52 research outputs found
Metaheuristics for Transmission Network Expansion Planning
This chapter presents the characteristics of the metaheuristic algorithms used to solve the transmission network expansion planning (TNEP) problem. The algorithms used to handle single or multiple objectives are discussed on the basis of selected literature contributions. Besides the main objective given by the costs of the transmission system infrastructure, various other objectives are taken into account, representing generation, demand, reliability and environmental aspects. In the single-objective case, many metaheuristics have been proposed, in general without making strong comparisons with other solution methods and without providing superior results with respect to classical mathematical programming. In the multi-objective case, there is a better convenience of using metaheuristics able to handle conflicting objectives, in particular with a Pareto front-based approach. In all cases, improvements are still expected in the definition of benchmark functions, benchmark networks and robust comparison criteria
Diving below the spin-down limit:constraints on gravitational waves from the energetic young pulsar PSR J0537-6910
We present a search for continuous gravitational-wave signals from the young, energetic X-ray pulsar PSR J0537-6910 using data from the second and third observing runs of LIGO and Virgo. The search is enabled by a contemporaneous timing ephemeris obtained using NICER data. The NICER ephemeris has also been extended through 2020 October and includes three new glitches. PSR J0537-6910 has the largest spin-down luminosity of any pulsar and is highly active with regards to glitches. Analyses of its long-term and inter-glitch braking indices provided intriguing evidence that its spin-down energy budget may include gravitational-wave emission from a time-varying mass quadrupole moment. Its 62 Hz rotation frequency also puts its possible gravitational-wave emission in the most sensitive band of LIGO/Virgo detectors. Motivated by these considerations, we search for gravitational-wave emission at both once and twice the rotation frequency. We find no signal, however, and report our upper limits. Assuming a rigidly rotating triaxial star, our constraints reach below the gravitational-wave spin-down limit for this star for the first time by more than a factor of two and limit gravitational waves from the l = m = 2 mode to account for less than 14% of the spin-down energy budget. The fiducial equatorial ellipticity is limited to less than about 3 x 10⁻⁵, which is the third best constraint for any young pulsar
Search for anisotropic gravitational-wave backgrounds using data from Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo's first three observing runs
We report results from searches for anisotropic stochastic gravitational-wave
backgrounds using data from the first three observing runs of the Advanced LIGO
and Advanced Virgo detectors. For the first time, we include Virgo data in our
analysis and run our search with a new efficient pipeline called {\tt PyStoch}
on data folded over one sidereal day. We use gravitational-wave radiometry
(broadband and narrow band) to produce sky maps of stochastic
gravitational-wave backgrounds and to search for gravitational waves from point
sources. A spherical harmonic decomposition method is employed to look for
gravitational-wave emission from spatially-extended sources. Neither technique
found evidence of gravitational-wave signals. Hence we derive 95\%
confidence-level upper limit sky maps on the gravitational-wave energy flux
from broadband point sources, ranging from and on the
(normalized) gravitational-wave energy density spectrum from extended sources,
ranging from , depending on direction () and spectral index
(). These limits improve upon previous limits by factors of . We also set 95\% confidence level upper limits on the frequency-dependent
strain amplitudes of quasimonochromatic gravitational waves coming from three
interesting targets, Scorpius X-1, SN 1987A and the Galactic Center, with best
upper limits range from a factor of
improvement compared to previous stochastic radiometer searches.Comment: 23 Pages, 9 Figure
Exploratory Study of Executive Function Abilities Across the Adult Lifespan in Individuals Receiving an ASD Diagnosis in Adulthood
The few studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across adulthood suggest different age-related associations in different aspects of executive function (EF). In this exploratory study we examined EF abilities and self-report autism traits in 134 adults (aged 18-75 years; mean=31 years) with abilities in the normal range, receiving a first diagnosis of ASD. Results suggest that in some EF relying on speed and sequencing (Trails A and B; Digit Symbol), late-diagnosed ASD individuals may demonstrate better performance than typical age-norms. On other EF (Digit Span, Hayling, Brixton tests) age-related correlations were similar to typical age-norms. Different domains of EF may demonstrate different trajectories for ageing with ASD, with patterns of slower, accelerated or equivalent age-related change observed across different measures
Exploratory Study of Executive Function Abilities Across the Adult Lifespan in Individuals Receiving an ASD Diagnosis in Adulthood
The few studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across adulthood suggest different age-related associations in different aspects of executive function (EF). In this exploratory study we examined EF abilities and self-report autism traits in 134 adults (aged 18-75 years; mean=31 years) with abilities in the normal range, receiving a first diagnosis of ASD. Results suggest that in some EF relying on speed and sequencing (Trails A and B; Digit Symbol), late-diagnosed ASD individuals may demonstrate better performance than typical age-norms. On other EF (Digit Span, Hayling, Brixton tests) age-related correlations were similar to typical age-norms. Different domains of EF may demonstrate different trajectories for ageing with ASD, with patterns of slower, accelerated or equivalent age-related change observed across different measures
All-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars in the early O3 LIGO data
We report on an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves in the frequency band 20-2000 Hz and with a frequency time derivative in the range of [-1.0; +0.1] x 10(-8) Hz/s. Such a signal could be produced by a nearby, spinning and slightly nonaxisymmetric isolated neutron star in our Galaxy. This search uses the LIGO data from the first six months of Advanced LIGO's and Advanced Virgo's third observational run, O3. No periodic gravitational wave signals are observed, and 95% confidence-level (C.L.) frequentist upper limits are placed on their strengths. The lowest upper limits on worst-case (linearly polarized) strain amplitude h(0) are similar to 1.7 x 10(-25) near 200 Hz. For a circularly polarized source (most favorable orientation), the lowest upper limits are similar to 6.3 x 10(-26). These strict frequentist upper limits refer to all sky locations and the entire range of frequency derivative values. For a populationaveraged ensemble of sky locations and stellar orientations, the lowest 95% C.L. upper limits on the strain amplitude are similar to 1.4 x 10(-25). These upper limits improve upon our previously published all-sky results, with the greatest improvement (factor of similar to 2) seen at higher frequencies, in part because quantum squeezing has dramatically improved the detector noise level relative to the second observational run, O2. These limits are the most constraining to date over most of the parameter space searched
Observation of Gravitational Waves from Two Neutron Star–Black Hole Coalescences
Abstract: We report the observation of gravitational waves from two compact binary coalescences in LIGO’s and Virgo’s third observing run with properties consistent with neutron star–black hole (NSBH) binaries. The two events are named GW200105_162426 and GW200115_042309, abbreviated as GW200105 and GW200115; the first was observed by LIGO Livingston and Virgo and the second by all three LIGO–Virgo detectors. The source of GW200105 has component masses 8.9−1.5+1.2 and 1.9−0.2+0.3M⊙ , whereas the source of GW200115 has component masses 5.7−2.1+1.8 and 1.5−0.3+0.7M⊙ (all measurements quoted at the 90% credible level). The probability that the secondary’s mass is below the maximal mass of a neutron star is 89%–96% and 87%–98%, respectively, for GW200105 and GW200115, with the ranges arising from different astrophysical assumptions. The source luminosity distances are 280−110+110 and 300−100+150Mpc , respectively. The magnitude of the primary spin of GW200105 is less than 0.23 at the 90% credible level, and its orientation is unconstrained. For GW200115, the primary spin has a negative spin projection onto the orbital angular momentum at 88% probability. We are unable to constrain the spin or tidal deformation of the secondary component for either event. We infer an NSBH merger rate density of 45−33+75Gpc−3yr−1 when assuming that GW200105 and GW200115 are representative of the NSBH population or 130−69+112Gpc−3yr−1 under the assumption of a broader distribution of component masses
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