NEW DIMENSIONS AND POTENTIALS FOR AID-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Discovering Evolutionary Stepping Stones through Behavior Domination

Behavior domination is proposed as a tool for understanding and harnessing the power of evolutionary systems to discover and exploit useful stepping stones. Novelty search has shown promise in overcoming deception by collecting diverse stepping stones, and several algorithms have been proposed that combine novelty with a more traditional fitness measure to refocus search and help novelty search scale to more complex domains. However, combinations of novelty and fitness do not necessarily preserve the stepping stone discovery that novelty search affords. In several existing methods, competition between solutions can lead to an unintended loss of diversity. Behavior domination defines a class of algorithms that avoid this problem, while inheriting theoretical guarantees from multiobjective optimization. Several existing algorithms are shown to be in this class, and a new algorithm is introduced based on fast non-dominated sorting. Experimental results show that this algorithm outperforms existing approaches in domains that contain useful stepping stones, and its advantage is sustained with scale. The conclusion is that behavior domination can help illuminate the complex dynamics of behavior-driven search, and can thus lead to the design of more scalable and robust algorithms.Comment: To Appear in Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2017

Surveying the Scope of the SU(2)_L Scalar Septet Sector

Extending the Standard Model by adding a scalar field transforming as a septet under $SU(2)_L$ preserves the $\rho$ parameter at tree level and can satisfy experimental constraints on the electroweak parameters $S$ and $T$. This work presents the first fully general phenomenological study of such an extension. We examine constraints on the septet model couplings based on electroweak and Higgs observables, and use LHC searches for new physics to bound the mass of the septet to be above $\sim 400$ GeV at a $95\%$ CL.Comment: pdfLateX, 17 pages, 6 figures, reference added. Version published in JHE

Abundances of Disk Planetary Nebulae in M31 and the Radial Oxygen Gradient

We have obtained spectra of 16 planetary nebulae in the disk of M31 and determined the abundances of He, N, O, Ne, S and Ar. Here we present the median abundances and compare them with previous M31 PN disk measurements and with PNe in the Milky Way. We also derive the radial oxygen gradient in M31, which is shallower than that in the Milky Way, even accounting for M31's larger disk scale length.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, to appear in the proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 283, Planetary Nebulae: An Eye to the Futur

Abundances of PNe in the Outer Disk of M31

We present spectroscopic observations and chemical abundances of 16 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the outer disk of M31. The [O III] 4363 line is detected in all objects, allowing a direct measurement of the nebular temperature essential for accurate abundance determinations. Our results show that the abundances in these M31 PNe display the same correlations and general behaviors as Type II PNe in the Milky Way Galaxy. We also calculate photoionization models to derive estimates of central star properties. From these we infer that our sample PNe, all near the peak of the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function, originated from stars near 2 M_sun. Finally, under the assumption that these PNe are located in M31's disk, we plot the oxygen abundance gradient, which appears shallower than the gradient in the Milky Way.Comment: 48 pages, including 12 figures and 8 tables, accepted by Astrophysical Journa

A high-performance data structure for mobile information systems

Mobile information systems can now be provided on small form-factor computers. Dictionary-based data compression extends the capabilities of systems with limited processing and memory to enable data intensive applications to be supported in such environments. The nature of judicial sentencing decisions requires that a support system provides accurate and up-to-date data and is compatible with the professional working experience of a judge. The difficulties caused by mobility and the data dependence of the decision-making process are addressed by an Internet-based architecture for collecting and distributing system data.We describe an approach to dictionary-based data compression and the structure of an information system that makes use of this technology

Importance of Baryon-Baryon Coupling in Hypernuclei

The $\Lambda N - \Sigma N$ coupling in $\Lambda$--hypernuclei and $\Lambda \Lambda - \Xi N$ coupling in $\Lambda \Lambda$--hypernuclei produce novel physics not observed in the conventional, nonstrange sector. Effects of $\Lambda \leftrightarrow \Sigma$ conversion in $^3_{\Lambda}$H are reviewed. The role of $\Lambda N - \Sigma N$ coupling suppression in the $A=4,5$ $\Lambda$--hypernuclei due to Pauli blocking is highlighted, and the implications for the structure of $^{10}_{\;\, \Lambda}$B are explored. Suppression of $\Lambda \Lambda - \Xi N$ conversion in $^{\;\;\, 6}_{\Lambda \Lambda}$He is hypothesized as the reason that the $$ matrix element is small. Measurement of $^{\;\;\, 4}_{\Lambda \Lambda}$H is proposed to investigate the full $\Lambda \Lambda - \Xi N$ interaction. The implication for $\Lambda \Lambda$ analog states is discussed.Comment: 17 pages LATEX, 1 figure uuencoded postscrip

Researcher's guide to the NASA Ames Flight Simulator for Advanced Aircraft (FSAA)

Performance, limitations, supporting software, and current checkout and operating procedures are presented for the flight simulator, in terms useful to the researcher who intends to use it. Suggestions to help the researcher prepare the experimental plan are also given. The FSAA's central computer, cockpit, and visual and motion systems are addressed individually but their interaction is considered as well. Data required, available options, user responsibilities, and occupancy procedures are given in a form that facilitates the initial communication required with the NASA operations' group