Effect of strong opinions on the dynamics of the majority-vote model

We study how the presence of individuals with strong opinions affects a square lattice majority-vote model with noise. In a square lattice network we perform Monte-Carlo simulations and replace regular actors σ with strong actors μ in a random distribution. We find that the value of the critical noise parameter q c is a decreasing function of the concentration r of strong actors in the social interaction network. We calculate the critical exponents β/ν, γ/ν, and 1/ν and find that the presence of strong actors does not change the Ising universality class of the isotropic majority-vote model.The authors acknowledge financial support from UPE (PFA2016, PIAEXT2016) and the funding agencies FACEPE (APQ-0565-1.05/14), CAPES and CNPq. The Boston University Center for Polymer Studies is supported by NSF Grants PHY-1505000, CMMI-1125290, and CHE-1213217, by DTRA Grant HDTRA1-14-1-0017, and by DOE Contract DE-AC07-05Id14517. (UPE (PFA, PIAEXT); APQ-0565-1.05/14 - FACEPE; CAPES; CNPq; PHY-1505000 - NSF; CMMI-1125290 - NSF; CHE-1213217 - NSF; HDTRA1-14-1-0017 - DTRA; DE-AC07-05Id14517 - DOE)Published versio

Renormalization Group Analysis in NRQCD for Colored Scalars

The vNRQCD Lagrangian for colored heavy scalar fields in the fundamental representation of QCD and the renormalization group analysis of the corresponding operators are presented. The results are an important ingredient for renormalization group improved computations of scalar-antiscalar bound state energies and production rates at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic (NNLL) order.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures; revtex4. References added; version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Multiple Transactions Model: A Panel Data Approach to Estimate Housing Market Indices

In this paper, a multiple transactions model with a panel data approach is used to estimate housing market indices. The multiple transactions model keeps the same features of the repeat transactions index model (i.e., tracking the price appreciation of same houses). However, the multiple transactions model overcomes the shortcomings of the repeat transactions model by avoiding the correlated error terms. The indicative empirical analysis on a small sample of actual house transaction data demonstrates that the proposed multiple transactions model is superior to the repeat transactions model in terms of index variance, robustness of estimate, index revision volatility, and out-of-sample prediction of individual house prices.

Perturbative corrections to the determination of Vub from the P+ spectrum in B->X_u l nu

We investigate the relation between the E_gamma spectrum in B->X_s gamma decay and the P+ spectrum in semileptonic B->X_u l nu decay (P+ is the hadronic energy minus the absolute value of the hadronic three-momentum), which provides in principle the theoretically simplest determination of Vub from any of the "shape function regions" of B->X_u l nu spectra. We calculate analytically the P+ spectrum to order alpha_s^2 beta_0, and study its relation to the B->X_s gamma photon spectrum to eliminate the leading dependence on nonperturbative effects. We compare the result of fixed order perturbation theory to the next-to-leading log renormalization group improved calculation, and argue that fixed order perturbation theory is likely to be a more appropriate expansion. Implications for the perturbative uncertainties in the determination of Vub from the P+ spectrum are discussed.Comment: reference added, to appear in PR

Charm and Bottom Masses from Sum Rules with a Convergence Test

In this talk we discuss results of a new extraction of the MS-bar charm quark mass using relativistic QCD sum rules at O(as**3) based on moments of the vector and the pseudoscalar current correlators and using the available experimental measurements from e+e- collisions and lattice results, respectively. The analysis of the perturbative uncertainties is based on different implementations of the perturbative series and on independent variations of the renormalization scales for the mass and the strong coupling following a work we carried out earlier. Accounting for the perturbative series that result from this double scale variation is crucial since some of the series can exhibit extraordinarily small scale dependence, if the two scales are set equal. The new aspect of the work reported here adresses the problem that double scale variation might also lead to an overestimate of the perturbative uncertainties. We supplement the analysis by a convergence test that allows to quantify the overall convergence of QCD perturbation theory for each moment and to discard series that are artificially spoiled by specific choices of the renormalization scales. We also apply the new method to an extraction of the MS-bar bottom quark mass using experimental moments that account for a modeling uncertainty associated to the continuum region where no experimental data is available. We obtain m_c(m_c) = 1.287 +- 0.020 GeV and m_b(m_b) = 4.167 +- 0.023 GeV.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Presented at the International Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle Vienna, Austria, September 8-12, 201

Variable Flavor Number Scheme for Final State Jets

We discuss a variable flavor number scheme (VFNS) for final state jets which can account for the effects of arbitrary finite quark masses in inclusive jet observables. The scheme is a generalization of the VFNS scheme for PDFs applied to setups with additional dynamical scales and relies on appropriate renormalization conditions for the matrix elements in the factorization theorem. We illustrate general properties by means of the example of deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) in the endpoint region $x\rightarrow 1$ and event shapes in the dijet limit, in particular the calculations of threshold corrections, consistency conditions and relations to mass singularities found in fixed-order massive calculations.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the XXII. International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects, 28 April - 2 May 2014, Warsaw, Polan

On the Light Massive Flavor Dependence of the Large Order Asymptotic Behavior and the Ambiguity of the Pole Mass

We provide a systematic renormalization group formalism for the mass effects in the relation of the pole mass $m_Q^{\rm pole}$ and short-distance masses such as the $\overline{\rm MS}$ mass $\overline{m}_Q$ of a heavy quark $Q$, coming from virtual loop insertions of massive quarks lighter than $Q$. The formalism reflects the constraints from heavy quark symmetry and entails a combined matching and evolution procedure that allows to disentangle and successively integrate out the corrections coming from the lighter massive quarks and the momentum regions between them and to precisely control the large order asymptotic behavior. With the formalism we systematically sum logarithms of ratios of the lighter quark masses and $m_Q$, relate the QCD corrections for different external heavy quarks to each other, predict the ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^4)$ virtual quark mass corrections in the pole-$\overline{\rm MS}$ mass relation, calculate the pole mass differences for the top, bottom and charm quarks with a precision of around $20$ MeV and analyze the decoupling of the lighter massive quark flavors at large orders. The summation of logarithms is most relevant for the top quark pole mass $m_t^{\rm pole}$, where the hierarchy to the bottom and charm quarks is large. We determine the ambiguity of the pole mass for top, bottom and charm quarks in different scenarios with massive or massless bottom and charm quarks in a way consistent with heavy quark symmetry, and we find that it is $250$ MeV. The ambiguity is larger than current projections for the precision of top quark mass measurements in the high-luminosity phase of the LHC.Comment: 45 pages + appendix, 6 figures, v2: journal versio