Direct measurement of coating thermal noise in the AEI 10m prototype

A thermal noise interferometer for the characterization of thermal noise in high reflectivity mirrors has been commissioned and first direct measurements of coating thermal noise have been performed. This serves as an important step in the improvement of current and future gravitational wave detectors

Perchloride of chromium

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Two-loop Correction to the Instanton Density for the Double Well Potential

Feynman diagrams in the instanton background are used for the calculation of the tunneling amplitude, up to the two-loops order. Some mistakes made in the previous works are corrected. The same method is applied to the next-order corrections to the ground state wave function

Digitalisierte Bodenschätzungsflächen in Niedersachsen - ein statistischer Bericht

In einer gemarkungsbasierten Aggregation von Bodenschätzungsdaten Niedersachsens konnte die Entwicklung der Bodenschätzungsergebnisse im Zeitraum 1991 bis 2007 herausgearbeitet werden. Dabei wurde neben Veränderungen in den Flächenanteilen verschiedener Bodenarten auch eine tendenzielle Steigerung der Wertzahlen festgestellt

A New Method to Derive Low-Lying N-dimensional Quantum Wave Functions by Quadratures Along a Single Trajectory

We present a new method to derive low-lying N-dimensional quantum wave functions by quadrature along a single trajectory. The N-dimensional Schroedinger equation is cast into a series of readily integrable first order ordinary differential equations. Our approach resembles the familiar W.K.B. approximation in one dimension, but is designed to explore the classically forbidden region and has a much wider applicability than W.K.B.. The method also provides a perturbation series expansion and the Green's functions of the wave equation in N-dimension, all by quadratures along a single trajectory. A number of examples are given for illustration, including a simple algorithm to evaluate the Stark effect in closed form to any finite order of the electric field.Comment: 69 pages, Latex, no figure, no table; more ackowledgment added, typos correcte

Alternative societal solutions to pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment

Environmental contamination with pharmaceuticals is widespread, inducing risks to both human health and the environment. This paper explores potential societal solutions to human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. To this end, we adopt transition research’s multi-level perspective framework, which allows us to understand the dynamics underlying pharmaceutical emissions and to recognize social and technical factors triggering change. Our qualitative analysis is based on data collected through literature research and interviews with actors from pharmaceutical industry, the health and agricultural sector. The research aims at identifying potential future solutions including requirements for as well as barriers to pathways leading to these solutions and describing the role of key actors involved. The three alternative societal solutions identified are: 1) accepting pharmaceuticals in the environment - substantial changes to the system are not required; 2) reconfiguring the current system by implementing various innovations that reduce pharmaceutical emissions; 3) fundamentally changing the current system to (largely) avoid pharmaceutical emissions. The paper further elicits societal, financial, organizational, regulatory and technological requirements that can facilitate implementation of these solutions. This work is novel as it constitutes a systemic view on all stages of the pharmaceutical lifecycle, comprehensively synthesizing options and measures along the entire lifecycle into societal solutions that are framed as transition pathways. Deriving societal solutions from key actor’s perspectives is innovative and provides insights to reflect on choices societies are going to have to make regarding pharmaceuticals in the environment.The authors gratefully thank interviewees who allocated time to answer interview questions, shared valuable insights and expressed opinions. Thanks to G. Niebaum for feedback after a trial interview and to E. Aukes for methodological advice. Brugnach’s contribution was partially supported by the Spanish Government’s María de Maeztu excellence accreditation (Ref. MDM-2017-0714 ). The authors acknowledge funding by the European Regional Development fund of the European Union under the INTERREG project MEDUWA-Vecht(e) (project number 142118)