28,145 research outputs found
GRBs and fundamental physics
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short and intense flashes at the cosmological
distances, which are the most luminous explosions in the Universe. The high
luminosities of GRBs make them detectable out to the edge of the visible
universe. So, they are unique tools to probe the properties of high-redshift
universe: including the cosmic expansion and dark energy, star formation rate,
the reionization epoch and the metal evolution of the Universe. First, they can
be used to constrain the history of cosmic acceleration and the evolution of
dark energy in a redshift range hardly achievable by other cosmological probes.
Second, long GRBs are believed to be formed by collapse of massive stars. So
they can be used to derive the high-redshift star formation rate, which can not
be probed by current observations. Moreover, the use of GRBs as cosmological
tools could unveil the reionization history and metal evolution of the
Universe, the intergalactic medium (IGM) properties and the nature of first
stars in the early universe. But beyond that, the GRB high-energy photons can
be applied to constrain Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) and to test
Einstein's Equivalence Principle (EEP). In this paper, we review the progress
on the GRB cosmology and fundamental physics probed by GRBs.Comment: 38 pages, 18 figures, Review based on ISSI workshop "Gamma-Ray
Bursts: a Tool to Explore the Young Universe" (2015, Beijing, China),
accepted for publication in Space Science Review
Rank Reduction of Correlation Matrices by Majorization
A novel algorithm is developed for the problem of finding a low-rank correlation matrix nearest to a given correlation matrix. The algorithm is based on majorization and, therefore, it is globally convergent. The algorithm is computationally efficient, is straightforward to implement, and can handle arbitrary weights on the entries of the correlation matrix. A simulation study suggests that majorization compares favourably with competing approaches in terms of the quality of the solution within a fixed computational time. The problem of rank reduction of correlation matrices occurs when pricing a derivative dependent on a large number of assets, where the asset prices are modelled as correlated log-normal processes. Mainly, such an application concerns interest rates.rank, correlation matrix, majorization, lognormal price processes
Study to evaluate the effect of EVA on payload systems. Volume 1: Executive summary
Programmatic benefits to payloads are examined which can result from the routine use of extravehicular activity (EVA) during space missions. Design and operations costs were compared for 13 representative baseline payloads to the costs of those payloads adapted for EVA operations. The EVA-oriented concepts developed in the study were derived from these baseline concepts and maintained mission and program objectives as well as basic configurations. This permitted isolation of cost saving factors associated specifically with incorporation of EVA in a variety of payload designs and operations. The study results were extrapolated to a total of 74 payload programs. Using appropriate complexity and learning factors, net EVA savings were extrapolated to over 776M. Planned maintenance by EVA indicated an estimated 1.9 B
A Deep Multicolor Survey I. Imaging Observations and Catalog of Stellar Objects
We have used the KPNO 4-meter Mayall telescope to image 0.83 square degrees
of sky in six fields at high galactic latitude in six filters spanning
3000-10000\AA\ to magnitude limits ranging from 22.1 to 23.8. We have assembled
a catalog of 21,375 stellar objects detected in the fields for use primarily in
conducting a multicolor search for quasars. This paper describes the data
reduction techniques used on the CCD data, the methods used to construct the
stellar object catalog, and the simulations performed to understand its
completeness and contamination.Comment: To Appear in ApJ Supplement, 1996. 168k uuencoded gunzipped tarred
tex file (requires aas2pp4.sty and tighten.sty) and 4 PostScript figures.
Also available at http://astro.as.arizona.edu/~pathall/astro.html#preprint
Student Attainment and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
In this report we examine high school completion and postsecondary enrollment (a.k.a. “educational attainment”) of the cohort of 9th grade students who were in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) at the beginning of our state-mandated evaluation of the MPCP in 2006. After tracking the MPCP 9th graders following the 2006-07 year and comparing them to a carefully matched sample of 9th graders who were in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) during the 2006-07 year, we use a combination of parent surveys and administrative (school) records to estimate attainment
School and Sector Switching in Milwaukee
In this report we analyze the movement of students to and from the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). We also analyze student mobility between schools within each sector. The analysis rests on two separate sets of data: the administrative records we have collected as part of our separate analysis of academic achievement in MPCP (Witte , Wolf, Cowen, Fleming, & Lucas-McLean, 2010), and the results of an extensive set of surveys collected from parents of private and public school students
Milwaukee Independent Charter Schools Study: Report on One Year of Student Growth
Analyzes results of an evaluation of gains in reading and math scores over one academic year among independent charter school students compared with public school students, by charter school type, student characteristics, and school-switching
Charter School Funding: Inequity in the City
Public charter schools are a growing part of K-12 education. Charter schools are public schools that are granted operational autonomy by their authorizing agency in return for a commitment to achieve specific performance goals. Like traditional public schools, charter schools are free to students and overseen by the state. Unlike traditional public schools, however, most charters are open to all students who wish to apply, regardless of where they live. If a charter school is over-subscribed, usually random lotteries determine which students will be admitted. Most charter schools are independent of the traditional public school district in which they operate
The biochemical, physiological, and metabolic effects of Apollo nominal mission and contingency diets on human subjects while on a simulated Apollo mission Final report, Feb. - Jun. 1966
Biochemical, physiological, and metabolic effects of simulated Apollo mission with space diet on human
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