Electrostatic propulsion system with a direct nuclear electrogenerator Patent

Nuclear electric generator for accelerating charged propellant particles in electrostatic propulsion syste

Reciprocal relativity of noninertial frames: quantum mechanics

Noninertial transformations on time-position-momentum-energy space {t,q,p,e} with invariant Born-Green metric ds^2=-dt^2+dq^2/c^2+(1/b^2)(dp^2-de^2/c^2) and the symplectic metric -de/\dt+dp/\dq are studied. This U(1,3) group of transformations contains the Lorentz group as the inertial special case. In the limit of small forces and velocities, it reduces to the expected Hamilton transformations leaving invariant the symplectic metric and the nonrelativistic line element ds^2=dt^2. The U(1,3) transformations bound relative velocities by c and relative forces by b. Spacetime is no longer an invariant subspace but is relative to noninertial observer frames. Born was lead to the metric by a concept of reciprocity between position and momentum degrees of freedom and for this reason we call this reciprocal relativity. For large b, such effects will almost certainly only manifest in a quantum regime. Wigner showed that special relativistic quantum mechanics follows from the projective representations of the inhomogeneous Lorentz group. Projective representations of a Lie group are equivalent to the unitary reprentations of its central extension. The same method of projective representations of the inhomogeneous U(1,3) group is used to define the quantum theory in the noninertial case. The central extension of the inhomogeneous U(1,3) group is the cover of the quaplectic group Q(1,3)=U(1,3)*s H(4). H(4) is the Weyl-Heisenberg group. A set of second order wave equations results from the representations of the Casimir operators

Glutamatergic Control of Striatal Dopamine Release in Normal Rats and 6-OHDA Rats with Intrastriatal Grafts

Recent animal experiments suggest that transplanted neurons become integrated with the host brain. Neuroanatomical studies have shown that transplanted dopaminergic neurons can form synaptic connections on target cells in the host striatum. Other studies also have shown that grafted neurons not only innervate the host striatum but also receive afferent inputs from neurons of the host. However, little is known about the dynamic regulation of graft-derived dopamine (DA) release by the host brain. In normal animals, cortical neuronal input to the striatum is carried mainly via glutamate (Glu) neurons. Interactions between DA and Glu in the striatum are shown by in vivo and in vitro studies. Using in vivo microdialysis, the present study was carried out in order to elucidate the effects of glutamatergic agonists and Glu blockade on DA release in the normal striatum and in the striatum of 6-OHDA rats with dopamine grafts

Lepton Family Symmetry and Neutrino Mass Matrix

The standard model of leptons is extended to accommodate a discrete Z_3 X Z_2 family symmetry. After rotating the charged-lepton mass matrix to its diagonal form, the neutrino mass matrix reveals itself as very suitable for explaining atmospheric and solar neutrino oscillation data. A generic requirement of this approach is the appearance of three Higgs doublets at the electroweak scale, with observable flavor violating decays.Comment: 9 pages, including 1 figur

Solenoidal versus compressive turbulence forcing

We analyze the statistics and star formation rate obtained in high-resolution numerical experiments of forced supersonic turbulence, and compare with observations. We concentrate on a systematic comparison of solenoidal (divergence-free) and compressive (curl-free) forcing, which are two limiting cases of turbulence driving. Our results show that for the same RMS Mach number, compressive forcing produces a three times larger standard deviation of the density probability distribution. When self-gravity is included in the models, the star formation rate is more than one order of magnitude higher for compressive forcing than for solenoidal forcing.Comment: 1 page, to appear in the proceedings of the IAU General Assembly Joint Discussion 14 "FIR2009: The ISM of Galaxies in the Far-Infrared and Sub-Millimetre", ed. M. Cunningha

Real space first-principles derived semiempirical pseudopotentials applied to tunneling magnetoresistance

In this letter we present a real space density functional theory (DFT) localized basis set semi-empirical pseudopotential (SEP) approach. The method is applied to iron and magnesium oxide, where bulk SEP and local spin density approximation (LSDA) band structure calculations are shown to agree within approximately 0.1 eV. Subsequently we investigate the qualitative transferability of bulk derived SEPs to Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions. We find that the SEP method is particularly well suited to address the tight binding transferability problem because the transferability error at the interface can be characterized not only in orbital space (via the interface local density of states) but also in real space (via the system potential). To achieve a quantitative parameterization, we introduce the notion of ghost semi-empirical pseudopotentials extracted from the first-principles calculated Fe/MgO bonding interface. Such interface corrections are shown to be particularly necessary for barrier widths in the range of 1 nm, where interface states on opposite sides of the barrier couple effectively and play a important role in the transmission characteristics. In general the results underscore the need for separate tight binding interface and bulk parameter sets when modeling conduction through thin heterojunctions on the nanoscale.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Applied Physic

The 2MASS Wide-Field T Dwarf Search. IV Unting out T dwarfs with Methane Imaging

We present first results from a major program of methane filter photometry for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. The definition of a new methane filter photometric system is described. A recipe is provided for the differential calibration of methane imaging data using existing 2MASS photometry. We show that these filters are effective in discriminating T dwarfs from other types of stars, and demonstrate this with Anglo-Australian Telescope observations using the IRIS2 imager. Methane imaging data and proper motions are presented for ten T dwarfs identified as part of the 2MASS "Wide Field T Dwarf Search" -- seven of them initially identified as T dwarfs using methane imaging. We also present near-infrared moderate resolution spectra for five T dwarfs, newly discovered by this technique. Spectral types obtained from these spectra are compared to those derived from both our methane filter observations, and spectral types derived by other observers. Finally, we suggest a range of future programs to which these filters are clearly well suited: the winnowing of T dwarf and Y dwarf candidate objects coming from the next generation of near-infrared sky surveys; the robust detection of candidate planetary-mass brown dwarfs in clusters; the detection of T dwarf companions to known L and T dwarfs via deep methane imaging; and the search for rotationally-modulated time-variable surface features on cool brown dwarfs.Comment: 20 pages. To appear in The Astronomical Journal, Nov. 200

Age Dating of a High-Redshift QSO B1422+231 at Z=3.62 and its Cosmological Implications

The observed Fe II(UV+optical)/Mg II lambda lambda 2796,2804 flux ratio from a gravitationally lensed quasar B1422+231 at z=3.62 is interpreted in terms of detailed modeling of photoionization and chemical enrichment in the broad-line region (BLR) of the host galaxy. The delayed iron enrichment by Type Ia supernovae is used as a cosmic clock. Our standard model, which matches the Fe II/Mg II ratio, requires the age of 1.5 Gyr for B1422+231 with a lower bound of 1.3 Gyr, which exceeds the expansion age of the Einstein-de Sitter Omega_0=1 universe at a redshift of 3.62 for any value of the Hubble constant in the currently accepted range, H_0=60-80 km,s^{-1},Mpc^{-1}. This problem of an age discrepancy at z=3.62 can be unraveled in a low-density Omega_0<0.2 universe, either with or without a cosmological constant, depending on the allowable redshift range of galaxy formation. However, whether the cosmological constant is a required option in modern cosmology awaits a thorough understanding of line transfer processes in the BLRs.Comment: 7 pages including 3 figures, to appear in ApJ Letter

Factors Associated with Depression among University Students in Malaysia: A Cross-sectional Study

Depression is a recurrent mental health problem among younger demographics, and university students are particularly susceptible owing to stress, workload and independent living, amongst other factors.&nbsp; This study explores the prevalence of depression and the factors influencing depression among university students in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study involved 1,023 university students (response rate 90.4%). Depression was assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Short Depression Scale (CESD -10). Binary logistic regression was used to determine predictors of depression based on sociodemographic, physiological, lifestyle, and health characteristics. Approximately 30% of respondents experienced depression, and 4.4% of this category suffered severe depression. This study demonstrates that instances of depression were 2.52 times higher (95% CI: 1.71-3.71) in second year students compared to first year students, and 1.63 times higher (95% CI: 1.08-2.45) in students staying outside campus compared to students staying inside campus. Students from poor, not well-off, and quite well-off family background had 15.26 (95% CI: 2.77-84.88), 4.85 (95% CI: 1.01-23.34) and 5.62 times (95% CI: 1.16-27.25) higher chance for depression than wealthier students, respectively. Students with mild, moderate, and severe sleeping problems were 2.50 times (95% CI: 1.61-3.88), 3.34 times (95% CI: 2.18-5.11), and 3.66 times (95% CI: 1. 93 -6. 94) more likely to be depressed than those without sleeping problem, respectively. Students with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were 1.42 times higher (95% CI: 1.07-2.56) to suffer from depression. This study concludes that higher education institutions need to pay special attention to the mental health of those students especially those in their second year, living off campus, from lower economic backgrounds, with sleeping problem, or suffering PTSD