Diboson production at LHC with warped extra dimensions

From the warped extra-dimensional model interpretation of the two forward-backward asymmetries observed on heavy quarks at LEP1, AFBb, and at Tevatron, AFBt, one predicts that LHC could observe, with the luminosity collected in 2011-2012, significant excesses in the diboson production for large invariant masses of the Z+W system, mZW, and, the W+W system, mWW.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

A 4th generation scenario

A fourth generation could provide, within SUSY, a solution to baryogenesis at the EW scale. It is allowed by precision measurements. Available data from Tevatron already restrict the allowed domain of parameters for the new quarks and the Higgs boson. There are some indications from b->s transitions which could be interpreted within an extension of the CKM matrix to 4x4, in particular CPV in the Bs time-dependence for the J/Psi-Phi mode observed at Tevatron. If confirmed with more data the 4MSSM interpretation predicts a very interesting scenario for LHC and a TeV LC.Comment: Linear Collider ECFA Warsaw June 200

Scenarios for ILC in 2010

Assuming that first significant results from LHC become available, this presentation assumes 4 different scenarios and discuss the implications for IL

Strategy to measure the Higgs mass, width and invisible decays at ILC

This document is meant to provide semi-quantitative arguments to evaluate the luminosity needed at ILC to achieve a precise measurement of the Higgs mass, width and invisible decays. It is shown that for mH=120 GeV, one can save an order of magnitude on the luminosity needed to achieve a given precision on the Higgs mass, as compared to what can be obtained at \sqrt s=350 GeV, by running near threshold. Since the recoil mass resolution near threshold is independent of the Higgs mass, one can also access the Higgs width for masses above 170 GeV. This strategy of running just above threshold is also optimal to measure or set upper limits on the Higgs invisible branching ratio. Two MSSM scenarios are presented to illustrate the potential interest of an optimized recoil mass resolution. A simplified description of the various experimental mechanisms affecting this type of measurement is presented: detector resolution for leptons and jets, luminosity and beamstrahlung energy dependence, initial and final radiation of the involved leptons.Comment: Work presented at the International Collider Physics and Detector, ECFA Workshop, Valencia, Spain, November 7-10, 200

Efficient High-Dimensional Importance Sampling

The paper describes a simple, generic and yet highly accurate Efficient Importance Sampling (EIS) Monte Carlo (MC) procedure for the evaluation of high-dimensional numerical integrals. EIS is based upon a sequence of auxiliary weighted regressions which actually are linear under appropriate conditions. It can be used to evaluate likelihood functions and byproducts thereof, such as ML estimators, for models which depend upon unobservable variables. A dynamic stochastic volatility model and a logit panel data model with unobserved heterogeneity (random effects) in both dimensions are used to provide illustrations of EIS high numerical accuracy, even under small number of MC draws. MC simulations are used to characterize the finite sample numerical and statistical properties of EIS-based ML estimators.

Two-fluid magnetic island dynamics in slab geometry: II - Islands interacting with resistive walls or static external resonant magnetic perturbations

The dynamics of a propagating magnetic island interacting with a resistive wall or a static external magnetic perturbation is investigated using two-fluid, drift-MHD theory in slab geometry. In both cases, the island equation of motion is found to take exactly the same form as that predicted by single-fluid MHD theory. Three separate ion polarization terms are found in the Rutherford island width evolution equation. The first is the drift-MHD polarization term for an isolated island, and is completely unaffected by interaction with a wall or magnetic perturbation. Next, there is the polarization term due to interaction with a wall or magnetic perturbation which is predicted by single-fluid MHD theory. Finally, there is a hybrid of the other two polarization terms. The sign of this term depends on many factors. However, under normal conditions, it is stabilizing if the unperturbed island propagates in the ion diamagnetic direction (in the lab. frame), and destabilizing if it propagates in the electron diamagnetic direction

Classical and Bayesian Analysis of Univariate and Multivariate Stochastic Volatility Models

In this paper, Efficient Importance Sampling (EIS) is used to perform a classical and Bayesian analysis of univariate and multivariate Stochastic Volatility (SV) models for financial return series. EIS provides a highly generic and very accurate procedure for the Monte Carlo (MC) evaluation of high-dimensional interdependent integrals. It can be used to carry out ML-estimation of SV models as well as simulation smoothing where the latent volatilities are sampled at once. Based on this EIS simulation smoother a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCDC) posterior analysis of the parameters of SV models can be performed.

Learning to automatically detect features for mobile robots using second-order Hidden Markov Models

In this paper, we propose a new method based on Hidden Markov Models to interpret temporal sequences of sensor data from mobile robots to automatically detect features. Hidden Markov Models have been used for a long time in pattern recognition, especially in speech recognition. Their main advantages over other methods (such as neural networks) are their ability to model noisy temporal signals of variable length. We show in this paper that this approach is well suited for interpretation of temporal sequences of mobile-robot sensor data. We present two distinct experiments and results: the first one in an indoor environment where a mobile robot learns to detect features like open doors or T-intersections, the second one in an outdoor environment where a different mobile robot has to identify situations like climbing a hill or crossing a rock.Comment: 200