Glassy dynamics near zero temperature

We numerically study finite-dimensional spin glasses at low and zero temperature, finding evidences for (i) strong time/space heterogeneities, (ii) spontaneous time scale separation and (iii) power law distributions of flipping times. Using zero temperature dynamics we study blocking, clustering and persistence phenomena

Planck-scale quintessence and the physics of structure formation

In a recent paper we considered the possibility of a scalar field providing an explanation for the cosmic acceleration. Our model had the interesting properties of attractor-like behavior and having its parameters of O(1) in Planck units. Here we discuss the effect of the field on large scale structure and CMB anisotropies. We show how some versions of our model inspired by "brane" physics have novel features due to the fact that the scalar field has a significant role over a wider range of redshifts than for typical "dark energy" models. One of these features is the additional suppression of the formation of large scale structure, as compared with cosmological constant models. In light of the new pressures being placed on cosmological parameters (in particular H_0) by CMB data, this added suppression allows our "brane" models to give excellent fits to both CMB and large scale structure data.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, submitted to PR

Adaptabilidade e estabilidade de populações de milho-pipoca relacionadas por ciclos de seleção

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram estimar os parâmetros de adaptabilidade e estabilidade em populações de milho-pipoca relacionadas por ciclos de seleção, inferir sobre a eficiência dos métodos de seleção pelos quais as populações foram obtidas e avaliar os efeitos da seleção sobre os parâmetros de adaptabilidade e estabilidade. Vinte e cinco populações e três testemunhas comerciais foram avaliadas em 14 ensaios realizados nos anos agrícolas de 2003/2004, 2004/2005, 2006/2007, 2008/2009 e 2009/2010, em sete locais. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos completos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Foram analisadas a capacidade de expansão, avaliada em forno de microondas e na pipocadora Metric Weight Volume Tester (MWVT), além da produtividade de grãos. Utilizou-se o método de adaptabilidade e estabilidade de Eberhart & Russell. Em geral, as populações base e melhoradas apresentaram previsibilidade de comportamento em resposta às variações de ambiente. A seleção pode provocar mudanças nos padrões de adaptabilidade e estabilidade, e as diferentes estratégias de seleção empregadas na obtenção das populações apresentaram eficiências semelhante

The integrated Sachs-Wolfe Effect -- Large Scale Structure Correlation

We discuss the correlation between late-time integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies and the large scale structure of the local universe. This correlation has been proposed and studied in the literature as a probe of the dark energy and its physical properties. We consider a variety of large scale structure tracers suitable for a detection of the ISW effect via a cross-correlation. In addition to luminous sources, we suggest the use of tracers such as dark matter halos or galaxy clusters. A suitable catalog of mass selected halos for this purpose can be constructed with upcoming wide-field lensing and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect surveys. With multifrequency data, the presence of the ISW-large scale structure correlation can also be investigated through a cross-correlation of the frequency cleaned SZ and CMB maps. While convergence maps constructed from lensing surveys of the large scale structure via galaxy ellipticities are less correlated with the ISW effect, lensing potentials that deflect CMB photons are strongly correlated and allow, probably, the best mechanism to study the ISW-large scale structure correlation with CMB data alone.Comment: 10 Pages, PRD submitte

The XMM Cluster Survey: Exploring scaling relations and completeness of the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 redMaPPer cluster catalogue

We cross-match and compare characteristics of galaxy clusters identified in observations from two sky surveys using two completely different techniques. One sample is optically selected from the analysis of three years of Dark Energy Survey observations using the redMaPPer cluster detection algorithm. The second is X-ray selected from XMM observations analysed by the XMM Cluster Survey. The samples comprise a total area of 57.4 deg$^2$, bounded by the area of 4 contiguous XMM survey regions that overlap the DES footprint. We find that the X-ray selected sample is fully matched with entries in the redMaPPer catalogue, above $\lambda>$20 and within 0.1$< z <$0.9. Conversely, only 38\% of the redMaPPer catalogue is matched to an X-ray extended source. Next, using 120 optically clusters and 184 X-ray selected clusters, we investigate the form of the X-ray luminosity-temperature ($L_{X}-T_{X}$), luminosity-richness ($L_{X}-\lambda$) and temperature-richness ($T_{X}-\lambda$) scaling relations. We find that the fitted forms of the $L_{X}-T_{X}$ relations are consistent between the two selection methods and also with other studies in the literature. However, we find tentative evidence for a steepening of the slope of the relation for low richness systems in the X-ray selected sample. When considering the scaling of richness with X-ray properties, we again find consistency in the relations (i.e., $L_{X}-\lambda$ and $T_{X}-\lambda$) between the optical and X-ray selected samples. This is contrary to previous similar works that find a significant increase in the scatter of the luminosity scaling relation for X-ray selected samples compared to optically selected samples.Comment: Accepted for publication to MNRA