Comment on ``Enhanced transmission of light through a gold film due to excitation of standing surface-plasmon Bloch waves"

The purpose of this comment is first to correct a misapprehension of the role played by composite wave diffraction on surface-wave generation at subwavelength structures and second to point out that periodic Bloch structures are unnecessary for the efficient production of the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) guided mode either as traveling or standing waves. Guided surface waves originate from simple slit or groove edges illuminated under normal incidence, and one-dimensional (1-D) surface cavities from these standing waves are easily realized.Comment: This posting is a comment on an article, I. I. Smolyaninov and Y.-J. Hung, Phys. Rev. B 75, 033411 (2007

Editing of EIA coded, numerically controlled, machine tool tapes

Editing of numerically controlled (N/C) machine tool tapes (8-level paper tape) using an interactive graphic display processor is described. A rapid technique required for correcting production errors in N/C tapes was developed using the interactive text editor on the IMLAC PDS-ID graphic display system and two special programs resident on disk. The correction technique and special programs for processing N/C tapes coded to EIA specifications are discussed

Sheep in Wolves' Clothing?

The 1990s have been a decade of upheaval in international financial markets. Much of the responsibility for financial instability has been placed on speculators, particularly hedge funds. Speculative capital has been characterized as "hot money", with capital flows driven by "herding" and "contagion" among players in foreign-exchange, stock, bond, and commodity markets. Policies to deal with financial instability by weakening, or even disabling speculation, have been based largely on anecdote, convenience (speculators have long served as scapegoats for various problems), and ideology, rather than careful analysis. Part of the problem arises from the secrecy with which speculators operate. Since speculative trading cannot easily be observed, it is difficult to assess speculators' contribution, if any, to financial volatility. This paper looks at speculative behavior in one of the largest, and most volatile, international financial markets, petroleum derivatives. It utilizes a large, detailed database on individual trader positions in crude-oil and heating-oil futures markets. The paper is exploratory, focusing on measuring and assessing the tendency of speculators to herd. Two theories behind rational herding behavior are examined - the asymmetric information view (poorly-informed traders make decisions based on observing well-informed traders, rather than market fundamentals) and the monitoring/incentive view (institutiona investors make decisions knowing that their incentives are based on performance relative to a benchmark such as mean returns for a group). These theories generate different predictions regarding the types of speculators most likely to herd. The evidence does not support the view that herding among speculators as a group is widespread in this market. In contrast, evidence in favor of a moderate degree of herding among one group of speculators, commodity-fund managers. The evidence is supportive of the monitoring/incentive theory, but not the asymmetric-information theory.

Light Signals from a Lighter Higgs

With the Higgs search program already quite mature, there is the exciting possibility of discovering a new particle with rates near that of the SM Higgs. We consider models with a signal in $\gamma \gamma$ below the SM Higgs mass, taking the recent $2.9\, \sigma$ (local) CMS excess at 95 GeV as a target. We discuss singlet models with additional vectorlike matter, but argue that a Type-I two Higgs doublet model provides a more economical scenario. In such a setup, going into regions of moderate-to-strong fermiophobia, the enhanced $\gamma \gamma$ branching ratio allows signals from $VH$+VBF production to yield $\sigma \times BR_{\gamma\gamma}$ comparable to total SM rates. Light $H$ production can be dominated via rare top decays $t \rightarrow b H^+ \rightarrow b W^{*} H$, which provides an alternate explanation of the excess. We consider this in the context of other Higgs anomalies, namely the LEP Higgs excess near the same mass, and excesses in $t\bar{t}h$ searches at Tevatron and LHC. We find that with $140\, \mathrm{GeV} < m_{H^+} < 160\, \mathrm{GeV}$, $\tan \beta \sim 5$ and a coupling to gauge bosons of $\sin^2 \delta \sim 0.1$, such a scenario can produce all the excesses simultanously, where $tth$ arise from contamination from the rare top decays, as previously proposed. An implication of the Type-I scenario is that any $\gamma \gamma$ excess should be associated with additional elements that could reduce background, including $b$-jets, forward jets or signs of vector boson production.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Detection of H-alpha emission from the Magellanic Stream: evidence for an extended gaseous Galactic halo

We have detected faint, diffuse H$\alpha emission from several points along the Magellanic Stream, using the Rutgers Fabry--Perot Interferometer at the CTIO 1.5-m telescope. At points on the leading edges of the H I clouds MS II, MS III, and MS IV, we detect H$\alpha emission of surface brightness $0.37 \pm 0.02$ Rayleighs, $0.21 \pm 0.04$ R, and $0.20 \pm 0.02$ R respectively, corresponding to emission measures of 1.0 to 0.5 \cmsixpc. We have observed several positions near the MS IV concentration, and find that the strongest emission is on the sharp leading-edge density gradient. There is less emission at points away from the gradient, and halfway between MS III and MS IV the H$\alpha surface brightness is$< 0.04$R. We attribute the H$\alpha emission at cloud leading edges to heating of the Stream clouds by ram pressure from ionized gas in the halo of the Galaxy. These observations suggest that ram pressure from halo gas plays a large role in stripping the Stream out of the Magellanic Clouds. They also suggest the presence of a relatively large density of gas, $n_{\rm H} \sim 10^{-4} cm^{-3}$, in the Galactic halo at $\sim 50$ kpc radius, and far above the Galactic plane, $b \sim -80\deg$. This implies that the Galaxy has a very large baryonic, gaseous extent, and supports models of Lyman-$\alpha and metal-line QSO absorption lines in which the absorption systems reside in extended galactic halos.Comment: 15 pages, aaspp latex, + 1 table & 3 figures. Accepted in A.J. Also available from http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~bweiner/astro/papers

Comments on "Observation of Long-Range, Near-Side Angular Correlations in Proton-Proton Collisions at the LHC" by the CMS collaboration(arXiv:1009.4122v1 [hep-ex])"

It is the purpose of this note to point out that the CMS observation is in line with previous observations in particle physics at large transverse momenta and/or high multiplicities at lower energies, which were interpreted as possible evidence for quark-gluon plasma (QGP), and to suggest other features of the QGP observed in A+A collisions such as radial flow and jet quenching, which should be investigated in p-p collisions in order to provide further evidence for QGP production

The Golden Retriever Rule: Alaska’s Identity Privilege for Animal Adoption Agencies and for Adoptive Animal Owners

Sedan 1900-talets mitt har användandet av tegelkonstruktioner i bostadsbyggandet minskat kraftigt; materialet har under modernismen upplevts otidsenligt och byggnadssättet har ansetts ineffektivt. Trots att kanalmurstekniken, som är en byggteknik med bärande tegelkonstruktion och högt isoleringsvärde, togs fram på 1930-talet för att följa hårdare energihushållningskrav, har ändå lätta träregelkonstruktioner dominerat det svenska småhusbyggandet. Kraven på energihushållning har under åren ökat successivt och livscykelanalysen (LCA) har utvecklats. LCA är en metodik som analyserar produkters eller tjänsters klimatbelastning ur livscykelperspektiv. Svårigheter har dock funnits i att omsätta metodiken på större komponenter än enskilda material. Därför har europastandarder tagits fram som enkom tjänar till att systematisera livscykelanalyser av hela byggnader och de kommer att följas i denna studie. Syftet med examensarbetet är att jämföra hur ett typhus med tegel som stommaterial belastar miljön under produktion och drift i en livscykel satt till 100 år, jämfört med ett motsvarande trätyphus. Till tegelhusets nackdel talar den höga energiåtgången vid materialframställningen. Trä å sin sida löper stor risk för förkortad livscykel i och med riskerna för fuktskador. För att undersöka skillnaderna i trä- och tegelkonstruktioner har en typhusritning i kanalmurskonstruktion analyserats mot en motsvarande träkonstruktion, där byggnadstyperna har samma boarea och väggkonstruktionerna samma värmemotstånd. För att få fram husens skillnad energiåtgång under driftskedet har energibehovsberäkningar utförts för byggnaderna. Livscykelanalysen har utförts i programvaran Anavitor utifrån 3D-modeller med byggnadsinformation som matchas mot en materialdatabas med livscykeldata. Ur jämförelsen har resultat kunnat hämtas på vilken av konstruktionerna som belastar miljön minst över livscykeln, med avseende på klimatbelastning räknat i koldioxidekvivalenter. Resultat visar att ett tegelhus belastar miljön dubbelt så mycket som ett trähus i produktionsfasen medan tegelhuset är miljövänligare avseende underhåll och drift. Efter 100 år är skillnaden 7,3 ton koldioxidekvivalenter, till trähusets fördel. Enligt livscykelanalysen har byggnaderna, enligt de antaganden som gjorts, belastat miljön lika efter 168 år. Till tegelhusets fördel talar dess säkerhet gällande livslängd, beständighet, fuktsäkerhet och goda möjlighet till återbruk av stommaterialet.Since the mid-1900s has brick building marginalized; the material has in the modernist era been experienced as dated and the construction method considered inefficient. In the 1930s the canal wall technique were developed to meet the coming stringent energy requirements. Despite opportunities to meet modern building norms have yet lightweight timber structures dominated the Swedish construction sector concerning single-family houses since then. The requirements for energy conservation have increased over the years to an even greater degree, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been developed; a methodology that analyzes products from a life cycle perspective. There have been difficulties to put the methodology on larger components than individual materials. Therefore, European Standards have been developed that specifically serve to systematize Life Cycle Assessments of entire buildings, which will be followed in this study. The purpose of this study is to compare which impact a standard house with brick structure has a on the environment in a lifecycle set to 100 years, compared with a corresponding timber structure. To the disadvantage for a brick house speaks the high energy consumption in material production. Timber structures at their part are at high risk for shortened life cycle due to risk of moisture damage. To examine the differences in wood and brick structures has a standard house drawing in canal wall technique been analyzed against a corresponding wooden construction. The building types have the same floor area and the wall constructions have the same heat resistance. To receive the differences in energy use during the operational phase between the buildings has energy calculations been made. The life cycle analysis has been performed in the software Anavitor based on 3D models with building information that is matched against a database of materials life cycle data. The results from the comparison are measured in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents, and will show which construction type will make least impact on the environment. Results show that a brick house has doubled environmental impact compared to a wooden house in the production phase. The brick house is a better alternative concerning environmental impact during operational phase and maintenance. After 100 years, the difference is 7,3 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents to the advantage of the wooden house. According to the LCA and the assumptions made, the buildings have charged the environment equally after 168 years. To the advantage of the brick house speaks its longevity, durability, moisture resistance and good opportunity for reuse of the bricks