Twistor Geometry for Hyperkähler Metrics on Complex Adjoint Orbits

We study the hyperkähler geometry of complex adjoint orbits from the point of view of twistor theory. We introduce, for complex semisimple adjoint orbits, the associated spectral curve and construct the twistor space as a union of certain regular adjoint orbits; we also exhibit the family of twistor lines. Furthermore, we show how our methods may be applied for describing hyperkähler metrics associated to more general spectral curves. In particular, we give an algebraic characterisation of the twistor lines.     

Variations of constants and red-shift in 6D cosmology

On the basis of the general class of solutions of 6D vacuum Einstein equations and using well-known results of the 6D geometric model of electroweak and gravitational interactions, the variations of fundamental physical constants and their influence on the observed red-shift of galaxies are investigated. By considering the interpretation of extra components of the 6D metric as reproducing the properties of matter in the 4D curved space-time, the effective quantities of matter are obtained. In particular, the states of dust and radiation are shown. The corresponding 5D models were also investigated.     

Unreasonable effectiveness of symmetry in physics

We prove that in some reasonable sense, every possible physical law can be reformulated in terms of symmetries. This result explains the well-known success of the group-theoretic approach in physics.     

Development of high-speed video cameras for Dynamic PIV

The most promising next generation Image Velocimtry (IV) is the high-speed Dynamic PIV. It requires the development of innovative high-speed video camera sensors. We started by specifying the required performance of these new sensors, for measurements in air and water flows. These criteria founded on the most recent developments in PIV algorithms and incorporate results from a large questionnaire survey of users of high-speed video cameras in Japan. The results suggest that the followings are required: (1) frame rate of 1,000,000 fps, (2) pixel count of 1,000,000 pixels, (3) frame storage capacity of 100–200 frames for tracing a single event and 10,000 frames for turbulent measurements, (4) gray levels of 4–8 bits for PTV; 12 bits for observation. Finally, we reviewed the state of the art of high-speed video-image sensors. Currently the standard parallel-readout sensors can operate at 1 Kfps with a pixel count of approximately 1 Kpixels. The In-situ Storage Image Sensor (ISIS) developed by the authors has recently achieved frame rates of 1 Mfps.     

A model of JIT make-to-stock inventory with stochastic demand

We consider a firm that manages its internal manufacturing operations according to a just-in-time (JIT) system but maintains an inventory of finished goods as a buffer against random demands from external customers. We formulate a model in which finished goods are replenished by a small fixed quantity each time period. In the interest of schedule stability, the size of the replenishment quantity must remain fixed for a predetermined interval of time periods. We analyse the single-interval problem in depth, showing how to compute a cost-minimising value of the replenishment quantity for a given interval length, and characterising the optimal cost, inventory levels and service as functions of the interval length and initial inventory. The model displays significant cost and service penalties for schedule stability. A dynamic version of the problem is also formulated, and shown to be convex in nature with relatively easily computed optima.     

Preparation and Eh--pH diagrams of Fe(II)--Fe(III) green rust compounds; hyperfine interaction characteristics and stoichiometry of hydroxy-chloride, -sulphate and -carbonate

Fe(II)--Fe(III) hydroxy-chloride, -sulphate and -carbonate were prepared by oxidation of a ferrous hydroxide precipitate in anion-containing aqueous solutions. The compounds are characterized by monitoring the redox potential E_h and the pH of stochiometric suspension vs time with the appropriate concentration ratios. X-ray diffraction allows us to characterize the crystal structure by distinguishing “green rust one” (GR1) from “green rust two” (GR2). Since green rusts (GRs) are of a pyroaurite-sjögrenite-like structure, i.e., consisting of intercalated foreign anions and water molecules in the interlayers between the brucite-like layers of Fe(OH)₂, their chemical formulae can be determined from the Mössbauer spectra. Three quadrupole doublets are observed: D₁ and D₂ correspond to a ferrous state with isomershift IS of about 1.27 mm s^-1 and quadrupole splittings QS of about 2.85 and 2.60 mm s^-1, respectively, whereas D₃ corresponds to a ferric state with IS and QS of about 0.4 mm s^-1. The hyperfine parameters of these doublets are similar from one green rust to another but their intensity ratios vary considerably. Finally, E_h and pH equilibrium diagrams of the Fe species in the presence of chloride, sulphate and carbonate anions contained within the water solution are drawn and the thermodynamic conditions of existence and degrees of oxidation of green rusts are discussed.     

An Overview of Scheduling Problems Arising in Satellite Communications

Satellite communications, like batches of work in a job shop, need to be scheduled in order to use their resources as efficiently as possible. The most common satellite communications system in use today is known as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), in which data from earth stations is buffered before being transmitted to the appropriate receiver on a satellite. Cycles of transmission are fixed for all stations. Since the same satellite will be used for routeing data in several different ways, a schedule must be devised to use the receivers, repeaters and transmitters on board to minimize the time needed for completion of a batch of work. This paper is a survey of current scheduling algorithms used for optimizing satellite communications resources. Apart from telecommunications, the methods presented here could be applied to more general scheduling problems with renewable resources but without precedence constraints.     

Universality in some classical Coulomb systems of restricted dimension

Coulomb systems in which the particles interact through thed-dimensional Coulomb potential but are confined in a flat manifold of dimensiond–1 are considered. The actual Coulomb potential acting is defined by particular boundary conditions involving a characteristic macroscopic distanceW in the direction perpendicular to the manifold: either it is periodic of periodW in that direction, or it vanishes on one ideal conductor wall parallel to the manifold at a distanceW from it, or it vanishes on two parallel walls at a distanceW from each other with the manifold equidistant from them. Under the assumptions that classical equilibrium statistical mechanics is applicable and that the system has the macroscopic properties of a conductor, it is shown that the suitably smoothed charge correlation function is universal, and that the free energy and the grand potential have universal dependences onW (universal means independent of the microscopic detail). The casesd=2 are discussed in detail, and the generic results are checked on an exactly solvable model. The cased=3 of a plane parallel to an ideal conductor is also explicitly worked out.Laboratoire associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-URA D0063.