Quantum Electro and Chromodynamics treated by Thompson's heuristic approach

In this work we apply Thompson's method (of the dimensions and scales) to study some features of the Quantum Electro and Chromodynamics. This heuristic method can be considered as a simple and alternative way to the Renormalisation Group (R.G.) approach and when applied to QED-lagrangian is able to obtain in a first approximation both the running coupling constant behavior of alpha(mu) and the mass m(mu).The calculations are evaluated just at d_c=4, where d_c is the upper critical dimension of the problem, so that we obtain the logarithmic behavior both for the coupling alpha and the excess of mass Delta m on the energy scale mu. Although our results are well-known in the vast literature of field theories,it seems that one of the advantages of Thompson's method, beyond its simplicity is that it is able to extract directly from QED-lagrangian the physical (finite) behavior of alpha(mu) and m(mu), bypassing hard problems of divergences which normally appear in the conventional renormalisation schemes applied to field theories like QED. Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is also treated by the present method in order to obtain the quark condensate value. Besides this, the method is also able to evaluate the vacuum pressure at the boundary of the nucleon. This is done by assumming a step function behavior for the running coupling constant of the QCD, which fits nicely to some quantities related to the strong interaction evaluated through the MIT-bag model.Comment: RevTex, 25 pages, no figure

High time resolution observation of the transient event of 5 March 1979

The detection of an intense gamma ray burst with the monitor proportional counter on the HEAO 2 spacecraft is discussed with particular emphasis on the measurement of the time of onset of the event. Based on the mean observed counting rate in the burst and assuming a sharp rise, the uncertainty in the burst onset is found to be + or - 220 microseconds. The time of occurrence was 57124.826908 + or - 0.000220 s UT on March 5, 1979, and the location of the HEAO 2 satellite at this time was latitude 22.15 deg, longitude -27.60 deg at an altitude of 525.0 km

Image analysis of the AXAF VETA-I x ray mirror

Initial core scan data of the VETA-I x-ray mirror proved disappointing, showing considerable unpredicted image structure and poor measured FWHM. 2-D core scans were performed, providing important insight into the nature of the distortion. Image deconvolutions using a ray traced model PSF was performed successfully to reinforce our conclusion regarding the origin of the astigmatism. A mechanical correction was made to the optical structure, and the mirror was tested successfully (FWHM 0.22 arcsec) as a result

Long Term Benefits of Diversified Forage-Oriented Cropping Systems as Compared to Rotations Based Mainly on Cereals or Maize

The aim of this study is to assess the long term effects of a forageoriented, versus a maize- and a cereal-oriented crop rotation on the yield potential and soil fertility, as well as the weed, disease and pest development. We report the results after four cropping cycles using silage maize (Zea mays L.) in 1994 and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in 1995 as reference crops for all three rotations. Two years of a grass-clover mixture in a five-year rotation showed positive effects with respect to most soil and plant parameters

Is binary sequential decay compatible with the fragmentation of nuclei at high energy?

We use a binary sequential decay model in order to describe the fragmentation of a nucleus induced by the high energy collisions of protons with Au nuclei. Overall agreement between measured and calculated physical observables is obtained. We evaluate and analyse the decay times obtained with two different parametrisations of the decay rates and discuss the applicability of the model to high energy fragmentation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 eps figures. Small changes at the end of the text. More arguments are given in the discussion of the time scale of the proces

Temporal and Spectral Correlations of Cyg X-1

Temporal and spectral properties of X-ray rapid variability of Cyg X-1 are studied by an approach of correlation analysis in the time domain on different time scales. The correlation coefficients between the total intensity in 2-60 keV and the hardness ratio of 13-60 keV to 2-6 keV band on the time scale of about 1 ms are always negative in all states. For soft states, the correlation coefficients are positive on all the time scales from about 0.01 s to 100 s, which is significantly different with that for transition and low states. Temporal structures in high energy band are narrower than that in low energy band in quite a few cases. The delay of high energy photons relative to low energy ones in the X-ray variations has also been revealed by the correlation analysis. The implication of observed temporal and spectral characteristics to the production region and mechanism of Cyg X-1 X-ray variations is discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures included, to appear in Ap

Influence of radiative damping on the optical-frequency susceptibility

Motivated by recent discussions concerning the manner in which damping appears in the electric polarizability, we show that (a) there is a dependence of the nonresonant contribution on the damping and that (b) the damping enters according to the "opposite sign prescription." We also discuss the related question of how the damping rates in the polarizability are related to energy-level decay rates

Singularity-Free Electrodynamics for Point Charges and Dipoles: Classical Model for Electron Self-Energy and Spin

It is shown how point charges and point dipoles with finite self-energies can be accomodated into classical electrodynamics. The key idea is the introduction of constitutive relations for the electromagnetic vacuum, which actually mirrors the physical reality of vacuum polarization. Our results reduce to conventional electrodynamics for scales large compared to the classical electron radius $r_0\approx 2.8\times10^{-13}$ cm. A classical simulation for a structureless electron is proposed, with the appropriate values of mass, spin and magnetic moment.Comment: 3 page