858 research outputs found
Nonlinear dynamo models using quasi-biennial oscillations constrained by sunspot area data
Contex: Solar magnetic activity exhibits variations with periods between
1.5--4 years, the so-called quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs), in addition to
the well-known 11-year Schwabe cycles. Solar dynamo is thought to be the
responsible mechanism for generation of the QBOs.
Aims: In this work, we analyse sunspot areas to investigate the spatial and
temporal behaviour of the QBO signal and study the responsible physical
mechanisms using simulations from fully nonlinear mean-field flux-transport
dynamos.
Methods: We investigated the behaviour of the QBOs in the sunspot area data
in full disk, and northern and southern hemispheres, using wavelet and Fourier
analyses. We also ran solar dynamos with two different approaches to generating
a poloidal field from an existing toroidal field, Babcock-Leighton and
turbulent mechanisms. We then studied the simulated magnetic field
strengths as well as meridional circulation and differential rotation rates
using the same methods.
Results: The results from the sunspot areas show that the QBOs are present in
the full disk and hemispheric sunspot areas and they show slightly different
spatial and temporal behaviours, indicating a slightly decoupled solar
hemispheres. The QBO signal is generally intermittent and in-phase with the
sunspot area data, surfacing when the solar activity is in maximum. The results
from the BL-dynamos showed that they are neither capable of generating the
slightly decoupled behaviour of solar hemispheres nor can they generate
QBO-like signals. The turbulent -dynamos, on the other hand, generated
decoupled hemispheres and some QBO-like shorter cycles.
Conclusions: In conclusion, our simulations show that the turbulent
-dynamos with the Lorentz force seems more efficient in generating the
observed temporal and spatial behaviour of the QBO signal compared with those
from the BL-dynamos
Licensing of a drastic innovation with product differentiation
We analyze the licensing of a drastic innovation when products are differentiated due to consumer and/or product heterogeneity. We show that an industry insider prefers to divest its production arm and license the new technology as an industry outsider, in which case it can replicate multiproduct monopoly profits. We derive the optimal contracts and the optimal number of licenses by assuming a logit demand system. Optimal number of licenses, quite strikingly, increases when the technology has a higher relative value than a commercialized alternative. This result stands in sharp contrast with the literature on the licensing of a homogenous good
Welfare improving product bans
We formulate a model of vertical differentiation to evaluate the welfare effects of removing a low quality product from the market. The mechanism through which a welfare improvement might arise is simple: Once the low quality low cost alternative is banned, entry into the high quality segment becomes more likely. This in turn may lead to a significant reduction in the price of the high quality product. We find that such a ban might improve aggregate welfare when consumers value the higher quality more, the marginal cost of producing high quality is
lower, the price of low quality is higher, and the price sensitivity for high quality is not too high
The lost sunspot cycle: New support from Be10 measurements
It has been suggested that the deficit in the number of spots on the surface
of the Sun between 1790 and 1830, known as the Dalton minimum, contained an
extra cycle that was not identified in the original sunspot record by Wolf.
Though this cycle would be shorter and weaker than the average solar cycle, it
would shift the magnetic parity of the solar magnetic field of the earlier
cycles. This extra cycle is sometimes referred to as the 'lost solar cycle' or
'cycle 4b'. Here we reanalyse Be10 measurements with annual resolution from the
NGRIP ice core in Greenland in order to investigate if the hypothesis regarding
a lost sunspot cycle is supported by these measurements. Specifically, we make
use of the fact that the Galactic cosmic rays, responsible for forming Be10 in
the Earth's atmosphere, are affected differently by the open solar magnetic
field during even and odd solar cycles. This fact enables us to evaluate if the
numbering of cycles earlier than cycle 5 is correct. For the evaluation, we use
Bayesian analysis, which reveals that the lost sunspot cycle hypothesis is
likely to be correct. We also discuss if this cycle 4b is a real cycle, or a
phase catastrophe, and what implications this has for our understanding of
stellar activity cycles in general.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
The effectiveness of visual input enhancement on the noticing and L2 development of the Spanish past tense
Textual manipulation is a common pedagogic tool used to emphasize specific features of a second language (L2) text, thereby facilitating noticing and, ideally, second language development. Visual input enhancement has been used to investigate the effects of highlighting specific grammatical structures in a text. The current study uses a quasi-experimental design to determine the extent to which textual manipulation increase (a) learners’ perception of targeted forms and (b) their knowledge of the forms. Input enhancement was used to highlight the Spanish preterit and imperfect verb forms and an eye tracker measured the frequency and duration of participants’ fixation on the targeted items. In addition, pretests and posttests of the Spanish past tense provided information about participants’ knowledge of the targeted forms. Results indicate that learners were aware of the highlighted grammatical forms in the text; however, there was no difference in the amount of attention between the enhanced and unenhanced groups. In addition, both groups improved in their knowledge of the L2 forms; however, again, there was no differential improvement between the two groups
Work based learners’ engagement with the university: an exploratory study
This exploratory study was carried out in the context of current literature on higher education supporting the critical role of student engagement for retention, quality of learning, achievement and graduation and as such serves as a proxy for quality. Therefore institutional efforts to increase the quality of education provision need to focus on ways in which student engagement can be enriched.
This present study adopted a holistic approach to include what the literature regards as the two main components of student engagement: the learner's context and motivations, and the approach and strategies of a higher education institution (HEI).
The study's primary aims were to gain an understanding of the WBL student's experience; identify any gaps that exist between current provision and expectations; and achieve indicators of good practice at institutional level to strengthen work-based learners' engagement.
A sample of seven Work Based Learning (WBL) students from the London campus, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, who graduated from Middlesex University's Institute for Work Based Learning (IWBL) in 2009, was interviewed by two independent researchers. In addition, relevant data was drawn from a student evaluation survey conducted by IWBL in July 2009. As student engagement is seen to be a dual interaction between students' expectations and institutional strategies, informal and formal conversations and interviews were also held with members of IWBL staff
Effect of organoclay on the physical properties of UV-curable coatings
The combination of UV-curing and nanocomposite technology
has been studied to produce cost-effective coatings with
superior physical and mechanical properties. The clay was
modified with dimethyl dihydrogenated-tallow quaternary
ammonium salt and made organophilic. The effect of the
organoclay(2-10 phr) on curing rate, mechanical, thermal and
physical properties of a urethane-acrylate coating has been
determined. X-ray diffraction analysis, AFM, SEM and TEM
images as well as the tensile properties of different
formulations have confirmed the uniform distribution of
organoclay in polymer matrix. At 3 phr organoclay addition,
the UV-cured film exhibited the best mechanical performance
due to the formation of both intercalated and exfoliated
morphologies. Curing time was reduced and the initial thermal
decomposition temperature shifted 50°C to higher temperature
by the incorporation of small amount of organoclay. The
nanocomposite coating was also found to be more resistant
against scratching compared with clay-free coating
Economics of collective refusals to supply
This paper examines situations where vertically integrated firms refuse to supply an input to an independent competitor in the downstream market. The treatment of such cases by competition or regulatory authorities is based on the assumption that such outcomes can only arise if there is collusion in the upstream markets. We argue that this is not always the case. In particular, we argue that proper antitrust or regulatory assessment of such cases requires analysis of the nature of competition, the shape and elasticity of the demand curve, the observability of upstream contracts, and even the number of potential downstream competitors
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