Which Classes of Origin Graphs Are Generated by Transducers.

We study various models of transducers equipped with origin information. We consider the semantics of these models as particular graphs, called origin graphs, and we characterise the families of such graphs recognised by streaming string transducers

Contenu en étrangeté du nucléon ; Expérience G0 au JLab

L'expérience G0 se propose de déterminer la contribution du quark étrange aux facteurs de forme électrofaibles et axial du nucléon sur un large domaine en Q2 (de 0.1 à 1 GeV/c)2). La première partie de ce document pose le formalisme de G0 et explique comment il est possible d'accéder au contenu en étrangeté du nucléon par une mesure d'asymétrie de violation de parité en diffusion élastique électron-nucléon. Ensuite le dispositif expérimental mis en place et les différentes phases de l'expérience sont présentés

Undecidability of a weak version of MSO+U

We prove the undecidability of MSO on ω-words extended with the second-order predicate U1(X) which says that the distance between consecutive positions in a set X⊆N is unbounded. This is achieved by showing that adding U1 to MSO gives a logic with the same expressive power as MSO+U, a logic on ω-words with undecidable satisfiability. As a corollary, we prove that MSO on ω-words becomes undecidable if allowing to quantify over sets of positions that are ultimately periodic, i.e., sets X such that for some positive integer p, ultimately either both or none of positions x and x+p belong to X

Two-wayness: Automata and Transducers

This PhD is about two natural extensions of Finite Automata (FA): the 2-way fa (2FA) and the 2-way transducers (2T). It is well known that 2FA s are computably equivalent to FAs, even in their nondeterministic (2nfa) variant. However, in the field of descriptional complexity, some questions remain. Raised by Sakoda and Sipser in 1978, the question of the cost of the simulation of 2NFA by 2DFA (the deterministic variant of 2FA) is still open. In this manuscript, we give an answer in a restricted case in which the nondeterministic choices of the simulated 2NFA may occur at the boundaries of the input tape only (2ONFA). We show that every 2ONFA can be simulated by a 2DFA of subexponential (but superpolynomial) size. Under the assumptions L=NL, this cost is reduced to the polynomial level. Moreover, we prove that the complementation and the simulation by a halting 2ONFA is polynomial. We also consider the anologous simulations for alternating devices. Providing a one-way write-only output tape to FAs leads to the notion of transducer. Contrary to the case of finite automata which are acceptor, 2-way transducers strictly extends the computational power of 1-way one, even in the case where both the input and output alphabets are unary. Though 1-way transducers enjoy nice properties and characterizations (algebraic, logical, etc. . . ), 2-way variants are less known, especially the nondeterministic case. In this area, this manuscript gives a new contribution: an algebraic characterization of the relations accepted by two-way transducers when both the input and output alphabets are unary. Actually, it can be reformulated as follows: each unary two-way transducer is equivalent to a sweeping (and even rotating) transducer. We also show that the assumptions made on the size of the alphabets are required, that is, sweeping transducers weakens the 2-way transducers whenever at least one of the alphabet is non-unary. On the path, we discuss on the computational power of some algebraic operations on word relations, introduced in the aim of describing the behavior of 2-way transducers or, more generally, of 2-way weighted automata. In particular, the mirror operation, consisting in reversing the input word in order to describe a right to left scan, draws our attention. Finally, we study another kind of operations, more adapted for binary word relations: the composition. We consider the transitive closure of relations. When the relation belongs to some very restricted sub-family of rational relations, we are able to compute its transitive closure and we set its complexity. This quickly becomes uncomputable when higher classes are considered

Quotient Categories and Phases

We study properties of a category after quotienting out a suitable chosen group of isomorphisms on each object. Coproducts in the original category are described in its quotient by our new weaker notion of a 'phased coproduct'. We examine these and show that any suitable category with them arises as such a quotient of a category with coproducts. Motivation comes from projective geometry, and also quantum theory where they describe superpositions in the category of Hilbert spaces and continuous linear maps up to global phase. The quotients we consider also generalise those induced by categorical isotropy in the sense of Funk et al.Comment: Fixed typos, added discussion of isotropy, expanded introductio

SoLid : Search for Oscillations with Lithium-6 Detector at the SCK-CEN BR2 reactor

Sterile neutrinos have been considered as a possible explanation for the recent reactor and Gallium anomalies arising from reanalysis of reactor flux and calibration data of previous neutrino experiments. A way to test this hypothesis is to look for distortions of the anti-neutrino energy caused by oscillation from active to sterile neutrino at close stand-off (similar to 6-8m) of a compact reactor core. Due to the low rate of anti-neutrino interactions the main challenge in such measurement is to control the high level of gamma rays and neutron background. The SoLid experiment is a proposal to search for active-to-sterile anti-neutrino oscillation at very short baseline of the SCK center dot CEN BR2 research reactor. This experiment uses a novel approach to detect anti-neutrino with a highly segmented detector based on Lithium-6. With the combination of high granularity, high neutron-gamma discrimination using 6LiF:ZnS(Ag) and precise localization of the Inverse Beta Decay products, a better experimental sensitivity can be achieved compared to other state-of-the-art technology. This compact system requires minimum passive shielding allowing for very close stand off to the reactor. The experimental set up of the SoLid experiment and the BR2 reactor will be presented. The new principle of neutrino detection and the detector design with expected performance will be described. The expected sensitivity to new oscillations of the SoLid detector as well as the first measurements made with the 8 kg prototype detector deployed at the BR2 reactor in 2013-2014 will be reported

G0^0 Electronics and Data Acquisition (Forward-Angle Measurements)

The G$^0$ parity-violation experiment at Jefferson Lab (Newport News, VA) is designed to determine the contribution of strange/anti-strange quark pairs to the intrinsic properties of the proton. In the forward-angle part of the experiment, the asymmetry in the cross section was measured for $\vec{e}p$ elastic scattering by counting the recoil protons corresponding to the two beam-helicity states. Due to the high accuracy required on the asymmetry, the G$^0$ experiment was based on a custom experimental setup with its own associated electronics and data acquisition (DAQ) system. Highly specialized time-encoding electronics provided time-of-flight spectra for each detector for each helicity state. More conventional electronics was used for monitoring (mainly FastBus). The time-encoding electronics and the DAQ system have been designed to handle events at a mean rate of 2 MHz per detector with low deadtime and to minimize helicity-correlated systematic errors. In this paper, we outline the general architecture and the main features of the electronics and the DAQ system dedicated to G$^0$ forward-angle measurements.Comment: 35 pages. 17 figures. This article is to be submitted to NIM section A. It has been written with Latex using \documentclass{elsart}. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment In Press (2007

Metal-directed columnar phase formation in tetrahedral zinc(II) and manganese(II) metallomesogens

New, non-discoid M(II) complexes [MCl2(L)] {M = Mn, Zn; L = 2,6-diformyl-4- methylphenolbis[3’,4’,5’-tris(hexadecyloxy)phenylimine]} have been prepared and shown to exhibit columnar mesophases, the nature of which was found to be metal-dependent. As analysed by DSC and small-angle X-ray diffraction experiments, the complex [ZnCl2(L)] exhibits a single mesophase with rectangular symmetry (Colr) between 46 and 145 °C, whereas the Mn(II) analogue [MnCl2(L)] displays a purely hexagonal mesophase (Colh) phase between 55 and 285 °C. By combining these results with those obtained from dilatometry, a model for the molecular organisation within the columnar mesophases is proposed. The single-crystal X-ray structure of the related complex [Zn(NO3)(L’)2]NO3.3MeOH {L’ = 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenolbis[3’,4’,5’-tris(methoxy)phenylimine]} has been determined and supports the proposed mode of binding of the ligand to the metal via only one imine and a phenol