Another look at the Landau gauge three-gluon vertex

We revisit the computation of the three-gluon vertex in the Landau gauge using lattice QCD simulations with large physical volumes of ~ (6.5 fm)4 and ~ (8 fm) 4 and large statistical ensembles. For the kinematical configuration analysed, that is described by a unique form factor, an evaluation of the lattice artefacts is also performed. Particular attention is given to the low energy behavior of vertex and its connection with evidence (or lack of it) of infrared ghost dominance.

Influence of Carbon Black and Silica Fillers with Different Concentrations on Dielectric Relaxation in Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Investigated by Impedance Spectroscopy

In neat nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), three relaxation processes were identified by impedance spectroscopy: α and α′ processes and the conduction contribution. We investigated the effects of different carbon black (CB) and silica fillers with varying filler content on the dielectric relaxations in NBR by employing a modified dispersion analysis program that deconvolutes the corresponding processes. The central frequency for the α′ process with increasing high abrasion furnace (HAF) CB filler was gradually upshifted at room temperature, while the addition of silica led to a gradual downshift of the center frequency. The activation energy behavior for the α′ process was different from that for the central frequency. The use of HAF CB led to a rapid increase in DC conductivity, resulting from percolation. The activation energy for the DC conductivity of NBRs with HAF CB decreased with increasing filler, which is consistent with that reported in different groups.

Momentum Preserving Simulation of Cooperative Multi-Rotors with Flexible-Cable Suspended Payload

In this paper, a momentum-preserving integration scheme is implemented for the simulation of single and cooperative multi-rotors with a flexible-cable suspended payload by employing a Lie group based variational integrator (VI), which provides the preservation of the configuration manifold and geometrical constraints. Due to the desired properties of the implemented VI method, e.g. sypmlecticity, momentum preservation, and the exact fulfillment of the constraints, exponentially long-term numerical stability and good energy behavior are obtained for more accurate simulations of aforementioned systems. The effectiveness of Lie group VI method with the corresponding discrete systems are demonstrated by comparing the simulation results of two example scenarios for the single and cooperative systems in terms of the preserved quantities and constraints, where a conventional fixed-step Runge-Kutta 4 (RK4) and Variable-Step integrators are utilized for the simulation of continuous-time models. It is shown that the implemented VI method successfully performs the simulations with a long-time stable behavior by preserving invariants of the system and the geometrical constraints, whereas the simulation of continuous-time models by RK4 and Variable Step are incapable of satisfying these desired properties, which inherently results in divergent and unstable behavior in simulations.

Evaluation of Non-Autoclaved Aerated Concrete for Energy Behaviors of a Residential House in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is commonly used as a modern, energy-efficient construction material in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan—the second-coldest national capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The autoclave curing method used to manufacture the AAC has potential risks and is environmentally costly because of its high-pressure and -temperature operation. Therefore, for phase I and II studies, non-autoclaved aerated concrete (NAAC) was cast, and its properties were evaluated in terms of compressive strength, density, porosity, and thermal conductivity. Moreover, the thermal conductivity prediction model of NAAC was successfully developed. In this Phase III study, the energy behavior of the NAAC was evaluated by energy simulation for a typical two-story residential house model in Kazakhstan. Different wall materials, such as fired brick and normal concrete, were adapted to compare the energy performance of NAAC. Finally, the annual heat loss and amount of heat transferred through the wall of the house were calculated to cross-check the energy-saving effect of NAAC. It was found that the NAAC conserved energy, because the heating and cooling loads, annual heat loss, and amount of heat transfer of NACC were lower than those of fired brick and normal concrete.

Unitarity violation and the geometry of Higgs EFTs

We derive the scale of unitarity violation from the geometry of Effective Field Theory (EFT) extensions of the Standard Model Higgs sector. The high-energy behavior of amplitudes with more than four scalar legs depends on derivatives of geometric invariants with respect to the physical Higgs field h, such that higher-point amplitudes begin to reconstruct the scalar manifold away from our vacuum. In theories whose low-energy limit can be described by the Higgs EFT (HEFT) but not the Standard Model EFT (SMEFT), non-analyticities in the vicinity of our vacuum limit the radius of convergence of geometric invariants, leading to unitarity violation at energies below 4πv. Our results unify approaches to the HEFT/SMEFT dichotomy based on unitarity, analyticity, and geometry, and more broadly illustrate the sense in which observables probe the geometry of an EFT. Along the way, we provide novel basis-independent results for Goldstone/Higgs boson scattering amplitudes expressed in terms of geometric covariant quantities.

Application of Causal Inference to the Analysis of Occupant Thermal State and Energy Behavioral Intentions in Immersive Virtual Environments

Identification and quantitative understanding of factors that influence occupant energy behavior and thermal state during the design phase are critical in supporting effective energy-efficient design. To achieve this, immersive virtual environments (IVEs) have recently shown potential as a tool to simulate occupant energy behaviors and collect context-dependent behavior data for buildings under design. On the other hand, prior models of occupant energy behaviors and thermal states used correlation-based approaches, which failed to capture the underlying causal interactions between the influencing factors and hence were unable to uncover the true causing factors. Therefore, in this study, the authors investigate the applicability of causal inference for identifying the causing factors of occupant/participant energy behavioral intentions and their thermal states in IVE condition and compare those results with the baseline in-situ condition. The energy behavioral intentions here are a proximal antecedent of actual energy behaviors. A set of experiments involving 72 human subjects were performed through the use of a head-mounted device (HMD) in a climate chamber. The subjects were exposed to three different step temperatures (cool, neutral, warm) under an IVE and a baseline in-situ condition. Participants' individual factors, behavioral factors, skin temperatures, virtual experience factors, thermal states (sensation, acceptability, comfort), and energy behavioral intentions were collected during the experiments. Structural causal models were learnt from data using the elicitation method in conjunction with the PC-Stable algorithm. The findings show that the causal inference framework is a potentially effective method for identifying causing factors of thermal states and energy behavioral intentions as well as quantifying their causal effects. In addition, the study shows that in IVE experiments, the participants' virtual experience factors such as their immersion, presence, and cybersickness were not the causing factors of thermal states and energy behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the study suggests that participants' behavioral factors such as their attitudes toward energy conservation and perceived behavioral control to conserve energy were the causing factors of their energy behavioral intentions. Also, the indoor temperature was a causing factor of general thermal sensation and overall skin temperature. The paper also discusses other findings, including discrepancies, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future studies.

Energy Profiling of a High-Altitude Kyrgyz Community: Challenges and Motivations to Preserve Floodplain Ecosystems Based on Household Survey

The floodplain areas along the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan are essential as they hold the riparian (local) ecosystems because they provide firewood, pastureland, and areas for recreation and protection against erosion. Due to limited access to adequate, reliable, and sustainable energy services, the rural population usually derived their energy needs from multiple natural energy resources (i.e., firewood, charcoal, agricultural residues, animal dung, and wood branches). This is considered a common and predominant practice in rural Kyrgyzstan. This situation leads to a negative impact on local ecosystem services. In addition to that, the reliance on solid fuels contributes to indoor and outdoor air pollution, which is partially threatening the local ecosystem services. By contrast, the employment of renewable-based energy supply systems would substantially reduce the burden on the environment, which is mainly untapped. To integrate renewable energies, it is important to understand the energy behavior of floodplain communities. In that response, the presented article is the first attempt to capture the energy identity of the floodplain community of Kyrgyzstan based on a quantitative energy-based (on-site) household survey. Furthermore, the present research article synthesizes the driving factors that have a (direct or indirect) impact on the energy and local ecosystem services. In addition, the present article proposes a brief pathway for the sustainable energy transition. The article records the recommendation to integrate renewable energies to preserve the local ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan.

Why Low-Carbon Publicity Effect Limits? The Role of Heterogeneous Intention in Reducing Household Energy Consumption

Low-carbon knowledge is seen as having a key role in interfering with household energy consumption behaviors by wide consensus from political and academic areas. Whether low-carbon publicity will help to reduce household energy consumption is still in dispute. By constructing an integrated knowledge-intention-behavior model and using 1335 detailed survey questionnaires of household energy behavior in Henan Province, the central area in China, this paper finds that in the developing area low-carbon knowledge or publicity cannot positively impact household energy-saving behavior even if mediated by energy awareness and energy-saving attitudes. Low-carbon knowledge does improve energy-saving attitude and attitude does not decrease household energy consumption directly. Familiarity with particular energy-saving knowledge would decrease the household energy consumption but not significantly in the statistics. Path analysis unfolds the reason that the heterogeneous effects of purchase-based intention and habitual intention explain energy consumption behavior. Subgroup analysis supports those economic factors of income and energy prices play key roles in explaining such household energy consumption behavior in the rapid urbanization area. This paper gives new evidence on the residential energy-saving behavior intervention among developing areas.

The Multidimensionality of Consumption: Energy Lifestyles

This chapter enhances the previous understanding of Energy Lifestyles by identifying groups with distinct patterns of energy behavior across six areas of life. In contrast to most previous studies, the identification of groups is exclusively conducted on the basis of behavior-related data, whereas the characterization of the groups follows in a second step using psychological and socio-demographic variables. This chapter explicitly considers the multidimensionality of behavior and provides a comprehensive overview of different Energy Lifestyles and their potential roles in energy transition. The finding that there are almost no “average users” points out that policy designs must go beyond average figures based on the national emission figures and need to focus on different Energy Lifestyles.