Search for Neutrinoless Double- β Decay in Ge 76 with the Majorana Demonstrator

The Majorana Collaboration is operating an array of high purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-β decay in Ge76. The Majorana Demonstrator comprises 44.1 kg of Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched in Ge76) split between two modules contained in a low background shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Here we present results from data taken during construction, commissioning, and the start of full operations. We achieve unprecedented energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at Qββ and a very low background with no observed candidate events in 9.95 kg yr of enriched Ge exposure, resulting in a lower limit on the half-life of 1.9×1025 yr (90% C.L.). This result constrains the effective Majorana neutrino mass to below 240-520 meV, depending on the matrix elements used. In our experimental configuration with the lowest background, the background is 4.0-2.5+3.1 counts/(FWHM t yr)

Quasar lenses and pairs in the VST-ATLAS and Gaia

We report on discovery results from a quasar lens search in the ATLAS-DR3 public footprint. Spectroscopic follow-up campaigns, conducted at the 2.6 m Nordic Optical Telescope (La Palma) and 3.6 m New Technology Telescope (La Silla) in 2016, yielded seven pairs of quasars exhibiting the same lines at the same redshift and monotonic flux ratios with wavelength (hereafter NIQs, nearly identical quasar pairs). Magellan spectra of A0140−1152 (01h40m03 s. 0–11d52m19 s. 0, zs = 1.807) confirm it as a lens with deflector at zl = 0.277 and Einstein radius θE = (0.73 ± 0.02) arcsec. Follow-up imaging of the NIQ A2213−2652 (22h13m38 s. 4–26d52m27 s. 1) reveals the deflector galaxy and confirms it as a lens. We show the use of spatial resolution from the Gaia mission to select lenses and list additional systems from a WISE-Gaia-ATLAS search, yielding three additional lenses (02h35m27 s. 4–24d33m13 s. 2, 02h59m33s–23d38m01 s. 8, 01h46m32 s. 9–11d33m39 s. 0). The overall sample consists of 11 lenses/NIQs, plus three lenses known before 2016, over the ATLAS-DR3 footprint (≈3500 deg2). Finally, we discuss future prospects for objective classification of pair/NIQ/contaminant spectra

Evaluating Quality of Conceptual Models Based on User Perceptions

This paper presents the development of a user evaluations based quality model for conceptual modeling applying the model of DeLone and McLean [6] for evaluating information systems in general. Given the growing awareness about the importance of high-quality conceptual models, it is surprising that there is no practical evaluation framework that considers the quality of conceptual models from a user's perspective. Human factors research in conceptual modeling is still scarce and the perception of quality by model users has been largely ignored. A first research goal is therefore to determine what the appropriate dimensions are for evaluating conceptual models from a user's perspective. Secondly, we investigate the relationships between these dimensions. Furthermore, we present the results of two experiments with 187 and 124 business students respectively, designed to test the proposed model and the generated hypotheses. The results largely support the developed model and have implications for both theory and practice of quality evaluation of conceptual models