Competitive Equilibrium in Markets for Votes

We develop a competitive equilibrium theory of a market for votes. Before voting on a binary issue, individuals may buy and sell their votes with each other. We definne ex ante vote-trading equilibrium, identify weak sufficient conditions for existence, and construct one such equilibrium. We show that this equilibrium must always result in dictatorship and the market generates welfare losses, relative to simple majority voting, if the committee is large enough. We test the theoretical implications by implementing a competitive vote market in the laboratory using a continuous open-book multi-unit double auction

The strangeness form factors of the proton

The present empirical information on the strangeness form factors indicates that the corresponding $uuds\bar s$ component in the proton is such that the $uuds$ subsystem has the flavor spin symmetry $[4]_{FS}[22]_F[22]_S$ and mixed orbital symmetry $[31]_X$. This $uuds\bar s$ configuration leads to the empirical signs of all the form factors $G_E^s$, $G_M^s$ and $G_A^s$. An analysis with simple quark model wave functions for the preferred configuration shows that the qualitative features of the empirical strangeness form factors may be described with a $\sim$ 15% admixture of $uuds\bar s$ with a compact wave function in the proton. Transition matrix elements between the $uud$ and the $uuds\bar s$ components give significant contributions

The Power of Sunspots: An Experimental Analysis

We present an experiment in which extrinsic information (signals) may generate sunspot equilibria. The underlying coordination game has a unique symmetric non-sunspot equilibrium, which is also risk-dominant. Other equilibria can be ordered according to risk dominance. We compare treatments with different salient, but extrinsic signals. By increasing the precision of private signals, we manipulate the available public information, which allows us to measure the force of extrinsic signals. We also vary the number of signals and combine public and private signals, allowing us to see how subjects aggregate available (and possibly irrelevant) information. Results indicate that sunspot equilibria emerge naturally if there are salient (but extrinsic) public signals. However, salient private signals of high precision may also cause sunspot-driven behavior, even though this is no equilibrium. The higher the precision of signals and the easier they can be aggregated, the more powerful they are in dragging behavior away from the risk-dominant to risk-dominated strategies. Sunspot-driven behavior may lead to welfare losses and exert negative externalities on agents, who do not receive extrinsic signals.coordination games, strategic uncertainty, sunspot equilibria, irrelevant information

Black Swamp Pub and Bistro Analysis

The Black Swamp Pub and Bistro is a full-service restaurant located in the Union on the Bowling Green State University Campus. We mainly do sit-down service, but we also do take-out orders and have a full bar with draft beers as well as mixed drinks. Our menu tends to change a lot, with new additions as well as some of the items being deleted. My goal of this project is to try to give some insight on the patterns that are too big to see with day-to-day operations as well as give some recommendations for the future that is backed by proof and data

An LED pulser for measuring photomultiplier linearity

A light-emitting diode (LED) pulser for testing the low-rate response of a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to scintillator-like pulses has been designed, developed, and implemented. This pulser is intended to simulate 80 ns full width at half maximum photon pulses over the dynamic range of the PMT, in order to precisely determine PMT linearity. This particular design has the advantage that, unlike many LED test rigs, it does not require the use of multiple calibrated LEDs, making it insensitive to LED gain drifts. Instead, a finite-difference measurement is made using two LEDs which need not be calibrated with respect to one another. These measurements give a better than 1% mapping of the response function, allowing for the testing and development of particularly linear PMT bases.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Measurement of the Neutral Weak Form Factors of the Proton

We have measured the parity-violating electroweak asymmetry in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from the proton. The kinematic point (theta_lab = 12.3 degrees and Q^2=0.48 (GeV/c)^2) is chosen to provide sensitivity, at a level that is of theoretical interest, to the strange electric form factor G_E^s. The result, A=-14.5 +- 2.2 ppm, is consistent with the electroweak Standard Model and no additional contributions from strange quarks. In particular, the measurement implies G_E^s + 0.39G_M^s = 0.023 +- 0.034 (stat) +- 0.022 (syst) +- 0.026 (delta G_E^n), where the last uncertainty arises from the estimated uncertainty in the neutron electric form factor.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Optimization of a 10G recirculating loop test bed

An optical fiber recirculating loop is a device used to experiment and study long haul transmissions for optical fiber communication applications. It simulates long distance communications by making the signal circulate through a loop containing one or multiple spans of optical fiber a certain number of times, saving the expensive cost of the equipment needed to reach thousands of kilometers. This bachelor thesis aims to optimize the 10G optical recirculating loop test bed placed in the Network Laboratory of ETS University. This loop contains approximately 160 km of optical fiber, two dispersion compensator modules (DCM) and four EDFA amplifiers. The signal under test is a 10G (OC-192) NRZ in a DWDM 50 GHz channel span. Test bed is characterized and various configurations are studied to optimize its performance. Different software is developed in order to control the loop and obtain results of the quality of transmission of the signal after it. Finally, different experiments are performed and results are provided to demonstrate the operation.Un loop recirculador de fibra óptica es un dispositivo utilizado para estudiar comunicaciones por fibra óptica a larga distancia. Este dispositivo simula estas transmisiones haciendo circular el señal dentro un loop cerrado que contiene uno o diversos spans de fibra óptica un numero determinado de veces. Con este dispositivo se ahorra el coste del equipamiento necesario para un sistema convencional. Este proyecto pretende optimizar el banco de pruebas 10G recirulating loop situado en el "Network Laboratory" de la universidad ETS de Montreal. Este loop recirculador contiene aproximadamente 160 km de fibra óptica, dos modulos compensadores de la dispersión (DCM) i cuatro amplificadores EDFA. El señal estudiado es un OC-192 con modulación OOK NRZ multiplexado en DWDM con una separación entre canales de 50 GHz. El banco de pruebas es caracterizado y distintas configuraciones son estudiadas para optimizar su rendimiento. Diferentes herramientas de software son programadas para controlar el loop y obtener resultados de la calidad del señal. Finalmente, los resultados de los experimentos son expuestos para demostrar el funcionamiento.Un loop recirculador de fibra òptica és un dispositiu utilitzat per estudiar comunicacions per fibra òptica a llarga distància. Aquest dispositiu simula aquestes comunicacions fent circular el senyal dins un loop tancat que conte un o diversos spans de fibra òptica un cert nombre de vegades. Estalviant el cost en equipament que suposa un sistema convencional. Aquest projecte pretén optimitzar el banc de test 10G recirulating loop situat al "Network Laboratory" de la universitat ETS de Montreal. Aquest loop recirculador conté aproximadament 160 km de fibra òptica, dos mòduls compensadors de la dispersió (DCM) i quatre amplificadors EDFA. El senyal estudiat és OC-192 amb modulació OOK NRZ multiplexat en DWDM amb una separació entre canals de 50 GHz. El banc de proves és caracteritzat i diferents configuracions són estudiades per optimitzar el seu rendiment. Diverses eines de software per controlar el loop i obtenir resultats de la qualitat de transmissió del senyal són desenvolupades durant el projecte. Finalment els resultats de diferents experiments són exposats per demostrar el funcionament

The baryon octet magnetic moments to all orders in flavor breaking; an application to the problem of the strangeness in the nucleon

Using the general QCD parametrization (GP) we display the magnetic moments of the octet baryons including all flavor breaking terms to any order. The hierarchy of the GP parameters allows to estimate a parameter $g_{0}$ related to the quark loops contribution of the proton magnetic moment; its order of magnitude is predicted to be inside a comparatively small interval including the value given recently by Leinweber et al. by a lattice QCD calculationComment: (13 pages- version accepted for publication Phys.Rev.D. Note added in last section, 2 references adde