Lorentz's model with dissipative collisions

Propagation of a particle accelerated by an external field through a scattering medium is studied within the generalized Lorentz model allowing inelastic collisions. Energy losses at collisions are proportional to $(1-\alpha^{2})$, where $0\le\alpha\le 1$ is the restitution coefficient. For $\alpha =1$ (elastic collisions) there is no stationary state. It is proved in one dimension that when $\alpha <1$ the stationary state exists . The corresponding velocity distribution changes from a highly asymmetric half-gaussian ($\alpha =0$) to an asymptotically symmetric distribution $\sim {\rm exp}[-(1-\alpha)v^{4}/2]$, for $\alpha\to 1$. The identical scaling behavior in the limit of weak inelasticity is derived in three dimensions by a self-consistent perturbation analysis, in accordance with the behavior of rigorously evaluated moments. The dependence on the external field scales out in any dimension, predicting in particular the stationary current to be proportional to the square root of the external acceleration.Comment: 13 pages, no figures, submitted to Physica

Duality and spatial inhomogeneity

Within the framework on non-extensive thermostatistics we revisit the recently advanced q-duality concept. We focus our attention here on a modified q-entropic measure of the spatial inhomogeneity for binary patterns. At a fixed length-scale this measure exhibits a generalised duality that links appropriate pairs of q and q' values. The simplest q q' invariant function, without any free parameters, is deduced here. Within an adequate interval q < qo < q', in which the function reaches its maximum value at qo, this invariant function accurately approximates the investigated q-measure, nitidly evidencing the duality phenomenon. In the close vicinity of qo, the approximate meaningful relation q + q' = 2qo holds.Comment: Contribution to International School and Conference on "Non Extensive Thermodynamics and physical applications", Villasimius-Capo Boi (Cagliari), Italy, 23-30 May 2001, 6 pages, 2 figures, replaced with published versio

Entropic descriptor of a complex behaviour

We propose a new type of entropic descriptor that is able to quantify the statistical complexity (a measure of complex behaviour) by taking simultaneously into account the average departures of a system's entropy S from both its maximum possible value Smax and its minimum possible value Smin. When these two departures are similar to each other, the statistical complexity is maximal. We apply the new concept to the variability, over a range of length scales, of spatial or grey-level pattern arrangements in simple models. The pertinent results confirm the fact that a highly non-trivial, length-scale dependence of the entropic descriptor makes it an adequate complexity-measure, able to distinguish between structurally distinct configurational macrostates with the same degree of disorder.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, extended versio

Reform of Healthcare and Pension Systems in Chile (Conclusions for Poland)

Health reform in Chile attemps to improve healthcare of the citizens. The authorities of the country managed to combine both the private (ISAPRE) and public systems FONASA). The biggest success was the creation of AUGE (state subsidies for 66 diseases). The unsolved problems are as follows: long waiting lists and shortages of beds in public hospitals, shortage of medical doctors and specialists. As far as the pension reform is concerned Chile was the first state in the world which in 1981 totally privatized the public pension system. Unfortunately, the fruit of changes in Chile is less optimistic (extremely low pensions) than it was initially assumed. According to specialists the only chance for a correct work of the pension system is introduction of the system which would combine two forms, i.e. a state intergenerational agreement and capital system.Jeśli chodzi o reformę emerytur to Chile było pierwszym krajem na świecie, który całkowicie sprywatyzował publiczny (międzypokoleniowy) system emerytalny. Niestety, rezultaty tych reform są mniej optymistyczne (bardzo niskie emerytury) niż jeszcze do niedawna sądzono. Według chilijskich specjalistów właściwe funkcjonowanie systemu emerytalnego wymaga efektywnego połączenia międzypokoleniowego systemu publicznego oraz systemu kapitałowego (prywatnego)

NYSERDA: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

There are four regional offices located in Albany, New York City, Buffalo, and West Valley. The major staff is broken into three subgroups. Energy Analysis has 21 staff members, most with the title of project manager. Energy Efficiency Services has 34 staff members at the main office, 5 in New York City, and 1 in Buffalo. The Residential Efficiency and Affordability Program staffs 29 employees at the main office, 4 in New York City, and 2 in Buffalo. The Research and Development team staffs employees in the areas of buildings, clean energy and market development, energy resources, environment, industry, and transportation and power systems. Other staff members fall into the categories of administrative services, counsel, marketing and economic development, executive, finance and contracts, and the West Valley Site Management

Nuclear medium modifications of properties of kaons measured around threshold with FOPI

We report on the investigation of modifications of basic properties of K$^+$ and K$^-$ mesons emitted from collisions of Ni+Ni at beam energy of 1.91A GeV. Experimental K$^-$/K$^+$ ratio are presented in a wide range of phase space parameterized by kinetic energy and emission angle in the nucleon-nucleon centre of mass. The $v_1$ component of the azimuthal distribution was extracted as a function of rapidity and transverse momentum for central, and semi-peripheral collisions. A comparison of these patterns with the HSD transport model favours the existence of the kaon-nucleon in-medium potential. For the IQMD model, this interaction scenario is confirmed in case of K$^-$, whereas for K$^+$ the picture is less clear.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, proceedings article of the 55th International Winter Meeting on Nuclear Physics, Bormio (Italy) 201

On an inhomogeneous slip-inflow boundary value problem for a steady flow of a viscous compressible fluid in a cylindrical domain

We investigate a steady flow of a viscous compressible fluid with inflow boundary condition on the density and inhomogeneous slip boundary conditions on the velocity in a cylindrical domain $\Omega = \Omega_0 \times (0,L) \in \mathbb{R}^3$. We show existence of a solution $(v,\rho) \in W^2_p(\Omega) \times W^1_p(\Omega)$, where $v$ is the velocity of the fluid and $\rho$ is the density, that is a small perturbation of a constant flow $(\bar v \equiv [1,0,0], \bar \rho \equiv 1)$. We also show that this solution is unique in a class of small perturbations of $(\bar v,\bar \rho)$. The term $u \cdot \nabla w$ in the continuity equation makes it impossible to show the existence applying directly a fixed point method. Thus in order to show existence of the solution we construct a sequence $(v^n,\rho^n)$ that is bounded in $W^2_p(\Omega) \times W^1_p(\Omega)$ and satisfies the Cauchy condition in a larger space $L_{\infty}(0,L;L_2(\Omega_0))$ what enables us to deduce that the weak limit of a subsequence of $(v^n,\rho^n)$ is in fact a strong solution to our problem.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figure. Proof of Theorem 1 corrected, some misprints remove