title:
Spectrum, Intensity and Coherence in Weighted Networks of a Financial
  Market

abstract:
  We construct a correlation matrix based financial network for a set of New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE) traded stocks with stocks corresponding to nodes and
the links between them added one after the other, according to the strength of
the correlation between the nodes. The eigenvalue spectrum of the correlation
matrix reflects the structure of the market, which also shows in the cluster
structure of the emergent network. The stronger and more compact a cluster is,
the earlier the eigenvalue representing the corresponding business sector
occurs in the spectrum. On the other hand, if groups of stocks belonging to a
given business sector are considered as a fully connected subgraph of the final
network, their intensity and coherence can be monitored as a function of time.
This approach indicates to what extent the business sector classifications are
visible in market prices, which in turn enables us to gauge the extent of
group-behaviour exhibited by stocks belonging to a given business sector.


title:
Skopje and Sofia 2005 Earthquake and Geomagnetic data and the
  Geomagnetic Quake as Imminent Reliable Earthquakes Precursor

abstract:
  The imminent WHEN earthquake predictions are based on the correlation between
geomagnetic quakes and the incoming minimum (or maximum) of tidal gravitational
potential. The probability time window for the incoming earthquake is for the
tidal minimum approximately one day and for the maximum- two days. The
statistic evidence for reliability is based on of distributions of the time
difference between occurred and predicted earthquakes for the period 2002- 2005
for Sofia region and 2004- 2005 for Skopje. The project for complex Balkan-
Black Sea region NETWORK for earthquake prediction by using the reliable
precursors will be proposed in near future. The Project is based on the
temporary data acquisition system for preliminary archiving, testing,
visualizing and analyzing of the data with aim to prepare regional daily risk
estimation.


title:
Electromagnetic field correlations near a surface with a nonlocal
  optical response

abstract:
  The coherence length of the thermal electromagnetic field near a planar
surface has a minimum value related to the nonlocal dielectric response of the
material. We perform two model calculations of the electric energy density and
the field's degree of spatial coherence. Above a polar crystal, the lattice
constant gives the minimum coherence length. It also gives the upper limit to
the near field energy density, cutting off its $1/z^3$ divergence. Near an
electron plasma described by the semiclassical Lindhard dielectric function,
the corresponding length scale is fixed by plasma screening to the Thomas-Fermi
length. The electron mean free path, however, sets a larger scale where
significant deviations from the local description are visible.


title: Electromagnetic energy in a dispersive metamaterial

abstract:
  An expression for the electromagnetic field energy density in a dispersive,
lossy, left-handed metamaterial, consisting of an array of split-ring
resonators and an array of wires is derived. An electromagnetic field with
general time-dependence is considered. The outcome is compared with previously
published results. In the absence of losses, agreement with the general result
for the energy density in a dispersive material is obtained. The formulae are
verified using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical method. The
applicability of two commonly used permeability models to the problem of
calculating the energy stored in an array of split-ring resonators is
discussed.


title:
Femtosecond laser as a tool for experimental study of time invariance
  violation in optics

abstract:
  The experiments with weak collinear probe pulses for time reversal
noninvariance study in optics are proposed and discussed.


title:
A unified evaluation of iterative projection algorithms for phase
  retrieval

abstract:
  Iterative projection algorithms are successfully being used as a substitute
of lenses to recombine, numerically rather than optically, light scattered by
illuminated objects. Images obtained computationally allow aberration-free
diffraction-limited imaging and the possibility of using radiation for which no
lenses exist. The challenge of this imaging technique is transfered from the
lenses to the algorithms. We evaluate these new computational ``instruments''
developed for the phase retrieval problem, and discuss acceleration strategies.


title: Observation of surface gap solitons in semi-infinite waveguide arrays

abstract:
  We report on the first observation of surface gap solitons, recently
predicted to exist at the interface between uniform and periodic dielectric
media with defocusing nonlinearity [Ya.V. Kartashov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.
96, 073901 (2006). We demonstrate strong self-trapping at the edge of a LiNbO_3
waveguide array and the formation of staggered surface solitons with
propagation constant inside the first photonic band gap. We study the crossover
between linear repulsion and nonlinear attraction at the surface, revealing the
mechanism of nonlinearity-mediated stabilization of the surface gap modes.


title: Convection in binary fluid mixtures: A model of four coupled amplitudes

abstract:
  We consider the bifurcation scenario that is found in Rayleigh-Benard
convection of binary fluid mixtures like ethanol-water at positive separation
ratios and small Lewis numbers leading to a bifurcation sequence of square,
oscillatory crossroll, stationary crossroll, and roll patterns. We propose a
system of four coupled amplitudes that is capable to model all important
properties.


title:
Rigorous approach to the nonlinear saturation of the tearing mode in
  cylindrical and slab geometry

abstract:
  The saturation of the tearing mode instability is described within the
standard framework of reduced magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) in the case of an
$r$-dependent or of a uniform resistivity profile. Using the technique of
matched asymptotic expansions, where the perturbation parameter is the island
width $w$, the problem can be solved in two ways: with the so-called flux
coordinate method, which is based on the fact that the current profile is a
flux function, and with a new perturbative method that does not use this
property. The latter is applicable to more general situations where an external
forcing or a sheared velocity profile are involved. The calculation provides a
new relationship between the saturated island width and the $\Delta '$
stability parameter that involves a $\ln{w/w_{0}}$ term, where $w_{0}$ is a
nonlinear scaling length that was missing in previous work. It also yields the
modification of the equilibrium magnetic flux function.


title:
Electro-Magnetic Earthquake Bursts and Critical Rupture of Peroxy Bond
  Networks in Rocks

abstract:
  We propose a mechanism for the low frequency electromagnetic emissions and
other electromagnetic phenomena which have been associated with earthquakes.
The mechanism combines the critical earthquake concept and the concept of crust
acting as a charging electric battery under increasing stress. The electric
charges are released by activation of dormant charge carriers in the oxygen
anion sublattice, called peroxy bonds or positive hole pairs (PHP), where a PHP
represents an $O_3X/^{OO}\backslash YO_3$ with $X,Y = Si^{4+}, Al^{3+}...$,
i.e. an $O^-$ in a matrix of $O^{2-}$ of silicates. We propose that PHP are
activated by plastic deformations during the slow cooperative build-up of
stress and the increasingly correlated damage culminating in a large
``critical'' earthquake. Recent laboratory experiments indeed show that
stressed rocks form electric batteries which can release their charge when a
conducting path closes the equivalent electric circuit. We conjecture that the
intermittent and erratic occurrences of EM signals are a consequence of the
progressive build-up of the battery charges in the Earth crust and their
erratic release when crack networks are percolating throughout the stressed
rock volumes, providing a conductive pathway for the battery currents to
discharge. EM signals are thus expected close to the rupture, either slightly
before or after, that is, when percolation is most favored.


title:
Comment to Manipulating the polarization of laser beams by an external
  magnetic field, arXiv:physics/0603175v1

abstract:
  The basic assumption of the authors of manuscript arXiv:physics/0603175v1 (21
Mar 2006) is that a laser wave differs from a plane wave because of photon
coherence. This is not true and therefore their conclusion is also wrong.


title: Equation of motion of systems with internal angular momentum - II

abstract:
  Using the Hamiltonian formulation, we have attempted to obtain the equations
of motion of systems with internal angular momentum that are moving with
respect to a reference system when subjected to an interaction. This
interaction involves the application of a torque that is permanently
perpendicular to the internal angular momentum vector.


title:
Comparison of time splitting and backsubstitution methods for
  integrating Vlasov's equation with magnetic fields

abstract:
  The standard approach for integrating the multidimensional Vlasov equation
using grid based, conservative schemes is based on a time splitting approach.
Here, we show that although the truncation error is of second order, time
splitting can introduce systematic heating of the plasma. We introduce a
backsubstitution method, which not only avoids this deficiency but also is
computationally less expensive. The general approach is demonstrated in
conjunction with Boris' scheme for evaluating the characteristics.


title:
Aspects of Electron Acoustic Wave Physics in Laser Backscatter from
  Plasmas

abstract:
  Recent experimental results from the Trident laser confirm the importance of
kinetic effects in determining laser reflectivities at high intensities.
Examples observed include scattering from low frequency electron acoustic waves
(EAWs), and the first few stages of a cascade towards turbulence through the
Langmuir decay instability. Interpretive and predictive computational
capability in this area is assisted by the development of Vlasov codes, which
offer high velocity space resolution in high energy regions of particle phase
space, and do not require analytical pre-processing of the fundamental
equations. A direct Vlasov solver, capable of resolving these kinetic
processes, is used here to address fundamental aspects of the existence and
stability of the electron acoustic wave, together with its collective
scattering properties. These simulations are extended to realistic laser and
plasma parameters characteristic of single hot-spot experiments. Results are in
qualitative agreement with experiments displaying both stimulated Raman and
stimulated electron acoustic scattering. The amplitude of simulated EAWs is
greater than that observed experimentally, and is accompanied by a higher phase
velocity. These minor differences can be attributed to the limitations of a
one-dimensional collisionless model.


title: Transport of magnetic field by a turbulent flow of liquid sodium

abstract:
  We study the effect of a turbulent flow of liquid sodium generated in the von
K\'arm\'an geometry, on the localized field of a magnet placed close to the
frontier of the flow. We observe that the field can be transported by the flow
on distances larger than its integral length scale. In the most turbulent
configurations, the mean value of the field advected at large distance
vanishes. However, the rms value of the fluctuations increases linearly with
the magnetic Reynolds number. The advected field is strongly intermittent.


title:
Power laws in microrheology experiments on living cells: comparative
  analysis and modelling

abstract:
  We compare and synthesize the results of two microrheological experiments on
the cytoskeleton of single cells. In the first one, the creep function J(t) of
a cell stretched between two glass plates is measured after applying a constant
force step. In the second one, a micrometric bead specifically bound to
transmembrane receptors is driven by an oscillating optical trap, and the
viscoelastic coefficient $G_e(\omega)$ is retrieved. Both $J(t)$ and
$G_e(\omega)$ exhibit power law behavior: $J(t)= A(t/t_0)^\alpha$ and $\bar
G_e(\omega)\bar = G_0 (\omega/\omega_0)^\alpha$, with the same exponent
$\alpha\approx 0.2$. This power law behavior is very robust ; $\alpha$ is
distributed over a narrow range, and shows almost no dependance on the cell
type, on the nature of the protein complex which transmits the mechanical
stress, nor on the typical length scale of the experiment. On the contrary, the
prefactors $A_0$ and $G_0$appear very sensitive to these parameters. Whereas
the exponents $\alpha$ are normally distributed over the cell population, the
prefactors $A_0$ and $G_0$ follow a log-normal repartition. These results are
compared with other data published in the litterature. We propose a global
interpretation, based on a semi-phenomenological model, which involves a broad
distribution of relaxation times in the system. The model predicts the power
law behavior and the statistical repartition of the mechanical parameters, as
experimentally observed for the cells. Moreover, it leads to an estimate of the
largest response time in the cytoskeletal network: $\tau_m \approx 1000$ s.


title:
Stochastic Simulation of Chemical Exchange in Two Dimensional Infrared
  Spectroscopy

abstract:
  The stochastic Liouville equations are employed to investigate the combined
signatures of chemical exchange (two-state-jump) and spectral diffusion
(coupling to an overdamped Brownian oscillator) in the coherent response of an
anharmonic vibration to three femtosecond infrared pulses. Simulations
reproduce the main features recently observed in the OD stretch of phenol in
benzene.


title: Bohr model without quantum jumps

abstract:
  Omission of Bohr's second postulate permits a derivation of spectral
intensity. The transition amplitudes serve as upper bounds to quantum
mechanical matrix elements. They also provide insight into the latter in terms
of Sommerfeld ellipses and transition trajectories. The speed of a nascent
photon in the region of the electron transiton is addressed and the orbit
concept is reinterpreted.


title: Relativity and wavy motions

abstract:
  The conditions under which the undulatory character of field disturbances is
physically significant.


title: Computer simulation of language competition by physicists

abstract:
  Computer simulation of languages is an old subject, but since the paper of
Abrams and Strogatz (2003) several physics groups independently took up this
field. We shortly review their work and bring more details on our own
simulations.


title: Negative Refractive Index in Artificial Metamaterials

abstract:
  We discuss optical constants in artificial metamaterials showing negative
magnetic permeability and electric permittivity. Using effective field theory,
we calculate effective permeability of nanofabricated media composed of pairs
of identical gold nano-pillars with magnetic response in the visible spectrum.


title: Nanometric laser trapping based on nanostructured substrates

abstract:
  Laser trapping near the surface of a nanostructured substrate is
demonstrated. Stable microbubbles with radii of 1-20micrometers have been
created and manipulated with sub-micron precision by a focused laser beam in an
immersion oil covering arrays of pairs of gold nanopillars deposited on a glass
substrate. The threshold for bubble creation and trapping characteristics
depended on near-field coupling of nanopillars. The nanometric laser tweezers
showed giant trapping efficiency of Q~50 for the trapped microbubbles.


title: Self-Assembly of Information in Networks

abstract:
  We model self-assembly of information in networks to investigate necessary
conditions for building a global perception of a system by local communication.
Our approach is to let agents chat in a model system to self-organize distant
communication-pathways. We demonstrate that simple local rules allow agents to
build a perception of the system, that is robust to dynamical changes and
mistakes. We find that messages are most effectively forwarded in the presence
of hubs, while transmission in hub-free networks is more robust against
misinformation and failures.


title: The scientific heritage of Richard Henry Dalitz, FRS (1925-2006)

abstract:
  Professor Richard H. Dalitz passed away on January 13, 2006. He was almost 81
years old and his outstanding contributions are intimately connected to some of
the major breakthroughs of the 20th century in particle and nuclear physics.
These outstanding contributions go beyond the Dalitz Plot, Dalitz Pair and CDD
poles that bear his name. He pioneered the theoretical study of strange baryon
resonances, of baryon spectroscopy in the quark model, and of hypernuclei, to
all of which he made lasting contributions. His formulation of the
"$\theta-\tau$ puzzle" led to the discovery that parity is not a symmetry of
the weak interactions. A brief scientific evaluation of Dalitz's major
contributions to particle and nuclear physics is hereby presented, followed by
the first comprehensive list of his scientific publications, as assembled from
several sources. The list is divided into two categories: the first, main part
comprises Dalitz's research papers and reviews, including topics in the history
of particle physics, biographies and reminiscences; the second part lists book
reviews, public lectures and obituaries authored by Dalitz, and books edited by
him. This provides the first necessary step towards a more systematic research
of the Dalitz heritage in modern physics.
  The present 2016 edition updates the original 2006 edition, published in
Nucl. Phys. A 771 (2006) 2-7, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2006.03.007, and 8-25,
doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2006.03.008, by including for the first time a dozen or
so of publications, found recently in a list submitted to the Royal Society by
Dalitz in 2004, that escaped our attention in the original version.

categories: physics.hist-ph hep-ph nucl-th physics.ed-ph


title: Enhanced Prognosis for Abiotic Natural Gas and Petroleum Resources

abstract:
  The prognosis for potential resources of abiotic natural gas and petroleum
depends critically upon the nature and circumstances of Earth formation. Until
recently, that prognosis has been considered solely within the framework of the
so-called "standard model of solar system formation", which is incorrect and
leads to the contradiction of terrestrial planets having insufficiently massive
cores. By contrast, that prognosis is considerably enhanced (i) by the new
vision I have disclosed of Earth formation as a Jupiter-like gas giant; (ii) by
core formation contemporaneous with raining out from within a giant gaseous
protoplanet rather than through subsequent whole-Earth re-melting after loss of
gases; (iii) by the consequences of whole-Earth decompression dynamics, which
obviates the unfounded assumption of mantle convection, and; (iv) by the
process of mantle decompression thermal-tsunami. The latter, in addition to
accounting for much of the heat leaving the Earth's surface, for the geothermal
gradient observed in the crust, for substantial volcanism, and possibly for
earthquake generation as well, also might enhance the prognosis for future
abiotic energy supplies by pressurizing and heating the base of the crust, a
potential collection point for abiotic mantle methane or other mantle-derived
carbon-containing matter.


title:
Regular Spectra and Universal Directionality of Emitted Radiation from a
  Quadrupolar Deformed Microcavity

abstract:
  We have investigated quasi-eigenmodes of a quadrupolar deformed microcavity
by extensive numerical calculations. The spectral structure is found to be
quite regular, which can be explained on the basis of the fact that the
microcavity is an open system. The far-field emission directions of the modes
show unexpected similarity irrespective of their distinct shapes in phase
space. This universal directionality is ascribed to the influence from the
geometry of the unstable manifolds in the corresponding ray dynamics.


title: Structure of Peer-to-Peer Social Networks

abstract:
  This paper presents a statistical analysis of the structure of Peer-to-Peer
(P2P) social networks that captures social associations of distributed peers in
resource sharing. Peer social networks appear to be mainly composed of pure
resource providers that guarantee high resource availability and reliability of
P2P systems. The major peers that both provide and request resources are only a
small fraction. The connectivity between peers, including undirected, directed
(out and in) and weighted connections, is scale-free and the social networks of
all peers and major peers are small world networks. The analysis also confirms
that peer social networks show in general disassortative correlations, except
that active providers are connected between each other and by active
requesters. The study presented in this paper gives a better understanding of
peer relationships in resource sharing, which may help a better design of
future P2P networks and open the path to the study of transport processes on
top of real P2P topologies.


abstract:
  Relativistic quantum plasma dispersion functions are defined and the
longitudinal and transverse response functions for an electron (plus positron)
gas are written in terms of them. The dispersion is separated into
Landau-damping, pair-creation and dissipationless regimes. Explicit forms are
given for the RQPDFs in the cases of a completely degenerate distribution and a
nondegenerate thermal (J\"uttner) distribution. Particular emphasis is placed
on the relation between dissipation and dispersion, with the dissipation
treated in terms of the imaginary parts of RQPDFs. Comparing the dissipation
calculated in this way with the existing treatments leads to the identification
of errors in the literature, which we correct. We also comment on a controversy
as to whether the dispersion curves in a superdense plasma pass through the
region where pair creation is allowed.


title: Scintillation counter with MRS APD light readout

abstract:
  START, a high-efficiency and low-noise scintillation detector for ionizing
particles, was developed for the purpose of creating a high-granular system for
triggering cosmic muons. Scintillation light in START is detected by MRS APDs
(Avalanche Photo-Diodes with Metal-Resistance-Semiconductor structure),
operated in the Geiger mode, which have 1 mm^2 sensitive areas. START is
assembled from a 15 x 15 x 1 cm^3 scintillating plastic plate, two MRS APDs and
two pieces of wavelength-shifting optical fiber stacked in circular coils
inside the plastic. The front-end electronic card is mounted directly on the
detector. Tests with START have confirmed its operational consistency, over 99%
efficiency of MIP registration and good homogeneity. START demonstrates a low
intrinsic noise of about 10^{-2} Hz. If these detectors are to be
mass-produced, the cost of a mosaic array of STARTs is estimated at a moderate
level of 2-3 kUSD/m^2.


title:
A dynamical equation for the distribution of a scalar advected by
  turbulence

abstract:
  A phenomenological model for the dissipation of scalar fluctuations due to
the straining by the fluid motion is proposed in this letter. An explicit
equation is obtained for the time evolution of the probability distribution
function of a coarse-grained scalar concentration. The model relies on a
self-convolution process. We first present this model in the Batchelor regime
and then extend empirically our result to the turbulent case. The inclusion of
this model in more general transport equations, including spatial gradients, is
discussed in relation with 2D turbulence and stratified flows.


title:
Existence of Negative Gravity Material Identification of Dark Energy
  Dark Matter Isothermal Gravitational Equilibrium and Galactic Rotation Theory

abstract:
  A solution to Einstein's field equations via the Friedman equations is shown
to produce a cosmological model that is in exact agreement with the
measurements made by the dark energy astronomers. All the essential physical
parameters are obtained as epoch dependent functions all in closed form. The
equations of state are obtained for total density, non-dark energy density and
dark energy density. An interpretation of the structure involving a dark energy
mass distribution that is twice the usual value is shown to clarify greatly the
physical significance of the mathematics. It is asserted that the astronomer's
measurements together with the mathematical model proves that the universe is
permeated uniformly with a positive mass density that caries a negative
gravitational constant, -G, characteristic. This mass component is identified
with the dark energy content of the universe that has been postulated to
explain the observed acceleration. Another result implied by the model is that
there is twice the amount of dark energy that is usually considered to be
present. This last point is analysed in more detail in appendix 1 using
Einstein's field equations. Five additional appendices, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in
which isothermal gravitational dark matter equilibrium and the galactic
rotations curve flatness problem are examined in detail. Appendix 5 is
concerned with mass clumping and expressing gravitational isothermal
equilibrium constraints using a cosmological Schr\"odinger equation to
demonstrate the existence of a new quantum force involved with galactic
stability. Appendix 6 is concerned with gravitational quantization. Each
appendix has its own abstract.


title: Dispersion in a relativistic degenerate electron gas

abstract:
  Relativistic effects on dispersion in a degenerate electron gas are discussed
by comparing known response functions derived relativistically (by Jancovici)
and nonrelativistically (by Lindhard). The main distinguishing feature is
one-photon pair creation, which leads to logarithmic singularities in the
response functions. Dispersion curves for longitudinal waves have a similar
tongue-like appearance in the relativistic and nonrelativistic case, with the
main relativistic effects being on the Fermi speed and the cutoff frequency.
For transverse waves the nonrelativistic treatment has a nonphysical feature
near the cutoff frequency for large Fermi momenta, and this is attributed to an
incorrect treatment of the electron spin. We find (with two important provisos)
that one-photon pair creation is allowed in superdense plasmas, implying
relatively strong coupling between transverse waves and pair creation.


title:
Spectrally-engineered photonic molecules as optical sensors with
  enhanced sensitivity: a proposal and numerical analysis

abstract:
  We report a theoretical study of clusters of evanescently-coupled 2D
whispering-gallery (WG) mode optical micro-cavities (termed "photonic
molecules") as chemosensing and biosensing platforms. Photonic molecules (PMs)
supporting modes with narrow linewidths, wide mode spacing, and greatly
enhanced sensitivity to the changes in the dielectric constant of their
environment and to the presence of individual sub-wavelength sized
nanoparticles in the PM evanescent-field region are numerically designed. This
type of optical biosensor can be fabricated in a variety of material platforms
and integrated on a single chip that makes it a promising candidate for a small
and robust lab-on-a-chip device. Possible applications of the developed
methodology and the designed PM structures to the near-field microscopy, single
nano-emitter microcavity lasing, and cavity-controlled single-molecule
fluorescence enhancement are also discussed.


title: Graph Evolution: Densification and Shrinking Diameters

abstract:
  How do real graphs evolve over time? What are ``normal'' growth patterns in
social, technological, and information networks? Many studies have discovered
patterns in static graphs, identifying properties in a single snapshot of a
large network, or in a very small number of snapshots; these include heavy
tails for in- and out-degree distributions, communities, small-world phenomena,
and others. However, given the lack of information about network evolution over
long periods, it has been hard to convert these findings into statements about
trends over time.
  Here we study a wide range of real graphs, and we observe some surprising
phenomena. First, most of these graphs densify over time, with the number of
edges growing super-linearly in the number of nodes. Second, the average
distance between nodes often shrinks over time, in contrast to the conventional
wisdom that such distance parameters should increase slowly as a function of
the number of nodes (like O(log n) or O(log(log n)).
  Existing graph generation models do not exhibit these types of behavior, even
at a qualitative level. We provide a new graph generator, based on a ``forest
fire'' spreading process, that has a simple, intuitive justification, requires
very few parameters (like the ``flammability'' of nodes), and produces graphs
exhibiting the full range of properties observed both in prior work and in the
present study.
  We also notice that the ``forest fire'' model exhibits a sharp transition
between sparse graphs and graphs that are densifying. Graphs with decreasing
distance between the nodes are generated around this transition point.


title:
Coupling Impedances of Small Discontinuities: Dependence on Beam
  Velocity

abstract:
  The beam coupling impedances of small discontinuities of an accelerator
vacuum chamber have been calculated [e.g., S.S. Kurennoy, R.L. Gluckstern, and
G.V. Stupakov, Phys. Rev. E 52, 4354 (1995)] for ultrarelativistic beams using
the Bethe diffraction theory. Here we extend the results to an arbitrary beam
velocity. The vacuum chamber is assumed to have an arbitrary, but uniform along
the beam path, cross section. The longitudinal and transverse coupling
impedances are derived in terms of series over cross-section eigenfunctions,
while the discontinuity shape enters via its polarizabilities. Simple explicit
formulas for two important particular cases - circular and rectangular chamber
cross sections - are presented. The impedance dependence on the beam velocity
exhibits some unusual features: for example, the reactive impedance, which
dominates in the ultrarelativistic limit, can vanish at a certain beam
velocity, or its magnitude can exceed the ultrarelativistic value many times.
In addition, we demonstrate that the same technique, the field expansion into a
series of cross-section eigenfunctions, is convenient for calculating the
space-charge impedance of uniform beam pipes with arbitrary cross section.


title:
High Voltage Test Apparatus for a Neutron EDM Experiment and Lower Limit
  on the Dielectric Strength of Liquid Helium at Large Volumes

abstract:
  A new search for a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron is
underway using ultracold neutrons produced and held in a bath of superfluid
helium. Attaining the target sensitivity requires maintaining an electric field
of several tens of kilovolts per centimeter across the experimental cell, which
is nominally 7.5 cm wide and will contain about 4 liters of superfluid. The
electrical properties of liquid helium are expected to be sufficient to meet
the design goals, but little is known about these properties for volumes and
electrode spacings appropriate to the EDM experiment. Furthermore, direct
application of the necessary voltages from an external source to the
experimental test cell is impractical. An apparatus to amplify voltages in the
liquid helium environment and to test the electrical properties of the liquid
for large volumes and electrode spacings has been constructed. The device
consists of a large-area parallel plate capacitor immersed in a 200 liter
liquid helium dewar. Preliminary results show the breakdown strength of normal
state liquid helium is at least 90 kV/cm at these volumes, at the helium vapor
pressure corresponding to 4.38 K. These fields hold for more than 11 hours with
leakage currents less than 170 pA (about 20% of the maximum tolerable in the
EDM experiment). The system is also found to be robust against anticipated
radiation backgrounds. Preliminary results for superfluid show that fields of
at least 30 kV/cm can be sustained at the volumes required for the EDM
experiment, about 60% of the design goal. These results are likely limited by
the low pressure that must be maintained above the superfluid bath.


title:
Long-range interactions for He($n S$)--He$(n' S)$ and He($n S$)--He$(n'
  P)$

abstract:
  The energetically lowest five states of a helium atom are: He($1^1S$),
He($2^3S$), He($2^1S$), He($2^3P$), and He($2^1P$). Long-range interaction
coefficients $C_3$, $C_6$, $C_8$, $C_9$, and $C_{10}$ for all $S-S$ and $S-P$
pairs of these states are calculated precisely using correlated wave functions
in Hylleraas coordinates. Finite nuclear isotope mass effects are included.


title:
A Prototype PCI-based Data Acquisition System for Cosmic Ray Detection
  Below 10^18 eV

abstract:
  A prototype flash analog-to-digital readout system for cosmic ray detection
at energies below 10^18 eV has been designed and tested at Columbia University
Nevis Laboratories. The electronics consist of an FADC module that digitizes 16
photomultipliers at 40 MHz with 14-bit dynamic range. The module is read out to
a PC (running Linux) through a PCI interface. Taking advantage of the large
bandwidth provided by the PCI bus, we have implemented a software-based data
acquisition system. This note describes the software and electronics, as well
as preliminary tests carried out using a prototype FADC module.


title:
Relation between space charge limited current and power loss in open
  drift tubes

abstract:
  Drift space is a region free from externally applied fields. It is an
important part of many devices involving charged particle beams. The space
charge effect imposes a limit on the current that can be transported through a
drift space. A reasonable estimate of the space charge limited current density
(J_{SCL}^{c}) in 'closed' drift tubes can be obtained from electrostatic
considerations despite the fact that charge particle transport results in
electromagnetic radiation. We deal here with the situation where the drift tube
is 'open' to electromagnetic radiation, for instance due to the presence of a
dielectric window. In such cases, electromagnetic radiation leaks out of the
window which results in a decrease in the average kinetic energy of electrons.
If the injected current density is much lower than J_{SCL}^{c}, power loss does
not result in a change in the transmitted current. As the injected current
density is increased, power loss increases and at a critical value lower than
J_{SCL}^{c}, reflection of electrons begins to occur. We also show that the
lowering of the space charge limited current on account of power loss can be
incorporated in the standard electrostatic picture by introducing an effective
voltage for the collection plate.


title: Experimental Study of Parametric Autoresonance in Faraday Waves

abstract:
  The excitation of large amplitude nonlinear waves is achieved via parametric
autoresonance of Faraday waves. We experimentally demonstrate that phase
locking to low amplitude driving can generate persistent high-amplitude growth
of nonlinear waves in a dissipative system. The experiments presented are in
excellent agreement with theory.


title:
Experimental and modeling study of the autoignition of
  1-hexene/iso-octane mixtures at low temperatures

abstract:
  Autoignition delay times have been measured in a rapid compression machine at
Lille at temperatures after compression from 630 to 840 K, pressures from 8 to
14 bar, \Phi = 1 and for a iso octane/1 hexene mixture containing 82%
iso-octane and 18% 1 hexene. Results have shown that this mixture is strongly
more reactive than pure iso-octane, but less reactive than pure 1 hexene. It
exhibits a classical low temperature behaviour, with the appearance of cool
flame and a negative temperature coefficient region. The composition of the
reactive mixture obtained after the cool flame has also been determined. A
detailed kinetic model has been obtained by using the system EXGAS, developed
in Nancy for the automatic generation of kinetic mechanisms, and an acceptable
agreement with the experimental results has been obtained both for autoignition
delay times and for the distribution of products. A flow rate analysis reveals
that the crossed reactions between species coming from both reactants (like
H-abstractions or combinations) are negligible in the main flow consumption of
the studied hydrocarbons. The ways of formation of the main primary products
observed and the most sensitive rate constants have been identified.


title:
Uniform formalism for description of dynamic quantum and stochastic
  systems

abstract:
  The formalism of the particle dynamics in the space-time, where motion of
free particles is primordially stochastic, is considered. The conventional
dynamic formalism, obtained for the space-time, where the motion of free
particles is primordially deterministic, seems to be unsuitable. The
statistical ensemble of stochastic (or deterministic) systems is considered to
be the main object of dynamics. At such a logical reloading the statistical
description becomes a component of dynamics, and capacities of dynamics
increase. At such an approach one can describe deterministic, stochastic and
quantum particles by means of the uniform technique. The quantum particle is
described as a stochastic particle, i.e. without a reference to the quantum
principles. Besides, by means of this technique one can describe classical
inviscid fluid. There are four different versions of the formalism: (1)
description in Euler dynamic variables, (2) description in Lagrange dynamic
variables, (3) description in terms of the generalized stream function, (4)
description in terms of the wave function. The uniform formalism is purely
dynamic. Even describing stochastic systems, it does not refer to probability
and probabilistic structures. In relativistic case the uniform formalism can
describe pair production and pair annihilation.


title: Brownian Dynamics Simulations of Single-File Motion Through Nanochannels

abstract:
  Algorithm is constructed which models single-file motion of particles
interacting with each other and with the surroundings. As an example, we
present the results of Brownian Dynamics simulations of the motion of cations
moving through a short very narrow channel containing a device called ``gate'',
which may open and close the channel.


title: The moving boundary problem in the presence of a dipole magnetic field

abstract:
  An exact analytic solution is obtained for a uniformly expanding, neutral,
infinitely conducting plasma sphere in an external dipole magnetic field. The
electrodynamical aspects related to the radiation and transformation of energy
were considered as well. The results obtained can be used in analyzing the
recent experimental and simulation data.


title:
Superluminal Electromagnetic and Gravitational Fields Generated in the
  Nearfield of Dipole Sources

abstract:
  In this paper the fields generated by an electric dipole and a gravitational
quadrapole are shown to propagate superluminally in the nearfield of the source
and reduce to the speed of light as the fields propagate into the farfield. A
theoretical derivation of the generated fields using Maxwell's equations is
presented followed by a theoretical analysis of the phase and group speed of
the propagating fields. This theoretical prediction is then verified by a
numerical simulation which demonstrates the superluminal propagation of
modulated signals in the nearfield of their sources. An experiment using simple
dipole antennas is also presented which verifies the theoretically expected
superluminal propagation of transverse electromagnetic fields in the nearfield
of the source. The phase speed, group speed, and information speed of these
systems are compared and shown to differ. Provided the noise of a signal is
small and the modulation method is known, it is shown that the information
speed can be approximately the same as the superluminal group speed. According
to relativity theory, it is known that between moving reference frames,
superluminal signals can propagate backwards in time enabling violations of
causality. Several explanations are presented which may resolve this dilemma.


title: Phase locking to a LISA arm: first results on a hardware model

abstract:
  We present the first experimental confirmation of the so-called
"self-phaselocked delay interferometry". This laser frequency stabilization
technique consists basically in comparing the prompt laser signal with a
delayed version of itself that has been reflected in another LISA satellite 5
million km away. In our table-top experiment, the phase of a voltage-controlled
oscillator is stabilized by means of a control loop based on this technique. In
agreement with the theory, the measured unity gain frequency is not limited by
the inverse of the used delay (1.6 microseconds). In the time domain, the
system also behaves as predicted, including the appearance of a quasi-periodic
"ringing" just after the lock acquisition, which decays exponentially. Its
initial amplitude is smaller when the loop gain is slowly ramped up instead of
suddenly switched on.


title:
The Geography of Scientific Productivity: Scaling in U.S. Computer
  Science

abstract:
  Here we extract the geographical addresses of authors in the Citeseer
database of computer science papers. We show that the productivity of research
centres in the United States follows a power-law regime, apart from the most
productive centres for which we do not have enough data to reach definite
conclusions. To investigate the spatial distribution of computer science
research centres in the United States, we compute the two-point correlation
function of the spatial point process and show that the observed power-laws do
not disappear even when we change the physical representation from geographical
space to cartogram space. Our work suggests that the effect of physical
location poses a challenge to ongoing efforts to develop realistic models of
scientific productivity. We propose that the introduction of a fine scale
geography may lead to more sophisticated indicators of scientific output.


title: Venus-Solar Wind Interaction: Asymmetries and the Escape of O+ Ions

abstract:
  We study the interaction between Venus and the solar wind using a global
three-dimensional self-consistent quasi-neutral hybrid (QNH) model. The model
treats ions (H+, O+) as particles and electrons as a massless charge
neutralising fluid. In the analysed Parker spiral interplanetary magnetic field
(IMF) case (IMF = [8.09, 5.88, 0] nT) a notable north-south asymmetry of the
magnetic field and plasma exists, especially in the properties of escaping
planetary O+ ions. The asymmetry is associated with ion finite gyroradius
effects. Furthermore, the IMF x-component results in a dawn-dusk asymmetry.
Overall, the QNH model is found to reproduce the main observed plasma and
magnetic field regions (the bow shock, the magnetosheath, the magnetic barrier
and the magnetotail), implying the potential of the developed model to study
the Venusian plasma environment and especially the non-thermal ion escape.


title: The motion of two masses coupled to a massive spring

abstract:
  We discuss the classical motion of a spring of arbitrary mass coupled to two
arbitrary massive blocks attached at its ends. A general approach to the
problem is presented and some general results are obtained. Examples for which
a simple elastic function can be inferred are discussed and the normal modes
and normal frequencies obtained. An approximation procedure to the evaluation
of the normel frequencies in the case of uniform elastic function and mass
density is also discussed.


title: The effect of wall heating on instability of channel flow

abstract:
  A comprehensive study of the effect of wall heating or cooling on the linear,
transient and secondary growth of instability in channel flow is conducted. The
effect of viscosity stratification, heat diffusivity and of buoyancy are
estimated separately, with some unexpected results. From linear stability
results, it has been accepted that heat diffusivity does not affect stability.
However, we show that realistic Prandtl numbers cause a transient growth of
disturbances that is an order of magnitude higher than at zero Prandtl number.
Buoyancy, even at fairly low levels, gives rise to high levels of subcritical
energy growth. Unusually for transient growth, both of these are
spanwise-independent and not in the form of streamwise vortices. At moderate
Grashof numbers, exponential growth dominates, with distinct Rayleigh-Benard
and Poiseuille modes for Grashof numbers upto $\sim 25000$, which merge
thereafter. Wall heating has a converse effect on the secondary instability
compared to the primary, destabilising significantly when viscosity decreases
towards the wall. It is hoped that the work will motivate experimental and
numerical efforts to understand the role of wall heating in the control of
channel and pipe flows.


title:
Quasi-exact expansion of the electron momentum density of the Hooke's
  atom

abstract:
  An analytic expansion of the exact one-electron momentum density of the
Hooke's atom is derived for the case k = 1/4. Electron correlation is shown to
have opposite effects on the momentum density, compared with the Moshinsky's
atom, but is qualitatively similar to classical two-electron atomic systems at
large momenta.


title: Development of deformation-tunable quadrupolar microcavity

abstract:
  We have developed a technique for realizing a two-dimensional quadrupolar
microcavity with its deformation variable from 0% to 20% continuously. We
employed a microjet ejected from a noncircular orifice in order to generate a
stationary column with modulated quadrupolar deformation in its cross section.
Wavelength red shifts of low-order cavity modes due to shape deformation were
measured and were found to be in good agreement with the wave calculation for
the same deformation, indicating the observed deformation is quadrupolar in
nature.


title: Ferromagnetic fluid as a model of social impact

abstract:
  The paper proposes a new model of spin dynamics which can be treated as a
model of sociological coupling between individuals. Our approach takes into
account two different human features: gregariousness and individuality. We will
show how they affect a psychological distance between individuals and how the
distance changes the opinion formation in a social group. Apart from its
sociological aplications the model displays the variety of other interesting
phenomena like self-organizing ferromagnetic state or a second order phase
transition and can be studied from different points of view, e.g. as a model of
ferromagnetic fluid, complex evolving network or multiplicative random process.


title:
Universal output directionality of ultrahigh-Q single modes in a
  deformed microcavity with low index of refraction

abstract:
  Experimental investigation of the characteristics of quasi-bound states of a
quadrupole deformed microcavity has revealed five distinct mode groups in
cavity emission spectra with cavity quality factors different by orders of
magnitude and consistently with much different intracavity mode distributions
but with almost universal far-field emission patterns. These universal
directionality of high Q modes are explained by a subtle manifestation of
unstable manifolds of classical chaos in the formation of quasi-bound states.


title:
Highly Charged Ions in a Dilute Plasma: An Exact Asymptotic Solution
  Involving Strong Coupling

abstract:
  The ion sphere model introduced long ago by Salpeter is placed in a rigorous
theoretical setting. The leading corrections to this model for very highly
charged but dilute ions in thermal equilibrium with a weakly coupled,
one-component background plasma are explicitly computed, and the subleading
corrections shown to be negligibly small. This is done using effective field
theory methods advocated by Brown and Yaffe. Thus, corrections to nuclear
reaction rates that such highly charged ions may undergo can be computed
precisely. Moreover, their contribution to the equation of state can also be
computed with precision. Such analytic results for very strong coupling are
rarely available, and they can serve as benchmarks for testing computer models
in this limit.

categories: physics.plasm-ph astro-ph math-ph math.MP


title:
Comment on "A statistical comparison of solar wind sources of moderate
  and intense geomagnetic storms at solar minimum and maximum" by Zhang, J.-C.,
  M. W. Liemohn, J. U. Kozyra, M. F. Thomsen, H. A. Elliott, and J. M. Weygand,
  JGR, 2006

abstract:
  Conditions in the solar wind resulting in magnetic storms on the Earth are a
subject of long and intensive investigations. Recently Zhang et al. (2006),
published a paper, where they used superposed epoch analyses method to study
solar wind features during 549 geomagnetic storms. Unfortunately, the used
methodical approach has not allowed to improve essentially understanding of
relation of magnetic storms with conditions in the solar wind, and first of all
for the following reasons: (1) they did not take into account of existance of
storms generated by different types of solar wind, and (2) they took minimum
Dst index time as epoch zero time rather than storm onset.


title: Memory Effects and Scaling Properties of Traffic Flows

abstract:
  Traffic flows are studied in terms of their noise of sound, which is an
easily accessible experimental quantity. The sound noise data is studied making
use of scaling properties of wavelet transforms and Hurst exponents are
extracted. The scaling behavior is used to characterize the traffic flows in
terms of scaling properties of the memory function in Mori-Lee stochastic
differential equations. The results obtained provides for a new theoretical as
well as experimental framework to characterize the large-time behavior of
traffic flows. The present paper outlines the procedure by making use of
one-lane computer simulations as well as sound-data measurements from a real
two-lane traffic flow. We find the presence of conventional diffusion as well
as 1/f-noise in real traffic flows at large time scales.


title: Low-Velocity Impacts on Targets Containing Embedded Carbon Nanotubes

abstract:
  A one stage Light Gas Gun (LGG) at CASPER [1] was employed to test the
shielding capabilities of tiles composed of four different laminated nanotube
combinations. These target tiles were named CSNEAT1, CSCNT1, HYCNTUT1 and
HYCNTT1. For calibration purposes, a 3003- aluminum plate was also impacted and
the craters formed on the various composition tiles compared.


title: Analysis on the effect of technical fluctuations on laser lineshape

abstract:
  We analyze theoretically the effect of technical fluctuations on laser
lineshape in terms of statistics of amplitude and phase noise and their
respective bandwidths. While the phase noise tends to broaden the linewidth as
the magnitude of the noise increases, the amplitude noise brings out an
additional structure with its spectral density reflecting the magnitude of the
noise. The effect of possible coupling between those two noises is also
discussed.


title: Spin-Polarizing Cold Sodium Atoms in a Strong Magnetic Field

abstract:
  The efficiency of evaporative cooling, which is used for the creation of a
Bose Einstein condensate, depends strongly on the number of particles at the
start of the evaporation. A high efficiency can be reached by filling the
magneto-optical trap with a large number of atoms and subsequently transferring
these atoms to the magnetic trap as efficiently as possible. In our case (for
sodium) this efficiency is limited to 1/3, because the magnetic substates of
the F = 1 state, which is used in the trapping process, are equally populated.
This limit can be overcome by spin-polarizing the sample before the transfer.
For sodium atoms, however, the improvement is very small when it is done in a
small magnetic field due to the large number of optical transitions in
combination with the high optical density. In this article we describe
spin-polarizing sodium atoms in a high magnetic field. The transfer efficiency
is increased by a factor of 2. The high magnetic field makes the process also
more robust against variations in the magnetic field, the laser frequency and
the polarization of the laser beam.


title:
About the impossibility of quantifying the knowledge and of establishing
  consequently its correlation with money

abstract:
  This article shows how the Universities and higher education and research
institutions obey more and more to criteria of profitability and effectiveness,
following the example of the industry. The Universities and the academic
communities are the main producers of knowledge, which is not quantifiable and,
therefore, cannot find an equivalent in money, which is quantifiable. Many
scientists intend to establish a connection between knowledge and money, using
for that a set of criteria of evaluation. Being useless these criteria, the
scientists resort to a system of honour, but the science is essentially normal
knowledge.


title: Scaling laws in the spatial structure of urban road networks

abstract:
  The urban road networks of the 20 largest German cities have been analysed,
based on a detailed database providing the geographical positions as well as
the travel-times for network sizes up to 37,000 nodes and 87,000 links. As the
human driver recognises travel-times rather than distances, faster roads appear
to be 'shorter' than slower ones. The resulting metric space has an effective
dimension d>2, which is a significant measure of the heterogeneity of road
speeds. We found that traffic strongly concentrates on only a small fraction of
the roads. The distribution of vehicular flows over the roads obeys a power
law, indicating a clear hierarchical order of the roads. Studying the cellular
structure of the areas enclosed by the roads, the distribution of cell sizes is
scale invariant as well.


title:
Special Relativity in Absolute Space: from a contradiction in terms to
  an obviousness

abstract:
  This work deals with the questions of absolute space and relativity. In
particular, an alternative derivation of the effects described by special
relativity is provided, which is based on a description that assumes a
privileged reference frame. The present theory follows the ideas of Lorentz and
Poincare, abandoning a strict view of Einstein's "equivalence" of all inertial
frames. The meaning of the Principle of Relativity is discussed and elucidated,
and it is shown that it is not incompatible with the existence of a preferred,
absolute, frame. Most scientists nowadays still consider the basic assumptions
of the theory proposed here to be plain wrong. Moreover, they tend to see an
irreconcilable conflict between the Lorentz-Poincare and the Einstein-Minkowski
formulations. However, as stated by John Bell [Bell1988], although there is a
stringent "difference in philosophy" between both views, "the facts of physics
do not oblige us to accept one philosophy rather than the other". The validity
of Bell's assertion is unambiguously demonstrated, and it is shown how and why
both approaches do indeed agree in the description of (most of?) the physical
phenomena. Evidently, the physical meaning of the different physical quantities
- such as "time", "speed", "simultaneity" and "synchronization" - is quite
different in both programmes. And yet, for perplexing it may look at first
sight, the present theory, developed under the Lorentz-Poincare assumption of a
preferred reference frame, somehow encompasses Einstein's theory. There is no
conflict, as there is one theory. It is stressed that reality is not changed by
the choices one makes to describe it, so it is not changed by the particular
way in which the clocks have been set.


title:
Decentralised control of material or traffic flows in networks using
  phase-synchronisation

abstract:
  We present a self-organising, decentralised control method for material flows
in networks. The concept applies to networks where time sharing mechanisms
between conflicting flows in nodes are required and where a coordination of
these local switches on a system-wide level can improve the performance. We
show that, under certain assumptions, the control of nodes can be mapped to a
network of phase-oscillators.
  By synchronising these oscillators, the desired global coordination is
achieved. We illustrate the method in the example of traffic signal control for
road networks. The proposed concept is flexible, adaptive, robust and
decentralised. It can be transferred to other queuing networks such as
production systems. Our control approach makes use of simple synchronisation
principles found in various biological systems in order to obtain collective
behaviour from local interactions.


title:
Electrical Behavior of Downburst-Producing Convective Storms over the
  Western United States

abstract:
  A great body of research literature pertaining to microburst generation in
convective storms has focused on thermodynamic factors of the pre-convective
environment as well as storm morphology as observed by radar imagery. Derived
products based on GOES sounder data have been found to be especially useful in
the study of thermodynamic environments. However, addressed much less
frequently is the relationship between convective storm electrification,
lightning phenomenology and downburst generation. Previous research in
lightning production by convective storms has identified that electrification,
phenomenology (i.e. flash rate, density), and polarity are dependent upon the
thermodynamic structure of the ambient atmosphere, especially vertical moisture
stratification. Thus, relevant parameters to describe the thermodynamic setting
would include convective available potential energy (CAPE), due to its
influence on updraft strength, and cloud liquid water content, due to its
relationship to precipitation physical processes. It has already been addressed
that buoyant energy and moisture stratification are important factors in
convective storm development and downburst generation. This research effort
investigates and derives a qualitative relationship between lightning
phenomenology in convective storms and downburst generation.
Downburst-producing convective storms will be analyzed by comparing
pre-convective environments, as portrayed by GOES microburst products, storm
morphology, as portrayed by radar imagery, and electrical behavior, as
indicated by NLDN data.


title:
Il "protone neutro". Ovvero della laboriosa esclusione degli elettroni
  dal nucleo

abstract:
  The coming into light of the neutron is discussed. It is remarked that some
experiments had already suggested that the penetrating radiation from beryllium
had an electromagnetic component, before Joliot-Curies suggested the beryllium
radiation consisted of high-energy gamma rays. Joliot-Curies' idea also relied
on the many Compton electron tracks in the Wilson chamber. In 1920, both
Harkins and Rutherford foresaw the existence of a particle of mass 1 and zero
charge, consisting of one proton and one electron, though they did not give any
name to it. In 1932, the neutron was finally observed by Chadwick. However, the
question whether considering the neutron as a fundamental or a compound
particle still bothered the physicists and Chadwick himself for more than one
year. Instead, as soon as Majorana heard about Joliot-Curies' experiments he
guessed the existence of a "neutral proton." In 1933 he published some
"corrections" to Heisenberg's theory. A very simple analysis shows that
Heisenberg's original version of exchange interactions and Majorana's version
clearly reflect, respectively, that the nucleus contained "electrons" and that
the nucleus was free from electrons. The emission of electrons from the nucleus
still needed to be accounted for. Fermi's theory of beta-decay settled the
question. Thanks to exchange interactions and beta-decay theory, quantum
mechanics could now be applied to the nucleus, which could be considered free
from electrons. Also the neutron could be considered free from electrons, and
treated as a fundamental particle.


title:
Inconsistencies of Neutrino and Quark Conjectures and their Negative
  Environmental Implications

abstract:
  By using a language as accessible to a broad audience as possible, in this
note we present evidence suggesting scientific caution prior to final claims
that neutrinos and quarks are actual physical particles existing in our
spacetime. We review historical and recent evidence dismissing the existence of
neutrinos and quarks as physical particles, and outline recent theories
representing experimental data without their existence. We also identify the
negative implications for environmental issues of the neutrino and quark
conjectures since they imply the suppression of due scientific process on new
clean energies predicted by new structure models of hadrons with massive
physical constituents produced free in spontaneous or stimulated decays. The
note ends with the need of continuing theoretical and experimental research on
neutrino and quark conjectures, but complemented, for evident scientific
democracy, accountability and societal needs, with theoretical and experimental
studies on alternative theories without the neutrino and quark conjectures and
their prediction of new clean energies.


title: Intelligent Design in the Physics Classroom?

abstract:
  This fun polemical piece was written several months ago on a tip that the
\emph{Chronicle of Higher Education} might be interested in publishing
something like it. Sadly (both for me and, I think, for the \emph{Chronicle}'s
readership) the editors didn't think it was of sufficient interest to the wider
academic community. I am posting it here at the arxiv so that it can,
nevertheless, be publicly available. If anyone out there wants to (suggest a
place to) publish the piece, I'm all ears.


title:
Lineshape measurement of an extreme-weak amplitude-fluctuating light
  source by the photon-counting-based second-order correlation spectroscopy

abstract:
  We demonstrate lineshape measurement of an extreme-weak amplitude fluctuating
light source by using the photon-counting-based second-order correlation
spectroscopy combined with the heterodyne technique. The amplitude fluctuation
of a finite bandwidth introduces a low-lying spectral structure in the
lineshape and thus its effect can be isolated from that of the phase
fluctuation. Our technique provides extreme sensitivity suited for
single-atom-level applications.


title: Free surface flows with large slopes: beyond lubrication theory

abstract:
  The description of free surface flows can often be simplified to thin film
(or lubrication) equations, when the slopes of the liquid-gas interface are
small. Here we present a long wavelength theory that remains fully quantitative
for steep interface slopes, by expanding about Stokes flow in a wedge. For
small capillary numbers, the variations of the interface slope are slow and can
be treated perturbatively. This geometry occurs naturally for flows with
contact lines: we quantify the difference with ordinary lubrication theory
through a numerical example and analytically recover the full Cox-Voinov
asymptotic solution.


title: Deduction of Initial Strategy Distributions of Agents in Mix-game Model

abstract:
  This paper reports the effort of deducing the initial strategy distributions
of agents in mix-game model which is used to predict a real financial time
series generated from a target financial market. Using mix-game to predict
Shanghai Index, we find the time series of prediction accurate rates is
sensitive to the initial strategy distributions of agents in group 2 who play
minority game, but less sensitive to the initial strategy distributions of
agents in group 1 who play majority game. And agents in group 2 tend to cluster
in full strategy space (FSS) if the real financial time series has obvious
tendency (upward or downward), otherwise they tend to scatter in FSS. We also
find that the initial strategy distributions and the number of agents in group
1 influence the level of prediction accurate rates. Finally, this paper gives
suggestion about further research.


title:
Two-way speed of light and Lorentz-FitzGerald's contraction in aether
  theory

abstract:
  This paper aims at demonstrating that: 1/ Assuming the equality of the
two-way transit time of light in vacuo, along the two perpendicular arms of
Michelson's interferometers (modern versions of Michelson's experiment), and
the anisotropy of the one-way speed of light in the Earth frame, two facts
supported today by strong experimental arguments, length contraction (in
Lorentz and FitzGerald's approach) should no longer be regarded as an ad hoc
hypothesis, it appears necessary and can be easily deduced. 2/ Builder and
Prokhovnik had the great merit of having shown that, as a result of to length
contraction, the two-way transit time of light along a rod is the same in all
directions in space (and not only in two privileged directions). We agree with
these authors up to this point, but, contrary to what is often believed, their
approach failed to reconcile aether theory with the invariance of the apparent
(measured) two-way speed of light. Yet, as we shall show, due to the systematic
measurement distortions entailed by length contraction and clock retardation
assumed by aether theory, the two-way speed of light, although anisotropic and
dependent on the absolute speed of the frame where it is measured, is always
found equal to C. The reasons of this paradoxical but important result will be
developed here. They confirm Lorentz-Fitzgerald's contraction and lend support
of the existence of a preferred aether frame.


title: On the Role of Penning Ionization in Photoassociation Spectroscopy

abstract:
  We study the role of Penning ionization on the photoassociation spectra of
He(^3S)-He(^3S). The experimental setup is discussed and experimental results
for different intensities of the probe laser are shown. For modelling the
experimental results we consider coupled-channel calculations of the crossing
of the ground state with the excited state at the Condon point. The
coupled-channel calculations are first applied to model systems, where we
consider two coupled channels without ionization, two coupled channels with
ionization, and three coupled channels, for which only one of the excited
states is ionizing. Finally, coupled-channel calculations are applied to
photoassociation of He(^3S)-He(^3S) and good agreement is obtained between the
model and the experimental results.


title:
Statistical Optics approach to the design of beamlines for Synchrotron
  Radiation

abstract:
  In this paper we analyze the image formation problem for undulator radiation
through an optical system, accounting for the influence of the electron beam
emittance. On the one hand, image formation with Synchrotron Radiation is
governed by the laws of Statistical Optics. On the other hand, the widely used
Gaussian-Shell model cannot be applied to describe the coherence properties of
X-ray beams from third generation Synchrotron Radiation sources. As a result, a
more rigorous analysis of coherence properties is required. We propose a
technique to explicitly calculate the cross-spectral density of an undulator
source, that we subsequently propagate through an optical imaging system. At
first we focus on the case of an ideal lens with a non-limiting pupil aperture.
Our theory, which makes consistent use of dimensionless analysis, also allows
treatment and physical understanding of many asymptotes of the parameter space,
together with their applicability region. Particular emphasis is given to the
asymptotic situation when the horizontal emittance is much larger than the
radiation wavelength, which is relevant for third generation Synchrotron
Radiation sources. First principle calculations of undulator radiation
characteristics (i.e. ten-dimensional integrals) are then reduced to
one-dimensional convolutions of analytical functions with universal functions
specific for undulator radiation sources. We also consider the imaging problem
for a non-ideal lens in presence of aberrations and a limiting pupil aperture,
which increases the dimension of the convolution from one to three. In
particular we give emphasis to cases when the intensity at the observation
plane can be presented as a convolution of an impulse response function and the
intensity from an ideal lens.


title: Electromagnetic braking: a simple quantitative model

abstract:
  A calculation is presented which quantitatively accounts for the terminal
velocity of a cylindrical magnet falling through a long copper or aluminum
pipe. The experiment and the theory are a dramatic illustration of the
Faraday's and Lenz's laws and are bound to capture student's attention in any
electricity and magnetism course.


title: Plurality Voting: the statistical laws of democracy in Brazil

abstract:
  We explore the statistical laws behind the plurality voting system by
investigating the election results for mayor held in Brazil in 2004. Our
analysis indicate that the vote partition among mayor candidates of the same
city tends to be "polarized" between two candidates, a phenomenon that can be
closely described by means of a simple fragmentation model. Complex concepts
like "government continuity" and "useful vote" can be identified and even
statistically quantified through our approach.


title:
An antisymmetric plasmon resonance in coupled gold nanoparticles as a
  sensitive tool for detection of local index of refraction

abstract:
  A nanofabricated regular array of coupled gold nano-pillars is employed to
detect local indices of refraction of different liquids using a shift of an
antisymmetric plasmon resonance peak observed in the reflection spectra. The
peak spectral position is found to be a unique function of the local refractive
index for a wide range of indices. We discuss possible applications of the
fabricated nanostructured arrays in bio and chemical sensors.


title:
Spontaneous creation of macroscopic flow and metachronal waves in an
  array of cilia

abstract:
  Cells or bacteria carrying cilia on their surface show many striking features
: alignment of cilia in an array, two-phase asymmetric beating for each cilium,
coordination between cilia and existence of metachronal waves with a constant
phase difference between two adjacent cilia. We give simple theoretical
arguments based on hydrodynamic coupling and an internal mechanism of the
cilium derived from the behavior of a collection of molecular motors, to
account qualitatively for these cooperative features. Hydrodynamic interactions
can lead to the alignment of an array of cilia. We study the effect of a
transverse external flow and obtain a two-phase asymmetrical beating, faster
along the flow and slower against the flow, proceeding around an average curved
position. We show that an aligned array of cilia is able to spontaneously break
the left-right symmetry and to create a global average flow. Metachronism
arises as a local minimum of the beating threshold and leads to a rather
constant flow.


title: Cancer and nonextensive statistics

abstract:
  We propose a new model of cancer growth based on nonextensive entropy. The
evolution equation depends on the nonextensive parameter q. The exponential,
the logistic, and the Gompertz growth laws are particular cases of the
generalized model. Experimental data of different tumors have been shown to
correspond to all these tumor-growth laws. Recently reported studies suggest
the existence of tumors that follow a power law behavior. Our model is able to
fit also these data for q<1. We show that for q<1, the commonly used
constant-intensity therapy is unable to reduce the tumor size to zero. As is
the case of the Gompertzian tumors, for- q<1 a late-intesification schedule is
needed. However, these tumors with q<1 are even harder to cure than the
Gompertzian ones. While for a Gompertzian tumor a linearly-increasing cell-kill
function is enough to reduce the tumor size to zero following an exponential
decay, in the case of tumors with q<1, the exponential decay is obtained only
with an exponentially increasing cell-kill function. This means that these
tumors would need an even more aggressive treatment schedule. We have shown
that for Gompertzian tumors a logarithmic late-intensification is sufficient
for the asymptotic reduction of the tumor-size to zero. This is not the fastest
way but it is more tolerable for patients. However for the tumors with q<1 we
would need at least a linearly increasing therapy in order to achieve a
similarly effective reduction. When q>1, tumor size can be reduced to zero
using a traditional constant-intensity therapy.


title: A Model for Spontaneous Onset of Fast Magnetic Reconnection

abstract:
  We present a model for the spontaneous onset of fast magnetic reconnection in
a weakly collisional plasma, such as the solar corona. When a current layer of
macroscopic width undergoes collisional (Sweet-Parker) reconnection, a narrow
dissipation region forms around the X-line. This dissipation region naturally
becomes narrower during the reconnection process as stronger magnetic fields
are convected toward the X-line. When the dissipation region becomes thinner
than the ion skin depth, resistive magnetohydrodynamics breaks down as the Hall
effect becomes important and the Sweet-Parker solution ceases to exist. A
transition to collisionless (Hall) reconnection ensues, increasing the
reconnection rate by many orders of magnitude in a very short time. Predictions
of the model are consistent with constraints set by observations of solar
flares.


title: On the question of the asymmetry between matter and antimatter

abstract:
  In this article the lack of equilibrium between matter and antimatter is
elucidated. Heisenberg uncertainty principle is a crucial ingredient to
understand this disproportion.


title: The Imaginary Mass of the Neutrino

abstract:
  This paper proposes that the elusive neutrino is a space-like unitary
irreducible representation of the Poincare Group. Although its imaginary mass
is not a physical observable, its square is. This amount is found
experimentally to be negative. Therefore, the neutrino is a tachyon with a
measurable property; the square of its mass. This paper does not resolve the
problem of how the neutrino propagates in the space. Further studies are
necessary to address this question.


title: On Estimation of Hurst Scaling Exponent through Discrete Wavelets

abstract:
  We study the scaling behavior of the fluctuations, as extracted through
wavelet coefficients based on discrete wavelets. The analysis is carried out on
a variety of physical data sets, as well as Gaussian white noise and binomial
multi-fractal model time series and the results are compared with continuous
wavelet based average wavelet coefficient method. It is found that high-pass
coefficients of wavelets, belonging to the Daubechies family are quite good in
estimating the true power in the fluctuations in a non-stationary time series.
Hence, the fluctuation functions based on discrete wavelet coefficients find
the Hurst scaling exponents accurately.


title: Dielectronic Resonance Method for Measuring Isotope Shifts

abstract:
  Longstanding problems in the comparison of very accurate hyperfine-shift
measurements to theory were partly overcome by precise measurements on
few-electron highly-charged ions. Still the agreement between theory and
experiment is unsatisfactory. In this paper, we present a radically new way of
precisely measuring hyperfine shifts, and demonstrate its effectiveness in the
case of the hyperfine shift of $4s\_{1/2}$ and $4p\_{1/2}$ in
$^{207}\mathrm{Pb}^{53+}$. It is based on the precise detection of dielectronic
resonances that occur in electron-ion recombination at very low energy. This
allows us to determine the hyperfine constant to around 0.6 meV accuracy which
is on the order of 10%.


title: Relativistic calculation of L$\beta\_2$ satellite spectra of W and Au

abstract:
  L$\beta\_2$ X-ray satellite spectra of tungsten and gold are calculated using
the Multi-Configuration Dirac-Fock energies and compared with recent
experimental data. New calculations of L$\_1$-L$\_3$M$\_5$ Coster-Kronig
transition energies for tungsten are presented, confirming the origin of the
L$\beta\_2$ visible satellites reported by two experimental groups. We found
the value 5.09 eV for the average energy of the L$\_1$-L$\_3$M$\_5$
Coster-Kronig transition in tungsten. A detailed calculation of the L$\beta\_2$
and L$\beta\_{15}$ satellite spectra was performed for gold.


title:
Relativistic Calculation Of K$\beta$ Hypersatellite Energies and
  Transition Probabilities for Selected Atoms with 13<=Z<=80

abstract:
  Energies and transition probabilities of K$\beta$ hypersatellite lines are
computed using the Dirac-Fock model for several values of $Z$ throughout the
periodic table. The influence of the Breit interaction on the energy shifts
from the corresponding diagram lines and on the K$\beta\_{1}^{\rm
h}$/K$\beta\_{3}^{\rm h}$ intensity ratio is evaluated. The widths of the
double-K hole levels are calculated for Al and Sc. The results are compared to
experiment and to other theoretical calculations.


title:
Anomalous translational velocity of vortex ring with finite-amplitude
  Kelvin waves

abstract:
  We consider finite-amplitude Kelvin waves on an inviscid vortex assuming that
the vortex core has infinitesimal thickness. By numerically solving the
governing Biot-Savart equation of motion, we study how the frequency of the
Kelvin waves and the velocity of the perturbed ring depend on the Kelvin wave
amplitude. In particular, we show that, if the amplitude of the Kelvin waves is
sufficiently large, the perturbed vortex ring moves backwards.


title: The critical Reynolds number of a laminar mixing layer

abstract:
  It has hitherto been widely considered that a mixing layer is unstable at all
Reynolds numbers. However this is untenable from energy considerations, which
demand that there must exist a non-zero Reynolds number below which
disturbances cannot extract energy from the mean flow. It is shown here that a
linear stability analysis of similarity solutions of the plane mixing layer,
including the effects of flow non-parallelism, using the minimal composite
theory and the properties of adjoints following Govindarajan & Narasimha
(2005), resolves the issue by yielding non-zero critical Reynolds numbers for
coflowing streams of any velocity ratio. The critical Reynolds number so found,
based on the vorticity thickness and the velocity differential as scales,
varies in the narrow range of 59 to 55 as the velocity ratio goes from zero to
unity.


title:
Absolute simultaneity and invariant lengths: Special Relativity without
  light signals or synchronised clocks

abstract:
  It is demonstrated that the measured spatial separation of two objects, at
rest in some inertial frame, is invariant under space-time transformations.
This result holds in both Galilean and Special Relativity. A corollary is that
there are no `length contraction' or associated 'relativity of simultaneity'
effects in the latter theory. A thought experiment employing four
unsynchronised clocks and a single measuring rod reveals that the physical
basis of the time dilatation effect is a relative velocity transformation law,
not `length contraction'. Time dilatation, which is universal and translation
invariant for all synchronised clocks at rest in any inertial frame, is the
unique space-time phenomenon discriminating Special from Galilean Relativity.


title: On-orbit alignment and diagnostics for the LISA Technology Package

abstract:
  This paper presents a procedure to perform fully autonomous on-orbit
alignment of the interferometer on board the LISA Technology Package (LTP). LTP
comprises two free-floating test masses as inertial sensors that additionally
serve as end mirrors of a set of interferometers. From the output signals of
the interferometers, a subset has been selected to obtain alignment information
of the test masses. Based on these signals, an alignment procedure was
developed and successfully tested on the engineering model of the optical
bench. Furthermore, operation procedures for the characterization of critical
on-orbit properties of the optical metrology system (e.g. fibre noise) have
been established.


title: Numerical convergence of the branching time of negative streamers

abstract:
  In sufficiently large gaps and electric fields, discharge streamers do
branch. In [Arrayas et al., PRL 88, 174502 (2002)], we observed streamer
branching numerically within a deterministic particle density model and
explained it as a Laplacian instability of a thin space charge layer. Our
numerical results were criticized in [Kulikovsky, PRL 89, 229401 (2002)]. We
here present an adaptive grid refinement method for streamer simulations, and
we carry out the first conclusive investigation on the effect of the numerical
grid on streamer branching in different fields. On stepwise finer grids the
branching time converges, hence streamer branching is for the first time
predicted quantitatively.


title: Real and Image Fields of a Relativistic Bunch

abstract:
  We derive analytical expressions for external fields of a charged
relativistic bunch with a circular cross section. At distances far from the
bunch, the field reduces to the relativistic modified Coulomb form and in the
near region, reproduce the external fields of a continuous beam. If the bunch
is surrounded by conducting surfaces, the bunch self-fields are modified. Image
fields generated by a bunch between two parallel conducting planes are studied
in detail. Exact summation of image fields by the direct method invented by
Laslett allows the infinite series to be represented in terms of elementary
trigonometric functions.


title:
A novel automatic film changer for high-speed analysis of nuclear
  emulsions

abstract:
  This paper describes the recent development of a novel automatic
computer-controlled manipulator for emulsion film placement and removal at the
microscope object table (also called stage). The manipulator is designed for
mass scanning of emulsion films for the OPERA neutrino oscillation experiment
and provides emulsion changing time shorter than 30 seconds with an emulsion
film positioning accuracy as good as 20 microns RMS.


title:
ENOBIO - First tests of a dry electrophysiology electrode using carbon
  nanotubes

abstract:
  We describe the development and first tests of Enobio, a dry electrode sensor
concept for biopotential applications. In the proposed electrodes, the tip of
the electrode is covered with a forest of multi-walled CNTs that can be coated
with Ag/AgCl to provide ionic-electronic transduction. The CNT brush-like
structure is to penetrate the outer layers of the skin improving electrical
contact as well as increae the contact surface area. In this paper, we report
the results of the first tests of this concept -- immersion on saline solution
and pig skin signal detection. These indicate performance on a par with state
of the art research-oriented wet electrodes.


title: Integrability in String Theories

abstract:
  The solution term by term to the scattering of all consistent string theories
is given. The moduli space of M-theory is derived and connects the various
string theories. The solutions contain both the perturbative and
non-perturbative sectors of the string. Modular forms found by differential
equations on subspaces of the M-theory moduli space and transfinite algebras
play an essential role in deriving the coefficients. Various results and
identities in algebra are found from the explicit solution. Archetypes and
models are presented in accord with phenomenology and cosmology.


title: Modelling competitive coadsorption in electrochemical growth processes

abstract:
  We present models of electrodeposition of ZnO films with organic additives,
with focus on the growth of hybrid films with eosin Y. First we propose a rate
equation model which assumes that the additives form branches with an exposed
part above the ZnO deposit, growing with larger rate than the pure film, and
that the rate of production of ZnO near those branches is proportional to the
height exposed to the solution. This accounts for the production of OH- ions
near the branches and the reactions with Zn++ ions. The steady state solution
shows both species growing with the rate of the branches, and qualitatively
explains their catalytic effect. Subsequently, we propose a more realistic
statistical model for the formation of the hybrid deposits from Zn++ ions, a
hydroxide precursor and eosin in solution. Simple probabilistic rules are used
for reactions of eosin and oxygen, taking into account diffusion from solution
along the same lines of the diffusion-limited aggregation models. The catalytic
effect is represented by the preferencial production of OH- ions near eosin
branches, which form ZnO species. An improvement of the growth rate is possible
only with a rather large diffusion coefficient of eosin in solution compared to
that of hydroxide precursors, in agreement with experimental findings. In the
cases where a series of neighboring eosin clusters competitively grow, the
increase in the growth rate and the high eosin loading observed in the
simulated deposits also agree qualitatively with electrodeposition experiments.

categories: physics.chem-ph cond-mat.mtrl-sci cond-mat.stat-mech physics.comp-ph


title: "Universal" Distribution of Inter-Earthquake Times Explained

abstract:
  We propose a simple theory for the ``universal'' scaling law previously
reported for the distributions of waiting times between earthquakes. It is
based on a largely used benchmark model of seismicity, which just assumes no
difference in the physics of foreshocks, mainshocks and aftershocks. Our
theoretical calculations provide good fits to the data and show that
universality is only approximate. We conclude that the distributions of
inter-event times do not reveal more information than what is already known
from the Gutenberg-Richter and the Omori power laws. Our results reinforces the
view that triggering of earthquakes by other earthquakes is a key physical
mechanism to understand seismicity.


title: Vertical beaming of wavelength-scale photonic crystal resonators

abstract:
  We report that $> 80%$ of the photons generated inside a photonic crystal
slab resonator can be funneled within a small divergence angle of $\pm
30^\circ$. The far-field radiation properties of a photonic crystal slab
resonant mode are modified by tuning the cavity geometry and by placing a
reflector below the cavity. The former method directly shapes the near-field
distribution so as to achieve directional and linearly-polarized far-field
patterns. The latter modification takes advantage of the interference effect
between the original waves and the reflected waves to enhance the
energy-directionality. We find that, regardless of the slab thickness, the
optimum distance between the slab and the reflector closely equals one
wavelength of the resonance under consideration. We have also discussed an
efficient far-field simulation algorithm based on the finite-difference
time-domain method and the near- to far-field transformation.


title: Alternating Gradient Focusing and Deceleration of Polar Molecules

abstract:
  Beams of polar molecules can be focused using an array of electrostatic
lenses in alternating gradient (AG) configuration. They can also be accelerated
or decelerated by applying an appropriate high voltage switching sequence to
the lenses. AG focusing is applicable to molecules in both low-field and
high-field-seeking states and is particularly well suited to the problem of
decelerating heavy molecules and those in their ground rotational state. We
describe the principles of AG deceleration and set out criteria to be followed
in decelerator design, construction and operation. We calculate the
longitudinal and transverse focusing properties of a decelerator, and exemplify
this by 2D-imaging studies of a decelerated beam of metastable CO molecules.


title: From Maxwell Stresses to Nonlinear Field Equations

abstract:
  This paper aims to show that making use of Newton's view on equations of
motion of a physical system and of the Maxwell stress tensor we come to a
natural nonlinearization of Maxwell equations in vacuum making use only of
nonrelativistic terms. The new equations include all Maxwell solutions plus new
ones, among which one may find time-stable and spatially finite ones with
photon-like properties and behavior.


title: A Qualitative Description of Boundary Layer Wind Speed Records

abstract:
  The complexity of the atmosphere endows it with the property of turbulence by
virtue of which, wind speed variations in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL)
exhibit highly irregular fluctuations that persist over a wide range of
temporal and spatial scales. Despite the large and significant body of work on
microscale turbulence, understanding the statistics of atmospheric wind speed
variations has proved to be elusive and challenging. Knowledge about the nature
of wind speed at ABL has far reaching impact on several fields of research such
as meteorology, hydrology, agriculture, pollutant dispersion, and more
importantly wind energy generation. In the present study, temporal wind speed
records from twenty eight stations distributed through out the state of North
Dakota (ND, USA), ($\sim$ 70,000 square-miles) and spanning a period of nearly
eight years are analyzed. We show that these records exhibit a characteristic
broad multifractal spectrum irrespective of the geographical location and
topography. The rapid progression of air masses with distinct qualitative
characteristics originating from Polar regions, Gulf of Mexico and Northern
Pacific account for irregular changes in the local weather system in ND. We
hypothesize that one of the primary reasons for the observed multifractal
structure could be the irregular recurrence and confluence of these three air
masses.


title: The multiscale nature of streamers

abstract:
  Streamers are a generic mode of electric breakdown of large gas volumes. They
play a role in the initial stages of sparks and lightning, in technical corona
reactors and in high altitude sprite discharges above thunderclouds. Streamers
are characterized by a self-generated field enhancement at the head of the
growing discharge channel. We briefly review recent streamer experiments and
sprite observations. Then we sketch our recent work on computations of growing
and branching streamers, we discuss concepts and solutions of analytical model
reductions, we review different branching concepts and outline a hierarchy of
model reductions.


title: An origin of the universe: a model alternative to Big Bang

abstract:
  We propose a new approach to the model of an origin of the universe built by
Oscar Klein and Hannes Alfv\'{e}n. Some modifications of assumptions underlying
the model result in a possible scenario of the universe creation consistent
with observations. We explain the large scale structre of the universe and we
estimate the Hubble constant value as well as the number of galaxies in the
universe. The model does not require many assumptions made in the model based
on the Big Bang idea.


title: The clock paradox in a static homogeneous gravitational field

abstract:
  The gedanken experiment of the clock paradox is solved exactly using the
general relativistic equations for a static homogeneous gravitational field. We
demonstrate that the general and special relativistic clock paradox solutions
are identical and in particular that they are identical for finite
acceleration. Practical expressions are obtained for proper time and coordinate
time by using the destination distance as the key observable parameter. This
solution provides a formal demonstration of the identity between the special
and general relativistic clock paradox with finite acceleration and where
proper time is assumed to be the same in both formalisms. By solving the
equations of motion for a freely falling clock in a static homogeneous field
elapsed times are calculated for realistic journeys to the stars.


title: Electromagnetically Induced Transparency in 6Li

abstract:
  We report electromagnetically induced transparency for the D1 and D2 lines in
$^{6}$Li in both a vapour cell and an atomic beam. Electromagnetically induced
transparency is created using co-propagating mutually coherent laser beams with
a frequency difference equal to the hyperfine ground state splitting of 228.2
MHz. The effects of various optical polarization configurations and applied
magnetic fields are investigated. In addition, we apply an optical Ramsey
spectroscopy technique which further reduces the observed resonance width.


title: Einstein, Kant, and Taoism

abstract:
  It is said that Einstein's conceptual base for the theory of relativity was
the philosophy formulated by Immanuel Kant. Then, is it possible to see how
Kant played a role in Einstein's thinking without reading Kant's books? This
question arises because it is not possible for physicists to read Kant's
writings. Yes, it is possible if we use the method of physics. It is known also
that Kant's mode of thinking was profoundly affected by the geography of
Koenigsberg where he spent eighty years of entire life. We examine what aspect
of this geography led Kant to create his philosophy upon which Einstein's
concept of relativity was based. It is pointed out that the Eastern philosophy
of Taoism is a product of the geographical environment similar to that of
Kant's Koenigsberg, and therefore that Kantianism is strikingly similar to
Taoism.


title: Optical Klystron Enhancement to SASE X-ray FELs

abstract:
  The optical klystron enhancement to self-amplified spontaneous emission
(SASE) free electron lasers (FELs) is studied in theory and in simulations. In
contrast to a seeded FEL, the optical klystron gain in a SASE FEL is not
sensitive to any phase mismatch between the radiation and the microbunched
electron beam. The FEL performance with the addition of four optical klystrons
located at the undulator long breaks in the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS)
shows significant improvement if the uncorrelated energy spread at the
undulator entrance can be controlled to a very small level. In addition, FEL
saturation at shorter x-ray wavelengths (around 1.0 \AA) within the LCLS
undulator length becomes possible. We also discuss the application of the
optical klystron in a compact x-ray FEL design that employs relatively low
electron beam energy together with a short-period undulator.


title: Arctic East Siberia had a lower latitude in the Pleistocene

abstract:
  In Arctic East Siberia many remains of mammoths have been found. In this
region there is not sufficient sunlight over the year to allow for the growth
of the plants on which these animals feed. Consequently the latitude of these
regions must have been lower before the end of the Pleistocene than at present.
It is a challenge to reconstruct this geographic shift of the poles in a manner
compa- tible with known facts. A possible sequence of events is described here.
It as- sumes an additional planet, which must since have disappeared. This is
possible, if it moved in an extremely eccentric orbit and was hot as a result
of tidal work and solar radiation. During a few million years evaporation of
this planet led to a disk-shaped cloud of ions moving around the Sun. This
cloud partially shielded the Earth from the solar radiation, producing the
alteration of cold and warm periods characterizing the Pleistocene. The degree
of shielding is sensitive to the inclination of Earth's orbit, which has a
period of 100000 years. Two cloud structures are discussed. The first is small
and steady. The other builds up to a point where inelastic collisions between
particles induce its collapse The resulting near-periodic time dependence of
the shielding re- sembles that of Dansgaard-Oeschger events. The Pleistocene
came to an end when the additional planet had a close encounter with the Earth,
whereby the Earth suffered a one permil extensional deformation. While this
deformation relaxed to an equilibrium shape in a time of one to several years,
the globe turned relative to the rotation axis: The North Pole moved from
Greenland to the Arctic Sea. The additional planet split into fragments, which
subsequently evaporated. Simple estimates are used here for the
characterization of the complex processes; more elaborate studies are required.


title:
Simulation of Three Dimensional Electrostatic Field Configuration in
  Wire Chambers : A Novel Approach

abstract:
  Three dimensional field configuration has been simulated for a simple wire
chamber consisting of one anode wire stretched along the axis of a grounded
square cathode tube by solving numerically the boundary integral equation of
the first kind. A closed form expression of potential due to charge distributed
over flat rectangular surface has been invoked in the solver using Green's
function formalism leading to a nearly exact computation of electrostatic
field. The solver has been employed to study the effect of several geometrical
attributes such as the aspect ratio ($\lambda = \frac{l}{d}$, defined as the
ratio of the length $l$ of the tube to its width $d$) and the wire modeling on
the field configuration. Detailed calculation has revealed that the field
values deviate from the analytic estimates significantly when the $\lambda$ is
reduced to 2 or below. The solver has demonstrated the effect of wire modeling
on the accuracy of the estimated near-field values in the amplification region.
The thin wire results can be reproduced by the polygon model incorporating a
modest number of surfaces ($\geq 32$) in the calculation with an accuracy of
more than 99%. The smoothness in the three dimensional field calculation in
comparison to fluctuations produced by other methods has been observed.