Constraining the Milky Way Dark Matter Density Profile with Gamma-Rays with Fermi-LAT

We study the abilities of the Fermi-LAT instrument on board of the Fermi mission to simultaneously constrain the Milky Way dark matter density profile and some dark matter particle properties, as annihilation cross section, mass and branching ratio into dominant annihilation channels. A single dark matter density profile is commonly assumed to determine the capabilities of gamma-ray experiments to extract dark matter properties or to set limits on them. However, our knowledge of the Milky Way halo is far from perfect, and thus in general, the obtained results are too optimistic. Here, we study the effect these astrophysical uncertainties would have on the determination of dark matter particle properties and conversely, we show how gamma-ray searches could also be used to learn about the structure of the Milky Way halo, as a complementary tool to other type of observational data that study the gravitational effect caused by the presence of dark matter. In addition, we also show how these results would improve if external information on the annihilation cross section and on the local dark matter density were included and compare our results with the predictions from numerical simulations.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figure

Observing Higgs boson production through its decay into gamma-rays: A messenger for Dark Matter candidates

In this Letter, we study the gamma-ray signatures subsequent to the production of a Higgs boson in space by dark matter annihilations. We investigate the cases where the Higgs boson is produced at rest or slightly boosted and show that such configurations can produce characteristic bumps in the gamma-ray data. These results are relevant in the case of the Standard Model-like Higgs boson provided that the dark matter mass is about 63 GeV, 109 GeV or 126 GeV, but can be generalised to any other Higgs boson masses. Here, we point out that it may be worth looking for a 63 GeV line since it could be the signature of the decay of a Standard Model-like Higgs boson produced in space, as in the case of a di-Higgs final state if m_DM ~ 126 GeV. We show that one can set generic constraints on the Higgs boson production rates using its decay properties. In particular, using the Fermi-LAT data from the galactic center, we find that the dark matter annihilation cross section into gamma + a Standard Model-like Higgs boson produced at rest or near rest cannot exceed ~ a few 10^-25 cm^3/s or ~ a few 10^-27 cm^3/s respectively, providing us with information on the Higgs coupling to the dark matter particle. We conclude that Higgs bosons can indeed be used as messengers to explore the dark matter mass range.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. V2: Final version published in PL

Systematic uncertainties from halo asphericity in dark matter searches

Although commonly assumed to be spherical, dark matter halos are predicted to be non-spherical by N-body simulations and their asphericity has a potential impact on the systematic uncertainties in dark matter searches. The evaluation of these uncertainties is the main aim of this work, where we study the impact of aspherical dark matter density distributions in Milky-Way-like halos on direct and indirect searches. Using data from the large N-body cosmological simulation Bolshoi, we perform a statistical analysis and quantify the systematic uncertainties on the determination of local dark matter density and the so-called $J$ factors for dark matter annihilations and decays from the galactic center. We find that, due to our ignorance about the extent of the non-sphericity of the Milky Way dark matter halo, systematic uncertainties can be as large as 35%, within the 95% most probable region, for a spherically averaged value for the local density of 0.3-0.4 GeV/cm$^3$. Similarly, systematic uncertainties on the $J$ factors evaluated around the galactic center can be as large as 10% and 15%, within the 95% most probable region, for dark matter annihilations and decays, respectively.Comment: 29 pages, 6 artistic figures, version accepted for publication in JCA

Young people's willingness to farm under present and improved conditions in Thailand

Studies of young people's willingness to farm usually analyse their plans based on the resources available to them, or their hopes if they had access to more resources, but rarely study the two jointly. However, in newly industrialized countries in Asia, such joint assessments are needed to disentangle the extent to which young people's limited involvement in farming is due to lack of interest or to the fact that they see no way to get round the obstacles to starting the kind of farming they want to practice. This study analysed the vision of 86 young rural people in Prachinburi Province, Thailand, concerning farming, their plan to farm under prevailing conditions and their willingness to become a farmer if more opportunities to start farming were available. More than two-thirds of the interviewees were not farming at the time of the interview, but half planned to start farming, either part or full time, in the coming decade. One-third of the interviewees said that if they had better opportunities to start farming, they would reconsider their current plans to work in non-agricultural sectors and instead become full-time farmers. Public policies aimed at increasing the number of young people who become farmers should consequently not take the prevailing lack of engagement in farming by many young rural people as a given. Such policies should not only support young people who already plan to farm, but also those who would be willing to farm if they had better opportunities to do so

Impact of the Vatican's new financial regulations on money laundering and terrorism financing

The smallest country of the world, the Vatican City State, holds on its territory a financial institute called the IOR. It is not a bank stricto sensu as it does not offer conventional banking services but acts as the financial arm of the Holy See. Since at least the scandal of the Banco Ambrosiano in 1982, the IOR has been regularly in the newspapers due to insufficient corporate governance. Until 2010, the Vatican did not have any anti-money laundering and counter terrorism law but hopefully, transparency and integrity in the financial sector are now priorities for the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI started and Pope Francis continues now the modernization process of the Holy See, and to support this change, more lay experts are being brought in, even if it disturbs some persons to give key positions to non-religious people. The creation of committees, commissions and institutions managed and composed by laymen are examples of this change in the governing style of the Vatican. Moreover, since centuries Italians have always occupied key positions within the Holy See and more recently in the Vatican. The actual Pope is as well looking at internationalizing the Roman Curia to decrease the risks of nepotism and cronyism. Importantly, the legal and regulatory frameworks in the Vatican are getting more adapted to the actual financial threats. Furthermore, the regulations are respected and accurately applied by the staff, which gives very good results for the new norms. At the international level, the Holy See applies the FATF standards, and through the Financial Information Authority (AIF), is being part of Egmont Group and participates to Moneyval in order to exchange expertise and good practices in the domain of the combat against money laundering and terrorism financing. In 2012, Moneyval, who supervises the proper implementation of the international and FATF standards, has reviewed the Holy See and it was compliant with most of their recommendations. According to Moneyval, the work has been efficiently done over a short period of time and by now the recommendations have all been implemented. The Institute for the Works of the Religion (IOR) and more generally the financial operations of the Vatican are now complying with the highest international standards. Accountability and transparency are now the new key words in the Catholic Church

Comment le Brexit va-t-il influcencer la place financière de Londres ?

Londres est incontestablement un pilier de la finance mondiale ; la masse d’acteurs qui y est implantée, dotant la place et ses industries financières d’une polyvalence et d’une profondeur exceptionnelles, ont fait de la City un pôle financier incontournable. Les raisons de ce succès peuvent être déterminées grâce à l’Histoire : la puissance économique et commerciale précoce du Royaume-Uni, couplée à un cadre régulatoire solide mais attractif, font partie des facteurs expliquant l’essor de la place londonienne. La City se développe ensuite grâce à son propre succès, attirant les sociétés financières et autres acteurs grâce aux conditions créées par l’effet « cluster », soit le noeud de facteurs qui joue en faveur de la place financière : parmi eux, les plus importants sont certainement la liquidité créée par la présence des concurrents et partenaires financiers, l’accès à la main d’oeuvre qualifiée (elle-même attirée par ces sociétés) et la présence des services professionnels complémentaires, tels que les services légaux et d’audit notamment. Mais ce cercle vertueux, expliquant le succès présent de Londres par son succès passé, n’est pas à l’abri d’une rupture qui pourrait grandement menacer le développement futur de la place. Or, l’acceptation du référendum « Brexit » le 24 juin 2016 menace de rompre ce cercle vertueux. En effet, selon l’issue des négociations entre le Royaume-Uni et l’Union Européenne, les conséquences peuvent être dramatiques pour le centre financier londonien. En nous penchant sur les politiques de négociation des deux parties, nous nous rendons compte que l’issue du Brexit est difficilement prévisible ; les volontés du gouvernement britannique de maintenir les meilleures relations commerciales possibles tout en maîtrisant son immigration sont incompatibles avec l’inflexibilité de l’Union Européenne sur l’immuabilité des quatre libertés de mouvement. Ce travail vise donc à évaluer les conséquences que peuvent avoir différents scénarios d’accords commerciaux sur la place britannique et ses industries financières. À l’aide de ces scénarios, nous sommes en mesure de proposer des recommandations pour protéger la place londonienne et soutenir sa croissance. Ainsi, prioriser les considérations commerciales aux dépens du contrôle de l’immigration et chercher à implémenter un accord de transition lors des négociations avec l’UE, conclure des accords de libre échange avec les grandes puissances économiques, assouplir les régulations spécifiques à certaines industries financières et communiquer sur tout changement entrant en vigueur sont les recommandations principales qui permettraient de maintenir les conditions cadres de la place londonienne, voire même de les améliorer afin de solidifier la City et favoriser son développement futur

The Regressive Nature of Indirect Taxes: Lessons from a Micro-Simulation Model

The the impact of several reforms of indirect taxation is evaluated by the use of a behavioral micro-simulation model. Price elasticities on the basis of a linearised quadratic demand system are estimated with specific prices, called personalized prices index. The laters allow a correct identification of the price parameters, using the information provided by the heterogeneous structure of household's spending. This framework associated with a complete modelisation of each fiscal mechanism on a broad range of goods allow the simulation of two measures, the first of which spaces out the VAT rates, while the second increases excise duties and reduces the rate of VAT. Each gives rise to a tax burden transfer of limited extent, which favours low-earners in the first instance and disadvantages them in the second. The relative similarity of the households consumption profiles between decile, but their wide variation within decile, lessen the redistributive effects.Indirect Taxation, Micro-simulation, Demand System, Personalized Prices Index

Use of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients for Automatic Pathology Detection on Sustained Vowel Phonations: Mathematical and Statistical Justification

This paper presents a justification for the use of MFCC parameters in automatic pathology detection on speech. While such an application has produced good results up to now, only partial explanations to this good performance had been given before. The herein exposed explanation consists of an interpretation of the mathematical transformations involved in MFCC calculation and a statistical analysis that confirms the conclusions drawn from the theoretical reasoning

Mechanical, Thermal Architecture and Structural Concept of the Internal Module of the IDEFIX Rover

The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, aims at studying the Martian Moons Phobos and Deimos