Reconstruction of the Cosmic Equation of State for High Redshift

We investigate the possibilities of reconstructing the cosmic equation of state (EoS) for high redshift. In order to obtain general results, we use two model-independent approaches. The first reconstructs the EoS using comoving distance and the second makes use of the Hubble parameter data. To implement the first method, we use a recent set of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) measures. To implement the second method, we generate simulated data using the Sandage-Loeb ($SL$) effect; for the fiducial model, we use the $\Lambda CDM$ model. In both cases, the statistical analysis is conducted through the Gaussian processes (non-parametric). In general, we demonstrate that this methodology for reconstructing the EoS using a non-parametric method plus a model-independent approach works appropriately due to the feasibility of calculation and the ease of introducing a priori information ($H_ {0}$ and $\Omega_{m0}$). In the near future, following this methodology with a higher number of high quality data will help obtain strong restrictions for the EoS.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Looking at the photoproduction of massive gauge bosons at the LHeC

In this contribution we report on the investigation of the photoproduction of W and Z bosons in the planned electron-proton/nucleus collider, the LHeC. The production cross sections and the number of events are provided and theoretical uncertainties are discussed. We also analyze the sensitivity of the LHeC experiment to physics beyond Standard Model by studying the role played by anomalous WWgamma coupling in the presented process.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the XXI International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS2013), Marseille, 22-26 April 201

Quarkonium plus prompt-photon associated hadroproduction and nuclear shadowing

The quarkonium hadroproduction in association with a photon at high energies provides a probe of the dynamics of the strong interactions as it is dependent on the nuclear gluon distribution. Therefore, it could be used to constrain the behavior of the nuclear gluon distribution in proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. Such processes are useful to single out the magnitude of the shadowing/antishadowing effects in the nuclear parton densities. In this work we investigate the influence of nuclear effects in the production of JPsi + photon and Upsilon + photon and estimate the transverse momentum dependence of the nuclear modification factors. The theoretical framework considered in the JPsi (Upsilon) production associated with a direct photon at the hadron collider is the non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization formalism.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Final version to be published in European Physical Journal

Inclusive and exclusive dilepton photoproduction at high energies

In this work we investigate the inclusive and exclusive photoproduction of dileptons, which is relevant for the physics programme to be studied in the proposed electron-proton collider, the LHeC. In the inclusive case, the process is sensitive to the parton distribution functions in the photon whereas the exclusive channel is connected to the small-$x$ QCD dynamics. For the latter, we investigate the role played by saturation physics at a very high energy scenario. The estimates for production cross sections and the number of events are presented.Comment: 5 pages, version to be published in Physical Review

Quantiles for Counts

This paper studies the estimation of conditional quantiles of counts. Given the discreteness of the data, some smoothness has to be artificially imposed on the problem. The methods currently available to estimate quantiles of count data either assume that the counts result from the discretization of a continuous process, or are based on a smoothed objective function. However, these methods have several drawbacks. We show that it is possible to smooth the data in a way that allows inference to be performed using standard quantile regression techniques. The performance and implementation of the estimator are illustrated by simulations and an application.Asymmetric maximum likelihood, Jittering, Maximum score estimator, Quantile regression, Smoothing.

Aspects of the Unitarized Soft Multipomeron Approach in DIS and Diffraction

We study in detail the main features of the unitarized Regge model (CFKS), recently proposed to describe the small-$Q^2$ domain. It takes into account a two-component description with two types of unitarized contributions: one is the multiple pomeron exchange contribution, interacting with the large dipole configurations, and the other one consists of a unitarized dipole cross section, describing the interaction with the small size dipoles. We analyze the ratio between soft and hard pieces as a function of the virtuality, and also compare the resulting dipole cross section to that from the saturation model. Diffraction dissociation is also considered, showing the scaling violations in diffractive DIS and estimating the corresponding logarithmic slope.Comment: 14 pages, 5 postscript figures. Version to be published in Eur. Phys. J.

Performance evaluation methods in the hotel industry

This paper aims to contribute to increasing knowledge of performance evaluation methods used by the hotel industry, analysing whether there is a link between hotel characteristics and evaluation methods used. To achieve this goal we conducted surveys and interviews with financial officers of 275 four and five star hotels located in Portugal. The results support the conclusion that there is a link between hotel characteristics and performance evaluation methods used