Lorentz-noninvariant neutrino oscillations: model and predictions

We present a three-parameter neutrino-oscillation model for three flavors of massless neutrinos with Fermi-point splitting and tri-maximal mixing angles. One of these parameters is the T-violating phase \epsilon, for which the experimental results from K2K and KamLAND appear to favor a nonzero value. In this article, we give further model predictions for neutrino oscillations. Upcoming experiments will be able to test this simple model and the general idea of Fermi-point splitting. Possible implications for proposed experiments and neutrino factories are also discussed.Comment: 22 pages, v5: final version to appear in IJMP

The activity of supported vanadium oxide catalysts for the selective reduction of NO with ammonia

The activities of monolayer V2O5 catalysts for the selective reduction of NO with NH3 are compared with those of commercial available catalysts containing V and/or W. From steady state and pulse experiments it can be concluded that the reduction of surface sites proceeds either by NH3 + NO or by NH3 alone. The reoxidation of the reduced sites occurs by gaseous oxygen or NO. The experimental reaction stoichiometry can be explained in terms of suitable combinations of these four reactions

Evolution of Binary Black Hole Spacetimes

We describe early success in the evolution of binary black hole spacetimes with a numerical code based on a generalization of harmonic coordinates. Indications are that with sufficient resolution this scheme is capable of evolving binary systems for enough time to extract information about the orbit, merger and gravitational waves emitted during the event. As an example we show results from the evolution of a binary composed of two equal mass, non-spinning black holes, through a single plunge-orbit, merger and ring down. The resultant black hole is estimated to be a Kerr black hole with angular momentum parameter a~0.70. At present, lack of resolution far from the binary prevents an accurate estimate of the energy emitted, though a rough calculation suggests on the order of 5% of the initial rest mass of the system is radiated as gravitational waves during the final orbit and ringdown.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

LAJU REDUKSI MERKURI OLEH PSEUDOMONAS DIISOLASI DARI PERAIRAN PANTAI TELUK MANADO

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to isolate and identify Pseudomonas isolated from Manado Bay seawater and to determine the rate of mercury (Hg) reduction produced by isolated strains of Pseudomonas. A 500 ml seawater sample was collected from Tondano River and Manado Bay along the beach of the reclamation site, placed into container and taken to the laboratory for further analysis. Water samples were homogenized by hand shaking and 1 ml water sample was pipetted and then transferred to each 7 ml of Tryptic Soy Broth (pH 7.4) and Alkaline Peptone Water (pH 7.4), separately. After incubation period of 24h at 35oC, these were transferred with ose and streaked on Pseudomonas F Agar, followed by incubation at 35oC for 24h. Free growing colonies were then transferred to slant agar and kept at 4oC as stock culture. Results found that isolated Pseudomonas were chemoorganotrophic and chemoautolithotrophic, Almost all isolated Pseudomonas showed their ability in mercury ions reduction, but some of them did in mercury oxidation. Isolated chemooragnotrophic Pseudomonas tended to reduce mercury ions, but the chemoautolithotrophic one tended to oxidize it. Based on these results, it was found that the rate of Hg reduction was dependent upon the strain type.ABSTRAKTujuan penelitian ini adalah mengisolasi dan mengidentifikasi Pseudomonas dari air laut Teluk Manado serta menentukan laju reduksi merkuri (Hg) yang diproduksi oleh strain Pseudomonas terisolasi tersebut. Sampel air laut sebanyak 500 ml dikumpulkan dari Danau Tondano dan sepanjang pantai dari daerah reklamasi Teluk Manado, lalu dibawa ke laboratorium untuk dianalisa lebih lanjut. Sampel air dihomogenkan secara manual, dan 1 ml sampel air dipipet dan kemudian dipindahkan secara terpisah ke 7 ml Tryptic Soy Broth (pH 7,4) dan Alkaline Peptone Water (pH 7,4). Sete-lah masa inkubasi 24 jam pada suhu 35oC, sejumlah sampel dipindahkan ke Pseudomonas F Agar, kemudian diinkubasi pada suhu 35oC selama 24 jam. Koloni yang tumbuh bebas kemudian dipindahkan ke agar miring dan disimpan pada suhu 4oC sebagai kultur stok. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Pseudomonas terisolasi bersifat chemoorganotrophic dan chemoautolithotrophic. Hampir semua Pseudomonas terisolasi menunjukkan kemampuan dalam penguraian ion merkuri, tetapi beberapa diantaranya dapat juga mengoksidasi merkuri. Pseudomonas yang bersifat chemooragnotrophic cenderung untuk mengurangi ion merkuri, tapi yang bersifat chemoautolithotrophic cenderung mengoksidasinya. Berdasarkan hasil tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa laju reduksi-Hg oleh Pseudomonas tergantung pada jenis strainnya

The coronagraphic Modal Wavefront Sensor: a hybrid focal-plane sensor for the high-contrast imaging of circumstellar environments

The raw coronagraphic performance of current high-contrast imaging instruments is limited by the presence of a quasi-static speckle (QSS) background, resulting from instrumental non-common path errors (NCPEs). Rapid development of efficient speckle subtraction techniques in data reduction has enabled final contrasts of up to 10-6 to be obtained, however it remains preferable to eliminate the underlying NCPEs at the source. In this work we introduce the coronagraphic Modal Wavefront Sensor (cMWS), a new wavefront sensor suitable for real-time NCPE correction. This pupil-plane optic combines the apodizing phase plate coronagraph with a holographic modal wavefront sensor, to provide simultaneous coronagraphic imaging and focal-plane wavefront sensing using the science point spread function. We first characterise the baseline performance of the cMWS via idealised closed-loop simulations, showing that the sensor successfully recovers diffraction-limited coronagraph performance over an effective dynamic range of +/-2.5 radians root-mean-square (RMS) wavefront error within 2-10 iterations. We then present the results of initial on-sky testing at the William Herschel Telescope, and demonstrate that the sensor is able to retrieve injected wavefront aberrations to an accuracy of 10nm RMS under realistic seeing conditions. We also find that the cMWS is capable of real-time broadband measurement of atmospheric wavefront variance at a cadence of 50Hz across an uncorrected telescope sub-aperture. When combined with a suitable closed-loop adaptive optics system, the cMWS holds the potential to deliver an improvement in raw contrast of up to two orders of magnitude over the uncorrected QSS floor. Such a sensor would be eminently suitable for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets with both existing and future instruments, including EPICS and METIS for the E-ELT.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

TWO NEW NATIONAL SPACE LAWS: RUSSIA AND SOUTH AFRICA

Increasing private participation in space activities is one of the most farreaching developments relevant for international space law today. The most comprehensive consequence of such private participation in a legal sense is in fact the necessity to establish a national space legislation of some kind, in view of the international obligations arising under responsibility and liability for the state relative to the consequences of these private activities. The rather recent addition in 1993 of two states, the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Africa, to the previously existing number of three states (the United States, Sweden and the United Kingdom) in possession of national space legislation is therefore clear proof of the aforementioned development. The paper will try to provide a summary description of the two pieces of national space legislation from the perspective of international space law. After a short introduction to the domestic circumstances in which the legislations have been established, analysis will focus therefore on the manner in which the two national space laws actually operate in elaboration of international responsibility and international liability for space activities. Reference will be had in this respect primarily to the respective scope of the two laws, both with regard to the activities concerned and with regard to the entities concerned. Furthermore, with an eye to the three older national space laws, the measure of inclusion or absence of a licensing system, with related problems of derogation of liability and insurance obligations, will be discussed. Also, the extent to which a few fundamental obligations found in the international space treaties, such as those related to peaceful uses of space and environmental issues, are reflected in the two laws will be evaluated. By means of the resulting conclusions, a summary evaluation may be made of the two respective national space laws, and the way in which they deal with the general problem of containing the risks inherent in private involvement in space activities by juridical means, that is by binding private entities to theinternational obligations of space law

Space for Tourism? Legal Aspects of Private Spaceflight for Tourist Purposes

It is barely five years ago since the first space tourist proper, Mr. Dennis Tito, made his much-publicised 20 million-dollar flight to the ISS. And now, purportedly thousands of prospective customers are lining up with such nascent companies as Sir Richard Branson\u27s Virgin Galactic, for a 200,000-dollar, few-minute flight into the nearest part of outer space. In other words: it looks like space tourism is here to stay. This obviously raises a number of key legal issues, stretching from proper application of such international space treaties as the Liability and Registration Conventions to national legal issues pertaining to liabilities, licensing and certification, and civil and criminal jurisdiction and control. The present paper seeks to offer an overview of some of these, the most salient legal issues as they are on the table right now, keeping in mind the need to maintain a fair balance between the interests of private enterprise and of the public at large - nationally as well as internationally - respectively

The Origins of Authorisation: Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty and International Space Law

First three paragraphs: The issue of authorisation of private space activities, the key theme of the present book, ultimately goes back to the principled political disagreements in the 50s and 60s between the two (then) superpowers in space, the United States and the Soviet Union, on the proper role of other entities than states in space activities. The Soviet Union, true to its communist ideology, was squarely against any private activities in most economically-relevant areas of society, but certainly so in an area of such strategic concern as outer space. l By contrast, the United States throughout its existence has usually presented itself as the champion of private enterprise, an approach also transpiring in its space policies. When, following the establishment of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space first as an Ad Hoc Committee then as a more permanent one, serious discussion began on drafting a coherent legal framework for activities in outer space, this dichotomy became one of the bones of contention. Whereas the Soviet Union would insist that there should be no room for private entities within that legal framework being developed, the United States principally did not wish to close the door on them legally speaking. At the same time, the realities at the dawn of the space age were quite clear. The - for the time incredibly advanced - levels of technology required to go into outer space, the costs and risks associated with that adventure, and the two areas originally considered the only possible beneficiaries of space activities and space technology (the military and politico-strategic domain in terms of the Cold War rivalry and the scientific domain) ensured that for some time to come realistically speaking states were the only potential actors in outer space - and to be more precise: only a handful of states were actually able and willing to take the relevant burdens upon themselves