Multi-tops at the LHC

The experiments at the LHC are searching for many different final states that can hint to the presence of new physics beyond the Standard Model. One of the most interesting and promising sectors for these searches is that of the top quark, for both theoretical and phenomenological reasons linked to its large mass and to its possible special role in the electroweak symmetry breaking sector. We suggest that multi-top events, beyond the standard $t$-$\bar t$ and four top searches, can bring further insight in constraining and discovering physics beyond the Standard Model, taking advantage of experimental techniques similar to those used in present top-quark analyses. This is relevant both for the next data taking runs at the LHC and even more at higher luminosity and higher energy collider options, which are discussed for future LHC upgrades and future accelerators. In particular we consider six top and eight top final states, discussing the generic colour representations for beyond the Standard Model particles giving rise to those final state. We also discuss the limits which can be extracted by using the present analyses sensitive to four top final states, as well as the potential bounds from new searches we propose to experimental collaborations as an alternative.Comment: 16 page

Gender stereotypes and the apology in a small state : uncovering Creole male stereotypes in the Seychelles using digital matched-guise methodology

Recent research in the Seychelles speaks of a “growing crisis of masculinity”, manifested in statistics such as a ten-year life expectancy difference in favour of women, alarmingly high levels of substance abuse amongst younger men, and underachievement of boys in schools. According to the authors, males are generally disempowered by stereotypical views of males as “irresponsible”, “unreliable” and “secondary to women”. Similar gender patterns have been observed in other ex-slavery Creole cultures such as the small states in the Caribbean, and some scholars argue that these structures have historical origins dating back to slavery. In this study, we seek to explore aspects of Seychellois stereotypes of masculinity through so-called matched-guise experiments. Through digital manipulations of voice quality, we produce identity-warped male and female versions of the same monologue recording – a short apology. We then asked respondents to listen to the recordings and respond to the same in a short online questionnaire, where we ask questions relating to their impressions of the apology and the speaker. Dimensions here include honesty-dishonesty; politenessimpoliteness; weakness-strength; and reliability-unreliability. Differences in results of responses to male and female versions of the apology give strong indications that Seychellois stereotypically view males as dishonest, unreliable, lazy and careless. We discuss potential origins and consequences of such constructions, and propose awareness-raising measures for how these destructive historically produced scripts of gender can be rewritten.peer-reviewe

Dark matter and localised fermions from spherical orbifolds?

We study a class of six-dimensional models based on positive curvature surfaces (spherical 2-orbifolds) as extra-spaces. Using the Newman-Penrose formalism, we discuss the particle spectrum in this class of models. The fermion spectrum problem, which has been addressed with flux compactifications in the past, can be avoided using localised fermions. In this framework, we find that there are four types of geometry compatible with the existence of a stable dark matter candidate and we study the simplest case in detail. Using the complementarity between collider resonance searches and relic density constraints, we show that this class of models is under tension, unless the model lies in a funnel region characterised by a resonant Higgs s-channel in the dark matter annihilation.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figure

Extended Kalman filter for attitude estimation of the earth radiation budget satellite

The design and testing of an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for ground attitude determination, misalignment estimation and sensor calibration of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) are described. Attitude is represented by the quaternion of rotation and the attitude estimation error is defined as an additive error. Quaternion normalization is used for increasing the convergence rate and for minimizing the need for filter tuning. The development of the filter dynamic model, the gyro error model and the measurement models of the Sun sensors, the IR horizon scanner and the magnetometers which are used to generate vector measurements are also presented. The filter is applied to real data transmitted by ERBS sensors. Results are presented and analyzed and the EKF advantages as well as sensitivities are discussed. On the whole the filter meets the expected synergism, accuracy and robustness

New analysis of WikiLeaks documents shows that intelligence-gathering at Guantánamo has been ineffective

The US has maintained a military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba for more than 14 years, with the stated aim of detaining and interrogating suspected terrorists which have been captured by the US. In new research which uses a dataset of information published by WikiLeaks, Emanuel Deutschmann finds that the prison has been largely ineffective in its intelligence-gathering mission. He writes that the dataset shows that nearly two thirds of inmates revealed no information about their fellow detainees, meaning that calls from politicians to send suspected terrorists to Guantánamo Bay to gain information from them are unrealistic

Multiple Futures or One Future? The Capitalist Growth Imperative

Das zentrale Stichwort, das Zukunftsorientierungen im gegenwärtigen Kapitalismus beschreibt, lautet „Wachstum“. Wirtschaftliches Wachstum ist eine Variable, die die Entwicklungschancen fast aller gesellschaftlichen Subsysteme – von privaten Unternehmen, dem Staat bis hin zu Haushalten und persönlichen Biographien – bestimmt. Im Zuge der Globalisierung des Kapitalismus beschränkt sich der Wachstumsimperativ längst nicht mehr auf westliche Länder, sondern ist zu einem globalen Phänomen geworden. Vorangetrieben wird der Wachstumsprozess durch unternehmerische Innovationen, und durch die Kommunikation von Innovationen in Form technologischer Visionen und „Utopien“, die die für den Markterfolg von Erfindungen nötige gesellschaftliche Resonanz vermitteln. Der Beitrag skizziert zunächst die Hauptbefunde der bekannten Studie Angus Maddisons über das langfristige historische Profil des Wachstumsprozesses. Im Anschluss daran werden sozio- ökonomische, institutionelle und kulturelle Theorien des Wachstums dargestellt und diskutiert. Die These lautet, dass die in der Soziologie immer noch einflussreichen kulturellen Wachstumstheorien dem heutigen globalen Charakter kapitalistischen Wachstums nicht gerecht werden. Der Wachstumsimperativ kann nicht aus den kulturellen Traditionen des Westens allein abgeleitet und nicht länger als etwas afrikanischen oder asiatischen Ländern durch den Westen „Aufgezwungenes“ interpretiert werden. Um ihn zu erklären, erscheint vielmehr ein globalisierungstheoretischer Ansatz sinnvoll, der das Phänomen entgrenzter Märkte in den Blick rückt