Data-Driven Precision Luminosity Measurements with Z Bosons at the LHC and HL-LHC

A method to measure integrated luminosities at the LHC using Z bosons without theoretical cross section input is discussed. The main uncertainties and the prospects for precision luminosity measurements using this method are outlined.Comment: Minor revisio

Beam Imaging and Luminosity Calibration

We discuss a method to reconstruct two-dimensional proton bunch densities using vertex distributions accumulated during LHC beam-beam scans. The $x$-$y$ correlations in the beam shapes are studied and an alternative luminosity calibration technique is introduced. We demonstrate the method on simulated beam-beam scans and estimate the uncertainty on the luminosity calibration associated to the beam-shape reconstruction to be below 1\%.Comment: Figures added, typos correcte

Economic and Confessional Relationships in 18th Century Travel Writing from the Rhine

For the enlightened community in the 18th century in Germany, travel writing was an important medium for sharing “empiric” data and facts about the different parts of the “Holy Empire.” Starting with the publications of Friedrich Nicolay in 1783, observations on different religious behaviour was an important influence on the economy. For example, Catholicism was said to be a major factor for the economic backwardness of the South. For the majority of enlightened travellers of the 18th century, the industrial protestant regions like northern Germany, or at a European level the Netherlands and England, were the embodiment of the economic development of a modern state

Excited states of chromophores and vibronic interactions

The main focus of my Ph.D. work has been on building a vibronic coupling model for multichromophores and extending that model to more general systems. This Dissertation serves as both a summary of this work as well as a manual for the two vibronic coupling programs I have written. It is my hope that the instructions written here are complete enough for any who would like to replicate my work on vibronic coupling on other systems. ^ Additionally, I have also worked on a few purely computational projects not directly related to the vibronic coupling work. The status of these projects is recorded here. Chapter 5 details electronic structure calculations of the -methylbenzyl radical and there use in determining the excited state geometry of the methyl rotor next to a radical center. Chapter 6 discusses ab-initio simulations of the phenylcyanomethyl molecule and explores the vibrational envelope following the D0 → D1 transition. Finally, Chapter 7 examines the ultrafast radiationless decay of the photoacid 3- cyano-6-hydroxycoumarin in relation to the proton transfer to solvent mechanism

A System For The Evaluation Of Urban And Suburban Elementary School Principals.

The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive system for the evaluation of the elementary school principal which would encompass the following aspects of the position: (1) the competencies of the position, weighted in order of importance; (2) the method of evaluation for each competency; and (3) the evaluator for each competency. The system was designed so that it could be utilized in any urban or suburban elementary school, in any district. It is anticipated that use of the system will provide districts with information useful in guiding the professional growth process and in making decisions regarding transfer, demotion, and promotion. Specifically, the study was designed to answer the following questions: (1) In the evaluation of elementary school principals, what competencies are considered important by teachers, principals, and superintendents?; (2) How does each group compare regarding their perceptions of the relative importance of each competency?; (3) How does each group compare regarding their perceptions of how these competencies should be evaluated?; (4) How does each group compare regarding their perceptions of by whom these competencies should be evaluated?; (5) Are these significant differences between urban and suburban samples regarding what competencies should be evaluated?; (6) Are there significant differences between urban and suburban samples regarding the relative importance of each competency?; (7) Are there significant differences between urban and suburban samples regarding how competencies should be evaluated?; and (8) Are there significant differences between urban and suburban samples regarding by whom competencies should be evaluated

Machine Learning Models Capture Plasmon Dynamics in Ag Nanoparticles

Highly energetic electron-hole pairs (hot carriers) formed from plasmon decay in metallic nanostructures promise sustainable pathways for energy-harvesting devices. However, efficient collection before thermalization remains an obstacle for realization of their full energy generating potential. Addressing this challenge requires detailed understanding of physical processes from plasmon excitation in metal to their collection in a molecule or a semiconductor, where atomistic theoretical investigation may be particularly beneficial. Unfortunately, first-principles theoretical modeling of these processes is extremely costly, limiting the analysis to systems with a few 100s of atoms. Recent advances in machine learned interatomic potentials suggest that dynamics can be accelerated with surrogate models which replace the full solution of the Schroedinger Equation. Here, we modify an existing neural network, Hierarchically Interacting Particle Neural Network (HIP-NN), to predict plasmon dynamics in Ag nanoparticles. We demonstrate the model's capability to accurately predict plasmon dynamics in large nanoparticles of up to 561 atoms not present in the training dataset. More importantly, with machine learning models we gain a speed-up of about 200 times as compared with the rt-TDDFT calculations when predicting important physical quantities such as dynamic dipole moments in Ag55 and about 4000 times for extended nanoparticles that are 10 times larger. This underscores the promise of future machine learning accelerated electron/nuclear dynamics simulations for understanding fundamental properties of plasmon-driven hot carrier devices

Renascimento do ideal de martírio na Época Moderna

Este artigo analisa o renascimento do martírio no contexto da confessionalização da Cristandande europeia e das missões ultramarinas nos sécs. XVI e XVII na Europa. Imagens, poemas e canções relativas à morte no Ultramar tornaram-se um importante instrumento de publicidade nas lutas confessionais na Europa. O seu impacto no Ultramar consistiu um importante testemunho do seu objectivo de representar a verdadeira Igreja Apostólica para a Igreja Católica