Quantum phase transitions in rotating nuclei

We extend the classical Landau theory for rotating nuclei and show that the backbending in 162Yb, that comes about as a result of the two-quasiparticle alignment, is identified with the second order phase transition. We found that the backbending in 156Dy, caused by the instability of $\gamma$-vibrations in the rotating frame, corresponds to the first order phase transition.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

A geographical study of the united nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus, 1964 - 1984

The main aim of this study is to examine the role of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in relation to fundamental changes to the human and political geography of the island. The political background to these changes is given some analysis but the major focus of the study is on the spatial aspects of intercommunal conflict, and the problems created for civilian life by artificial ethnic barriers, barbed wire- fences, sentry-posts, roadblocks, and other physical lines symbolizing the separation of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, After a brief description of the situation prior to Independence, the centrifugal forces dividing the two communities and resulting in the formation of Turkish Cypriot enclaves are discussed. In the light of these major changes U.N.F.I.CYP. had to cope with many complicated practical difficulties on the ground relating to the separate de facto territorial control of certain parts of the Republic of Cyprus by the Turkish Cypriots. This study stresses the economic and humanitarian duties of what is basically a military peacekeeping force. In carrying out these duties there are many linkages between the non-military tasks of U.N.P.I.CYP. and the human geography of the island. Finally, the period since the forming of the de facto partition line between the two communities is considered in detail, and particular attention is given to U.N.F.I.CYP.'s activities between the two Forward Defence Lines of the National Guard and Turkish Array, i.e. in the U.N.- controlled Buffer Zone. The study then attempts to draw some conclusions regarding the likely future role of U.N.F.I.CYP., and to highlight the problems posed by the political deadlock between the two communities. There is also a short conclusion on the geography of peacekeeping, which is based entirely on this detailed case study

Non-Compact Pure Gauge QED in 3D is Free

For all Poincar\'e invariant Lagrangians of the form ${\cal L}\equiv f(F_{\mu\nu})$, in three Euclidean dimensions, where $f$ is any invariant function of a non-compact $U(1)$ field strength $F_{\mu\nu}$, we find that the only continuum limit (described by just such a gauge field) is that of free field theory: First we approximate a gauge invariant version of Wilson's renormalization group by neglecting all higher derivative terms $\sim \partial^nF$ in ${\cal L}$, but allowing for a general non-vanishing anomalous dimension. Then we prove analytically that the resulting flow equation has only one acceptable fixed point: the Gaussian fixed point. The possible relevance to high-$T_c$ superconductivity is briefly discussed.Comment: 11 pages, plain tex, uses harvmac. Minor additions - version to be published in Physics Letters

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on three research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-05)National Institutes of Health (Grant NB-05462-02)Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DA 36-039-AMC-03200(E)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-2495)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496

Near surface properties of mixtures of propylammonium nitrate with n-alkanols 1. Nanostructure

In situ amplitude modulated-atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) has been used to probe the nanostructure of mixtures of propylammonium nitrate (PAN) with n-alkanols near a mica surface. PAN is a protic ionic liquid (IL) which has a bicontinuous sponge-like nanostructure of polar and apolar domains in the bulk, which becomes flatter near a solid surface. Mixtures of PAN with 1-butanol, 1-octanol, and 1-dodecanol at 10–70 vol% n-alkanol have been examined, along with each pure n-alkanol, to reveal the effect of composition and n-alkanol chain length. At low concentrations the butanol simply swells the PAN near-surface nanostructure, but at higher concentrations the nanostructure fragments. Octanol and dodecanol first lower the preferred curvature of the PAN near-surface nanostructure because, unlike n-butanol, their alkyl chains are too long to be accommodated alongside the PAN cations. At higher concentrations, octanol and dodecanol self-assemble into n-alkanol rich aggregates in a PAN rich matrix. The concentration at which aggregation first becomes apparent decreases with n-alkanol chain length

The heat-kernel and the average effective potential

We discuss the definition of the average effective action in terms of the heat-kernel. As an example we examine a model describing a self-interacting scalar field, both in flat and curved background, and study the renormalization group flow of some of the parameters characterizing its effective potential. Some implications of the running of these parameters for inflationary cosmology are also briefly discussed.Comment: 9 pages, plain-Te

Putting context into organizational intervention design:Using tailored questionnaires to measure initiatives for worker well-being

Realistic evaluation emphasizes the importance of exploring the mechanisms through which organizational interventions are effected. A well-known mechanism in organizational interventions is the screening process. Standardized questionnaires, in popular use, neither consider individuals’ appraisals of working conditions nor the specific context of the workplace. Screening with items tailored to intervention contexts may overcome the limitations of standardized questionnaires. In the present study, we evaluate an approach to develop a tailored questionnaire to measure employees’ appraisals of their specific working conditions. First, we interviewed 56 employees and 17 managers and, later, developed tailored items focused on the working conditions in a postal service. In follow-up interviews, we explore participants’ experiences with the tailored questionnaire, including the development of initiatives, compared to their previous experiences with the company´s annual attitude survey that used standardized scales. Results indicated that participants felt the tailored questionnaire highlighted issues that had previously been ignored, that initiatives were easier to develop due to its specificity, and that the feedback strategy was useful in prioritizing questionnaires. Overall, it can be concluded that tailored questionnaires may be appropriate for use in organizational intervention research and more broadly that evaluations of organizational interventions need to be contextually grounded

3-Dimensional atomic scale structure of the ionic liquid–graphite interface elucidated by AM-AFM and quantum chemical simulations

In situ amplitude modulated atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) and quantum chemical simulations are used to resolve the structure of the highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG)–bulk propylammonium nitrate (PAN) interface with resolution comparable with that achieved for frozen ionic liquid (IL) monolayers using STM. This is the first time that (a) molecular resolution images of bulk IL–solid interfaces have been achieved, (b) the lateral structure of the IL graphite interface has been imaged for any IL, (c) AM-AFM has elucidated molecular level structure immersed in a viscous liquid and (d) it has been demonstrated that the IL structure at solid surfaces is a consequence of both thermodynamic and kinetic effects. The lateral structure of the PAN–graphite interface is highly ordered and consists of remarkably well-defined domains of a rhomboidal superstructure composed of propylammonium cations preferentially aligned along two of the three directions in the underlying graphite lattice. The nanostructure is primarily determined by the cation. Van der Waals interactions between the propylammonium chains and the surface mean that the cation is enriched in the surface layer, and is much less mobile than the anion. The presence of a heterogeneous lateral structure at an ionic liquid–solid interface has wide ranging ramifications for ionic liquid applications, including lubrication, capacitive charge storage and electrodeposition