The Ergodic Theory of Traffic Jams

We introduce and analyze a simple probabilistic cellular automaton which emulates the flow of cars along a highway. Our Traffic CA captures the essential features of several more complicated algorithms, studied numerically by K. Nagel and others over the past decade as prototypes for the emergence of traffic jams. By simplifying the dynamics, we are able to identify and precisely formulate the self-organized critical evolution of our system. We focus here on the Cruise Control case, in which well-spaced cars move deterministically at maximal speed, and we obtain rigorous results for several special cases. Then we introduce a symmetry assumption that leads to a two-parameter model, described in terms of acceleration () and braking () probabilities. Based on the results of simulations, we map out the (, ) phase diagram, identifying three qualitatively distinct varieties of traffic which arise, and we derive rigorous bounds to establish the existence of a phase transition from free flow to jams. Many other results and conjectures are presented. From a mathematical perspective, Traffic CA provides local, particle-conserving, one-dimensional dynamics which cluster, and converge to a mixture of two distinct equilibria.     

Laser Stabilisation for the Measurement of Thermal Noise

In order to measure the thermal noise of a mirror suspended in a vacuum it is necessary for the length measurement error due to intensity and frequency noise of the probe laser to be reduced below the thermal noise level. Here we report on an experiment to reduce the frequency and intensity noise of a 40mW Nd:YAG laser for this purpose. The frequency is stabilised using the standard reflection locking technique. To stabilise the laser intensity a technique which uses the properties of an in loop light field has been developed. This technique is capable of suppressing the intensity noise below the shot noise limit without reducing the useful laser power. A servo based on this technique has been designed and tested. The experimental results indicate that the laser noise can be reduced to a level which will allow a displacement sensitivity of 1.5 × 10^-19m/ Hz for the detection of thermal noise in a frequency band of 10 to 500Hz.     

First observation of the decay B --> J/psistraight phiK

We present the first observation of the decay B-->J/psistraight phiK. Using 9.6x10(6) B&Bmacr; meson pairs collected with the CLEO detector, we have observed ten fully reconstructed B-->J/psistraight phiK candidates, whereas the estimated background is 0.5+/-0.2 event. We obtain a branching fraction of B(B-->J/psistraight phiK) = (8. 8(+3.5)(-3.0)[stat]+/-1.3[syst])x10(-5). This is the first observed B meson decay requiring the creation of an additional s&smacr; quark pair.     

Influence of boundaries on dissipative structures in the Schlögl model

Some comments are made concerning the multiple stationary-state patterns found in reaction-diffusion systems, including the Schlögl and Autocatalator models.     

X-ray diffraction studies on cis- and trans-4'-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl 3-n-propylcyclobutane-1-carboxylate

X-ray diffraction has been used to study the nematic phases of the cis and trans isomers of an elongated molecule containing the cyclobutane group. It has been shown that these nematic phases consist of a mixture of single molecules and overlapping core dimers. It has been found that increasing the temperature of the cis isomer rapidly reduces the dimer population, whereas increasing the temperature of the trans isomer enhances the dimer population. This provides an explanation of the relatively high clearing temperature of the trans isomer. The different temperature dependences of the dimer population in the cis and trans isomers has been explained by a model involving inversion of the cylobutane group.     

Alteration of human breast tumor cell membrane functions by chromosome-mediated gene transfer.

BOT-2 cells (human breast tumor origin) have an impaired ability to utilize exogenous thymidine. Previous studies revealed this deficiency to be the permeation event rather than phosphorylation, since the cells have active thymidine kinase. Chromosome-mediated gene transfer was used to transfer genetic information in the form of metaphase chromosomes, from HeLa-65 cells to the BOT-2 cells, correcting the permease deficiency. Poly-L-ornithine or lipochromes were used for facilitation of chromosome uptake. After selection on HAT medium, transferant clones were isolated at a frequency of 4 x 10(-5) and 1 x 10(-5), respectively. Transferants MGP-1 and MGL-1 are stable after 18 months and have been characterized on the bases of purine and pyrimidine nucleoside uptake, relative thymidine kinase activities, alkaline phosphatase activities, and hydrocortisone-induced alkaline phosphatase activity. MGP-1 demonstrates positive thymidine uptake and incorporates radiolabeled thymidine into DNA. MGL-1 remains thymidine transport-deficient and surveys on HAT by increasing endogenous dihydrofolate reductase activity. Alkaline phosphatase activity in MGL-1 is similar to HeLa-65, 2% of that in BOT-2, and in addition, is inducible 25-30-fold by 3 micro M hydrocortisone. We have separated, genetically, a thymidine permease function from phosphorylation in cells of human origin and have transferred genetic information for the regulation of alkaline phosphatase.     

Unusual structures in some alkyl cyanoterphenyls

The phase behaviour of three alkyl cyanoterphenyls has been investigated with the particular objective of elucidating their unusual phase behaviour and determining the structure of the new, and so far uncharacterized, phase (E') appearing between the smectic A_d and the crystal E' phases. In the course of this work complications arose from the appearance of yet another phase which appears only on cooling but for which no characteristic X-ray diffraction pattern could be obtained. The E phase appears to have the orthorhombic symmetry characteristic of the E phase but has a complex temperature dependent packing in the c direction. This is driven by the competition between a density wave and an antiferroelectric pair ordering which results in a locked-in structure with a periodicity of three times that of the underlying density wave.