Using Different Approaches to Evaluate Individual Social Equity in Transport

Inequalities not only exist in the field of economics in relation to income and wealth, but also in other areas, such as the transport sector, where access to and use of different transport modes varies markedly across population groups, and which provides the means to access everyday living activities. A key concern within the transport sector is that inequality has extended beyond the traditional measures of travel, and now covers a wide range of effects relating to social exclusion, freedom, well-being and being able to access reasonable opportunities and resources. In order to address the aforementioned issues, an important question to resolve is what type of methods can be used to measure inequalities in transport most effectively. Therefore, this study aims to apply different approaches, including the Capabilities Approach (CA) and a further six inequality indices, namely the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index, the Palma ratio, the Pietra ratio, the Schutz coefficient and the Theil index, to the case study using the relatively migrant-rich lower-income neighbourhood of Tuqiao, in Beijing, in order to assess individual transport-related social inequity issues. The findings suggest that the CA is useful in assessing transport-related inequalities where there are significant barriers to the take up of accessibility, for example where there are high levels of disadvantaged groups and disaggregated analysis can be undertaken. The Palma ratio appears to have a larger effect than the Gini coefficient and the other inequality indices when measuring transport-related social inequity. In addition, we also found that most income inequality methods adapted from econometrics may be better suited to measuring transport-related social inequity between different regions, cities or countries, or within the same area, but at different points in time, rather than to measuring a single neighbourhood as a whole. Finally, we argue that to what extent politicians or transport planners can use appropriate management tools to measure transport-related social inequalities may be significant in terms of the progress that can be made in the fight against social inequity in the transport field

The second cohomology of sl(m|1) with coefficients in its enveloping algebra is trivial

Using techniques developed in a recent article by the authors, it is proved that the 2-cohomology of the Lie superalgebra sl(m|1); m > 1, with coefficients in its enveloping algebra is trivial. The obstacles in solving the analogous problem for sl(3|2) are also discussed.Comment: 15 pages, Latex, no figure

The Height Structure of the Solar Atmosphere from the EUV Perspective

We investigate the structure of the solar chromosphere and transition region using full Sun images obtained with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. The limb seen in the EIT coronal images (taken in lines of Fe IX/X at 171 \AA, Fe XII at 195 \AA and Fe XV at 284 \AA) is an absorption limb predicted by models to occur at the top of the chromosphere where the density of neutral hydrogen becomes significant ($\sim10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$). The transition-region limb seen in He II 304 \AA images is an emission limb. We find: (1) the limb is higher at the poles than at the equator both in the coronal images (by 1300 $\pm$ 650 km) and the 304 \AA images (by 3500 $\pm$ 120 0 km); and (2) the 304 \AA limb is significantly higher than the limb in the coronal images. The height difference is 3100 $\pm$ 1200 km at the equator, and 6600 $\pm$ 1200 km at the poles. We suggest that the elevation of the 304 \AA limb above the limb in the coronal images may be due to the upper surface of the chromosphere being bumpy, possibly because of the presence of spicules. The polar extension is consistent with a reduced heat input to the chromosphere in the polar coronal holes compared with the quiet--Sun atmosphere at the equator.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Observation of Terahertz Radiation via the Two-Color Laser Scheme with Uncommon Frequency Ratios

In the widely-studied two-color laser scheme for terahertz (THz) radiation from a gas, the frequency ratio of the two lasers is usually fixed at $\omega_2/\omega_1=$1:2. We investigate THz generation with uncommon frequency ratios. Our experiments show, for the first time, efficient THz generation with new ratios of $\omega_2/\omega_1=$1:4 and 2:3. We observe that the THz polarization can be adjusted by rotating the longer-wavelength laser polarization and the polarization adjustment becomes inefficient by rotating the other laser polarization; the THz energy shows similar scaling laws with different frequency ratios. These observations are inconsistent with multi-wave mixing theory, but support the gas-ionization model. This study pushes the development of the two-color scheme and provides a new dimension to explore the long-standing problem of the THz generation mechanism.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Study of Beam Diagnostics with Trapped Modes in Third Harmonic Superconducting Cavities at FLASH

Off-axis beams passing through an accelerating cavity excite dipole modes among other higher order modes (HOMs). These modes have linear dependence on the transverse beam offset from the cavity axis. Therefore they can be used to monitor the beam position within the cavity. The fifth dipole passband of the third harmonic superconducting cavities at FLASH has modes trapped within each cavity and do not propagate through the adjacent beam pipes, while most other cavity modes do. This could enable the beam position measurement in individual cavities. This paper investigates the possibility to use the fifth dipole band for beam alignment in the third harmonic cavity module. Simulations and measurements both with and without beam-excitations are presented. Various analysis methods are used and compared. A good correlation of HOM signals to the beam position is observed.Comment: 2nd International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC '11), San Sebastian, Spain, Sep 4-9, 201

Can gravitational dynamics be obtained by diffeomorphism invariance of action?

It has recently been suggested that the gravitational dynamics could be obtained by requiring the action to be invariant under diffeomorphism transformations. We argue that the action constructed in usual way is automatically diffeomorphism invariant in nature, which thus invalidates this alternative perspective to obtain gravitational dynamics. Especially, we also show what is wrong with the technical derivation of gravitational dynamics in the alternative approach.Comment: version published in PR