325 research outputs found
Obstáculos para la movilidad académica con el programa Erasmus+: Diferencias entre grados universitarios [Barriers to academic mobility with Erasmus+ programme: Differences between bachelor degrees]
Pese al interés creciente que presenta la movilidad académica internacional de los estudiantes universitarios europeos para su inserción profesional posterior, el porcentaje de estudiantes españoles que participan en el programa Erasmus es todavía pequeño. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar los principales obstáculos para la movilidad Erasmus percibidos por estudiantes de grado que no han participado en este programa, valorando la existencia de diferencias en función del grado (Sanitario vs. Ciencias Sociales). Se utilizó una encuesta auto-administrada elaborada para un estudio europeo previo en el que participó España. Los resultados muestran el impacto, a nivel general, de la falta de información sobre temas relevantes como: la calidad de la educación en el extranjero, o cómo van a ser evaluados, así como, las barreras económicas por becas insuficientes y retrasos en el pago de las mismas. Los obstáculos que mejor diferencian a los estudiantes de ambos grados están relacionados con la ordenación académica del grado, en concreto, bajo nivel de formación en inglés y presencia de asignaturas anuales, además de características personales del estudiante. Para incrementar la participación, se debería incidir en informar más y comunicar mejor además de incluir modificaciones en el programa académico de los grados que faciliten la movilidad internacional.
[Despite the growing interest that presents academic international mobility for European University students for their later in life job prospects, the rate of Spanish students participating in the Erasmus programme is still small. The objective of this research was to determine the main barriers perceived by bachelor students who had not participated in the Erasmus programme assessing the differences between two bachelor degrees (Health vs. Social Sciences). A self-administered survey including reasons not to participate was used that had been set up for a previous European study including Spain. Results reveal the overall impact of lack of information on relevant issues such as the quality of university education system abroad and how they will be evaluated as well as financial barriers such as insufficient Erasmus grants or delays in the first grant payment. The barriers that better differentiate both bachelor degrees students are related to the bachelors’ curriculum i.e. insufficient training in English and presence of annual (vs. semester) courses as well as personal features. To increase participation, the focus should be on improving information and communication both on academic and financial issues, and changes in the bachelors’ curricula.
Improved tests of extra-dimensional physics and thermal quantum field theory from new Casimir force measurements
We report new constraints on extra-dimensional models and other physics
beyond the Standard Model based on measurements of the Casimir force between
two dissimilar metals for separations in the range 0.2--1.2 m. The Casimir
force between an Au-coated sphere and a Cu-coated plate of a
microelectromechanical torsional oscillator was measured statically with an
absolute error of 0.3 pN. In addition, the Casimir pressure between two
parallel plates was determined dynamically with an absolute error of mPa. Within the limits of experimental and theoretical errors, the results
are in agreement with a theory that takes into account the finite conductivity
and roughness of the two metals. The level of agreement between experiment and
theory was then used to set limits on the predictions of extra-dimensional
physics and thermal quantum field theory. It is shown that two theoretical
approaches to the thermal Casimir force which predict effects linear in
temperture are ruled out by these experiments. Finally, constraints on Yukawa
corrections to Newton's law of gravity are strengthened by more than an order
of magnitude in the range 56 nm to 330 nm.Comment: Revtex 4, 35 pages, 14 figures in .gif format, accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev.
Dalitz plot analysis of e+ e- --> pi0 pi0 gamma events at SQRT(s) ~ M(phi) with the KLOE detector
We have studied the Dalitz plot of the e+ e- --> pi0 pi0 gamma events
collected at SQRT(s) ~ M(phi) with the KLOE detector. In the dipion invariant
mass (Mpp) region below 700 MeV, the process under study is dominated by the
non-resonant process e+ e- --> omega pi0 with omega --> pi0 gamma whereas, for
higher Mpp values, the radiative phi decay to the f0(980) is the dominant
mechanism. Different theoretical models are used to fit the Dalitz plot, taking
also into account a possible contribution of the sigma(600). For each model, we
extract the f0(980) mass and its coupling to pipi, KKbar and to the phi.Comment: 21 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, submitted to European Physics Journal
Anisotropy studies around the galactic centre at EeV energies with the Auger Observatory
Data from the Pierre Auger Observatory are analyzed to search for
anisotropies near the direction of the Galactic Centre at EeV energies. The
exposure of the surface array in this part of the sky is already significantly
larger than that of the fore-runner experiments. Our results do not support
previous findings of localized excesses in the AGASA and SUGAR data. We set an
upper bound on a point-like flux of cosmic rays arriving from the Galactic
Centre which excludes several scenarios predicting sources of EeV neutrons from
Sagittarius . Also the events detected simultaneously by the surface and
fluorescence detectors (the `hybrid' data set), which have better pointing
accuracy but are less numerous than those of the surface array alone, do not
show any significant localized excess from this direction.Comment: Matches published versio
Argentine Wheat Industry: Conference Report
Established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Progra
Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density,
affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic
rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air
showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The
rate of events shows a ~10% seasonal modulation and ~2% diurnal one. We find
that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects
associated with the variations of pressure and density. The former affects the
longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere
radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is
validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric
profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed
evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, \nobreak{eV}. The
anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less
than from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc
(using the V\'eron-Cetty and V\'eron catalog). An updated
measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of
cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009.
The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more
precise measurement. The correlating fraction is , compared
with expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early
estimate of . The enlarged set of arrival directions is
examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects:
galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in
hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the
position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions
relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is
shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic
expectation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics on 31 August 201
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy
cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at
ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development
of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector
comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen
fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this
paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its
optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for
relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the
monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and
precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics
Research Section
Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the
development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of
cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs "radio-hybrid" measurements of air
shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and
fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis
functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions
for fluoresence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a
natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with
radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and
features of the radio extension implemented in the Auger Offline framework. Its
functionality has achieved a high degree of sophistication and offers advanced
features such as vectorial reconstruction of the electric field, advanced
signal processing algorithms, a transparent and efficient handling of FFTs, a
very detailed simulation of detector effects, and the read-in of multiple data
formats including data from various radio simulation codes. The source code of
this radio functionality can be made available to interested parties on
request.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM A, 13 pages, minor corrections to
author list and references in v
Search for First Harmonic Modulation in the Right Ascension Distribution of Cosmic Rays Detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present the results of searches for dipolar-type anisotropies in different
energy ranges above eV with the surface detector array of
the Pierre Auger Observatory, reporting on both the phase and the amplitude
measurements of the first harmonic modulation in the right-ascension
distribution. Upper limits on the amplitudes are obtained, which provide the
most stringent bounds at present, being below 2% at 99% for EeV
energies. We also compare our results to those of previous experiments as well
as with some theoretical expectations.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure
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