APEX: A Prime EXperiment at Jefferson Lab

APEX is an experiment at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) in Virginia, USA, that searches for a new gauge boson ($A^\prime$) with sub-GeV mass and coupling to ordinary matter of $g^\prime \sim (10^{-6} - 10^{-2}) e$. Electrons impinge upon a fixed target of high-Z material. An $A^\prime$ is produced via a process analogous to photon bremsstrahlung, decaying to an $e^+ e^-$ pair. A test run was held in July of 2010, covering $m_{A^\prime}$ = 175 to 250 MeV and couplings g^\prime/e \; \textgreater \; 10^{-3}. A full run is approved and will cover $m_{A^\prime} \sim$ 65 to 525 MeV and g^\prime/e \; \textgreater \; 2.3 \times10^{-4}.Comment: Contributed to the 8th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, Chicago, July 18-22, 2012. 4 pages, 4 figure

PARTISANSHIP, TRUMP FAVORABILITY, AND CHANGES IN SUPPORT FOR TRADE

Why has the relationship between partisan identification and Americans’ trade attitudes shifted in recent years? We suggest that recent shifts in trade attitudes among partisans are driven by Donald Trump, who staked out a position on trade that is at odds with the position on trade traditionally held by Republicans. Using panel data from the Voter Study Group (VSG) surveys from 2011, 2016, and 2017, we conduct cross-sectional analyses showing that the relationship between partisanship and trade attitudes has shifted dramatically from 2011 to 2016/2017; in 2011, Republicans were significantly more supportive of expanded trade, but by 2016/2017 the relationship had reversed, with Democrats significantly more supportive of trade. We link changes over time in trade attitudes with how Americans evaluate Trump: individuals with favorable attitudes toward Donald Trump are significantly more likely to shift their attitudes in an anti-trade direction from 2011-2016. Because so many more Republicans have favorable attitudes toward Trump, the aggregate effect of Trump favorability is to shift Republicans as a group to be less favorable toward trade than Democrats. We suggest that Donald Trump has had a transformative effect on Americans’ trade attitudes, with previous supporters (opponents) of expanded trade now expressing opposing (supporting) attitudes

The “Trump” Effect: Political Elite and Support for Free Trade in America

While previous literature has offered two broad categories of explanation for individual trade preferences: economic self-interest and non-economic factors, we contend that during times of intensified elite discourse on trade, individuals may follow elite opinions to form their opinions on trade. Utilizing data from the 2016 American National Election Survey, we examine the effect of Trump’s protectionist views and rhetoric on public trade opinion. We argue that there was a “Trump effect” on trade attitudes among the mass public in 2016 and this effect went beyond the party line, meaning that Trump supporters, regardless of their partisanship, were more likely to be influenced by his protectionist views and to adopt anti-free trade positions. Moreover, we suggest a conditional effect of political knowledge on the “Trump effect” of trade opinion. Our empirical tests offer strong support for both hypotheses, suggesting a significant “Trump effect” on public trade opinion in 2016

New Fixed-Target Experiments to Search for Dark Gauge Forces

Fixed-target experiments are ideally suited for discovering new MeV-GeV mass U(1) gauge bosons through their kinetic mixing with the photon. In this paper, we identify the production and decay properties of new light gauge bosons that dictate fixed-target search strategies. We summarize existing limits and suggest five new experimental approaches that we anticipate can cover most of the natural parameter space, using currently operating GeV-energy beams and well-established detection methods. Such experiments are particularly timely in light of recent terrestrial and astrophysical anomalies (PAMELA, FERMI, DAMA/LIBRA, etc.) consistent with dark matter charged under a new gauge force.Comment: 14 pages + 6 page appendix and refs, 11 figure

Examining the Relevancy and Utility of the American Fisheries Society Certification Program to Prepare Future Fisheries Professionals

Fisheries science is a diverse field that requires individuals to be knowledgeable in many disciplines in addition to fisheries (e.g., economics, sociology, political science, chemistry; Kelso and Murphy 1988). This challenges students attempting to enter a career in fisheries, as well as academic institutions and eventual employers, to develop both depth and breadth of knowledge needed to succeed in the profession (Oglesby and Krueger 1989). The preparedness and competency of young professionals entering the workforce has long been a problem (Stauffer and McMullin 2009). Several constraints and ongoing challenges facing the profession have continued to magnify these issues over time (McMullin et al., this issue). These issues stem from the diversity of skills required or expected across employer groups (e.g., government agencies, private sectors, nongovernment organizations) and degree levels sought (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.), complexity of fisheries-related problems, and balancing a broad academic focus with specific training. Additionally, employers perceive that students lack welldeveloped critical thinking, communication, and statistical skills that are highly desired in any area of fisheries. The American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) mission of preparing and promoting the development of fisheries professionals has been addressed in many ways, including development of the AFS Professional Certification Program in 1963. This program provides minimum standards for which fisheries professionals are recognized across government, academic, and nongovernment entities. The certification program fosters greater recognition that fisheries professionals are well equipped and prepared to act on the public’s behalf concerning fisheries-related issues. Two tiers of certification exist, with first-tier certification (Associate Fisheries Professional) contingent upon the completion of higher education courses in six broad subject areas. In this article, we focus on the first tier of certification, the basic education determined by AFS to be critical in preparing young professionals for a career in fisheries

Search for the Migdal effect in liquid xenon with keV-level nuclear recoils

The Migdal effect predicts that a nuclear recoil interaction can be accompanied by atomic ionization, allowing many dark matter direct detection experiments to gain sensitivity to sub-GeV masses. We report the first direct search for the Migdal effect for M- and L-shell electrons in liquid xenon using 7.0$\pm$1.6 keV nuclear recoils produced by tagged neutron scatters. Despite an observed background rate lower than that of expected signals in the region of interest, we do not observe a signal consistent with predictions. We discuss possible explanations, including inaccurate predictions for either the Migdal rate or the signal response in liquid xenon. We comment on the implications for direct dark-matter searches and future Migdal characterization efforts.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Are We Preparing the Next Generation of Fisheries Professionals to Succeed in their Careers?: A Survey of AFS Members

Natural resource professionals have frequently criticized universities for poorly preparing graduates to succeed in their jobs. We surveyed members of the American Fisheries Society to determine which job skills and knowledge of academic topics employers, students, and university faculty members deemed most important to early-career success of fisheries professionals. Respondents also rated proficiency of recently hired, entry-level professionals (employers) on how well their programs prepared them for career success (students and faculty) in those same job skills and academic topics. Critical thinking and written and oral communication skills topped the list of important skills and academic topics. Employers perceived recent entry-level hires to be less well-prepared to succeed in their careers than either university faculty or students. Entry-level hires with post-graduate degrees rated higher in proficiency for highly important skills and knowledge than those with bachelor’s degrees. We conclude that although universities have the primary responsibility for developing critical thinking and basic communication skills of students, employers have equal or greater responsibility for enhancing skills of employees in teamwork, field techniques, and communicating with stakeholders. The American Fisheries Society can significantly contribute to the preparation of young fisheries professionals by providing opportunities for continuing education and networking with peers at professional conferences. ¿Estamos preparando a la siguiente generación de profesionales en pesquerías para que tengan éxito en sus carreras?: una encuesta a miembros de la AFS Los profesionales de los recursos naturales, con frecuencia, han criticado a las universidades por la preparación deficiente de los graduados para tener éxito en sus trabajos. En este trabajo se encuestaron a miembros de la Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías para determinar qué conocimiento de tópicos académicos y habilidades laborales consideran los empleados, estudiantes y miembros de facultades universitarias como las más importantes en los profesionales de las pesquerías para tener éxito al inicio de sus carreras. Los encuestados también reconocieron las habilidades de los profesionistas regresados y contratados (empleados) o qué tan bien sus programas académicos los preparaban para tener éxito en sus carreras (estudiantes y facultad) en las mismas habilidades laborales y tópicos académicos. El pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita encabezaron la lista de habilidades y tópicos académicos importantes. Los empleadores percibieron a las contrataciones recientes como menos preparadas para tener éxito en sus carreras que los miembros de la facultad o los propios estudiantes. Los individuos recién contratados con posgrado fueron mejor calificados en cuanto a poseer el conocimiento y las habilidades más importantes que los titulados de licenciatura. Concluimos que si bien las universidades tienen la responsabilidad primordial de desarrollar el pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación en los estudiantes, los empleadores tienen la misma o mayor responsabilidad para fomentar las habilidades de sus trabajadores en lo referente a trabajo en equipo, técnicas de trabajo en campo, y comunicación con los involucrados en las pesquerías. La Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías puede contribuir significativamente a preparar a los jóvenes profesionistas de las pesquerías mediante el otorgamiento de oportunidades para continuar con su educación y el establecimiento de redes de contactos, durante conferencias, con pares y profesionales. Préparons-nous la prochaine génération de professionnels de la pêche à réussir leur carrière?: Un sondage auprès des membres AFS Les professionnels des ressources naturelles ont fréquemment critiqué les universités, car elles préparent mal les diplômés à réussir leur carrière. Nous avons interrogé les membres de l’American Fisheries Society pour déterminer quelles compétences professionnelles et quelles connaissances académiques les employeurs, étudiants et membres du corps professoral des universités jugent les plus importantes pour le succès des professionnels de la pêche au début de leur carrière. Les répondants ont également évalué l’aptitude des professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail (employeurs) ou dans quelle mesure les programmes les ont préparés à réussir leur carrière (étudiants et professeurs) dans ces mêmes compétences professionnelles et sujets académiques. La pensée critique, les compétences en communication écrite et orale étaient en tête de la liste des compétences et des sujets académiques importants. Les employeurs ont perçu les professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail moins bien préparés pour réussir dans leur carrière que les professeurs d’université ou les étudiants. Les employés au niveau d’entrée possédant des diplômes postuniversitaires étaient mieux notés dans la maîtrise des compétences et des connaissances très importantes que ceux ne possédant que des diplômes de baccalauréat. Nous concluons que, bien que les universités aient la responsabilité principale de développer la pensée critique et les compétences en communication de base des étudiants, les employeurs ont la responsabilité égale ou supérieure d’améliorer ces compétences dans le travail d’équipe, les techniques de terrain et la communication avec les parties prenantes. L’American Fisheries Society peut contribuer de manière significative à la préparation des jeunes professionnels de la pêche en offrant des possibilités de formation continue et de réseautage avec des pairs lors de conférences professionnelles

Tree Level Metastability and Gauge Mediation in Baryon Deformed SQCD

We investigate supersymmetric QCD with gauge group SU(2) and a baryon deformation to the superpotential. The existence of an uplifted vacuum at the origin with tree level metastability is demonstrated. When this model is implemented in a direct gauge mediation scenario we therefore find gaugino masses which are comparable to sfermion masses and parameterised by an effective number of messengers 1/8. All deformations are well motivated by appealing to the electric theory and an R-symmetry. This R-symmetry is explicitly broken by the same term responsible for supersymmetry breaking. Moreover, the model does not suffer from the Landau pole problem and we find that it can be described in terms of just two scales: the weak scale and a high scale like the Planck or GUT scale. The model can be tested by searching for new particles at the TeV scale charged under the visible sector gauge group.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, updated reference