A Comparative Analysis of the Supernova Legacy Survey Sample with {\Lambda}CDM and the Rh=ctR_{\rm h}=ct Universe

The use of Type~Ia SNe has thus far produced the most reliable measurement of the expansion history of the Universe, suggesting that $\Lambda$CDM offers the best explanation for the redshift--luminosity distribution observed in these events. But the analysis of other kinds of source, such as cosmic chronometers, gamma ray bursts, and high-$z$ quasars, conflicts with this conclusion, indicating instead that the constant expansion rate implied by the $R_{\rm h}=ct$ Universe is a better fit to the data. The central difficulty with the use of Type~Ia SNe as standard candles is that one must optimize three or four nuisance parameters characterizing supernova luminosities simultaneously with the parameters of an expansion model. Hence in comparing competing models, one must reduce the data independently for each. We carry~out such a comparison of $\Lambda$CDM and the $R_{\rm h}=ct$ Universe, using the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) sample of 252 SN~events, and show that each model fits its individually reduced data very well. But since $R_{\rm h}=ct$ has only one free parameter (the Hubble constant), it follows from a standard model selection technique that it is to be preferred over $\Lambda$CDM, the minimalist version of which has three (the Hubble constant, the scaled matter density and either the spatial curvature constant or the dark-energy equation-of-state parameter). We estimate by the Bayes Information Criterion that in a pairwise comparison, the likelihood of $R_{\rm h}=ct$ is $\sim 90\%$, compared with only $\sim 10\%$ for a minimalist form of $\Lambda$CDM, in which dark energy is simply a cosmological constant. Compared to $R_{\rm h}=ct$, versions of the standard model with more elaborate parametrizations of dark energy are judged to be even less likely.Comment: 31 Pages, 5 Figures, 1 Table. Accepted for publication in A

Thermopower peak in phase transition region of (1-x)La2/3_{2/3}Ca1/3_{1/3}MnO3_{3}/xYSZ

The thermoelectric power (TEP) and the electrical resistivity of the intergranular magnetoresistance (IGMR) composite, (1-x)La$_{2/3}$Ca$_{1/3}$MnO$_{3}$/xYSZ (LCMO/YSZ) with x = 0, 0.75%, 1.25%, 4.5%, 13% 15% and 80% of the yttria-stabalized zirconia (YSZ), have been measured from 300 K down to 77 K. Pronounced TEP peak appears during the phase transition for the samples of x $>$ 0, while not observed for x = 0. We suggest that this is due to the magnetic structure variation induced by the lattice strain which is resulting from the LCMO/YSZ boundary layers. The transition width in temperature derived from $d\chi/dT$, with $\chi$ being the AC magnetic susceptibility, supports this interpretation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figures, Latex, J. Appl. Phys 94, 7206 (2003

Analysis of Damage in Laminated Architectural Glazing Subjected to Wind Loading and Windborne Debris Impact

Wind loading and windborne debris (missile) impact are the two primary mechanisms that result in window glazing damage during hurricanes. Wind-borne debris is categorized into two types: small hard missiles such as roof gravel, and large soft missiles representing lumber from wood-framed buildings. Laminated architectural glazing (LAG) may be used in buildings where impact resistance is needed. The glass plies in LAG undergo internal damage before total failure. The bulk of the published work on this topic either deals with the stress and dynamic analyses of undamaged LAG or the total failure of LAG. The pre-failure damage response of LAG due to the combination of wind loading and windborne debris impact is studied. A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based constitutive model is developed and implemented via an axisymmetric finite element code to study the failure and damage behavior of laminated architectural glazing subjected to combined loading of wind and windborne debris impact. The effect of geometric and material properties on the damage pattern is studied parametrically

Centrality, system size and energy dependences of charged-particle pseudo-rapidity distribution

Utilizing the three-fireball picture within the quark combination model, we study systematically the charged particle pseudorapidity distributions in both Au+Au and Cu+Cu collision systems as a function of collision centrality and energy, $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$ 19.6, 62.4, 130 and 200 GeV, in full pseudorapidity range. We find that: (i)the contribution from leading particles to $dN_{ch}/d\eta$ distributions increases with the decrease of the collision centrality and energy respectively; (ii)the number of the leading particles is almost independent of the collision energy, but it does depend on the nucleon participants $N_{part}$; (iii)if Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at the same collision energy are selected to have the same $N_{part}$, the resulting of charged particle $dN/d\eta$ distributions are nearly identical, both in the mid-rapidity particle density and the width of the distribution. This is true for both 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV data. (iv)the limiting fragmentation phenomenon is reproduced. (iiv) we predict the total multiplicity and pseudorapidity distribution for the charged particles in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 5.5$ TeV. Finally, we give a qualitative analysis of the $N_{ch}/$ and $dN_{ch}/d\eta/|_{\eta\approx0}$ as function of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ and $N_{part}$ from RHIC to LHC.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure