Sensitivity of full-sky experiments to large scale cosmic ray anisotropies

The two main advantages of space-based observation of extreme energy ($\gtrsim5\times10^{19}$ eV) cosmic rays (EECRs) over ground based observatories are the increased field of view and the full-sky coverage with nearly uniform systematics across the entire sky. The former guarantees increased statistics, whereas the latter enables a clean partitioning of the sky into spherical harmonics. The discovery of anisotropies would help to identify the long sought origin of EECRs. We begin an investigation of the reach of a full-sky space-based experiment such as EUSO to detect anisotropies in the extreme-energy cosmic-ray sky compared to ground based partial-sky experiments such as the Pierre Auger Observatory and Telescope Array. The technique is explained here, and simulations for a Universe with just two nonzero multipoles, monopole plus either dipole or quadrupole, are presented. These simulations quantify the advantages of space-based, all-sky coverage.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

The Galactic Contribution to IceCube's Astrophysical Neutrino Flux

High energy neutrinos have been detected by IceCube, but their origin remains a mystery. Determining the sources of this flux is a crucial first step towards multi-messenger studies. In this work we systematically compare two classes of sources with the data: Galactic and extragalactic. We assume that the neutrino sources are distributed according to a class of Galactic models. We build a likelihood function on an event by event basis including energy, event topology, absorption, and direction information. We present the probability that each high energy event with deposited energy $E_{\rm dep}>60$ TeV in the HESE sample is Galactic, extragalactic, or background. For Galactic models considered the Galactic fraction of the astrophysical flux has a best fit value of $1.3\%$ and is $<9.5\%$ at 90\% CL. A zero Galactic flux is allowed at $<1\sigma$.Comment: Updated with 6 year HESE data from IceCube, accepted for publication in JCA

A new perspective on the relation between dark energy perturbations and the late-time ISW effect

The effect of quintessence perturbations on the ISW effect is studied for a mixed dynamical scalar field dark energy (DDE) and pressureless perfect fluid dark matter. A new and general methodology is developed to track the growth of the perturbations, which uses only the equation of state (EoS) parameter $w_{\rm DDE} (z) \equiv p_{\rm DDE}/\rho_{\rm DDE}$ of the scalar field DDE, and the initial values of the the relative entropy perturbation (between the matter and DDE) and the intrinsic entropy perturbation of the scalar field DDE as inputs. We also derive a relation between the rest frame sound speed $\hat{c}_{s,{\rm DDE}}^2$ of an arbitrary DDE component and its EoS $w_{\rm DDE} (z)$. We show that the ISW signal differs from that expected in a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology by as much as +20% to -80% for parameterizations of $w_{\rm DDE}$ consistent with SNIa data, and about $\pm$ 20% for parameterizations of $w_{\rm DDE}$ consistent with SNIa+CMB+BAO data, at 95% confidence. Our results indicate that, at least in principle, the ISW effect can be used to phenomenologically distinguish a cosmological constant from DDE.Comment: Accepted for publication at PR

Are High Wage Jobs Hazardous to Your Health? The Myth That Attracting Higher Paying Extractive Industry Jobs Is a Desirable Community Economic Development Strategy

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Toward a Minimum Branching Fraction for Dark Matter Annihilation into Electromagnetic Final States

Observational limits on the high-energy neutrino background have been used to place general constraints on dark matter that annihilates only into standard model particles. Dark matter particles that annihilate into neutrinos will also inevitably branch into electromagnetic final states through higher-order tree and loop diagrams that give rise to charged leptons, and these charged particles can transfer their energy into photons via synchrotron radiation or inverse Compton scattering. In the context of effective field theory, we calculate the loop-induced branching ratio to charged leptons and show that it is generally quite large, typically >1%, when the scale of the dark matter mass exceeds the electroweak scale, M_W. For a branching fraction >3%, the synchrotron radiation bounds on dark matter annihilation are currently stronger than the corresponding neutrino bounds in the interesting mass range from 100 GeV to 1 TeV. For dark matter masses below M_W, our work provides a plausible framework for the construction of a model for "neutrinos only" dark matter annihilations.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, discussion added, matches version in Phys. Rev.

The Identification Of Right Brain Children And The Application Of Teaching Strategies To Improve Their Academic Achievement

The author identified students with a right brain dominance through surveys and questionnaires. These students\u27 past academic records were scrutinized and on the basis of repetitive low test scores, poor social and scholastic achievement and a pattern of apathetic behavior, a target group of five students was compiled for this study. Based on their mode dominance, a series of teaching strategies were created to strengthen the dominant mode and stretch the subdominant mode. The strategies were formulated for daily implementation and were specific activities that called on reaction from either the left or right hemisphere of the brain, and the mutual contribution of both to all cognitive processes. These strategies were tailored for the five children of the target group to reduce levels of frustration, decreased apathy and increased individual success. Some strategies were of a repetitive nature requiring daily implementation and made up the core of activities. To these were added sequential activities that drew from past experience and mastery. They included tactile, psychomotor, visual/ oral learning innovations. These activities improved cognitive thinking, overall academic achievement, and affective behavior towards school work. They also revealed possible artistic potential. The teaching strategies became an integral part of daily instruction throughout the remainder of the school year and thereafter. They were recommended to the faculty at the school level as innovative substitutions to routine methods, possible solutions in disciplinary and/or apathetic situations, and as a mode for self-improvement and insight in the development of a more balanced psyche. (Appendices include a parent consent form, a questionnaire on students\u27 feelings toward school, and a teacher self-assessment survey.

Magneto-optical imaging of voltage-controlled magnetization reorientation

We study the validity and limitations of a macrospin model to describe the voltage-controlled manipulation of ferromagnetic magnetization in nickel thin film/piezoelectric actuator hybrid structures. To this end, we correlate simultaneously measured spatially resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect imaging and integral magnetotransport measurements at room temperature. Our results show that a macrospin approach is adequate to model the magnetoresistance as a function of the voltage applied to the hybrid, except for a narrow region around the coercive field - where the magnetization reorientation evolves via domain effects. Thus, on length scales much larger than the typical magnetic domain size, the voltage control of magnetization is well reproduced by a simple Stoner-Wohlfarth type macrospin model