A vapor barrier for cold testing printed circuit cards

Cold testing method prevents formation of frost on printed circuit boards and part holders during testing at sub-zero temperatures. Freon permits rapid attainment of the required testing temperature

Supernova Constraints and Systematic Uncertainties from the First Three Years of the Supernova Legacy Survey

We combine high-redshift Type Ia supernovae from the first three years of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) with other supernova (SN) samples, primarily at lower redshifts, to form a high-quality joint sample of 472 SNe (123 low-z, 93 SDSS, 242 SNLS, and 14 Hubble Space Telescope). SN data alone require cosmic acceleration at >99.999% confidence, including systematic effects. For the dark energy equation of state parameter (assumed constant out to at least z = 1.4) in a flat universe, we find w = –0.91^(+0.16)_(–0.20)(stat)^(+0.07)_(–0.14)(sys) from SNe only, consistent with a cosmological constant. Our fits include a correction for the recently discovered relationship between host-galaxy mass and SN absolute brightness. We pay particular attention to systematic uncertainties, characterizing them using a systematic covariance matrix that incorporates the redshift dependence of these effects, as well as the shape-luminosity and color-luminosity relationships. Unlike previous work, we include the effects of systematic terms on the empirical light-curve models. The total systematic uncertainty is dominated by calibration terms. We describe how the systematic uncertainties can be reduced with soon to be available improved nearby and intermediate-redshift samples, particularly those calibrated onto USNO/SDSS-like systems

Exotic coloured fermions and lepton number violation at the LHC

Majorana neutrino mass models with a scale of lepton number violation (LNV) of order TeV potentially lead to signals at the LHC. Here, we consider an extension of the standard model with a coloured octet fermion and a scalar leptoquark. This model generates neutrino masses at 2-loop order. We make a detailed MonteCarlo study of the LNV signal at the LHC in this model, including a simulation of standard model backgrounds. Our forecast predicts that the LHC with 300/fb should be able to probe this model up to colour octet fermion masses in the range of (2.6-2.7) TeV, depending on the lepton flavour of the final state.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Fake Weed, Real Consequences: Effective Strategies for Addressing Synthetic Cannabinoids in Houston

A rise in the use of synthetic cannabinoids (SynCans) in Houston has prompted law enforcement officials to target sellers and users of the drug. However, taking a health-based approach toward curbing the use of SynCans, which has caused dangerous and sometimes fatal side effects in extreme cases, may be a more effective use of city resources, writes Katharine A. Neill, the Alfred C. Glassell, III, Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy

While many factors affect states’ criminal justice policies, the size of the black population is often a significant driver of harsh practices

What drives criminal justice policy in America? Using data from a study of criminal justice policy from 2002 to 2007, Katharine A. Neill finds that criminal justice policy is complex and multidimensional, with many factors influencing policies. For example, states with more violent crime are more likely to arrest people for ‘immorality’ crimes, such as drug abuse and prostitution, and those with higher rates of property crime tend to have less punitive incarceration practices. She also finds that states with larger Black populations are also more likely to have more punitive incarceration practices, conditions of confinement and juvenile justice policies