Data-driven Estimations of Z, W and Top Backgrounds

The Standard Model processes of W, Z and top quark production in association with jets constitute a major background to searches for Supersymmetry at the LHC. We describe recent work performed in the ATLAS Collaboration to estimate these backgrounds for a basic SUSY selection, and we discuss methods to derive them from the first ATLAS data.Comment: Update to use new ICHEP 2008 latex templat

Missing ET Performance in ATLAS

The observation and measurement of missing transverse energy in an event is a key signature in SUSY searches. This paper describes the reconstruction and calibration of missing transverse energy in ATLAS, and addresses the quality of the measurement in a variety of simulated processes which contain physical missing transverse energy such as $Z$ $\to$ $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$, $A^{0}$ / $H^{0}$ $\to$ $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$, $t\overline{t}$, and SUSY as well as processes which contain no missing transverse energy such as minimum bias and $Z$+jets. Expectations for the use of early data in evaluation of the measurement of missing transverse energy are presented

Design and analysis issues of integrated control systems for high-speed civil transports

A study was conducted to identify, rank, and define development plans for the critical guidance and control design and analysis issues as related to economically viable and environmentally acceptable high-speed civil transport. The issues were identified in a multistep process. First, pertinent literature on supersonic cruise aircraft was reviewed, and experts were consulted to establish the fundamental characteristics and problems inherent to supersonic cruise aircraft. Next, the advanced technologies and strategies being pursued for the high-speed civil transport were considered to determine any additional unique control problems the transport may have. Finally, existing technologies and methods were examined to determine their capabilities for the design and analysis of high-speed civil transport control systems and to identify the shortcomings and issues. Three priority levels - mandatory, highly beneficial, and desirable - were established. Within each of these levels, the issues were further ranked. Technology development plans for each issue were defined. Each plan contains a task breakdown and schedule

Social capital and political participation: understanding the dynamics of young people's political disengagement in contemporary Britain

Only 37 per cent of young people voted at the 2005 British General Election, seemingly confirming the oft-cited view that this generation is becoming increasingly disconnected from the political process. Results from a nationwide survey however, indicate that their withdrawal from formal politics is more a result of their scepticism of the way the political system operates, than apathy. Furthermore, they are diverse in their political (dis)engagement. Results from an examination of the relative effects of socio-economic location and social capital are inconclusive, although the data indicate that government social policy aimed at mobilising social capital and addressing socio-economic issues may increase civic engagement

Social capital and political participation: understanding the dynamics of young people's political disengagement in contemporary Britain

Only 37 per cent of young people voted at the 2005 British General Election, seemingly confirming the oft-cited view that this generation is becoming increasingly disconnected from the political process. Results from a nationwide survey however, indicate that their withdrawal from formal politics is more a result of their scepticism of the way the political system operates, than apathy. Furthermore, they are diverse in their political (dis)engagement. Results from an examination of the relative effects of socio-economic location and social capital are inconclusive, although the data indicate that government social policy aimed at mobilising social capital and addressing socio-economic issues may increase civic engagement

Well-Tempered Metadynamics as a Tool for Characterizing Multi-Component, Crystalline Molecular Machines

The well-tempered, smoothly converging form of the metadynamics algorithm has been implemented in classical molecular dynamics simulations and used to obtain an estimate of the free energy surface explored by the molecular rotations in the plastic crystal, octafluoronaphthalene. The biased simulations explore the full energy surface extremely efficiently, more than 4 orders of magnitude faster than unbiased molecular dynamics runs. The metadynamics collective variables used have also been expanded to include the simultaneous orientations of three neighboring octafluoronaphthalene molecules. Analysis of the resultant three-dimensional free energy surface, which is sampled to a very high degree despite its significant complexity, demonstrates that there are strong correlations between the molecular orientations. Although this correlated motion is of limited applicability in terms of exploiting dynamical motion in octafluoronaphthalene, the approach used is extremely well suited to the investigation of the function of crystalline molecular machines

Passport to neoliberal normality? A critical exploration of COVID-19 vaccine passports.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic governments across the world including in France, Canada, Lithuania, Austria, Italy, and Ireland imposed ‘vaccine passports’ on the premise that they would curtail transmission of the virus, reduce COVID-19 related mortalities, and enable society to return to neoliberal normality. However, vaccine passports raise several important and troubling issues that have not been given sufficient attention within the social sciences. Therefore, this article offers a critique of vaccine passports. It is structured into three key themes: (a) scientifically and ethically problematic, (b) the death of the social and the ‘Other’, and (c) digital surveillance and freedom. The article begins by exploring how vaccine passports make little scientific sense and further entrench some unvaccinated peoples’ sense of political and medical mistrust. It then discusses how they amplify social divisions, creating the unvaccinated Other in society and intensifying the neoliberal shift towards a post-social, contactless world. The paper closes with an outline of how vaccine passports were cast as enabling a return to neoliberal normality and freedom, hinging upon an assumption of harmlessness while cementing the negative ideology of capitalist realism

Passport to Neoliberal Normality? A Critical Exploration of COVID-19 Vaccine Passports

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic governments across the world including in France, Canada, Lithuania, Austria, Italy, and Ireland imposed ‘vaccine passports’ on the premise that they would curtail transmission of the virus, reduce COVID-19 related mortalities, and enable society to return to neoliberal normality. However, vaccine passports raise several issues that have not been given sufficient attention within the social sciences. Vaccine passports should be of criminological and zemiological concern because of their harmful consequences upon social relations, surveillance implications, as well as how they aid a return to neoliberal normality with all its criminogenic implications from corporate boardrooms to zones of permanent recession. Therefore, this article offers a critique of vaccine passports. It is structured into three key themes: (a) scientifically and ethically problematic, (b) the death of the social and the ‘Other’, and (c) digital surveillance and freedom. The paper begins by exploring how vaccine passports make little scientific sense and further entrench some unvaccinated peoples’ sense of political and medical mistrust. It then discusses how they amplify social divisions, creating the unvaccinated Other in society and intensifying the neoliberal shift towards a post-social, contactless world. The article closes with an outline of how vaccine passports were cast as enabling a return to neoliberalism and freedom, hinging upon an assumption of harmlessness while cementing the negative ideology of capitalist realism

Blending of nanoscale and microscale in uniform large-area sculptured thin-film architectures

The combination of large thickness ($>3$ $\mu$m), large--area uniformity (75 mm diameter), high growth rate (up to 0.4 $\mu$m/min) in assemblies of complex--shaped nanowires on lithographically defined patterns has been achieved for the first time. The nanoscale and the microscale have thus been blended together in sculptured thin films with transverse architectures. SiO$_x$ ($x\approx 2$) nanowires were grown by electron--beam evaporation onto silicon substrates both with and without photoresist lines (1--D arrays) and checkerboard (2--D arrays) patterns. Atomic self--shadowing due to oblique--angle deposition enables the nanowires to grow continuously, to change direction abruptly, and to maintain constant cross--sectional diameter. The selective growth of nanowire assemblies on the top surfaces of both 1--D and 2--D arrays can be understood and predicted using simple geometrical shadowing equations.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure