Ion Bogdan Vasi
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199746927
- eISBN:
- 9780199827169
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199746927.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This book brings social movements into the study of market formation and industry growth. It starts from the observation that while wind power stands out as a renewable energy success story in some ...
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This book brings social movements into the study of market formation and industry growth. It starts from the observation that while wind power stands out as a renewable energy success story in some countries and regions, it has failed to reach its true potential in many countries and has had an uneven global development. The book offers an interpretation that differs from the dominant technological and economic perspectives. It develops a model that argues that the development of the wind energy industry is influenced by interactions between the environmental movement, the social context, and natural resources. The model identifies three main pathways through which the environmental movement influences the development of the wind energy industry. The first pathway is the influence that environmental activists and organizations have on energy policymakers' decisions to adopt and implement pro‐renewable energy policies. The second pathway is the influence that environmental groups and activists have on energy consumers. The third pathway is the influence of the environmental movement on energy professionals. The empirical study combines quantitative and qualitative analyses. Case studies focus on Canada, Denmark, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The conclusion argues that environmentalist “global winds of change” are almost as important as the atmospheric winds for the development of the wind energy industry around the world. It also presents a few implications for future studies of industry creation and energy sector growth.Less
This book brings social movements into the study of market formation and industry growth. It starts from the observation that while wind power stands out as a renewable energy success story in some countries and regions, it has failed to reach its true potential in many countries and has had an uneven global development. The book offers an interpretation that differs from the dominant technological and economic perspectives. It develops a model that argues that the development of the wind energy industry is influenced by interactions between the environmental movement, the social context, and natural resources. The model identifies three main pathways through which the environmental movement influences the development of the wind energy industry. The first pathway is the influence that environmental activists and organizations have on energy policymakers' decisions to adopt and implement pro‐renewable energy policies. The second pathway is the influence that environmental groups and activists have on energy consumers. The third pathway is the influence of the environmental movement on energy professionals. The empirical study combines quantitative and qualitative analyses. Case studies focus on Canada, Denmark, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The conclusion argues that environmentalist “global winds of change” are almost as important as the atmospheric winds for the development of the wind energy industry around the world. It also presents a few implications for future studies of industry creation and energy sector growth.
John J. Videler
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199299928
- eISBN:
- 9780191714924
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199299928.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ornithology
Bird flight has always intrigued mankind. This book provides an up-to-date account of the existing knowledge on the subject, offering new insights and challenges some established views. A brief ...
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Bird flight has always intrigued mankind. This book provides an up-to-date account of the existing knowledge on the subject, offering new insights and challenges some established views. A brief history of the science of flight introduces the basic physical principles governing aerial locomotion. This is followed by chapters on the flight-related functional morphology. The anatomy of the flight apparatus includes the wings, tail, and body. Treatment of the wings emphasizes the difference in shape of the arm and hand part. The structural complexity and mechanical properties of feathers receive special attention. Aerodynamic principles used by birds are explained in theory by applying Newton’s laws, and in practice by showing the direction and velocity of the flow around the arm and hand wing. The Archaeopteryx fossils remain crucial to the understanding of the evolution of bird flight despite the recent discovery of a range of well-preserved ancient birds. A novel hypothesis explaining the enigmatic details of the Archaeopteryx remains and challenges established theories regarding the origin of bird flight. Take-off, flapping flight, gliding, and landing are the basic ingredients of bird flight, and birds use a variety of flight styles from hovering to soaring. Muscles are the engines that generate the forces required to control the wings and tail, and to work during flapping motion. The energy required to fly can be estimated or measured directly, and a comparison of the empirical results, provides insights into the trend in metabolic costs of flight of birds varying in shape and mass from hummingbirds to albatrosses.Less
Bird flight has always intrigued mankind. This book provides an up-to-date account of the existing knowledge on the subject, offering new insights and challenges some established views. A brief history of the science of flight introduces the basic physical principles governing aerial locomotion. This is followed by chapters on the flight-related functional morphology. The anatomy of the flight apparatus includes the wings, tail, and body. Treatment of the wings emphasizes the difference in shape of the arm and hand part. The structural complexity and mechanical properties of feathers receive special attention. Aerodynamic principles used by birds are explained in theory by applying Newton’s laws, and in practice by showing the direction and velocity of the flow around the arm and hand wing. The Archaeopteryx fossils remain crucial to the understanding of the evolution of bird flight despite the recent discovery of a range of well-preserved ancient birds. A novel hypothesis explaining the enigmatic details of the Archaeopteryx remains and challenges established theories regarding the origin of bird flight. Take-off, flapping flight, gliding, and landing are the basic ingredients of bird flight, and birds use a variety of flight styles from hovering to soaring. Muscles are the engines that generate the forces required to control the wings and tail, and to work during flapping motion. The energy required to fly can be estimated or measured directly, and a comparison of the empirical results, provides insights into the trend in metabolic costs of flight of birds varying in shape and mass from hummingbirds to albatrosses.
Andrea Braides
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198507840
- eISBN:
- 9780191709890
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198507840.003.0010
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Applied Mathematics
This chapter describes the interaction between homogenization and surface terms using three examples. It shows that in some regimes, there is a separation of scales, while in other regimes the two ...
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This chapter describes the interaction between homogenization and surface terms using three examples. It shows that in some regimes, there is a separation of scales, while in other regimes the two phenomena must be considered together. The first example deals with the interaction between oscillations and phase transitions in producing surface terms. The second exhibits a different scaling of the same problem giving a limit energy finite on piecewise-Sobolev functions through phase accumulation. The third example deals with the homogenization of free-discontinuity problems.Less
This chapter describes the interaction between homogenization and surface terms using three examples. It shows that in some regimes, there is a separation of scales, while in other regimes the two phenomena must be considered together. The first example deals with the interaction between oscillations and phase transitions in producing surface terms. The second exhibits a different scaling of the same problem giving a limit energy finite on piecewise-Sobolev functions through phase accumulation. The third example deals with the homogenization of free-discontinuity problems.
Helmut Hofmann
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198504016
- eISBN:
- 9780191708480
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198504016.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Nuclear and Plasma Physics
This book offers a survey of nuclear physics at low energies and discusses similarities to mesoscopic systems. It addresses systems at finite excitations of the internal degrees of freedom where ...
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This book offers a survey of nuclear physics at low energies and discusses similarities to mesoscopic systems. It addresses systems at finite excitations of the internal degrees of freedom where collective motion exhibits features typical of transport processes for small and isolated systems. The importance of quantum aspects is investigated both with respect to the microscopic damping mechanism and to the nature of the transport equations. It is vital to account for nuclear collective motion being self-sustained, which in the end implies a highly nonlinear coupling between internal and collective degrees of freedom, a feature which in the literature all too often is ignored. The book is to be considered self-contained. The first part introduces basic elements of nuclear physics and guides to a modern understanding of collective motion as a transport process. This overview is supplemented in the second part with more advanced approaches to nuclear dynamics. The third part deals with special aspects of mesoscopic systems for which close analogies with nuclear physics are given. In the fourth part, the theoretical tools are discussed in greater detail. These include nuclear reaction theory, thermostatics and statistical mechanics, linear response theory, functional integrals, and various aspects of transport theory.Less
This book offers a survey of nuclear physics at low energies and discusses similarities to mesoscopic systems. It addresses systems at finite excitations of the internal degrees of freedom where collective motion exhibits features typical of transport processes for small and isolated systems. The importance of quantum aspects is investigated both with respect to the microscopic damping mechanism and to the nature of the transport equations. It is vital to account for nuclear collective motion being self-sustained, which in the end implies a highly nonlinear coupling between internal and collective degrees of freedom, a feature which in the literature all too often is ignored. The book is to be considered self-contained. The first part introduces basic elements of nuclear physics and guides to a modern understanding of collective motion as a transport process. This overview is supplemented in the second part with more advanced approaches to nuclear dynamics. The third part deals with special aspects of mesoscopic systems for which close analogies with nuclear physics are given. In the fourth part, the theoretical tools are discussed in greater detail. These include nuclear reaction theory, thermostatics and statistical mechanics, linear response theory, functional integrals, and various aspects of transport theory.
López Ramón and Michael A. Toman
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199298006
- eISBN:
- 9780191603877
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199298009.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
There exists the misconception that the percentage of energy used by households declines with development. However, the reverse is true: the use of modern energy by households increases both ...
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There exists the misconception that the percentage of energy used by households declines with development. However, the reverse is true: the use of modern energy by households increases both absolutely and as a percentage of energy use with development. As a result, there are several reasons to focus on energy, namely, that the increased provision of energy services has a demonstrated high marginal value in the context of broader economic growth; that energy services remain physically scarce and costly in many parts of the developing world; that production and provision of energy services give rise to thorny issues of economic sector regulation; and that there are important and challenging energy-environment links throughout the chain of production and consumption. This chapter considers the first three of these four aspects of energy and development, and concludes with a summary of lessons learned from previous energy-related development activities and implications for future activities in this area.Less
There exists the misconception that the percentage of energy used by households declines with development. However, the reverse is true: the use of modern energy by households increases both absolutely and as a percentage of energy use with development. As a result, there are several reasons to focus on energy, namely, that the increased provision of energy services has a demonstrated high marginal value in the context of broader economic growth; that energy services remain physically scarce and costly in many parts of the developing world; that production and provision of energy services give rise to thorny issues of economic sector regulation; and that there are important and challenging energy-environment links throughout the chain of production and consumption. This chapter considers the first three of these four aspects of energy and development, and concludes with a summary of lessons learned from previous energy-related development activities and implications for future activities in this area.
Alok Kumar and Sushanta K. Chatterjee
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198082279
- eISBN:
- 9780199082063
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198082279.003.0017
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The evolution of the electricity industry in India has been supply oriented. Demand Side measures have been elaborated in detail in the Energy Conservation Act of 2001. The Energy Conservation ...
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The evolution of the electricity industry in India has been supply oriented. Demand Side measures have been elaborated in detail in the Energy Conservation Act of 2001. The Energy Conservation together with the Electricity Act, 2003 provides the relevant statutory framework in this regard. The chapter explains this framework and also goes on to elaborate policy provision in this regard. Regulatory initiatives taken so far in this context, have also been touched upon. The chapter concludes by highlighting the future prospects on the Demand side Management.Less
The evolution of the electricity industry in India has been supply oriented. Demand Side measures have been elaborated in detail in the Energy Conservation Act of 2001. The Energy Conservation together with the Electricity Act, 2003 provides the relevant statutory framework in this regard. The chapter explains this framework and also goes on to elaborate policy provision in this regard. Regulatory initiatives taken so far in this context, have also been touched upon. The chapter concludes by highlighting the future prospects on the Demand side Management.
Alfred Greiner and Willi Semmler
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328233
- eISBN:
- 9780199869985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328233.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter describes scientific knowledge concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the change in global average surface temperature. It considers the climate system of the Earth is in terms of ...
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This chapter describes scientific knowledge concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the change in global average surface temperature. It considers the climate system of the Earth is in terms of its global energy balance using so-called energy balance models (EBM).Less
This chapter describes scientific knowledge concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the change in global average surface temperature. It considers the climate system of the Earth is in terms of its global energy balance using so-called energy balance models (EBM).
Astrid Kander, Paolo Malanima, and Paul Warde
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691143620
- eISBN:
- 9781400848881
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691143620.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This book examines the varied but interconnected relationships between energy consumption and economic development in Europe over the last five centuries. It describes how the traditional energy ...
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This book examines the varied but interconnected relationships between energy consumption and economic development in Europe over the last five centuries. It describes how the traditional energy economy of medieval and early modern Europe was marked by stable or falling per capita energy consumption, and how the First Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century—fueled by coal and steam engines—redrew the economic, social, and geopolitical map of Europe and the world. The Second Industrial Revolution continued this energy expansion and social transformation through the use of oil and electricity, but after 1970 Europe entered a new stage in which energy consumption has stabilized. This book challenges the view that the outsourcing of heavy industry overseas is the cause, arguing that a Third Industrial Revolution driven by new information and communication technologies has played a major stabilizing role. It offers new perspectives on the challenges posed today by climate change and peak oil, demonstrating that although the path of modern economic development has vastly increased our energy use, it has not been a story of ever-rising and continuous consumption. The book sheds light on the often lengthy and complex changes needed for new energy systems to emerge, the role of energy resources in economic growth, and the importance of energy efficiency in promoting growth and reducing future energy demand.Less
This book examines the varied but interconnected relationships between energy consumption and economic development in Europe over the last five centuries. It describes how the traditional energy economy of medieval and early modern Europe was marked by stable or falling per capita energy consumption, and how the First Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century—fueled by coal and steam engines—redrew the economic, social, and geopolitical map of Europe and the world. The Second Industrial Revolution continued this energy expansion and social transformation through the use of oil and electricity, but after 1970 Europe entered a new stage in which energy consumption has stabilized. This book challenges the view that the outsourcing of heavy industry overseas is the cause, arguing that a Third Industrial Revolution driven by new information and communication technologies has played a major stabilizing role. It offers new perspectives on the challenges posed today by climate change and peak oil, demonstrating that although the path of modern economic development has vastly increased our energy use, it has not been a story of ever-rising and continuous consumption. The book sheds light on the often lengthy and complex changes needed for new energy systems to emerge, the role of energy resources in economic growth, and the importance of energy efficiency in promoting growth and reducing future energy demand.
Vaclav Smil
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195168754
- eISBN:
- 9780199783601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195168755.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
Our civilization is based on massive consumption of fossil fuels. This chapter begins by examining technical advances of energy industries, before turning to energy transitions and the process of ...
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Our civilization is based on massive consumption of fossil fuels. This chapter begins by examining technical advances of energy industries, before turning to energy transitions and the process of decarbonization of global energy supply. The second section deals with electricity production in general, and with nuclear generation (as well as nuclear weapons) in particular. The last section traces the invention and deployment of the only two new prime movers introduced during the 20th century: gas turbines and rocket engines.Less
Our civilization is based on massive consumption of fossil fuels. This chapter begins by examining technical advances of energy industries, before turning to energy transitions and the process of decarbonization of global energy supply. The second section deals with electricity production in general, and with nuclear generation (as well as nuclear weapons) in particular. The last section traces the invention and deployment of the only two new prime movers introduced during the 20th century: gas turbines and rocket engines.
Helmut Hofmann
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198504016
- eISBN:
- 9780191708480
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198504016.003.0020
- Subject:
- Physics, Nuclear and Plasma Physics
This chapter formulates the Hartree-Fock approximation with density matrices, and discusses the properties of the Hartree-Fock equations together with the energy functional for the ground state ...
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This chapter formulates the Hartree-Fock approximation with density matrices, and discusses the properties of the Hartree-Fock equations together with the energy functional for the ground state energy. A generalization to finite thermal excitations is performed by applying the variational principle to the grand canonical ensemble. Finally, the equations for time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) are described both at zero and at finite temperature.Less
This chapter formulates the Hartree-Fock approximation with density matrices, and discusses the properties of the Hartree-Fock equations together with the energy functional for the ground state energy. A generalization to finite thermal excitations is performed by applying the variational principle to the grand canonical ensemble. Finally, the equations for time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) are described both at zero and at finite temperature.
Helmut Hofmann
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198504016
- eISBN:
- 9780191708480
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198504016.003.0027
- Subject:
- Physics, Nuclear and Plasma Physics
In this chapter the units are summarized in which nuclear quantities are usually measured, all traced back on the elementary units of energy, time and length (in MeV, 10^{-23}sec and fm).
In this chapter the units are summarized in which nuclear quantities are usually measured, all traced back on the elementary units of energy, time and length (in MeV, 10^{-23}sec and fm).
Susan M. Fitzpatrick
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195310443
- eISBN:
- 9780199865321
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195310443.003.0018
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Systems
This final chapter presents the thoughts of a foundation officer and biochemist on the study of memory. The chapter cites several “gaps” that could generate new memory research questions. One ...
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This final chapter presents the thoughts of a foundation officer and biochemist on the study of memory. The chapter cites several “gaps” that could generate new memory research questions. One challenge is deciding at what levels meaningful biological explanations for the psychology of behavior are likely to be found. The chapter also discusses how studies of energy metabolism can be used to further the science of memory.Less
This final chapter presents the thoughts of a foundation officer and biochemist on the study of memory. The chapter cites several “gaps” that could generate new memory research questions. One challenge is deciding at what levels meaningful biological explanations for the psychology of behavior are likely to be found. The chapter also discusses how studies of energy metabolism can be used to further the science of memory.
Anthony Leggett
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199211241
- eISBN:
- 9780191706837
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199211241.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Is the universe infinite, or does it have an edge beyond which there is, quite literally, nothing? Do we live in the only possible universe? Why does it have one time and three space dimensions — or ...
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Is the universe infinite, or does it have an edge beyond which there is, quite literally, nothing? Do we live in the only possible universe? Why does it have one time and three space dimensions — or does it? What is it made of? What does it mean when we hear that a new particle has been discovered? Will quantum mechanics eventually break down and give way to a totally new description of the world, one whose features we cannot even begin to imagine? This book aims to give a general overview of what physicists think they do and do not know in some representative frontier areas of contemporary physics. After sketching out the historical background, the book goes on to discuss the current situation and some of the open problems of cosmology, high-energy physics, and condensed-matter physics. This book focuses not so much on recent achievements as on the fundamental problems at the heart of the subject, and emphasizes the provisional nature of our present understanding of things.Less
Is the universe infinite, or does it have an edge beyond which there is, quite literally, nothing? Do we live in the only possible universe? Why does it have one time and three space dimensions — or does it? What is it made of? What does it mean when we hear that a new particle has been discovered? Will quantum mechanics eventually break down and give way to a totally new description of the world, one whose features we cannot even begin to imagine? This book aims to give a general overview of what physicists think they do and do not know in some representative frontier areas of contemporary physics. After sketching out the historical background, the book goes on to discuss the current situation and some of the open problems of cosmology, high-energy physics, and condensed-matter physics. This book focuses not so much on recent achievements as on the fundamental problems at the heart of the subject, and emphasizes the provisional nature of our present understanding of things.
Helmuth Spieler
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198527848
- eISBN:
- 9780191713248
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198527848.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Semiconductor sensors patterned at the micron scale combined with custom-designed integrated circuits have revolutionized semiconductor radiation detector systems. Designs covering many square meters ...
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Semiconductor sensors patterned at the micron scale combined with custom-designed integrated circuits have revolutionized semiconductor radiation detector systems. Designs covering many square meters with millions of signal channels are now commonplace in high-energy physics and the technology is finding its way into many other fields, ranging from astrophysics to experiments at synchrotron light sources and medical imaging. This book presents a discussion of the many facets of highly integrated semiconductor detector systems, covering sensors, signal processing, transistors, circuits, low-noise electronics, and radiation effects. To lay a basis for the more detailed discussions in the book and aid in understanding how these different elements combine to form functional detector systems, the text includes introductions to semiconductor physics, diodes, detectors, signal formation, transistors, amplifier circuits, electronic noise mechanisms, and signal processing. A chapter on digital electronics includes key elements of analog-to-digital converters and an introduction to digital signal processing. The physics of radiation damage in semiconductor devices is discussed and applied to detectors and electronics. The diversity of design approaches is illustrated in a chapter describing systems in high-energy physics, astronomy, and astrophysics. Finally, a chapter ‘Why things don't work’, discusses common pitfalls, covering interference mechanisms such as power supply noise, microphonics, and shared current paths (‘ground loops’), together with mitigation techniques for pickup noise reduction, both at the circuit and system level. Beginning at a basic level, the book provides a unique introduction to a key area of modern science.Less
Semiconductor sensors patterned at the micron scale combined with custom-designed integrated circuits have revolutionized semiconductor radiation detector systems. Designs covering many square meters with millions of signal channels are now commonplace in high-energy physics and the technology is finding its way into many other fields, ranging from astrophysics to experiments at synchrotron light sources and medical imaging. This book presents a discussion of the many facets of highly integrated semiconductor detector systems, covering sensors, signal processing, transistors, circuits, low-noise electronics, and radiation effects. To lay a basis for the more detailed discussions in the book and aid in understanding how these different elements combine to form functional detector systems, the text includes introductions to semiconductor physics, diodes, detectors, signal formation, transistors, amplifier circuits, electronic noise mechanisms, and signal processing. A chapter on digital electronics includes key elements of analog-to-digital converters and an introduction to digital signal processing. The physics of radiation damage in semiconductor devices is discussed and applied to detectors and electronics. The diversity of design approaches is illustrated in a chapter describing systems in high-energy physics, astronomy, and astrophysics. Finally, a chapter ‘Why things don't work’, discusses common pitfalls, covering interference mechanisms such as power supply noise, microphonics, and shared current paths (‘ground loops’), together with mitigation techniques for pickup noise reduction, both at the circuit and system level. Beginning at a basic level, the book provides a unique introduction to a key area of modern science.
Malanima Paolo, Astrid Kander, and Paul Warde
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691143620
- eISBN:
- 9781400848881
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691143620.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This chapter focuses on traditional energy sources in Europe. It first provides an overview of energy sources and energy consumption in premodern Europe before discussing organic energy sources and ...
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This chapter focuses on traditional energy sources in Europe. It first provides an overview of energy sources and energy consumption in premodern Europe before discussing organic energy sources and agricultures, looking in particular at food demand, a global perspective on the European agriculture, intensification and population, working animals, animal power, forests, firewood consumption, and coal and peat as fuels. The chapter proceeds by considering three non-organic energy sources, namely: gunpowder, water, and wind. Finally, it describes seven long-run propositions regarding Europe's energy system in an economic context: predominance of reproducible sources; energy supply and demand are closely related to climate; transport costs are a major barrier to growth; the economy is limited by low power; high energy intensity and low energy productivity; a diffuse geography of energy; and higher European than non-European consumption of energy.Less
This chapter focuses on traditional energy sources in Europe. It first provides an overview of energy sources and energy consumption in premodern Europe before discussing organic energy sources and agricultures, looking in particular at food demand, a global perspective on the European agriculture, intensification and population, working animals, animal power, forests, firewood consumption, and coal and peat as fuels. The chapter proceeds by considering three non-organic energy sources, namely: gunpowder, water, and wind. Finally, it describes seven long-run propositions regarding Europe's energy system in an economic context: predominance of reproducible sources; energy supply and demand are closely related to climate; transport costs are a major barrier to growth; the economy is limited by low power; high energy intensity and low energy productivity; a diffuse geography of energy; and higher European than non-European consumption of energy.
Arne Haaland
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199235353
- eISBN:
- 9780191715594
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199235353.003.0019
- Subject:
- Physics, Condensed Matter Physics / Materials
This chapter describes the structures of a handful of derivatives of hypervalent noble gases: KF2, XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, and XeO4. Two derivatives of the xenon cation. Xe+ is isoelectronic with the ...
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This chapter describes the structures of a handful of derivatives of hypervalent noble gases: KF2, XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, and XeO4. Two derivatives of the xenon cation. Xe+ is isoelectronic with the iodine atom are briefly discussed. The Xe-C bond dissociation energy of the gaseous [H3CXe]+ cation is indistinguishable from the I-C bond dissociation energy of gaseous methyl iodide, while the Xe-C bond distance in the pentafluorphenylxenon cation, [F5C6Xe]+, is only 2 or 3% shorter than the I-C bond distance in methyl iodide.Less
This chapter describes the structures of a handful of derivatives of hypervalent noble gases: KF2, XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, and XeO4. Two derivatives of the xenon cation. Xe+ is isoelectronic with the iodine atom are briefly discussed. The Xe-C bond dissociation energy of the gaseous [H3CXe]+ cation is indistinguishable from the I-C bond dissociation energy of gaseous methyl iodide, while the Xe-C bond distance in the pentafluorphenylxenon cation, [F5C6Xe]+, is only 2 or 3% shorter than the I-C bond distance in methyl iodide.
Thomas A. Heberlein
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199773329
- eISBN:
- 9780199979639
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199773329.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Psychology and Interaction
The environment, and how humans affect it, is more of a concern now than ever. We are constantly told that halting climate change requires raising awareness, changing attitudes, and finally altering ...
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The environment, and how humans affect it, is more of a concern now than ever. We are constantly told that halting climate change requires raising awareness, changing attitudes, and finally altering behaviors among the general public—and doing it fast. New information, attitudes, and actions, it is conventionally assumed, will necessarily follow one from the other. However, this approach ignores much of what is known about attitudes in general and environmental attitudes in particular—a huge gap lies between what we say and what we do. Solving environmental problems requires a scientific understanding of public attitudes. Like rocks in a swollen river, attitudes often lie beneath the surface—hard to see, and even harder to move or change. This book helps us read the water and negotiate its hidden obstacles, explaining what attitudes are, how they change and influence behavior. Rather than trying to change attitudes, we need to design solutions and policies with attitudes in mind. Heberlein illustrates these points by tracing the attitudes of the well-known environmentalist Aldo Leopold, while tying social psychology to real-world behaviors throughout the book. Bringing together theory and practice, this book provides a realistic understanding of why and how attitudes matter when it comes to environmental problems; and how, by balancing natural with social science, we can step back from false assumptions and unproductive, frustrating programs to work toward fostering successful, effective environmental action.Less
The environment, and how humans affect it, is more of a concern now than ever. We are constantly told that halting climate change requires raising awareness, changing attitudes, and finally altering behaviors among the general public—and doing it fast. New information, attitudes, and actions, it is conventionally assumed, will necessarily follow one from the other. However, this approach ignores much of what is known about attitudes in general and environmental attitudes in particular—a huge gap lies between what we say and what we do. Solving environmental problems requires a scientific understanding of public attitudes. Like rocks in a swollen river, attitudes often lie beneath the surface—hard to see, and even harder to move or change. This book helps us read the water and negotiate its hidden obstacles, explaining what attitudes are, how they change and influence behavior. Rather than trying to change attitudes, we need to design solutions and policies with attitudes in mind. Heberlein illustrates these points by tracing the attitudes of the well-known environmentalist Aldo Leopold, while tying social psychology to real-world behaviors throughout the book. Bringing together theory and practice, this book provides a realistic understanding of why and how attitudes matter when it comes to environmental problems; and how, by balancing natural with social science, we can step back from false assumptions and unproductive, frustrating programs to work toward fostering successful, effective environmental action.
Vaclav Smil
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195168754
- eISBN:
- 9780199783601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195168755.003.0004
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
Mechanization — a key trend of pre-WWI technical advances — intensified in all industrial sectors and reached new levels with automation and robotization after WWII. Major advances made in coal ...
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Mechanization — a key trend of pre-WWI technical advances — intensified in all industrial sectors and reached new levels with automation and robotization after WWII. Major advances made in coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and in key manufacturing sectors such as car making benefited not only from ingenious robotization, but also from new methods of organization and flexible production. Agriculture also became much less labor intensive thanks to new high energy subsidies for machines and agrochemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides).Less
Mechanization — a key trend of pre-WWI technical advances — intensified in all industrial sectors and reached new levels with automation and robotization after WWII. Major advances made in coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and in key manufacturing sectors such as car making benefited not only from ingenious robotization, but also from new methods of organization and flexible production. Agriculture also became much less labor intensive thanks to new high energy subsidies for machines and agrochemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides).
Vaclav Smil
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195168754
- eISBN:
- 9780199783601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195168755.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
Technical advances based on unprecedented levels of energy use brought a new phenomenon of mass consumption as well as many obvious gains in the typical quality of life. However, they have not ...
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Technical advances based on unprecedented levels of energy use brought a new phenomenon of mass consumption as well as many obvious gains in the typical quality of life. However, they have not substantially reduced economic inequality. They also introduced new risks (ranging from car accidents to nuclear weapons) and some worrisome environmental changes, especially the possibility of relatively rapid global warming.Less
Technical advances based on unprecedented levels of energy use brought a new phenomenon of mass consumption as well as many obvious gains in the typical quality of life. However, they have not substantially reduced economic inequality. They also introduced new risks (ranging from car accidents to nuclear weapons) and some worrisome environmental changes, especially the possibility of relatively rapid global warming.
Con Coroneos
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198187363
- eISBN:
- 9780191674716
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198187363.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century Literature and Modernism, European Literature
Recent literary and cultural criticism has taken a spatial turn. This book locates this development within the opposition between a space of things and a space of words, tracing various aspects of ...
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Recent literary and cultural criticism has taken a spatial turn. This book locates this development within the opposition between a space of things and a space of words, tracing various aspects of its emergence from the geopolitical idea of ‘closed space’ which developed in the early 20th century to the influence of Saussurean linguistics in contemporary criticism and theory. The focus of the study is the work of Joseph Conrad, in whom the opposition between a space of words and a space of things is strikingly figured. Part I deals with several versions of closed space to raise questions about the relations between geography, language, and interpretation. Part II deals with the agitation around finitude and the limit, and the desperate attempt to discover in the resources of language a means of liberation. Through these ideas the book explores some of the more disreputable, marginal, or unglimpsed elements in modernism — including the rise of spy fiction, anarchist geography, the spiritualist movement, the invention of artificial languages, the history of laughter, and solar energy. Among the figures drawn into dialogue with Conrad are John Buchan, Woolf, Joyce, Peter Kropotkin, René de Saussure (brother of the famous Ferdinand), Henri Bergson, the filmmakers George Méliès and Carol Reed and, in particular, Michel Foucault — this ‘nouvelle cartographe’ as Gilles Deleuze described him — whose anxious negotiation with spatial ideas touches the book's deepest understanding.Less
Recent literary and cultural criticism has taken a spatial turn. This book locates this development within the opposition between a space of things and a space of words, tracing various aspects of its emergence from the geopolitical idea of ‘closed space’ which developed in the early 20th century to the influence of Saussurean linguistics in contemporary criticism and theory. The focus of the study is the work of Joseph Conrad, in whom the opposition between a space of words and a space of things is strikingly figured. Part I deals with several versions of closed space to raise questions about the relations between geography, language, and interpretation. Part II deals with the agitation around finitude and the limit, and the desperate attempt to discover in the resources of language a means of liberation. Through these ideas the book explores some of the more disreputable, marginal, or unglimpsed elements in modernism — including the rise of spy fiction, anarchist geography, the spiritualist movement, the invention of artificial languages, the history of laughter, and solar energy. Among the figures drawn into dialogue with Conrad are John Buchan, Woolf, Joyce, Peter Kropotkin, René de Saussure (brother of the famous Ferdinand), Henri Bergson, the filmmakers George Méliès and Carol Reed and, in particular, Michel Foucault — this ‘nouvelle cartographe’ as Gilles Deleuze described him — whose anxious negotiation with spatial ideas touches the book's deepest understanding.
