Regional price targets appropriate for advanced coal extraction

A methodology is presented for predicting coal prices in regional markets for the target time frames 1985 and 2000 that could subsequently be used to guide the development of an advanced coal extraction system. The model constructed is a supply and demand model that focuses on underground mining since the advanced technology is expected to be developed for these reserves by the target years. Coal reserve data and the cost of operating a mine are used to obtain the minimum acceptable selling price that would induce the producer to bring the mine into production. Based on this information, market supply curves can be generated. Demand by region is calculated based on an EEA methodology that emphasizes demand by electric utilities and demand by industry. The demand and supply curves are then used to obtain the price targets. The results show a growth in the size of the markets for compliance and low sulphur coal regions. A significant rise in the real price of coal is not expected even by the year 2000. The model predicts heavy reliance on mines with thick seams, larger block size and deep overburden

R-Process Nucleosynthesis In Neutrino-Driven Winds From A Typical Neutron Star With M = 1.4 Msun

We study the effects of the outer boundary conditions in neutrino-driven winds on the r-process nucleosynthesis. We perform numerical simulations of hydrodynamics of neutrino-driven winds and nuclear reaction network calculations of the r-process. As an outer boundary condition of hydrodynamic calculations, we set a pressure upon the outermost layer of the wind, which is approaching toward the shock wall. Varying the boundary pressure, we obtain various asymptotic thermal temperature of expanding material in the neutrino-driven winds for resulting nucleosynthesis. We find that the asymptotic temperature slightly lower than those used in the previous studies of the neutrino-driven winds can lead to a successful r-process abundance pattern, which is in a reasonable agreement with the solar system r-process abundance pattern even for the typical proto-neutron star mass Mns ~ 1.4 Msun. A slightly lower asymptotic temperature reduces the charged particle reaction rates and the resulting amount of seed elements and lead to a high neutron-to-seed ratio for successful r-process. This is a new idea which is different from the previous models of neutrino-driven winds from very massive (Mns ~ 2.0 Msun) and compact (Rns ~ 10 km) neutron star to get a short expansion time and a high entropy for a successful r-process abundance pattern. Although such a large mass is sometimes criticized from observational facts on a neutron star mass, we dissolve this criticism by reconsidering the boundary condition of the wind. We also explore the relation between the boundary condition and neutron star mass, which is related to the progenitor mass, for successful r-process.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Surface erosion and modification by highly charged ions

Analyses were conducted of various models and mechanisms of highly charged ion HCI and swift-heavy ion energy transfer into a solid target, such as hollow atom formation, charge screening, neutralization, shock wave generation, crater formation, and sputtering. A plasma model of space charge neutralization based on impact ionization of semiconductors at high electric fields was developed and applied to analyze HCI impacts on Si and W. Surface erosion of semiconductor and metal surfaces caused by HCI bombardments were studied by using a molecular dynamics simulation method, and the results were compared with experimental sputtering data

Music in Quarantine: Connections Between Changes in Lifestyle, Psychological States, and Musical Behaviors During COVID-19 Pandemic

Music is not only the art of organized sound but also a compound of social interaction among people, built upon social and environmental foundations. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, containment measures such as shelter-in-place, lockdown, social distancing, and self-quarantine have severely impacted the foundation of human society, resulting in a drastic change in our everyday experience. In this paper, the relationships between musical behavior, lifestyle, and psychological states during the shelter-in-place period of the COVID-19 pandemic are investigated. An online survey on musical experience, lifestyle changes, stress level, musical behaviors, media usage, and environmental sound perception was conducted. The survey was conducted in early June 2020. Responses from 620 people in 24 countries were collected, with the large proportion of the responses coming from the U.S. (55.5%) and India (21.4%). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed causal relationships between lifestyle, stress, and music behaviors. Elements such as stress-level change, work risk, and staying home contribute to changes in musical experiences, such as moderating emotion with music, feeling emotional with music, and being more attentive to music. Stress-level change was correlated with work risk and income change, and people who started living with others due to the outbreak, especially with their children, indicated less change in stress level. People with more stress-level change tended to use music more purposefully for their mental well-being, such as to moderate emotions, to influence mood, and to relax. In addition, people with more stress-level change tend to be more annoyed by neighbors' noise. Housing type was not directly associated with annoyance; however, attention to environmental sounds decreased when the housing type was smaller. Attention to environmental and musical sounds and the emotional responses to them are highly inter-correlated. Multi-group SEM based on musicians showed that the causal relationship structure for professional musicians differs from that of less-experienced musicians. For professional musicians, staying at home was the only component that caused all musical behavior changes; stress did not cause musical behavior changes. Regarding Internet use, listening to music via YouTube and streaming was preferred over TV and radio, especially among less-experienced musicians, while participation in the online music community was preferred by more advanced musicians. This work suggests that social, environmental, and personal factors and limitations influence the changes in our musical behavior, perception of sonic experience, and emotional recognition, and that people actively accommodated the unusual pandemic situations using music and Internet technologies

Geometrical Effects of Baryon Density Inhomogeneities on Primordial Nucleosynthesis

We discuss effects of fluctuation geometry on primordial nucleosynthesis. For the first time we consider condensed cylinder and cylindrical-shell fluctuation geometries in addition to condensed spheres and spherical shells. We find that a cylindrical shell geometry allows for an appreciably higher baryonic contribution to be the closure density (\Omega_b h_{50}^2 \la 0.2) than that allowed in spherical inhomogeneous or standard homogeneous big bang models. This result, which is contrary to some other recent studies, is due to both geometry and recently revised estimates of the uncertainties in the observationally inferred primordial light-element abundances. We also find that inhomogeneous primordial nucleosynthesis in the cylindrical shell geometry can lead to significant Be and B production. In particular, a primordial beryllium abundance as high as [Be] = 12 + log(Be/H) $\approx -3$ is possible while still satisfying all of the light-element abundance constraints.Comment: Latex, 20 pages + 11 figures(not included). Entire ps file with embedded figures available via anonymous ftp at ftp://genova.mtk.nao.ac.jp/pub/prepri/bbgeomet.ps.g

In vitro fibrin clot formation and fibrinolysis using heterozygous plasma fibrinogen from gamma Asn319, Asp320 deletion dysfibrinogen, Otsu I

ArticleTHROMBOSIS RESEARCH. 118(5): 651-661 (2006)journal articl

`Island Surfing' Mechanism of Electron Acceleration During Magnetic Reconnection

One of the key unresolved problems in the study of space plasmas is to explain the production of energetic electrons as magnetic field lines `reconnect' and release energy in a exposive manner. Recent observations suggest possible roles played by small scale magnetic islands in the reconnection region, but their precise roles and the exact mechanism of electron energization have remained unclear. Here we show that secondary islands generated in the reconnection region are indeed efficient electron accelerators. We found that, when electrons are trapped inside the islands, they are energized continuously by the reconnection electric field prevalent in the reconnection diffusion region. The size and the propagation speed of the secondary islands are similar to those of islands observed in the magnetotail containing energertic electrons.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to J. Geophys. Res