Prospects of Detecting Massive Charged Higgs from Hadronic Decay H -> tb in CMS

The possibility to detect the massive charged Higgs boson H using the hadronic decay channel H -> tb in the associated production pp -> tH + X in the CMS experiment at LHC is studied. There is a large background from ttbb events which makes the observation difficult. Detection of a Higgs signal in this channel requires an excellent b-tagging performance. Good calorimeter mass resolution is also necessary for the full event reconstruction.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figure

The role of dissipation in biasing the vacuum selection in quantum field theory at finite temperature

We study the symmetry breaking pattern of an O(4) symmetric model of scalar fields, with both charged and neutral fields, interacting with a photon bath. Nagasawa and Brandenberger argued that in favourable circumstances the vacuum manifold would be reduced from S^3 to S^1. Here it is shown that a selective condensation of the neutral fields, that are not directly coupled to photons, can be achieved in the presence of a minimal ``external'' dissipation, i.e. not related to interactions with a bath. This should be relevant in the early universe or in heavy-ion collisions where dissipation occurs due to expansion.Comment: Final version to appear in Phys. Rev. D, 2 figures added, 2 new sub-section

Structured Performance Analysis for Component Based Systems

International audienceThe Component Based System (CBS) paradigm is now largely used to design software systems. In addition, performance and behavioural analysis remains a required step for the design and the construction of efficient systems. This is especially the case of CBS, which involve interconnected components running concurrent processes. % This paper proposes a compositional method for modeling and structured performance analysis of CBS. Modeling is based on Stochastic Well-formed Nets (SWN), a high level model of Stochastic Petri nets, widely used for dependability analysis of concurrent systems. Starting from the definition of the system given in a suitable Architecture Description Language, and from the definition of the elementary components, we build an SWN of the global system together with a set of SWNs modeling the components of the CBS and their connections. From these models, we derive performances of the system thanks to a structured analysis induced by the structure of the CBS. We describe the application of our method through an example designed in the framework of the CORBA Component Model

Performance evaluation of Fractal component based systems

International audienceComponent based system development is now a well accepted design approach in software engineering. Numerous component models have been proposed and for most of them, specific software tools allow building Component Based System (CBS). Although these tools perform several checks on the built system, few of them provide formal verification of behavioural properties nor performance evaluation of the resulting system. In this context, we have developed a general method associating to a CBS, a formal model, based on Stochastic Well formed Nets, a class of high level Petri Nets, allowing qualitative behavioural analysis together with performance evaluation of this CBS. The definition of the model heavily depends on the (run time) component model used to describe the CBS. In this paper, we instantiate our method to Fractal CBS and its reference Java implementation Julia. The method starts from the Fractal architectural description of a system, and defines rules to systematically generate elements models of the CBS and their interactions. We then apply a structured method both for qualitative and performance analysis taking into account the given implementation of the Fractal model. The main interest of our method is to take advantage of the compositional definition of such systems to carry out an efficient analysis. The paper concentrates on performance evaluation and presents our method step by step with an illustrative example

Quantitative controls on the regional geometries and heterogeneities of the Rayda to Shu'aiba formations (Northern Oman) using forward stratigraphic modelling

The complex geometry of carbonate systems is influenced by a multitude of physical as well as biological processes. The Lower Cretaceous carbonates of Northern Oman are characterised by a variability of regional-scale geometries with expected vertical and lateral facies variations. The main environmental and tectonic controls acting on the depositional processes of the Lower Cretaceous ramps and platforms through space and geological time (in 4 dimensions) are only partially understood. In this study, we use a 4D DionisosFlow Forward Stratigraphic Modelling (FSM) approach to explore the role of: (i) eustasy; (ii) subsidence; (iii) initial paleobathymetry, and (iv) wave energy, to generate carbonate stacking patterns and heterogeneities. Carbonate production was maintained constant through deposition. Multi-disciplinary and multi-scale datasets were used (i.e. seismic, well and field data) to constrain the FSM input parameters and sensitivity analysis was carried out to validate or refute some depositional model hypotheses. Results show that basement topography and eustasy have the greatest influence on the progradational geometries and the lateral continuity of clinoform architectures during the Tithonian to Valanginian second-order super-sequence. In the Valanginian to Aptian super-sequence, subsidence was the primary control for the observed aggradational stacking pattern. Lateral and vertical stacking of carbonate lithologies, textures as well as facies are thus apprehended through this FSM approach, leading to a better assessment of petroleum systems elements as reservoir, seal and trap

The Impact of Using Electronic Brainstorming Strategy in a Blended Learning Environment on Grade-Eleven Female Students’ Achievement in Islamic Education in the Sultanate of Oman

This study aimed at identifying the impact of using Electronic Brainstorming Strategy in a Blended Learning Environment on grade-eleven female students’ achievement in Islamic Education in the Sultanate of Oman. The study used the quasi experimental design, which consists of two experimental groups and a control group. In term of the treatment, the experimental groups were divided into two parts: The first experimental group n=30; which was taught using Electronic Brainstorming Strategy 70% electronic-30% traditional method) while the second experimental group n=30 was taught using the same strategies. The control group n=30 was taught using a traditional method. To achieve the objectives of the study, a 30-question achievement test was prepared. The test was given to a jury panel to judge its validity. As for the reliability factor, it was 0.71 as measured by Cronbach’s alpha. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences between the means of the students in the three groups on the post- achievement, in favor of the first experimental group. In addition, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the means of the post achievement due to the method of teaching the Electronic Brainstorming Strategy and achievement levels in the favor of the first experimental group and the higher achievement level. The study recommended using the strategy of electronic brainstorming in teaching Islamic education due to its positive implications on achievement

Heavy Quark Parameters and Vcb from Spectral Moments in Semileptonic B Decays

We extract the heavy quark masses and non-perturbative parameters from the Delphi preliminary measurements of the first three moments of the charged lepton energy and hadronic mass distributions in semileptonic B decays, using a multi-parameter fit. We adopt two formalisms, one of which does not rely on a 1/mc expansion and makes use of running quark masses. The data are consistent and the level of accuracy of the experimental inputs largely determines the present sensitivity. The results allow to improve on the uncertainty in the extraction of Vcb.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Degree of Professionalism in the Teacher Preparation Program at the College of Education at Sultan Qaboos University as Viewed by Islamic Education Graduates

The study aimed at identifying to what degree does the teacher preparation program at the college of education at Sultan Qaboos University enable Islamic education teachers to perform their professional roles as viewed by the graduates of the program. In order to achieve this aim, a questionnaire was designed consisting of 42 roles and falling under 5 themes. Having checked the instrument for validity and reliability, it was administered to a sample of 56 graduates of the program. The main findings of the study were: a) the teacher preparation program of Islamic education in the College of Education enabled the graduates to perform the professional roles at th moderate level; and there were no statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 between the means of respondents attributable to the variables of gender and year of graduation in general, as well as at the level of each of the 5 themes. Some of the recommendations are to reinforce the highly viewed roles such as the humanitarian roles and the roles in the five themes. It is also recommended to support the roles that were viewed moderately in the program and to give seminars and workshop to Islamic education teachers as to perform the professional roles effectively

Effect of External Boundary Layer on Performance of Axisymmetric Inlet at Mach Numbers of 3.0 and 2.5

The effect of an external boundary layer on the performance of an axisymmetric external-internal-compression inlet was evaluated at Mach numbers of 3.0 and 2.5 and Reynolds numbers from 2.2 to 0.5 x 10(exp 6) per foot. The inlet was tested at locations up to two-thirds of the way into the 1.7- and 9.0-inch boundary layers generated by a flat plate and the tunnel floor, respectively. The inlet could be readily started at all conditions tested, including those where the boundary layer was separated upstream of the inlet by the various shock systems during the restart cycle. Although the inlet performance decreased with increasing immersion into the boundary layer at both Mach numbers, the inlet was more sensitive to boundary-layer ingestion at the design Mach number of 3.0