Attitude stability of deformable satellites

Attitude stability of deformable earth-pointing satellite

The Effect of Divestitures in the German Electricity Market

In the most liberalized electricity markets, abuse of market power is a concern related to oligopolistic market structures, flaws in market architecture, and the specific characteristics of electricity generation and demand. Several methods have been suggested to improve the competitiveness of the liberalized electricity markets and to reallocate rents from generators to consumers. In this paper we study to what extend divestitures can improve the competitiveness of the electricity market. We quantify the expected developments under different divestiture scenarios for the German market, using Cournot and Supply Function Equilibrium simulations. We find an overall welfare gain in both models and show that those gains are highest if the divested assets are sold to independent and small firms, preventing the formation of additional firms that set prices strategically.Supply Function Equilibrium;Cournot competition;electricity markets;divestitures

Innovation and Governance in International Food Supply Chains: The Cases of Ghanaian Pineapples and South African Grapes

This paper reports an exploratory case study on innovation in, and governance of, international supply chains originating in developing countries. Two African fruit export chains are analyzed: the table grape chain from South Africa (a highly developed chain) and the pineapple chain from Ghana (a newly emerging chain). The most important market for both chains is the EU. The two cases present complementary perspectives on international supply chain development. The paper shows that Western demands in these cases lead to innovation at the producer end of the international supply chain and changes in governance structures towards chain coordination and vertical integration.international supply chains, innovation, governance, developing countries., Agribusiness, International Development, International Relations/Trade, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis,

Cournot Versus Supply Functions: What does the Data Tell us?

The liberalization of the electricity sector increases the need for realistic and robust models of the oligopolistic interaction of electricity firms. This paper compares the two most popular models: Cournot and the Supply Function Equilibrium (SFE), and tests which model describes the observed market data best. Using identical demand and supply specifications, both models are calibrated to the German electricity market by varying the contract cover of firms. Our results show that each model explains an identical fraction of the observed price variation. We therefore suggest using Cournot models for short term analysis, as more market details, such as network constraints, can be accommodated. As the SFE model is less sensitive to the choice of the calibration parameters, it might be more appropriate for long term analysis, such as the study of a merger.supply function equilibrium;Cournot competition;electricity markets

Clustering Educational Categories in a Heterogeneous Labour Market

In most countries, the systems of educational classification are based on administrative criteria. For labour market analyses, however, a classification that demarcates an individual''s competences obtained by the courses attended is a better alternative. In this paper we will develop an educational classification that is based on the observed substitution possibilities of workers with different educational backgrounds within similar jobs. As an additional criterion we use the recognisability of the groups distinguished. In addition, we incorporate the criterion of statistical reliability. This results in an educational classification with 113 distinct categories.education, training and the labour market;

Cournot versus Supply Functions: What Does the Data tell us?

The liberalization of the electricity sector increases the need for realistic and robust models of the oligopolistic interaction of electricity firms. This paper compares the two most popular models: Cournot and the Supply Function Equilibrium (SFE), and tests which model describes the observed market data best. Using identical demand and supply specifications, both models are calibrated to the German electricity market by varying the contract cover of firms. Our results show that each model explains an identical fraction of the observed price variation. We therefore suggest using Cournot models for short term analysis, as more market details, such as network constraints, can be accommodated. As the SFE model is less sensitive to the choice of the calibration parameters, it might be more appropriate for long term analysis, such as the study of a merger.supply function equilibrium;Cournot competition;electricity markets

Nondestructive Determination of Hardening Depth in Induction Hardened Components by Ultrasonic Backscattering

Induction hardening is a well established technique to improve the resistance of components like bearings, gears, rolls etc. against loading and to protect the surface against wear. The hardening process is performed by inductive heating of the near-surface region above the austenising temperature and subsequent water cooling. This normally leads to a martensitic microstructure near the surface with suitable hardness and strength which is separated by a transition zone from the less hard but more tough base material. The hardening depth is defined as the distance from surface where the hardness drops below a given level defined by application dependent standards

Radio frequency readout of electrically detected magnetic resonance in phosphorus-doped silicon MOSFETs

We demonstrate radio frequency (RF) readout of electrically detected magnetic resonance in phosphorus-doped silicon metal-oxide field-effecttransistors (MOSFETs), operated at liquid helium temperatures. For the first time, the Si:P hyperfine lines have been observed using radio frequency reflectometry, which is promising for high-bandwidth operation and possibly time-resolved detection of spin resonance in donor-based semiconductor devices. Here we present the effect of microwave (MW) power and MOSFET biasing conditions on the EDMR signals.Comment: 2 pages, 3 figure