Classification of Argyres-Douglas theories from M5 branes

We obtain a large class of new 4d Argyres-Douglas theories by classifying irregular punctures for the 6d (2,0) superconformal theory of ADE type on a sphere. Along the way, we identify the connection between the Hitchin system and three-fold singularity descriptions of the same Argyres-Douglas theory. Other constructions such as taking degeneration limits of the irregular puncture, adding an extra regular puncture, and introducing outer-automorphism twists are also discussed. Later we investigate various features of these theories including their Coulomb branch spectrum and central charges.Comment: 35 pages, 9 tables, 6 figures. v2: minor correction

Pure Annihilation Type B→K0∗±(1430)K(∗)∓B \to K_0^{*\pm}(1430)K^{(*)\mp} Decays in the Family Non-universal Z′Z^\prime Model

By assuming that the scalar meson $K_0^*(1430)$ belongs to the first excited states or the lowest lying ground states, we study the pure annihilation-type decays $B \to K_0^{*\pm}(1430)K^{(*)\mp}$ in the QCD factorization approach. Within the standard model, the branching fractions are at the order of $10^{-8}-10^{-7}$, which is possible to be measured in the ongoing LHCb experiment or forthcoming Belle-II experiment. We also study these decays in the family non-universal $Z^\prime$ model. The results show that if $m_{Z^\prime}\approx 600\mathrm{GeV}$ ($\zeta=0.02$), both the branching fractions and $CP$ asymmetries of $\overline B^0\to K_0^{*+}(1430)K^-$ could be changed remarkably, which provides us a place for probing the effect of new physics. These results could be used to constrain the parameters of $Z^\prime$ model.Comment: 9 pages, 18 figure

Interest-rate models: an extension to the usage in the energy market and pricing exotic energy derivatives.

In this thesis, we review various popular pricing models in the interest-rate market. Among these pricing models, we choose the LIBOR Market model (LMM) as the benchmark model. Based on market practice experience, we also develop a pricing model named the “Market volatility model”. By pricing vanilla interest-rate options such as interest-rate caps and swaptions, we compare the performance of our Market volatility model to that of the LMM. It is proved that the Market Volatility model produce comparable results to the LMM, while its computing efficiency largely exceeds that of the LMM. Following the recent rapid development in the commodity market, in particular the energy market, we attempt to extend the use of our proposed Market volatility model from the interest-rate market to the energy market. We prove that the Market Volatility model is capable of pricing various energy derivative under the assumption of absence of the convenience yield. In addition, we propose a new type of exotic energy derivative which has a flexible option structure. This energy derivative is named as the Flex-Asian spread options (FASO). We give examples of different option structures within the FASO framework and use the Market volatility model to generate option prices and greeks for each structure. Although the Market volatility model can be used to price various energy derivatives based on oil/gas contracts, it is not compatible with the structure of one of the most advanced derivatives in the energy market, the storage option. We modify the existing pricing model for storage options and use our own 3D-binomial tree approach to price gas storage contracts. By doing these, we improve the performance of the traditional storage model

Space shuttle onboard navigation console expert/trainer system

A software system for use in enhancing operational performance as well as training ground controllers in monitoring onboard Space Shuttle navigation sensors is described. The Onboard Navigation (ONAV) development reflects a trend toward following a structured and methodical approach to development. The ONAV system must deal with integrated conventional and expert system software, complex interfaces, and implementation limitations due to the target operational environment. An overview of the onboard navigation sensor monitoring function is presented, along with a description of guidelines driving the development effort, requirements that the system must meet, current progress, and future efforts