4,718 research outputs found
Effect of the length of inflation on angular TT and TE power spectra in power-law inflation
The effect of the length of inflation on the power spectra of scalar and
tensor perturbations is estimated using the power-law inflation model with a
scale factor of a(t) = t^q. Considering various pre-inflation models with
radiation-dominated or scalar matter-dominated periods before inflation in
combination with two matching conditions, the temperature angular power
spectrum (TT) and temperature-polarization cross-power spectrum (TE) are
calculated and a likelihood analysis is performed. It is shown that the
discrepancies between the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data and
the LCDM model, such as suppression of the spectrum at l = 2,3 and oscillatory
behavior, may be explained by the finite length of inflation model if the
length of inflation is near 60 e-folds and q > 300. The proposed models retain
similar values of chi^2 to that achieved by the LCDM model with respect to fit
to the WMAP data, but display different characteristics of the angular TE power
spectra at l < 20.Comment: 41 pages, 11 figure
A Semantic Framework for the Security Analysis of Ethereum smart contracts
Smart contracts are programs running on cryptocurrency (e.g., Ethereum)
blockchains, whose popularity stem from the possibility to perform financial
transactions, such as payments and auctions, in a distributed environment
without need for any trusted third party. Given their financial nature, bugs or
vulnerabilities in these programs may lead to catastrophic consequences, as
witnessed by recent attacks. Unfortunately, programming smart contracts is a
delicate task that requires strong expertise: Ethereum smart contracts are
written in Solidity, a dedicated language resembling JavaScript, and shipped
over the blockchain in the EVM bytecode format. In order to rigorously verify
the security of smart contracts, it is of paramount importance to formalize
their semantics as well as the security properties of interest, in particular
at the level of the bytecode being executed.
In this paper, we present the first complete small-step semantics of EVM
bytecode, which we formalize in the F* proof assistant, obtaining executable
code that we successfully validate against the official Ethereum test suite.
Furthermore, we formally define for the first time a number of central security
properties for smart contracts, such as call integrity, atomicity, and
independence from miner controlled parameters. This formalization relies on a
combination of hyper- and safety properties. Along this work, we identified
various mistakes and imprecisions in existing semantics and verification tools
for Ethereum smart contracts, thereby demonstrating once more the importance of
rigorous semantic foundations for the design of security verification
techniques.Comment: The EAPLS Best Paper Award at ETAP
Initial condition of scalar perturbation in inflation
A formula for the power spectrum of curvature perturbations having any
initial conditions in inflation is obtained. Based on the physical conditions
before inflation, the possibility exists that the initial state of scalar
perturbations is not only the Bunch-Davies state, but also a more general state
(a squeezed state). For example, the derived formula for the power spectrum is
calculated using simple toy cosmological models. When there exists a
radiation-dominated period before inflation, the behavior of the scalar
perturbation is revealed not to vary greatly; however, from large scales to
small scales the power spectrum of the curvature perturbations oscillates
around the normal value. In addition, when inflation has a large break and the
breaking time is a radiation- dominated period, a large enhancement is revealed
to occur which depends on the length of the breaking time.Comment: 24 pages,3 figue
Nuclear Parton Distribution Functions
We study nuclear effects of charged current deep inelastic neutrino-iron
scattering in the framework of a chi^2 analysis of parton distribution
functions (PDFs). We extract a set of iron PDFs which are used to compute
x_Bj-dependent and Q^2-dependent nuclear correction factors for iron structure
functions which are required in global analyses of free nucleon PDFs. We
compare our results with nuclear correction factors from neutrino-nucleus
scattering models and correction factors for charged-lepton--iron scattering.
We find that, except for very high x_Bj, our correction factors differ in both
shape and magnitude from the correction factors of the models and
charged-lepton scattering.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the Ringberg
Workshop "New Trends in HERA Physics 2008
Electronic structures of CrX (X=S, Te) studied by Cr 2p soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism
Cr 2p core excited XAS and XMCD spectra of ferromagnetic CrTe
with several concentrations of =0.11-0.33 and ferrimagnetic
CrS have been measured. The observed XMCD lineshapes are found to
very weakly depend on for CrTe. The experimental results
are analyzed by means of a configuration-interaction cluster model calculation
with consideration of hybridization and electron correlation effects. The
obtained values of the spin magnetic moment by the cluster model analyses are
in agreement with the results of the band structure calculation.The calculated
result shows that the doped holes created by the Cr deficiency exist mainly in
the Te 5porbital of CrTe, whereas the holes are likely to be in Cr
3d state for CrS.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Nuclear parton distribution functions and their uncertainties
We analyze experimental data of nuclear structure-function ratios
F_2^A/F_2^{A'} and Drell-Yan cross section ratios for obtaining optimum parton
distribution functions (PDFs) in nuclei. Then, uncertainties of the nuclear
PDFs are estimated by the Hessian method. Valence-quark distributions are
determined by the F_2 data at large x; however, the small-x part is not obvious
from the data. On the other hand, the antiquark distributions are determined
well at x~0.01 from the F_2 data and at x~0.1 by the Drell-Yan data; however,
the large-x behavior is not clear. Gluon distributions cannot be fixed by the
present data and they have large uncertainties in the whole x region.
Parametrization results are shown in comparison with the data. We provide a
useful code for calculating nuclear PDFs at given x and Q^2.Comment: 9 pages, REVTeX, 23 eps files, Phys. Rev. C in press. Nuclear PDF
library is available at http://hs.phys.saga-u.ac.jp/nuclp.htm
Multiple Scattering of Fractionally-Charged Quasiparticles
We employ shot noise measurements to characterize the effective charge of
quasiparticles, at filling factor nu=1/3 of the fractional quantum Hall regime,
as they scatter from an array of identical weak backscatterers. Upon
scattering, quasiparticles are known to bunch, e.g., only three e/3 charges, or
'electrons' are found to traverse a rather opaque potential barrier. We find
here that the effective charge scattered by an array of scatterers is
determined by the scattering strength of an individual scatterer and not by the
combined scattering strength of the array, which can be very small. Moreover,
we also rule out intra-edge equilibration of e/3 quasiparticles over length
scale of hundreds microns.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
The extraction of nuclear sea quark distribution and energy loss effect in Drell-Yan experiment
The next-to-leading order and leading order analysis are performed on the
differential cross section ratio from Drell-Yan process. It is found that the
effect of next-to-leading order corrections can be negligible on the
differential cross section ratios as a function of the quark momentum fraction
in the beam proton and the target nuclei for the current Fermilab and future
lower beam proton energy. The nuclear Drell-Yan reaction is an ideal tool to
study the energy loss of the fast quark moving through cold nuclei. In the
leading order analysis, the theoretical results with quark energy loss are in
good agreement with the Fermilab E866 experimental data on the Drell-Yan
differential cross section ratios as a function of the momentum fraction of the
target parton. It is shown that the quark energy loss effect has significant
impact on the Drell-Yan differential cross section ratios. The nuclear
Drell-Yan experiment at current Fermilab and future lower energy proton beam
can not provide us with more information on the nuclear sea quark distribution.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
- âŠ