Economic Freedom: The Top,the Bottom,and the Reality. I. 1997–2007

We recall the historically admitted prerequisites of Economic Freedom (EF). We have examined 908 data points for the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) index and 1884 points for the Index of Economic Freedom (IEF); the studied periods are 2000–2006 and 1997–2007, respectively, thereby following the Berlin wall collapse, and including 11 September 2001. After discussing EFW index and IEF, in order to compare the indices, one needs to study their overlap in time and space. That leaves 138 countries to be examined over a period extending from 2000 to 2006, thus 2 sets of 862 data points. The data analysis pertains to the rank-size law technique. It is examined whether the distributions obey an exponential or a power law. A correlation with the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), an admittedly major determinant of EF, follows, distinguishing regional aspects, i.e., defining 6 continents. Semi-log plots show that the EFW-rank relationship is exponential for countries of high rank (≥20); overall the log–log plots point to a behaviour close to a power law. In contrast, for the IEF, the overall ranking has an exponential behaviour; but the log–log plots point to the existence of a transitional point between two different power laws, i.e., near rank 10. Moreover, log–log plots of the EFW index relationship to country GDP are characterised by a power law, with a rather stable exponent (γ≃0.674) as a function of time. In contrast, log–log plots of the IEF relationship with the country’s gross domestic product point to a downward evolutive power law as a function of time. Markedly the two studied indices provide different aspects of EF.     

Charmonium 2007: New experimental results

The most important experimental results in charmonium physics in the energy region above the threshold for open-charm production that were obtained in recent years are surveyed. The first measurements of the exclusive cross sections for e ⁺ e ^? → D \(\bar D\), D \(\bar D\)*, and D* \(\bar D\)* processes are discussed along with the discovered decay ψ(4415) → \(\bar D_2^* \)(2460). The properties of charmonium-like states, including the group of states Y (4260), Y (4325), and Y (4660) with quantum numbers of J ^PC = 1^??; the X(3940) and X(4160) states discovered in the process of double charmonium production in e ⁺ e ^? annihilation; and the X(3872), Y(3940), and Z ^±(4430) states found in B-meson decays, are presented.     

主编的话

Happy New Year! Happy New Year again! This year is very special for CJCP since it is the 20th anniversary. We have seen a tremendousdevelopment in the field of chemical physics in China in the last 20 years. CJCP has always been there in this important period of development in Chinese science, and CJCP has made significant and important contributions to the development of the chemical physics research field in China. And we certainly will continue to do so in the future. In the beginning of last year, we changed the journal into a full English journal in an effort to enhance the journal impact in the international scientific community. In this transition period, CJCP has encountered many difficulties, and we have also made great progresses. We deeply believe that making CJCP a full English journal is an important step to increase its influence in the international research community. We hope this is the moment of a new start for the great tradition of CJCP to serve the Chinese chemical physics and physical chemistry community, and beyond. Now, our new web based editorial and review system is in place, we hope CJCP will serve our community in a more efficient and direct way (Website: http://cjcp.ustc.edu.cn). With the support of the chemical physics and physical chemistry community, I am confident that this journal will make more significant contributions to the development of the chemical physics researchfield. At this 20th anniversary of CJCP, I want to take this special opportunity to thank many people who have lead this journal through difficulties and triumphs in the most part of the last 20 years, especially the former Editor-in-Chief, Professor Nanquan Lou, and the former senior associate editor, Prof. Shuqin Yu. And I also want to thank the editorial staff members who have made great efforts in producing a high quality scientific journal. At last, I hope everybody who cares about the Chinese chemical physics development will support our effort to make this journal better. Xue-ming Yang Editor-in-Chief February 12, 2007     

Brief of BES-Belle-CLEO-BaBar 2007 joint workshop on charm physics

The Institute of High Energy Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences organized a workshop to establish closer contacts between experimentalists (theorists) involved in the studies of charm physics from both c and B communities. The workshop covers talks of physics analysis and its results from four electron-positron colliding experiments (BES, Belle, CLEO and BaBar). Presentations at the workshop are organized in the following sessions : (1) Hadron spectroscopy and new resonances; (2) D0-D0 mixing; (3) Charmonium decays; (4) Charm hadronic and (semi-)lcptonic decays; (5) QCD at low energy and τphysics; (6) Partial wave analysis and Dalitz analysis, MC generator and Tools; (7) Detector upgrade.     

The radio structure of BL Lac object S5 2007+777

BL Lac object S5 2007+777 has been classified as a HYMOR (Hybrid Morphology radio source) for its hybrid FR I and FR II radio morphology. It is one of four BL Lac objects with a kpc scale extended X-ray jet. In this paper, we searched the unpublished European VLBI Network (EVN) archived high resolution data for this source, and present the high resolution radio structure. The EVN images all show a core-jet structure in 1.6, 5 and 8 GHz. In combination with the VLA data in the literature, we found position angle differences (ΔPA) of about 10°–20° between pc and kpc scale jet structures. The brightness temperature estimated from multi-band EVN images are around 10^11.2–10^11.8 K, from which the Doppler factor ranges from 3.2 to 12.0. We found significant flux variations of the radio core in 1.6 and 5 GHz, from which we derived the variability in brightness temperature T _var to be 10^13.6 K and 10^14.0 K, corresponding to the Doppler factors of 9.3 and 12.4, respectively.

     

HIRFL-CSR commissioning in 2006 and 2007

HIRFL-CSR, a new heavy ion cooler-storage-ring system at IMP, had been in commissioning since the beginning of 2006. In the two years of 2006 and 2007 the CSR commissioning was finished, including the stripping injection (STI), electron-cooling with hollow electron beam, C-beam stacking with the combination of STI and e-cooling, the wide energy-range synchrotron ramping from 7 MeV/u to 1000 MeV/u by changing the RF harmonic-number at mid-energy, the multiple multi-turn injection (MMI), the beam accumulation with MMI and e-cooling for heavy-ion beams of Ar, Kr and Xe, the fast extraction from CSRm and single-turn injection to CSRe, beam stacking in CSRe and the RIBs mass-spectrometer test with the isochronous mode in CSRe by using the time-of-flight method.     

HIRFL-CSR commissioning in 2006 and 2007

HIRFL-CSR, a new heavy ion cooler-storage-ring system at IMP, had been in commissioning since the beginning of 2006. In the two years of 2006 and 2007 the CSR commissioning was finished, including the stripping injection (STI), electron-cooling with hollow electron beam, C-beam stacking with the combination of STI and e-cooling, the wide energy-range synchrotron ramping from 7 MeV/u to 1000 MeV/u by changing the RF harmonic-number at mid-energy, the multiple multi-turn injection (MMI), the beam accumulation with MMI and e-cooling for heavy-ion beams of Ar, Kr and Xe, the fast extraction from CSRm and single-turn injection to CSRe, beam stacking in CSRe and the RIBs mass-spectrometer test with the isochronous mode in CSRe by using the time-of-flight method.     

Effective radiating area and beam non-uniformity ratio of ultrasound transducers at 5 MHz, according to IEC 61689:2007

This paper discloses results of measuring the effective radiating area (A_ER) and the beam non-uniformity ratio (R_BN) for US transducers at 5.0 MHz. Measurements were carried out at Laboratory of Ultrasound of the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality. As reliability proof of system’s adequacy, uncertainties were assessed. The calculation protocol was developed based on standard IEC 61689:2007. Type A uncertainty was estimated after four repetitions of the full procedure for the determination of A_ER and R_BN, and Type B uncertainty was estimated from the mathematical model for both calculations, obtained from IEC 61689:2007 and the guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement. The procedure presented herein represents the state of the art regarding metrology for testing therapeutic ultrasound devices, and its application results in fundamental aspects to support their evaluation regarding quality assurance, for instance, for a certification process due safety and performance.     

Low temperature organ preservation, blood vessels and the Human Tissue Act in 2007: impact and implications

The impact of the enactment of the Human Tissue Act is discussed in relation to procedures currently applied during cadaveric organ procurement for transplantation within the UK. The major effect has been to regulate the storage of blood vessels for use as accessory grafts during transplantation, where hypothermic preservation beyond 2 days has historically been practiced and now falls within the remit of the Act concerning storage of human tissues. The benefits and drawbacks of considering cryopreserved blood vessels in such situations are also debated.     

核装置机械部件设计和建造规则中 1、2和3级设备设计要求差异分析

核装置机械部件设计和建造规则(RCC-MR 2007)是ITER装置中构成等离子体腔室第一道密封屏障的设备或部件设计和制造的依据。本文在研究RCC-MR 2007主要内容的基础上,分析了RCC-MR 2007中1、2、3级机械设备设计相关的通用要求、材料要求、设计通则、设备性能分析要求之间的区别,同时对1、2、3级壳体、管道、箱式结构、热交换器、阀门和波纹管设计要求之间的差异进行了分析。     

The 9th international symposium on fluid control, measurement and visualization (FLUCOME 2007)

This paper is the report on the Ninth International Symposium on Fluid Control, Measurement and Visualization. The symposium was scheduled on September 17–19, 2007 in Florida State University Center, Tallahassee Florida, U.S.A. Topics for FLUCOME 2007 included fluid processes across a wide range of scales in multiple disciplines: from micro-scale fluid flows in micro biomechanical devices, small-scale machine flows to large-scale civil and environmental fluid flows, and global scale geophysical and meteorological fluid flows.     

Comprehensive T-matrix reference database: A 2007-2009 update

The T-matrix method is among the most versatile, efficient, and widely used theoretical techniques for the numerically exact computation of electromagnetic scattering by homogeneous and composite particles, clusters of particles, discrete random media, and particles in the vicinity of an interface separating two half-spaces with different refractive indices. This paper presents an update to the comprehensive database of T-matrix publications compiled by us previously and includes the publications that appeared since 2007. It also lists several earlier publications not included in the original database.     

Consumer expenditure distribution in India, 1983-2007: Evidence of a long Pareto tail

This work presents a comprehensive study of the evolution of the expenditure distribution in India. The consumption process is theoretically modeled based on certain physical assumptions. The proposed statistical model for the expenditure distribution may follow either a double Pareto distribution or a mixture of log-normal and Pareto distribution. The goodness-of-fit tests with the Indian data, collected from the National Sample Survey Organisation Reports for the years of 1983-2007, validate the proposal of a mixture of log-normal and Pareto distribution. The relative weight of the Pareto tail has a remarkable magnitude of approximately 10%-20% of the population. Moreover, though the Pareto tail is widening over time for the rural sector only, there is no significant change in the overall inequality measurement across the entire period of study.     

Association of large geomagnetic storms with halo CMEs and CIRs observed during 1997–2007

In the present study, we have analysed large geomagnetic storms associated with storm time index (D_st) decrease of more than 100 nT observed during 1997–2007 and found 90 geomagnetic storms falling in our selection criteria. We have analyzed the association of the above selected 90 large geomagnetic storms with three types of solar drivers: single front-side halo CME (S-type), multiple front-side halo CMEs (M-type) and corotating interaction region, CIR (C-type). It is found that 58% storms were caused by single front-side halo CME (S-type), whereas 30% storms were caused by multiple front-side halo CMEs (M-type). Rest 12% storms were caused by corotating interaction region (CIR). We find that there is an east-west asymmetry and north-south asymmetry as well. We have also shown the association of the selected 90 large geomagnetic storms with three types of surface source region: active region, quiet region and coronal holes. We find that 62% storms were caused by active region whereas 10% storms were caused by quiet region. 12% storms were caused by coronal holes. Surface source region of rest 16% storms are unknown due to data gap.     

Comment on ‘An optimal algorithm for counting networks motifs’ [Physica A 381 (2007) 482-490]

Network motifs in a given network are small connected subnetworks that occur at significantly higher frequencies than would be expected for a random network. In their 2007 article “An optimal algorithm for counting network motifs”, Itzhack, Mogilevski, and Louzoun present an algorithm for detecting network motifs. Based on an experimental comparison with a motif detection software called FANMOD, they claim that their algorithm is “more than a thousand times faster” than any previous motif detection algorithm. We show that this claim is not correct and based on a significant flaw in the experimental setup. Once the experimental data of Itzhack et al. is corrected for this flaw, the implementation of their algorithm actually turns out to be a little slower than FANMOD for random Erd?s-Rényi graphs. For random scale-free networks, the implementation of Itzhack et al. is faster only by a factor of ∼1.5, not the orders of magnitude claimed by Itzhack et al.     

Bremsstrahlung isochromats from transition metal carbides: The cubic mono-carbides TiC,ZrC, HfC,VC, NbC,TaC

Bremsstrahlung isochromats of polycrystalline TiC, ZrC, HfC, VC, NbC, and TaC have been measured at a monochromator energy of 1,008.2 eV. The curves are similar to those of the pure metals, but show a secondary structure caused by the chemical binding of metal and carbon. The experimental results are compared with density-of-states calculations. Together with XPS-measurements, they allow to derive the widths of the total conduction bands of the carbides, which are compared with thed-band widths of the pure metals and with band structure calculations.Dedicated to Prof. K. Ulmer on the occasion of his 65^th birthday     

Walks,walls, wetting,and melting

New results concerning the statistics of, in particular,p random walkers on a line whose paths do not cross are reported, extended, and interpreted. A general mechanism yielding phase transitions in one-dimensional or linear systems is recalled and applied to various wetting and melting phenomena in (d=2)-dimensional systems, including fluid films and p×1 commensurate adsorbed phases, in which interfaces and domain walls can be modelled by noncrossing walks. The heuristic concept of an effective force between a walk and a rigid wall, and hence between interfaces and walls and between interfaces, is expounded and applied to wetting in an external field, to the behavior of the two-point correlations of a two-dimensional Ising model belowT _c and in a field, and to the character of commensurate-incommensurate transitions ford=2 (recapturing recent results by various workers). Applications of random walk ideas to three-dimensional problems are illustrated in connection with melting in a lipid membrane model.Based on the Boltzmann Medalist address presented at the 15th IUPAP International Conference on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, Edinburgh, July 1983.     

Cloud and aerosol contributions to variation in shortwave surface irradiance over East Asia in July during 2001 and 2007

It is important to clarify the contributions of clouds and aerosols to the variation of surface shortwave irradiance (S) for climatological studies. This study examined the contributions of clouds and aerosols to the variation in S over East Asia (75-135°E, 20-55°N) in July during 2001 and 2007 using the index of potential radiative forcing (PRF) to characterize the temporal and geographical variations. After confirming the validity of PRF for multiyear analyses, we performed several temporal analyses of clouds and aerosols over the whole research domain. Changes in the geographical distribution, contribution histograms, and averaged values were studied. In agreement with previous studies that treated single-year cases, we confirmed that the magnitudes of the temporal changes in S variations due to clouds and aerosols were highly variable geographically. As for domain-averaged S variations, we did not observe defined trends for the research period. It was also found that the temporal variation between one parameter and its S variation was negatively correlated, from the point analyses at two locations. Based on these results, we concluded that PRF is a promising tool for research into long-term S variations. This kind of information will be quite valuable as basic data for use in climate modeling.     

Stripes, electron fractionalization, and ARPES

Although structurally the high temperature superconductors are quasi-two-dimensional, there is both theoretical and experimental evidence of a substantial range of temperatures in which ‘stripe’ correlations make the electronic structure locally quasi-one-dimensional. We consider an array of Josephson coupled, spin gapped one dimensional electron gases as a model of the high temperature superconductors. For temperatures above T_c, this system exhibits electron fractionalization, yielding a single particle spectral response which is sharp as a function of momentum, but broad as a function of energy. For temperatures below the spin gap but above T_c, there are enhanced one-dimensional superconducting fluctuations and pseudogap phenomena. Pair tunneling induces a crossover to three-dimensional physics as T_c is approached. Below T_c, solitons are confined in multiplets with quantum numbers which are simply related to the electron, and a coherent piece of the single particle spectral function appears. The weight of this coherent piece vanishes in the neighborhood of T_c in proportion to a positive power of the interchain superfluid density. This behavior is highly reminiscent of recent ARPES measurements on the high temperature superconductors.