20,517 research outputs found
Simulating Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on Urban Transport Infrastructure in the UK
Urban areas face many risks from future climate change and their infrastructure will be placed under more pressure
due to changes in climate extremes. Using the Tyndall Centre Urban Integrated Assessment Framework, this paper
describes a methodology used to assess the impacts of future climate extremes on transport infrastructure in
London. Utilising high-resolution projections for future climate in the UK, alongside stochastic weather generators
for downscaling, urban temperature and flooding models are used to provide information on the likelihood of future
extremes. These are then coupled with spatial network models of urban transport infrastructure and, using thresholds
to define the point at which systems cease to function normally, disruption to the networks can be simulated.
Results are shown for both extreme heat and urban surface water flooding events and the impacts on the travelling
population, in terms of both disruption time and monetary cost
Systematic characterization of thermodynamic and dynamical phase behavior in systems with short-ranged attraction
In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility and utility of an augmented
version of the Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo method for computing the phase
behavior of systems with strong, extremely short-ranged attractions. For
generic potential shapes, this approach allows for the investigation of
narrower attractive widths than those previously reported. Direct comparison to
previous self-consistent Ornstein-Zernike approximation calculations are made.
A preliminary investigation of out-of-equilibrium behavior is also performed.
Our results suggest that the recent observations of stable cluster phases in
systems without long-ranged repulsions are intimately related to gas-crystal
and metastable gas-liquid phase separation.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
Sphaleron-Bisphaleron bifurcations in a custodial-symmetric two-doublets model
The standard electroweak model is extended by means of a second
Brout-Englert-Higgs-doublet. The symmetry breaking potential is chosen is such
a way that (i) the Lagrangian possesses a custodial symmetry, (ii) a static,
spherically symmetric ansatz of the bosonic fields consistently reduces the
Euler-Lagrange equations to a set of differential equations. The potential
involves, in particular, products of fields of the two doublets, with a
coupling constant .Static, finite energy solutions of the classical
equations are constructed. The regular, non-trivial solutions having the lowest
classical energy can be of two types: sphaleron or bisphaleron, according to
the coupling constants. A special emphasis is put to the bifurcation between
these two types of solutions which is analyzed in function of the different
constants of the model,namely of .Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
Resummation Effects in Vector-Boson and Higgs Associated Production
Fixed-order QCD radiative corrections to the vector-boson and Higgs
associated production channels, pp -> VH (V=W, Z), at hadron colliders are well
understood. We combine higher order perturbative QCD calculations with
soft-gluon resummation of both threshold logarithms and logarithms which are
important at low transverse momentum of the VH pair. We study the effects of
both types of logarithms on the scale dependence of the total cross section and
on various kinematic distributions. The next-to-next-to-next-to-leading
logarithmic (NNNLL) resummed total cross sections at the LHC are almost
identical to the fixed-order perturbative next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO)
rates, indicating the excellent convergence of the perturbative QCD series.
Resummation of the VH transverse momentum (p_T) spectrum provides reliable
results for small values of p_T and suggests that implementing a jet-veto will
significantly decrease the cross sections.Comment: 25 pages, references update
Scalar meson in dynamical and partially quenched two-flavor QCD: lattice results and chiral loops
This is an exploratory study of the lightest non-singlet scalar
state on the lattice with two dynamical quarks. Domain Wall fermions are used
for both sea and valence quarks on a 16^3*32 lattice with an inverse lattice
spacing of 1.7 GeV. We extract the scalar meson mass 1.58(34) GeV from the
exponential time-dependence of the dynamical correlators with
and N_f=2. Since this statistical error-bar from dynamical correlators is
rather large, we analyze also the partially quenched lattice correlators with
not equal . They are positive for and
negative for . In order to understand this striking effect of
partial quenching, we derive the scalar correlator within the Partially
Quenched ChPT and find it describes lattice correlators well. The leading
unphysical contribution in Partially Quenched ChPT comes from the exchange of
the two pseudoscalar fields and is also positive for and
negative for at large t. After the subtraction of this
unphysical contribution from the partially quenched lattice correlators, the
correlators are positive and exponentially falling. The resulting scalar meson
mass 1.51(19) GeV from the partially quenched correlators is consistent with
the dynamical result and has appreciably smaller error-bar.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figure
Capturing the carer's experience: a researcher's reflections.
Aim To reflect on the methodological challenges of conducting a study exploring the effects on quality of life of being an informal carer for a person with palliative heart failure, as well as the factors that influence a carer's perception of caring. Background There are multi-faceted influences on the positive and negative effects of being a carer for a patient with palliative heart failure. By conducting a mixed methods study the aim was to examine and explore similarities and differences of the phenomenon of being a carer. Data sources Quantitative data obtained from the Family Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAMQOL), and qualitative data obtained from 14 interviews with informal carers of patients living with palliative heart failure. Review methods The study was conducted as part of a PhD, University of Sheffield, and the supervisory team reviewed the research process throughout the study. Discussion The study had a two-phase sequential mixed methods design. A sample of carers was recruited from heart failure nurse service caseloads in a UK urban setting. Carers were invited to complete the Family Quality of Life Questionnaire, a tool developed for carers of patients with heart failure. Participants were also asked to provide contact details if they were willing to be interviewed for the second phase of the study. Conclusion The study highlights important methodological considerations for recruiting carers. As the intention was to begin the analysis of the questionnaires before beginning the second phase of the study, the researcher was compelled to consider how integration was maintained and how to improve access to carers for research. Implications for practice The complexities associated with the population in this study led the researcher to use a pragmatic design to address research questions. When reflecting on the research and the challenges associated with recruiting to the quantitative phase of the study, the researcher used an iterative approach to meet the unfolding complexities. Such an approach could prove beneficial for mixed methods studies that aim to engage with hard to reach populations
Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effects from Quasars in Galaxies and Groups
The energy fed by active galactic nuclei to the surrounding diffuse baryons
changes their amount, temperature, and distribution; so in groups and in member
galaxies it affects the X-ray luminosity and also the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich
effect. Here we compute how the latter is enhanced by the transient blastwave
driven by an active quasar, and is depressed when the equilibrium is recovered
with a depleted density. We constrain such depressions and enhancements with
the masses of relic black holes in galaxies and the X-ray luminosities in
groups. We discuss how all these linked observables can tell the quasar
contribution to the thermal history of the baryons pervading galaxies and
groups.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, uses REVTeX4 and emulateapj.cls. Accepted by ApJ
Estimates of production rates of SUSY particles in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions
We estimate the production rates of supersymmetric particles in central
heavy-ion collisions at LHC. The parton cascade model is used to seek for
possible collective phenomena which enlarge the production probability of very
heavy particles. Even if there is some indication of such cooperative effects,
higher energy and higher luminosity of proton beams at LHC disfavor heavy-ion
reactions in the search for supersymmetric particles.Comment: 19 pages including 10 EPS figure
- …