25,540 research outputs found
Embedding the concept of ecosystems services:The utilisation of ecological knowledge in different policy venues
The concept of ecosystem services is increasingly being promoted by academics and policy makers as a means to protect ecological systems through more informed decision making. A basic premise of this approach is that strengthening the ecological knowledge base will significantly enhance ecosystem health through more sensitive decision making. However, the existing literature on knowledge utilisation, and many previous attempts to improve decision making through better knowledge integration, suggest that producing ‘more knowledge’ is only ever a necessary but insufficient condition for greater policy success. We begin this paper by reviewing what is already known about the relationship between ecological knowledge development and utilisation, before introducing a set of theme issue papers that examine—for the very first time—how this politically and scientifically salient relationship plays out across a number of vital policy venues such as land-use planning, policy-level impact assessment, and cost–benefit analysis. Following a detailed synthesis of the key findings of all the papers, this paper identifies and explores new research and policy challenges in this important and dynamic area of environmental governance
Influence of Zn doping profiles on excitation dependence of photoluminescence intensity in InGaAsP heterostructures
It is known that the Zn doping profile in strained multi-quantum-well (MQW) InGaAsP lasers strongly affects the electro-optical characteristics of these devices and their temperature sensitivity. A systematic investigation of the excitation dependence of the active layer photoluminescence (PL) intensity from compressively strained InGaAsP MQW pin laser material with different Zn doping profiles is described. When the pn junction lies within the active region, the excitation dependence of the PL intensity is superlinear at low excitation and linear at higher excitation. As the Zn profile is set back from the heterointerface creating a displaced pn junction from the active region, the excitation dependence is superlinear and linear at 300 K but becomes linear for all excitation powers at 77 K. The implications of these observations are discussed
SCUBA Mapping of Spitzer c2d Small Clouds and Cores
We present submillimeter observations of dark clouds that are part of the
Spitzer Legacy Program, From Molecular Cores to Planet-Forming Disks (c2d). We
used the Submillimetre Common User's Bolometer Array to map the regions
observed by Spitzer by the c2d program to create a census of dense molecular
cores including data from the infrared to the submillimeter. In this paper, we
present the basic data from these observations: maps, fluxes, and source
attributes. We also show data for an object just outside the Perseus cloud that
was serendipitously observed in our program. We propose that this object is a
newly discovered, evolved protostar.Comment: 37 pages, accepted to The Astronomical Journa
Relaxational behavior of the infinite-range Ising spin-glass in a transverse field
We study the zero-temperature behavior of the infinite-ranged Ising spin
glass in a transverse field. Using spin summation techniques and Monte Carlo
methods we characterize the zero-temperature quantum transition. Our results
are well compatible with a value for the correlation length
exponent, for the dynamical exponent and an algebraic decay for
the imaginary-time correlation function. The zero-temperature relaxation of the
energy in the presence of the transverse field shows that the system
monotonically reaches the ground state energy due to tunneling processes and
displays strong glassy effects.Comment: 15 pages + 5 Figures, Revte
Avoiding Quantum Chaos in Quantum Computation
We study a one-dimensional chain of nuclear spins in an external
time-dependent magnetic field. This model is considered as a possible candidate
for experimental realization of quantum computation. According to the general
theory of interacting particles, one of the most dangerous effects is quantum
chaos which can destroy the stability of quantum operations. According to the
standard viewpoint, the threshold for the onset of quantum chaos due to an
interaction between spins (qubits) strongly decreases with an increase of the
number of qubits. Contrary to this opinion, we show that the presence of a
magnetic field gradient helps to avoid quantum chaos which turns out to
disappear with an increase of the number of qubits. We give analytical
estimates which explain this effect, together with numerical data supportingComment: RevTex, 5 pages including 3 eps-figure
Probing neutrino oscillations jointly in long and very long baseline experiments
We examine the prospects of making a joint analysis of neutrino oscillation
at two baselines with neutrino superbeams. Assuming narrow band superbeams and
a 100 kt water Cerenkov calorimeter, we calculate the event rates and
sensitivities to the matter effect, the signs of the neutrino mass differences,
the CP phase and the mixing angle \theta_{13}. Taking into account all possible
experimental errors under general consideration, we explored the optimum cases
of narrow band beam to measure the matter effect and the CP violation effect at
all baselines up to 3000 km. We then focus on two specific baselines, a long
baseline of 300 km and a very long baseline of 2100 km, and analyze their joint
capabilities. We found that the joint analysis can offer extra leverage to
resolve some of the ambiguities that are associated with the measurement at a
single baseline.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figure
A next-generation inverse-geometry spallation-driven ultracold neutron source
The physics model of a next-generation spallation-driven high-current
ultracold neutron (UCN) source capable of delivering an extracted UCN rate of
around an-order-of-magnitude higher than the strongest proposed sources, and
around three-orders-of-magnitude higher than existing sources, is presented.
This UCN-current-optimized source would dramatically improve cutting-edge UCN
measurements that are currently statistically limited. A novel "Inverse
Geometry" design is used with 40 L of superfluid He (He-II), which acts as
a converter of cold neutrons (CNs) to UCNs, cooled with state-of-the-art
sub-cooled cryogenic technology to 1.6 K. Our design is optimized for a
100 W maximum heat load constraint on the He-II and its vessel. In our
geometry, the spallation target is wrapped symmetrically around the UCN
converter to permit raster scanning the proton beam over a relatively large
volume of tungsten spallation target to reduce the demand on the cooling
requirements, which makes it reasonable to assume that water edge-cooling only
is sufficient. Our design is refined in several steps to reach
s under our other restriction of 1 MW maximum
available proton beam power. We then study effects of the He-II scattering
kernel as well as reductions in due to pressurization to reach
s. Finally, we provide a design for the UCN
extraction system that takes into account the required He-II heat transport
properties and implementation of a He-II containment foil that allows UCN
transmission. We estimate a total useful UCN current from our source of
s from a 18 cm diameter guide 5 m from the source.
Under a conservative "no return" approximation, this rate can produce an
extracted density of cm in 1000~L external experimental
volumes with a Ni (335 neV) cut-off potential.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Applied Physic
CEM03 and LAQGSM03 - new modeling tools for nuclear applications
An improved version of the Cascade-Exciton Model (CEM) of nuclear reactions
realized in the code CEM2k and the Los Alamos version of the Quark-Gluon String
Model (LAQGSM) have been developed recently at LANL to describe reactions
induced by particles and nuclei for a number of applications. Our CEM2k and
LAQGSM merged with the GEM2 evaporation/fission code by Furihata have
predictive powers comparable to other modern codes and describe many reactions
better than other codes; therefore both our codes can be used as reliable event
generators in transport codes for applications. During the last year, we have
made a significant improvements to the intranuclear cascade parts of CEM2k and
LAQGSM, and have extended LAQGSM to describe photonuclear reactions at energies
to 10 GeV and higher. We have produced in this way improved versions of our
codes, CEM03.01 and LAQGSM03.01. We present a brief description of our codes
and show illustrative results obtained with CEM03.01 and LAQGSM03.01 for
different reactions compared with predictions by other models, as well as
examples of using our codes as modeling tools for nuclear applications.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Journal of Physics:
Conference Series: Proc. Europhysics Conf. on New Trends in Nuclear Physics
Applications and Technologies (NPDC19), Pavia, Italy, September 5-9, 200
Whirling Hexagons and Defect Chaos in Hexagonal Non-Boussinesq Convection
We study hexagon patterns in non-Boussinesq convection of a thin rotating
layer of water. For realistic parameters and boundary conditions we identify
various linear instabilities of the pattern. We focus on the dynamics arising
from an oscillatory side-band instability that leads to a spatially disordered
chaotic state characterized by oscillating (whirling) hexagons. Using
triangulation we obtain the distribution functions for the number of pentagonal
and heptagonal convection cells. In contrast to the results found for defect
chaos in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation and in inclined-layer convection,
the distribution functions can show deviations from a squared Poisson
distribution that suggest non-trivial correlations between the defects.Comment: 4 mpg-movies are available at
http://www.esam.northwestern.edu/~riecke/lit/lit.html submitted to New J.
Physic
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