Developing STEM Identity of Nez Perce Students: Identifying Entry-Level Competencies for Forestry and Fire Management

The purpose of this study was to identify the competencies that are required for entry-level forestry and fire management technicians. The strategy is a part of a larger goal to develop the STEM identity of Nez Perce students through the integration of relevant competencies in middle and high school curriculums. The DACUM process was used. Through this groupware process, nine experts from the Nez Perce Natural Resources produced a competency profile consisting of 12 duties and 79 tasks, along with general knowledge and skills, attitudes, tools, and future trends. Findings indicate that the experts view relevant cultural competencies as central to the function of the job and not as mere enablers. This has implications for how content is integrated, taught, and assessed in schools

Observables sensitive to absolute neutrino masses: A reappraisal after WMAP-3y and first MINOS results

In the light of recent neutrino oscillation and non-oscillation data, we revisit the phenomenological constraints applicable to three observables sensitive to absolute neutrino masses: The effective neutrino mass in single beta decay (m_beta); the effective Majorana neutrino mass in neutrinoless double beta decay (m_2beta); and the sum of neutrino masses in cosmology (Sigma). In particular, we include the constraints coming from the first Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) data and from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) three-year (3y) data, as well as other relevant cosmological data and priors. We find that the largest neutrino squared mass difference is determined with a 15% accuracy (at 2-sigma) after adding MINOS to world data. We also find upper bounds on the sum of neutrino masses Sigma ranging from ~2 eV (WMAP-3y data only) to ~0.2 eV (all cosmological data) at 2-sigma, in agreement with previous studies. In addition, we discuss the connection of such bounds with those placed on the matter power spectrum normalization parameter sigma_8. We show how the partial degeneracy between Sigma and sigma_8 in WMAP-3y data is broken by adding further cosmological data, and how the overall preference of such data for relatively high values of sigma_8 pushes the upper bound of Sigma in the sub-eV range. Finally, for various combination of data sets, we revisit the (in)compatibility between current Sigma and m_2beta constraints (and claims), and derive quantitative predictions for future single and double beta decay experiments.Comment: 18 pages, including 7 figure

Identifying Essential Fisheries Competencies to Link to School Curriculum: Supporting Nez Perce Students’ STEM Identity

This study examined the process to identify required competencies for an entry-level position in the Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management located in the Pacific Northwest. The overall goal was to provide content for a pedagogical framework to support Nez Perce students in the development of their STEM identity and to consider careers in natural resources and fisheries. The DACUM process was used to analyze the job, Fisheries Technician. The process involved a focus group of six expert workers in the Department of Fisheries Resource Management and was led by a facilitator. The experts identified 48 competencies categorized as technical and professional for fisheries technician. Seven cultural competencies were also identified as important for the successful accomplishment of work and the quality of work life. Competencies will provide content for the middle and high school culture, science, and technology curriculums, and there is the potential to connect technical and professional competencies to a career and technical education microcredentialing system

β\beta-Decay Spectrum, Response Function and Statistical Model for Neutrino Mass Measurements with the KATRIN Experiment

The objective of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is to determine the effective electron neutrino mass $m(\nu_\text{e})$ with an unprecedented sensitivity of $0.2\,\text{eV}$ (90\% C.L.) by precision electron spectroscopy close to the endpoint of the $\beta$ decay of tritium. We present a consistent theoretical description of the $\beta$ electron energy spectrum in the endpoint region, an accurate model of the apparatus response function, and the statistical approaches suited to interpret and analyze tritium $\beta$ decay data observed with KATRIN with the envisaged precision. In addition to providing detailed analytical expressions for all formulae used in the presented model framework with the necessary detail of derivation, we discuss and quantify the impact of theoretical and experimental corrections on the measured $m(\nu_\text{e})$. Finally, we outline the statistical methods for parameter inference and the construction of confidence intervals that are appropriate for a neutrino mass measurement with KATRIN. In this context, we briefly discuss the choice of the $\beta$ energy analysis interval and the distribution of measuring time within that range.Comment: 27 pages, 22 figures, 2 table

The Anderson-Mott transition induced by hole-doping in Nd1-xTiO3

The insulator/metal transition induced by hole-doping due to neodymium vacancies of the Mott- Hubbard antiferromagnetic insulator, Nd1-xTiO3, is studied over the composition range 0.010(6) < x < 0.243(10). Insulating p-types conduction is found for x < 0.071(10). Anderson localization in the presence of a Mott-Hubbard gap, is the dominant localization mechanism for the range of 0.074(10) < x < 0.089(1) samples. For x < 0.089(1), n-type conduction is observed and the activation energy extrapolates to zero by x < 0.1. The 0.095(8) < x < 0.203(10) samples are Fermi-liquid metals and the effects of strong electronic correlations are evident near the metal-to-insulator boundaries in features such as large Fermi liquid T2 coefficients. For 0.074(9) < x < 0.112(4), a weak negative magnetoresistance is found below ~ 15 K and it is attributed to the interaction of conduction electrons with Nd3+ magnetic moments. Combining information from our companion study of the magnetic properties of Nd1-xTiO3 solid solution, a phase diagram is proposed. The main conclusions are that long range antiferromagnetic order disappears before the onset of metallic behavior and that the Anderson-Mott transition occurs over a finite range of doping levels. Our results differ from conclusions drawn from a similar study on the hole doped Nd1-xCaxTiO3 system which found the co-existence of antiferromagnetic order and metallic behavior and that the Mott transition occurs at a discrete doping level

Statistical Analysis of Different Muon-antineutrino->Electron-antineutrino Searches

A combined statistical analysis of the experimental results of the LSND and KARMEN \numubnueb oscillation search is presented. LSND has evidence for neutrino oscillations that is not confirmed by the KARMEN experiment. This joint analysis is based on the final likelihood results for both data sets. A frequentist approach is applied to deduce confidence regions. At a combined confidence level of 36%, there is no area of oscillation parameters compatible with both experiments. For the complementary confidence of 1-0.36=64%, there are two well defined regions of oscillation parameters (sin^2(2th),Dm^2) compatible with both experiments.Comment: 25 pages, including 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Cosmological implications of the KATRIN experiment

The upcoming Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment will put unprecedented constraints on the absolute mass of the electron neutrino, \mnue. In this paper we investigate how this information on \mnue will affect our constraints on cosmological parameters. We consider two scenarios; one where \mnue=0 (i.e., no detection by KATRIN), and one where \mnue=0.3eV. We find that the constraints on \mnue from KATRIN will affect estimates of some important cosmological parameters significantly. For example, the significance of $n_s<1$ and the inferred value of $\Omega_\Lambda$ depend on the results from the KATRIN experiment.Comment: 13 page