Fermi-LAT and NuSTAR as Stellar Axionscopes

We overview the potential of airborne X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes to probe the axion-like particles parameter space.Comment: Contributed to the 13th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, Thessaloniki, May 15 to 19, 201

Stellar Evolution Bounds on the ALP-Photon Coupling: new Results and Perspectives

Stellar evolution considerations are of fundamental importance in our understanding of the axion/ALP-photon coupling, g_{a\gamma}. Helium burning stars are the best laboratories to study this coupling. Here, we will review the bounds from massive and low mass helium burning stars, and present a new analysis of the bound from the horizontal branch stars. The analysis provides the strongest bound to date on g_{a\gamma} in a wide mass range.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Contributed to the 10th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, CERN, June 29 to July 4, 201

The Identity Theory of Powers Revised

Dispositionality and qualitativity are key notions to describe the world that we inhabit. Dispositionality is a matter of what a thing is disposed to do in certain circumstances. Qualitativity is a matter of how a thing is like. According to the Identity Theory of powers, every fundamental property is at once dispositional and qualitative, or a powerful quality. Canonically, the Identity Theory holds a contentious identity claim between a property’s dispositionality and its qualitativity. In the literature, this view faces a contradiction objection that undermines its merits. We should therefore consider an alternative version that does not embrace the identity claim. My aim is to show that we can enjoy the benefits of the Identity Theory without embracing the identity between the dispositional and the qualitative. I shall argue that a distinction between two senses of dispositionality and qualitativity serves the purpose. I will then discuss three readings of the identity claim that can be formulated in light of such a distinction. I will conclude that even if the identity were to fail in any of the suggested readings, it would be possible to hold an account of fundamental powerful qualities

On the singular loci and the images of proper holomorphic maps from pseudoellipsoids

We prove a generalisation of Rudin's theorem on proper holomorphic maps from the unit ball to the case of proper holomorphic maps from pseudoellipsoids.Comment: 15 pages; to appear on Mathematica Scandinavic