14,288 research outputs found
Neutrino oscillations and Lorentz Invariance Violation in a Finslerian Geometrical model
Neutrino oscillations are one of the first evidences of physics beyond the
Standard Model (SM). Since Lorentz Invariance is a fundamental symmetry of the
SM, recently also neutrino physics has been explored to verify the eventual
modification of this symmetry and its potential magnitude. In this work we
study the consequences of the introduction of Lorentz Invariance Violation
(LIV) in the high energy neutrinos propagation and evaluate the impact of this
eventual violation on the oscillation predictions. An effective theory
explaining these physical effects is introduced via Modified Dispersion
Relations. This approach, originally introduced by Coleman and Glashow,
corresponds in our model to a modification of the special relativity geometry.
Moreover, the generalization of this perspective leads to the introduction of a
maximum attainable velocity which is specific of the particle. This can be
formalized in Finsler geometry, a more general theory of space-time. In the
present paper the impact of this kind of LIV on neutrino phenomenology is
studied, in particular by analyzing the corrections introduced in neutrino
oscillation probabilities for different values of neutrino energies and
baselines of experimental interest. The possibility of further improving the
present constraints on CPT-even LIV coefficients by means of our analysis is
also discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication with minor revisions, will appear on
European Physics Journal
Flight deck engine advisor
The focus of this project is on alerting pilots to impending events in such a way as to provide the additional time required for the crew to make critical decisions concerning non-normal operations. The project addresses pilots' need for support in diagnosis and trend monitoring of faults as they affect decisions that must be made within the context of the current flight. Monitoring and diagnostic modules developed under the NASA Faultfinder program were restructured and enhanced using input data from an engine model and real engine fault data. Fault scenarios were prepared to support knowledge base development activities on the MONITAUR and DRAPhyS modules of Faultfinder. An analysis of the information requirements for fault management was included in each scenario. A conceptual framework was developed for systematic evaluation of the impact of context variables on pilot action alternatives as a function of event/fault combinations
Analysis of X-ray flares in GRBs
We present a detailed study of the spectral and temporal properties of the
X-ray flares emission of several GRBs. We select a sample of GRBs which X-ray
light curve exhibits large amplitude variations with several rebrightenings
superposed on the underlying three-segment broken powerlaw that is often seen
in Swift GRBs. We try to understand the origin of these fluctuations giving
some diagnostic in order to discriminate between refreshed shocks and late
internal shocks. For some bursts our time-resolved spectral analysis supports
the interpretation of a long-lived central engine, with rebrightenings
consistent with energy injection in refreshed shocks as slower shells generated
in the central engine prompt phase catch up with the afterglow shock at later
times.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. Invited talk at the Swift-Venice 2006 meeting to
be published by "Il Nuovo Cimento
The X-ray afterglow of GRB 081109A: clue to the wind bubble structure
We present the prompt BAT and afterglow XRT data of Swift-discovered
GRB081109A up to ~ 5\times 10^5 sec after the trigger, and the early
ground-based optical follow-ups. The temporal and spectral indices of the X-ray
afterglow emission change remarkably. We interpret this as the GRB jet first
traversing the freely expanding supersonic stellar wind of the progenitor with
density varying as . Then after approximately 300 sec the
jet traverses into a region of apparent constant density similar to that
expected in the stalled-wind region of a stellar wind bubble or the
interstellar medium (ISM). The optical afterglow data are generally consistent
with such a scenario. Our best numerical model has a wind density parameter
{, a density of the stalled wind ,
and a transition radius cm}. Such a transition
radius is smaller than that predicted by numerical simulations of the stellar
wind bubbles and may be due to a rapidly evolving wind of the progenitor close
to the time of its core-collapse.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, MNRAS accepted for publicatio
Extinction properties of the X-ray bright/optically faint afterglow of GRB 020405
We present an optical-to-X-ray spectral analysis of the afterglow of GRB
020405. The optical spectral energy distribution not corrected for the
extragalactic extinction is significantly below the X-ray extrapolation of the
single powerlaw spectral model suggested by multiwavelength studies. We
investigate whether considerable extinction could explain the observed spectral
``mismatch'' by testing several types of extinction curves. For the first time
we test extinction curves computed with time-dependent numerical simulations of
dust grains destruction by the burst radiation. We find that an extinction law
weakly depen dent on wavelength can reconcile the unabsorbed optical and X-ray
data with the expected synchrotron spectrum. A gray extinction law can be
provided by a dust grain size distribution biased toward large grains.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication on A&
Random Time Forward Starting Options
We introduce a natural generalization of the forward-starting options, first
discussed by M. Rubinstein. The main feature of the contract presented here is
that the strike-determination time is not fixed ex-ante, but allowed to be
random, usually related to the occurrence of some event, either of financial
nature or not. We will call these options {\bf Random Time Forward Starting
(RTFS)}. We show that, under an appropriate "martingale preserving" hypothesis,
we can exhibit arbitrage free prices, which can be explicitly computed in many
classical market models, at least under independence between the random time
and the assets' prices. Practical implementations of the pricing methodologies
are also provided. Finally a credit value adjustment formula for these OTC
options is computed for the unilateral counterparty credit risk.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figur
Weak solutions to problems involving inviscid fluids
We consider an abstract functional-differential equation derived from the
pressure-less Euler system with variable coefficients that includes several
systems of partial differential equations arising in the fluid mechanics. Using
the method of convex integration we show the existence of infinitely many weak
solutions for prescribed initial data and kinetic energy
Multiobjective Evolutionary Optimization of Type-2 Fuzzy Rule-Based Systems for Financial Data Classification
Classification techniques are becoming essential in the financial world for reducing risks and possible disasters. Managers are interested in not only high accuracy, but in interpretability and transparency as well. It is widely accepted now that the comprehension of how inputs and outputs are related to each other is crucial for taking operative and strategic decisions. Furthermore, inputs are often affected by contextual factors and characterized by a high level of uncertainty. In addition, financial data are usually highly skewed toward the majority class. With the aim of achieving high accuracies, preserving the interpretability, and managing uncertain and unbalanced data, this paper presents a novel method to deal with financial data classification by adopting type-2 fuzzy rule-based classifiers (FRBCs) generated from data by a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). The classifiers employ an approach, denoted as scaled dominance, for defining rule weights in such a way to help minority classes to be correctly classified. In particular, we have extended PAES-RCS, an MOEA-based approach to learn concurrently the rule and data bases of FRBCs, for managing both interval type-2 fuzzy sets and unbalanced datasets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that generates type-2 FRBCs by concurrently maximizing accuracy and minimizing the number of rules and the rule length with the objective of producing interpretable models of real-world skewed and incomplete financial datasets. The rule bases are generated by exploiting a rule and condition selection (RCS) approach, which selects a reduced number of rules from a heuristically generated rule base and a reduced number of conditions for each selected rule during the evolutionary process. The weight associated with each rule is scaled by the scaled dominance approach on the fuzzy frequency of the output class, in order to give a higher weight to the minority class. As regards the data base learning, the membership function parameters of the interval type-2 fuzzy sets used in the rules are learned concurrently to the application of RCS. Unbalanced datasets are managed by using, in addition to complexity, selectivity and specificity as objectives of the MOEA rather than only the classification rate. We tested our approach, named IT2-PAES-RCS, on 11 financial datasets and compared our results with the ones obtained by the original PAES-RCS with three objectives and with and without scaled dominance, the FRBCs, fuzzy association rule-based classification model for high-dimensional dataset (FARC-HD) and fuzzy unordered rules induction algorithm (FURIA), the classical C4.5 decision tree algorithm, and its cost-sensitive version. Using nonparametric statistical tests, we will show that IT2-PAES-RCS generates FRBCs with, on average, accuracy statistically comparable with and complexity lower than the ones generated by the two versions of the original PAES-RCS. Further, the FRBCs generated by FARC-HD and FURIA and the decision trees computed by C4.5 and its cost-sensitive version, despite the highest complexity, result to be less accurate than the FRBCs generated by IT2-PAES-RCS. Finally, we will highlight how these FRBCs are easily interpretable by showing and discussing one of them
Gamma-ray burst observations with new generation imaging atmospheric Cerenkov Telescopes in the FERMI era
After the launch and successful beginning of operations of the FERMI
satellite, the topics related to high-energy observations of gamma-ray bursts
have obtained a considerable attention by the scientific community.
Undoubtedly, the diagnostic power of high-energy observations in constraining
the emission processes and the physical conditions of gamma-ray burst is
relevant. We briefly discuss how gamma-ray burst observations with ground-based
imaging array Cerenkov telescopes, in the GeV-TeV range, can compete and
cooperate with FERMI observations, in the MeV-GeV range, to allow researchers
to obtain a more detailed and complete picture of the prompt and afterglow
phases of gamma-ray bursts.Comment: 9 pages, two figures. Proceeding for the 6th "Science with the New
Generation of High Energy Gamma-Ray Experiments" worksho
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