Infinite coupling duals of N=2 gauge theories and new rank 1 superconformal field theories

We show that a proposed duality [arXiv:0711.0054] between infinitely coupled gauge theories and superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with weakly gauged flavor groups predicts the existence of new rank 1 SCFTs. These superconformal fixed point theories have the same Coulomb branch singularities as the rank 1 E_6, E_7, and E_8 SCFTs, but have smaller flavor symmetry algebras and different central charges. Gauging various subalgebras of the flavor algebras of these rank 1 SCFTs provides many examples of infinite-coupling dualities, satisfying an intricate set of consistency checks. They also provide examples of N=2 conformal theories with marginal couplings but no weak-coupling limits.Comment: 12 page

Covariance and Fisher information in quantum mechanics

Variance and Fisher information are ingredients of the Cramer-Rao inequality. We regard Fisher information as a Riemannian metric on a quantum statistical manifold and choose monotonicity under coarse graining as the fundamental property of variance and Fisher information. In this approach we show that there is a kind of dual one-to-one correspondence between the candidates of the two concepts. We emphasis that Fisher informations are obtained from relative entropies as contrast functions on the state space and argue that the scalar curvature might be interpreted as an uncertainty density on a statistical manifold.Comment: LATE

The Exomars Climate Sounder (EMCS) Investigation

The ExoMars Climate Sounder (EMCS) investigation is developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Principal Investigator J. T. Schofield) in collaboration with an international scientific team from France, the United Kingdom and the USA. EMCS plans to map daily, global, pole-to-pole profiles of temperature, dust, water and CO2 ices, and water vapor from the proposed 2016 ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (EMTGO). These profiles are to be assimilated into Mars General Circulation Models (MGCMs) to generate global, interpolated fields of measured and derived parameters such as wind

Observations of the martian atmosphere with the mars climate sounder

The Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) has obtained measurements of the Martian atmosphere for one Mars year. Onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), MCS continues to acquire high vertical resolution profiles of temperature, dust, condensates of CO2 and H2O, and water vapor by observing the limb of the atmosphere from the surface to 80 km in the spectral intervals 0.3 – 3 ?m and 11.5 – 45 ?m [1]. This paper describes the investigation and introduces some of the observations being studied by the MCS science team. Other presentations by the team at this workshop will describe in greater detail results of ongoing research using MCS data

Spatially-Variant Directional Mathematical Morphology Operators Based on a Diffused Average Squared Gradient Field

International audienceThis paper proposes an approach for mathematical morphology operators whose structuring element can locally adapt its orientation across the pixels of the image. The orientation at each pixel is extracted by means of a diffusion process of the average squared gradient field. The resulting vector field, the average squared gradient vector flow, extends the orientation information from the edges of the objects to the homogeneous areas of the image. The provided orientation field is then used to perform a spatially variant filtering with a linear structuring element. Results of erosion, dilation, opening and closing spatially-variant on binary images prove the validity of this theoretical sound and novel approach

Affine extension of noncrystallographic Coxeter groups and quasicrystals

Unique affine extensions H^{\aff}_2, H^{\aff}_3 and H^{\aff}_4 are determined for the noncrystallographic Coxeter groups $H_2$, $H_3$ and $H_4$. They are used for the construction of new mathematical models for quasicrystal fragments with 10-fold symmetry. The case of H^{\aff}_2 corresponding to planar point sets is discussed in detail. In contrast to the cut-and-project scheme we obtain by construction finite point sets, which grow with a model specific growth parameter.Comment: (27 pages, to appear in J. Phys. A

The sensitivity of seabird populations to density-dependence, environmental stochasticity and anthropogenic mortality

The balance between economic growth and wildlife conservation is a priority for many governments. Enhancing realism in assessment of population‐level impacts of anthropogenic mortality can help achieve this balance. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) is commonly applied to investigate population vulnerability, but outcomes of PVA are sensitive to formulations of density‐dependence, environmental stochasticity and life history. Current practice in marine assessments is to use precautionary models that assume no compensation from density‐dependence or rescue‐effects via “re‐seeding” from other colonies. However, if we could empirically quantify regulatory population processes, the responses of populations to additional anthropogenic mortality may be assessed with more realism in PVA. Using Bayesian state‐space models fitted to population time series from three sympatric seabird populations, selected for varied life histories, we inferred the extent to which their dynamics are driven by environmental stochasticity and density‐dependence. Based on these inferences, we conducted an exhaustive PVA across credible parameterizations for intrinsic and extrinsic population regulation, simulated as a closed and re‐seeded system. Scenarios of anthropogenic mortality, along a sliding scale of precaution, were applied both proportionally and as a fixed quota using Potential Biological Removal (PBR). Baseline results from fitting revealed clear environmental regulation in two of our three species. Crucially, we found that for our empirically derived, realistic model parameterizations there are risks of decline to real populations even under very precautionary mortality scenarios. We find that PBR is dubious in application as a sustainable tool for population assessment when we account for regulation. Closed versus re‐seeded models showed a large divergence in outcomes, with sharper declines in closed simulations. Fixed‐quota mortality typically induced greater population declines comparative to proportional mortality, subject to regulation and re‐seeding. Synthesis and applications. Practitioners using arbitrary formulations of population regulation risk over‐precaution (economic constraint) or under‐precaution (endangering populations). The demands of increased economic development and preservation of wildlife require that methodologies apply techniques that confer reality and rigour to assessment. The current practice of employing models lacking density‐dependence and empirical environmental information imposes limitations in the efficacy of estimating impacts. Here, we provide a method to quantify the conditions that predominantly regulate a population and exacerbate the risk of decline from anthropogenic mortality. It is in the interests of both developers and conservationists to apply methods in population impact assessments that capture realism in the processes driving population dynamics

Re-examining the consumption-wealth relationship : the role of model uncertainty

This paper discusses the consumption-wealth relationship. Following the recent influential workof Lettau and Ludvigson [e.g. Lettau and Ludvigson (2001), (2004)], we use data on consumption, assets andlabor income and a vector error correction framework. Key …ndings of their work are that consumption doesrespond to permanent changes in wealth in the expected manner, but that most changes in wealth are transitoryand have no e¤ect on consumption. We investigate the robustness of these results to model uncertainty andargue for the use of Bayesian model averaging. We …nd that there is model uncertainty with regards to thenumber of cointegrating vectors, the form of deterministic components, lag length and whether the cointegratingresiduals a¤ect consumption and income directly. Whether this uncertainty has important empirical implicationsdepends on the researcher's attitude towards the economic theory used by Lettau and Ludvigson. If we workwith their model, our findings are very similar to theirs. However, if we work with a broader set of models andlet the data speak, we obtain somewhat di¤erent results. In the latter case, we …nd that the exact magnitudeof the role of permanent shocks is hard to estimate precisely. Thus, although some support exists for the viewthat their role is small, we cannot rule out the possibility that they have a substantive role to play

Search for quarks in cosmic rays with the Leeds cloud chamber

The central regions of cosmic-ray air showers near sea level have been studied with the Leeds cloud chamber for the possible occurrence of low-ionizing tracks. The average energy of the primary particles was a few times 106 GeV. Our current results give an upper limit to the "flux" of quarks of 1.2 x 10-11 cm-2 sec-1 sr-1 at a 90% confidence level. A simple model is used to obtain an upper limit to the production cross section versus quark mass.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/21994/1/0000406.pd