000/1 to 2003/4 by means of a micro-simulation model, POLIMOD, using a sample from the Family Resources Survey. The impact of policy changes is to reduce poverty compared to its prospects under previous policies. But, relative to a poverty level that rises in real terms in step with median incomes, future reductions in poverty are likely to be small. In order to keep on track towards the goal of halving child poverty by 2010, further policy measures will be required.poverty, welfare policy

Evaluation of outdoor-to-indoor response to minimized sonic booms

Various studies were conducted by NASA and others on the practical limitations of sonic boom signature shaping/minimization for the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) and on the effects of these shaped boom signatures on perceived loudness. This current effort is a further part of this research with emphasis on examining shaped boom signatures which are representative of the most recent investigations of practical limitations on sonic boom minimization, and on examining and comparing the expected response to these signatures when experienced indoors and outdoors