Metallic Hydrogen :: essays research papers fc

Hydrogen: the most abundant element in the universe. Normally it has been considered to remain a non-metal at any range of temperatures and pressures. That is, until now. Recently this year, hydrogen was changed into a metallic substance, which could conduct electricity. An experiment conducted by William J. Nellis et al. at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory accomplished this feat. Hydrogen was converted from a non-metallic liquid, into a liquid metal. The likelihood that the most abundant element in the universe could be converted into metallic form at sufficient pressures was first theorized in 19351, but tangible evidence has eluded scientists in the intervening decades. "Metallization of hydrogen has been the elusive Holy Grail in high-pressure physics for many years," said Bill Nellis, one of three Livermore researchers involved in the project. "This is a significant contribution to condensed matter physics because a pressure and temperature that actually produce metallization have finally been discovered."2 Livermore researchers Sam Weir, Art Mitchell, and Bill Nellis used a two-stage gas gun at Livermore to create enormous shock pressure on a target containing liquid hydrogen cooled to 200 K (- 4200 F). Sam Weir, Arthur Mitchell (a Lab associate), and Bill Nellis published the results of their experiments in the March 11 issue of Physical Review Letters under the title "Metallization of Fluid Molecular Hydrogen at 140 GPa (1.4 Mbar)." When asked about the significance of the work, Nellis had this to say: "Hydrogen makes up 90 percent of the universe. Jupiter is 90 percent hydrogen and contains most of the mass in our planetary system. Hydrogen is very important to a lot of work done at the Lab. Hydrogen in the form of deuterium and tritium isotopes is the fuel in laser-fusion targets and how it behaves at high temperatures and pressures is very important to Nova and the National Ignition Facility."3 By measuring the electrical conductivity, they found that metallization occurs at pressure equivalent to 1.4 million times Earth's atmospheric pressure, nine times the initial density of hydrogen, and at a temperature of 30000 K (50000 F). Because of the high temperature, the hydrogen was a liquid. The intense pressure lasted less than a microsecond. Optical evidence of a new phase of hydrogen has been previously reported using an experimental approach that involves crushing microscopic-sized samples of crystalline hydrogen between diamond anvils.4 However, metallic character has not been established. Metallic character is most directly established by electrical conductivity measurements which are not yet possible in diamond anvil cells at these pressures. The Livermore team's results were surprising because of their methods, the form of hydrogen used and the pressure needed to achieve the result (which was much lower than previously believed). Virtually all predictions surrounding metallic hydrogen have been made for solid hydrogen at

A research proposal on contract strategies for projects in the subsea oil and gas industry Essay

Introduction In different subsea oil and gas projects developments, the award of large contracts for a variety of works is undertaken.   Nevertheless, the overall strategy for distributing these contracts to different contractors is the main issue regarding to contracting strategy. The recent researches on the field of contract strategies establish that the world is growing very fast technologically thus provoke the need for further exploration for sources of energy especially in subsea oil and gas industry. Furthermore, a profound increase in the projects complexity, increase in projects sizes as well as the intensified international engagements in related issues characterize oil and gas projects in the present world. Although these projects are based in the sea, it is argued by different scholars that construction processes have numerous groups of individuals and companies who get involved either as suppliers, buyers or as the real builders. To maintain and ensure ethical relationships among the various stakeholders contracts are formed.   A contract is a legal term that is either written or spoken as an agreement between two or more parties for the purpose of the delivery of particular services in return for money or any other valuable asset (Blum, 2007, p. 88). In projects related to subsea oil and gas engineering, the process and the character of contracting and presentation of projects contracts is of great significance for the future course of the project and as well for the general success of the project. As far as subsea oil and gas industry is concerned, contracts are the critical tolls for the allocation of tasks, risks and responsibilities. Most importantly, contracting strategies in the above discussed industry takes into account the division of responsibilities within the project cycle, the desired allocation of risks, splitting of engaged parties and services among the involved groups as well as taking into account the   interface and the market situation. Realistic selection of contracting strategies is the foundation of realization of goals and objectives of such projects. According to Blum (2007), it is of importance for involved stakeholders in such projects to have the awareness and knowledge about the particular characteristics of probable contracting strategies.   Contracting strategies refer to the strategies in all stages of a project that establish a level of integration in design, the actual construction and ongoing maintenance in a project and gives support to t he project in form of risk delivery, risk allocation and incentivisation. The Rationale of the Research Considering the increased exploration and initialization of subsea oil and gas exploration and extraction projects, it is of importance to acknowledge the significance of instigating effective and realistic contracting strategies, as they are key to the success of each and every projects. For this reason, it is important to bring into light various contracting strategies by discussing, exploring and analyzing the impacts of such strategies in subsea oil and gas engineering. It is in this respect that the research that will follow will go even deep to thrash out the advantages as well as the shortcomings of different contracting strategies with respect to various literatures in the specific field. Research issue As many comprehend, there has been very little in terms of research concerning contracting strategies especially in the subsea oil and gas sector.   Although few study this issue, many companies are investing in the industry probably ending up adopting one or several contracting strategies. It is therefore a major issue when the necessary research that can guide these companies in selecting the best approaches is unavailable. Research Aim The aim of this research will be to investigate various types of contract strategy used in the subsea oil and Gas Industries and the consideration made before choosing for a particular project. In addition, the research will provide insight in various concept of contracting strategies besides going deep to unclothe various strategies used in the subsea oil and gas industries. Furthermore, the research will explore, discus and determine the role of contract strategy in project management by comparing and evaluating their impacts on a project by applying cost reimbursable contract strategy and lump sum contract strategy. Finally, the study will materialize in identifying the benefits and disadvantages of the various types of contract strategies. The importance of the study On the event of the completion of this planned research,   it is anticipated that various stakeholders in subsea gas and oil industry will be provided with adequate   and vital information about contracting strategies in the field, their impacts on general project   performance, their advantage and disadvantages as well being equipped with information on the roles of various contracting strategies. Research questions To these ends, the study calls on the following research questions: What are the various types of contracting strategies used in the subsea oil and gas industry? What are the considerations made before choosing a contracting strategy? What are the roles of contracting strategies in the subsea oil and gas industry? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the discussed contracting strategies? The empirical part of the research examines the theoretical framework of the perspective of different contracting strategies, their effectiveness, their roles as well as the benefits and shortcomings that accrue as a result of their espousal. Literature review During the initial stages of any project, the main issue that faces the project management stakeholders is to make informed decisions on which contract strategies to adopt that best suits the project for successful achievement of the projects goals and objectives (Inkpen & Moffett, 2011, p. 187). According to Babusiaux (2007), contract strategy refers to the process or the endeavor to select an organizational or projects contractual policy that is required for the execution of specific projects within the major venture. Most importantly, a proper and effective contract strategy for a project especially the ones related to subsea oil and gas industry involves making of five critical and basic decisions that include; setting of the projects objectives and constraints and making of informed decisions on the selection of proper project delivery method. In addition deciding on selection of proper contract type as well as adopting realistic contract administrative mechanisms serves as a basis for triumphant selection of contracting strategies.   Nevertheless, in the subsea oil and gas engineering projects, a contract type is selected by the managers of the project through the advice of the projects engineers and his or her legal advisor. However, the selection in this case must meet the objectives and the goals of the project and be able to take into account the constraints that relate to the project. The objectives are in terms of the time objectives, functional performance, transfer of technology, use of local materials and resources, allocation and payment of risks as well as cost objectives among others. This lead to a reflective increase in the projects complexity, increase in projects sizes as well as the intensified international engagements. Essentially, there are different contracting strategies in subsea oil and gas industry. The contracting strategies include; Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracting strategy, Engineering Procurement and Construction with Long Lead Items (EPC with LLIs), Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management strategy (EPCM) as well as the Progressive Lump Sum (PLS) (Ross   & Williams, 2012, p. 236). As a matter of fact, the selection of a specific contracting strategy in the subsea oil and gas industry depends on the level of risk an owner of a project dares to undertake and in most cases it reflects the desired peril, the goal and the aspirations of the owner. For that reason, the specific features and factors of the particular project have to be handled with an in-depth analysis and compared to the characteristics of the respective strategy in a manner that provides a foundation for deciding and choosing on the most appropriate solution (Babusiaux, 2007, p. 116). As all this contracting strategies are based on the procurement process, it is basically known that supply chain in the industry of oil and gas has not been taken seriously for quite some time and this has resulted to significant drawbacks . Nevertheless, technological changes lead to the development of core values that aim only at fast exploration with consequent high production of oil and gas products. According to Piskarev & Shkatov (2012) before selecting a contracting strategy to implement, owners of subsea oil and gas projects should ensure that, they consider basic attributes that determine which effective strategy works best in particular environments. To maximize on this, the key factors to consider in such cases include; the type, the size and the location of the subsea industry.   Additionally, as mentioned in the overview, decisions should consider risk allocations, the projects interface, the time constraints   and the market structure among many other factors. References Inkpen, A. C., & Moffett, M. H. (2011). The global oil & gas industry: management,   Ã‚  Ã‚   strategy & finance. Tulsa, Okla, PennWell. Blum, B. A. (2007). Contracts: examples & explanations. Austin, Wolters Kluwer Law &   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Business Babusiaux, D. (2007). Oil and gas exploration and production: reserves, costs, contracts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paris, France, Editions Technip. Piskarev, A., & Shkatov, M. (2012). Energy Potential of the Russian Arctic Seas Choice of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   development strategy. Burlington, Elsevier Science. Ross, A., & Williams, P. (2012). Financial Management in Construction Contracting.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Chicester, Wiley.

Impact of Government Policies Essay

Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere, assess sociological views of the impact of government policies and laws on family life (24 marks) Social policies are laws made by the state to bring a change to society. As stated in item 2B different political policies have different ideologies and agendas that they will try and reinforce through the family. One example of a social policy is The Family Act Law in 1996 which is a part of John Majors ‘Back to Basics Campaign’ and this introduced a one year waiting period before a couple could file for divorce. It was implemented to encourage and reinforce the nuclear family and give couples a chance to work on their relationships and not choose the easy way out. This policy was to favour New Right as they believe that divorce undermines the traditional nuclear family. In their view, divorce creates more welfare dependent lone parent families, 90% of all lone parent families are matriarchal families and prevents boys from growing up properly, without the male role model they need to be successful for the future. As stated in 2B the New Right argue that the benefit system undermines traditional nuclear family by encouraging lone parents through divorce. Postmodernists would totally disagree with New Right thinkers and argue that this policy creates less family diversity and stops the creation of new family types such as lone parent families and reconstituted families. As stated in Item 2B, feminists argue that social policies assume that the ideal family s the nuclear family, and this policy favours this sort of family. Feminists would argue that most divorces are made by women, seven out of ten of all divorces. And so feminists would think that by keeping women in a relationship for a year, this would be oppressing them to stay in an unhappy and maybe abusive relationship. This policy would reinforce the ideology that Ansley says women are ‘the takers of shit’. Marxists would disprove this policy as it serves the needs of capitalism, maintaining the nuclear family. It is also very expensive so it doesn’t give the chance to some of the working class to file for divorce which leads to more empty shell marriages and keeps the two in an unhappy relationship. This policy has the impact of encouraging the nuclear family by giving the couple time to resolve their disputes in hope of them agreeing to stay together. However Lister (1996) suggests these policies are ‘an orgy  of lone parent bashing’, by removing the likelihood of a lone parent family, which is disliked by conservatives and New Right. Another policy introduced by Harold Wilson in 1967 was the Abortion Act. This allowed abortion to be performed on the approval of two medical practitioners, unless termination is immediately necessary to save a life. This policy was implemented by Labour and made contraception widely available, provided with women more choice in regards to their fertility, and allows them to pursue a career before having children. This policy was to control the size of the population, and reducing the size of the family encouraging child centered families and allowing parents to use their resources and more attention on these few children. New Right would disagree with this policy as they believe it’s reinforcing this ideology that women don’t have to start a family, it discourages the traditional nuclear family. Functionalists would also disagree as reproduction is a function of the family, it is not meant to be manipulated with and it discourages the traditional nuclear family in orde r for society to function correctly. However postmodernists would agree with this policy as it favours diversity and different family types such as cohabiting couples and single person households. Feminists would also agree with this policy as it gives women a chance to decide what they want to do with their bodies and gives them a a chance to focus on their career, before having children by choice. Marxists would agree as the nuclear family serves the needs of capitalism and with the use of abortion, there will be less families. This policy contrasts with the government policy in Romania in the 1980s where the former communist government attempted to increase the birth rate by putting restrictions on contraception and abortion, setting up fertility centres, making divorce more difficult to obtain and forcing childless couples to pay an extra 5% income tax. This was set up to increase the population and therefore increase the size families in Romania. In China, there was a one child policy to reduce population size and discouraged couples from having more than one child. According to Adrian Wilson (1985) the policy is supervised by workplace family planning committees, women must seek permission to try and become to try to become pregnant, and there is a waiting list and a quota for each factory. Couples who comply with the policy get extra  benefits such as free health care and higher tax allowances, An only child will also get priority in education and housing in later life. Couples who break the agreement must repay their allowances and pay a fine. Women are also faced the pressure to undergo sterilization after their first child. This encourages people to have one child and therefore affects family life by controlling family size through this policy. Another social policy is Working Family Tax Credit introduced by labour government and improves the conditions of the underclass. It is a state benefit made to families that work and have low income. It was implemented to provide a system of support to help families tackle child poverty and make work pay. The policy tops up the wages of parents moving from benefits to low paid work. It was a system of support for families by reducing the amount of tax they have to pay. It removes children out of poverty and allows more opportunity within the family for children, for example education because with more wealth the child will not experience material deprivation and will gain more cultural capital, consequently improving their educational prospects and more opportunities later in life. New Right would agree with this policy as it encourages people to have the traditional nuclear families by benefiting from it, functionalists favour this as the nuclear family serves the functions for society to run successfully. Feminists would dislike this policy as it’s encouraging women to stay in the traditional nuclear family as they can benefit from it, this causes women to stay in an unhappy relationship where they may be vulnerable to domestic violence. Marxists would also dislike this policy as the family is serving the needs of capitalism, further allowing the bourgeoisie to exploit its workers through the family. A final example of a social policy is Sure Start which was implemented by the Labour Government and aimed at giving every child the best start at life which offers a broad range of services including family health, early years care and education and improved well being programmes to children aged 4 and under. It was set up to end child poverty, reduce social exclusion and save money by creating well behaved youngsters who would be less likely to get involved in crime. It also brings benefits to health, education and family  life and encourages parents to be better parents , gives single parents opportunities. A study published in December 2010, compared 5 year olds in sure start areas with their contemporaries in non sure start areas and found that there were fewer obese children in the areas where the programme had run. Parents felt there were many benefits, they said children were well behaved and healthier. New Right despise this social policy as it encourages more single parent families, knowing they will get help from sure start and undermines the traditional nuclear family. Functionalists would agree with New Right as it encourages more single parent families, undermines the traditional nuclear family and therefore the functions cant be performed through the family. Feminists would favour this policy as it lets women escape the oppression from the family, knowing lone parent families will get help from Sure Start. There are 12 and a half hours of free nursery available for children and this can encourage people to spend less time with their children so New Right and Functionalists would disagree as parents are supposed to socialize their children. Marxists would also disagree as it creates more flexible hours for parents to work, therefore serving the needs of capitalism. In conclusion, the impacts of government policies and laws can have massive effects on family life and differences in family types.

Gilgamesh Synopsis

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient poem/literature from Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). The Epic of Gilgamesh is amongst the earliest work of literature known to man. This Literature was originally inscribed on 12 clay tablets in cuneiform script. This literature explores the adventures of Gilgamesh, the historical part-god and part-human King of Uruk (one of the many cities in ancient Mesopotamia). This literature also explores the boundaries of love, friendship, death, immortality, and life as we might relate to it today.Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third human/mortal. He was portrayed in the literature a human king of his people of Uruk and also a supernatural god. Gilgamesh was the strongest of all men, the bravest of the bravest, and a magnificent builder. One of Gilgamesh’s greatest accomplishments was that he was able to build temple towers (ziggurats) and walls that protected his Uruk people from invasions. The Epic of Gilgamesh described a catastrophic flood similar to that experienced by Noah in the Christian bible.This Noah like character was known as Utnapishtim in this literature. He was a king and priest who was granted immortality from the gods after his great boat carried him, his wife, and every living creature to safety after the flood. Utnapishtim was the keeper of the secrets of immortality. Despite some of Gilgamesh’s great accomplishments he was very arrogant as a king and as a mortal who had some godlike features. The people of Uruk were fearful of Gilgamesh, and they prayed to their gods to liberate them from Gilgamesh’s arrogance.Relief came in the form of Enkidu, the beastly man who sought to be Gilgamesh’s rival but instead became his good companion, after being seduced by Shamhat (the temple prostitute). Gilgamesh lived a life of supremacy and adventures. Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu achieved numerous victories over their adversaries, one of which was the demon Humbada. The gods had later pu nished Gilgamesh and Enkidu for their forms of tyranny by giving Enkidu a slow and painful death. After the death of companion and friend Enkidu, a grief-stricken Gilgamesh became fearful of his own mortality and went in pursuit of Utnapishtim’s secrets of immortality.Gilgamesh traveled the ends of the earth searching for Utnapishtim, the one man whom the Gods saved from the flood, and who was supposed to be able to give Gilgamesh immortality. Gilgamesh’s pursuit for immortality was futile, despite that fact that he was giving an alternative for attaining immortality in the form of a plant which was located at the bottom of the ocean. Gilgamesh went back to Uruk not only tired and weary but, as a changed man with a more approving attitude about life. Gilgamesh seemingly became more appreciative of mortality and optimistic about still achieving greatness and a legacy as a mortal versus an immortal.

File Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

File - Essay Example For a long time, those who supported Dreyfus had not been able to make any objections but the publication of Zola’s article gave them the much needed boost to challenge the affair. The emergence of two opposing camps definitely had a great impact on the Third Republic. It is rather hard to determine when the Dreyfusard camp came into existence. The truth is that a large section of public opinion, together with a large section of intellectuals, politicians, journalists and writers were sure that Dreyfus was guilty by the time his trial came into an end in 1894. If anything, the court had declared him guilty and the newspapers had broadcasted this guilty sentence. Even though individuals such as Zola were dismayed by the anti-Semitism direction that the trial had taken in dying years of 1894, no one came out publicly to challenge the outcome of the sentence. In addition to this, from the moment that Dreyfus had been arrested, a very small number of individuals were convinced of his innocence. After the conviction, several individuals led by Edgar Demange, a criminal lawyer soon began to see the conviction as a case of racial profiling. Upon the passage of the guilty verdict, Demange held a press conference where he declared that the incarceration wa s a judicial mistake. On the other hand, the anti-Dreyfusard’s were the individuals who were convinced that Dreyfus was guilty of the charges brought against him and was therefore fit to be in prison. For the Dreyfusard’s, their main issue at the beginning of the affair was calling for a revision of the issue. At first, revisionism only meant for the review of Dreyfus sentence but with the passage of time it generated into a larger fight against anti-Semitism, militarism, nationalism, and conservatism. In later years, revision turned into a call for the change in ideology. As the movement grew, Dreyfusard’s started addressing the issue of French anti-Semitism that had not been

Research Notetaking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Notetaking - Assignment Example to more readily irrigate land in Mexican territory- in 1904 the company excavated a more direct opening at a site a few miles south of the California/Mexico border† (Wiltshire, Gilbert and Rogers 2) Jackson relates that the roots of the Hoover Dam project stretch deep into a long-term goal by the private sector to secure the irrigation of the Imperial Valley in the southern section of California. These efforts can be traced back to the 1900’s, when such irrigation aims became central to the existence of the Colorado Development Company. The successful early efforts resulted in a large tract of the Imperial Valley being nicely irrigated. There were problems however with canal siltation, even when the valley was being successfully irrigated, so that the firm had to redouble its efforts building another canal on top of the original canal that tapped the Colorado River and connected the valley to it (Wiltshire, Gilbert and Rogers 2). â€Å"Constructed in the 1930s, the concrete arch-gravity structure was intended to prevent flooding as well as provide much-needed irrigation and hydroelectric power to arid regions of states like California and Arizona. It was originally known as Boulder Dam, but was renamed in 1947 in honor of Herbert Hoover, who as U.S. secretary of commerce and the 31st U.S. president proved instrumental in getting the dam built. At 726 feet high and 1,244 feet long, Hoover Dam was one of the largest man-made structures in the world at the time of its construction, and one of the worlds largest producers of hydroelectric power† (A&E Television Networks). The History Channel notes that the Hoover Dam was originally named Boulder Dam, but that in 1947 the dam was renamed to honor the late President Edgar Hoover. Hoover was also US Commerce Secretary, and it was Hoover who was credited with having done a substantial part of the work to erect the iconic structure to the benefit of the people of states like Arizona and California. For those states,

Misrepresenting of Japanese War Memories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Misrepresenting of Japanese War Memories - Essay Example In this work called "Misrepresenting of Japanese War Memories ," the author gives full coverage to stereotypical images of Japanese collectively in negation about the crimes are confusing and fail to notice the more predominant opinion receiving wartime fault and favoring atonement.The author beginning with the expression of views/facts of the problem and then logically passes over to its possible solutions. Western media, as a rule, addressed this question in an â€Å"orthodox† manner as they criticize Japan and the Japanese for â€Å"addressing the past inadequately.† It claims that â€Å"non-acquaintance,†, "ignorance", â€Å"denial,† and â€Å"amnesia† were extensively referenced. But the views of the Japanese people were mainly based on family and personal experiences other than what was said by the media, politicians, or textbooks. As the survey of the Japanese (and to an extent also the international) media’s role in Japan’s ten sion with war memory, this article undoubtedly offers a refreshing, recreative and highly welcome contribution to this problem. Japan is often excoriated for not doing enough to apologize and make amends, but Seaton reminds us that other nations are identically guilty and blameworthy. It is hard to predict the course of events in future, but there is some evidence of the improvement of this situation. The author concludes by saying that the present-day generation of the Japanese civilization is not to blame for the â€Å"fresh† contested war memories. therefore the article is engrossing, significant, and of great value.... Expert observing the Japanese progress on the issue often declare the end of the post-war. But sooner or later, new controversies or revelations emerge and the painful memories and mutual accusations about the past come to life again (6). As a result, the story of war in Japan has not yet been committed to history. It still rests as a â€Å"current affairs† issue. The war is still fresh in the memories of the Japanese, and they apparently seem as if unable to let it go. Accusations of â€Å"Amnesia† against the Japanese Amnesia is a term used to refer to complete or partial loss of memory (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). The western world accuses Japan of â€Å"amnesia† due to the features in the majority of Japanese war memories and also the way the subject of history is being taught in Japanese schools. Nonetheless, the word â€Å"amnesia† is a blunt term that does not tell between the complex disparities in interpretation, ranking of partic ular issues in terms of their importance, approach procedure and the governmental uses of history that reinforce contending cultural reminiscences of the war (135). Recalling war history at the national level grants an uncomfortable contrast concerning what â€Å"Japan† did to others versus what others did to â€Å"Japan.† There are many war memorial sites in Japan that attract lots of local tourists and school children. The problem that the western world has with these sites are allegations that they kind of justify that Japan was merely protecting itself, and that it had no other option than to go to war. As such, these sites split into two kinds: sites exalting or commemorating the military such as Chiran, Tachiarai, and Yasukumi, and others commemorate Japanese victimhood such as Okinawa,